Please don't take this too seriously.

[N35t0r]

Anything that won't land you in jail and will land you the chick.

[ricketyclik]

Keep a steady hand. Maintain contact, and your friendship and flirtations. She may well have a dalliance with the new arrival, but with any luck either way she'll appreciate what a well-adjusted, secure, confident, friendly and funny dude you are and end up with you

Or you may miss out on her. Only time will tell. I still advocate this approach.

[Lorizael]

...she'll appreciate what a well-adjusted, secure, confident, friendly and funny dude you are...

[DaShi]

A threat to the plan has appeared. Another male has been spotted fraternizing with the target. Do I proceed with the plan? Do I deploy countermeasures to eliminate the rival male? Do I concede the contest given that the new player appears to be a superior male specimen? Beep Boop.

Arrange an accident. There's more than one way to be superior.

[Colon™]

Execute the plan as envisaged. And step on his toes really hard if given the chance.

[Bereta_Eder]

Accelerate and beat him to the curve ( )
Make your intentions clear and swoooop the girl, now.

Then pat him condescendly on the back.

[Lorizael]

Accelerating the plan would be unethical. Nevertheless, the critical phase of the plan will be executed on December 12 at 11:50 am, so we're almost there.

[pchang]

Your idea of ethics is very convoluted. Are you sure you aren't mixing up unethical with "too much bother"?

[rah]

I assume that December 12 at 11:50 am is the time you will cease to be a student in that class so she won't be your TA anymore.
IF not, please explain the unethical part if accelerated.
Inquiring minds want to know.

[Lorizael]

Well, not exactly. That's when the last discussion section I have with her is. The week after that, I'll be taking my exam. Which she will be grading. It's just that I'm not sure I'll have an opportunity to make my move, as it were, after the last class. So I have to do something then, with the understanding that she might say something like, "Ask me again in a couple weeks." Or: "Eww, get away from me you creepy freak," etc.

[rah]

I think you'd be better off when you make your move, specifically stating not meeting until after your grade is in but saying you didn't want to take the chance of missing the opportunity of asking.

And I doubt she'll respond Eww, when No is much simpler and less hurtful.

[Lorizael]

I think you'd be better off when you make your move, specifically stating not meeting until after your grade is in but saying you didn't want to take the chance of missing the opportunity of asking.

I've gone through several varieties of this approach in my head. Some of them involve being "clever" by saying I have questions about the exam, and then asking when she thinks they'll be graded by, and then going from there.

And I doubt she'll respond Eww, when No is much simpler and less hurtful.

Well, sure. But what's the point of playing out elaborate fantasies in my head if I don't go through the best and worst case scenarios?

[rah]

I like to stick with the best ones unless I think I can influence what happens in the bad ones. Otherwise there is no point in it.

[Lorizael]

Ah, see, I fantasize to torture myself, not to help me in any way.

[Garth Vader]

I like to imagine the worst case so that whatever you experience will at least be better than that.