fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, October 19, 6th period]

Vader stomped into the classroom, slamming the door so hard behind him that it cracked across the middle.

"Today I will give you your midterm assignment," he snapped, cloak swirling around him as he paced. "The master-apprentice system of education has long been traditional in my galaxy. The Jedi used it--" his tone was laced with scorn as his helmet swiveled towards Rory, "and my own Sith still use it. We will be following in the Sith tradition."

He pulled a piece of paper from his desk. "I have paired you up into master and apprentice teams. Throughout the coming week, you will work together. Masters, your goal is to train your apprentices to a level of usefulness in a skill of your choice. Apprentices, your goal is to become better than your master at that skill and ultimately become the master. You must provide a united front to the rest of the world while seeking to undermine each other at every turn. Next class you will report to me about the weaknesses and strengths of your partner and how you would hypothetically use them to gain the upper hand in your relationship."

And if Vader sounded a bit bitter about this particular arrangement, well, he was.

"I have heard about the master-slave exercise in the previous Ethics class," he growled, voice heavy with menace. "This is a completely different concept and anyone who tries to turn this into non-hypothetical exploitation will be answering to me personally. You will be wishing for detention when I am finished with you." He made sure to look at every student as he said that. There would be no misinterpretation of his intentions in this.

He turned his attention to the paper in his gloved right hand. "Listen for your names. I will only be saying them once."

At the end of class, he looked around the room again. "I will be holding office hours on Saturday and Sunday if any of your visitors choose to speak with me and hear how inadequate I find all of you." His helmet swiveled towards Rory again. "Other than that, do not bother me."

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...

Rory bounced on her heels and waited for Tyler.

Oh, look, there he is. "So I'm in charge," he said, rubbing his chin.

It sounded like he had distinctly mixed emotions about this.

"That you are," Rory said, subserviently clasping her hands behind her back.

"Let's start," Tyler said, "with you answering a few questions for me."

His eyes were direct. "Have you ever been in a fight?"

Rory thought for a moment, taking the question very seriously. "Once, last year, I was attacked and I fought back pretty hard. And then I punched the guy in the face the next time I saw him. Does that count? Otherwise, I just have the standard zombie, snow monster and Jello dragon experience."

Tyler nodded. "What about recreational fighting? Sparring, boxing, any of that."

"I...can fence?" she offered. "Kind of."

"So can I," TYyler offered. "If one lesson counts."

He drumnmed his fingers on the table. "So, I could teach you to spar," he said. "I'm scrappy, not an artiste like some of the guys here, but fierce. Or we could make soap. Which one does Rory Gilmore think would enrich her ife more?"

Rory considered it, then smiled. "Sparring. I can buy soap."

"I can't argue with your logic," Tyler said. "Okay. Want to meet in the gym tomorrow before the parents start getting here?"

"I can do that," she said with a nod. "I don't have anyone coming, anyway."

"Me either," Tyler said with a shrug. "So, question for you to think about: If you could fight anyone, living or dead, who would you fight?"

"Just to fight them because they're good at it, or to actually harm?" she asked.

"Either," Tyler said instantly. "Part of the question is ysiftng through stuff like that. There's fighting to learn and fighting to harm, and there's a reason for both of them."

Rory nodded imperceptibly at Vader.

"Him. Now, realistically? I'd like to be able to go up against someone like Aeryn and not die within the first two minutes."

Tyler nodded and leaned in closer. "And if you use what you feel about him" -- he tilted his chin towards Vader -- "you might get to that point with Aeryn."

Rory raised a brow. "Creative visualization, you mean?"

"Not exactly," Tyler said. "Fighting can be a kind of meditation, a way to get beyond yourself. If you stretch, if you imagine your wildest fantasy, your most agressive pyro impulse, you can get to it. It's not like sitting around chanting, 'I am a tree, I am a tree, a tree I am.' "

he ran a hand through his hair. "Does it sound like I'm talking crap?"

"No," Rory said, "but I'll admit that I don't get it. Meditation is peaceful."

"So's death," Tyler said simply. "Violence can take yoou to another level. Let you know who you really are."

She frowned. "So...we're kind of thinking of it like an art form?"

Tyler tapped his finger to the center of his face. "On the nose."

"Anything you want me to know before I plan our session tomorrow?"

"I can't think of anything offhand that you wouldn't already know," she said, shrugging.

"Then you're dismissed, apprentice."

Re: Team 4: Tyler Durden (master) & Rory Gilmore (apprentice)

auroryborealis.livejournal.com - 2006-10-19 19:48 (UTC) - Expand