fandomhigh | Adventuring Survival Tactics, Period 4, A Classroom, 2/16/07

The Doctor had beanbags in the classroom again. He gestured everyone in, then, when everyone was situated. He shut the door, turned, and began to speak.

"I've blown up planets, stabbed, shot, maimed, manipulated, lied, cheated, stolen, and a mess of other fiddly things that, when you don't look at the big picture, sound really, really bad. Now do not interpret what I'm saying as 'the ends justify the means' because that's just bollocks, that. What I'm saying is, the world isn't black and white. Hell, it isn't even grayscale or sepia tone. You can say 'I'll never kill a man, ever', but when he's coming at you, slavering spit and blood red eyes, large sharp rock gripped in his calloused hands, well, you do what you can to make sure he doesn't brutalize your skull into a pulp, don't you?"

He paused to let that sink in. "I've rigged ATMs to spit out free money, because I needed it to get by. I've lied to those I've loved, manipulated them so I could destroy great evil. Did that make it right? Well, I can't say anymore. I've had to deal with the lawes of millions of governments, counties, countries, planets, and even the laws of time. And you know what? I've probably bent almost all, if not broken them completely. And this is not me telling you all to go out and knock over a bank, or lie to those in authority. It's to tell you one thing."

He grinned.

"It's easy to pass judgement, but even harder to apply the rules to yourself. Forgive and forget, nice concept. Forgive and remember, that's, reality, that. I'm also saying that you can't prescribe your values on anyone else. You're all very young people, and I'm the only one here qualified to make those sorts of calls. And no, I'm not getting holier-than-thou, as that would imply I think myself holy. No. I'm just simply better than all of you. Sucks to hear, doesn't it? Eventually, you'll probably go on to do great things. You all have tons of potential, beautiful shining potential. Me, I've done lots of dark things, as I said. I've also saved the entire human race on countless ocassions. If it weren't for me, life itself would never have started on this silly rock, and you apes wouldn't have even gotten into trees, let alone came down from them."

His grin turned to a smirk.

"And now, a practical example. The Key to Time, an artifact in six pieces, scattered through the universe. I gathered them, and you know what they did, once all assembled? The power of a god. And not like that Ares and Hades chaps, oh no. At that moment, the entire universe could change itself according to my will. So, here we go. What would you do if you had that power? If anyone wants to ask after class, I'll let you know what I did. But I think I'd like to hear what you all have to say on the matter."

[ooc: Sorry for lateness. Windows spontaneously rebooted overnight and killed the unsaved text file I had of the partially written class. ~~Wait for OCD, danke~~ Huzzah! OCD Up!]

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The Doctor walked across the classroom, hovered above Nadia, and cleared his throat again.

Nadia started to snore quietly.

The Doctor leaned over right next to Nadia's ear.

"A-HEM."

Nadia squeaked and fell off the bean bag, then blinked around, confused, and looked up at the Doctor.

"Oh, crap."

"Do I bore you, Miss Santos?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, crap," Nadia mumbled again. "Um, no?"

"Do you find my voice soothing like the ocean waves, gently releasing you into a state of complete and utter relaxation?" the Doctor asked.

". . . . Also no?"

She really hoped she wasn't about to get detention.

"Um, I can explain." Except she couldn't, because she didn't actually know why she was falling asleep everywhere. "Okay, maybe I can explain. . . . sort of. . . ."

"Well right now you're blubbering," the Doctor said. "Not something I'd expect from you, to be honest. So what is it? Dog ate your homework all night, keeping you awake? You overdosed on speed? Mister Dornez didn't let you get a wink of sleep because you two were at the hanky-panky at all hours? Hmmmm?"

"I might be narcoeclectic."

Wait, was that the term?

"I'm going to a sleep clinic tomorrow to find out,"

The Doctor paused for a second.

"Oh."

Another pause.

"Well that's that, then."

"I'm really sorry. I've been trying really hard not to fall asleep in any of my classes. Or the hallway, again. Or the common room. Or . . . um, the other places."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "What exactly happened to set off this new condition?"

Nadia looked down and shrugged. ". . . I don't know. We, um, thought it might be a spell, but it hasn't worn off or anything and I have an amulet that's supposed to block those and it hasn't helped."

"Gobleddy-gook and hocus pocus superstition," the Doctor said. "Medical examination, that's what you need. Make sure they get a stool sample."

". . . ew. And what am I supposed to do if they say that they don't know?" Nadia shook her head. She didn't expect him to answer that. "What's the class about?"

"Absolute power," the Doctor said. "And what you'd do with it."

Nadia nodded slowly, thinking. ". . . I think I'd probably go back in time, punch Milo Rambaldi in the face, and make him explain things to me. Then I'd probably do what you did."

"I haven't said what I did," the Doctor pointed out.

Nadia frowned. "You gave it up and made sure no one else could use it, right? When you were the scarf guy."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Did he tell you that?"

Nadia had to think about that one. "No . . . I didn't really talk to him as much as the celery guy. And the celery guy and I only talked about the celery, really. And bad suits."