« Prev 1 Next » Reply Share Thread Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn MySpace Email Go to Previous Thread Next Thread Please make a selection first Author Topic: Honor and Weakness (Benny) (Read 293 times) dm Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 1, 2009 16:11:27 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top The Headmaster looked across from his desk at the young lady sitting in front of him, the two boys she attempted to stop from fighting were already being punished by Fightmaster. Two boys had gotten in to a fight over something trivial and stupid, and the young lady that was in his office tried to stop it telling them to knock it off, and trying to pull them away. It wasn't until one of the teachers arrived that the fight had been broken up. All three students had been sent to his office for punishment, however after getting the story, and looking at the two boys who were way worse for wear it was apparent what happened. Sending them off with Fightmaster was an obvious punishment and while he had no real intention of punishing the girl he wanted to let her stew as he sat staring at her, his eyes blocked by dark black sunglasses that would mirror her own reflection back to her. His fingers started to tap on the hard wood of his desk, his face remaining blank. He was both impressed and disappointed by her initiative to stop the fight and keep order. It was a trait of leadership, to step in and do what needs to be done. On the other hand she lacked the prowess or resolve to do what had to be done. Her commitment to the rules are admirable, and the non violent approach is very commendable, he was looking for something more. She had potential though, a strong respect for the rules and authority is the foundation he needed, now he just had to make it so that she would do what it took to keep those rules. "Do you know why you are still here even after I agreed that you were just trying to stop the fight?" He asked, he thought he would let her make the venture, see where her head was at, and keep her stewing a bit longer. Back to Top   giggles Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 2, 2009 3:34:00 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Benny stepped in the moment the fight started. She had no idea what the two boys were fighting over; she didn't care. Her first task was to give out a warning, even bring up the possibility of a term in the pit. Either the two cadets were new or just plain stupid; they made no sign of noticing her. When she went between the two of them, she was only pushed back. The commotion caught the attention of one of the teachers. She stood back and watched as the troublemakers stopped fighting. When she was questioned, she answered truthfully to the best of her memory. Even being asked to go to the office didn't faze her one bit. She had her faith in the school's system and believed that no punishment will happen to her as long as she was honest and upheld the school rules. She was the opposite image of the two boys; they looked horrified while she kept a calm face. When they entered the office, she retold the story and watched as the troublemakers were sent off to the Fightmaster. They were most likely going to spend a few days in The Pit, which was the worst punishment that could be handed out at Henry Knox. However, she believed that the headmaster handled the situation well and picked out the perfect way to deal with an undisciplined student. Benny remained in the office. She racked her brains, but found no reason for her to be reprimanded. Although frowned upon at the academy, her dyed hair was a small issue that would never be brought up by one so high up. After giving up on thinking of an explanation, she decided to put her faith in the system, which she always did. A minute of silence passed. She sat up straight and watched her reflection in the headmaster's sunglasses. If he was trying to intimidate her, he didn't do a good job; her face remained impassive like a slab of stone the entire time, even when he brought up his question. She thought over the answer. There was no reason for her to be in here since she broke no rules, and her hair was too small of an offense to be taken seriously by the headmaster. She finally answered honestly, believing that all would turn out well if she continued to put her faith in the system. "No, sir." Although her voice showed no emotion, no hint of fear, she still spoke loudly and clearly enough to have her answer reverberate around the room. Back to Top   dm Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 2, 2009 10:12:31 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top He watched her face, looking for any trace of emotion, doubt and fear mostly. Neither of which seemed to show up on her face, something that was impressive in his mind. Stronger men then her have broken under his gaze before, though he was using his secret weapon then. Even still a total lack of fear and doubt was surprising, and what he was looking for. A minute or so passed before the young girl answered, saying that she had no idea why she was being kept here, which was to be expected. He gave her a small nod, acknowledging her answer. His hands stopped their tapping and he leaned forward, putting his hands together in front of him, his fingers intertwining. "Let me ask you this, how important are rules and how far should someone go to enforce those rules?" He was testing the waters with her, seeing what kind of potential she had. He