Title: Rhetoric

Author: Te

Email: teland@teland.com

Website: http://teland.com

Fandom: X-Men

Characters: Pyro, Magneto

Pairing: Magneto/Pyro

Rating: NC-17

Genre: *slash*

Summary: "Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." -- Aristotle

Disclaimers: Nothing here is mine, dammit.

Spoilers: X-Men: The Movie, X2.

Author's Note: Jenn made me. Okay, I was thinking it, but it's still her fault.

Acknowledgments: To the IRC crew for encouragement and Jenn for audiencing.

Rhetoric

by Te

May 24, 2003

John didn't much like school -- or, well, the *school* aspects of school -- but there were some things that resonated. Physics, the strength and flexibility training with Scott.

Logic.

He especially loved the way the Professor -- Xavier taught it. All low, classical-type voice and the way he watched you, watched all of them, like he was trying to put the knowledge in with the power of his mind. And who knew? Maybe he was. Rhetoric was not truth, or not necessarily truth, or sometimes truth with a fine spin on it.

Spin wasn't a good or bad thing, but it could win you debates. The hearts and minds of the populace. Xavier hadn't said it like that, or not entirely like that, but it was on his face. Like while he taught he was thinking about those idiots in Washington and the way he could make them listen without lifting a finger.

John liked that. He'd thought, maybe, there was something to learning all the literature and crap they tried t