fandomhigh | Debate, Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Steve was up at the front of the room as usual, standing behind a star-spangled rostrum...which was new. "Hello, class."

He wore his spangles out of self defense, kids. It was purely out of self defense. Tony's version of that was a smile that leaned a little toward the plastic end of the sincerity spectrum. Which would be what he had going right now. Because apparently both of them were incapable of saying no to a challenging topic. "We're starting you off in the deep end of the debate pool now that introductions are over with."

Aren't you all lucky?

So lucky!

Steve squared his shoulders. "We decided who would argue each side through a coin flip," because a tickle fight was just undignified, "I am against. Tony is arguing pro. Today. As we mentioned before, arguing for a side you may not agree with can be helpful as well."

"It can cut down on some of the emotions involved when you feel strongly about a topic," Tony added. "It also prepares you for the ability to see an alternate point of view. You don't have to agree with it by the end of the class, but it can help you later on in formulating arguments."

Steve nodded. "We'll give you some time to get through the research on both sides, and then you get to debate with us. Should it be okay all the time? Some of the time? Only when the interrogation can't be traced back to you? How high would the stakes have to be on a scale of localized explosion to alien invasion?"

"Should there be rules? Is it a violation of international treaties? Does it work as a deterrent or encourage retaliation?" Tony chimed in. "We've provided tablets for you to do your research on. Please don't throw them at your teacher or anyone else you're debating, okay?"

Steve nodded. "We're starting with something important and controversial--" and painful for both teachers to talk about, honestly, "--because we think you can handle it. If it doesn't go well, we'll have to scale back to debating about the quality of food in the dorm fridges or something, and no one wants that."

Seriously, no one wanted to debate that.

"Keep it civil," Tony said because it hilarious without him realizing why.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Ask anyone who likes that style. Old people and hipsters."

And Steve was both of them.

He's so hipster he's gone past ironic and back to earnest!

"I'm not a hipster."

Steve.

He was the original hipster. He really was.

"Which means you have to be an old person then."

Steve made a face. "I'm not even thirty yet, Stark."

That made Tony laugh at least. "I think you only call me that when you're annoyed."

"Maybe," Steve admitted, smiling.

"I was honestly expecting some old man jokes back. I think I have a least good ten years on you." Which made Tony make suuuuch a face.

"Closer to twenty," Steve said with a smirk.

Rude!

"Oh, the infant is talking now," Tony shot back.

"Baby of the team," Steve said. "Still in charge."

Hey now, only in the field was that unilaterally true.

"When should we start explaining puberty to you?" Tony asked. "In a few years?"

"You really want me to get bigger?" Steve asked.

"Steve," Tony admonished. "Not in front of the children."

It took Steve a moment, and then he blushed profusely. "Not what I meant."

"You walk into these things, I swear to god," Tony replied, laughing.

"I'd say that it was a more innocent time in the 1940s, but you've heard the stories and won't buy it," Steve said.

"My father was Howard Stark." And he left it at that.

"Peggy told me a story of trying to track down a blonde Russian spy that Howard had...been friendly...with that ended up with Jarvis getting slapped up and down New York City as they tried to track down which girl it was," Steve said.

"...why am I not surprised by this?" Tony asked dryly. "At least it's not the Hellfire Club."

"Remind me again how that one goes? I can tell it to Peggy next time."

"It's this... old boys' club. Waitresses in lingerie and all that," he said with a sigh. "I went once after he died. That was enough for me."

Steve wrinkled up his nose. "Not my kind of crowd."

"No? You sure?" Tony asked. "Not even you without your memories?"

Steve burst out laughing. "Oh, in that case, I'd be working there."

Tony expression went through a bit of a gamut of things at the mental image of Steve dressed up like one of the women there.

"Only if you like wearing a garter," he settled on because showing embarrassment was for the weak.

Re: Talk to Steve and Tony

heroic_jawline - 2016-09-09 11:09 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2016-09-09 11:12 (UTC) - Expand