fandomhigh | Philosophy Classroom, office hours

Maia knocked on the door smiling. "Hey Tara."

((OMG CONGRATS ON THAT!!!! what was your topic?))

"Maia," Tara smiles. "It's so good to see you up and about!"

(('A Discursive Analysis of the Portrayal of Prostitutes in the Literature of Concern, 1660-1880'. Basically prostitutes in early modern London.))

Maia hugs Tara "All thanks to you." Maia grins and sits down opposite of Tara and hands her a note. "Not that you need the note but I have to show it and have it signed, also I need to know what I have missed in ethics and what I can do to make it up." Maia smiled warmly again, she was very relaxed. "Did you get the flowers yet?" Maia asked glancing around the office.

((OOO i think that topic! very very nice. how many pages did it end up being? are you going for history or literature?))

Tara shakes her head. "You send me flowers?" she asks, surprised and delighted. "Maia... thank you."

"Catching up on Ethics might be a little tricky..." she cocks her head, thinking. "The first week was just discussion, we can run through those questions without a problem. They've just done their first assignment, but I'll assign you a makeup assignment later in the term."

((OOC: 66 pages, History. Am rewarding myself with FH all this weekend - father just returned from 3 months in the US, so daughter's having a double sleepover. *dances happily*))

Charlie knocked on the door. "Hey Professor. I missed one of my math classes because of the Parker thing. Can I get a note off you to give to Doctor Eppes to explain why I wasn't there?"

Maia blushes "Um yeah I did I guess they have not sent them yet." Maia smiles and blushes again. "That's fine about the assignment I would be thrilled to do a makeup." Maia looks down at her hands and then smiles back up at Tara. "I do appreciate everything you did for me. I have a craving for lemon bars now all the time." Maia laughs.

((OOC: History is wonderful, thats what I have a degree in. Oh how exciting FH all weekend and double sleepovers. I have mine and my nieces birthday party this weekend but will be playing this weekend on FH of course))

"Of course, Major K!" Tara pulls out a piece of paper and writes a brief note.

Charles Kawalsky, as one of the Teachers Assistants for Ethics Class, was unfortunately unable to attend math class due to his support of an injured student. I regret that his responsibilities for my class interfered with his attendance of yours, and ask that you allow him the opportunity to make up the class without penalty.

My thanks,

Tara Maclay.

"Will this do, Major K!?"

"Sure. Thanks, Professor. I'll go take this to him now. See you in class."

Han knocks, rather timidly on the door. He doesn't have any classes with Professor McClay, but needs advice on Earth ethics since his own aren't cutting it here. "Ma'am? I don't have you for class, but I need some help with ethics."

"Sure," Tara nods, a little surprised. "Come on in, take a seat." She gestures to the large, comfortable armchairs. "I don't think we've met, I'm Tara Maclay."

"Han Solo. If you listen to the radio, you have some idea of the mess I'm in." He sits down, looking very miserable. "I need someone, who isn't tangled up in this, to explain Earther sexual ethics, because every time I turn around I'm messing up somehow."

"They're really good, aren't they?" Tara grins. "I swear I'm going to steal all of Deb's recipes, one at a time."

She cocks her head. "Do you want to discuss the first week's questions now?"

((OOC: Oooh, just got the flowers. Thank you! Will have Tara get them when she gets back home, to maintain continuity.))

Tara furrows her brow. "I do listen to the radio, Mr. Solo, but I'm afraid when I don't know the names it's all a bit of a blur. Would you like to explain your situation to me?"

((Mun, on the other hand, is a heavy Han/Bagoas shipper. But I haven't been keeping up with things the last week, I'm afraid.))

"Sure." Maia smiled pulling out her notebook to write it down. She takes a moment titling the page etc.. then she is ready. "Ok ready." Maia smiles expectantly.

((OOC: I am glad you like them YAY i was worried LJ ate my comment to the flower shop because I kept not seeing them delievered *laughs* that happened last time and they were days late getting to the person. YAY continuity))

He tries to think where to start. "Back home, sex isn't a big deal. Marriage can be anywhere from two to six people or more. Two is most common, four's a close second. But-- Aw hell, I'm going at this all wrong."

