fandomhigh | Basic Strategy, Monday, Period 4

The girl standing before the assembled group did not precisely appear prepared to talk. In fact, she looked a shade terrified of public speaking. Tyrion was certain she hadn't gotten that from him.

At her father's insistent nod, Joanna finally began to speak.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Joanna, Lord Tyrion's daughter. He's having me run class today because ..." She didn't really understand the because, and she trailed off there to look to her father.

"Because public speaking is an essential life skill," Tyrion supplied. "No one will take you seriously if the cat steals your tongue when you're nervous." That last bit was aimed at all of them, not just his daughter.

"Right," Joanna said. "That. So you're all, guests included, supposed to stand up for three minutes and say something about your child or your parent. If you have neither, spend your three minutes talking about..."

She looked to Tyrion again, and he shrugged. "How lucky you feel?" he tried. "If you feel lucky at all. Anyhow, it is a class presentation day, as the lady said. I'm sure you're all ingenuous enough to come up with something to say." He glanced back to Joanna to finish. "Do you want to wrap this up?"

Joanna nodded. "Take a few minutes to prepare, then begin with" -- she stabbed a finger into the group -- "you."