Defending Yourself [Monday, Period 1]

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

This week the Danger Shop was set up like a regular classroom.

"So we're coming up on the end of the semester, and you all know what that means. Your favorite part of class: finals." He waited for the applause to die down. Or just to smirk at everyone in amusement. One of those two.

"So with that coming up, we're going to do some review. Today that's going to take the form of each of you discussing something you feel like you've learned or mastered this semester." Which Max was totally going to use to infer what they felt least comfortable with. Because he was nice like that.

"Which means that this week you're getting a bit of a break from running around and doing a lot of work." Well, physical work. "We'll go around the room in a carefully determined order," that was, random order, "and everyone will talk about one thing that they feel that they've learned this semester, or at least a skill they feel that they've improved."

Easy, peasy, huh?

Library, Monday

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

Apparently the chocolate-egg-pushing bunnies had arrived early and were staying late, judging from the clucking sounds coming from the stacks today. Well, and the abundance of chocolate eggs.

Having attended Mass yesterday, he was more than happy to indulge in some of the more secular parts of the celebration today.

[ooc: nooo ocd 'cause I'm being dragged off to do things with family.]

Basic Strategy, Monday, Period 4

[halfman-lion.livejournal.com]

“Welcome, class,” Tyrion said, once they were all in their seats. “Today we’re going to begin to talk about playing to win at any cost. In short, blackmail.”

“Blackmail is threatening to make public something another party would prefer you keep to yourself, in return for money or some favor. Usually the thing threatened for revealing is true; if it isn’t, it should at least sound true enough to cause enormous problems for the victim.

“It is not nice. It is not pleasant. It is not something that I would wish on anyone. But it is, often, a simple fact in royal courts or governments.

“If you are being blackmailed, don’t let the blackmailer hide behind a smile and surface politeness. Play the fool until they become very straightforward about what they’re saying. Sometimes, someone will deny what they meant rather than go through with the threat. If they persist, tell them not to threaten you and end the conversation. If they chose to reveal your secret anyhow, ignore it as much as you can. Do not, by any means, give in; that encourages them to do the same thing again later.

“It’s also been advised that you look at why exactly the blackmail has power over you, and find a way to end that. For example, if there’s one particular person you want not to learn the secret – say, a parent or spouse -- you might tell them in your own way to ensure the blackmailer cannot.

“If you must blackmail someone, don’t threaten anything you aren’t prepared to carry out. And don’t hesitate. Presumably, you’re taking this step for a dire reason; time will not magically heal it. And then pray to whatever you believe in that you did the right thing.

He gestured to the class. “Have you ever been blackmailed? What did you do? And would you ever blackmail anyone else?”

So You're (No Longer) a Fugitive From Justice, Tuesday, 3rd Period

[cataclysmicluck.livejournal.com]

"Well, next week is exams," Zayne said. "And that means this week's topic is pretty obvious. After you've been on the run for weeks, months, maybe years, hopefully there comes a time when you're finally able to prove that you're innocent. Or that you're the rightful monarch. Or you're able to overthrow the corrupt law that's been chasing you. If these are current issues in your life, I sincerely hope that I've at least given you some insight into how to deal with your struggle personally, if not in the greater scheme of things."

( FREEDOM! )