fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, November 12, 1st period]

Anakin stalked into the room precisely on time and shut the door firmly behind him. "Today we talk about wrath," he said. "There's something very human about giving in to our temper," he said. "It's freeing, uncomplicated."

He paused. "At least at that moment. The repercussions are always waiting."

He waved a hand and the holoprojector flipped to life. Frozen in time was a young Jedi with two lightsabers at the neck of an older, clearly defeated enemy. The students might remember the scenario from a few weeks ago.

"This was me," he said, pointing at the young man. "And that older man was evil and threatened my family. It didn't make the choice I made--to kill him while he knelt there--any less wrong."

He looked around the classroom making eye contact with every student before continuing. "Wrath is very, very tempting. It urges you to listen to that dark little voice inside of you--to cut loose, live without consequences."

He pointed at the holo again. "There are always consequences. This moment has stayed with me, made me the person I am. It wasn't a positive influence."

Anakin stopped pacing. "What would it take for you to get to that hazy edge? And more importantly, how do you stop yourself from giving in?"

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Karla nodded. "Innocents, too," she added. Though maybe that was just her. "You don't let someone prey on others. I would rather owe a blood-debt to a single murderer than to all of his victims."

Now was probably not the time to mention her own body count, really.

Elena shrugged awkwardly, biting her lip. "I don't actually worry much about innocents," she admitted. "Where I grew up -- you took care of yourself, and you took care of yours. Anything else was a luxury you couldn't afford. Keep your head down, don't go looking for trouble."

Karla was at four! That was totally a count!

"I was raised to see everyone as my responsibility," Karla said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "But I know people who grew up with a similar mindset to yours and--from what little I know of how and where they grew up--I'm not really in a position to judge or blame them."

But feel slightly guilty she couldn't fix it? Oh, Karla was right there.

"Still, it's the same thing. I might have a broader definition of 'mine,' but it boils down to 'stop those who would hurt your own.'"

"I suppose," Elena said, considering the matter. "I'm not ... altruistic the same way I think you might be. Terrible things happen, to people who don't deserve them. It's a damn shame, but it's nothing to do with me. That's how life is. It's going to keep on like that no matter what I do, so I might as well keep myself in one piece."

Elena had been disillusioned with a great deal by a young age. Life seemed more cheap when you lived right up close to its ugliness.

Karla couldn't imagine a situation where she wouldn't try to stop something terrible from happening to people who didn't deserve it. Which was part of the problem, actually.

"I can't really understand that kind of pragmatism," she said awkwardly, "but I do know that it's something I'm going to have to learn, sooner or later. At least--a form of it. Because there will come a time when I have to be more careful about picking my battles and realizing that there are some things I can't risk myself for." She winced. That sounded all kinds of arrogant.

"It's not the same thing you're talking about, I know. I'm just thinking aloud--I need to find some kins of middle ground, I guess."

"It isn't something I set out to learn," Elena said, casually shrugging her shoulders. "More something that happens. I'm not saying it's admirable, or something anyone else should try for, but I'm not apologizing for it, either."

She knew herself, and she accepted herself. That was enough.

"Why would you?" Karla asked, puzzled. "Apologize for it, I mean. You are who you are. Some people may not like it, but that's their problem, isn't it?"

There was a reason Karla had something of a reputation for being a bitch.

"It is," Elena said, giving the other girl a wry grin at that. "You'd be surprised what other people think is their business."

Ethics [Thursday, November 12, 1st period]

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