fandomhigh | Kicking Ass, Teamwork Style [Wednesday, Period 3, Week 6]

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Kicking Ass, Teamwork Style [Wednesday, Period 3, Week 6]

"So there's this whole trust fall thing that they make people do at, like, business retreats and stuff," Kennedy began with an emphatic eyeroll, once everyone seemed to be accounted for. There wasn't any kind of elaborate setup in the Danger Shop today, just a grassy park setting, very generic. Not like Kennedy was much good at programming the thing, anyway. "Some of you probably've heard of them. Hell, some of you've probably done them at camps or something. Blah blah, let yourself fall backward without looking, trust your partner to catch you before you hit the ground. Cheesy, right? Like someone took a motivational poster and a Hallmark card and turned them into a smoothie?"

She smirked and rolled her eyes, then crossed her arms and turned serious, pacing back and forth in front of the class.

"Thing is, though, when it really comes down to it? They've got the right idea. If something bad goes down, it's so much better if you know there's people who've got your back. I don't just mean knowing they'll throw down for you if they need to-- although that, also a big plus. There's things like..." She looked mildly abashed for a moment. "Knowing they actually, you know, can, and not trying to pull all the weight yourself like you think they can't, 'cause that only pisses 'em off and makes things worse. Or trusting someone not to hurt you with their powers... flip side, trusting someone to keep you in check if they have to."

Kennedy seemed to realize she was getting a little projecty there, and half grinned. "So that's what you're gonna do today. Pair up, and take turns being the catcher and catchee. Powers are cool if your partner's down with that, but if anyone thinks it's funny to just let their partner fall, I am so kicking your ass for it. If just falling over backwards is too boring for you, you can always try falling out of a tree or something. I mean, hey, Danger Shop, right?"

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Topher shifted. Awkwardly. A lot.

"I don't wanna," he informed Kennedy in a mumble.

Kennedy made a nonverbal but distinctly skeptical noise, raising one eyebrow at him. "Falling issues?" she asked in a faux-idle tone of wow, that's kinda sad.

Topher glanced around. "I would prefer not to deal with the being caught."

Because he maybe did not have the utmost faith in his classmates' desire to catch him. Possibly because he was a jackass! Who knew?

...let it be said in all honesty that Kennedy would probably not be in such a hurry to catch him if she had to, either. Because really.

"Oh, so personal boundaries thing, then," she said, her expression hinting that she didn't actually think that was the case. She'd noticed the jackassery, okay?

"N... yeeees," Topher said after a pause. "That. I'm very phobic of... hands."

Aaaaand cue skeptical-bemused-trying-not-to-act-condescending (much) face.

"You really did end up in this class by accident, huh?"

"Told you," Topher said, a little smugly.

Kennedy gave him a withering look. "And you, what, don't think you'll ever need to use any of this stuff, even just in Fandom?"

...oh god, now she sounded like her father in reverse.

"Oh, I have superhero friends," Topher assured her. "I'm good."

You know, that viewpoint would've gone over well with Kennedy at one point, but then she'd met the Scoobies. So.

"So you hang out with superheroes," Kennedy said, all Buckets of Disdain, Cleanup On Aisle Four, "which means you know that's, y'know, kind of a risky life choice, but if the shit hit the fan while you were hanging out doing your thing, you'd just hide behind a rock and let them do the dirty work?"

...sigh, Kennedy.

"Those are the instructions I was given," Topher confirmed primly.

...Well. That was true.

Kennedy spent several moments staring at him with narrowed eyes, then finally shrugged. "Well, they're your friends, I guess." (Implicit in her expression: 'Really? You have friends?' Like it wasn't perfectly within reason to question the life choices of the people who enjoyed hanging around her, either.)

"Well... if you can follow those instructions reliably, I guess that's something," she decided. "But what are you gonna do if they're not around to bail you out?"

Hmm. That was a stumper.

"Wait for spandex-wearing benefactors, maybe?" Topher tried, though he wasn't too sure.

Kennedy's left eyebrow twitched up ever so slightly higher. "And is there a time limit on this waiting thing, or is that a big ol' indefinite?"

"Not sure yet," Topher decided loftily. "Depends. Do I have weapons?"

Kennedy was so flashing back to Buffy handing Andrew a bottle of holy water right now.

"Depends," she replied, because she was totally that kind of brat. "Do you know how to use them?"

Look, be glad she hadn't asked Are you capable of laying a finger on them without hurting yourself? It had been tempting.

Because he basically was Andrew, Kennedy. Just accept it.

"Some!" Topher said. "Tech weapons. Gauntlets and stuff. Anything with obvious buttons. And anything really long-range, like the staffs they have in D&D, I might be able to get those to work too."

YEAH. HE WENT THERE.

That sound? That was Kennedy smacking herself in the forehead, hard.

"Never letting you meet Andrew never letting you meet Andrew never letting you meet Andrew--"

Hey, hang on.

"A staff's a melee weapon," she pointed out, unaware that weapons-geek mode might be easily mistakable for, you know, D&D-geek mode. "That's not long range."

Way to go, Topher. Get that particular brand of smugness in gear.

"It is?" Huh. "But they're so... long."

"And therein lies their lack of appeal for me," Kennedy deadpanned, because she always had to work that in. "So pro tip, purely because as a teacher looking out for the students is my responsibility? If you're not used to 'em, longer: not necessarily better. That way lies klutzville."

"Well, I don't want to get close to someone attacking me," Topher pointed out. "Better to just jab them with something that keeps them at a distance, right?"

"If you can, sure. They're heavy, though. Not so great with the balance. Trust me, I've been training with all kinds of weapons for years." From the look on Kennedy's face, you could easily surmise that she was convinced he'd fall right over if he tried to handle a polearm. "You'd probably be better off just running."

Hey, hadn't she gotten mad when Buffy sprang that line on them during training back in Sunnydale? Oh. Right.

Topher winced. "Running is not a strength of mine," he admitted, thinking of the time Billy had had to all but frog-march him out of danger. "Asthma."

Contain your shock, Kennedy.

Kennedy shut her eyes for a second and sighed. "Figures. But look, I'm not talking about starting a new career in track and field, just trying to save your own ass when you're otherwise totally screwed. Worth the risk if it means you get to save your own ass, right?"

"I guess," Topher grumbled. "But I'd really rather just get rescued."

Kicking Ass, Teamwork Style [Wednesday, Period 3, Week 6]

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