SEX ED; CLASS PROJECT - [ OPEN ]
The Captain's class discussion of Safe Sex was brought around home to pregnancy, because that tied deliciously in with his aforementioned class project.
"All right! Sex equals babies! They keep telling us that, we keep not listening, then babies happen and, shit, we're confused. How did that happen? What are we gonna do now? Pregnancy is one of the biggest risks associated with unprotected teenage sex. Using rhythm and a prayer ain't gonna cut it, people, not now or ever. And anyone who tells you that a man cannot and will not ever get pregnant has never been to the Nexus or outside of Earth's solar system. It happens more often than you think: just look at sea horses. Shit definitely happens when you encounter non-human life forms who procreate differently. Having a penis or other male organs does not excuse you from the responsibilities of safe sex."
Jack moved over to one of the cardboard boxes cluttering up his classroom and pulled forth -- a human baby. Granted, it was a plastic baby, but it was fully clothed and eerily life-like. At the moment, it was switched off, but chances were good when the thing was switched on it would begin emitting a high-pitched cry until coddled, fed, changed, or rocked to sleep. The Captain settled back against his desk and held the doll up for everyone to see. "This, my dear class, is your project."
For the record, Captain Jack Harkness could be a totally evil bastard.
"You'll be dividing up however you please. Single parents, partners, or small groups -- please follow your own inclinations and don't be afraid to express yourself." In other words, same-sex "parents" and other such things were perfectly welcome in Captain Jack's class, if not out-right encouraged from just a sociologically experimental standpoint. "Each parental division will receive one child to care for over the next week. These are highly advanced dolls, they react to temperature, gravity, and pressure changes as a real child would. They get hungry at regular intervals and require frequent diaper changes. They sleep, they cry, they laugh, and they can be a real pain in the ass. Yes, they run on internal clock, recorder, and battery systems, but tampering with said systems will constitute an automatic failure of this project. Leaving the child unattended will constitute an automatic failure of this project. Any form of abuse -- physical, mental, emotional, etc -- will constitute an automatic failure of this project. Do not drop your baby, do not hit your baby, do not forget to feed your baby, and do not stuff your baby into the washing machine to stifle its infantile wails for love and attention. For the next seven days, this is the fruit of your loins and you are responsible for its survival."
Heavy, huh?
"Each child comes with a care kit, baby carrier, sling, and project notebook. Inside the notebook are seven worksheets for each day of the project. Fill these out, along with a brief essay describing your feelings about this assignment. Spare no harsh words, for I am a Cruel Master and by the end of this week you will all hate and loathe me as a bringer of a great many evils into your lives. -- If you choose to work with a partner or in a small group for this project, it is expected that you do not succumb to gender stereotypes and that each partner has an equal share of time and input with the child. Scientific studies show that parents regardless of sex or gender respond better to equal amounts of bonding time with their newborn babies." Cue the grin.
Jack went on to explain the care kit. The bottles were not actually full and the diapers did not actually soil, but it was a complicated array of sensors and electronics, carefully masked behind a baby facade. 'Feeding' would take as long as it would a real child, while the replacement of one diaper for another constituted a 'change.' He also explained the baby carriers and slings for easy transportation. (All other items not mentioned here needed for caring for a "baby" can be assumed as provided.)
"And, because I'm such a nice guy and I wouldn't ask any of you to do something I'm not willing to do myself, I'll be taking care of my own little bundle of joy for this project, too. All right...any questions, comments, complaints, or concerns? Please hold all Jack-killings until the end of class."
[ All right, as a note, non-human students do have corresponding dolls. Mice, mutants, Kryptonians, etc. If there’s a genetic trait that a student would have passed on to its child, then the doll will have it. Because, LOL Nexus. -- Otherwise, anyone interested in jumping on this bandwagon (teachers are always welcome to participate!), you better jump while the jumping’s good. The project notebook assignment may be hand-waved as a single, action post somewhere -- personal journal, PrIME, D_M -- pertaining to the project itself. That’s about it, I think. Any OOC questions, comments, complaints or concerns may be directed to me here, as well. Please hold all K-murdering until…well…forever. :D ]