Another Blackwell's Island? (Damien)

[Demetra Katsaros]

People who drink coffee are out of their minds.

I personally have absolutely no idea how ground seeds shipped from Ethiopia brewed in hot water until it looks as lovely as diarrhea could sound appetizing (though to be fair, most coffee nowadays comes from Brazil. Lord, why do I waste my time researching such insignificant details when much more important matters could be dealt with?). Oooh, all the slimy mucilage got squeezed out of the beans, so now I can add cow titty juice and cavity-causing crystals to mask the flavor of the bitter crap that it is!

Um, no thanks. I'm WAY too satisfied with the hand-blended smoothie of soy milk, organic strawberries and bananas that I was sipping from my reusable thermos. Key word: was. I stopped drinking when I felt the thick liquid trickling down my arm like a kid who wet his pants and let it go down his leg. Trying to gulp down a meal while skateboarding down the hall to class proves difficult even for masters like myself, who could do so in beaded flip flops and a peasant's dress. Oh, but the dress is white. Spills and white aren't a good mix. Fuck.

I certainly wasn't going to swap that caffeinated junk for my ovary combo (That's right, fruits are OVARIES-- ripened ovaries. So when you think it's hot that some chick can stuff a whole banana down her throat because it's like a penis, and you're hoping she can do that with your penis, assuming you have a penis and it wants a blowjob... you're sooooo off base).

In case you didn't guess by now, I'm easily distracted. I've got what a Buddhist would refer to as "mind monkey," where my thoughts are swinging from one tree to the next (and I actually think about trees a lot), so it's really hard to focus. And viola! My morning drink has managed to travel into my über long hair, which unfortunately did not handle strawberry chunks very well. Maybe I would end up chopping it off sooner than expected. No, no. I'm exaggerating. How else would you be able to slap some kind of label like skater/hippie/mental patient on my forehead?

"Fucking smoothie," I cursed almost inaudibly under my breath, sliding into a manual and stomping on the board so it popped right into my non-affected arm. "So I act like I'm all great by taking this skateboard, but now I'm going to resort to processed paper and filtered water to clean myself up. Way to save natural resources. Ugh." I didn't want anybody to realize I was angry at my vegan creation, so I kept my voice low, crazy as it sounded, but I imagined the distress on my face would be enough for somebody to offer me a handkerchief, even without hearing my strange mumblings. People still carry handkerchiefs, right?

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Who would have known that at the precise moment I was walking down the hall having a nice cup of coffee, that about to come into sight around the corner would be someone with a firm distaste of coffee. Ain't life grand?

It was another normal, turbulent day on the campus of PHS42, and as always, my Pillar duties were running quite long... Work on the Whammy, walk the halls mindlessly, smoke, yell at journalists, walk the halls mindlessly, yell at editors, walk the halls mindlessly, and my current task- you guessed it- walk the halls mindlessly.

As I turned the corner, the sound of wheels caught my attention, and I noticed the girl coming down the hall in my direction. With a sigh, I knew it was time to do Pillar work... Ugh...

"Hey, no skateboarding in the halls." I yelled to her lazily, not really giving it an authorative tone. I was too tired for that crap- hence the coffee. "Come on, this is a free warning." I gave her that little extra bit to assure her I wouldn't confiscate her board or anything of the sort.

[Demetra Katsaros]

The thing about irony is that it's not very funny when it's actually happening to you. I smelled the coffee, but I wasn't going to comment on it. Not yet, anyway. Give me a minute to run my mouth at this high-and-mighty fool first, and then maybe I'll make my way around to the, "Hey, I was just thinking about how shitty coffee is! What a coinkidink!" Eh, not my style.

