fandomhigh | Dealing With Stupid People [Monday, May 21]

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.

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Inara took a seat by the phones, examining it as she waited for it to ring.

After calling Hermione (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/1374372.html?thread=82703780#t82703780), Gavin tried again.

And disguised his voice this time, just in case.

"Hello, this is Inara. How may I help you?" Inara occasionally manned the appointment calendar at the House. Hopefully this wouldn't be too different.

"Oh." He thought he'd get the girl who'd laughed at him again. "Hi! I...have no question."

"No question? I guess I'll just wish you a good day, then," she smiled, trying to figure out why the voice sounded familiar.

"Oh, no wait," he said hurriedly. "No, you caught me off guard. It's Gavin."

"Hello, Gavin," Inara smiled, "Do you still not have a question? Not that I mind talking to you at all, because I don't, but I was wondering."

"I was gonna make up one," he said, scratching his head. "Um. How are you? That's a question."

"I'm doing very well, thank you, Sexual Education class notwithstanding. How are you?"

"I found out who Siegfried and Roy were," he said and shuddered a little. "Class was bad?"

"The man has no idea what he's talking about. Telling us to get each other drunk so that having sex will be easier to get! As if being nice and respectful to a person isn't enough," Inara was a little ranty now, yes, and realizing it, tried to calm herself down, "and who are Siegfried and Roy?"

"He doesn't sound very smart," Gavin said, after she'd finished. "Or very friendly. Or very respectful. Did you yell at him? And Siegfried and Roy are magicians who work in a place called Las Vegas and they have tigers."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Inara decided, "I like tigers. And no, I couldn't. He's an instructor, and you just don't do that."

"They also were apparently...together," he said, whispering a little. "Luke and I aren't though. We're just friends. And I could yell at him for you."

Nevermind that he had no idea who GOB was.

"This was you and Luke?" She asked, laughing now, "Somehow I missed that part. And no, thank you. I'll bear it somehow."

"Me and Luke," he said, nodding. "It was pretty silly. I thought I had on leather pants, at one point. Uncomfortable."

"Were you wearing leather pants?" That was a very pretty mental picture, yes.

"If I was, I don't remember that," he said. "I think it was just regular pants. I've never worn leather."

"I haven't either," she added, then wondered why she'd said anything.

All right, that made him smile and he felt comfortable enough to keep smiling because he was on the phone.

"Seems like it would be hard to get into, doesn't it?"