had plans for her, and if he had to he would mold her to be what he needed, she was a soldier and soldiers were little more then weapons to be used. Back to Top   giggles Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 9, 2009 1:42:41 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top She realized that they were only going to have a small conversation. Yet, she felt as if she was treading in dangerous waters. One misplaced word--or step--would be disastrous. She had to think everything out carefully and give only the wisest answer. What did she think of the rules? Despite upholding every rule, she couldn't tell why. Upholding and enforcing laws just felt natural to her, but explaining that was as difficult as trying to tell someone what pleasure or pain felt like. She counted the seconds that passed by; delaying her answer would be just as bad as telling the headmaster the wrong thing. "Sir, rules are very important. Henry Knox would have never been as good as it now without anything to govern it. In fact, society would collapse without rules in place, sir." She spoke slowly, picking out every word she used with care. Her reply to his second question was delivered seconds after. "Therefore, I uphold and enforce every rule in place. There has to be someone to prevent such a collapse." Without forgetting the position of who she was speaking to, Benny quickly added,"Sir." Back to Top   dm Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 11, 2009 13:24:09 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Her answer was the type of answer he was looking for, but it was lacking the conviction he needed. She said she was willing to enforce the rules, but when it came down to doing just that she fell sort of doing what was necessary to stop other from breaking the rules. The whole situation asks the question, is it ok to break the rules to uphold the rules. In the Headmaster's humble opinion it was. As long as it is sanctioned by the authorities then it is perfectly fine. Murder is against the law, but if a police officer shoots a man about to kill a small child he is a hero, he still killed the man, but by doing so he saved the child, the same principles applied here in his mind. On a much smaller scale true, but they still applied. "It is admirable that you wish to uphold the rules, but your actions today fell short. You were unable to stop the fight. So I ask you this, how far are you willing to go to enforce the rules? How far can you go to stop the collapse of the system?" It was a challenge of sorts, he wanted her to be willing to go all the way, he wanted her to prove herself to him. He would eventually need a champion down the road, someone to help him enforce his rules, there was Fightmaster true, but he wasn't sure how much he could trust him. He would need someone loyal to him above all else. Back to Top   giggles Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 12, 2009 5:13:21 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Was he implying that she should have broke the rules to stop the fighters? It sure did sound like that. Benny was shocked: she didn't think that a person of such authority would tell her that the way she handled the situation was wrong. Ever since she started at Henry Knox, she had always believed that she could only handle things the right way if she followed the rules. Her face didn't show her confusion or shock; it took more to make her lose her composure. However, she still didn't know if she should feel ashamed of herself for being censured by the headmaster. All she did was try to break up a fight while still upholding the rules. She had no idea that an honorable man such as he believed that it was acceptable to break rules in certain situations. If she had known, she would have took a different approach to handling the fight. She wondered, however, if she would still be in the headmaster's office if she had resorted to violence in this sort of situation. It wouldn't look good if the teacher had caught her with her fists raised since there would have been no way to explain her intentions. He asked his question again, and Benny lied. Well, she didn't exactly lie: her opinion on how the rules should be upheld changed before she answered. Headmaster Johnson was a wiser man, after all. His knowledge was greater than Benny's, so she listened to him without question. Her doubts on his words soon disappeared, replaced by tacit agreement. "I will do everything to upload and honor the rules, even at my own expense... Even if I had to break a small rule to uphold a larger once, sir," she replied loudly. Her answer was going--in many people's opinions--a bit too far, especially if she claimed that she would sacrifice herself to uphold the law, but she meant every word. If he wanted her to break rules to enforce other rules, then she would do that. Unlike other students, she meant no harm to the system. If he said that it was necessary, then it was necessary, without a question. Her words took a lot of energy to express; saying something completely different from what she believed the last few years was not easy. However, she wanted to please the headmaster, enough to make him satisfied with her answer. On the other hand, if she guessed wrong about what he wanted her to say, then she was in deep trouble. To some people, her comment could be misunderstood as something bad. « Last Edit: Jun 12, 2009 5:17:23 GMT -6 by giggles » Back to Top   dm Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 18, 2009 