Fandom High School

Yang honestly sure who was even going to show up for this, since Sidon was the only registered student, but what the hell, being prepared was part of being an adventurer, so she was going to keep prepping for each class.

"Today we're gonna look at what you can, actually, take on the road with you," Yang said cheerfully, dumping a wide variety of bags on the floor of the danger shop. "There's not always a van, or cart, airship, or motorcycle to get you where you need to be. You gotta walk."

Yes, the idea of her baby sister currently walking across a continent was giving her twitches. How could you tell.

"So, ideally, you can only pack what you can carry, and what you can either fight in, or shrug off easily TO fight. You can't be weighed-down if you're chasing someone through the trees. You're going to get picked off."

"First off, you need cookware of some sort, even if it's just a pot or two, portable clean water, and flints to start a fire. You do, actually, have to eat, and you never can carry enough trail rations because they go bad or your trip takes too long or they get ruined. It's just a fact of life. Cultery. Stuff for butchering animals if you hunt. A guide to plants you can actually eat. Hygeine products, extra clothes for appropriate weather... it WILL rain on you. Or snow. Or be five thousand degrees. Sometimes all in the same day, depending on where you are. EXTRA SHOES, if you're a biped that uses shoes, and socks, and insoles. SO important, because you are walking."

"If you ARE using a motorized vehicle for a bit, gas or other power sources. Food for your horse. Weapons. Things to take CARE of your weapons. Ammo, if you have ranged weapons. Money, possibly more than one country's currency if you're going distances. Identity paperwork. Whatever loot you want to keep from that bandit that tried to rob you and got their asses handed to them...it starts adding up fast, even if you have super-strength."

Yang pushed a button, and piles of STUFF started appearing around the Danger Shop. "So grab what you think you need, try to fit it in bags you can carry, and then run a mile. See how you feel at the end of it!"

For her and Sidon, this was absolutely a weight-lifting race. For anyone else who showed up, well, welcome to Packing Tetris, hope you survive the experience.

"So, if you're going to go out and be a hero, it's important to be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses," Yang said cheerfully to her assembled class. "I have a hell of a temper, I tend to try and go through a problem rather than stop to think of alternate solutions, and while I am a very good shot for ranged work, I need to get up-close and personal to be the weapon of mass destruction I was born to be."

"Personally, I see all of those as strengths, but to most people they're a weakness to exploit, and I need to continue to work on all of it to be less-predictable. I've needed to learn to see problems as something other than a nail, and I'm the hammer."

"My real strengths are my determination, my loyalty, and the fact that I care. I care about helping people. I care about my family. And I care about doing the right thing, no matter what."

Yang winked at all them. "Now, my idea of what's 'right' isn't always what the law says it is, but what's life without a little fun, right?"

"So let's chat. What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? How do you think a foe would view you, and how can you use that to your advantage?"

"Last week we covered basic unarmed self-defense," Yang said, sunglasses on because she'd been up way too late the night before. "But unless you've trained in unarmed combat, it can be nerve-wracking. And you run the risk of injuring yourself."

"But not everyone is a weapon, or carries a weapon with them at all times. Or your weapon-of-choice may have been broken, or taken away from you. So today, we're going to go over my second-favorite form of combat... found weaponry."

Look, Yang loved punching people. She was a bruiser. But the joy of smacking someone with a broom was glorious.

"And I'm not just talking about your typical 'hit them on the head with a bar stool.' No. That's cliché. I mean, it works, but come on. They'll be expecting it. Pool cues. Brooms. Chair legs. Bricks. A bottle. Or, hell, use a weapon you do have in a way they don't expect." With that, Yang mentally disengaged her metal arm as she spun around, catching it by the wrist with her biological hand, and using it to strike a training dummy like a baton. "If they aren't expecting it, you're more likely to get away with it."

"Now have fun!" And with that, the entire Danger Shop turned into a bar, with a riotous brawl already in progress, and Yang picked up a stool to smash it over a npc hologram's head.

What? Some things were classics for a reason.

"Welcome back," Yang said, once everyone had arrived at the Danger Shop. This time, she was wearing her metal arm, but again in a tank-top so the contrast between her two limbs was very obvious. "Grab your bracelets, and let's get started on threat assessment."

"What is a threat? Honestly? You're in more danger from situations that you don't see as threatening," she said, shrugging. "It's when you underestimate someone or something that you're going to find yourselves in trouble."

"But you can start by applying the basics to everything."

"First off, we have 'Identification.' Your ability to identify threats to commit a potential unfavorable act. Now remember, just because something has the potential to act in a way that could negatively impact you doesn't mean they will. You don't get to act on a 'maybe' without any evidence. You don't get to sterotype people, or make assumptions."

"Which brings us to 'Initial Assessment.' Not all threats are created equal, and you have to determine the seriousness of a potential problem. When you're solo, all you've got is you, and maybe the reports of issues in an area. If there's a Nevermore nest in the area, there's going to be farmers complaining, or livestock going missing, or a town that's been flattened. Or if it's a person, find out who they're close to, talk to them to get a bigger picture. If you've got a team, you bounce thoughts off each other, to find the different angles. If you can talk to other people, you're always going to be able to build a better picture of what you're facing."

"Then you've got 'Management.' You have to develop an intervention plan to address the underlying issue. In the case of wild animals, how to relocate them if possible, or put them down if they're too dangerous. When you're dealing with people, it gets complicated. What's your ideal outcome? Does your threat exist because of a stressor a person is under? Are these people being bandits because they're assholes, or because they've lost everything and don't see another option? Are they willing participants, or is there a captive situation? Is this something that can be fixed with community involvement, or even an individual intervention?"

Sorry, did you think Yang was a one-size-fits-all punch-it girl to fix problems? Well, yes, it was her favored path forward, but she'd also learned a lot at Beacon, before everything fell apart. And the only thing bigger than her punches was her heart.

"Now, in the cases where the assessment reveals a true threat, that's where 'heroes' come in. Or law enforcement, if that's a thing in your world, but let's be real, cops aren't a great option most of the time because they see everything in terms of going straight at a problem, usually with violence, instead of looking to find a path around."

"So now you have to do 'Assessment.' Yes, again. You did your initial assessment, and maybe attempted some management, but you need to take a second look. Have you done everything you could? What are your other options? Do you need to put in place a safety plan for the locals?"

"When do you need a safety plan? When the R-S-I-F indicators are all red flags. That is, the RECENCY-SEVERITY-INTENSITY-FREQUENCY aspects of the threat."

"And then you start all over again. Threat assessment is a circle, not a linear event. And a lot of times? You have to do all those steps at once, in the middle of combat. So let's go!"