i_speak_softly: (About to draw something.)
i_speak_softly ([personal profile] i_speak_softly) wrote2011-10-02 09:51 am

Fifty-First Theory [Written/Voice/Action]

[This morning, instead of going for his usual run, Don settles himself at his desk in the back room. The door is open and a pencil is poked thoughtfully between his teeth. When he begins to write, it isn't filtered, but courtesy of a translation-shield, anyone trying to read the entry will see something that looks more like a Danish cryptogram than anything intelligible. It's a code Don uses for his private notes: only his brothers or an extraordinarily gifted linguist would have a hope of being able to figure it out.]

BGTVULWG - Wvlz hltwqszu bluul kgf bj svg hblfl. Bj ilkqtblf bqs q lu zu lb pvwblu WJDLUQ, gs bj zpflh bqzzal tgulf bqs zlwh, lkulf vu bj nvhbl iglu nl f q lu vg gs lt vwh.

[A little later in the morning, Don leaves the following message.]

Filtered to everyone he can think of that he would consider a friend || Unhackable

All my friends here in Luceti... would you say a few words about yourself? For my notes.

[Much later, in the evening, Don goes out for his run. Now that Shredder is gone, he's allowed to go out after dark again. He knows he doesn't have long before the nights get too cold for this, so he's going to enjoy it while he can.]

((OOC: On Ami's suggestion, Don is working on the in-game equivalent of a timeline and a CR chart.))
bemyused: (all smiles and sunshine)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-02 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[When Don goes out on his run, he might spot this little critter sitting peacefully by the riverbank south of the plaza, seemingly just basking in the night and the sounds of nature.]
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-02 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Pommy hears Don passing by in the night, and he'll probably be turned around looking curiously in Don's direction by the time the turtle decides to approach him. Aw yeah superhuman hearing for the win.]
bemyused: (normal)

[action] HTML fail, sigh.

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-02 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[Pommy is pretty tiny, yes. But good things come in small packages! Or something.]

Yep! It's a bit cold, but Pommy was kind of bored being in Pommy's room, so Pommy decided to go out.
bemyused: (o noez!)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-03 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
[omg a walking turtle! Pommy's eyesight is not as good as his hearing, so he's a bit startled once he actually gets a better look at Don. But he seems like a nice turtle, and certainly Pommy's seen -- and talked to -- scarier looking things.]

Sure! Pommy was getting a bit lonely anyway. Not many people are out when it's nighttime, after all.
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-03 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Did you live in a big city? It's kind of like that back in Diamond City, too.
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-04 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
Myu, Pommy's never heard of that place before! What's it like?
bemyused: (happy)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-05 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
[Hard numbers? Yeeeeaaaah good luck getting anything like that out of this guy.]

Wow, that definitely sounds like a big place! Diamond City also has lots of tall buildings and trains. And there's a spaceport too! Pommy arrived there with Bomberman when Pommy first came to Diamond City.
bemyused: (pommy is awesome)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-05 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
Well, Pommy accidentally got taken from Ksa2 and didn't know how to get back there, so Pommy just decided to go with Bomberman. [He grins proudly.] Besides, Bomberman was going to get into a lot of trouble if Pommy didn't look after him! [He's going to do that with or without your "help", Pommy, it's part of his job.]
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-07 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
[You're not the only one to think that, Don. |D]

There was a forest and a lot of hot springs. Pommy used to live with a family there in a log cabin.
bemyused: (all smiles and sunshine)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-07 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Mmm-hmm! But Pommy still misses Diamond City a lot, even if Pommy wasn't there for long before coming to Luceti. There were a lot of interesting things going on, and a lot of different people!
bemyused: (happy)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-08 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
Sure thing! Pommy wasn't doing much anyway.

[Hooray, new friend! This night is officially awesome.]
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-09 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
Only sometimes. Pommy doesn't usually like the dark, because it can be scary. But Luceti is nice and quiet compared to Diamond City, so Pommy is okay going out at night here! Plus, Pommy couldn't sleep and Pommy was bored.
bemyused: (happy)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-12 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure! Pommy's doesn't mind company.

