024. Video Comm (link is not IC, just for reference)

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

[Obi-Wan looks... well, not quite as ruffled as his icon, but certainly rather perplexed.]

Is it at all common in this world to encounter beings who look and sound exactly like you do yourself?

More specifically, is it at all common to encounter such beings inexplicably singing?

Comments

[OR ELSE!]

[shiromadoushi]

[[nodnod]] Really... when you love someone like that, looking ridiculous doesn't even come to mind!

[directed by Michael Bay and James Cameron]

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

[[MUST. CHANGE. SUBJECT.]]

And I suppose you two have been known to sing like shimmerbirds without any reservations.

[starring John Cera as The Space Marine]

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

Not in a very long time, no, but I' certain that my master could have dredged up an instance or two.

[Wait, when did this become a big budget production?]

[shiromadoushi]

[[looking away, rubbing the back of his neck]] and I don't really sing...

[Since George Lucas oozed into it in the background]

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

[[just. raises an eyebrow at Qui-Gon.]]

[*melts in* "Hey James. Whatcha workin' on?"]

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

Don't look so stunned. I could be very boisterous when I was still an apprentice.

["Oh, uh, George! I uh... it's, uh... ...money?"]

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

...boisterous, really.

["Can I help?"]

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

No one is a calm and collected master at first. You had your moments as well.

["...oh, George, I can't resist you."]

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

That's very true, but-- [[he gives Qui-Gon a wry look]] --I never sang to anyone. Nor am I ever likely to.

[...Yeah, I can't top that with anything that wouldn't cause me to chunder.]

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

Does the phrase 'bawdy Corellian ballad' sound at all familiar?

[I wiiiiiiin. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan faaaaaiiiiilllllls]

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

[[You hear that, my friend? That is the sound of Obi-Wan's embarrassment levels climbing to OVER NINE THOUSAAAAND.]]

[[Which is to say he has no snappy rejoinder and is mentally keysmashing.]]

[shiromadoushi]

[[Getting that impish grin again that is totally wanting to hear this story but is too polite to ask. But oh, he wants to tease Ben so badly, even if it is mean of him.]]

So you already knew he could sing well?

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

[[This is the look of someone who isn't telling. Yet.]] I've been aware for some time that he has a good singing voice, but I'm not sure if the word 'well' properly describes that performance.

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

[[It's sad that he has no icon to describe his current PLEASE MASTER DON'T OR I MAY MELT UNDER THE COUCH IN A PUDDLE OF MISERY face.]]

[shiromadoushi]

[[covers a small laugh, taking pity on Ben]] It was probably better than any of my attempts at karaoke! [[smiles]]

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

[[Fret not, Obi-Wan, he's momentarily distracted!]] It's entirely possible, though from what I've heard of that practice it's all uniformly embarrassing. I'm certain it's an excellent way to take the tension out of a social situation, forcing everyone to sing for an audience of their friends.

[taughttolisten.livejournal.com]

...I'm going to go clean up the popcorn, [[he mutters, taking the opportunity to get the hell out of dodge]]

[shiromadoushi]

[[as the nerding is about to flood the room, that may be a good idea, Ben]]

Un, but not everyone feels embarrassed about it! Jounouchi-kun and Anzu-chan were always really passionate about it, and liked showing off. And then you have the people who get drunk for it that really have no shame!

[answer2darkness.livejournal.com]

As is often the case. I do believe that it serves the latent function of equalizing social situations, though. Everyone looks foolish, therefor imagined hierarchies temporarily break down. [[turning over his shoulder]] Don't hesitate to ask if you'd like some help.

[shiromadoushi]

But that only works if everyone is on equal footage. For example, like when people play DDR, some people are really good at it, so those people retain a spot on the hierarchy. Karaoke has the same thing, where people who have nice voices or are practiced at it still retain their positions. It's just a different social ranking based on the skill of the activity at hand, and the more often the person is in that new social position, the more it becomes a permanent shift, like how people who are good at Duel Monsters back home use it to gain a better social ranking outside of playing as well. So it's not really that the situation is equalized, just that different skills are used to determine who's on top because not everyone is looking foolish.