Summary:Peter tries to provide Kori some necessary information about interacting with people. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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For Kori Anderson, figuring out her place in the world that is high school has not been the easiest thing in the world. In fact, it's gone from a 'fun adventure' to sort of a grim trudge through adolescence from the perspective of someone who is vastly more mature than her peers. It's exhausting. Perpetually inappropriate advances, bitchy, cutting commentary, and even just a little low-key bullying now and then. Kori's struggling to make friends. Few people have Peter's patience, though at least Mary Jane is being kind enough to help Kori out with some topics better suited for two women to discuss.
Flash Thompson, weirdly, projects his antipathy towards Kori at Peter. Hopefully things will calm down soon.
For Kori, the hardest subjects are things like biology and anthropology. She has a capacious memory but no context for a lot of the information. Her inquiries about the Civil War, for instance, had provoked a lot of sniggering. So she's sitting in the history lab by herself, pouring over a compact text of US History from the early part of the 19th century. Capri-length leggings, purple-and-white horizontally striped skirt worn high over her hipbones, and a tank top with 'Carebear Stare!' in faded letters on the front. Eclectic's the right word for her dress.
MJ had sought out Peter and had explained a few things to Peter. Some of it he already knew, some of it was a surprise. What he had also been dealing with were concerned texts from Mr. Morita about "inappropriate advances" towards other people and can you please do something about it?
Peter knew that if he headed home, he could get the nagging noise from the heater fixed…but somehow, this seemed important enough to call Aunt May and tell her he would be late. "Kori's having trouble adjusting."
Aunt May, of course, had told him to "go help that poor girl."
Five minutes later, the door to the history lab opened, and Peter stepped through, a couple of books in his hand. "Kori? Am I interrupting something?"
Kori looks up and beams a smile at Peter. "Hello, friend Peter! Yes, you are interrupting my studying," she says, cheerily. She marks her place in the book and closes it. Despite her airhead attitude she does treat things with a certain studiousness that belies her vacantly enthusiastic approach to life. "How are you today, friend Peter? I have been doing the learning about 'the homecoming'," she tells him. "It is a curious name and no one can tell me why it's called 'home coming'. No one's coming to their home. They are going to their school. This is as far as I can tell a harvest ritual, which… makes little sense, because there are no crops being harvested at the school."
She lays a finger on her cheek and looks thoughtfully skywards. "Unless they mean the hydroponics lab. But that still does not mean what I think it means, unless it signals a shift for the students to move to school as our permanent habitation."
Peter notes, oddly, that she feels the need to explain or muse out loud. "I believe it is referencing as to how the school is the 'home' of the students." He puts the books down, then leans against the teacher's desk. "I want to come to you, because I feel you need a special lesson…one that is fairly long-overdue. And I think you will see things differently after I am done."
"Oh! Well I am very grateful for your advice, friend Peter," Kori tells Parker solemnly. "It has been very helpful. I do not think I would have enjoyed this venture at all were it not for the assistance of yourself and Mary Jane," she remarks. "School is a very difficult experience. It does not help that violence is discouraged," she frowns. "Several of the students would benefit from an aggressive countermand, in my opinion. But I have been told this is 'the rude' and 'the criminal' so I have erred on the side of being peaceful."
Peter nods, then grabs an eraser and erases the detritus of the day's lesson. "All right, Kori. Class is in session. Hope you brought the teacher an apple." He chuckled.
As he drew, he talked. "People have certain 'zones' of awareness. These zones determine the level of communication, the level of intimacy, and even communicate in themselves. With the level of human communication in a normal conversation, the amount of conversation devoted to actual speech is EIGHT PERCENT. That is why we put emoticons and abbreviations to try and get the point of certain emotions across, but there is still a great deal of misunderstanding."
He steps back, with two basic humanoid figures across from each other. Three semi-circles surround each figure in descending order. "All right. I'm going to show you these zones, and what is acceptable and unacceptable in each."
"Ooh! This is very interesting," Kori says, and sits upright. It's an attentive posture that'd look mocking if anyone else did it. But her wide green eyes are wholly fixated on the lesson and she's taking in every word Peter says. Also, she's not interrupting unless a question is asked of her. Because that turns into an exercise in getting no objective completed until Strafire's endless curiosity is sated.
Peter nods, then begin with the inner field. he writes 0-6 INCHES - PERSONAL SPACE.
