13 Griffin Way, Monday Night

[tyler_gone]

Ghanima had called and, in a minimum of words, let Tyler knew that her in-class conversation with Miss Walters had not gone well, and she would appreciate some distraction and a few words with Tyler.

Which he could provide. "Distraction," it turned out, was also spelled "bottle of scotch," but so it went. He set things up in the living room -- and hey, he even found crackers and cheese to go with the scotch -- and waited for his co-organizer.

[OOC: For one, unless the housemates need him. Ghani modded with permission.]

Comments

[atreideslioness]

"We aren't dumping it on Zoe, we're calling in reinforcements," Ghanima replied wearily.

She knocked back the rest of her drink and made a face. "She didn't say, which is why I was so furious that she did not go to the clinic. Even if she had a clean bill of health on Saturday, she got hit on Sunday. She needs to be checked out."

[tyler_gone]

"And how long could she have even been gone, anyhow?" Tyler wondered. "Best case is, it was one of those weird things where a week at home equals a day here. I can't believe she thought getting hit was an awesome idea."

Unless she really hated herself, but that was its own kind of problem.

[atreideslioness]

"I don't think anything about this is a best case scenario," Ghanima sighed. "Still, I think we can salvage something from this, even if it's only to get her checked out by Dr. Jones or another member of the clinic staff."

Jennifer could hate Ghanima forever if she wanted, and Ghani wouldn't care. But that girl would have to face reality eventually.

"In the end, she'll be the one left with the results of whatever she does, or does not do. We can't help her if she won't let us." She held out her glass imploringly. "What we can do is enjoy your fine scotch and cheese, and bemoan the day we became responsible-ish adults."

[tyler_gone]

"It'll keep us awake during club meetings, watching for stuff like this," Tyler said, after a philosophical sip of his whisky. "... which reminds me. Ino's not happy we said she can't use her fake clones-and-wood thing."

[atreideslioness]

"And the first time her opponent is faster than her, or blasts one off in another direction that she doesn't anticipate, we'll have injured club members on our hands," Ghanima replied curtly. "The entire point of fight club is working on hand-to-hand; we made it clear that weapons are a privilege, not a right."

"You do not see our Jedi members using their lightsabers during fight club. If Miss Yamanaka requires powers-practice, she needs to find a mentor to work with."

[tyler_gone]

"Some of the Jedi do use their mind stuff," Tyler pointed out, not exactly disagreeing. "The thing is, I've never seen a Jedi lose control or do anything that could hurt anybody but their sparring partner, and we get a shitload of them."

He lolled his head back against the couch. The Scotch was settling over him like a warm blanket. "Why can't hand-to-hand and not being injured be enough for people? It's not like the club rules are exactly complicated."

[atreideslioness]

"They aren't complicated. We wrote the rules for an idiot to understand," Ghanima sulked. "'Sparring for Dummies,' as it were."

"One of my goals in starting the club was to teach the children how to fight without relying on their powers. You never know when you'll find yourself in a situation where you can't use them, and I don't want them to find themselves helpless because they're too dependent on a gimmick." She tapped her fingers against her glass thoughtfully. "Do you think we should re-iterate the principals when the fall semester starts? We've been relying on the participants to use common sense, but if they can't manage that..."

[tyler_gone]

"I think we're going to have to," Tyler said. "Talk slowly. Maybe make everyone sign a pledge. I heard Anakin does that every time he teaches flight."

"I think nobody sees the beauty in losing, is the problem." Tyler, ont he other hand, lived in that beauty.

[atreideslioness]

"Or in the fight itself," Ghanima agreed. "You know, somehow that doesn't shock me about Anakin in the slightest. We can even make it clear that they have to sign the pledge since the rules have already been broken once, and we do not want to risk anyone else."

[tyler_gone]

Tyler shook his head. "No reason to put Jen on the spot like that. Just have it there when they come in and make them sign off. We should revise the rules while we're at it."

Goddamned paperwork creep.

"Any particular reason we're waiting a month and a half?"

[atreideslioness]

"Get the new people all at once, rather than doing it now and again in a month and a half?" Ghanima suggested. "That way we don't waste people's time? Or maybe I'm just lazy."

More the former than the latter, really.

"I think if we post revised rules next week, that might be a good enough hint for the current crop without, as you said, putting Jennifer on the spot. Anything more would probably make her feel even more self-conscious, and I'd rather not alienate her farther," she continued. "If this is a permanent change, she's going to need the club to learn how to manage it."

[tyler_gone]

"Not wasting time makes sense," Tyler nodded. "And you're right. She needs to learn how to either fight without that happening, or manage it if it does."