fandomhigh | Ethics class, 2-4pm Monday afternoon

Tara leans against her desk, smiling as she watches the students come in. Some of the faces she recognises, and gives a nod. The room is filled with soft, comfortable chairs, which are positioned in a circle. Each chair has a wooden insert in one arm, to lean on while writing, and each wooden insert has a blank piece of paper on it.

When everyone has taken their seats, Tara begins.

"The first rule of ethics class is that you do not talk about things that happen inside of ethics class. The second rule of ethics class is that you do not talk about things that happen inside of ethics class. Allow me to clarify: you may discuss your revelations, challenge your friends and mock the teacher all you like. But if anything said inside this class is ever used against another member of it, you will answer to me, personally. You will have the opportunity to explain yourself before I drag you before Principal Connor. This class cannot function if people are afraid to speak."

She looks around the classroom, stopping briefly on each face. "This school is very unusual. Yes, obviously the squid is a bit odd, but what's more interesting to me is that there are individuals sitting in this room" she nods to Angelus, "who identify themselves as evil. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what the first section of the course will be discussing. Evil, good, and what makes the difference between the two. Your evil classmates have perspectives you need to think about and consider. Don't ignore them in a mistaken belief that they have no ethics."

"Each class runs for two hours. Ordinarily this will be broken up into two sections: discussion and debate - today, however, there will be two discussion sections instead. The majority of your assessment will come through your involvement in class discussions. Every student is expected to participate every week. If you are painfully shy, write your thoughts down and hand them in to me. If I don't know what you're thinking, you don't get credit for it. After this week a formal debate will be held once a week. For those of you unfamiliar with debating, this means two teams of three students taking opposing sides on an issue determined by me. You will each be expected to debate three times during the term, with a week's notice to prepare for each one. If I don't get enough volunteers, I will volunteer someone. At the end of semester a practical exam will be held. This will assess not what you choose to do, but how accurately you have come to an understanding of your own ethical code. I expect you to be honest with yourselves."

"Friday and Monday classes are identical. Please feel free to switch between them if you have commitments that interfere with your regular attendance."

"I will want two teacher's assistants for this course, whose function it is to prompt discussion and challenge your thinking. These students will be expected to attend both Monday and Friday classes. Today's discussion will serve as your audition. TAs are expected to prompt discussion and challenge other students to analyse their own responses as well as the tasks expected of any other student. If you are interested, please say so on your paper, or see me after class."

[OOC: Class will be open for responses for the next week, for those who need to slowplay. For those of you who read Friday's class, this speech is not directly cribbed. That would be totally irresponsible. I made two changes.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Buffy glares at Angelus.

"Some people might also say that people died because I didn't want to kill you. Jenny Calendar and Kendra might be a little harsh in saying that more people would sill be alive had I staked you in the very beginning." Buffy's voice was all kinds of sweet.

"Yeah, Buff," Angelus said. "And some vampires might point out that makes you a bit of a wussy."

Buffy grins and gets comfortable. "Luckily for you I never gave a damn what the other vampires might think."

"Nor for Jenny or Kendra's friends and family either, apparently," Angelus grinned right back.

Buffy smiled at Angelus. "Actually, I did care what Jenny's family and friends thought or felt...it was Xander that I betrayed for the chance to save Angel and not kill you."

"Oh," Angelus asked, the very picture of innocence. "So Giles isn't somebody you care about anymore? Good to know."

"Considering that Giles knew exactly what I would do, and I did do the right thing, I was him and only him that I thought of when I finally did what needed to be done." Buffy looked unruffled by Angelus. In fact, she looked like he was amusing her.

"Just so we're clear," Angelus said, "that would also include lying to him when I came back from Hell, right?"

Buffy smiled. "I'm human and I don't always use the best judgement where you are concerned. Yes, I lied to him about you being alive, but in the end, he understood and he forgave me. After all, that version of you helped save his life and Willow's."

"And yet when you saw me here at Fandom High you hit first, slandered second, and I haven't heard so much as an apology from you since," Angelus made a tsking sound. "Hardly generous and forgiving behavior on your part, Buff."

"You were proven to be doing evil by stalking Maia, someone who couldn't defend herself, Angelus. Hardly the behavior of someone who had turned over a new leaf." She tsked right back. "Then, Maia and her roommate asked for my help."

"Wasn't stalking Maia, Buff," Angelus said. "And yet again we see why Willow was the brains of the Scoobie gang. But riddle me this, Slayer: if they did ask for your help why exactly did running and telling a teacher seem like such a crackerjack idea? Especially after what happened to poor Jenny."

Kitty listens to this argument, and a slight frown creases her face.

Buffy looks him dead in the eye. "Because, as I'm sure you've noticed, the teachers here are every bit as unusual as most of their students. Jenny..." there is only the slightest catch in her voice. "You killed Jenny because she knew how to ~~fixdestroy~~ change what you ahd become. She was defenseless and didn't know how to defend herself. You killed her for fun and to torment Giles. You and only you are to blame for what was done to Jenny."

Tara looks up sharply at the reference to Angelus' motive in killing Jenny, and bites her lip. She turns away, and almost manages to make the motion look natural.

Buffy has seen Tara move out of the corner of her eye and she manages not to look at her. She makes a note in her mind that she needs to talk to Tara after class.

((she can do that here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandomhigh/225318.html)))

Ethics class, 2-4pm Monday afternoon

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