Ethics, Tuesday

[saddeserthermit]

This time, instead of one slightly glower-y robe wearing man in the front of the classroom, the students were treated to two! One tall, one shorter, standing an awkward distance apart and trying not to make too much eye contact while not looking like they were avoiding each other.

It was a difficult thing to do without looking really, really tense and...there were not doing it particularly well.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," Anakin began, shutting the door at precisely the time class began. "This is ethics, and there are a lot of you in here, so we'll have to insist on you being on time and quiet as we're speaking."

"Indeed. As for me, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan said. He glowered rather less than Anakin, thank you very much, though awkward... yes. "As the school board has seen it fit to grant this class two teachers. With that out of the way, we welcome you to class. Ethics is a broad but all-encompassing discipline, more of a way of life than simply a field of study. We must all develop our personal ethics as circumstances and personality dictates, of course, but there are central issues we must all test ourselves on."

Anakin didn't make a comment about setting anyone on fire after making two or three very minor..ish errors in judgement! He was so proud of himself. "I've always run this class as a discussion," he said instead, "and recognize that what is clearly right and wrong in my worldview might not be true in yours. As long as you make a compelling argument, I'm prepared to listen."

Just don't try to eat the robobabies this semester, okay? Okay.

"We trust that you will all remain civil," Obi-Wan said, though privately he somewhat doubted that Anakin would. Call it experience. "If not, measures will be taken. Now that that is out of the way, I am told that it is customary for this class to begin with a round of two truths and a lie. Anakin?"

"That is true," Anakin said. "Give us your name, then two things that are true and one that is not. And we'll know because we're Jedi and we can sense the truth. To help you out, we'll also offer up two truths and a lie." He schooled his face to stillness. "I have been married twice. I've saved Obi-Wan's life ten times, and I love the beach."

If Anakin expected Obi-Wan to react, he did not. Though he had a fairly decent idea of which one was a lie-- which meant he had more questions for later, Anakin. "As for myself," he said, "I once received a rock as a birthday gift, I've won a battle by playing dejarik, and I once spent a year living on an ocean planet."

He was keeping his own neutral. Partly also to avoid making any comments about Cato Neimoidia.

You were hilariously high on that planet, Obi-Wan. Anakin totally saved your life. "Right, then," Anakin said after giving Obi-Wan a neutral look of his own. "You." He pointed to the nearest student. "Name, two truths and a lie."

Comments

Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

They clearly make a fantastic team here today.

Talk to the Teachers - Obi-Wan

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan had sat down after the exercise. Somehow it had only left him with more questions, Anakin.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

Anakin wasn't at all hiding behind his coffee mug. Shh.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan waited until students had started filtering out of the room.

Then he turned his head towards Anakin and merely raised an eyebrow.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"If you want coffee, you should put electricity into your hut," Anakin told him.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

"I had plenty of tea this morning," Obi-Wan said mildly, "Then, to my surprise, I ran into an ancient Jedi Master on the street who proceeded to make rude remarks about my reproductive habits, your reproductive habits, the amount of Jedi on the island, and then closed off by informing me not to 'get all Jedi about everything'. I've had my fill of sass for the day."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

Anakin blinked. "I don't know who that might have been," he admitted. "There've been a lot of Jedi through here in ten years..."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

"He called you Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "That and this class leaves me to wonder what else I don't yet know about your presence here."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"All sorts of things," Anakin said. "I've been here a while."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

"Long enough to get remarried," Obi-Wan observed.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"...and have two more children," Anakin added, twisting the ring on his left hand. "You'll like Rory, though. She's heard a lot about you."

And not all of it was whining!

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan contemplated the usefulness of again, Anakin?, of are you sure that is wise, considering?

He was certain both questions were visible on his face. Considering everything, however-- this was not the time, nor the place. He wasn't even sure if there ever would be one, much like he was sure about so little these days.

Except that in attachment, Anakin was Anakin, and had not changed.

"Perhaps I will meet them some day," he said. "What are the children's names?"

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"Juliet and Christopher," Anakin said with a proud smile. "They're young, still."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

"How old?"

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"Juliet's in kindergarten and Christopher's starting preschool in the fall," Anakin said.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan's thoughts drifted to Luke, and the boy's fast growth just over these past few months. But he'd checked in on the boy only yesterday, and his foster parents wouldn't be pleased to see Obi-Wan again any time soon.

"You must be proud," he said, sounding rather more distant.

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"Extremely," Anakin said. "It's nice getting to be involved as they grow up."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan let out a little snort that he couldn't quite contain. "I suppose it would be," he said, "though I daresay considering the source 'nice' might be an understatement."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

Anakin pursed his lips. "Well..."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan cast him a look. "Yes?"

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

He shrugged a shoulder. "It's a second chance. I've gotten too many of them. I don't plan to squander any."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

"A second chance is more than many receive," Obi-Wan said quietly. "At least you recognize as much."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"I'm not the angry boy you knew any more," Anakin said softly. "It was a long, painful lesson but I finally learned it."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[saddeserthermit]

That earned him a small smile.

"You were angry, yes, though I'm not sure anyone who fought in the Clone Wars could have been called boy by the end of it," he said. "Not that it matters."

He touched his beard idly with his thumb.

"I can sense the anger is gone, Anakin. It does me good to see it. I hope you know that. But I wish the learning had not led to such terrible consequences."

Re: Talk to the Teachers

[sith_happened]

"Well, we all do," Anakin said, "but it's not good to dwell on the past. You taught me that, Master."