What's your name? Pommy's name is Pommy!
bemyused: (all smiles and sunshine)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-12 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Nice to meet you, Don! So is there any particular reason you're going to be out at night?
bemyused: (o noez!)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-12 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Don had an enemy in Luceti? That must've been scary!
bemyused: (pommy is awesome)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-12 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, if he was still here in Luceti, Pommy would've definitely helped Don fight him! [Somehow he thinks that this should be reassuring.]
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-14 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
[As they're walking, Pommy glances up at Don, apparently studying him a little.]

Myu, Pommy thinks Pommy's seen Don before. [It's hard to missing a giant bipedal turtle, after all.] Are there others like you here, or are you the only one?
bemyused: (all smiles and sunshine)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-16 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Are you all brothers or something?
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-17 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[Pommy can be surprisingly perceptive! Or just extraordinarily lucky in his guesses.]

It must be nice to have brothers. Pommy doesn't have any family. At least, Pommy doesn't think so.
bemyused: (curiouser and curiouser)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-18 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
Pommy doesn't remember. Pommy used to live with a family, but they were all people! Their daughter found Pommy in the forest and brought Pommy home. It was nice there, so Pommy lived there for a while until Pommy got caught up in the BHB Army's artificial black hole and became friends with Bomberman.
bemyused: (angry/determined)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-18 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
[Pommy nods excitedly, ears flopping.]

Yep! The BHB Army had created an artificial black hole to trap planets so they could search the planets for the seven Elemental Stones, and Pommy and Bomberman got stuck inside! We had to destroy the Gravity Generators that were powering the black hole and then defeat Rukifellth, the leader of the BHB Army, who was being possessed by Sthertoth, the god of evil!
bemyused: (curiouser and curiouser)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-18 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Well...everyone kept calling it a black hole, but Baelfael said it wasn't technically a real black hole, it was more like an entrance to a different dimension or something, myu. [Most of the details flew over Pommy's head when this was being discussed, but one thing he knows for certain:] But it still sucked us in and trapped us inside until we could take down the BHB Army!
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-18 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, we went back to Ksa2 for a bit so Pommy could say goodbye to Pommy's family. Pommy wanted to travel with Bomberman to make sure Bomberman wouldn't get into any more trouble!
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-19 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
Yep! That's where Bomberman is from.
bemyused: (angsty Pommy? what is this madness?)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-20 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Myu, Pommy doesn't think so...if he was, Pommy should've found him by now! [Or vice versa.]
bemyused: (sad/scared)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-20 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Myu, maybe a few months? Not long after Pommy came here, there was an experiment that changed the hallway outside Pommy's apartment to look like the factory that was the planet Neverland, so there was a lot of lava out there and Pommy couldn't go out to get food!
bemyused: (?_?)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-21 10:32 am (UTC)(link)
But...isn't your house already your home...? [Needless to say, Pommy's never heard of Karl Marx's "house vs. home" theory.
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-24 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
Ohhh, okay. What did that look like?
bemyused: (normal)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-28 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Pommy's a bit startled at the abrupt change of subject, but he lets it go.]

Myu, okay. Pommy should head back, too! Where do you live?
bemyused: (happy)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-10-30 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Pommy lives on the first floor of community housing 4!
bemyused: (let's go!)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-11-01 07:01 am (UTC)(link)
Then let's walk back together!
bemyused: (all smiles and sunshine)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-11-02 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[Pommy's getting a little tired himself, so he'll be silent as he walks side-by-side with Don. He's happy just spending time with a new friend.]
bemyused: (happy)

[action]

[personal profile] bemyused 2011-11-06 07:10 am (UTC)(link)
It was nice meeting you, too! Pommy hopes we can meet again! Good night!

[And with that, Pommy scurries off.]

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-02 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know what to say about myself, but, I hope this will be helpful.

Re: [Voice/Written]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-03 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[Ami hasn't pried into the other parts of his codes, simply because she doesn't pry. This part, however, makes her more curious, for obvious reasons. She may find herself working on it after all, later on.]

I think it could be a good idea. It's... not the same as remembering, but it helps.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-03 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
I usually look for the books I need on my own. With people coming and going so often, I'm not sure.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-03 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
Were you looking for something special?

