Public Speaking, June 12th, Period 4

[veryverypopular.livejournal.com]

There were no cookies this week.

And Glinda looked kind of upset.

"Since none of you gave me speech topics, I am very much looking forward to today," she said, not sounding at all like Minsc, shush impressed. "Since your rough drafts are due as of right now."

She clapped her hands. "Pair up among yourselves and read through them! Make sure you give honest critiques! Anyone goofing off can expect to speak to me in my office! Make it happen!"

[OCD up shortly is now up. Oh yes, you are all on Glinda's bad side. Ping me in the OOC thread if you're willing to have your character serve a detention with her. Also, SP after noon EST to be expected please, as my parents are visiting for the day.]

Comments

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"There's no rule against it," Blair said. Unless it made Liir's work look better than hers. Then it wouldn't do.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Better or worse was an interesting question. He shared a world with the professor, after all, which meant she'd either be more nitpicky with him, or connect with his material better.

Liir was very aware of this and had stayed away from more... incendiary topics.

"Well, it just supported my arguments and I'm not using anything written after my period, so hopefully she won't mind."

He sighed.

"Should we just switch papers?"

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"May as well," Blair said. "Though it seems silly to write about things in a speaking workshop."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He held out his papers, which were in a neat, if small-lettered, hand. There was plenty of material, though some of the bullet points probably didn't translate well to a non-Ozian. He hadn't realized they'd be checking each other's work.

His general point seemed to be that the dehumanization of enemies created a laziness and ignorance of a society's own faults, which ultimately would lead to it's decay and downfall.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

Blair read it over. "Are you trying to say that by dehumanizing our enemies we blind ourselves to their real weaknesses?"

Blair might have been putting her own spin on Liir's comments.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He nodded. That was it exactly.

"And more forgiving of our own sins. Ultimately, even if there was no real enemy, one is created."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"There are always enemies," Blair told him. This she was an expert in. "They make themselves when they see your success."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Then I have a remarkable number of enemies for a failure," he noted to himself in a low mutter.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"Clearly you have something they want," Blair told him.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Or I am something inconvenient to them. It was just a joke," he said with a shrug.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"Even still," Blair said, waving it off. "You existing in some way prevents them from having what they want. Success comes from destroying them before they destroy you."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He looked down at her paper, ducking his head a little as he read through her notes.

"It looks all right to me. Not that I'm an expert. Though..."

He glanced up through unruly hair to peer at her thoughtfully.

"Is this moralizing or preventative in nature?"

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"I feel it can be both," Blair replied.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

One eyebrow quirked.

"Shame's a terrible way to teach someone."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"Clearly you've never used it to your advantage," Blair said.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"No, I've just had it used on me. And I can tell you it's only effective for a limited amount of time."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"What would you recommend instead?" Blair asked.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He peered at her papers for a moment before quirking his lips.

...if she was expecting 'empathy' or 'sympathy', she was talking to the wrong person.

"Appeal to greed. Personal interest. Drugs are expensive, and so are all the things that they come with. Addicts don't live well, or long, and while such arguments wouldn't work on someone already addicted, it's a good enough motivation for someone who's not yet on the path. Hearth, home, and comfort. Anyone can get behind those."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

Huh. Maybe Blair was correct in not entirely loathing Liir on sight. "At the moment I confess I hold no hopes for converting an addict. Merely... making sure they're viewed in the proper light."

In other words, making Serena look as bad as humanly possible.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He noted the way she said the last phrase and smirked in a not-entirely-friendly sort of way.

"My point stands then. Someone who can't make decisions for their own good and everyone's detriment is an idiot, not worth listening to and not worth trusting with things. Anyone can make a mistake of passion, a moral mishap, but stupidity is a much harder stain to wash out."

He leaned back thoughtfully in his seat.

"Fear, not shame. That's your ticket."

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

Blair grinned. "I'll have to make a note of that. What about you? Are any of the people trying to destroy you here?"

Blair didn't mind giving Liir the benefits of some of her talents in return. Mostly because she didn't like being beholden to anyone.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He looked at his papers in her hand.

"No one you'd know," he admitted, "but at home, there's a few. Nasty pieces of work; rhetoric will surely play a part, but not just yet."

Liir glanced at the door, then the ceiling.

"The closest I think I have is someone who's a smug prat, and Arthur, who seems to think cooking is 'girls' work."

Yes, they were actually two different people.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"I've met Arthur," Blair said, assuming Liir meant the prince. "Which prat are you referring to?"

She might die of laughter if it was Chuck.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir actually liked Chuck. His only opinion on the other boy was that he wanted to cook for him more since, unlike a few people, he genuinely seemed to appreciate it.

He glanced sideways at her.

"I don't suppose you've met Diana?"

He'd see what the response was to the name before he actually specified if it was her or someone related to her. His tone left it very open.

Re: Rough Drafts!

[gameknowsgame.livejournal.com]

"Doesn't ring a bell," Blair said. Given that it was Blair it was possible they had met and Blair hadn't felt she was memorable.