fandomhigh | Mythbusting, Tuesday, 7/28, Period 2

There were ice baths set up at each Danger Shop lab station today, and Tyler tossed goggles and gloves at each student as they came in. He folded his arms and waited for the class to settle before beginning. If he was enjoying teaching this session a little less than he normally did, he gave little sign.

Then he reached onto his desk and held up a container of clear, thick stuff. "So this," he said, "is the extra glycerin from the soap we made the first week. And now it's time to get to the fun part and make it nitroglycerin. Not a straight myth, but hey, it seems worth exploring in class."

He pointed out two vials on his desk. "This is nitric acid. The big one is sulfuric acid. What you're going to do is add the nitric to to three times the amount of sulfuric in the ice batch, then start adding the glycerin with an eyedropper."

"This is a delicate reaction, so please, work in pairs if you can stand it. One person watches the vat, other one drops in the glycerin. You'll know you're done when it gels up."

"Once you see that happen, you can scoop it out and mix it with sawdust to get a plastic explosive. You can roll it together and light it on fire. We don't have to do that this week, but if you have time, we have a lovely shooting range for you to test it in." He gestured to the back wall of the shop and hit a button on the control panel, transforming it into a wall of assorted moddable targets.

"You can also fake a similar reaction with some supermarket stuff -- Diet Pepsi and kitty litter, or orange juice and gasoline. I'm ~~handwavily~~ passing around a handout on that stuff, if you're interested and want to do that instead of nitro. Just remember, this is Danger Shop only."

"Go to work. I'll be around. Ino, ~~if you're here~~ please wait after class."

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Ah. That was a good tone. Tyler would do his best to keep it up and maybe no one would get hurt.

"Yes. Take a seat -- this might be a few minutes." He was going to be at the desk in the Danger Shop, himself. "I appreciate the way you expressed yourself in the letter."

He thought the letter had, to some extent, missed the point, but he recognized he'd done the same the week before so it was only fair.

She perched on one of the seats silently.

Ino blinked at him for his second comment. "You're welcome?" she hazarded, kicking her legs lightly. "I tried to be clear, Mr. Durden."

"You were. Many points for clarity," Tyler confirmed.

It wasn't that he didn't have manners; it was that he didn't think they generally got him anywhere. This was one of the rare occasions when they seemed like they might be worth the trouble.

"I respect you have strong feelings about Fiona's powers. Do you want me to explain why I don't see them as a larger problem for Fight Club, or should we leave it there?"

Ino took a deep breath.

"Possibly," she said steadily, "because in the club the two major parties are those who are so advanced that she can take what she wants, or doesn't want but takes anyway for that matter, and it doesn't matter because they're just that much better, and those who are just beginning and whom her skills already surpass."

"Those who are in-between aren't nearly as populous."

"That ... isn't where I was going, but I see that," Tyler said. "But the main reason is that we can't make club fair. I can't undo how fast she learns, or take away your training when you're up against someone like Turtle or Harper."

He held up a hand to stop her from interrupting. "We have placed some specific limits because of her other gifts. But, honestly, Ino, we aren't here because you walked away from that fight."

Edited 2009-07-28 15:13 (UTC)

"No sir," Ino said, back straight. "We're here because of my attitude."

As she clamped down on the hundred and one things she could say about the rest of it. He wasn't going to listen to her, she wasn't going to argue with him.

Tyler gave her a suspicious look. "Spit out whatever it is you want to say, Ino."

Ino stared back at him for a moment.

"You can't take away my training," she said, picking her words carefully. "But I can control my response to those with less training so that they're not instantly overwhelmed--so that it's a challenge, and they're learning something, all at once."

She hesitated.

"Fiona Post lacks the ability to control her abilities. I am not arguing that it's not fair, sir, but I am stating that in my opinion it goes against the rules of Fight Club and that I personally find it distasteful to go against someone like that."

A pause.

"Mr. Durden."

"All right," Tyler nodded. His answer was still well, life isn't fair, but he respected that this was Ino's point of view, and she didn't seem inclined to waiver from it at all. "From here, the only powers we place limits on are ones that are dangerous to other people -- physically dangerous," he clarified.

"Fiona's aren't, but I respect that you don't, personally, want to fight her, and I won't match you again."

"I don't have any matches currently," she reminded him, sitting almost at attention. "Until the fall, but that restriction is good to know."

"And in the fall, we'll talk with you to see if there's anyone else you would rather not be matched against."

He might end up just not giving her assigned matches at all if she had too many objections, but that was a topic for a different day.

"Now -- the attitude." A pause. "You spent a lot of time in the letter talking about Fiona, and not much apologizing for that."

Edited 2009-07-28 15:54 (UTC)

You mean I should have grovelled more? Ino thought, keeping it off her face.

"I apologized for my behaviour, sir," Ino said neutrally. "And I am making the attempt to remain on my best behaviour from now on."

When dealing with authority. Even if she didn't, actually, respect them. Appearance was ninety percent of the battle.

No, he didn't mean she should have grovelled; he meant he would have appreciated more than a token apology for shouting at him in his classroom.

But there really wasn't much he could do with that just then that wouldn't sound whiny. She clearly wasn't insightful enough to understand that more than the token was needed, and he had to doubt she'd learned anything at all beyond that he was just another teacher.

If that's what she thinks, that's what I'll be, he thought.

So:

"I'll live," he said dryly. "Anything I can help you with before I let you go?"

He was just another teacher--he'd made that quite clear to her.

"No, Mr. Durden," she said, wincing slightly as she shoved her walls back up to full power before her expression slid to something approximating expressionless. "I don't need your help."

"Then go enjoy your day." There was only the slightest hint of sarcasm on the words.

He wasn't entirely happy about this resolution, or the dead look on Ino's face, but it seemed to be the best he would get.

"Thank you," she said dryly, shouldering her back. "Mr. Durden."

He watched her go through hooded eyes. He'd lost her trust; if he wanted it back, he'd need time, though just then and from her he'd take respect over trust.

And then he was asleep and dreaming about a dark-haired student he knew he'd seen around campus.

Blinking himself awake, he had to wonder what the hell was going on.

Mythbusting, Tuesday, 7/28, Period 2

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