fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, January 17]

"Today we discuss lying," Anakin said as he closed the classroom door precisely on time. "Everyone lies. 'Of course that doesn't make your butt look big.' 'You like her, I like her.' 'I'm totally okay with you moving on.' 'Everything's fine, why do you ask?' It's how the world goes around because no one wants to be trapped in a conversation where someone whines at you for hours on end about how awful their life is."

He looked around the room. "Trust me. Everyone's life is terrible. They're just not telling you about it. Be grateful."

He reached onto his desk for a piece of paper. "Today we're conducting an exercise to see how well you pass this particular social ritual, then we'll discuss whether you think it is necessary. We're playing two truths and a lie. I'll tell you three things about myself and you have to decide which one is the falsehood. Then you'll all tell three things and we'll see how well you can either read each other or keep things hidden."

He gave them a small smile. "I'm very good at this." He schooled his face to absolute neutrality, put his mental blocks up to bar any psychics in the room from gaining an advantage, then recited: "During a war at home I was known as 'The Hero Without Fear.' I named my children after people I met in Fandom. I've never been beaten in one-on-one lightsaber combat." His eyes challenged them to call him out. "Who's next?"

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Evey tried to hide her smile, for his benefit. "I'm not judging. I'm just surprised."

Karal had to laugh, it was the only possible response. "No, I know, and no one could have been more surprised that I!"

"You make it sound like an accident," she noted, again carefully keeping her face as neutral as possible.

He rubbed his temple, head tilted as he considered how to explain. "It was and it wasn't. There was a game we were playing, called truth or dare, and I accidentally chose dare." He'd been traumatised, he hadn't known what he'd been doing. "And that was my dare."

Evey could see how that would happen. And now she was blushing faintly. Benefits of an active imagination.

"We played that sometimes when I was younger and living with other children. But I never had to strip. Lucky me, I guess. Mostly 'cause I always picked truth. We did get in trouble for playing, though."

Karal was blushing again, and he wasn't even sure why this time. "Why did you get in trouble for playing?" he asked curiously. "It seems a harmless game, for the most part."

"The people running our camp didn't like it. Wasn't productive and it made us misbehave," she explained.

Camp? He put it together with what she'd said and decided it wasn't something he was going to ask about, at least not in class.

"The priests who supervised the Cloister would have had the same reaction. Some things are the same no matter what world you're in." Which reminded him of what he needed to ask her. "But for things that aren't the same, I spoke with Altra, and he's willing. Are you busy tomorrow afternoon?"

"I'm absolutely free," she said with a quick smile, brightening almost immediately.

Karal beamed at her. "I have library tomorrow, so it will have to be after that. Would you mind meeting me there?"

Evey nodded. "I can do that. I've not seen the library here, yet, anyway."

"You haven't?" He was looking at her in something akin to shock.

"I know, I'm overdue," she sighed, taking in the look. "It'll probably be a bit overwhelming when I do."

"Come and visit Friday afternoon. It's usually quiet, and I can show you around. It's an amazing library, one of the most incredible I've ever seen."

Karal loved libraries, loved books, and he was thrilled at getting a chance to introduce Evey to Fandom's.

It probably showed.

Edited 2008-01-17 23:28 (UTC)

It did, and his enthusiasm was contagious. "All right," she smiled. "I can do that. Long as you promise not to laugh if I get excited at odd things."

"I give you my word," he said solemnly. "Glory, Evey, you're going to love it. There's books on everything!"

"Everything?" she repeated, teasing now. "Are you sure?"

He made a face at her, then grinned. "You'll have to see for yourself."

"I'm looking up books on purple giraffes tomorrow," she replied, nodding seriously.

"In this library, I expect you'll find them." He hesitated, then asked, "What's a giraffe?"

"Big tall animal with spots," she said after thinking for a moment. "Kind of like a horse, but their necks are very, very long. I think they live in Africa."

"Well, we'll see if we can find a book on purple ones for you," he said, nodding determinedly. "The honour of the library is at stake!"

Ethics [Thursday, January 17]

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