"Look, dearie, the board is nice and clean." Unlike myself. So this guy decided to stop for enough time to scold me, yet not offer me some sort of cloth. Couldn't blame him if he didn't have one, but I could find something to bitch about nonetheless. Before I did so, I slid my tongue down my arm, licking off whatever smoothie droplets were still there. If he was repulsed, well, I'd just let him know what was really in his drink. My hair would have to wait for its cleaning. "It's not going to ruin the halls, and I'm not going to run over anybody. In fact, it's even less likely to do so, considering the board is in my arm now, and if I wanted to do run people over, I'd drive a car. Besides, unless you're some child prodigy teacher that I wasn't aware existed at this school, you're way too young to be acting as my superior and telling me what to do."

I paused and sighed. I was being hypocritical--I told people what to do all the time whenever I felt like it--and in that moment I realized my mistake. Oh well. Gotta go with it. "Unless we're playing a game. Oh! My turn to nag you!" He might think it was easier for me to talk back like this because he hadn't been very aggressive with the request, but I was actually being much nicer than I would had he acted like a total douche. Yup. This was me being nice.

I grabbed the flesh on his cheek, pinching it like a cliche and oblivious grandmother. "You know, kiddo, caffeinated substances act as stimulant drugs that trigger overproduction of stress hormones, signaling your epidermis to release and eventually trap sebum around the hair follicle." I released my fingers and patted the side of his face twice. "That is, you have too much caffeine and your face will be full of zits in no time. I suggest you try the more natural approaches, such as sleeping eight hours a night or doing cardiovascular exercises in the morning. Your body can become dependent on the caffeine, and then you've fucked yourself over."

This was way too much fun. "My name's Demetra, by the way. If you've got any more questions about the crap your drinking, like about how its production creates large amounts of pollution and depletes much of the world's environmental resources, feel free to ask. And you are...?" I had to give him at least one line, even if that was just a name.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

This girl droned on and on and on about bullshit I really could have cared less about... Then again, it was always expected that when confronted with someone who didn't know the Pillar System, they almost ALWAYS made an ass of themselves... This case was no exception.

I paid very little attention to the shit she said about coffee. For a few seconds at a time, I would occasionally use my Qi to bend the sound waves of her voice away from me, just to spare my poor ears of her idiocy.

Then, after an eternity, she got to her point... She gave me a name... Followed by another coffee remark... Ugh, you know what? That's it.

Quickly, when she obviously wouldn't expect it, I would snatch her skateboard from her arm, drop it to the ground, and pour the contents of my coffee cup on it, letting the liquid she so deeply hated assault her transportation.

"Damien Kross. This school is under the Pillar System, a means of governing in which four students run the school. You happen to be talking to one of them." I gave a lazy frown. "So, I'm above child prodigy teacher level..." I looked down. "Pick up your skateboard and let's start over without the pointless comments about what I choose to ingest, hm?"

[Demetra Katsaros]

Oh ho ho! Somebody who thinks he could be nearly as fiesty as me! NOW this was looking more like an interesting game. For one, he was willing to sacrifice the drug-filled drink just to ruin my skateboard-- I was pleased with his ability to bear to lose a bit of caffeine, if just for awhile, but rather pissed that the hot liquid was on my form of transportation. If he tossed it on my dress, I would be able to make a new one, and probably remove the stain at some point, as horribly housewife-ish at that sounds.

Damien, hm? A name of Greek origin, I recognized, just like mine. Except mine was in reference to the deity mother of the earth, the Greco-Roman goddess Demeter. His was just "to tame," and if that was supposed to be his childish temper, he certainly wasn't doing a good job. At least I hadn't destroyed any of his property. Damien and Demetra. Double Ds. Like the tits I should be smacking him with right now. But again, that wasn't really my thing.

The name was a larger bell in my head than just the fact that it was Greek, though. There were three that I had trigger signals for: Matrim, Linda, and Damien. This Mister Kross was just who I wanted to run into (Kross: Now I didn't know how that was spelled, since I just heard it orally, so it's origins are unknown. Cross, like the Christian symbol rooting in pagan astrology? Oops. Controversy. Or Krauss--perhaps German or Dutch?).

