Romance 101, Wednesday, Period 4 -- Class 2

[carpe_demon]

"All right, today we're going to talk about" -- Drake snapped his fingers and there was the appropriate sound effect -- "the First Date. Yeah, they can be terrifying. And exciting. The key is just to relax and be yourself. And if it doesn't work out" -- cue another sound effect -- "at least you tried.

"If you're already known the person for awhile, you've got an advantage in knowing what they like to do. If you don't, try to get an idea from their friends. If you're completely in the dark, go for something like dinner and a movie, but make sure you have a back-up plan in case your date doesn't eat the kind of food at your first restaurant of choice. Try a hike and a picnic, or spend some time at the beach or at a zoo, or maybe a museum or art gallery. Creativity is a plus, but don't go too overboard, or you'll have a tough act to follow for the second date.

"Two things are the most important to remember: be yourself. Don't work too hard to impress your date. You want them to like you for you, not someone you're pretending to be. And have a sense of humor. Something is probably going to go wrong -- you'll spill a drink, you'll lose your tickets, you'll set your date on fire -- but if you can laugh it off, you'll be able to relax and have a good time.

"Now, I want you to grab a partner and pretend you're going out on a first date. Decide where you're going to go, then act like you're really there." Drake grinned, and added, "Try to pair up with someone you don't know already so you really get that awkward effect."

Comments

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"Ben," he replied, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Cara. Did any of the options the professor listed sound appealing? My aunt tells me that my normal routine of fight off invasions, then go for ice cream is not exactly romantic."

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara cocked her head to one side. "Why wouldn't it be?" She wasn't entirely sure what ice cream was supposed to be, but the fighting part definitely sounded appealing.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"There can sometimes be goo?" Ben guessed with a little shrug. "I don't know. So you're used to fighting?"

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

"Of course I am," Cara said, one hand tapping restlessly at the empty holster strapped to her thigh. "If you're worried about goo then you shouldn't be dating."

Since as far as she could tell the whole point of dating was to lead to sex which wasn't exactly a clean affair.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"I've never heard anyone mention the non-fighting goo aspect of dating," Ben admitted. "Have I been missing out?"

Probably.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

There are questions you really shouldn't ask on first dates, pretend or otherwise.

"You're a virgin, aren't you?"

That would be one of them, Cara.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes went wide. "That's none of your business!"

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

The little voice in the back of Cara's mind that she refused to admit sounded like Kahlan was facepalming.

The hand that had been tapping her leg now curled uselessly where an agiel's handle should have been. "I'm..." Sorry, Cara, sorry was the word you were supposed to use here. "I don't even know why I'm doing this class, Mord'Sith don't date." Her plaintive tone added the 'so how am I supposed to know what to do on one?'.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"Sith?" Ben squeaked.

Well, this is an excellent first date!

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

The best one Cara had ever been on! Sadly not an exaggeration.

She drew her head up and her shoulders back, it was that or nod frantically. "I am a proud member of the Order of the Mord'Sith," she said. Which was true, even if it meant something different to her now than a year ago.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

Ben took a step back, hand going for the lightsaber he wasn't wearing. "What kind of Sith is that?"

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara recognised the motion of someone moving for a weapon, and her own hands reached for her absent agiels.

"What sort of question is that? The only kind." She wondered if he was slightly deaf, since he kept messing up the name.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"I'm a Jedi," Ben said, desperately hoping she showed no recognition of the name. It was probably instant detention for trying to take down a classmate in the middle of a fake date.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

"What's that supposed to be?" So that would be a no on the recognition front.

Though her hand was splayed in front of her in case he was about to start throwing magic around.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"Where I come from, there's not a recorded enmity deeper than that of Jedi and Sith," he replied carefully.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

Oh, look, an eye-roll. "You Jedi must have very high opinions of yourselves then," Cara replied dismissively. "It's Confessors Mord'Sith are taught to hate above all." Until you actually became friends with had to start travelling with one, then it got complicated.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"Jedi don't hate," Ben said. "That's for the Sith. We defend."

Which was diplomatic for "they started it. A kazillion years ago. So there."

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara didn't even have to voice the 'Suuuuuuuuure, you don't. I believe you. Really.' her expression said it all.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

His expression got even more stubborn. "It's true."

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

"It takes two to have a legendary enmity," Cara pointed out. "Otherwise you just have a not-so-legendary people who got wiped out by the other side when they weren't looking."

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

Ben's mouth pursed. "Yeah, that already happened. They missed one."

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

"Let me guess, he was then raised in ignorance of his true heritage, probably by some wizard or another, until the time came to take up his destiny and free the land."

She'd had to listen through a lot of epic poetry devoted to and about the Seeker in villages they passed though the last year. Most of it terrible.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

"That would be Dad, yeah," Ben said, looking a little confused. "You know that story?"

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[wrongkindofsith]

Well, she knew the story but it was about someone else. "You can't be Richard's child. You're a boy." And she couldn't see him listening to good sense long enough to get an heir on someone other than Kahlan.

Re: Date Time! [Romance 101 - Class 2]

[momslilassassin]

Ben stared at her. "No, my dad's Luke."