Library Adventures!

[Mairead Harker]

At least twice a month Maggie accompanies the Katz Kittens and Nikolai Allen to the library where they can explore the books and see what strikes their fancy. Sometimes, the book searches lead to other events! Each of the youngsters has their own special interest and Maggie enjoys helping them expand their horizons in, among other things, cooking, dancing, and gardening.

This month, they will be having an adventure on the
S.S. Mini-Mate! Lessons will include plotting a ship's course and learning to navigate by the stars.

((Thanks to the players behind Rachael Blackthorne and Nikolai Allen for inspiring me to start putting these adventures into words. ))

[Nikolai Allen]

Knowledge is Freedom, Learning is Pain

Niko’s homework was done and for once it hadn’t taken someone telling him to focus on it to keep him from leaving it unfinished. It wasn’t like he ever didn’t complete it, but there were a lot of times when he finished it in class just before it was due. This was easy for him, and often drew a look of disapproval from Mrs. Llewelyn who would hold him back when everyone else left to tell him that he needed to apply himself better. “You’re going to find that it’s not always enough to be smart, Nikolai. Putting in the effort to learn is just as important as being right.” Niko wasn’t so sure, the other kids in class were always arguing about who was right. He wasn’t the smartest kid in the class, but his marks were always among the highest. Still he’d overheard Mrs. Llewelyn telling his father that it wasn’t a fair comparison, because some of the kids didn’t earn the knowledge. She hadn’t come out and said it, but Niko knew she meant him. Knowing it had jumbled up his feelings inside. There was a certain amount of pride in the ability, but he also felt a lot of shame and guilt over it too.

It wasn’t like he knew the things she taught already, well except for math but his father had been working with him on that since before he’d stepped one sneaker into formal academia. Niko just seemed to pick up the lesson in the moments it was being given. Things made sense to him, except for when they didn’t. Mrs. Llewelyn, it seemed, worried that the quickness of his mind would hold him back when he found something which didn’t come naturally to him. That he’d get frustrated and quit. His father tried to make things more challenging for him at first, but Niko could be stubborn. He’d dig in his heels, outright refusing to do more homework no matter the consequences. It frustrated them both, and sometimes they wouldn’t talk for hours afterwards. Ali, his dad’s girlfriend, said they were too much alike but that it showed in different ways. She’d told him that when his dad was Niko’s age he’d been forced to teach himself, because the person teaching him didn’t know the answers to his questions. “You both have that same determination to not comply with the person trying to teach you and get punished for it. You get sent to your room, and he…well that was a long time ago.”

That was a long time ago, Nikolai had heard this said more times than he could count, so why did it always feel like it was still right there where it could be touched. Whatever it was. Still, today his homework was done. He’d completed it in the library much sooner than he’d admitted to Maggie. That was standard Nikolai if he were being honest. On test days at school he always waited until half the class had turned in their tests before submitting his. Mrs. Llewelyn would take the test paper from him, turn it over to reveal the intricate drawing on the back side and frown at him. She didn’t say anything, and it hadn’t always been that way. Maybe she understood why he’d started holding back that way? He’d always tried to be done first when the school year had begun. That was when the name calling had begun. It had only taken a single utterance of “How are you such a nerd when your dad is so stupid?” to encourage everyone who congratulated Mike Iago on his burn to take up similar taunts. If Addie had heard it, she’d have probably turned the burn around on them…young Addie that is. She had a tongue sharper than Ali’s sword, and could always form a stinging comeback. She was his best friend, he missed her a lot.

Aunt Rachael always told him that he knew his father, which of course was part of the problem. He did know that his father was not the man on the television. She’d said that was an act he put on for the fans, and because his dad liked it when they were happy. There was no explaining that to Mike and his crew though. If anything it only made them dig harder at him. Big Addie, his adopted sister, would tell him that they’d get theirs when all the girls were after him because he was so offensively pretty. Niko wasn’t a huge fan of being called pretty, except when she said it. It always sounded like it meant something else, and he guessed that was okay. Lula would sit with him when his dad couldn’t be there, she wanted to go down and make them apologize the hard way. Aunt Tahlia’s advice seemed to mirror Aunt Rachael’s, and it came with pop tarts for some reason. He’d even snuck the communication crystal from his dad’s bedroom to consult with Aunt Raye. She seemed to like Lula’s idea better. It had struck him after that how many aunts and uncles he had. He’d never thought about it before, but his dad only had one sibling, a brother who had married Aunt Tahlia, so that one made sense. So why were there so many others? It had always been them who had him use the terms, and some of them like Uncle Ebon and Aunt Rachael were fiercely protective. Sometimes things just had to be set aside and considered later.

Finishing his homework was different when he did it for Maggie. He’d made promises to her, and he always made good on his promises. There were rewards for it too when they were on these outings. Time was limited, and the longer it took the less time he had to play…or run. His backpack was in the Rover, zipped up tightly and a long way from where he was now. Niko loved to run, he wasn’t the fastest kid especially when among the Katz, he could run for a long time though.. He was also tall, if lanky. He didn’t really like that word, it sounded like something awkward that happened to a sailing ship when it was stuck at sea. He felt that way sometimes, physically awkward, except when he was running. The air sounded soothingly in his ears, and the beat of his heart offered an interesting contrast to the rhythm his feet made as they hit the ground. He was at peace when he ran, able to look at the things which any other time would put his emotions into knots. He knew his route well, knew when he could Gorilla Vault a fallen tree or a table. He knew where it was better to dive and roll instead of trying to run across. There was absolute freedom in knowing these things. Of course, Niko still had some painful scrapes and bruises from learning those lessons. His father always said that knowledge costs, but Niko thought this might just be an oversimplification.

