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

Yeah, that was a left-friend one if Tyler had ever heard it.

"... you're asking about time travel?"

"Nooo," she said, "not exactly. Um. Timeline issues in Fandom."

Ino fidgeted.

"Like finding out stuff from one and using it in the other timeline to fix things."

Tyler wrinkled his nose in thought. "It sounds dangerous," he said honestly. "You might fix things, but if you don't fix things, it could blow up in your face in a big way."

It was in a movie with Ashton Kucher!

"I'd have to know nothing I could do could make things worse, before I tried something like that."

It really was too bad that Ino didn't watch many movies.

She bit her lip. "What if you could only go by what you think will happen if you change things? Nothing certain."

Yes. A lack of knowledge about the filmography of Mr. Demi Moore was such a loss for Ino.

... or not.

It was a serious question, though, and Tyler owed it a serious answer. "If I thought I could change things at all," he said, "I guess I'd have to try."

"Even if other people didn't think it was a good idea?"

Reno.

Though he seemed to be wavering on that one.

Oh Ino, if only you knew.

"Do the other people know more than you do?"

Which wouldn't change Tyler's mind, necessarily.

"In the sense that they lived through the first timeline," she confessed. "So--yeah."

"So somebody who lived through it is telling you not to try to change it," Tyler repeated. "Question is if they're right or if they're just scared. Is it somebody who scares easy?"

"No."

Reno and Elena didn't strike her as the sort to scare easily.

"But when it comes to barely having survived the end of the world once..." Ino shrugged a bit. "They survived. Want to make sure they survive in another timeline but only way to do that is not touch anything 'cause nothing else is sure."

"Oh." Tyler bit his lip. "I don't think you want to mess with the end of the world, but ... hard to make it worse, right? Well, except for them."

"And a lot of potential to make it better," she pointed out seriously. "If you know what leads up to something like that--defusing or mitigating it even in part could mean a major improvement."

"Or it could mean your friends and all the other survivors are dead," Tyler said, and scratched the chin under his beard.

This was above his pay grade.

"Maybe do small things," he offered feebly. "Set up ... I don't know. Armories. Caches of food. Things people will be able to use after it all goes to hell."

"I can't help feed several million people at the very least, Tyler-sensei," Ino fretted.

Yes, way above his pay grade. And a teenager who expected him to give her some sort of advice because she believed in him.

"I just--maybe an evacuation plan. At the very least. If things can't be stopped."

"You could help a couple hundred if you started early," Tyler pointed out. "... okay. Evacuation plan. Are there people in charge who would listen to you about it?"

"I don't know," she said, shoulders drooping. "I know--one who probably would. But I'd have to provide proof and that... leads into the whole 'how much should be changed' thing."

"Ino, I'm not any good at this," Tyler admitted softly. "My background's guerrilla stuff. Never had to answer the question of what happens after the world ends. You need somebody -- somebody who does know."

He looked sad, and disappointed in himself. "I'm sorry."

"Don't--apologize," she said, nodding once. "Not your fault. Ain't like, like I got any better idea of what I'm doing."

Ino fidgeted.

"I'll figure something out."

"Sorry," Tyler mumbled again, and tilted his head at her. "Hug? Tell me how it works out?"

She hadn't meant to make him all--sad. Quiet.

So he was going to get her trying to hug him. "Got a few years before it all happens, I think," she admitted, "but I can keep you updated on what I've got in mind."

"Thanks," Tyler said, giving her a brief hug. "You're a good person, Ino. You'll figure something out."

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

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