prefect debates!

[ugly-old-hat.livejournal.com]

Starter Debate Questions:

1) How will you make your House a better place?
2) Are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced?
3) Teamwork is important. How do you get along with the members of your House?
4) If you were to get your ass kicked, who would you want to do it and why?
5) Who is your hero and why?
6) Where my lasers at?


Rules for the Debate:

A. Any persons currently nominated for Prefect may choose to answer or not answer any questions asked.

B. Any Hogwarts student or staff member, including those running for Prefect, may pose additional questions to any or all nominees. If you would like to ask nominees questions, please ask them now ((OOCly: post them in a comment or comments to this post. Be sure to indicate in your subject line that your comment contains questions, and if they are directed to specific candidates, please indicate that, as well.)) Keep in mind that nominees are not required to answer any questions. Voters may choose to take failure to answer any way they would like.

C. Question answering begins immediately, and lasts until the time the Polls go up, which will be approximately 8:00 p.m. Monday, August 24, 2009. ((OOCly that's 8 pm Eastern Daylight Time. ICly it wouldn't make any sense to specify a time zone since they're all at Hogwarts XD ))

Comments

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Mikami was relieved to see that at least four of the starter questions were actually relevant. He hadn't had much confidence in this being a proper debate. His voice was confident and steady as he answered, nothing in his manner betraying just how desperately he wanted to be chosen. This was it, his chance to mean something to this world. He'd have prayed for it, if there'd been anyone left to hear him.

"How will I make my House a better place? By promoting the virtues Hufflepuff represents - justice, diligence and loyalty. I would encourage my fellow students to uphold these values and take pride in belonging to a house which embodies them.

I served as class president throughout elementary and middle school, so yes, I am experienced. It was many years ago now, but the lessons I learned from those days have remained with me all my life."

He hesitated for a moment before answering the next one, but he couldn't claim to be upholding Hufflepuff values if he wasn't going to answer honestly. Well, truthfully. There was no need to bring up the part about the lessons of his childhood having made him into a serial killer.

"How do I get along with the members of my House? I - must confess that I don't know many of them as well as I should, yet. But if I am elected Prefect, I will do my best to encourage my fellow students and to help whoever needs me.

If I were to..." He cut that one off. "I've had the honour of being trained in self-defence by Sanada Yukimura, so I suppose I already have the answer to this question. I'm willing to endure whatever it takes in order to prevail in the future, however arduous the lesson may be." There, he'd managed to make that one make sense.

"A hero? Winston Churchill, who is a figure I've long admired for his courage and determination. A man who lead a small nation against tremendous odds, and vowed never to surrender to evil.

And, finally -" He considered the last question for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm afraid I have nothing to say about the lasers. Thank you."

[ringo-raver.livejournal.com]

A rather meddlesome shinigami hovered behind Mikami.

"Hey Mikami. How does it feel to be the prettiest boy in the school?"

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Mikami sighed heavily. "I hardly think that's a relevant topic for this debate."

Still, it could have been worse.

[ringo-raver.livejournal.com]

"Why not? I nominated you for it." Ryuk said, grinning.

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I noticed the sparkling."

[ringo-raver.livejournal.com]

Ryuk grinned. "That shows that I care."

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"It shows that you have far too much time on your hands. If you don't mind, I have real questions to answer."

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"The virtues of Hufflepuff? Really? Is that what they call blind devotion to a megalomaniacal mass murderer?" I ask in my sweetest tone.

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Mikami had been expecting something like this, and managed not to show much of a reaction apart from going very still for a moment. "I believed," he said, in the flattest tone possible, "that I was acting for the good of humanity."

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Which, of course, entailed killing many humans without recourse to the legal system?" I press. "I see. This is good for humanity."

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"That's not what I said. I believed that Kira chose me to enact divine judgement, and I was wrong. I'm not even saying that I deserve a second chance after what I've done, but since by the nature of this place I have one, it's my duty to make some contribution to this world. Call it an atonement, if you like."

He probably ought to have stopped there, but he didn't. "And you're making it sound as though I killed indiscriminately. Those 'many humans' were primarily violent criminals who would have gone on to end more innocent lives than I ever did. Speaking of which, how many people have you murdered, Mello?"

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Including my own?" I ask. "I don't see how that matters since I wasn't proclaiming to uphold justice. I was after your precious Kira and you. It was about proof and not getting trapped and killed." I shove my hands in my pockets. "You would have killed me, without knowing anything about me, just on Kira's word."

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"You don't see how it matters?" Mikami shook his head. "Being indifferent to morality doesn't keep it from applying to you. Are you claiming to uphold justice now? You should answer that before you talk about my hypocrisy."

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"So, Teru, you feel that I am unqualified to point out your hypocrisy because I do not practice any of my own? Or because I don't claim to uphold justice?" I lean forward a little. "Or is it because you know I'm right?"

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"Again, that's not what I said, Mello." The tone was heavy with condescension. He resisted the urge to say 'Mihael' - if this exchange wasn't destroying his credibility as a candidate, having Mello hex his mouth shut again probably would. "What are you doing now, if not claiming to uphold justice?"

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"I am doing exactly the same thing I was doing then. Beating Near," I say, leaning back. "And you have yet to answer why I am unqualified to point out your hypocrisy."

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"...I don't think any of us needed to hear that," Mikami muttered. "All right," he added, raising his voice again, "I'll spell this out. You claimed that your own crimes are irrelevant here because you don't care about upholding justice. Leaving aside the question of whether that's a valid argument, if you're so indifferent to morality, what was the point of your original question to me?"

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Leaving aside any morality at all," I say, mocking his tone, "the point of the original question is to point out that your actions tend toward not only the fanatical but you will use weak arguments to justify those actions until such time as proof is presented that you are in error. At that time, your actions will continue extreme, though self-destructive, as a good fanatic will do."

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"I see. Well, we all know what I used to be now." In the worst possible terms, but there was no way he could deny any of it. Damn Mello. The only way he'd be elected now would be if no one had been listening to them. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me? Preferably something that's not about my hair."

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Why would I say anything about your hair? Are you vain now, too?" I ask. God, he's really gone off the deep end.

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"That was sarcasm, Mello." He gave a pointed look towards Ryuk. "Some of my alleged supporters appear fascinated by it."

He was starting to prefer that to this, though. At least there was hope of rising above the 'prettiest boy in Hogwarts' business.

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Sarcasm? Really? One of us wouldn't know it if it bit us on the ass," I say, glaring at him. "And, it's your fault that idiot shinigami likes you. He finds you rather amusing, I'm sure."

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Mikami continued glaring right back. "Yes, I'm familiar with his type of amusement. Do you have another question?"

[mello-n-choco.livejournal.com]

"Just the one I originally asked and you have yet to answer," I reply, pulling out a chocolate bar. "Just what are the values of Hufflepuff that you claim to know about and uphold?" I unwrap the bar as I talk and take a bite when I'm finished.

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

"You didn't ask that question in any way that indicated you sincerely wanted an answer," Mikami snapped. "The values of Hufflepuff, traditionally, are hard work, justice and loyalty, and I suppose you're about to claim I have no right to speak to the 'justice' part."