fandomhigh | Adventuring Survival Tactics, Period 4, A Classroom, 1/19/07

The Doctor had upgraded from carpet swatches to bean bag chairs, this week. There were a multitude of colors and patterns. He was sitting in one himself, that was bright pink with big white polka dots.

"Today, we're talking about a very, very important tool. That is running away. Also known as the tactical retreat, skidaddle, and vamoose. You may think that facing up to something involves standing your ground and not backing down, but that's just completely nutters, that. You stand your ground when you're ankle-deep in quicksand, you've doomed yourself. Now, retreat a few steps and get your enemy there, well, congratulations. You've used running away to your advantage, you have."

He clapped his hands together and smiled.

"Now obviously, this topic could have a lot of debate. And that's exactly what I want you to do. Pair up, and do a bit of pro/con work. Think about how you can use retreat for good, and how it might not work out. Also, think about any adages and sayings you know. Living to fight another day is much better than dying a brave man, I've found. I'll be happy to debate this point with anyone, but the main lesson here is this: There is no stigma to running away. It does not make you a coward. A coward dies in the face of horrible odds. A brave man retreats to live under opression until his true opportunity presents itself."

"Also, I want you to think about the importance of proper footwear, how high heels will be the death of all of you, the ability of women to find the one pothole in an open field, and why twisted ankles are completely and utterly inevitable. Go on. Discuss."

He felt rather smug.

Even though he'd really just succesfully taught... almost nothing at all.

[ooc: OCD ~~a-comin~~ up.]

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"You're right. That's a long time to establish yourself as a chauvanist. I shouldn't expect you to be able to adapt to the changing mentality of mankind so quickly. But, word of advice, women can do almost anything that men can do. And vice versa. Be it smart, or dumb."

The Doctor was now rolling his eyes.

"Very nice, playing the 'chauvinist' card. You think I'm trying to bash women? Or build up men? All you apes are alike in your great abilities to be stupid. But over the years I've seen more twisted ankles and broken heels than I can count. I've also seen more butt kicked by the likes of Leela, Ace and the rest than you could dream of. Hear the facts, Miss Santos. Don't attribute an agenda that isn't there."

"Twisted ankles are not inevitable. Women don't have a magical ability to find the one pothole. You're pigeon-holing humanity, doesn't matter how you dress it up. Don't assume."

"And you're so self important that everything you think is right, even when you are hearing is expert advice from someone who is responsible many times over for you having the right to live and breath and think those stupid little thoughts you find so dear," the Doctor said.

"Wow, that's some ego you've got there, Doctor." Nadia wasn't about to back down. "I'm not saying that I, or anyone else, is always right. I'm just saying that, in this case, you're wrong."

"Oh, now it gets down to name calling, does it?" the Doctor said. "You hold no respect for those around you, you find the idea of proving someone wrong more interesting than actually opening your mind up to the idea that 'oh, golly, maybe there is a tendency in stressful situations for people to not remember to tread carefully with their nonsensible shoes'. That maybe I was cracking a joke about pothole finding radar, and that maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't treat everything so buggering serious sometimes."

"...and you smell funny."

Nadia scowled. "I do not. I bathe regularly."

"That's really all you got out of that? The dumb joke at the end?"

"Of course not." Nadia smiled slightly. "Sorry, I've just had to spend a lot of time defending my life, choices, and gender to people who assume way too much just by looking at something once. It gets to be a habit."

"...you really thought I was attacking all of womankind?"

"You said 'Also, I want you to think about the importance of proper footwear, how high heels will be the death of all of you, the ability of women to find the one pothole in an open field, and why twisted ankles are completely and utterly inevitable. Go on. Discuss'," Nadia said, in an almost frighteningly accurate immitation of the Doctor's accent and intonations, if not the actual pitch of his voice. She also adopted a mannerism or two that she'd picked up on in the last two classes with him.

Really, any better, and her ears would start to stick out.

She was subtlely making the words seem more smug and attack-like, but it was a little thing, impossible to tell exactly how she did it.

"So, yeah, sounded kind of like an attack, to me."

"They were seperate statements!" the Doctor protested. "One, and that was the joke, specifically mentioned women."

"Well, it wasn't a very good one, then!"

"Nine hundred years of twisted ankles! I'm not making that up!"

"And again, I've never twisted an ankle running away from something. Neither has anyone else I've had to run away from something with. I've had lots of other stuff happen, but not that."