How to Make Friends and Influence People [Tuesday, March 18, 2014]

[sith_happened]

Anakin had a pounding headache this morning that was only partially caused by hearing the words "Jamie Madrox" on the radio before he came to class. (The other half was a sensation that Obi-Wan was watching him just out of the corner of his eye and that was very annoying, Obi-Wan.)

So class was just a classroom today instead of an elaborate simulation. "It hasn't escaped your notice by now that something odd--even for our standards--is happening on the island," he began, sitting down to be on the same level as the students, "and half of the name of this class is 'influencing people', which indicates leadership skills. Which people do you think we should be trying to influence, and what should we be asking them to do? Nothing physically dangerous has happened to anyone: switching genders or personalities isn't exactly a jail-worthy offense and it's not their fault they woke up weird one morning." He gave them all a wry half smile. "I'm a fan of walking down and threatening Portalocity just because it's Tuesday, but I don't think this is their fault this time."

Beat.

"Probably. We could yell at a gnome anyway?"

Or maybe someone has a slightly more productive suggestion?

Comments

Sign in [3/18]

[sith_happened]

Influencing people!

Re: Sign in [3/18]

[failsatspirit]

Korra

Re: Sign in [3/18]

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

Elsa of Arendelle

Re: Sign in [3/18]

[walkswithcoyote]

Mercy Thompson

Discussion!

[sith_happened]

Beating up gnomes, yes or no?

Or more helpful suggestions! Please, please have a more helpful suggestion.

Re: Discussion!

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"We're not entirely certain what's causing any of this, right? Are there people to go to who might be able to find out? Are they still even themselves, if there are?"

So many questions. Elsa was probably going to find herself disappointed with the answers.

"Barring that... are there contingency plans of any sort in place in case what's going on out there does get dangerous? The best anybody has offered me so far is, 'stay inside,' but that doesn't seem productive in the least. Or even particularly effective in this situation, considering how many people have woken up different."

Re: Discussion!

[sith_happened]

"I'm even sure if 'get off the island' helps in that last one," Anakin said. "Has anyone heard about things outside that aren't seeming right? Do they people who've changed have reinforcement from their home dimension or are their people as confused as we are?"

Re: Discussion!

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'm... not sure," Elsa admitted, frowning. "I really don't know enough people to be able to gauge that sort of thing."

Still kind of a shut-in, this one. And she hadn't spoken to Eleanor or Rinoa or even Celia since they'd changed.

... Or really thought too hard about Joker's new cute animal sidekick.

Re: Discussion!

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"If things get dangerous outside, you stay in," Joker insisted. "Please. Promise me. And if you need to go out, you find someone who can fight and stick with them. Like..." He sighed, took a deep breath, and pointed over at Korra. "The girl who can move rocks with her mind is a good choice. Or a bona-fide superhero like Professor Jono, or... whatever Professor Skywalker is. There's a lot of people. I'd..." he sighed again, and the next words came out slow, and hollow, and leaden. "My first suggestion would have been Eleanor, but... she's... it's bad."

Re: Discussion!

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

Elsa had been about to address any of the rest... to even promise Joker that she would do just that, find somebody safe to stay around if she needed to go out.

But the way he mentioned Eleanor swept that thought from her mind entirely.

"Bad?" She didn't want to know. She didn't. What in the world could possibly have happened to Eleanor? She was... not impossible to hurt, but certainly impossible to keep down, wasn't she? "How bad?"

Re: Discussion!

[walkswithcoyote]

"I'm sorry," Mercy said. "I've mostly been busy planning my wedding, so I really haven't noticed much that's different around."

Re: Discussion!

[sith_happened]

Anakin blinked slowly.

"Riiiight. Are they okay with that back home?"

Might as well get some intelligence work done, right?

Re: Discussion!

[ultron_junior]

"Maybe get all the people who changed in a room together and look for the common factor?" Victor suggested. "Like, if they all have powers, or are all from the same world, or all ate at J,GOB's on the same day. I don't know. Something."

He still had no idea he'd be in that group.

Re: Discussion!

[sith_happened]

"Do we have a list of who's been affected?" Anakin mused. "Okay, let's all work on that for next week. Listen back to radio broadcasts and see who's been acting weirder than normal. When in doubt, assume weirdness is related to whatever's going on. We can apologize later if it was just them being strange that day."

Re: Discussion!

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Seriously?!" Joker asked. "The only reason switching someone's personality isn't against the law is because the law wasn't written for Fandom. Whoever's behind this mess needs to be tracked down and shot. STAT!"

Joker threw his hands in the air. "We need someone in charge to take fucking charge. We need scientists to do sciencey-thingies to the people who've been changed. We need magicians to do magicky-sciencies to the people who've been changed. I don't know! How about we track down the people who showed up through rifts yesterday and make them talk?"

Re: Discussion!

[sith_happened]

"How about you take a deep breath first," Anakin said. "We don't know there's someone behind it, and even if there is, we don't know that what they're doing is intended to be evil. It could be...unexpected side-effects. We can't just start poking at people without their consent. Just because we're afraid doesn't mean we can toss the idea of justice and due process out the window."

Guess who'd learned that lesson the really, really hard way?

Re: Discussion!

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I think we should hold a party to raise awareness of the issue," Jessica suggested.

Re: Discussion!

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

Joker whistled sharply and pointed at her. "Found another!"

Re: Discussion!

[sith_happened]

Anakin's eyebrows arched. "How so?"

Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

If you have something you want to talk about without everyone overhearing.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

After class, looking at least a little less awkward than she did during the discussion when asked if she listened to the radio, Elsa approached Anakin.

"Professor Skywalker? You said you'd teach me how to use a radio?"

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"Of course," Anakin said with a smile. "Wait right here. I have an extra in my office you can have. I was working to make it more toddler proof."

OOC

[sith_happened]

Chocolate cupcakes are a breakfast food, right? Right?

Re: OOC

[toomanyofme.livejournal.com]

Anakin had a pounding headache this morning that was only partially caused by hearing the words "Jamie Madrox" on the radio before he came to class

It's as if there was great disturbance in the Force, as if hundreds of duplicates suddenly started singing "Little Bunny Foo Foo" and then suddenly produced hand puppets.

Re: OOC

[sith_happened]

It was exactly like that :D