fandomhigh | Chemistry, Period 1, 11/21

The circles under Tyler's eyes were dark as kohl, and he held himself stiffly as he plopped Smoochy's head on his desk, then turned to face the class.

"Gunpowder," he announced, changing the class topic because he knew he couldn't do nitroglycerin if he was less than at his best. "We're making it. We aren't in the Danger Shop today, so put your lab coats, goggles and gloves on, and, ladies, pull your hair back." He waited for his instructions to be followed before talking again.

"What you're going to do is combine sulfur, saltpeter and carbon. You're going to grind them all up, then mix them, four parts saltpeter to one of carbon -- your carbon is in charcoal briquettes -- and one of sulfur." He turned to scrawl 2 KNO3 + S + 3 C → K2S + N2 + 3 CO2 on the board. "That is the reaction behind it," he said, going on to explain the equation. "Once you've got the powder fine enough, show me and, if it looks okay, we can go outside and set off model rockets with it."

"This is the real stuff. People get hurt doing this. Any questions, comments, anything looks funny, please talk to me before you blow your hand off."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"The other guy was a helicopter," Tyler said. "Crash. But it's scrap metal now. So ... yes."

Edited 2008-11-21 16:26 (UTC)

"What's your damage?" she asked, with a tilt of her head.

Tyler paused. "In the literal sense or the Jennifers sense?"

"...Jennifers?" Ino asked dubiously, then shook her head. "I meant literally, though."

"Old movie. Bitchy girls in high school, Christian Slater talks Winona Ryder into murder and the head bitch asks somebody else what her damage is. It's kind of funny," Tyler explained, because film education was much more important than answering Ino's question.

"I'm ... standing. I think I have a cracked rib and I'm black and blue. But I'm counting standing as a win."

Ino scowled at him. "I can't do much 'bout the rib, but the bruises I can heal if you'd like?"

A beat.

"Though I'd need to see them, and I don't think you'd care for that in class."

"Tempting as stripping down might be," Tyler drawled, "I'll pass. I can swing by the clinic later if it's really bad. But thanks."

"I will check the clinic records to see if you do," she threatened.

Okay, the threat was kind of cute, which probably wasn't quite the effect Ino was going for.

"And what will you do if I don't?"

Ino would be mortally offended at that, even.

For about five minutes.

"I," and there was a pause as she scrambled for an appropriate threat for a teacher (Were there appropriate threats for a teacher? She didn't know.), "...don't know." She deflated visibly for a few seconds before narrowing her eyes at him. But you'll be sorry." Or something.

"I'll take care of myself," Tyler promised.

This was not the same as promising to go to the clinic.

She glared at him. She caught that evasion.

"Clinic."

"I had a mother, Ino."

"That's nice," she said mutinously. "Clinic."

Tyler really wished he could give detentions just for annoying him when he wasn't in the mood, but he was pretty sure Zoe wouldn't go for that. "All right," he conceded. He could use the painkiller scrip anyhow. "And do you talk to all your teachers this way, or did I win the lottery today?"

"I talk that way to anyone who tries to avoid proper care," she said loftily.

She'd mothered Cable after he'd woken out of his coma. Tyler had had no chance of avoiding the same thing.

Tyler nodded, a little uneasy; not much else to say to that. "So,"he said instead, "you found my desktop decor amusing?"

Her giggling had been mostly silent, but it was still hard to miss.

That, of course, got a glance at his desk. And her eyes sparkled with laughter.

"Who wouldn't?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. "It is hilarious."

"Some people might be concerned about the destruction of property," Tyler said, almost solemn as he tried not to laugh. "Not to mention the poor, innocent purple plush animals who died to make the pelt."

"Are you concerned 'bout destruction of property?" Ino asked, giggling now. "'Cause, um, that looks pretty destructed, just saying..."

"Off the clock, I think destruction of property is pretty fu- pretty awesome," Tyler admitted, managing not to swear at the last moment. "Smoochy is dead. Long live Smoochy."

Her grin widened.

"Does the rest of him look so bad?" she asked artlessly, wrinkling her nose cheerfully at Smoochy. "Or is that all that's left?"

A beat.

"Are you going to keep the head?"

"He's pretty brutalized," Tyler said. "And probably. I could nail it to my office wall like a game hunter."

Chemistry, Period 1, 11/21

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]

Re: Talk to Tyler [11/21]