fandomhigh | Sex, Dating, and Self- Confidence [Tuesday]

Today, when the students entered the classroom, they wouldn't find Irene perched on her desk. Nor would they find last week's assortment of art supplies.

No, today the room was filled with racks upon racks of expensive ~~yet fully moddable~~ clothing. Don't ask where Irene had gotten it all; she had connections for such things, even now.

"The semester's rather flown by, hasn't it?" Irene asked, frowning a little from where she was rearranging a rack of cashmere scarves. "Today, we're going to tackle a huge, huge portion of developing some self-confidence, or maintaining it." She grinned at them, spreading her hands out. "Faking it. And the best way to fake it, in my well-traveled opinion, is by looking confident. Clothes that make you feel comfortable will help, yes -- no one here needs to lace themselves into anything restrictive, or anything like that. But today, I want you to peruse the racks here and see if you can't find something that makes you feel stunning."

"Clothes," she added, straightening her skirt, "are just a tool, yes. But someone who walks with their head high in something well-tailored and sexy -- that's someone who looks confident. And looking confident is half the battle. Now, that's going to mean something different for all of us. You've seen how I dress -- " Irene gestured expansively to herself. "This is what works for me. Maybe you'd feel more confident showing a touch more skin in your every day -- that's fine, if it works for you, though it's always a good idea to be aware of what situation you're dressing for. Maybe you'd feel more at ease in something with much less skin showing -- great for you. The idea here is to look presentable in a way that makes you feel ready to take on the world. So browse, try things on," she waved towards the privacy screens she'd set up in the back of the room, "and feel free to ask questions."

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"It's... pretty different from here," Kaylin said. "But I don't mind bringing you. And I'm always glad for an excuse to go home."

Teela and Tain would tease her mercilessly, no doubt, about her bringing home one of her 'little friends', but she could handle them.

Advantage of being a shapeshifter: Raven could be a very large friend, if need be. "Are you going to go home over the holidays?"

Large really didn't matter much when you were facing a Barrani. Not pissing them off did. Or running really fast. Things like that.

But it's okay. Teela and Tain were friends. Friends who liked to tease her about her mascot status, but true friends nonetheless.

She nodded. "We don't celebrate anything like this, but I go home whenever I can. To train with the Hawks and work with the Midwives' Guild and at the Foundling Hall. Are you going home?"

Raven nodded. "Can't miss Christmas with my brother. He'd have no one to hide in the corner and make fun of all his mom's holiday party guests with."

"Sounds like fun," Kaylin said wistfully. She'd never had a brother. There had been Sev - no. No. She wasn't thinking about him. Not now and never again.

"Guess I'll just let the Sergeant Major beat me up on the training grounds as usual," she said lightly. "One of these days maybe I'll be able to stay upright more than half the time."

"That sounds . . . fun?"

No. No it didn't.

"Not fun exactly," Kaylin said with a small frown. "But it's good for me. And I miss so much training time being here that I have to work extra hard to keep up."

She paused, thinking about it. "And I'm smaller than a lot of the Hawks." Not to mention too young to actually BE one yet. "So I have to work harder."

"I'm hoping training involves at least a little more than getting beat up," Raven said. "If you ever want to spar or anything though . . . I don't really know anything but what I've learned here, but I can hold my own."

If she could fight her way through Rapture, she was confident she could do just about anything. The part where she got stabbed in the gut by a giant drill didn't count.

"If I was better I'd end up with less bruises," Kaylin said with a rueful smile. "But I'm getting better!"

She looked at Raven with some surprise. "Really? You'd spar with me? I'd like that. We could learn from each other and together."

Sex, Dating, and Self- Confidence [Tuesday]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]

Re: Try on clothes! [12/2]