I really needed to get my mind back on track. Firstly, this Media Director (YES! I do remember tidbits of information that are actually helpful!) Pillar was very confused on who I was, and before I made my offer, he'd have to know more about me. After all, if things went as I wanted, he would be dealing with me a lot.

"Okay, for starters, I'm very familiar with the Pillar system. I've been going to this school for three years--this is my fourth--and from what I understand, that's more than you, my transferred buddy, and I'll explain what happens so you'll be more aware of how this works. See, you're Media guy. I'm sure you know your responsibilities. But the thing is, since you're not actually the Student Captain, there's no proof that you deserve any kind of dominance over other students. Once somebody beats up the old Student Captian and takes the position, all the three other Pillars are just people who managed to suck up the the Student Captain enough to get the pretty title." I picked up my skateboard and wiped it off, though it wouldn't do a lot of good. "That is, all you are, as far as I know, is a good ass-kisser. You don't have to be smart or strong to brown-nose enough just to be called a Pillar. And even though you are, believe me, I would spit in the face of the President of the United States, so don't expect me to bow down to some student school official."

I picked the strawberry chunk out of my hair. About time it got out. "Your position doesn't give you the right to tell people whether or not to skateboard. But I'll tell you what you CAN do." I lifted my eyebrows for dramatic effect. "You can hire me as a journalist, because despite the fact that I don't have your title, I have a good understanding of media and what's going on in the world. Your duty is to supply that information to the world, and you need somebody like me to make sure that the media of the school isn't corrupt and manipulated, because people in your position tend to do that." Alright. I was talking way too much, even for me. "I can be the next Nellie Bly, at least for a student. And I can give you a resume of qualifications. What do you think?"

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Talks...
too...
much...

Jesus fuckin' Christ. Not since Elmira was there someone who wore my eardrums out quite this much. Her lack of retaliation towards the skateboard was welcoming- quite the opposite reaction I expected. Apparently, apart from her correct grammar and impeccable speech, this girl was quite different from the normal rubbish that walked the halls.

Hm, credentials. She wanted a spot under my wing in the media. Not a bad idea actually... I've been a bit understaffed lately... I could use the extra assistance. Plus, it seemed she knew what the fuck she was talking about. Not bad to look at either... Not at all. I gave a heavy sigh, put my hands on my hips, and began.

"Firstly, my time as a transfer is irrelevant. I've put in my fair share of bullshit at other schools, so where I continue to do it doesn't matter. Secondly, someone who's been here for three years should know how the Pillar System... I don't know how shit worked before I got here, but now, I have just as much authority as the student Body President or the Varsity Captain. Granted, I'm not at the level of Captain, but I have enough authority that I can enforce the rules of these grounds." I smirked. "And if I'm going to have someone on my staff, then I'd expect her to be a good little girl and obey the rules."

I would snatch the skateboard once more and give her an assuring glare as I walked to the nearest water fountain, using a single finger to beckon her to follow. I would run the water over the board, washing the coffee off of it's surface.

"Look, I'm understaffed, can use help, and you seem to have a smart head on your shoulders- not to mention a refreshing one to look at. That's always good for media." I noted on the importance of appearance in media. "Drop off a resume at the film room tomorrow afternoon if you find it necessary. Appearance in broadcast is quite important, so I expect you to be wearing something nice." I finished getting the last of the coffee off the board, gave it a few good waves to get excess water onto the nearby lockers, and handed the clean board back to her.

"And I trust that you'll refrain from insulting what I drink under the promise I don't dump what I drink onto what you ride. Savvy?" I asked with a wide smile, holding out my hand.

