fandomhigh | How to Make Friends and Influence People [Tuesday, January 28, 2014]

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how to make friends and influence people

How to Make Friends and Influence People [Tuesday, January 28, 2014]

The Danger Room today was set up like a diplomatic cocktail party: people were mingling through a living and dining room, glasses of wines and small plates of canapes in hand, chattering about nothing in particular while inoffensive and bland music played in the background.

Anakin, bundled up in his cloak still because when you grew up in the desert, you would always hate winter, was looking bored to tears. "Greetings, class," he began. "I trust you have regained your original body parts and haven't lost any extremities to the cold yet. If you have, well, that's what the clinic's for. There is going to be a date night in town this weekend, so if you choose to participate, I will grant you extra credit for the class under the guise of 'making friends'. Today's lesson is learning how to make small talk without wanting to kill yourself."

It's not that bad, Anakin. "I've been lectured on any number of occasions--" because this was the price you paid when your secret wife was a Senator, "--that hiding in the corner with a plate of food and a scowl is no way to spend an evening, however much I was enjoying it. This also appears to be true for school dances, so keep that in mind for Valentine's Day as well. Today your task is to talk with at least two other students during the class. You may not talk about the weather or about how you accidentally turned into a woman for the weekend." He held up a piece of paper and handed it to Korra ~~assuming she was there~~. "You must also try to pass this piece of paper between each classmate without my noticing it happening--much of what's really going on at a reception like this is below the surface, where getting caught results in far more dire consequences than merely being caught as passing notes."

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Elsa wasn't terribly keen on the idea of potentially having anything passed to her - the chance that someone would accidentally touch her and feel just how cold she was had her a bit nervous - but she attempted to look friendly and keep calm all the same.

It was just some friendly talking. That was all.

Joker headed over to her. "Hey, it's a ball! Almost. Time to get your belle on, non?"

"Oui, apparently," Elsa replied, giving Joker a light smile. "I wish I had known before heading in to class today. I would have dressed for the occasion."

... She was a princess. She was always dressed for the occasion.

Joker looked at her dress with a raised eyebrow. "You look pretty well-dressed to me. I mean, I'm not an expert on ladies' fashion, but you're at least elegant enough to schmooze with these schlubs. The rest of us, you may have noticed, are, on the other hand, not."

Edited 2014-01-28 21:21 (UTC)

"Honestly," Elsa replied, "I wouldn't know. I can't tell modern formalwear from pajamas, in this time period."

And yes, 'this time period' still felt weird to say.

"But I can appreciate flattery when I hear it. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Joker told her, with as much of a bow as he could muster. "Have I made a friend and influenced you? Or are you too used to flattery to be swayed?"

He gave her a grin. "As for clothes..." He couldn't get the image of someone going to a formal party in flannel pajamas out of his head. "If it looks vaguely uncomfortable, it's probably formalwear," he pointed out. "Also, shoes -- dead giveaway. Hats, too. 'Nightcap' means something completely different from what you'd expect."

"... How different?"

Did Elsa want to know?

Probably not. Tough!

"Technically, it's a drink," Joker told her. "Like, whiskey or something that you have right before bed. But mostly it's an excuse to invite someone into your bedroom. Soooooo... watch out for that."

He shrugged. "But, like, actual nightcaps? With the little pom-poms on the end? Are frikking adorable! Lemme guess -- you've actually got one."

Elsa was blushing. Whether it was from his earlier statement about invitations to bedrooms, or the suggestion that she owned one of those silly caps was anybody's best guess.

"I don't," she replied, laughing a little. "Though I know the ones you're talking about. They're... really not my style."

The girl who wore thick gloves everywhere didn't wear a cap to bed. Go figure.

"I don't think they're anyone's style," Joker told her. "And yet, they exist, so at some point someone had to wear them, right?" He shrugged. "You're definitely not going to see them somewhere like this, though."

"Well, no, almost certainly not." Did she sound disappointed about that? Because, really, that would be entertaining. "I don't know if I can use your other touchstone too faithfully either, though. Most of the things I see people wearing around here would make me uncomfortable, I think."

Ladies in trousers! Anything that showed skin anywhere ever!

Of course, this was less because of prudishness and more because of terror, but she wasn't going to explain that much, no.

Joker shrugged. "Is that just because dresses and heels always look uncomfortable, or is it a whole 'you're from the past, so all the women look naked' thing? I mean, I could totally see you rocking a pantsuit."

"I'm wearing a dress and heels," Elsa pointed out, gesturing down at what she was wearing. "And I'm perfectly comfortable. Can I go with the second one?"

It was like shopping! Let Joker come up with the excuses, and all she had to do was agree with them!

"... Rocking a pantsuit?"

Mercy smiled at her. "Hi, Elsa. We haven't ever been officially introduced, but well, that's what happens when you mostly see people in class."

"I... don't really get out much," Elsa confessed, smoothing down her skirt awkwardly. "I really ought to change that, I suppose. People might start to wonder if I'm really here."

Granted, she would actually be okay with that.

"Mercy, isn't it?"

"Yep, I'm Mercy." She wasn't really one to talk about getting out more. "I just got a job actually, thought it might help me be out and about a bit."

"A job? Oh? It hasn't even occurred to me to look for work here. What would I do?"

'Being an ice-princess' was not exactly something to put on a resume.

"I suppose there's the... date night... that the Professor mentioned. For extra credit!"

"The Three Minute dates, yeah." Mercy nodded. "I've been a few times. It's a fun evening. I've never actually gotten another date out of it, but still."

She considered for a moment. "I'd guess you could do about anything you wanted. They don't really expect us to have much job experience so most places are good about training you."

"I probably wouldn't be going with a second date in mind," Elsa replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "But I really do need more experience with people. I might have to look for one of those places in town that happens to be hiring."

"I think the bookstore is hiring," Mercy offered. "They had a sign in the window the other day. And I don't think Jono has people working at Groovy Tunes every day, so he'd probably hire you there."

"I'll keep those both in mind, thank you." Elsa smiled a little, making a mental note to stop by either place in search of a job. She adored reading and she was fairly fond of music, after all. "Where do you work, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Groovy Tunes," Mercy said. "I just started. Jono bought it a couple of weeks ago, so I thought, why not apply for a job? Back home I used to work at the local motel, so this is kind of a change."

"And, forgive me for asking, but what do they do there?"

CDs were not so much a thing in Elsa's time.

"All kinds of music," Mercy said with a smile. "Stop by next Monday and you can listen to some of it."

"I might have to do that," Elsa replied with a little smile. "I haven't had a chance to really get acquainted to modern music, yet."

Re: Get Your Mingle On!

walkswithcoyote - 2014-01-30 01:05 (UTC) - Expand

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