fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, September 2, 2nd period]

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Ethics [Thursday, September 2, 2nd period]

Anakin walked into his classroom precisely on time and gave the students assembled there an appraising glance-as the door clicked shut behind him. "I'm Master Anakin Skywalker," he said in a voice that was intended to carry. "You may address me either as Master Skywalker or Professor Skywalker. This is Ethics, and we're going to skip the introductions--I'll figure out who you are, if I don't recognize you already--and move straight to our first discussion."

His cloak flared out behind him as he handed out the syllabus. "Today's topic," he said, pointing to the top of the page, "is self sacrifice: knowing the difference between saving people and being a pretentious twit."

Anakin wasn't a great believer in softening his language.

"Any time I ask a a group of people what they would do to save someone they love, they blither on about how they would set the world on fire, lie, cheat, steal, kill, die, et cetera, et cetera. I've been at this school five years now and realize that half of you have probably already been put into this situation. I'm never in a mood to hear adolescent ramblings about how wonderful you were or might hypothetically be."

He leaned back against his desk. "What I want to know is what would make you walk away. When do you decide that the risk isn't worth the cost?"

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Cassidy thought about the question for a very long time it seemed to her. It was a question that truly had no easy answer.

"Where I come from, a Queen does whatever she can to protect her people and her land. She is the Land's heart and she doesn't expect her people to give anything of themselves that she wouldn't herself give. That being said," she chewed on her lip for a moment. She had heard stories of things outside her own village and she remembered what she had heard about the Queens fighting or being hidden by those loyal to them. She straightened in her chair. "However, a good Queen does not needlessly sacrifice herself. If I were to sacrifice myself for my people or my loved ones, I had better be damned sure that my sacrifice was worth it or that I make a decision that I -- and my people -- can live with."

Elphaba was surprised, and leaned in carefully when she spoke. "You are a queen?"

She wasn't sure if she was supposed to start bowing.

Cassidy gave her a cheerful smile. "Back home, I am. Here I'm just Cassidy."

Oh if Elphaba bowed, Cassidy wouldn't know what to do.

It was lucky for them both, then, that Elphaba was seated and also quite still in shock. "That must be an impossible burden," she said, thinking the great responsibility involved. "But... you are able to come here, to school."

That was what she was baffled about, mainly.

"Oh, I've never thought of it as a burden, but as a chance to be able to help people and serve the land. I've been in training since birth to take care of the people wherever I am asked to serve." She gave Elphaba another friendly smile. "Oh, I'm not old enough yet to be put in charge of a village or a province. I'm still in need of schooling and training and that will continue even after I take charge. That's one of the reasons I'm having to think a lot about the question Professor Skywalker has put to us."

"You are a queen without a land?" Elphaba said, thinking that sounded completely unlike what a queen was supposed to be like. "Then what are you queen of?"

Edited 2010-09-02 16:39 (UTC)

"When I am of age, I will have land specifically designated for me to take care of. It could be a village or a province or wherever the territory queen decides that she needs me." She was trying really hard to figure out a way to explain to the other girl how Protocol and ruling worked in her world without confusing her even more. "A Queen is a Queen even if she is currently without land to rule over. We still take care of the people around us and we still tend to the land no matter where we happen to be at the time. It's who we are and what makes us caretakers of the land and the people." She smiled again. "That's why, if I ever decide to sacrifice myself in a fight or anything like that, it had better be for the betterment of my people and the land. A dead Queen, no matter how good her intentions were, doesn't serve to help anyone after the deed is done."

Oh Elphaba, by asking her these questions and making her think them through,it could be that you just unwitting made Cassidy see you as a friend.

A queen of a village. It was quite obvious to Elphaba now that the term meant something very different to this girl's world.

"I think this class is needlessly morbid," Elphaba finally said, having nodded attentively along with Cassidy's words. "We're still all in school, we aren't sacrificing ourselves any time soon, I'd think."

"You would think so," Cassidy said quietly, thinking about what had happened a few weeks ago. "But the biggest conflicts don't always take into consent a person's age."

"I suppose not," Elphaba said. Raven had made that clear yesterday. "This place seems to attract both the good and the awful, it seems."

And the reason for the course being so grim was dawning on her, slowly.

"It's mostly a nice place to be," Cassidy assured her. "But no matter where you go or where you're from, I'm learning that there is both very good and very bad. We're lucky to have someone like Professor Skywalker looking out for us."

That wasn't hero worship, really. It was just respect.

"He seems... different," Elphaba allowed, but she knew very little. "All of my instructors have seemed quite capable, though." She wasn't sure she could discount either of her other teachers. Especially Miss Alianne.

"I have enjoyed all of the classes I've had since I came here," Cassidy said with a smile. "It's the first time I've gone away to school, but so far, it seems to be a good thing." She nodded. "Professor Skywalker is much wiser and more intelligent than most males."

Elphaba thought about that statement, taking it more at face value than anything. "I don't think I've noticed any real differences like that," she said.

People tended to treat her poorly regardless of gender. "But I suppose a queen would know these things."

It was only a little sarcastic, she actually found herself quite amused by Cassidy. But there was something so odd about the idea she was a Queen waiting for a kingdom.

She happened to like Elphaba, sarcasm or not. She was easy and interesting to talk to.

"Oh, that has nothing to do with being a Queen, and everything to do with being a female. We tend to be more sensible and most males are not."

"Well, I have to admit that I have met many more sensible girls here than boys," Elphaba admitted. "So perhaps you are at least partially correct on this fact."

She grinned at Elphaba. "We girls do tend to be a bit more sensible then the males when it comes to important things."

"And what criteria would you use to weigh that decision?" Anakin asked.

She let out a breath. "That would be part of the problem, sir. Until you're in that situation and have to make a split moment decision, how do you know? However, if it were myself, I would have to quickly weigh my life and well-being against the well-being and life of the ones I'm charged with taking care of and protecting." She looked up. "I have no easy answer to that question, sir, I apologize, but it's just not something that I could in good faith just decide what that would be right here and now since if the situation were to come up in life, it could cause me to think completely differently."

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Ethics [Thursday, September 2, 2nd period]

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