Fandom Library, Wednesday, February 18th

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Immediately after radio yesterday, Arden had vanished to her room and hid, refusing to talk to anyone (and, yes, spending plenty of time singing to herself). Today, she had ventured out to the library, replete with snacks and drinks just in case it seemed like it was starting up again and she needed to quickly cram her mouth full.

Overkill? Possibly. Worth it?

Definitely.

Glitter. -Wednesday- 3rd period

[throughaphase]

The class was in the Home Ec room today, where there were plenty of supplies on each station, plus glitter. So much edible glitter.

Don't be shocked, now.

"We're going pretty easy today," Kitty began. "We're making cupcakes. I've got a lot of different mixes and all the supplies, and the only rule is you need to use glitter. I don't care if it's in the batter, the frosting, or both. Just be creative and make them pretty. Or a monstrosity. Both are good."

The Long Con, Wednesday, Period 1 [2/18]

[talentforlying]

"Right then, we're going to skip back in time a bit, and start near the beginning. William Thompson was an American criminal and con artist whose deceptions caused the term 'confidence man' to be coined," John stated abruptly, once the bell rang. "So all of you aspiring con-artists can thank him for giving you a job title."

"Operating in New York City in the late 1840s, a genteely-dressed Thompson would approach an upper-class mark, pretending they knew each other, and begin a brief conversation. After initially gaining the mark's trust, Thompson would ask 'Have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until tomorrow?' Upon taking the watch -- or, occasionally, money -- Thompson would depart, never returning the watch. This is because rich people are idiots, and it would have been considered 'rude' to refuse someone of their own social standing, and potentially caused a minor scandal if got out that they were scrooges."

"Thompson was arrested and brought to trial in 1849, in a case that made newspaper headlines across the country. The New York Herald, recalling his explicit appeals to the victim's "confidence," dubbed him the "confidence man." Per the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of the term was printed in The New Orleans Picayune. For those of you of the academic bent, the Thompson case was a major inspiration and source for Herman Melville's 1857 novel The Confidence-Man."

"So here's your assignment for today: grab a classmate or two and figure out what small-talk you need to make to get them to trust you. Think about what non-verbal cues you are looking for in people that let you steer the conversation, and give you the advantage you need to gain someone's confidence."

Creative Writing [Wednesday, Period Two]

[good_for_six]

"Spring break's coming up," Isabela announced to the class, in the tone of someone who had been on a great many of them. "Which is proving inspiring."

"So it's a thing in many places to make kids write essays about what they did on their school vacations," Aphra said. "We're going to flip that around and make you write a story about what you're going to do on yours."

"Remember the name of the class," Isabela said. "No reasonable expectations needed."