fandomhigh | Good Omens...And Bad: Prophecy in Theory and Practice, Lab Thirteen

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Good Omens...And Bad: Prophecy in Theory and Practice, Lab Thirteen

As the students enter the classroom, they may notice first of all that there’s a spread of scones, muffins, danishes, cinnamon rolls, and other breakfast pastries. Accompanied, of course, by coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and cider. The second thing they may notice is that the room has been decorated with twinkling lights, sparkly paper snowflakes, and fresh evergreen garland.

Aziraphale is sitting in his chair, looking very pleased to be back.

LECTURE: “First off, let me just tell all of you how much I missed being here for your last couple of classes, and especially how sorry I am for missing the pageant. James has videotaped it, however, and I want you to know how very proud I am of you all.” He eyed Marty slightly for a moment, then continued. “Now, today is our second-to-last lab. We’re going to do some rune-casting, and then I want you to take the remainder of the period to work on your final projects, which will be due next Friday. Also, since I myself have missed a class and a lab, I’m forgiving any absences during the time I was away. However, I do expect to see you all in both classes next week.

“Now, let’s move on today’s topic: runic divination.”

Aziraphale gave a brief lecture on the subject ~~which I am too tired to write~~ and passed around handouts for the lab exercise. “Please use this material to do a casting for yourself or your lab partner.”

Handout #1 (use to create your own reading)
Handout #2 (use to generate an automatic reading)

HOMEWORK: “Please remember that at the beginning of the term, you were all told that there would be a class project required as part of your grade. This project is due next week. There will be a drop box outside my office each day where you can hand your project in, or you can bring it with you to next Friday’s lab.

“I’ll be in my office briefly after class today if anyone needs to see me, or you can catch me here after class.”

Syllabus
Class Roster
Classes Linkdrop
Lab Partner List

[ooc: I'm back, yay! *glomps on class* ~~Please wait for~~ OCD is up. Begin.]

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Marty nodded and went over his visit to California in Thanksgiving; his conversation with Veronica Mars; witnessing Bel's actions over on the mainland and then the subsequent de-powering of Belthazor. ~~Summarized because I really don't want to type this out again, sorry~~.

"I know I did some questionable things with regard to not talking to anyone about what I was going to do," Marty said when his story was done. "But I couldn't let Bel's demon side come to harm another person."

Aziraphale listened closely, and then nodded once Marty had finished.

"To be completely honest, Mr Blank, it isn't the risk you took that bothers me. It's that you felt you had the right to carry out what amounts to a sort of execution. I do understand that you wanted to protect the people you felt were in danger. But Belthazor is a victim in all of this as well, and what you've done has harmed him, and put him into a frightening and vulnerable situation. And it hasn't solved the greater problem, which is the threat still posed to Belthazor and his loved ones, as well as the witches who are being targeted."

"Belthazor isn't dead," Marty said flatly. "The girl he killed is. What happened to her was an execution. Trust me when I say that I know the damn difference. Bel can sugar coat his excuses all he wants but the bottom line is he's responsible for a girl's death. If he can't control his demon side that would put more people here in danger. And if he's told you about his father being held captive, do you really think his father wants to be saved at the cost of innocent lives?"

Marty stood up from his desk and gave Phale a cold look. "Belthazor had plenty of options to take before he killed that girl. He could have taken that potion I used. He could have gone to the principal, which he didn't. He could have told his girlfriend, which again he didn't. He did nothing. Someone died. Now that we actually know what the problem is the threat can be stopped. We don't a demon who can't control himself to do that."

"Actually, Mr Blank," Aziraphale replied in a cool voice, "Belthazor did talk to someone about it. He talked to me. And we were working on finding a solution. Perhaps his father wouldn't want to be saved in that way, and perhaps it wasn't fair to the woman who was murdered. But do you know for a fact that's the way his father feels? Do you know that the witch who fell victim to Belthazor's demon would have wanted this to be the result of her death? It isn't that simple, to say that you see a wrong and you take steps to make it right. What you've done is taken it upon yourself to judge and then to punish. I know that your intentions were good, Mr Blank, and you know that I hold great stock in a person's intentions. But it doesn't mean that your actions weren't just as wrong, in their own way, as Belthazor's were."

"What I did wasn't any different than what we did to Angelus last year," Marty replied. "And for all the research we did to stop him he almost killed two more people. I did what I could with the information I had available. I'm sorry about his father and his plight but Bel had more options than you to take advantage of to fix his problem."