He shifts again. "So there's this guy, Bagoas. We're getting pretty serious. I've stopped flirting for him, and I finally understand why he wants to be my only one. Thing is, he found out I'd screwed someone I really shouldnt have. I didn't tell him...hells, I can barely tell myself."

"Okay," Tara nods, trying to follow the threads of his speech. "So you're in a relationship. Polyamory is normal for you, and so you conducted yourself under that expectation. Monogamy is normal for him, and so he's upset that you were 'unfaithful'? Is that right?"

"First question: different people, societies and groups consider different things to be evil. I want you to find something you've done that another person might consider to be evil, and decide whether you'd do it again in similar circumstances."

"Monogamy ain't normal for him, but it's what he really wants. He was a concubine to one of your great warriors, an Al'skander." (pronounces it just as Bagoas does) "He had to compete with hundreds of others, men and women for attention. After that, he wants someone to love him and only him. And I wish he'd told me this two weeks ago."

He takes a deep breath. "I've got a rival for him. That one has beaten me to a pulp once or twice and generally given me hell since we met. And somehow, last week--" he takes a deep breath, swears softly under it for a moment and continues "last week I let him fuck me. Thought it might defuse some of the anger and tension, nothing more than that. I still don't like him. If I never see him again it'll be too soon."

Tara nods. "Does your society often use sex as a way of settling tensions or rivalries?"

Maia thinks. "I told my aunt once that the Giants were going to win the football game. I knew she was going to pawn Diana's ring to place the bet, well the one her grandmother gave her, but I did it anyway." Maia looked down. "Yeah I would do it again, my aunt said she would love me even if I didn't know things like that but- so I tested her to see if she would love me anyway even if I couldn't tell her so I told her the wrong thing you know to see. I was right, she exploded at me, blamed me for the ring and stuff. Things were kinda never the same between us, they still arent"

((OOC: Diana is Maia's adopted mom))

The laugh he gives has no humor in it. "Professor, in my language one of the words for sex between men is the same as the word for fight. And my clan is still pretty primitive in a lot of ways, despite the high tech and ten millennia of space travel."

He shakes his head. "I'm supposed to talk to him today, but he's an avoider. He'll duck me if he can, give me the silent treatment if he can't. And his...guardian invited me over tonight to explain myself."

"He says he's leaving school, that I've made a fool of him. I haven't told anyone except you. I wouldn't. I haven't even been able to tell myself."

Pursing her lips, Tara thinks for a moment. "People who avoid confrontation usually do so out of fear. I don't know your lover, but if he was a concubine, I would imagine sex itself is fairly cheap to him. I can't imagine the sex is the problem. What you're dealing with is a betrayal of trust.

There's a difference between having sex and making love. You've been making love to him, and having sex with other people. The sex isn't likely to mean a lot to him, but the love would. Now he's doubting your love, and he knows that you link sex and violence. If it's not love, it's sex, and if sex and violence are linked, how can he be sure you won't hurt him?"

Tara sighs. "Mr. Solo, I'm guessing here. I don't want to send you off in the wrong direction. But I know about people who avoid confrontation, who answer with silence. It happens because you're afraid of what will happen if you talk. Even if he gives you the silent treatment... I think he needs to hear what you have to say."

"And which do you think was wrong, Maia? Lying to her? Or doing it to test her love?"

Amazed at having it all explained so logically, he sits in silence for a minute.

"I'd never hurt him. He's so much littler than me. But you're right, there was something in there about me not loving him. And I think that's the real problem."

He looks at the floor again. "I know he's always afraid of getting angry, of saying what's on his mind. I've been encouraging him to speak up and tell me. I'm no Jedi mindreader. Maybe tonight, he'll speak up."

When he looks up, his eyes are clear. "So a last question: what is appropriate behavior in this time and place? I see a lot of emo and angst happening over relationships and sex, and so far I thought I'd avoided most of it."

Cameron knocks on the door to Tara's office, looking tired. "Miss Maclay?"

Philosophy Classroom, office hours

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