fandomhigh | Breaking The Glass Ceiling, Tuesday

"We've all got to start somewhere," Kerrigan began, pacing in front of the class with lithe grace. "Whether you've just gotten smashed to the ground, or you're wide-eying your way in. Anything worth having is something you have to fight for. In order to fight, you need to be aware of your assets."

She stopped in front of the table, and leaned her hands on it, looming. "These can be physical. Military. Monetary. But your first and foremost asset is your... image." She gave it a pause. "People are eager to help a lost sheep. An unlikely ally that comes out of nowhere when the times are most desperate will be more easily taken into the fold. Or use someone else's image; sometimes, if you want to be effective, the most important first step is that you find someone who'll say what you'd like other people to hear."

Like Matriarch Raszagal. May she rest in peace. "If you want to get anywhere, you need to know what your target is so that you can work out how to get there. I realize this sounds obvious, but half the idiots in this multiverse have flamed out because they couldn't concentrate on their goal."

In case you'd thought last week was just a generic introduction session. "Think about those who stand in front of that goal. What do they want to accomplish? Why are they in your way? How do they expect you to behave? Play on that - and then exaggerate one attribute so they'll buy into it the way you want them to." Which was clearly very ethical. "Personality is your primary asset." Beat. "After that, guns... but we'll talk about that later..."

"I want you all to do a little roleplaying exercise I've thought up," she continued. "Pick someone you know, or someone you've already wondered about. Try to figure out how the other person thinks of you. Subtly." She put down an apple. "You want food. The other person has it. Convince the other person they want to give it to you. If you are succesful, or loudly put down, switch."

Beat.

"Take the fact the other person knows you want the food as a challenge." She never said her workshop was going to be easy.

[[ ~~wait for the~~ ocd up! have at! ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One of you has the apple. The other one tries to convince them that they really want to hand over the apple - or share it. Without actually asking for it.

Gunn had the apple. Yep. A shiny-red-jolly-like apple. Oh, so tasty it was.

Tara did not have an apple, and was giving Gunn a very, very, very sad look, with occasional glances away if she felt like he was looking at her.

Some of that was an attempt at getting the apple. Some of it was just how she was.

"Did you need something?" Gunn as politely as he examined the oh-so-perfect apple in his hand.

Wait! Was that a blemish on the skin? Nope! Just a speck of dirt. By golly this apple was perfect.

"Well ..." Tara said thoughtfully. "No. I -- I mean, I don't exactly need anything...."

But she was still making big eyes at that spotless apple.

"Oh! Okay," Gunn said polishing the apple just a bit more. "If you don't need anything then. I'm just thinking of taking this beautiful, firm, crisp, juicy apple and see if I can hit that trashcan from across the room."

"Oh." There was a long, long, long pause as Tara tried to sort that out. "That would make me feel guilty -- I mean, just, wasting food. Especially if there are other people around who might be hungry."

"Hmmm," Gunn said thoughtfully. Very thoughtfully.

"That's a good point. Maybe I should go find a food bank and donate it."

Tara flashed a smile. "Good! Good. Except ... th-that seems like, like a lot of trouble to go to for one little apple. M-maybe you could ... I don't know. You could put it on the table over there and see if anyone takes it."

"So instead of giving it to someone who's really hungry I should let some random person pick it up?" Gunn asked. "I don't know... What if that person isn't hungry and just picks it up because it's a free apple?"

"I'm hungry?" Tara tried, in a very small voice. "So, uh...."

She wasn't sure if that was breaking the rules at all, but it was worth a try.

"How do I know you're not just saying that so you can try and to a bank shot off the wall into the garbage can with nothing but net?" he teased.

Re: Get That Food

life_inshadow - 2010-05-18 16:33 (UTC) - Expand

bigbadgunn.livejournal.com - 2010-05-18 16:35 (UTC) - Expand

life_inshadow - 2010-05-18 16:40 (UTC) - Expand

Claire had an apple. This could be interesting.

[sp until after 8pm EDT]

Elle had a sad look in her eyes as she looked at Claire and her apple. People always had what Elle wanted. This... was both part of the lesson and just part of who she was.

So that sadface? Not entirely fake.

Ino had an apple.

And it was her apple and she'd do her best to keep it that way.

"Hey," Triela said, sitting down next to Ino.

"Yo," she said, with a sidelong glance.

"Got enough of that apple to share?" Triela asked, keeping her tone friendly.

"Nope," she said, eyes wide and innocent. "It's a very important apple. All for me."

"Huh." There was a reason Triela wasn't very good at this sort of thing.

"Why so greedy? If I had an apple I'd split it with you, you know."

"You wouldn't," Ino insisted. "Not if it was your mission."

"Point," Triela had to admit.

"But as you've pointed out before: you're not like me that way." Ino had a choice. Not that Ino would give up the apple if it were her mission, either, but that wasn't the point.

"Are you implying I'd deliberately choose to fail a mission?"

Triela considered that. "Perhaps. If the circumstances were right." She couldn't imagine what those circumstances might be, of course. Because Ino was a professional.