fandomhigh | Practical Diplomacy, Friday, March 3, 2017

Today, they met in a regular classroom, with one small difference: each desk had been pointed towards another desk, creating pairs.

"Today, we shall talk about lying," Obi-Wan said, "Which is a terrible sin one should never engage in, of course."

"And he said that with a straight face," Anakin said, "which tells you just how often he's lied to a crowd."

Obi-Wan ignored him. "However, sometimes, there may be reasons why you cannot speak the truth. Perhaps because it will anger your hosts, or make matters worse. In those cases, one must know how to speak... carefully."

Anakin nodded. "Without people realizing immediately that you're not telling them the truth."

"The trick lies in never telling a genuine lie," Obi-Wan said. "Always ensure that whatever you say has a kernel of truth to it."

"Say, for instance, your negotiations were pointless, long, and ended in a shouting match," Anakin said. "Seize on the part where no one actually died and praise them for being honest, open, and peaceful."

"To practice, today, we would like you to team up," Obi-Wan said lightly. "We will give one of you an opening question to begin with. Assume the answer to it is 'yes', but you cannot say so. The rest is up to you."

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Mara gave Hyacinthe a little wave. "Ready?"

And Hya returned it with an appreciative smile and a wave of his own. "Most definitely," he said. "Are you ready to tell me if you kissed that man?"

"A lady never kisses and tells," Mara replied promptly. "It's tacky."

"But if she did not kiss someone, she'd be able to say so freely, would she not?" Hyacinthe asked. "'Tis only when she kisses that it becomes impolite to say."

"But if she doesn't kiss someone, that starts almost as many rumors," Mara said. "That makes her an uptight prude. Kissing someone makes her easy. It's better to just not say anything."

Hyacinthe was truly confused by that. Because he was D'Angelline and being easy was a way of life.

"What's wrong with being easy?" he asked. "Is there some kind of merit in being difficult?"

"I find there to be much more merit in being difficult," Mara said with a little laugh. "It keeps things interesting."

"Then you and I must have very different ideas of interesting," Hyacinthe said, with an utterly shameless grin. "I find quite a great deal of enjoyment in being easy."

Mara laughed. "Oh, really?"

"I meet all the most charming people that way," Hyancithe said said, giving her a wink. "And get to know them very well."

He paused and then added, "Speaking of, how do you do?"

Mara laughed even harder. "Does that work for you?"

"Of course not!" Hya said, laughing with her. "I usually need to say more than hello."

"I'm glad," Mara said. "I pride myself on being slightly difficult, and if that's all it took for everyone else, I'd have to recalibrate."

"Nay," he assured her. "That is mere politeness. I need to at least work my way up to friendly first."

Pause.

"...Though if you wish to recalibrate down to be less difficult, let me not stand in the way."

Mara laughed. "No, I like being difficult, but thank you."

"In what ways are you difficult?" Hyacinthe asked, not at all caring that they'd left the purpose of the group activity far behind. "You seem not at all unpleasant or impolite."

Mara smiled sunnily at him. "Well thank you for saying so. I'm just...not exactly as instantly chummy as some of the other people here."

"That's hardly being difficult," Hyacinthe said. "That's being...selective. Hardly an ill quality."

Practical Diplomacy, Friday, March 3, 2017

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