Pastor Carter (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
merciful_parable) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2018-09-24 08:44 am
merciful_parable) wrote in fandomhigh2018-09-24 08:44 am
Entry tags:
How to Make Friends & Influence People | 4th Period | Monday
"Hello, class," Carter said, smiling gently at all of them as they met in the classroom, the usual cushions set up for the children to sit upon. Today's cookie offering was homemade Oreos, since Carter hadn't been able to bring himself to offer anyone the over-processed, store-bought kind. "I hope you all had a good weekend, though the weather wasn't the best."
He hadn't minded the wet, rainy weather, even though it had kept him inside for most of the weekend.
"For those of you who might not know it yet, this coming weekend is Parents Weekend, which means a great many of your classmates and, perhaps yourselves, will be having visitors to the island."
Fjord hadn't actually minded the weather. Hadn't stopped him from going outside in it, anyway. But then, Fjord kind of had an affinity for the wet.
"While neither of us has any experience with this particular sort of weekend," he added, "it's likely safe to assume that most visitors to the island will be fairly unfamiliar with Fandom's... peculiarities." This was a very polite way to put it, even for the charismatic half-orc. "Some folks might want to ease their visitors into them. Some might want to avoid them entirely." A beat. "Good luck to them."
He didn't intend to hide, no. He'd sit in his office for meetings with perfectly normal modern human families and they would deal with it, so help him.
Yes, well… Carter only hoped the families were as generally accepting as he'd found the students to be.
"As neither of us have experienced previous weekends where your families have descended, all we can really offer you in terms of advice about it is to be polite to each other's families, and be understanding of undercurrents you might not understand."
"Try," Fjord added, "to be cognizant of any potential discomfort your fellow students might be experiencing as a result of their visitors, somebody else's, or, potentially, of your own. If you can find a means to alleviate that discomfort, you might consider doing so. Guide a staring parent away from a non-human classmate. Offer to accompany a friend if they aren't feeling safe." He tilted his head faintly. "If anybody does cause problems outright, find a member of the school's staff or the town's law enforcement. Neither is terribly likely to sit idly by and allow it to happen."
“And if you can’t find either, please find the nearest adult that you recognize,” Carter inserted, looking solemn. “Even if you know them only vaguely, they’ll still be able to provide you with more security and safety.”
Though the idea that anyone might need such a thing… still, the notes he’d found from his predecessors were actually pertinent now.
“As well,” he continued, “should you fear for your physical safety, please be advised that both the church and Caritas are sanctuaries and no harm may occur within them. Anyone who tries will be transported out of the building. While I do not know the hours Caritas keeps, I can and will have the church open at all hours should any have the need."
Fjord... did cast a brief sidelong look at the statement that suggested that any of these students were anything less than adult in their own right. But Fjord... possibly had skewed opinions on what constituted things like 'old enough to be handed a dagger,' say.
"Likewise, the dorms should be safe for you lot," he said, shrugging. At least the advice itself was solid. "It's your space. You're fully within your rights to tell a visitor to leave if they're making you feel uncomfortable, somebody's guest or not."
He would not tell them to punt them out a window. He would be good.
Some of them were practically babies, Fjord. Honestly, now.
“Well,” Carter said, “now that we’ve covered what we had to say, today we’re turning the rest of the class over to you. Those of you who have been here for past Parents’ Weekends, what advice would you have to share?”
"For your fellow classmates," Fjord smiled wryly, "and any you might have for your instructors, as well."
They needed all the help they could get.
He hadn't minded the wet, rainy weather, even though it had kept him inside for most of the weekend.
"For those of you who might not know it yet, this coming weekend is Parents Weekend, which means a great many of your classmates and, perhaps yourselves, will be having visitors to the island."
Fjord hadn't actually minded the weather. Hadn't stopped him from going outside in it, anyway. But then, Fjord kind of had an affinity for the wet.
"While neither of us has any experience with this particular sort of weekend," he added, "it's likely safe to assume that most visitors to the island will be fairly unfamiliar with Fandom's... peculiarities." This was a very polite way to put it, even for the charismatic half-orc. "Some folks might want to ease their visitors into them. Some might want to avoid them entirely." A beat. "Good luck to them."
He didn't intend to hide, no. He'd sit in his office for meetings with perfectly normal modern human families and they would deal with it, so help him.
Yes, well… Carter only hoped the families were as generally accepting as he'd found the students to be.
"As neither of us have experienced previous weekends where your families have descended, all we can really offer you in terms of advice about it is to be polite to each other's families, and be understanding of undercurrents you might not understand."
"Try," Fjord added, "to be cognizant of any potential discomfort your fellow students might be experiencing as a result of their visitors, somebody else's, or, potentially, of your own. If you can find a means to alleviate that discomfort, you might consider doing so. Guide a staring parent away from a non-human classmate. Offer to accompany a friend if they aren't feeling safe." He tilted his head faintly. "If anybody does cause problems outright, find a member of the school's staff or the town's law enforcement. Neither is terribly likely to sit idly by and allow it to happen."
“And if you can’t find either, please find the nearest adult that you recognize,” Carter inserted, looking solemn. “Even if you know them only vaguely, they’ll still be able to provide you with more security and safety.”
Though the idea that anyone might need such a thing… still, the notes he’d found from his predecessors were actually pertinent now.
“As well,” he continued, “should you fear for your physical safety, please be advised that both the church and Caritas are sanctuaries and no harm may occur within them. Anyone who tries will be transported out of the building. While I do not know the hours Caritas keeps, I can and will have the church open at all hours should any have the need."
Fjord... did cast a brief sidelong look at the statement that suggested that any of these students were anything less than adult in their own right. But Fjord... possibly had skewed opinions on what constituted things like 'old enough to be handed a dagger,' say.
"Likewise, the dorms should be safe for you lot," he said, shrugging. At least the advice itself was solid. "It's your space. You're fully within your rights to tell a visitor to leave if they're making you feel uncomfortable, somebody's guest or not."
He would not tell them to punt them out a window. He would be good.
Some of them were practically babies, Fjord. Honestly, now.
“Well,” Carter said, “now that we’ve covered what we had to say, today we’re turning the rest of the class over to you. Those of you who have been here for past Parents’ Weekends, what advice would you have to share?”
"For your fellow classmates," Fjord smiled wryly, "and any you might have for your instructors, as well."
They needed all the help they could get.