fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, April 3]

Today the desks in Anakin's classroom had been pushed along the walls and replaced with cushy pillows and blankets.

"Today we talk about sloth," Anakin said, holding himself even more carefully and clearly uncomfortable with the very idea of relaxing. The students were certainly not expected to be held to the same standard.

"Originally, sloth was described as 'an uneasiness of the mind'," Anakin continued. "Apathy. Melancholy. Joylessness. And importantly, the decision not to do anything about it."

He shrugged. "The modern view understands that the mind is slightly more complicated than that and sometimes it is impossible to will yourself not to be sad. Instead, this sin focuses on the failure to utilize your talents and gifts."

He made eye contact with each student. "In a place filled with as many talented people as this one, I can view it as almost criminal to not live up to the potential each of you has. Today, pair up and talk about what your plans for the summer are, and how what you will be doing will be helping you in what you might think of as your greater destiny."

He waved at the blankets. "Or embrace your inner sloth and take a nap. Being tiny this weekend can be tiring."

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Rikku blinked at the collar. "Came and ... uh. Did you ... do it? Whatever you were supposed to do? And why did they send you here?"

She hugged a pillow to her stomach. "I helped save the world, two years ago. I'm not sure ... what I'm supposed to do now. What if that was my destiny? I had a legendary weapon and all that."

Anemone dropped her hand quickly and shook her head. "Depends on who you ask. I was created to destroy the world, but I didn't complete my mission. I went over to the enemy, and ended up helping save it instead. Now, they don't know what to do with me."

"Sometimes, maybe, destiny can't wait until you're an adult, it has to happen right now, or everything will fall apart," she said quietly. "I'm not sure where that leaves us. We save the world, then what? Go find 'normal' lives? I don't think it works like that."

"But that's good," Rikku said. "That you saved it. I mean. Unless the enemy were secretly the bad guys? But world-saving usually isn't on their list of things to do. So you had a weird kinda destiny and you turned it around. That's awesome."

She chewed her lip some more. "Okay. Maybe ... maybe the point is ... uh. Here we are, we're ... I'm 16. And I saved the world already. Destiny, ta-da. So maybe what he means is ... go find something to do now. Somebody else's world, to save, or something important to think up. Don't let that be the one thing you did. You saved the world, keep going. Does that sound ... weird?"

"Not really. I mean, they sent me here so I could be safe, so I couldn't be used like that again," Anemone said, studying her hands. "I didn't want to be here, not at first. They sent me here so I could learn, so I could have a choice, this time around. Would it be so bad if I chose to retire? What if I decide that I've earned a rest? Is that wrong?"

"No, it isn't," Rikku said, shaking her head. "I kinda thought that, before. I think maybe it's ... you know. You can choose to retire. And maybe some day you'll go, okay, enough of retiring, I want to go kick some ass. If you want. It doesn't have to be permanent. Maybe your destiny is ... what you make of it."

"I like fighting," Anemone said simply. "Fighting and flying, and being ground-bound hurts inside. It's what I am and what I do, but there isn't anyone left to fight. Do I have the right to go involve myself in someone else's battles, just so I'm not bored? Wouldn't that be the Pride we talked about before?"

She flipped some hair from her eyes and sighed. "I'm never going to understand ethics."

"Then you should get to be in the air," Rikku frowned. "And I think pride is more ... if you thought you had a right to say who should win. Or just stormed around making decisions on what's right and what isn't. But ... saving the world, I mean. Helping innocent people. That's not pride, that's doing good. Right?"

Ethics [Thursday, April 3]

Re: Pair up and talk!

Re: Pair up and talk!

Re: Pair up and talk!

Re: Pair up and talk!

Re: Pair up and talk!

Re: Pair up and talk!

Re: Pair up and talk!