Practical Etiquette, Period 3, Class #1 - Thursday, May 14th

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Good morning," Lizzy said, clasping her hands behind her back and telling herself quite firmly not to be nervous. "My name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and I'm to be your teacher on the subject of Practical Etiquette."

"To answer what is likely to be the first question, I'd like to give my definition of practical etiquette. Fear not; there will be no sudden quizzes on the proper form of address for a Bishop as compared to a Duke. Instead, we will be focusing on the larger points. Many of us are from greatly different backgrounds; however, much of civil society is universal. My hope is that, once you have completed this class, you will be sufficiently able to compose yourself in any situation presented to you. This includes situations for which one has no advance knowledge, such as when one finds one's self on an unknown island, in a completely unexpected world." As, perhaps, many of them had done just this week.

"This class will teach the generalities. What to attempt, what to avoid, what one should never, ever raise in polite conversation. How to detect subtle cues from one's environment. How to adapt one's self just enough not to raise any undue eyebrows.

"We will start this week with introductions and greetings. In many cultures, when you are introduced to someone, you should bow your head as a sign of respect. Even lowering it for a brief nod will suffice, in some circumstances, though one must always show more deference to royalty or heads of state. One should state one's name, and note that one is pleased to make the acquaintance, even if one is not. Societies in my time would ask that a lady offer her hand to a gentleman to receive a kiss on the knuckles, while gentleman between themselves would shake hands. Modern society has embraced the handshake, and so shall we. Your handshake should be firm, polite, and brief. Never give someone a limp, dead hand; nor should you crush the other person's fingers in your own. Hold the other person's eyes while shaking their hand, that they know they are fully occupying your attention.

"While shaking the person's hand, you might feel moved to compliment the person. A word of caution is required here. If one is introduced to the hostess, and compliments her lovely eyes, said hostess might presume one is expressing romantic interest. This may cause unwelcome entanglements, or give offense to her spouse if she has one. Keep compliments detached from the person you are meeting him or herself. Telling one she has a lovely necklace is far more acceptable than mentioning any part of her person; thanking her for the invitation, or expressing your delight at the decor of her home are also quite safe grounds.

"Now." She smiled at all of them. "I would like each of you to stand and introduce yourselves. Tell us your name, your interests, and why you have chosen this class. Once we have all done so, I would like for you to mingle with one another, shaking hands and expressing polite compliments to one another. Does that sound acceptable?

"If there are questions, or if you should like to assist me in teaching this course, please do see me after class. And the lovely Miss Watson is available to you, as well, as she has been assigned as a teaching aide for this course." Miss Bennet had not actually met Miss Watson, but she had received a letter to that effect, and chose to believe it. She would hope that Fandom was not simply amusing itself at her expense once more. Instead, she pointed towards one student with an easy smile. "Would you begin for us?"

Comments

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

Karla rose. "My name is Karla di Glacia. I come from the Territory of Glacia in the Realm of Kaeleer. Handshakes are very new to me, and I probably won't get them right for a while. In fact, this entire world is new to me, and the Protocol I know doesn't apply. Since at home, protocol is what keeps the Blood as a cohesive society, I figured I should put some effort into learning this world's version. As for my interests, I enjoy learning Craft, riding unicorns, theatricals, and reading novels."

And terrorizing people, usually males. But she didn't say that part out loud.

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"You've seriously ridden a Unicorn?"

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"Once," Karla admitted. "But I'd love to ride one again. They are incredible. I enjoy riding horses, too, but not even kindred horses compare to unicorns."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"That's fantastic. I've never even seen a Unicorn."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"They're beautiful. The most amazing creatures I've ever seen," Karla's eyes were far away, and her face soft with notstalgia. "Don't get me wrong, dragons are awe-inspiring, but there is just something so majestic about the unicorns."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like it'd be a different kind of beauty." Leda said. "Is it true that Unicorns only like virgins?"

