http://saveyoulater.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] saveyoulater.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2009-06-01 08:02 am
Entry tags:

Spy Games, 6/1

Sarah started the class by handing slips of paper to Katina, Agnes, Alice, Claire, Edmund, Effy, Griff, Karla and Liir assuming they were all here. "If you get a piece of paper," she announced, "don't read it out loud, don't show it to your neighbor, don't drop it on the floor. Consider it classified information."

The papers said THERE IS CANDY ON THE TOP SHELF OF THE CABINET IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, so it might not have seemed all that cloak-and-dagger, but Sarah was a spy.

"Anyhow, today we're talking about persuasion and interrogation. It's another basic piece of spywork -- somebody knows something you don't know, and you want to find out what it is. The ideal is to get them to tell you without realizing what they gave away, but that's not always possible. I'm passing out a handout listing off some common interrogation techniques, ranging from direct questioning -- which actually works most of the time -- to 'good cop-bad cop', playing on the other person's emotions, repeating the question until the other person gets bored enough to answer, or lying to convince the subject you already know everything anyhow. I'd recommend you take a few minutes to read through the handout before we move on." She did that, reviewing it herself while the class read.

"As you may have gathered from the start of class, half of you know something now. You're interviewees. The other half don't. You're interrogators. Interrogators, you can use any tactic up to the threat of physical force to find out what was written on the paper. No actual physical force, and if your interviewee seriously tells you to back off, back off. Work in interrogator-interviewee pairs or in small groups. And if you find out what's on the paper, you may put the information to use at the end of class. That goes double for any interviewee who makes it through without cracking."

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] new-to-liirness.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Quick thinking--

"Yes, but that doesn't make any sense, now, does it? Because if I don't tell you the information before the end of class, you fail the mission. Lying to Amber afterwards would simply be vindictive."

He looked up at her wryly.

"Not to mention that there are, no doubt, a number of squirrels reporting on our class. Who's to say what they'd report?

"You'd only damage your own relationship with her."

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
"You think I don't know that?" Triela asked sharply. "But the fact that the squirrels are reporting means I can't really not follow through. Because then the next time I made a threat people might think I'd fail to follow through again."

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] new-to-liirness.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Reputations aren't built just on rigidity, but on shrewdness as well," he said, spreading his hands.

"Failing to follow through on this would only be wise. Following through would simply reveal you to be stubborn, cutting off your nose to slight your face.

"Not much of a threat when it harms you more than me."

...someone took after his grandfather more than he knew.

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Triela shook her head and shrugged.

"Just remember all of this tomorrow."

She wouldn't actually say anything to Amber, but she wouldn't mind if Liir sweated it out for the rest of the day.

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] new-to-liirness.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"I don't generally forget," he said with a matter-of-fact sort of shrug.

"Want to try something else?"

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nothing comes to mind," she shrugged. "Care to change your mind before I have to do something neither of us really wants to happen."

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] new-to-liirness.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not particularly," he said, leaning back in his seat to stretch out his legs.

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Fair enough. Triela shrugged again and walked off.

Re: Interrogations [Spy Games, 6/1]

[identity profile] new-to-liirness.livejournal.com 2009-06-01 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
He threw off a salute as she left before leaning back again.