22:46:13 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top "I am pleased to hear that you are able to see the bigger picture. Understand that this is not an invitation to break the rules, and you might even be punished for breaking the rules in order to defend others. However, I trust that you are able to judge when it is appropriate to step in and break a rule for the greater good." He said she might be punished for breaking the rules because he didn't know what she would do. Naturally it would all come down to the situation at hand, but he wanted to make sure that she understood that he was not giving her an invitation to break the rules that were in place, he was simply encouraging her to do whatever was necessary to keep the peace, even if it hurt her. He was asking her to be a leader. To be willing to put herself on the line to defend what was right. "Just remember, that sometimes the individual has to go against the established order in order to protect the majority. If someone was to attack the school I would expect the students to fight back, regardless of what the rules say, and if someone was endangering a student I would hope that you would stop it at all costs." He said watching her reaction. Gauging how she was taking his words, as well as her understanding of what he was saying and what he expected of her. Back to Top   giggles Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 26, 2009 3:06:23 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Her beliefs had been wrong the whole time. She had been too rigid in upholding the rules, forgetting what the most important matter was. An important aspect of Benny's personality was her self-sacrificing for the sake of others. The headmaster made her realize that, although her intentions had been good, she had helped out the school in the wrong way. She was silent for a moment, to let his words sink in more deeply. There was so much to think about that she needed time alone just to sort the thoughts that jumbled in her head. She had to figure out a new approach to dealing with the troublemakers at Henry Knox. Her old methods had to be discarded. There was just so much to take care of, which meant drastic and tough changes. "Sir, I have been at this school for three years, and until today, I did not understand the true meaning of how I should serve Henry Knox. I can assure you that I will sacrifice myself to uphold what is right at this academy, sir." Her voice was laced with feeling, an exact opposite from the monotone she used daily. Her love and respect for the school somehow had the ability to do that. Benny couldn't keep the mask on every moment of the day, after all. « Last Edit: Jun 26, 2009 3:06:43 GMT -6 by giggles » Back to Top   dm Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Honor and Weakness (Benny) « Jun 28, 2009 20:27:02 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top The cold look on the Headmaster's face melted slightly, giving the impression of an almost fatherly warmth as he looked at the child before him. He felt very little for her personally, but her dedication was refreshing, much like his own. He saw similarities between the two of them, both of them willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Trusting in those wiser and more powerful to do what is best. The majority of the students couldn't understand that, didn't understand that by fighting each other they only weakened themselves and the whole, they expect everyone to answer to them, but that isn't how the world works. This young lady seemed to have more understanding then any of his other cadets, orders don't always make sense to the one following them, but if you trust that there is a bigger picture and do your part then everything will come together in the end. The Headmaster stood up, motioning for the young lady to do the same before turning to face his windows, windows that overlooked the school grounds. His Kingdom as it were, but more importantly his objectives. Outside his window was to be the grounds of change and progress. "Do you see everyone outside? Unchecked these students would turn this place to chaos, the tides of power shifting with who could throw the best punch. The world is no different, countries only as powerful as the might of their military and economy. Unlike a majority of your peers you are willing to accept that man does not control his fate. We are all guided by the unseen hands of power, you can choose to follow orders and make a life for yourself or you can fight it in vain, drowning in the currents of your own inability to change the world." He spoke partly to the young lady beside him, and partly to himself. Looking beyond the world presented to him in his glass to his reflection, dimly shown in the glass. A lot happened over the years to change him, everything bringing him here, to this moment. This moment would in turn lead him to the next, and that one to yet another moment. He truly did feel that he had no control of his destiny, that his fate was set in stone, while many men would feel hopelessness or anger at that, Johnson simply felt comfort. He knew his place in the world, and what he was to do, he was part of something larger than himself, and while he may not be remembered by history, the things that could be accomplished because of his work would be. That was enough for him. Back to Top   Reply Share Thread Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn MySpace Email Go to Previous Thread Next Thread Please make a selection first