fandomhigh | Mad Kings & Queens, Week V [Monday, Period 4]

"Today might seem familiar to some of my previous students, and for that I apologize. I had to re-arrange our syllabus slightly."

"Over the last few weeks, I have given you some examples of rulers gone mad," Ghanima stated. "To be honest, the best way to survive such a monarch is to quite simply keep your head down. If you don't make waves, you'll probably survive the experience. Some may call this cowardly, but it is common sense. Unless you have some way to change the status quo, your best option is to try and wait it out."

"There are many ways to remove someone from power." Hopping off the recreation of her desk, Ghanima picked up a marker and twirled it between her fingers. "Assassination, a military coup, a legalized change in the laws of succession, a conspiracy by other family members, bribery, kidnapping, the list goes on and on."

"Today we are discussing how to be a successful revolutionary, as well as how to keep and hold power. For those of you who favor the democratic methods, I’m going to ask you to set aside your personal feelings for the time being. Our focus today is on the various ways to overthrow a government. I’m not interested in hearing about the right or wrong just yet, that’s up to each of you as private individuals."

"We're going to discuss what revolutions can be used for, how they can be put together, and why a failed revolution can be just as effective."

"Weapons. Organization. Tactics. Propaganda. Intelligence." Ghanima turned to the wipe-board at the front of the room and began writing as she spoke. "These are some of the basic resources on both sides of the divide. However, these alone are not enough to overcome a government. It requires teamwork, coordination, a willingness to make hard choices, determination, and passion. Despite what romantics and poets may think," she said, turning back to the class, "there is no such thing as a one man revolution. While one person can start the ball rolling, they most assuredly will not win without an organization backing them."

"What is the difference between a revolution and a rebellion?" Setting down her marker, Ghanima grabbed some handouts from her desk and began distributing them. "Is it simply the matter of selecting an adjective, or is there a fundamental, underlying difference between the two? How do you decide if you are rebelling, or beginning a revolution? If you are an emperor, how would you portray such an insurgency? To the ruling faction, is there a difference, or is the only distinction in the eyes of the opposition?" She asked, smiling quietly at each of the students. "These are difficult questions, and I do not expect you to have conclusive answers already prepared."

"Now, how is the battle fought?" More handouts were passed around the class. "Guerilla warfare, the army, irregular soldiers, special forces, spies, propagandists, strategists, tacticians, all of these people are employed by both sides of a revolt. You don’t just need to win a fight on a physical battlefield, half the battle in a revolution is spiritual. You need to win the hearts and minds of the people. No matter which side you’re on, if you do not gain the support of public, you will never win. Never. You might win a reprieve today, or tomorrow, or for a week or a year or ten years, or ten thousand years, but you. Will. Lose."

"As the ruler of a country, what would you do when faced with a revolution? Don’t say 'negotiate', or 'listen to their grievances,' because realistically that is not what’s going to happen," she said, stalking down the rows of desks. "You are the God King of the Universe, born, bred, and trained to the position, and you have some nobody telling you that you’re not doing your job properly? Are you actually going to listen to these people? No, you are not."

"Remember – sometimes a failed revolution can do just as much good as a successful one, if you play your cards right. However, is a dead revolutionary really a successful one, even if his or her cause succeeds?" Ghanima leaned back against her desk, neon eyes swirling. "I will leave that up for you to decide."

[OOC: ~~Plz wait for the~~ OCD ~~to go~~ up!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I don't think I'd want to use it on people," Merlin said, honestly. "Would you be able to teach me how to turn it?"

She's going to collect another stray, Mohiam mocked sharply from the fringes of Ghanima's Other Memory. Disgusting!

Ghanima chose to ignore the tau hovering at the edge of her conciousness, instead focusing on Merlin. "Why?" she asked. "Personal interest, or are you worried about Leto?"

"Personal interest."

Ghanima considered Merlin. "It's highly unlikely that the Voice even exists in your world," she pointed out. "If you do not feel threatened by my brother, why do you wish to learn to resist it?"