[Demetra Katsaros]

[OOC: Sorry about the heavy dialogue in my last post. I was sort of multitasking as I typed it. XD On a different note, can you give a brief description of what your character happens to be wearing? It can be OOCly or ICly; I just want an idea. =p]

IC:

Hm. This was a pleasant surprise. Who I assumed to be a dominating meat-headed Pillar type was actually having an intellectual conversation with me and considering my idea, despite the drama queen-like actions on both our parts (me pinching his cheek, him pouring his coffee: this is the kind of stuff I expected to be on TV shows... if I watched TV).

He made his point about his transfer and the Pillar system, which was fair, so I followed his motions and nodded as he spoke. I liked debate, and he rebutted himself well, so I wasn't going to carry on the topic further. Besides, I was more interested in the fact that he was genuinely thinking about my offer. He had surprisingly listened to the large amount of words that slipped out of my mouth, which was more rare than I liked, and he was willing to review my resume, meaning he would give me the time of day. Heck, he seemed to know who Nellie Bly was. The only thing was that he was cleaning my skateboard. It was of course a nice gesture, yet I didn't think more liquid would be good for the grip tape, at least if I was going to ride it any further. Oh well. I probably shouldn't anyway. It was more important to have in order to get home, and the deck should be fine by then.

However, as he went on, another thing struck me. He mentioned my appearance. Now, for starters, I don't really like the idea of people deeming me attractive or not. I exercise and eat well to be a healthy, happy human being, not to look good by society's standards. Make-up wasn't my thing, and my clothes were only decent because I was trying to promote a business. That is, I'm showing that the outfit looks nice, not myself. And I could go on and on about how different people have different standards of what is attractive, and different cultures have different customs for beauty, and blah blah blah, but this guy was probably only concerned with the majority tastes of a target audience.

This was even more significant. Since he mentioned my looks, he must have been assuming I wanted an on-camera job. It was my fault for being unclear, of course. I had a few things to straighten out now. "Okay, for one thing, I can't 'be a good girl' and 'obey rules' and what not. Sure, I can show respect for you as a fellow intellectual human being tackling the important project of informing students, but really, you don't want me to be a good girl. Good girls don't get things done. I can't be a mindless obedient slave, and you'll be glad that I'm not when you see what risks I'll take to give you a good story." I took my skateboard and leaned it against the wall. "And you probably didn't get this, but that's all I want to do: give you good stories. I'm not really the kind of girl you want as an anchor: I don't paint my face or nails or hair, and I'm not very good at faking a smile and speaking in a charismatic tone. I just want to make sure people know about what's going on, not just in the school, but in the world. Most these kids aren't picking up a newspaper or watch the nightly news, anyway, and the crap they put in those things is really pathetic, talking about found puppies and how to lose weight... I can do better than that. We can do better than that." I bit my bottom lip. "Look, you said you were understaffed, and I feel bad, so I'd like to help in whatever way possible, but I hope you don't have false expectations for me. I can respect your decision to drink as you please and I can provide well-written articles. Anything else will be more of a challenge."

He had held out his hand, and it would be rude not to shake it, so I did so, but I certainly hoped this new route I was presenting didn't snatch my opportunity away.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

OOC- Unless otherwise stated, Damien is always wearing the following: Black slacks, dress shoes, purple button-up undershirt, black vest, and black sport coat.

IC-

I wasted no time in explaining my situation.

"As far as production goes, namely the Whammy, I'm just tired of the show being me, me, and fucking me." As amazing as I am... "Just sayin' it would have been nice to have some new blood on the tube. Oh well, if it's not your thing, I suppose that's fine." I shrugged. "Stories however... You think you have a knack for giving me those, hm? Well, if that IS the case, I hope to God you are a hell of a writer." The witty comparison amused me. Hehe. "Look, as long as you do what you're supposed to without any backtalk, then I'm sure you'll do fine... Don't worry, nothing absurd will be asked of you. I have freshmen to do that for me..."

I put my hands back on my hips. "Now, I'm sure you have millions of things to tell me about your abilities, and I'm not one to have patience for waiting on a resume... Would you be up for discussing your credentials? If anything, I can treat you to lunch."

