fandomhigh | Ethics Class [Thursday, September 10, 1st 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 have three children. I am the youngest Jedi ever to join the Jedi Council, which governed my Order." His eyes challenged them to call him out. "Who's next?"

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"Why?" Anakin asked. "Do I look like I'd be afraid of anything?"

He shook his head.

"You have grandchildren here, according to the radio broadcasts, so lying about the number of children you have would be risky. Which left me with two choices.

"And I don't think you're ridiculous enough not to fear anything. Anyone who's never afraid is too" stupid "uninformed to realize the reality of a situation and you don't strike me as someone to be uninformed."

"Jedi don't believe in fear," Anakin replied. "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. Emotions get in the way of getting things accomplished."

"So does apathy," he said quietly, though his voice picked up as he continued "and if your whole order doesn't believe in fear, then why would you be named specifically as one without fear? It seems a little odd to me."

Though he was rather sure he was either wrong about his choice or was being baited.

"The Order didn't give me the nickname," Anakin replied. "They mocked me rather mercilessly for having it, actually." Or at least Obi-Wan had. "The name came from the holonets. Choose again."

"Holonets?"

He didn't have the first idea what that could be.

"Television but about a thousand times more advanced," Anakin replied. "Not important. Choose again."

Liir was a little annoyed at the blow off but he was familiar enough with this kind of tone.

"Not on the Council then?"

"I was on the Council," Anakin replied. "I just wasn't the youngest ever allowed to do so."

"A failing mark then," he said with a self-depreciating smile.

Up went the eyebrow again. "For you or me?" he demanded.

"For me," he said, as he'd thought that rather obvious, "since I was wrong twice."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "The purpose of the exercise was merely to guess. You are being judged on how you arrive at conclusions, not if you got to the right one immediately. Don't decide how I found your replies for me."

With that he stalked off.

Liir watched him go.

"I wonder if that makes it wrong three times."

"Stop talking, Mister Thropp," Anakin commanded from the other side of the room. "Right now."

Jedi hearing had gotten lots of students in trouble.

Thropp stubbornness had gotten... well, only one student in trouble, and it wasn't even Liir, but he might add himself to the number.

"So I shouldn't participate with the rest of the students then?"

And his heart was pounding just a little, but his tone was even.

Anakin gave him the glare that had made Jedi Masters decide to go down other hallways.

"Now you're just being pointlessly and willfully stupid," Anakin retorted. "Of course I wasn't forbidding you from participating in the class assignment. You just aren't going to get the last word in this conversation with me. So stop trying. Now. Another word on this and you'll be spending Saturday in detention."

While it was no doubt a terrible glare, he had in fact been raised by Elphaba Thropp, as well as a whole troop of (largely crabby) old women at the mauntery of St. Glinda. He stood his ground, however foolish it might be.

"I'm being no such thing. Nor do I want the last word. I asked for clarification on an order that would have left me unable to participate. Had you specified that I should cease speaking on that subject, I wouldn't have asked. Now that you've clarified the issue, I am quite content to let you have the last word."

And he waited. For the last word.

...and probably detention.

Edited 2009-09-10 21:35 (UTC)

"Detention!" Anakin roared, smacking his hand down on his desk.

Liir just smiled and nodded, like the butler well used to his master's tantrums, and tipped his head to the rest of the class before moving to join the others in discussion.

Ethics Class [Thursday, September 10, 1st period]

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker

Re: Two truths and a lie: Anakin Skywalker