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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"Yes," she said, and let Gavin draw his own conclusions.

He coughed. "What's the benefit then?"

Inara lowered her voice and glanced around to make sure Josh wasn't listening, "Some people like being uncomfortable. A lot."

"Oh." And now he was a nice shade of red. "Maybe that might be fun."

He was proud of himself for not just babbling incoherently.

"I don't know. I've never done anything like that before," she admitted, still being quiet. The phone made her surprisingly brave, but she had no idea how she was going to face Gavin on Wednesday.

"Me either," he said and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'd probably get stuck in them."

"I could he-" Inara offered, then realized what she was saying, "Um, I mean that that would be terrible and maybe you shouldn't wear them then."

He laughed quietly and tried to picture himself in leather pants. Of course, he pictured himself in nice leather pants and...he needed to stop picturing himself in leather pants. That was weird.

"I have other pants," he said. "I could wear those."

And he groaned when he realized what he said.

"Not that I was thinking of going pantless. Um, I wasn't. Pants are good."

"Yes, they are," Inara gave a peal of laughter, then started giggling, "and I didn't think you would go pantsless. That's generally only for special occasions, from what I understand."

Her laughter made him laugh, not that he'd stopped much. "Yeah, me too. I managed shirtlessness the other night though. Step in the right direction."

"I'm sorry I missed it," she said without thinking. Ooooh, too casual on the phone. Good to know that she didn't want to conduct much business that way.

"It was at the luau," he told her. "It wasn't too bad. With all the stories I'd heard, I thought something might fall out of the sky and hit me when I took my shirt off."

"Why is that?" She blinked, then stared at the phone, not that Gavin could see her. "And I saw several shirtless people at the luau, but I must have missed you."

"Because I'm kind of...dumb," he said sheepishly. "And it's easy to take a shirt off."

Groan.

"I mean...you know."

Dork.

"I thought I did..."

He made a face at himself. "See, kinda dumb."

"Stop saying you're dumb," she scolded.

"Okay," he said sheepishly. "And, uh, I meant my shirt before. Not...anyone else's. You know..."

He'd work on proper speech before Wednesday.

Luckily, Inara was at least conversant in nervous teenager. "I know. If I had thought otherwise, I wouldn't be showing you the beach. Oh! Which reminds me that you should wear shoes you can take off easily. And maybe some kind of pants that you don't mind getting wet."

He nodded. And then smacked himself when he realized she couldn't see him. "I just nodded at the phone. I don't know why I told you that. But, right. No boots, old pants. No leather," he said lightly.

"I'm sorry, I sound so bossy and demanding," Inara apologized, "You should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. And this lack of video with phones--it's odd."

"You're not bossy and demanding," he assured her. "You're looking out for me. I like that. It's nice. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Suddenly she was glad for the lack of video, because she was blushing pretty brightly. "I'll see you Wednesday?"

"You will," he said, nodding. "Hope the rest of your class is okay."

Dealing With Stupid People [Monday, May 21]

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