It WAS my ability as a pillar to do pretty much anything... Smoke on school grounds... Be late... Break the rules... Especially the one saying no ditching. If I wanted some goddamn lunch, I could get some goddamn lunch.

[Demetra Katsaros]

[OOC: Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. =D]

What?! A pillar complaining about receiving too much attention?! Absurd! What kind of dominating force was not self-absorbed? "It's nice to see you want to share your airtime," I commented with an eyebrow raised in surprise. "And I do understand some significance to appearance in media. Those who are considered physically attractive are often deemed to be more intelligent and trustworthy than others." I read this in a psychology book, but yet I still wonder how the stereotype of the hot ditzy blonde came about. "The thing is, this isn't the perception I really want to be part of in promoting." Not that I wasn't smart. I was modest, but hell, I was willing to admit that I had a nicely filled brain, and I would probably do so before admitting that I had a nicely filled bra. Oh, yet you would not be so lucky to even discover the latter on your own.

"However, if you want me to give you a quick chat up on what I can do rather than kill some trees to have you scan it visually, that's fine. I packed a lunch, so there's really no need to buy me anything," Wait, did he offer to pay? Hm. Maybe I was being rude in assuming. "But I'll accompany you to wherever you'd like, whether it be the film room or elsewhere."

Perhaps he wants more coffee, I thought. "You know, one of the first things I can do is make you a new suit." Alright, this was sounding more like a bribe, since he was still in the process of deciding whether to 'hire' me or not, but really, I didn't have money. I had sewing material. Whatever money I did have would probably eventually go to more cloth (okay, that's not entirely true--only a percentage would be spent on more materials). I glanced him over. He seemed to like purple. Purple is associated with myths and fantasy, as well as royalty and nobility. However, I associated him more with snotty elitists than unicorns and fairies. "I mean, if you want to change things up, but still be the main guy, maybe you could wear something different every once in awhile. We can stick to the color scheme, if you like it's mental association, and you can certainly have more say on the design..."

I was getting off track. "This could be handled over food, though, yes?"

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Make me a new suit? Wow, this girl had her uses... Seriously, major uses. It was moments like these I was glad Jester was asleep- leaving me to normally socialize with people. It was nice not hearing innuendo every five seconds. This girl was without a doubt a good target for Jester's remarks... A person of my calibur was able to keep my eyes on hers, not on her chest... Jester however...

"Well, I insist. I didn't have anything prepared..." I shrugged. "I'd rather not go nuts with a bill, but it would be my pleasure to buy you lunch. I'm quite interested in this 'new suit' business. I hope you're not using that to grease the wheels a bit." I gave her a small wink. "Cause that would be a shame. Someone of your standing MUST have more self-respect then to bribe someone, right?" I grinned, letting myself loosen up a bit. No need to be so tense. This wasn't really Pillar business anymore. "And purple and I are quite close, if you catch my meaning."

I would start to walk down the hall, knowing she'd follow. It was quite obvious I was heading for the parking lot. "Now, what would you like in the way of a meal? Don't go too crazy on me now. Not nice to take advantage of someone." I smiled, putting my hands in my pockets. "So, do I get to know anything about you now? Or do I have to wait for all of it? Cause I don't like being kept in suspense."

[Demetra Katsaros]

Oh snaps. This fool was catching on to my shenanigans (Wow, I can't even talk cool even in my inner dialogue. Funny).

"Grease the wheels?" I repeated the phrase with a nervous simper. "Ha ha. Grease and I aren't really friends." So now my inner and outer dialogue was screwing up. Well, at least I could manage to follow him to the parking lot. He must have a car, which would be interesting, since I haven't been inside a car in a while, like a few weeks or so. Not exactly my preferred method of transportation, but he was bound to drive himself to get food anyway, so I might as well tag along.

