fandomhigh | Ethics [Tuesday, September 9, 2nd period]

"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've been married twice. 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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"How does your mother feel about that?" Tahiri asked by way of an answer. Considering how varied the Solo family's views could be at times, it seemed like a perfectly plausible thing.

"As long as my logic is reasonable she respects them," Meg answered, barely suppressing a shudder at the thought of really espousing Republican values.

Tahiri peered at her thoughtfully. "So how reasonable does she consider conservative values like the ones you're talking about? You don't have to go into details; it's not like I would get the subtle stuff."

"Well it's not too ridiculous to want to a fiscally conservative government," Meg said. "If you don't spend the money, it keeps taxes low." Which was perhaps over simplifying things but Tahiri was from another planet.

Which sort of made sense to Tahiri, who wasn't inclined to give political matters too much thought, but didn't really give her a lot to work with. Time for another tactic.

"So if you have brothers, are they more or less conservative than your mother?"

"They're eight and thirteen. They really haven't given it much thought," she replied. "The only thing that's important to them is what's for dessert."

Tahiri half-chuckled at that. "And I don't even know how to ask you about the double black diamond thing, since I don't have a clue what it is."

"Picture strapping planks onto your feet as you stand on top of an extremely steep mountain," Meg explained. "Then sliding down the mountain on those planks."

"Ohhhhh," Tahiri said. "What are you, kriffing insane?"

She was never happier then when she was barreling down a mountain. "No, not at all. It's this amazing feeling of freedom. It's...I don't know, it's hard to explain if you haven't done it. I guess it feels like flying."

". . . how do you go down a mountain on planks that fast?" asked Tahiri.

"Well they're not just plain planks," Meg explained. "That's just the easiest way to describe them. In reality they're specially made boards of metal and laminate with a coating of wax that helps you glide over the snow."

"Oh, snow. Right." Tahiri grimaced; snow was cold, and that would mean shoes. "But what do diamonds have to do with it?"

"It's how they grade how difficult the different trails are." When talking about skiing Meg easily forgot her usual reserved manner. "Green circles are the easiest, blue squares are a little harder, and black diamonds are the hardest trails on most mountains. But some mountains have trails that are even more difficult. Those are the double black diamonds."

Meg talking about skiing was like General Antilles talking starfighter strategy or -- with a pang -- Anakin talking about a puzzle he'd figured out, back when they'd been younger. "So . . . you're not more conservative than your mother, then."

"No, not at all," Meg admitted. "That's my lie."

"Is she glad about that?" Tahiri wondered.

"I think so. Otherwise I'd be kind of hard to explain to the press."

"And this," Tahiri declared, "is why I'm glad I was never the one with two famous parents."

That sounded like personal knowledge to Meg. "You know someone that was?"

Ethics [Tuesday, September 9, 2nd period]

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