Practical Diplomacy, [Wednesday, January 3, 2017]

[sith_happened]

Anakin came sweeping into the class, Jedi robes swirling behind him, three minutes after class was due to start. "Well, we're halfway through the week, so I'm assuming many of you are already very tired of introductions," he said, "and that's too bad because doing repetitive things you're secretly sick of is about 80 percent of diplomacy."

He gave the class a rueful smile. "I'm Master Anakin Skywalker, and I'm a Jedi: in my home galaxy, that means I'm something like a priest-diplomat with superpowers. Those of you who are from home know that's not entirely accurate, but diplomacy is also about making yourself understood to different cultures, so it's close enough to be a useful working definition, at least for now. Today is introductions, of course, but also your first lesson. You need to tell us who you are, but in a way that makes it memorable--no pyrotechnics or weapons displays, please, this is a class on diplomacy. There are different ones on weapons and making bad decisions this semester. You can explore those kinds of options there. So, as we go around: who you are, what makes you stand out. And the rest of you, you must find a way to remember everyone, and also look interested in the information you're being given. You are absolutely allowed to take notes because there is a quiz at the end: you must recite back everyone's name in the correct order and with proper pronunciation."

He quirked up an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you've already remembered me."

Comments

Sign in 1/3

[sith_happened]

Fascinated by your fellow classmates.

Re: Sign in 1/3

[always_someone]

Norman Babcock

Re: Sign in 1/3

[snipsnspecks]

Ahsoka Tano

Introduce Yourself

[sith_happened]

Your name and something that will make your classmates remember you.

Re: Introduce Yourself

[always_someone]

Norman kind of cleared his throat as he realized that it was his turn to introduce himself already.

"Right. Okay. I'm Norman Babcock, and..." He stood there sort of at a loss for a moment. "I guess you can probably remember me because of my ears and my hair. They sort of stand out in their own way, right?"

He reached up to smooth back his hair, which stayed smoothed back for about one full second before popping back into place, standing on end atop his head. His hair was stubborn, okay?

Re: Introduce Yourself

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled. "It's good to know what parts of yourself are especially distinctive," he said. "That way you know what to minimize or change if you're looking to disappear."

Which wasn't exactly diplomacy, Anakin.

Re: Introduce Yourself

[snipsnspecks]

How, oh how, were people going to remember the nearly six-foot (plus montrals) orange, blue, and white Togruta?

Maybe the way she seemed to be on the verge of giggling as she said. "I'm Ahsoka, and I'm very interested in learning about diplomacy, Master Skywalker."

Re: Introduce Yourself

[sith_happened]

Anakin snorted. "This class should be quite easy for you, Ahsoka, because we both know I am excellent diplomat."

He could only get away with that because Obi-Wan was gone for the semester. "Ahsoka was my student back in my home galaxy," he explained to the rest of the class. "I've known her since she was a much shorter Togruta."

Re: Introduce Yourself

[midichlorianfail]

Yeeeeeeah, the problem was Theron still wasn't sure he wanted too many of his classmates remembering him.

"Hey, I'm Theron."

Much distinctive. So memorable. Wow.

Re: Introduce Yourself

[sith_happened]

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "So you're going with the 'really forgettable guy' approach to being remembered?"

Re: Introduce Yourself

[misshapen_spark]

Yang sulked a bit at the 'no pyrotechnics,' because she had a really good way of making sure people remembered her. Letting her hair ignite was the best party trick, as long as she was doing it on purpose.

"I'm Yang," she said, unfolding herself from the desk to stand up. While she wasn't quite as tall as Ahsoka, she was close, and she had a giant mane of golden hair that reached down to her knees.

"--and I'm in the 'visually distinctive' club."

Re: Introduce Yourself

[sith_happened]

"We have a few of those," Anakin said with a small chuckle.

Re: Introduce Yourself

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon had to laugh at this particular assignment, because he highly doubted his standard introduction would be anything but memorable.

"Greetings!" he declared, just as exuberant as every other time he'd done it because it never got old for him. If diplomacy was repeating things like introductions over and over again, then he felt quite confident that diplomacy was something he would continue to do well at. "And salutations! I am Sidon!" He put extra oomph into the fist pump across his chest, his dazzling smile, somehow even the sparkle at the end of his fangs, which more than likely everyone here had already seen anyway. "The Zora Prince! And I am large and red and there is no one here quite like me, so I'm afraid I have it quite easy in the way of things to be remembered by. Unless one of you are hiding another tall and boisterous Zora prince somewhere that I am unaware of!"

Re: Introduce Yourself

[sith_happened]

"So far, you're the only one I've met," Anakin said with a smile. "Welcome back, Sidon."

Re: Introduce Yourself

[reicicled]

"Bobby Drake," he introduced himself. Anakin, at least, might even remember the other Bobby Drake without even needing a Memorable Fact (tm).

He could, of course, very easily make himself a member of the visually distinctive club, but for now he was just gonna stick with: "I'm not that other guy with my face who used to go to school here. He's me from the future. Or I'm him from the past."

Re: Introduce Yourself

[notamascot]

"I'm Kaylin Neya," she said, "and my favorite thing is, well, betting, I suppose, but what I was really thinking of was useful words, otherwise known as swearing. In really satisfying ways. Like, well, this."

And here Kaylin proceeded to cheerfully swear in Leontine, which was about as similar to vicious lion's roaring as the base of the name might suggest.

Re: Introduce Yourself

[spell_chucker]

"I'm Khadgar, and most people know me by my robes, since it's not a typical outfit," he said, pointing to his gray and blue attire. "At least, not for students."

Re: Introduce Yourself

[refused2berescued]

"I'm Uma," Uma said, managing to keep off the 'daughter of Ursula' bit. Introductions were terrible when they weren't accompanied by your theme song and choreographed pirate crew. "If you can't remember who I am just by looking at me," she tossed a few of her bright teal, waist-length braids over her shoulder, "that sounds more like your problem than mine. I'm not here to make it easy on anybody anyway."

Uma wasn't real big on diplomacy. Maybe that was why the moose had put her hear.

Take notes!

[sith_happened]

Jot down the ways you'll remember your classmates.

Re: Take notes!

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Nope, Sidon didn't need to take too many notes, except maybe with the newest faces, but he took them anyway, because he wanted to make sure he remembered everyone perfectly and do a good job.

Quiz time!

[sith_happened]

Before the quiz, Anakin made everyone stand up and move spots, so hopefully you didn't write it down in that order. Remember everyone's name...and go.

[OOC: Mod how you did!]

Re: Quiz time!

[notamascot]

This Kaylin was good at. She had to be if she had any hope of becoming a Hawk. She rattled off the names - pronounciation just about impeccable - with barely a hesitation. If all schoolwork were like this it would be ridiculously easy.

Re: Quiz time!

[refused2berescued]

Uma deliberately did poorly on the quiz. Because a) she was a villain and villains didn't care about school and b) she didn't need anyone knowing how good she was at remembering faces or sizing up the competition.

Talk to Anakin

[sith_happened]

Diplomatically.

OOC

[sith_happened]

Happy January?