"Anyhow, you want to know more important things about me." What could possibly be more important than my dislike for grease? Hmmm. "My name is Demetra Katsaros. I like baby animals, organic fruit, and long walks on the beach." Now my grin was a little less fake. Didn't I say I wouldn't be good with faking smiles? Irony needs to learn to be less subtle. "But uh, most of my walks on the beach involve picking up trash." That was actually true (not that the other stuff was a lie). I happened to be picking up trash on the beach when I met Andy. However, that douche bag was not going to enter my conversation with Damien. Awkwardness avoided? Yes, please.

"I guess my humor is shit today. To give it flat out, I do a lot of volunteer work, a ton of research, and yeah, I totally know how to sew. I've taken journalism courses outside the school, so while I've never worked on a program quite like the Whammy, I have a pretty good idea how various media communicate with their audience, and I'm literate enough to put together written information for whichever medium it may be. I don't even care if you change the words to fit your style, or don't put my name in the credits. I want to get messages across, not become well-known in the school." Unless there were benefits for being famous. Not the "oh I'm so popular" perks, but maybe being able to get people involved in the same clubs as me or participate in fund raising events wouldn't be so bad. "Anything I should know about you, Damien, or is this a one-way interview?"

[Damien Kross, Jester]

This girl was quite the entertaining person to listen to. Her rambling was apparent, but not in the annoying way. Mot rambling went in circles- hers had some vague type of overall point to it. Plus, the information was quite interesting. This girl had a good brain inside her- exactly the kind of brain I needed on the team... But I knew not to give away the impression of immediate entrance into the team... I had to bait her just enough that she wanted it more... I couldn't make it seem too easy.

"Not one-way at all." I said, offering her a smile. "I'm a writer at heart. The arts are my forte, but creative and performance writing are my things... slam poetry and such. Used to do some singing and film making, but I kinda fell out of those. Now I'm at a happy point with journalism and broadcasting." I shrugged. "As far as you go my dear, it seems you have the smarts to be qualified for the work I need done. Quite lucky of me to run into you."

We reached the staff parking lot, and as I held the door open for Miss Karsaros, I looked towards my car just ten feet away. "The blue Camry." I said, giving her a cue. I would withdraw the keys from my pocket, unlock the doors automatically, and open the passenger door for her to enter. "After you."

Manners make the world go round.

[Demetra Katsaros]

[OOC: The Damien part of your display name is gone. =O ]

To be honest, I was feeling rather awkward. I'm not usually the 'awkward' type; I've always been pretty straightforward about who I was and what I thought, and anyone who didn't like it could fish my flip flops out of their butt holes later. However, I wasn't in the position to send my sandals anywhere near this guy's rear end. That would compromise my job, and I'd have to hold back possible controversy until I had a public forum to vent it on, namely a school media.

I slid into the seat of the car. "Thank you." That was the first awkward thing: he opened the door for me. It probably seemed gentleman-like to him, but really? Just because I had a vagina didn't mean I didn't know how to work a door. Oh well. I can't pinpoint him as some sexist just because he's trying to be nice, I thought.

The other thing was that I was actually going to be in a motorized moving vehicle. I was a little nervous, hearing about car accidents constantly, especially among teenage drivers, but I knew rationally that the statistics of us being harmed were rather low. Plus, I had my own personal vendetta against cars and the corporations who make them. However, if I was to be unbiased, the gas-powered automobile was probably the most practical of its class, and it was blue--the closest this guy could get to purple without being tacky.

Lastly, I unfortunately didn't share many of the interests that he listed. An artsy type, huh? That was rather unexpected. I had a basic comprehension of various art forms, and I encouraged creativity if it expanded people's minds and kept kids away from drugs and violence and all that lovely stuff. Yet I was more the logical type. Fiction wasn't as significant to me as the truth, the real events that take place every day and have taken place in the past that will shape our future. Still, it was a little cute, the way his passions seemed to emerge from the way he spoke, and even how he mentioned being lucky to have run into me. Not that I believed in luck.

