Dealing With Stupid People [Monday, May 21]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

When the students in the workshop arrived at the tables by the main campfire, they found them covered with phones.

"Welcome to the help desk!" Josh said, grinning proudly. "People are very stupid over the phone, especially when they know you can't see the expression on their faces. This is also why video conferences aren't as popular as regular conference calls--hiding your eyerolling is easier when, well, they can't see your eyes."

He waved his hands out. "Today you will be manning a help desk. I have handwavily put out posters to let people know that it's open during this class time, so the phones should start ringing any minute now. Your job is to answer the person's question in the most polite way possible without letting them know you think they are completely out of their minds."

"Coffee, muffins and bagels are available, answering their questions correctly is completely optional." Josh smirked. "Have fun."

[OOC: Phone lines are open for townies, students, and faculty members to call in. Josh has conveniently forgotten to specify what kind of help the students would offer. Ask for relationship advice, song requests, technical support, people to vote for or against bills in Congress, just to say hi...go nuts.

Comments

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine stared at the phone, loathe to have to actually use manners or something of the like, today.
Oh, yes, this was bound to be priceless.

Re: Man the help desk!

[namelessblade.livejournal.com]

Somehow, Yachiru had managed to get a hold of the portable communications device. She bounced excitedly from foot to foot while it raaaaaang.

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine looked at the phone as it rang, gave a bit of a shrug, and answered.
"Hello, Strange Workshop Help Desk, Valentine speaking, how my I be of assistance?"
Valentine felt rather awkward asking anyone if he could be of assistance.

Re: Man the help desk!

[namelessblade.livejournal.com]

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Yachiru chirped. "I'm using the portable communication devise! Ken-chan said it was too complicated to be properly used!"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine pulled the phone about a foot from his ear so that he could hear this person clearly without going deaf.
"Apparently, you have it figured out. Congratulations?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[namelessblade.livejournal.com]

Yachiru giggled. "Arigato!" she beamed; you could almost hear the bouncing through the phone wires. "Okay, so, this is where you call for help, right?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

"Gesundheit," Valentine didn't speak Japanese. "Yes, this is where you call for help. What can I help you with?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[namelessblade.livejournal.com]

"Know any good ways to try and keep someone from fighting but still keep 'em happy?" Yachiru leaned a little, chin in hand, on the kitchen table and sighed. "I tried tying him up, but he just breaks on through 'em and complains that I didn't do it tight enough."

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

"Have you ever tried getting him to juggle?" It was about the best thing that Valentine could offer, at this point. "It's therapeutic?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[namelessblade.livejournal.com]

"Oh! Juggling!" There was a happy little squeal. "That's an excellent suggestion! What should he juggle? Knives? Swords? The little spiky bally things on the tops of maces and the chains of flails?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine grimaced at the squeal and moved the phone another half-foot away from his ear, yelling into the receiver so that he'd be heard, now.
"I was thinking a set of juggling balls, or some bowling pins, but if he'd like to juggle flails and knives, I probably wouldn't try to stop him?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[namelessblade.livejournal.com]

"I don't think he'd like to play with just balls," Yachiru responded thoughtfully. "But thank you for your suggestion."

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

"But of course," Valentine replied with a grin. "It's what I'm here for."

Re: Man the help desk!

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hey, there wasn't anything that said you couldn't make a call yourself. Turtle just hoped that whoever she'd get would realize that it was her down the way. There was no way she was missing this chance just because she was in the class, dammit.

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine was almost hesitant to answer the phone this time.
"Mmhphthh. Valentine. Need help, I imagine?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweet! Stupid Mask Guy! Turtle tried her best to hide a snort. "Uh, yes," she tried (poorly) to disguise her voice. "I'm actually looking for someone. He...should be there. Do you think you could ask?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine's lips pursed for a moment as he considered this. This voice held a certain shin-kicking quality that he was entirely too somewhat familiar with. When one can't comprehend faces, voices are about all that you have left, after all.
He liked his shins as they were, so he figured he'd play along, at least.
"I might be able to ask... Who were you looking for?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

"Jewish friend of mine, by the name of Weiner," Turtle said, trying really hard not to laugh. "Goes by his initials, I.C.?"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine considered this for a moment, then smirked.
"Absolutely. I'll ask for you, one moment." He covered the phone, looked up, and yelled across the classroom, "This crazy girl I'm talking to would like a Jewish Weiner!"

Re: Man the help desk!

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

At which point Turtle broke her cover, putting her hand over the reciever and yelling at him from across the room. "Valentine, you idiot! You're doing it wrong!"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine grinned at her and held his receiver in her direction.
"Oh! I think this call might be for you, Turtle!"
He was going to be wearing shin padding all week after this.

Re: Man the help desk!

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

Eyes narrowing, Turtle moved her hand from the reciever and hissed into the phone, "Oh, you're just so funny, aren't you, Valentine stupid jerkface who can't even do a prank call properly!"

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine smiled and waved cheerfully at her from across the room. "You'd not be the first to call me stupid of a jerkface over the past week," he replied into the phone calmly. "I think I'm rather starting to get used to it."

Re: Man the help desk!

[stocksgrrl.livejournal.com]

Turtle shook her head and refused to wave back. If she were any less of a person, she would have made a rude gesture, but then she might as well start calling herself Annette. She was above that, thank you. "Who else called that?" she asked, frowning not because Valentine was a stupid jerkface, but because it sounded like someone was stealing 'jerkface' and that was totally her thing.

Re: Man the help desk!

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine seemed somewhat uncomfortable, frowned, and shook his head. "It was Nobody," he decided. "Just a Nobody."