Outside of Flamingo Cabin [afternoon after classes]

[emo_padawan]

Anakin had found a shady tree to sit underneath while he read up on the etiquette of the British court.

Yeah, that was his idea of fun summertime reading. He was getting quite into the story of Charles and Diana.

[OOC: Anakin's waiting for Willow, but he'll chat with anyone.]

Comments

[willbedone]

After chatting with Becky, Willow went back cabin-wards. She smiled and waved when she saw Anakin.

[emo_padawan]

Anakin closed the book and gave Willow a big smile in return. "Good afternoon, my lady," he said with a nod.

[willbedone]

Hey, Willow had built up instincts to that comment. She gave a curtsey. "Good afternoon, Sir... Anakin."

No, no stumbling at all on the name she'd been about to say.

[emo_padawan]

Anakin smiled. "The correct address for a Jedi is actually Master whoever, but that's not important."

He patted the cover of the book he'd been reading: In the Royal Manner: Expert Advice on Etiquette and Entertaining from the Former Butler to Diana, Princess of Wales. "I've been brushing up on my etiquette," he said. "Sorry to catch you off-guard."

[willbedone]

"Nothing to be sorry for at all," Willow said with a smile. "I'm used to Peter, who's a knight. He gets a Sir. I asked."

[emo_padawan]

"He would on this planet, yeah," Anakin said, nodding. "I'm a knight, too, but not in the clangy armor way." He wrinkled up his nose. "We try to blend in a little more than that."

He smiled up at Willow. "Want to hear what else I've learned so far?"

[willbedone]

"Please!" Willow said. She gestured beside him. "May I take a seat?"

[emo_padawan]

Anakin blushed. "Oh, please do," he said. "That was rude of me."

[willbedone]

"Quite all right," Willow said. She sat down next to him. "So what have we learned and how can I apply it to my theoretical situations?"

[emo_padawan]

"Okay," Anakin said, sitting up and unconsciously imitating Obi-Wan. "The British are much less demonstrative than Americans in general, and that's even more true in higher levels of society. So use titles until you are specifically invited to call someone by a first name."

He smiled. "They're not big fans of loud laughter or big hand gestures, making fun of the Royal Family is frowned upon and so is mocking them for their rather strange fondness for their dogs."

[willbedone]

Willow? Had pulled out a notebook and pen and was writing all this down frantically. "So how do you indicate if you think their jokes are funny?"

[emo_padawan]

"A little laughter is okay," Anakin said, "but falling out of a chair isn't great." He bit his lip. "Which reminds me, lots of drinking is bad. But that's just kind of common sense, really."

He looked back down at the book. "It's up to the lady to make the first move if you'd like to shake hands, but it's not required. And a gentleman will make the first move if dancing comes up, but the lady can turn him down."

[willbedone]

"What about hand kissing?" Willow asked, still writing away. "Are there limits?"

[emo_padawan]

"If you don't put out a hand, they won't shake it or kiss it," Anakin said. "And they're not big into the stupid air kissing, either, thank the Force. That tends to be limited to female-to-female contact in general, though, and never on a first meeting."

[willbedone]

"Okay," Willow said, studying her notes. "So if I was meeting, say, a female relative for the first time there could possibly be hand shaking, but no form of kissing?"

[emo_padawan]

"Right," Anakin said, nodding.