Oh, right. Seatbelt. I buckled myself in, as if I made me look like I knew the standard procedure of riding in a car. Skateboards and buses and bikes didn't have these thick straps, but I imagine research indicated that they helped. Scratch that. "Imagine" was the wrong word. Didn't I know better?

"Looks like you know what you're doing, Mister Kross," I commented with a smooth smile. "Err... you have a nickname?" I myself didn't have a nickname, but I figured I'd ask.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"I like to think so." I said in quick reply to her initial statement. "Just because the rest of the world thinks chivalry is dead doesn't mean I need to comply." I buckled in, gave a quick glance to her to make sure she was buckled in, and put the car in reverse, slowly pulling out of my space. As I hit the gas, we left the parking area and I began to make my way down the road towards a shopping center full of different choices.

"Nickname, huh?" Yeah... I had one alright... Heheh... She had noooo idea. "Yeah, Jester." I said it simply, letting her imagination do with it what she would. From her past comments, I had come to the conclusion that this girl was quite judgmental. From my nickname, she would probably draw a bunch of conclusions, make a comment on it, then somehow lay it to rest as if saying 'but to each their own.' This girl was very amusing to be around...

From what she said, she struck me as a Tea Person... Yes, that was it. As Professor Catalano would put it... Two types of people in the world, Coffee People, and Tea People... Tea People were usually left-wing, tree hugging, Green Peacers who think that by drinking their chai-mint tea decaf espresso, that they're saving the world... Yup, a Tea Person.

[Demetra Katsaros]

Ah! We were moving! My eyes glanced out the window as he put the car in motion. It wasn't too bad. And it was kind of hard to completely forget what being in a car was like, since it was something most people have to experience every once in awhile. I didn't plan on staring outside for the whole trip, though. The scenery of the school parking lot and whatever urban sites followed was not anything that would take my breath away. Besides, it would be rude.

"I don't know if the whole world thinks chivalry is dead," I countered. "I hear a lot of people giving the expression, 'chivalry is not dead,' which must mean there are some people on earth who adhere to the practices." Hahaha. NERRRRRD. But oh, I don't believe in labels, not even for myself.

And then there was the nickname he had. Oh boy. There was a certain working to nicknames: somebody usually gives them to you, based on your original name or an aspect about yourself. You don't give yourself a nickname. That's stupid. This meant that somehow, some person deemed Damien as 'Jester.' He didn't give much information about it, so I jumped to the conclusion that it was a touchy subject. Or he could be one of those drivers who really needs to concentrate on the road rather than yak to passengers. It wasn't going to stop me from talking, however.

I almost giggled a little. The first thing that came to mind was the silly liliripes hat-- you know, the motley hat with three floppy points, each with a little bell at the end? I couldn't really picture him wearing one, for a theater performance or otherwise, but a flashing image of one of the original jester hats came to mind. You do know why they have three droopy pieces, right? The first jesters wore a donkey ear and tail on their head. It was kind of gross, especially for an animal-rights person like me, to think about wearing donkey parts, but at the same time, I remembered how I had initially thought of him as an ass when I ran into him in the hall. Heh. ASS. What a fun word. A-S-S.

I'm not going to call Damien/Jester an ass, though. I mean, if I wasn't rude to him before when I still wanted the job, I certainly wasn't going to be offensive when he's driving the vehicle I happened to be in. Actually, I could probably manage to say something positive. Yes, positive. "Jester, hm?" I began in response. "That's actually interesting, considering jesters had political significance during periods in which freedom of speech was not recognized. Kings knew they were important because they could bring up controversial issues that others could not, deeming anything unpleasant as simply 'a jest.'" Agh. Positive equals history lesson? That wasn't exactly what I was going for. "But the thing is, jesters could still be executed. It's a very dangerous position. Kind of far from the Whammy, where you pretty much have control."