A homework assignment for a professor - OTA

[aquawayfinder]

Who: Aqua and anyone who wanders into the open lounge
What: Aqua has been tasked to watch Romcoms. Thank you, Emma Frost.
Where: An open public lounge, since she has no clue how to work the DVD player on her computer.
When: Backdated - Middle of the day, April 7th
Warnings: Will add if needed.


Having been assigned by Emma to watch romantic comedies in order to potentially understand the point in having a date when she chaparones prom, Aqua has done what she has always done when facing a task at this school. She went to the library and took out research material.

Armed with every Romcom the school library had in stock, and wondering why the librarian had looked quite so amused, she found a lounge that no one was using and put in the first DVD. She turned on the player, and sat down to watch.

This... lasted a whole minute before she was up and pacing. She really didn't like sitting still. But... she reminded herself, this was a task, a challenge set before her. A skill to learn and master.

So she sat back down and worked on mastery as she watched, focusing both on the movie and the restraint to stay sitting.

Anyone want to come laugh at the confused look on her face?

Comments

[shiningscales]

He waved a hand, brushing aside her apology. He was the nosy one, after all, so there was no need for her to do that. "No, no, you don't need to apologize. Ah, but, if you don't mind me asking... 'Assignment'?"

Maybe he should have let her get back to it. But considering what she had been watching, he had to wonder...

[aquawayfinder]

"Miss Frost was attempting to explain to me the purpose in my bringing a date to the prom, despite my having no interest in romance, and my being aware that at any time I may no longer be here."

"We wound up on a cycle of the same questions and answers, with no further comprehension on either side, so she assigned me these movies so that I could understand her point."

She sighed slightly. "I must admit I am still failing to comprehend, however I am yet early in the stack."

[shiningscales]

"Oh. I see," he said, albeit not entirely convincingly. That seemed like both a strange issue to have and a strange solution to offer. "To be honest, I'm not sure romantic comedies would help me very much, either. But... Wouldn't the point of bringing a date just be to have fun?"

[aquawayfinder]

"I am not certain what about it is meant to be fun," she admitted. "And I thought dating was for people who were romantic or wished to be romantic, and it would be irresponsible of me to join any such relationship at this time and place."

[shiningscales]

"Well... I guess it's true that that's usually what it means. But you can have a casual date, or even bring a friend along in place of a romantic one." Caelius was not the most romantically savvy person himself, so being on this end of the conversation was a bit of a new experience for him. He spoke carefullu, thinking through each of his words. "Um, and I guess it's fun because... It's a social function where certain activities are tailored around couples, like dancing?"

[aquawayfinder]

"Why do you need a couple for dancing?" she asked. "My friends and I used to dance together all the time, back home."

She finally just shrugged. "Of course, even if I do figure this out, I wouldn't have the first clue who to ask."

[shiningscales]

"Well, I don't know what kind of dancing you did, but a lot of it is intended to be between two people, whether it's romantic or not. A date just means you don't have to worry about finding a partner." He echoed her shrug when it came, his smile good-natured. "Honestly, though, I wouldn't worry too much about finding a date. If you think you'll have fun going alone, you probably will."

[aquawayfinder]

"That had been my plan, but Miss Frost seemed to be quite sure this was a bad idea. I am trying to take the assignment seriously." Which was quite... difficult.

[shiningscales]

"Well, I guess there's no harm in giving it an honest try." Even if she seemed to be having trouble sitting through them, which he sympathized with. "Ah, but you should probably take those movies with a grain of salt. In my opinion, at least. They're not meant to be perfectly realistic."

[aquawayfinder]

"Then I do not understand the point. It does not seem inherently educational, at least, not abundantly so, and it is not entertaining. Therefore, is it not meant to be..."

She tried to find the English word, "documentary?"

[shiningscales]

"No, no, not at all." He rushed to correct her. "They're meant to be entertainment, actually, even if they're...not for everyone. Maybe she wanted you to find, um—" How to put it? "—the spirit of romance?"

[aquawayfinder]

Now she was really confused. "Do you mean a ghost or a drink?" she said, sure that she was somehow mistranslating his response.

[shiningscales]

"I mean... Like holiday spirit," he said, gesturing vaguely in a way he hoped convey his meaning. "To be in the spirit of something. You know?"

[aquawayfinder]

"Oh, the sensation or feeling of?" she asked, to be sure. "The..." she tried to think of the best word she could in her own language, then to translate it back to English from there. Esprit de corps? No... that was... was that French? "ambiance?" she asked. Or... was that also...French?

Having never planned to leave the Island for this long, perhaps Aqua had been... remiss... in this aspect of her studies. It hadn't been an issue for a while though, so she had thought her English was improving.

"She wanted me to.... feel.... romantically inclined?"

[shiningscales]

"Yes, I think that's the best way to put it. By watching movies about romance, you'd get into the spirit of things and want to try something romantic as well." He nodded. "Of course, I'm only guessing. I'm...obviously not on the same page as her myself."

[aquawayfinder]

"This... is not..." she tried to find the word, "inspiring me," she said, hoping she had the proper phrase, "to try anything like what I am seeing in the movie."

She sighed. "Until I have something figured out, I should probably keep watching." Not a prospect she looked forward to.

"Do you want to join me?"

Maybe it would be less miserable... if she wasn't alone...

[shiningscales]

"Maybe you just haven't found one for you yet? I think most of them are kind of cheesy and hackneyed, but some are probably better than others."

Probably.

At her question, though, he shrugged, as if to say, "why not?" "If you think it'll help you sit through them, I guess it wouldn't hurt to sit through one."

[aquawayfinder]

"Thank you, I very much appreciate the" sacrifice "gesture. Maybe it will be easier just having someone with me."

And because she is Aqua, and thus always thinking... "You.. do not think that perhaps that was the point she was trying for? That the job of being a chaperone would be easier if I had someone with me, and the whole... romance aspect was just... to get me to that point? That I had been focused on the wrong thing?"

[shiningscales]

"Most people don't see them as such an odious trial," he laughed. "But really, I can't say. I don't know her as well as some people."

[aquawayfinder]

"If I thought that might be the answer, I would ask you if you wanted to work together, and attend together, that way the assignment would be fulfilled and we could better serve the students."

"...If that were the answer." She seemed pensive.

Clearly, the most romantic invite to the prom in history. Of course, she still did not get the romance aspect, and thought now that it might have just been a dodge to get her to find the point of teamwork on her own.

Of course, she now felt a bit dim for not seeing that before, since teamwork had been one of the fundamental building blocks of her training since childhood.

[shiningscales]

He chuckled, somewhat sheepishly, and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "Unfortunately, I already have a date. But if you'd like me to keep an eye out for you while we're there, that can be arranged." If only so she didn't feel like she didn't have someone to call on for assistance, date or no date.

[aquawayfinder]

"Much appreciated." she sighed at the movies. "Should we get to it, then?"