fandomhigh | Detecting 101, Friday, Period 2

It was one of those days again, which meant Jack's entrance into the class was underscored by some mumbly singing. You think you're alone until you realize you're in it/ Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit/They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit/Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?/The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents...

Jack cleared his throat rather loudly. "Hi. I apologize for the singing, I promise you didn't accidentally sign up for Musicals 101. Anyhow, welcome to Detecting 101 -- or, how to be a sneak for fun and profit. I'm Jack Priest. Call me Jack or Mr. Priest, I really don't care. As for why I'm leading this class, my guardian was one of the great detectives of our age. I don't claim to be on his level -- quite -- but I certainly know enough to teach a summer course about it. I'm told the lovely Minako Aino will be my assistant, but if you'd like to be a second TA, please see me after class. I never object to additional help."

"Housekeeping out of the way ... the first thing you need to consider as a detective," Jack said, leaning back against his desk, "is who you want to be. I don't only mean false names or disguises, though sometimes those are necessary. What I mean is how to present yourself. For example, if you're trying to trail someone into a posh restaurant, you want to look like the type of person who's perfectly at home in that kind of restaurant. If you need to talk to someone at a gym, you want to seem like an athlete. If you seem uncomfortable or out of place, you won't get much past the front door. And if you're following someone covertly, you want to blend into the crowd as much as possible."

He spoke on the topic for several more minutes, then gestured to the racks of clothing and makeup tables at the side of the room. "And there are your materials. Get yourselves prettied up for a role you can imagine playing, then we'll regroup for introductions. I'd like to hear your names and why you dressed as you did -- but if you want to give a false name, I won't hold it against you."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Name (or preferred alias) and why you chose the costume you chose.

"I'm Arsenic," Gert said, arms crossed over her chest, "listed on your syllabus under Yorkes. I dressed like this 'cause I figure I stand to be the least recognizable if I'm going to some kind of punk club where everyone has a weird color hair. The purple isn't exactly conducive to stealthiness otherwise."

"I've seen that type of dress at clubs," Jack nodded. "Very nice. But you hit on another thing, Arsenic -- what would you do if you were trying to get into a place where the purple hair would stand out?"

Gert thought about that, but ultimately she just convinced herself to be more stubborn about the hair. "It probably wouldn't stand out a whole lot more than my being a kid would in some places," she decided. "And I'm pretty sure that the people who look weird have an easier time getting answers sometimes than the people who blend in. Easier to get into a casual conversation with someone who knows something."

Edited 2013-07-12 21:30 (UTC)

"Easier to play the outsider," Jack said thoughtfully. "It's not my preferred tactic, but I can see where it might work in some situations."

"I'm a one-girl revolution!" Minako sang before clapping her hands over her mouth, mortified.

She was going to die. Right here, right now.

"You look more like a tourist," Jack smirked.

Probably more smugly than was deserved, all things considered.

Nodding, frantic nodding, with Minako trying to free up one hand to toss him a V-for-Victory sign without more music popping out.

Although she was still humming along with the tune under her breath.

Jack flashed a grin. "Excellent. Go ahead, sit down, you have my permission to go out into the hall if you need to -- get a drink of water."

Which he hoped would be understood as a euphemism for sing your little heart out.

Emma buffed her nails on her suit. "I'm Emily," she said, making her voice as upbeat and bubbly as possible. "I'm the kind of girl who belongs at a fancy private school."

It was that or social worker, and she didn't feel like answering the kinds of questions the second'd bring up.

"Obviously," Jack said, not missing a beat. "And can you tell me a little about your family, Emily?"

He was curious how long the bubbly facade would hold.

You were just asking for a heart-rending number straight from Plucky Red-Headed Orphan, weren't you Jack?

Unaware of the danger of a musical interlude, Emma pretended to snap some gum. "Daddy's in business," she said. "So he travels a lot. My mom travels too, for her charity work. They're very important people."

"As they must be, if they sent you to boarding school," Jack said dryly. The girl had improvised rather well; that was a point in her favor. "Thank you, Emily."

"You're welcome, teach." Emily was the kind of girl who said 'teach', Emma decided.

"I'm a girl men go mad for, love's a game I can play, with a cool and confident kind of aiiiir!"

Well, okay. A reprise of Sholeh's song from earlier was not what Zeela was expecting. But it was fitting (http://blog.maraisusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/astrid-berges-frisbey-ss02.jpg) enough for what she was wearing. So she was going to roll her eyes and keep going. "I'm Zephyra. Socialite. Cold. Playful. Wealthy and giving absolutely no fucks about anyone other than myself."

This costume was the furthest away from herself that she could choose.

Jack nodded, recognizing the game. "So you're here purely to amuse yourself, of course. I'm surprised you don't have anything better to do."

"Like what?" 'Zephyra' asked, raising one slim brow. "I'm entertaining myself. What's better than that?"

::I can't believe you named yourself after our mother.::

=It works better than either Medusah or Morragen! Now keep coming with snotty lines, okay?=

"True, but you could be entertaining yourself at a casino or in a dance club," Jack pointed out. "High school normally isn't high on the list."

"Instead of watching how the other three-quarters live?" Zeela laughed. "It's like watching a..."

=Are you sure that's a thing?=

*It's a thing, believe me.*

"...a reality show about the less fortunate. And it looks good, since my parents are on the Board of Trustees. Look! Our family cares about this school!"

=You read the dumbest things, Sholeh.=

::I told you! This is all stuff I got from those stupid magazines from the library the other day!::

Detecting 101, Friday, Period 2

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