fandomhigh | Build Your Own Philosophy, Period 2, 3/15/10

"Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more." - Oscar Wilde

Tyler was sitting on his desk as the students came in today. Once everyone seemed to be where they belonged, he started to talk.

"We're playing a game today," he said. "It's called the One Rule Game. As of right now, there are no rules in this classroom."

Because he said so.

"What I want each of you to do is to come up with the one rule you'd want to live by, if I was going to institute one and only one rule. Come up with a good one, we might even make it a real rule."

Again, because he said so. Tyler knew he was playing with a stacked deck, here.

"And the way we'll decide if it's the real rule or not is: We'll discuss them all during class. Once I have everybody's rules, I'll write them all down, and you'll have all of next week to stop by my office and vote for the rule you want. Majority rules -- whatever rule we come up with, I'll abide by for the rest of the semester."

"One last thing, next week we're starting on existentialism. Read Nausea by Sartre before class. Library knows to have copies ready for you."

Tyler had been looking forward to the existentialism classes, and it showed in his smile.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ino shivered, ducking her head so that her bangs fell across half her face.

"My greatest fear is in another world entirely," Ino confessed. "If I wanted to I could avoid it completely. But that... doesn't work for me. I'd rather face it than be unable to deal with anything from that world."

Like Zack. Ino was pretty fond of Zack.

"That makes sense," Raven said slowly. "I have managed to avoid my own fears a great deal, but that is not always a possibility."

“I don’t know,” she admitted, fussing with a pen and feeling a bit uncomfortable. “I just... I think I’d rather deal with them so they don’t show up unexpectedly later.”

Ino frowned. “Especially with Fandom being what it is.”

"I am sorry," Raven said, picking up on that discomfort. "I was merely curious. I did not intend to make you feel uncomfortable."

Ino blinked, then looked rueful.

"Pinging your powers, am I?" she asked, with a bit of a sigh. "It's not you. I've just been freaked out since last weekend is all."

And giving that honesty thing a try apparently. Uh.

"I do not intend to eavesdrop on your emotions," Raven said with a tiny smile. "I just cannot help it sometimes because of what I am. The weekend caused many people a great deal of distress, so you are not alone in that."

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” she said, a bit firmly. “I don’t mind.”

True enough, as far as it went. Ino was hardly going to complain about people being able to tell her emotions when she was right in front of them.

“And—yeah. Weekend sucked. It can never happen again as far as I’m concerned.” She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, looking thoughtful as inspiration struck. “Do you know Zack at all?”

"I am familiar with him," Raven said, "but we are not well acquainted." She was doubly glad now that she hadn't changed into anyone the previous weekend. The lingering discontent in the dorms was bad enough without adding her own issues on top of it.

Better than she'd hoped not a good as she might have liked. Ino wavered between honesty and seeing how easy it'd be to spin a story around her motives for a moment.

(Nothing personal in the contemplation of. That was just how Ino thought.)

But honesty won out.

"I don't suppose you'd mind checking in on him?" she asked cautiously. "I think someone as soothing as you would be good for him right now. His weekend was--really bad."

Also, she'd be sending an empath after someone who smiled and lied without actively thinking about it. Ino wasn't sure how much information Raven could pick up about someone's mental state but if someone could tell her he was okay...

That'd be enough. She didn't need detail.

"Of course," Raven said, brightening visibly at the prospect of helping someone. "I would not mind that at all. Is there anything in particular I should ask him about?"

"His weekend's a good place to start," she said slowly, trying to think of how much she wanted to say. "He wasn't himself--he was from that vampire infested Fandom?"

Ino looked apologetic at that. Some people really weren't fond of vampires.

"And he--hurt someone he cares 'bout here, while like that. While he was a monster. He's got... enough issues with monsters without thinking he is one." That last bit was soft. Zack didn't really spread that much around but... if it could help him.

Raven's eyes widened at that statement, but she quickly reigned in her own emotions with practiced ease. "I can see why he would be upset then," she said carefully. "It was unpleasant enough when we endured that world once; to do so again is very unfortunate. But he is certainly not responsible for what his other self did."

"I think he knows that," she said quietly. "But it's like my knowing I wasn't who I was for the weekend. You remember it and it sticks and what he was... was some version of how he turned out."

"I understand that," Raven said softly. Far too well. "Do you think he will let me use my gifts to ease his guilt?"

Ino hesitated.

"No," she said finally. "I don't think so. It's his guilt to carry and so--he'll think he's got to carry it."

Raven nodded, understanding, as she had encountered that attitude before. "I will ask anyway," she said. "I must."

Build Your Own Philosophy, Period 2, 3/15/10

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]

Re: Activity - Suggest a Rule [3/15]