Practical Etiquette, Period 3, Class #6 - Thursday, June 18

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Miss Bennet had handwavily notified her students to meet her in the Danger Shop, this week, and added that they might wish to wear something elegant, but not to concern themselves if they were unable to accomplish the latter. She herself had worn one of her favorite gowns, with a stylish hairpiece and opera-length gloves.

The Danger Shop looked identical to Miss Bennet's classroom, save the two ornate double doors off to one side, and a far more ordinary one to the rear.

"Welcome," Miss Bennet said, smiling at her students. "First, I should like to say that you have my apologies for my absence last week, though I am glad to know that I left you in quite capable hands. Secondly, I wish to inform you that, as last week is our last time together, I will be giving a final exam. Pray do not distress yourselves studying; it will not be the sort of examination which requires rote memorization. More a practical application of what we have learned so far.

"And now, we may progress to today's lesson. Today, we will be discussing etiquette as applies to more formal setting; that is to say, a dinner party." She clasped her hands in front of herself. "One arrives, and mingles with the other guests, making polite conversation. Nothing too serious, and nothing which may cause offense. When dinner is announced, guests follow into the dining area by order of precedence -- their social standing as regards one another. When you find yourself in doubt in such situations, it is wiser to err on the side of caution, and rank yourself slightly lower than your own estimations. It is better to be elevated by an attentive hostess than demoted.

"Always stand until your hostess sits. Soup is the first course; do take care not to begin on your own food until all have been served, and even then, it is wise to wait for one's hostess to begin. Converse with those seated near you. Do not shout over several individuals in order to have a loud conversation with someone on the opposite side of the table altogether. Do please remember that it is considered rude to snub the food with which you are presented; if it is not to your liking, make an effort to eat enough of it that your dislike will not be noticeable, lest the party think you are insulting your hostess. For silverware, there is a simple trick: start on the furthest utensil out, then move inward for each course."

Miss Bennet then straightened up, and walked purposefully to the door at the back of the room. "You all look quite lovely," she said, regardless of whether any of them had actually worn anything formal. "But we have several minutes before our dinner party is to start. So should any of you desire, you may sample the Danger Shop's wares." She opened the door, revealing a small storeroom filled with dresses and suits, with changing areas to the side. Her eyes were dancing. "Do please hurry, so our food does not turn cold."

(Wait for OCD up!)

Comments

Sign In [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Glamorously.

Re: Sign In [ET-6]

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela

During the Lecture [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Take notes, check out your fellow students (who may or may not have worn something spiffy), etc.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela had interpreted Miss Bennet's instructions broadly and worn a tuxedo. It was elegant, after all, and she was far more comfortable in it than a dress.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[glacial_queen]

Karla blinked a few times. How...utterly convenient. She'd worn a gown for Ben and Lord Skywalker's practice today and so she was most certainly ready for a dinner party. At least, a Kaeleeran one. But, from everything Miss Bennet had said, that's what this one was sounding like.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[joan-notjane.livejournal.com]

Joan was wearing a simple black dress (http://img.actressarchives.com/ambert/ActressAmber_John_Shea_16066017.jpg).

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf was wearing his tux suit that he had purchased for some of the more formal events on the island. And while he preferred his cadet uniform he still looked pretty good.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Rose didn't do elegant so much, but she had a short, flirty black dress that Lissa had insisted on buying for her a while back so she wore that. Also a scowl.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[oops-mbad.livejournal.com]

Diana was standing around, somewhat uncomfortable in her cream colored, slightly puffy dress.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

Edmund was dressed as if he was going to a formal dinner at Cair Paravel in blue and brown. It was a significant step up from his usual attire.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[yakkoyaks.livejournal.com]

Yakko was dressed in a blue suit with a black bow tie.

It may have been surprising that he wasn't just wearing a kilt or something. But that would have been more Wakko's thing.

Re: During the Lecture [ET-6]

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes had put on the dress she wore to the school dance. It was, after all, the only dress she had that actually looked somewhat decent on her.

Play Dress-Up [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Completely optional. But if you should like to look through the Danger Shop's moddable racks, and find yourself a new outfit, here's where you do it.

(Moddable within certain minor limits. The clothes aren't restricted to Regency-era styles or notions of propriety, but the infamous backwards prom dress (http://www.bootsandsabers.com/index.php/weblog/permalink/prom_dress/) is not here.)

Re: Play Dress-Up [ET-6]

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

Leda did not often dress in her mother's idea of nice. But this seemed like a reasonable time. She searched through, and chose a simple white gown (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/images/becomingjane3.jpg).

The Antechamber [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

The double doors lead to a small square room, with lush carpeting and ornate chairs. Waiters are carrying trays of champagne flutes; do not get your hopes up. It's ginger ale.

