Basic Strategy, Monday, Period 4

[halfman-lion.livejournal.com]

As the students took their seats, they would each find a book being rather firmly placed on their desks by a teacher who had switched to modern dress for the week, though he wasn't quite sure he understood the point of his tie.

"Books," Tyrion informed them, once he'd finished the process of handing them out, "are the greatest tool there is in sharpening a mind. You may not think you need a sharp mind; perhaps you can get by on charging at things with a sword. And certainly that will work for some of you some of the time. For the rest of the time -- and especially for ensuring you have a properly full mind in a time of crisis -- there's nothing like reading."

"I am aware that there are other ways to obtain and store information on the island, but from what I can tell plain words on paper retain some popularity. Let's stick to those for the day."

"Your assignment is a simple one. Take the book I've handed you at random. Read as much as you can from it in the next half-hour. Then turn to the person next to you and have a discussion about what you read, and how you can see using the information in the future. And, sometime over the next week, pick out a book from the library or bookstore that talks about something you know nothing about, and be prepared to explain it to me when we next meet."

"If you cannot read, please let me know and we'll work out an alternate assignment." Probably it would be learning how to read, but that was a detail.

Comments

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"Hey, any chance you want to trade?" Bart was leaning over to read the cover of Stephanie's book. "Mine's a little... um... weird." Bart gestured at the book on Multi-particle Collision Dynamics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-particle_collision_dynamics) and looked awkward.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Stephanie took one look at the cover of Bart's book and made a sound that couldn't be described as anything other than a vocal wince. "I think my brain cracked in two just thinking about that," she said sympathetically. "But all things considered, it might not be un-useful. How do you feel about Christmas carols?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"Christmas is that one with the presents and the big guy with the beard, right? I think I'd like that more than this." Bart grinned and held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Bart."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Santa's a no-show in this book, but thaaaaaaaaat'd be the one," Stephanie confirmed with a laugh and reached out to shake his hand. "Stephanie, and good timing, since if we'd done this introduction thing over the weekend you'd be horribly confused today."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Bart looked confused for a moment, then figured it out. "Right, what with the whole girls-turning-into-boys thing. Kenzi didn't seem to be very pleased about that."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Uuuuuuugh," Stephanie said, really drawing that one out, but hey, at least she handed her book over as she did. "No offense to boys, but I'm fine not being one. I'm not against life throwing me curveballs, in principle! But that's hitting below the belt, and could I mix up my sports metaphors any worse?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"I probably could. I played baseball once. I think." He thought back, winced, then grinned again. "I'm not offended. I don't see the problem with being a boy, but I guess I wouldn't want to be a girl, so... makes sense." He slid the big book of math and stuff over to her and took a look at her book. Much better. No numbers or greek letters.

"Not sure how useful this would be, but it's definitely easier to read. Thanks!"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? I used to play softball at Gotham Heights," Stephanie remarked, and flipped open the book. Ack ack ack all of this looked more like gibberish than anything else!

". . .oooookay, while I can see how this would be useful, that would involve actually understanding it first, wouldn't it?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"Wait a minute." Bart's eyes were wide. "You're from Gotham? Have you ever seen Batman?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha. Well. Boy, that's a loaded question.

Stephanie coughed. "Entirely possible I might have, a few times. You've heard of it?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Bart nodded. "Yeah my friend Tim told me..." He stopped mid-thought. "... all about this time he saw Batman. Yeah. I've never been to Gotham ever and I wouldn't have any way of seeing Batman. I just think he's cool. Yeah."

Master of the secret identity, thy name is Bart Allen.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Good thing Stephanie wasn't chewing any gum or anything, or she might have choked on it right about then.

"Total stab in the dark and all," she began, "because there's about a gazillion Tims in the world, but this one wouldn't happen to be Tim Drake, would it?"

Not that she was letting on that the pause made her wonder.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Bart blinked. "Yeah. Tim is a good friend of mine. We're in... a club together. Um. A Batman fan club. Yeah. We talk about Batman and stuff."

There was a long pause as Bart tried to plug all the holes in his story. It wasn't working. "How do you know Tim?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Very funny, universe. Very funny.

"He's my ex-boyfriend," Stephanie explained, her face contorting into an expression of disbelief that only Fandom was capable of prompting. "Maybe not the same Tim you know, but . . ."

Okay, she'd been to Titans Tower once. Things just might be starting to click. Hey, maybe she wasn't hopeless as a detective after all! Still, she wasn't about to go blowing anybody's secret identity on a half-wild guess, so --

"He's been a Batman fanboy as long as I've known him. I'm not surprised."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Oh, awkward. Maybe she knew who he was... But Tim was always more concerned about his secret identity than the rest of the team. He never mentioned a girlfriend, though. So either Tim didn't want to talk about her, which was like him or... this was some weird Fandom thing. Bart was kinda getting used to that.

"Yeah... he sure does love Batman." Bart cocked his head to one side and then looked at the books. Then back at her. Darn those secret identities.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Stephanie didn't actually have a clue who he was beyond her current working 'possibly one of the Titans' theory, and not enough to call him on it. (Definitely not in class, either.)

"To be fair, he's a pretty big Robin fan too, but as someone with a Superboy poster on my bedroom wall," she said lightly, shrugging, "I can't really talk. Glass houses, really big boulders, you know?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

"You have a Superboy poster on your wall?" He sounded more incredulous than mocking. "I have to tell C- um.. my friend. He thinks Superboy is the best thing since sliced bread."

He does, it's true.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

If what Cass had told her was any indication? Definitely true.

"Yes, but." Stephanie held up a hand, grinning. "I swear I have never gotten into an internet flame war over which superhero is the best."

Also she was still kind of cranky that Conner refused to acknowledge her being Robin.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Bart opened his mouth to reply. This time, he managed to catch himself. Max would be proud. "Yeah. I've hard that argument with my friends."

He was resisting the urge to ask her stuff about Tim. It was really hard. Talk about something else. "Hey, do you remember when Superboy used to wear that leather jacket?"

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Uh huh," Stephanie said in the tone that most people from more mundane worlds might use when reminiscing about middle school boy-band crushes. (In other words, a little too enthusiastic, and then promptly a bit embarrassed about it.) "I never actually got to meet him but boy, do I remember those pictures."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Bart blinked and looked at her oddly. Then he said tentatively, "I've... met him once. He's a pretty cool guy." He looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction.

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" Stephanie wasn't entirely sure of that herself at the moment, but she could give him the benefit of the doubt, couldn't she? It wasn't like anyone had bothered to explain to him what someone else was doing in Tim's costume all of a sudden, after all. Oops. "I never have --" which was technically true, and it might be evident she was trying extra hard to sound casual -- "but I've heard stuff from people who have."

Re: READ & DISCUSS [9/26]

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

The gears in Bart's head were grinding against each other. It was hard to talk about people you knew without letting on that you knew them. Flipping secret identities. "Yeah..." There was couple moments where Bart was just kinda staring into nothing.

"So... IhavetoaskareyouasuperherobecauseyouknowtimandI'mnotsupposedtotalkabouthowhe'sasuperherobutIhavetoandthisiskillingme!" His eyes went wide with shock and he dropped his head to the desk, hair flopping. Under his breath he muttered, "grife, Max is going to kill me."