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"I've never heard anything like that," Karla said, puzzled. "Unicorns are Blood, like any other kindred. I don't know why they would discriminate against witches who have already had their Virgin Night."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

That was an awesome phrase. "Must be another bullshit story by the rubes."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"Or your unicorns are not like my unicorns, much like your elves are not like my Dea al Mon," she pointed out. "There are so many things here that look the same or sound the same, and yet are completely different than the things I know back home."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah. That could be it too. Dunno I just thought that since there's so much in my own world that the humans got wrong..." she shrugged. "Well not all humans."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"Don't worry," Karla said with a grin, "I'm not ruling wrong out."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"So, how'd it go with your magic luggage?"

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

Karla rolled her eyes at her own idiocy. She was never going to live that one down--even if only in her own head. "Okay," she muttered. "I grabbed everything I needed for the cabin from it, and sent it all away again. It's a very convenient way to travel when I'm not failing at it."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Where does it go?"

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"..."

Karla didn't actually have an answer for her. "Away?" Okay, she did have an answer, one she'd come up with herself years ago, but the explanation sounded stupid. But probably not as stupid as her previous answer, so she decided to give it a shot. "Ummm...I think it's sort of like having an invisible storage closet that follows you around and hold things until you want them. Anything you put in there can be taken out again."

Mother Night. Had that really come out as insane as it sounded in her head?

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

It was as good an answer as any. Maybe if she'd seen more Sci-Fi she could have come up with an explanation.

"You know it's somewhat comforting that you're not sure either."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Welcome to class," Miss Bennet said with a gentle smile. "This world is quite new to me, as well, though I'm from a different time and place entirely than yourself." The word 'unicorns' said as much. "I am hoping that this class will help students adjust to new environments, as it seems something we come up against quite frequently on this island."

"I teach literature during the school year. What novels do you like to read?"

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"All of the novels I've ever read are from Kaeleer, so I don't think you'd know any," Karla replied awkwardly. Then she brightened, "But one my classes are over for the day, I intend to stop by the library and borrow Macgruff."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"I was asking more about genre," Miss Bennet clarified. "What sorts of books they are, that is. Romance, mystery, humor, fantasy; light works of fiction, or serious texts of weighty issues."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"Oh. I like stories of lands beyond Kaeleer, like stories about the Paw Islands or Pandar or Centauran, but only when they're written by those peoples. I enjoy fairy tales and fantasy stories. But I also like reading about the history of the Blood; civilizations have come and gone, some so old that even the long-lived races don't remember them. And I like reading about Craft. Discovering what people have done with it is fascinating, and if they don't explain how they did it, then I get all the fun" and sometimes explosions "of figuring out how it was done."

Recently Karla had taken an interest in romance novels, but decided not to mention that.

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Intriguing," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry to say that such books won't be in the library here, but there may be similar tomes on other cultures foreign to your own. And of course fairy tales and fantasy stories are somewhat universal, though it would be interesting to delve into whether your fairy tales hint at different morals and cultural structures than ours."

She flushed, slightly. "I did warn all of you that I previously taught Literature, did I not?"

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"Oh, there might not be any of those books, but there's an entire library of books I have not read," Karla's eyes shone, and someone could even say she was gushing, except that Karla Does Not Gush. "I can hardly wait to get to them. Are you teaching Literature this year, La--Miss Bennet?" Karla was proud that she'd caught her slip in time.

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"I can't say for sure," Miss Bennet allowed, somewhat delighted herself. It was always a pleasure to converse with other avid readers. "Though if you seek suggestions on works to explore, my door is always open. I spend far too much of my paycheck at bookstores."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[glacial_queen]

"Well, I'll see how I get on with MacGruff, though I'll probably have a ton of questions about cultural aspects I don't understand." Karla shared a smile. "But I don't know where to start after that, so I'll almost certainly stop by."

Re: Introductions [ET-1]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"You can also visit me after class, for assistance or further suggestions," Miss Bennet said. "I wish you luck. And if you find more recent works you enjoy, do let me know?"

Lizzy was trying to catch up on two centuries of missing fiction. She needed all the help she could get.