Aziraphale shook his head.

"It's quite different, Mr Blank. Angelus -- Liam -- had been taken over by an invading force, a demon that was controlling and suppressing its host. Belthazor was born half-demon, and now he's lost something that was intrinsic to his very being."

He sighed, and took a moment to try and see things from Marty's point of view. "I do know that you believe you did the right thing. And I suppose your conviction is something that should be respected. But I can't condone it, Mr Blank, and it disappoints me that this was the only way you could see to help Belthazor. At least, I hope it was done in an attempt to help him as much as to protect others, as misguided as it may have been."

Marty looked down at the floor in quiet anger and perhaps just a little ashamed at Phale's disappointment.

"I've had this conversation several times this week. I know I should have done more to alert the school and others of what happened but I firmly believe what I did was the right thing to do to save other lives," Marty replied. "Being human doesn't mean he's helpless. Just because he can't throw fireballs or teleport doesn't mean he can't solve the problem he still has. I think those of us who aren't human seem to be forgetting that."

"And those of you who are human seem to be forgetting that for someone born otherwise, suddenly becoming altered that drastically may very well feel a great deal like dying themselves," Aziraphale snapped in reply. "There's an awful lot of talk about tolerance and acceptance around here, but the fact is that there shouldn't have to be any tolerance or acceptance. Human -- mortal -- isn't the 'normal' to which the 'abnormal' among us need to be compared."

His eyes closed briefly, and he took a breath, realizing that he was beginning to sound a great deal like someone whose example he'd been very careful not to follow, quite a long time ago.

"Mr Blank. I am sorry that the reaction to what you did has been difficult for you. And I am also sorry that I can't say you don't deserve it. But it's done, and can't be undone. All I can hope is that we can find a way to help Belthazor's father, and do something to help Belthazor regain that part of himself that he's lost."

Marty glared at Phale and pulled out his cell phone.

"That wasn't the point I was making," Marty replied sharply. "I've have friends here who are aliens, from other worlds and God knows where else."

He held up the pictures he took on his cell phone of Bel in demon form killing the girl for Aziraphale to see.

"I don't care where they're from. This is not something to be tolerated or accepted. I'm sorry Bel's father is in danger and that Bel has lost a part of himself. Bel is still alive and has options. She doesn't."

"Can we agree that this part of him murdered someone innocent?"

"No."

Aziraphale gave Marty a stern look. "We can agree that Belthazor killed this girl. Not some 'part' of him. The entire person. You can't cut out the part of a person you don't like, who does things you don't agree with, even if those things are reprehensible. This wasn't the answer, Mr Blank. I agree that something had to be done. But it shouldn't have been this, and it shouldn't have been done by you."

"And if this was a picture of Blair? Or Dr. Wilson? You wouldn't change your opinion?" Marty asked coldly. "You might think what I did was the wrong thing but he's the one who told Veronica last summer that he was afraid of his demon part taking over. He was the one who told Piper to work on a power stripping potion. He was the one who was trying to get rid of his demon half. So I find this whole intrinsic person thing complete and utter bullshit. Look at the grin on the demon's face. He liked what he did. And if you were the guy Bel was supposed to get help with his problem? Then her death is just as much your responsibility as it was his."

And with that Marty turned and walked toward the door.

Aziraphale rubbed his hand over his eyes, and thought hard about what Marty had asked. In a quiet voice, he said to the retreating figure, "Perhaps I wouldn't see it as the same if it were someone I knew personally," he admitted. "But I care personally about Belthazor as well. And about you, Marty, which is why it upsets me so that you chose this course of action."

He looked up at Marty's back. "I don't know that we'll ever agree on this. But I will admit to being in the wrong on at least one point -- it isn't up to me to tell you what choices to make. This has become personal for me, and it's made me forget that this is part of being mortal. I can't dictate the path you take, no matter how much I may want to. I wish you hadn't done it, Marty. But even if I disagree with your choice, it was your choice."

Marty's hand had been on the doorknob for almost everything Phale had said.

He stood there for several moments before quietly saying "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

And then he was gone.

Aziraphale watched the door for a while after Marty left. Then, rubbing his eyes again and looking very solemn, he packed up his things and headed to his office.

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Good Omens...And Bad: Prophecy in Theory and Practice, Lab Thirteen

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