fandomhigh | Chemistry, Friday, Period 1

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chemistry

Chemistry, Friday, Period 1

Class started too early in the morning, in a science classroom equipped with lab tables, Bunsen burners, and the faint smell of past explosions gone wrong. Safety goggles and gloves were at each workstation, as were supplies that might look familiar to anyone who'd taken a class with Professor Durden before.

Said professor leaned against his desk, watching and assessing the students as they came in.

"Hey," he greeted the class. "Welcome to Chemistry You Can Use. If you've taken a class with me before, welcome back; if you're new, welcome for the first time; and if you want to call me a stickbug, wait until after class."

"This semester is going to be about the cool parts of chemistry. I'll explain the science, don't worry, but most of it is going to be about actions, reactions, and getting things to happen. For that reason, we're going to go kind of fast, but if you need more explanation, let me know and I'll slow down. We aren't in the danger shop most weeks, and we'll be playing with a lot of things that can get you hurt. I'm not your mom, I'm not going to chase you down and force you to wear goggles and gloves -- though I recommend it -- but don't be stupid. If I tell you to quit doing what you're doing, quit it. You put the rest of the class in danger, you get detention. That's my one big rule." He would come up with smaller ones if he had to.

"This week, and I know this is old hat for some of you, we're making soap. Technically" -- he grinned -- "we are creating the alkali salt of a fatty acid." He went through a thumbnail lecture on the science of that. "If you've done it before, try to do it better, or add scents or herbs this time."

"Miss Yamanaka, please see me after class." His tone on that was pointed. "And I need at least one TA, if anybody's up for it."

"But first, introductions. Name, grade, why you're here, and who you would fight if you could fight anyone, living or dead, fictional people included." He jabbed his finger randomly toward a student. "You first."

[OOC: No, this wasn't just in the wrong journal. *handwaves*]

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He is around after class.

[OOC: TAs have been selected OOC, please only ask if you're one of them.]

Edited 2008-09-05 12:41 (UTC)

Ino approached his desk once class let out, and looking totally innocent. "You wanted to see me, Tyler-sensei?"

Edited 2008-09-05 13:58 (UTC)

"I did," he acknowledged. "I got an interesting present in my office Monday. I was wondering if you might be able to tell me a little about it."

She clasped her hands behind her back and glanced up at him. "Radio didn't say anything 'bout a present?"

"The squirrels fell asleep again," Tyler shrugged. "Pie, Ino. Exploding pie. Call me crazy, but when something like that happens, I start thinking it didn't just get up and walk there on its own."

Though in Fandom, it might have.

"Pie explodes and you think of me?" Totally outraged, of course. Completely. Not really.

A beat.

"Did it work?" Shush.

"I had to go to the mainland to get my shirt drycleaned," Tyler answered. "It was very effective, whatever the piemaker ~~not Ned~~ used. I figured you were the type to appreciate something like that." And he was curious what had been used; the tests he'd run had turned up nothing.

"Was that a confession?"

She grinned at that news.

"Depends," Ino answered impishly, "on how much trouble I'd get in if I said yes."

He'd been thinking about this since Monday, actually. "I'm not giving you another detention or go bug Principal Zoe," he declared. "At least, not unless you do something else to earn it. But I would appreciate a straight answer." Just for the record, since he was fairly certain he'd caught his girl.

Ino pondered the pros and cons of that.

Then shrugged. "I handled the explosion part."

"So someone else did the baking," he nodded. He had a few thoughts, but he'd come back to that. "Mind telling me how you made it explode? I ran every test I could and there was nothing in the pie but pie."

Unless whatever she had used had burned off entirely, but that was more complicated than anything he thought Ino could do.

Edited 2008-09-05 14:56 (UTC)

"I don't like cooking," she said. "And I used exploding tags. They’re... a specially treated slip of paper that explodes when triggered. You can get them in all sorts of strengths, though obviously the one I used there wasn’t that strong."

Tyler had noticed paper, but had assumed it was from the baking process. "And thank you for not blowing up more than the pie," he said. "What kind of trigger? I would have found a fuse."

He was starting to have a thought. "Magic?"

"Chakra," she corrected. "Spiritual energy. Totally not magic."

Tyler wasn't sure he saw the difference. "Still not going to show up in the lab," he said, waving a hand through the air. "That's all magic to me."

He shoved his hair back. "So I have a proposition for you."

She eyed him. "Does it involve blowing things up?"

"Among other things," he said. "It seems like you have too much time on your hands, and it's my prerogative as teacher to help with that little problem. Be my TA and lab assistant for the term, and we'll call it good."

What was the saying? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Or, in this case, keep the annoying ones closest.

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

intraspective - 2008-09-05 16:11 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

tyler_gone - 2008-09-05 16:52 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

intraspective - 2008-09-05 16:58 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

tyler_gone - 2008-09-05 17:06 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

intraspective - 2008-09-05 17:13 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

tyler_gone - 2008-09-05 17:18 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

intraspective - 2008-09-05 17:30 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Talk to Tyler [Chemistry, 9/05]

tyler_gone - 2008-09-05 17:35 (UTC) - Expand

Rikku bounced up to Tyler after class. "Oh my gosh, I love this class," she announced. "Is it okay that I'm taking it even though we had chem this summer? They had different names and all. And I did different things with the soap."

"I'm fine with it if the school's fine with it," he told her, with a smile. "There will be fewer explosions this time, anyhow."

"That's okay," Rikku bounced. "I kinda like the sciencey stuff, too. Not just the explosions. I mean, explosions rock, but the science half is how they work. Usually I just guess, you know? And then you start figuring out the rules to it and wow. Much easier than guessing."

She was rambling. She got geeky with stuff like this.

"Rikku," Tyler asked carefully, trying not to beam. "How would you feel about being a TA?"

"I'd love to!" Rikku gushed. "You mean it? Is it okay if I ask lots of stupid questions about extra science stuff and how it all works? This stuff is so cool."

"You can ask whatever you want," Tyler promised. "And I have some books I can even loan you. It's an easy gig, just run class if I'm gone, pay attention if the other kids need help, yell if someone lights themself on fire, all of that."

He pushed his hair back. "This is completely optional for you, but do you have plans Thursday?"

"Totally," Rikku said. "Watch other people and smack them if they do anything dumb. Sounds easy."

She was good at that.

"And nope, not in the least. I don't have any classes, either. Why, what's up?"

"Next week we're doing baking soda volcanoes in class," Tyler explained. "It requires paper mache. Your co-TA" -- there was a glance at Ino, here -- "is committed to help with it, but since you haven't exploded anything at me lately, you don't have to help if you find something better to do. We'll be in the classroom most of the afternoon."

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