You can head here directly, and wait for your classmates who are changing clothes, or you can arrive here once you have found a new outfit. Mingle, socialize, get your schmooze on.

Re: The Antechamber [ET-6]

[glacial_queen]

Karla stood in the antechamber drinking some ginger ale out of a champagne flute, trying not to sigh. Just because she could do this in her sleep didn't mean she wanted to. Usually, in Kaeleer, there's be a few musicians playing, either a string quartet or a piantist or something. After her conversation with Leto the other day, Karla found herself wishing there was a piano to play.

Re: The Antechamber [ET-6]

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela held a full flute of ginger ale which she hadn't sipped from at all. Better safe than sorry, and she didn't really want to ask anyone if there was alcohol in the glass.

She seemed oddly comfortable, but that might have been because all she had to do was stand there and watch people, and that was something she was very good at.

Re: The Antechamber [ET-6]

[joan-notjane.livejournal.com]

Joan sipped her flute of ginger ale and looked around the room at her classmates. They did clean up nicely.

Re: The Antechamber [ET-6]

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that Rose didn't like socialising. To the contrary really. But this sort of formal thing just made her think of the Moroi royals, and her job was to protect them not to attend this type of function.

Which was why she was all kinds of sad that the champagne flutes didn't actually have champagne.

The Procession [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

One of the waiters stood in front of the door and clapped his hands, and Miss Bennet nodded.

"We'll now proceed to dinner," she announced. "Establishing precedence would be hopelessly complicated here, so please do pair yourselves off however you should like, fall into line, and follow me."

Like the lady says: pair off, take your partner's arm, and escort him or her into the dining room. This is generally done boy-girl, in her time, but we are low on boys for that, so please make do.

Re: The Procession [ET-6]

[glacial_queen]

Technically, according to Protocol, Karla knew exactly where she should be in order of precedence. But since Miss Bennet said to pair off however they liked--and the Darkness only knew whether Kaeleeran Protocol matched with this world's--Karla cheerfully hung back, letting several couple slip in before her.

Dinner [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

The dining room itself comprised of a long wooden table, with a candelabra at its center and further candles along the midline. The white tablecloth was starched, and each place setting had a china plate, several utensils, and wine goblets.

There was also a small card at each setting, with a person's name written in Miss Bennet's flowing script. Miss Bennet herself was seated at the head of the table, and Miss Watson had the opposite position. Naturally.

"Thank you all for attending my dinner party," Miss Bennet said warmly.

Find your seat (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/Rellyjean/eliza/dinnerparty.jpg), pull the napkin onto your lap, and the meal will begin.

(For those of you at work who cannot see Photobucket images, please check the OOC for the text version. Despite her comments about not shouting across the table, do feel free to converse with whoever -- I only made up the seating arrangement because I'm OCD like that.)

Re: Dinner [ET-6]

[glacial_queen]

Interesting. Karla hadn't actually spoken to any of the people closest to her that her mun could remember. She smiled at all of them, and tucked her napkin into her lap, trying to decide who looked most open to small talk.

"Kiss kiss," she said, by way of greeting.

After Dinner [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

The dinner party will disband. You may change back into your street clothes, or mill around making conversation with your fellow fancied-up students, or whatever you should like. I'm not sure this needed a thread, but again, I'm OCD.

Speak to Miss Bennet [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

She's here, and quite thrilled to finally give a dinner party.

Re: Speak to Miss Bennet [ET-6]

[glacial_queen]

"Lady Bennet," Karla said, giving her a precise curtsey, the one given to witches of Lighter-Jeweled witches of no determinate caste who were still in a position of authority. It wasn't particularly deep, but Karla did incline her neck. "It is an honor to attend your dinner party. May I compliment you on the fineness of your preparations?"

There. A compliment to the hostess that wasn't too personal.

Speak to Miss Watson [ET-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

She who rocks the catsuit.

Re: Speak to Miss Watson [ET-6]

[notahostage]

Wendy was there, in her go-to special occasions dress.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Fleeing for a few hours, but back after that. The first OOC thread was killed, because I messed up the seating arrangement.

SEATING ARRANGEMENT: starting clockwise at Miss Bennet, with Miss Bennet and Miss Watson at either end:

MISS BENNET

Leto Atreides

Serena van der Woodsen

Triela

Edmund Pevensie

Rosemary Hathaway

Karla de Glacia

Gabriel Van Helsing

MISS WATSON

Katina Choovanski

Sookie Stackhouse

Yakko Warner

Agnes Nitt

Joan Girardi

Worf

Leda

Diana Hansen

MISS BENNET (that is, back to start)

RNG'd, and then tweaked slightly to space out the boys. Proper dinner parties were boy-girl-boy-girl, but this is more boy-girl-girl.

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

This might be my favorite class ever. It's a dinner party. I love it.