"This is also known as the Intimate Zone. People only feel comfortable with people getting this close if they are family, friends…or are in an intimate relationship with each other. If someone you don't know, or even a friend, gets within this distance, it can be uncomfortable…even hostile. Someone hostile to you can get within this Intimate space to try and provoke a reaction."
He goes silent, seeing if Kori can put the pieces together on her own.
Kori opens her mouth, then closes it and nods at Peter to indicate her comprehension. She shifts slightly in her seat and resettles her hands on her lap before devoting her full attention to her tutor once again.
Peter continues. "Objects within this Intimate Zone usually belongs to the person. Objects that move into this zone from beyond it can make people nervous." He looks out to the street. "If you walk along the sidewalk, do you notice how large crowds usually show little to no emotion at all? That is because they are forced into another person's Intimate Zone, and choose not to do anything to provoke someone else. Nobody wants to cause any trouble." He writes HOLDING HANDS in the inner circle. Close friends, lovers, and those married can enter these zones without incident, because their presence is not only accepted, but welcome."
"I thought that was because everyone was taking the medication that made them not feel the happies," Kori tells Peter. He *did* ask her a question, in fairness. "But I have also seen people doing the opposite of what you say! They are walking holding the hands and standing very close to each other on the subways," she counters. "And on the Hulu and the YouTubes, there are many shows and movies where people stand very close to talk and they touch each other while doing the talking!"
Peter nods. "What are they saying to each other while they are holding hands?" he asks politely.
"Things such as 'Why are we on the F train the E train is faster'," Kori supplies. "Or: 'I need to binge watch that series' or 'why is it always the weird looking freaks on trains who eavesdrop?'"
She frowns. "I still do not understand that word. I was not dropping anything, nor was I under an eave."
Peter smiled, but it was a wry smile. "English language is full of strange words that have a history to them. That's one of them. Those people are in a relationship with each other. Lovers or married couples. They talk to each other about such things because one values the other's opinion."
"Oh! Very interesting," Kori exclaims. "Yes, your language is very strange and broken. I am attempting to learn more of it. My early studies did not express much for things such as colloquialisms." That's Kori: big vocabulary, not a single understanding of metaphors.
Peter nods again. "It's a mishmash of words with roots in older languages, primarily Latin. If you are unsure of a word, just Google the word itself. Most of the time, you'll get a definition and where the word comes from." He pauses, then says, "Before we move to the next level, I need to ask you about Captain Steve Rogers. Someone saw you kissing him. I'd like to understand why."
Awkward. Kori digs for an excuse. It takes a few seconds. "I was… expressing gratitude to him," she says, finally. "He was very kind in seeking me out to reassure me. I was frightened he was going to deport me. So when he told me that was not his intention, I was relieved. And then he offered to help me with the integration process. I asked if I could thank him, and he said yes." She shrugs. "He helped me with an issue of an intimate nature, so in your terminology, an intimate expression of gratitude would be appropriate."
She giggles abruptly, covering her mouth in a strangely Japanese gesture. "And he is very 'the handsome', which I admit made the choice more appealing."
Peter nods. "Well, in our society, a teenager kissing an older man…" A MUCH older man. "…is considered to be somewhat taboo. We have issues with people who get intimately involved with people who are out of their age range. Expect an unfavorable reaction from society in general when that happens."
Okay, time to move on so he doesn't have to think about where he stacks up against the Living Legend.
"Next field." He writes 6 INCHES TO 20 INCHES. "This is the Friendship Zone. This area is where you have friends, family, casual acquaintances, co-workers, fellow students…basically, anyone you know on a casual basis is welcome within this zone. Strangers and enemies within this zone can provoke a hostile reaction. Usually because they are within arm's reach to strike you in some way."
Kori falls quiet again, waiting to be prompted to respond by Peter. She remains quite attentive despite clearly bursting with argumentative points, better saved for a debate style format.
Peter looks at Kori and decides to make this relatively short. "Interacts are usually handled with conversation, or momentary physical contact like handshakes, hand-slaps, fist-bumps, and the like." He stops, then says, "Do you have any questions involving the two zones so far?"
"Yes," Kori says. She starts counting on her fingers. "Why is it six inches and not four or eight? Does this have something to do with personal magnetic fields or is it a question of protruding bodily appendages? Does the zone get bigger or smaller with different sized people? What if someone is a stranger but wants to show they are friendly and enter the intimate zone to engage in intimacy? At that point would they no longer be a stranger? You are proposing a dynamic where only trusted people may enter the Intimate Zone and yet no one is trustworthy until they've entered the Intimate Zone safely."
