fandomhigh | Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Tuesday

"We've spoken," Kerrigan started in, as soon as the door had shut behind the last student. She gave no other warning, "To some extent, about the kinds of subterfuge you need when the scales are tipped against you. Because the day, the moment, the whatever where you realise that the upstairs is keeping you from your full potential is the moment you either lie down and die, or you begin to adapt to the principles of asymmetrical warfare."

There were several chessboards laid out before her, but she didn't say anything. Yet. "Some of you will have the misfortune of a struggle that doesn't involve guns and explosions. Some of you might have to kill your way up to the top. But no matter which one you wind up going with, you need to keep in mind what I have been trying to teach you: you're on your own. Manage your assets wisely."

She gestured at the TAs ~~if they were there~~ to distribute some handouts. "The Thirty-Six Stratagems," she said, "Don't let any idiot tell you they're 'strategies' - it's a little more subtle than that. An old Chinese wiseman jotted these down so that you, my darling students, can learn how to wine, dine, and cheat your way through the inexcusably oppressive ranks. I want you all to pay special attention to chapter six. Defeat Stratagems."

She smiled dangerously. "Number one: the beauty trap. Use someone, use yourself, whatever - someone desirable to cause havoc, to distract, and to pit people against each other. It's... easier to rise up when your enemies think you the friend and each other the adversary. Number two: the empty fort. Make them think your... specialness gives you more power than they could possibly comprehend. Feel free to insinuate towards your education here - that'll throw a few for a loop. Number three: Let the enemy sow discord in their own camp." She smirked. "I know all of you know how to gossip, insinuate... embellish."

She leaned her hands onto the table. "Number four: We've talked about this. Make yourself look like a wounded deer and you'll find people will come running to help you. Number five: run several plans simultaneously. Complex machinations might mess with your enemy's head - but it might also blow the whole thing out of the water. And number six..."

She paused. "Well. Let's translate that to 'always keep an exit and use it', kids. All of that 'going down with the ship' crap is nice and proud but it's of no use if the bastards fucking with you get to walk off crowing victory afterwards." She pulled away from the desk. "Read the rest of them. Think about it. We'll come back to this next week."

"Today, we're doing something else." She nodded towards the chess set. "Chess. With no rules - or rather, rules, but no rules within rules. I want you all to memorise the stratagems and put them to use. And I don't just mean by playing with the board - who knows, you might drive one of these teenage boys to distraction with a quick shimmy."

She sounded dry as hell, but at least after that, she fell silent.

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When they ping in!

Emma was there, and very much planning to play to win.

"It occurs to me," she said mildly to Emma. "That I've not even said 'hello' in a while and that's terribly remiss of me, don't you think?"

"Absolutely horrible of you, darling," Emma agreed. "What trouble have you been up to then, if you haven't been under my watchful gaze?"

"Trouble? Me?" Ino had to smile. "Do I really have to list it all?"

"No, just the good parts," Emma decided. "Anything interesting?"

"I got to fly in a simulation-version of space," Ino offered and looked thoughtful. "And I'm totally lucky Zack is so--Zack--or else I'd probably have to be begging his forgiveness. That I'm not having to is totally a good thing."

For one, Ino begged poorly.

"Right, because I'm sure you beg so well," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Why would you need his forgiveness for some simulation?"

"Not for the simulation," she corrected, wrinkling her nose. "I decided to go and visit his world without him. Seemed more interestin' than stickin' around for the weekend."

Which wasn't really a truth but they were in class and Ino just--shrugged apologetically for that one.

"Going around snooping behind his back?" Emma lit up with a smile. "Brilliant!"

"That sort of thing is fun," she admitted, and grinned. "Even if all the really interesting places are super difficult for me to get into without being noticed."

"Ino, you have a built-in disguise," Emma sighed, giving the other girl a look. "Just give a small zap so they think you have brown hair or purple skin or whatever makes you look local."

She looked intrigued but shrugged at that. "I don't know how to do that," Ino confessed. "So I have to get by on what I already know 'till I learn it."

"In theory, I can do it, but the best I've managed is making people's recollection of me fuzzy. Or thinking 'you can't see me,' very very hard," Emma admitted. "It's not like I get much practice here."

"Does thinkin' that really hard work?" she asked, dubious about that one. "And... yeah. Fandom isn't so great as a practice ground for some things. Totally awesome for others."

But generally not great for anything that meant toying around with someone else's mind.

Claire was around. Chess was not exactly her game.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Tuesday

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