Knowledge was freedom, the pain was in the learning.

[Mairead Harker]

If it had been a different place, the sight of a long legged teen on the bridge to womanhood and her little entourage entering a library might have raised brows. However, this was Rhydin and the oddest looking things, elsewhere, were normal here. For at least a year, Maggie had set aside time to accompany the Katz Kittens on visits to Tass’s library. Recently, Niko Allen joined the merry band.

Each of the children had their own areas of interest. Maggie liked encouraging them to share those things and expand their knowledge. Moneypenny was their primary teacher and Maggie tended to clear activities with her before proceeding. It was one thing to act on impulse when only she was at risk, but someone else’s children were another matter. Regardless of their four legged form, the Katz Kitts as Maggie often called them were children among their species.

The November field trip was to have an adventure on the S. S. Mini Mate. Normally, the ship was moored as part of Hatton Point’s children’s area. The galleon was loosed from her bindings and set sail to give the young ones a sense of what it was like to be on the open water. It was an overnight trip to allow for the teaching of navigation by the stars. As a young child, Maggie had learned the rudiments of using a sextant and the stars to chart a course. Shylah had been her patient teacher; Maggie was always full of questions. It was Aja that taught her how to steer a ship. Later on, she learned it was called piloting.

In preparation, Maggie suggested each of the youngsters look to their own specialties to see what they could contribute to the shared adventure. Belle started the quest by finding books on the clothes worn by sailors. Butch did his part by learning how ships were built, some had motors; others like the Mini-Mate did not. Rosie searched the stacks for books on the music and dances that were often used to while away long hours at sea. Most of the Kats Kitts were happily occupied including Wander with the million questions. Her questions often lead to ideas her siblings hadn’t yet considered.

Tux, the most curious of them, often wanted to enter sections of the library that he wasn’t for, not yet. Maybe it would have been better to say those books weren’t ready for him! One day, Maggie shared a bit of a secret with him. “Tux,” she tapped a finger to lips, “listen carefully and you might be able to hear the voices of the books. They will sometimes share knowledge not on the written page. Treat them with respect and handle them with care. They have their own stories to tell.” She knew that sparkle that lit the kitten’s eyes, a flame had been ignited.

One of the lessons that was being revisited before the trip was basic first aid. Water safety and CPR were also among the lessons. Cat CPR was different than for people. Maggie hoped that her young charges would never have to use those skills. As her elders often reminded her, it was better to have and not need than to need and not have. Maggie had always been ahead of the curve when it came to learning; especially languages. She saw something of herself in each of them. She treated knowledge as a treasure and tried to instill that in all of her students. Sometimes, that treasure needed to be earned or found. The other thing she tried to make clear was that learning did not have to be boring.

Niko fit right in with the others. He, too, was a bundle of energy with a sharp mind. She expected to find Niko climbing the rigging to the crow’s nest once they got underway. He’d have the best view of the sea from there and, if he was willing, could serve as Barrelman.

Leaning one arm on the hood of the Rover, Maggie spotted something, no, someone running in the distance. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she glanced over her shoulder to the man that had nearly been her shadow for a while now. “Captain.” The request was spoken quietly, ”There’s a spyglass in the pocket behind the front … driver’s seat. Would you mind grabbing it?”

He was dressed casually in clothes that were more appropriate for a sea venture than the huge armored bear form that had followed Maggie during the Halloween events. “Something of concern, My Lady?” He handed off the telescope.

“Not unless the runner falls,” Maggie said as she lifted the glass to her eye. She grinned. “Oh, that’s why the bag is in the car and you’re not here.” Niko was running, possibly burning off steam before the ride to Hatton Point. Her mind wandered a moment as she considered if running for Niko was much like dancing and horseback riding was for her. The sense of freedom those activities gave her went beyond words.

The Winter Knight looked off into the distance. It was his job to watch over her despite the fact that she could do well enough on her own. He’d seen her on the battlefield and knew to stay out of her way when a certain look came over her.

“Captain, it might be best during these journeys if you call me Maggie.”

“What will you call me, My Lady … Maggie?”

“Let’s go with 3PO or Captain. I think the wrong impression might be given if I use your actual name.”

“Ah, yes, I recall your grandmother’s story.”

A bit later, the SUV was filled with excited children on their way to a grand adventure.

[Mairead Harker]

The February adventure was a trip to the indoor orchards of Gardenhome. Tree climbing was allowed with parent/guardian approval. Alin gave the others a tour of the hydroponics project that he and his father, Eregor, had worked hard on. Lena did her part by giving a talk on the apiary and honey production. In case anyone had allergies, a live feed was set up as back up. The primary rule when dealing with bees was to remain calm as they were known to react to increased heart rate and other signals. Last stop was one of the kitchens where the produce from the garden was used in various recipes. Each of the children had been allowed to choose their favorite plants and cook their own dish to share.