She brightens. "Is this why you and Mary Jane do not hold hands? Did you breach the Intimate Zone in a manner that she found unwelcome?"
Peter looked thoughtful. "Okay…I'll take those in order. Answer to One…six inches has been tested and has been proven to be the most common boundary with multiple cultures. Answer to two…it is primarily an emotional response, not a biological one. Answer to three…there is very little variance, but the area around the head is where it is usually centered. Touching someone's body unasked, though, can also be a violation. Answer to four and five…usually, conversation is initiated beyond the desired zone. Body language or verbal indication is used to notify the stranger it is acceptable to move closer, and that they are re-designated accordingly. And…the answer for six…We are no longer intimate. If anything, I was too distant. I was never on time for our pre-arranged meetingsour 'dates'and one time I didn't show up entirely. Unfortunately, all acts of tardiness and not showing up…was because I was doing something as Spider-Man and I was unable to complete my tasks to get there on time. And the sixth time when I didn't show up…I'd been shot and had my leg broken."
Kori hestiates. "Peter, I do not wish to be 'the rude'," she says, carefully. "But I am unsure if you are precisely the expert in the matter of personal space. I have observed the jocks engaging in touching and affection with one another. The cheerleaders as well. Many people seem very comfortable touching and holding one another," she supplies. "I saw Flash kissing Lara Stevenson yesterday and Marcie Howe today, so clearly there is a dynamic there of plurality beyond what you have expressed."
She gets to her feet. "I am the grateful, friend Peter," she says with a beatific smile. "I will consider your words against the evidence of what I have observed so far."
Peter looks slightly startled. "Kori, the jocks do that because they are in each other's personal space as a result of the game they play, which involves physical contact, so that is a team mentality of intimacy. Not personal. The cheerleaders make physical contact for many of the stunts they do. And Flash…" He pauses. "He most likely desires intimacy with both of them, and most likely to make sure one girl doesn't find out about the other…"
Peter grabs the books he brought in and holds them out to Kori. The top one is titled INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, and the other one is titled HUMAN INTERACTION. "I want you to take these and read them both. Let me know if you have any questions about the material."
Kori takes the books and reads the covers, carefully, before putting them into her backpack. "I will take care not to damage them, friend Peter," Kori assures him. She hesitates. "And I promise that I will consider what you've said and try to do… better about the boundaries of the circular persons," she says. She outthrusts a straight arm at Peter for a handshake. "This is how I see the men and women in suits greet each other, so I will do 'the polite' shaking of the hand."
Peter smiles and nods, reaching to shake Kori's hand. "This is an old practice. The right hand is traditionally the weapon hand, and the arm moving up and down was to dislodge any weapons hidden up the sleeve. So this was to show that it was safe to interact."
"That seems very impractical." Kori frowns and grips Peter's forearm with her other hand, searching. "And would it not make more sense to carry a weapon in a more guarded position? I have seen the police procedural shows." She pokes Peter in the armpit. "They often carry a weapon here, under a jacket, or on their belt." Kori tugs open the waistband of her leggings near her hipbone. "Or in the pants! But as you can see from my tights, I am not carrying a weapon. Perhaps all people should wear tight clothing so then we can dispense with the shaking of the hands and simply check each other's tight pants for concealed weapons!" She is still holding Peter's hand.
Peter chuckles sadly. "The gesture is hundreds of years old. Starting when people wore heavy armor, and swords and daggers were the usual weapons of choice." He looked to Kori's hips, then immediately back up to her face. "Some gestures are still practiced even though the main reason has become obsolete. Do you have traditions you follow even when they become unnecessary?"
"I believe it is the definition of all traditions to do those things which are not necessary for daily living," Kori tells Peter politely. "Meals, as an example. Eating is a very utilitarian effort but significant time is spent doing things a certain way. Which way to hold forks, how to drink liquids, the order in which food is consumed." She shrugs, and finally releases Peter's hand. "I must be going for the now, Peter. I have the class of history. Perhaps we can continue this discussion another time!" she offers. "After I have done the work you have given me for the home."
Peter looks to her, and he hopes she does her homework. He also hopes that the other students will be forgiving once…
Peter suddenly starts snickering for a few seconds. He gets himself under control, though.
"Take care, Kori, and good luck." He did hope she would be lucky enough for the kids to lose interest in her the less unusual stuff she does. Then they can go back to making fun of him. Like they do. But better him than her.