Philosophy classroom: Ethics class #4, Friday, 8-10am

[brambless.livejournal.com]

[ooc: My deepest apologies for posting this so late.]

Tara smiles worriedly as the students come in, checking face after face.

"Today's topic is power and responsibility, and I would like to remind you all that your grade comes from your discussion, not your presence. If you don't feel comfortable talking, write something down and hand it in to me. Being a silent warm body in the classroom is no different than not turning up."

[ooc: And I would remind you that I leave posts open for the whole week. If you post 'shows up and takes a seat' I know you're still alive, but you need to actually address the discussion topics to pass the class.]

Comments

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe smiles. "Hero first, if you don't mind?"

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"Okay, SuperPhoebe," Cole said with a grin. "And I don't want to be rescued. Why? Maybe I'm on a bridge, wanting to jump? That work?"

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe smiles faintly.

"That works. What are your reasons for being on the bridge?"

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"You don't know that, Ms. Hero. Or are you asking me on the bridge?"

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe bites her lip. "Sorry. Let's say I have come across you on the bridge. I'm concerned and ask you why you're up here?"

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"I tell you that I'm going to jump because I don't want to live anymore," he told Phoebe.

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe thinks for a second. "Is there any specific reason?"

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"I..." He flounded for a reason for a moment. Somehow "I'm flunking bio" didn't cut it. "I...lost someone I cared about," he said softly. "I can't go on without her." He regreted the words as soon as he said them. They struck far too close to home.

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe blanched and then swallowed.

"She would want you to try to gone with life, sir."

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

He shook his head. "I can't live without her. So I'll be with her the only way I can."

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe's voice softens.

"What happened?"

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

This wasn't going in any direction he wanted to follow. "She died," he said, struggling for the words. "It was...an accident. But I was responsible."

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe offers a hand to him.

"People we love die and accidents happen," she said softly. "I've lost someone and it took so long for me not to try to follow him into death."

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"Why didn't you?" he asked, not taking her hand, not yet.

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe looks down, she is so not enjoying how this is going.

"At first? Because someone stopped me from doing it. I wanted to so badly, but someone reached out to me and tried to give me something that had meaning. After I mourned and healed as much as I could, I wondered if that's what my love would have wanted for me."

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

Cole was equally uncomfortable, and decided to put an end to it, regardless of how his true actions might be. "You're right," he said, taking her hand. "This isn't what I should do."

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe breathes a sigh of relief.

"That was soo..."

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to upset you. It was just...the first thing I thought of." He gave her hand a squeeze. "Want to switch now, or take a break?"

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe shook her head. "It's okay. We can switch."

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"Okay, this time I'm the hero." The thought of that almost made him laugh. "What do you need rescuing from that you don't want to be rescued from?"

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe looked down. What did she need to be rescued from?

"Myself?"

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"How so? What do you mean?" Cole asked, puzzled.

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe shakes her head. "I'm my own worst enemy and people get hurt."

Re: Second Hour

[demonbelthazor]

"And why do you think that?" Cole asked softly. This exercise, he suspected, was not going the way Tara had intended. Instead it was revealing their own fears.

Re: Second Hour

[sensethevisions]

"Because...it started out that I was a disappointment to my sisters. Then I grew older and discovered things about myself that would make people come after those I love."

Phoebe really didn't like this assignment.