fandomhigh | Spy Games, Monday, Period 5

If Sarah didn't seem nervous as she waited for the class to assemble, that was only because she'd spent the last decade keeping cool on the outside no matter what went on underneath. Just teaching for the first time would be bad enough, but there was one student name on the roster that she had very much never expected to see here.

"Welcome to Spy Games," she said with a smile and a twist of her sweaty palms against her skirt as the time came for the session to begin. Her voice came out calm, sure, self-confident as possible. Thank God. "I am your instructor for the next two months. My name's Sarah Walker and, to get this out of the way, I am qualified to teach this class because I worked for the CIA for the last several years. My main focus was protection of national security data."

Anyone at the CIA could say that, but Sarah was hoping to ward off questions.

"If you're here," she went on, "I'm going to assume you want to be a spy, or at least want to know how to be a spy. Maybe you want to work for the government; maybe you just know a lot of people you don't trust. Whatever your experience, there are all kinds of applications for the stuff we're learning here. The syllabus and rules are on your desks, but some of the things we'll cover are lockpicking, disguise, persuasion, and weapons."

"But today, we're talking about basic undercover work," she went on. "If you're undercover, you're lying to everyone all the time. You lie about your name, your family, what you do for a living, maybe your politics, maybe your religion. But under all that, you can't change who you are. You're still you, but the details are different. And the secret of good undercover work is using that."

"For example, I'm not exactly the chattiest person in the world. If I go undercover for more than a few hours and I decide I'm going to be someone who can't keep her mouth shut, I'm going to get caught fast. I'll always have to think about the part I'm playing, and that's when people make stupid mistakes. And a big part of your job as a spy is not making stupid mistakes."

She cleared her throat, finally relaxing into this. "I understand the tradition for the first week of classes is introductions. We're doing that, but with a twist. If you've heard of the game 'Two Truths and a Lie,' we're going to play that -- except you must make one true statement about yourself, one false statement about yourself, and a third statement that can be either true or false. Your fellow students will guess how many lies you told, and which they are."

"Remember that if you're undercover, you're lying for a reason. And in this class, you have a purpose too. Tell lies -- and truths -- that will make me think you have it in you to be a good spy." She pointed out randomly. "You first."

Once the students were done with the game, she smiled before dismissing the class. "Your assignment for the week is to tell one lie. It doesn't have to be a big one or about anything that matters. Just tell it and see how it feels; we'll report back next Monday. And if any of you want to be TA, I could use one. And Miss Bartowski, please stick around too -- I have a quick question for you."

She was impressed how level her tone sounded on that last bit.

[OOC: First posted class of the semester! I will pick up tags in the a.m.]

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"Is that helpful?" Alice asked, curiosity getting the better of her. (As always.) "Having the High Lord of Hell as a friend's guardian? It seems as though that might carry perks of some variety, though perhaps not, considering the source."

Karla shrugged. "He's the reason I'm here," she answered. Whether or not that was a good thing was still up for debate.

She was tempted to leave it there, but her innate fairness (stupid trait) wouldn't let her. She sighed. "By all accounts, he's an honest and just male. He didn't take offense at my letter; my cousin said that the High Lord even understood why I was in a bit of temper."

Something about Alice's questions got Karla wondering. "What do you mean, 'considering the source'?" she asked, puzzled. "Do you know the High Lord?"

"Not personally," she said, lifting her shoulders. "But I presumed by the High Lord of Hell, you meant the Adversary, He who was thrown from Heaven and rules Hell in its place. The Prince of Lies. One supposes the gentleman in question isn't necessarily the kindest or most generous of people."

...

"I'm not sure what all of that is," Karla admitted. "Where's Heaven? I've never heard of that Realm. And the High Lord has never been known for lying or being unduly aggressive. People say he's really very honorable, and the people of Dhemlan are all quite happy and contented. He'd been the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan for centuries now--though he's spent most of that time in Hell--but still, in the living Realms, they'd probably be the people who know best."

"Heaven is Hell's opposite number," Alice said, confused as to how one could exist without the other. "The impure, the sinful, they are condemned to Hell, but those who lead honorable lives ascend to Heaven. There's occasionally an inbetween realm known as Purgatory, but that depends highly on the church one attends."

"That's not at all how it works in Kaeleer. We don't have Heaven or a Purgatory. All Blood of sufficient strength go to Hell." She chose her words carefully, aware the explanation was probably going to be confusing. "When the Blood--the Blood are my people--when we die, if we have enough strength and psychic power, we can make the shift to demon-dead. And so we exist, until our strength fades and we fade into the Darkness. The demon-dead stay mostly in Hell, in part, because the oftentimes living are made uncomfortable by the dead, or are unable to move on with the dead person still there, and in part because the demon-dead are physically weakened by daylight. Hell is their home. The Harpies live there, and the cildru dyathe, and even Dujae, the best painter Kaeleer's had in...well, centuries. His Descent into Hell is amazing. All of his best work was painted after he died.

Being demon-dead gives us the opportunity to explore parts of ourselves we didn't get to in life. People develop new hobbies and explore talents that languished while they lived. Hell is their Realm, where they can live in peace, and the High Lord acts as their arbitor and mediator, keeping everyone safe and content."

There. That was simple wasn't it?

Spy Games, Monday, Period 5

Re: Activity - Truths and Lies [Spy Games, 5/11]

Re: Activity - Truths and Lies [Spy Games, 5/11]

Re: Activity - Truths and Lies [Spy Games, 5/11]

Re: Activity - Truths and Lies [Spy Games, 5/11]

Re: Activity - Truths and Lies [Spy Games, 5/11]

Re: Activity - Truths and Lies [Spy Games, 5/11]