fandomhigh | Diplomacy, Tuesday, September 23, 2025 [2nd period]

"There are holidays approaching that promote time with extended family," Anakin began from where they were all seated around an ornate dining table where an older woman and man also sat, dressed up. "These are my in-laws," Anakin explained. "Well, copies of them. I didn't kidnap them from Connecticut and make them attend class today. They are a very particular type of relative, though: the sort that will deliberately misunderstand everything you say."

As if to prove Anakin's point, the woman looked deeply insulted. "It's fine that our son-in-law doesn't want to spend time with us."

"Exactly," Anakin said, with an "I told you" expression to the rest of the class. "But dumping cranberry sauce on her head and stomping off, however momentarily satisfying, doesn't actually fix a long-term problem. I will have to see her next Thanksgiving, too. And the one after that."

"No need to sound so excited about that."

Ahsoka, who had been watching all this with great amusement, cleared her throat. "Situations like these require a delicate touch," she said. "Calling out such behaviour will likely make it worse, with them viewing it as an attack. But going along to get along runs the risk of using all your emotional energy to soothe theirs, because you will never be able to abase yourself enough to avoid their bad faith."

"And that just ruins the pie," Anakin said, nodding. "So today we will practice disengaging."

"Thy will be looking for a response," Ahsoka told them "So do your best not to give them one."

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Don't engage, don't engage, don't engage...

But if Lydia didn't engage, how would she keep notice from falling upon the more vulnerable members of the party?

Anakin passed Lydia the basket of rolls.

"That's fine," Emily commented with a too-tight smile. "I didn't need those."

"Well, that's all right, then," Lydia said, smiling brightly, and passed the rolls to someone else. Perhaps Captain Flint. Definitely not Emily, since she'd just said she didn't need them.

Flint was glad to take the rolls and clearly tick off a little old lady. "Thank you, Miss Bennet," he said, turning his British accent up to eleven. "I definitely did need these."

Maybe Anakin would have done better if he'd sounded British, like the rest of the Empire.

"Do you know, I believe my Uncle Phillips may turn off his manservant soon," Lydia, who had been taught to keep to conversation on topics of general interest in such cases, said to the table as she buttered her roll.

Well, it was of general interest to her.

"What will he do instead?" Flint, who had never had a manservant in his life, asked.

Billie dug into her cargo pockets for a bit, then came up with her secret weapon for family gatherings:

Her sunglasses.

She was too cool for you, Gilmores. Deal with that.

"Oh, I do apologize," Emily said, saccharine solicitous, "I didn't realize your eyes were so sensitive."

Anakin stuck too big a bite of bread into his mouth.

Billie bobbed her head. In agreement? Just while listening to the music in her own head?

Emily would not know.

"No need to apologize," she said. "But thank you."

Emily seethed. Politely.

Anakin winked at Billie.

Billie -- just -- managed to hold back a bright grin at that sign of approval.

Diplomacy, Tuesday, September 23, 2025 [2nd period]

Learn How to Gray Rock!

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