She pulled the combined talents of the Bene Gesserit to the foreground of her mind, watching him through the lens of Mohiam's Truthsaying abilities. If he lied, she would know.

"I've heard something like it before," He admitted.

Well that wasn't worrying at all.

"Sit," she commanded, pointing at a chair. "Where, when, how, and did they try to make you do anything?"

Merlin took a seat, looking around for any sort of squirrel. "You wouldn't tell anyone about this?"

"I have a rather deep aversion to people attempting to manipulate children, Merlin. If I 'tell' anyone, it will be because they are on the business end of my knife, and deserve to know why they are about to die."

The fact that it was said cheerily and with a great deal of calm didn't detract from Ghanima's seriousness. "I promise."

Merlin nodded, gathering his thoughts. Or maybe just trying not to bolt as he said it. "They were trying to get Arthur, not me. Magic. Used to control people," He said, as if that was one of the most disgusting things he'd ever heard.

"Magic." Ghani turned the idea over in her mind, examining it carefully. "What is magic in your world, if you don't mind my asking? Anything unexplained, a natural talent, or what this world calls science?"

She smiled slightly to set him at ease. "I ask, because there are things I can do which some would term magic. Others call it training, or science, or an innate ability. I need to know, so I know what to teach you to defend against."

"It's... I don't know how to explain it," Merlin replied. "You can feel it when it happens. It's nothing like the science here. Or like some of the people with... abilities. It can be learned, I think."

Said the one born being able to do it.

Someone wasn't telling her the whole truth.

"So, it possibly can be learned," she mused, face thoughtful, "or maybe it's inborn, too. Interesting."

Ghanima shook her head lightly. "Forgive me. When you get called 'witch' and 'Abomination' as often as I have, these sorts of things take on a new fascination. What else can you tell me about the incident?"

"They wanted Arthur's heart to regain their forms as Sidhe," Merlin replied, looking down nervously. "One made him think he was in love to force him to do as they said."

"Your Arthur survived an encounter with the daoine sídhe and lived?" Ghanima asked, folding her arms. "What aren't you telling me, Merlin?"

"I stopped them before they could get what they wanted." Great explanation, right? "Arthur can't know of it. There are laws in Camelot forbidding this."

"Calm," she soothed, holding up both palms. "I have not told my brother the secrets of his future, even as I know the questions linger at the tip of his tongue. If you don't want me to tell Arthur, I will not. I am very good with secrets."

"But you will have to be honest with me. About everything."

Merlin took a breath, eyes flashing gold for a moment as a few of the books on Ghanima's desk danced into the air. "I was born being able to do these things."

A bright smile broke across her face, and Ghanima laughed. "Telekinesis," she said wonderingly. "The Sisterhood abandoned that aspect of the breeding program long ago, but oh, the Sorceresses would have loved you! A boy playing with physics like a stringed puppet."

"That's just what I was able to do when I was young," Merlin said, letting them fall back to the desk. "I'm a sorcerer. I can-- well I don't know what I can do exactly. I've just done it when it needs to happen."

"Magic indeed."

"Meditation exercises for you, to start," Ghanima said briskly. "It is logical to assume that if we strengthen your mind, that will aid whatever abilities you have. If we need to explain your absence, simply tell Arthur that I am tutoring you in, oh, foreign languages."

"Thank you," Merlin said with a sigh of relief. "It's not exactly something I share with people."

"I can see why," Ghanima replied wryly. "People often fear that which they do not understand. Who does know? If I may be so bold as to ask."

"My mum, of course. Gaius back home. Tony." He sighed helplessly. "If I told anyone and it got back to Arthur, he would never forgive me."

"Why? Even if it is outlawed at home, surely Arthur can tell friend from foe?" Ghanima queried.

If he could not, she would be keeping a closer eye on him, for Leto's sake.

"I trust him with my life," Merlin said quickly. "I just-- it's the laws of Camelot and that won't change any time soon. He's sworn to uphold them and I don't want to force him to choose between me and his father. It's not fair to ask anyone."

Mad Kings & Queens, Week V [Monday, Period 4]

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima

Re: Talk to Ghanima