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-03 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Huh? Oh!]

Ah! Do you mean so everyone can store things there to remember things by?

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
I'm sure we could clear some space, and even bring in new shelves if we need to.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
But who? There isn't really a city government here. And the building isn't owned, either.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-05 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
The librarians I've known have all returned to their homes. I don't know if there is someone right now.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
No; not that I've heard. I should have noticed that.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd be interested in something like this myself, but I'm usually busy with the clinic.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-08 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
There must be someone else. We can't be the only ones interested in maintaining it. [Robert comes to mind, or even Giles; but she's reluctant to volunteer anyone for extra work they might not want to do.]

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-08 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sort of nervous about contacting everyone...

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
If you don't mind. I'd be more comfortable that way.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-12 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you. I know it seems ridiculous. I can handle everything at the hospital, speaking with the patients and my superiors there. But I still get nervous approaching people I don't know outside of that.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-13 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I think using the journals just for writing will help, too.

[It had gotten her through not being able to speak, at least.]

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-17 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I just think it might help for times you don't want to go out or speak with people.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-17 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Consider it a very large if.]

You know, in the meantime, we should do something before you won't feel like doing as much.

[Voice]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-17 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Swimming, or a picnic, or a hike maybe.... [But her voice trails off into complete uncertainty at his reaction. Perhaps she shouldn't have asked? It was rather forward of her.]

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-18 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing! It's just, it's starting to get cold. [With your body type... alright, and what she's been told...]

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-18 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
No, of course not. [She says that easily enough and, of course, it's true.] I'm sorry if it seems to be prying.

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-18 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
[Saved. She smiles, relieved, and a bit of warmth comes into her voice.]

Fall is a great time of year to enjoy. [She won't admit to liking leaf piles.] The colors are beautiful, and there are pumpkins and apples.

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-18 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Aha! Something she can do to help out and cheer him up a little maybe!]

Have you thought about a costume?

[A little-known fact about Ami is that she quite enjoys sewing and knitting. She got a taste for knitting back when they had to do it for a home ec assignment way back in middle school; and even when she was in the Darkness, she sewed a new cape for Nephrite.]

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-18 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I just thought... it might be fun to dress up, sort of.

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-19 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
I wore a costume for part of a school assignment once.

[A penguin. Yep. Usagi was a rabbit - of course.]

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-19 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
We read to some children at a kindergarten nearby. Dressing up was just for fun to add to the day for them.

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-19 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
It was a pretty fun assignment for our summer vacation.

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-20 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
We can't neglect them just because of that.

[Actually, in the opinion of... every single one of her friends... they could very well neglect their studies if the teachers would just let them. But this is a girl who refused to miss school even when she joined the Dark Kingdom trying to take over Earth.]

Don, do you go to the school here?

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
[She... has a feeling it's a closed subject.]

I understand.

Don, you know, I think part of remembering each other is making new memories together, too. Would you like to go somewhere?

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Equally ignorant, she offers the best way she has to relate to him.]

We could go to the battle dome.

[Yes, she'll spar.]

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
Is that alright? There's enough room?

[Voice | Locked]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
Outside, maybe...

[After all, even if she used her powers very carefully, the words 'water damage' beg to come to mind.]

[to ACTION!] this'll be fun <3

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
I'll be there promptly. [She always is, after all.

After just a moment to clear her head and make her decisions, Mizuno Ami heads out the door. She'll transform when they're ready to begin. This is part exercise, and part revelation.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
[The girl who arrives doesn't look anything like a fighter. The loose, shoulder-length hair doesn't keep it out of her face. The everyday clothes aren't made to move in as easily as they should be. Her demeanor is exactly what her appearance suggests: a quiet, studious young woman.

Somehow, this girl is coming here to go against a ninja.]


I'm sorry if I kept you waiting at all.

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[What feelings? 8D]

Please don't be shocked.

[These words are almost guaranteed to preface something shocking. Ami lifts her arms into the air, and gestures as she speaks three simple magic words that make her voice echo with power:]

Mercury Power, Make-up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utg6luc-C24)!

[The energy of her transformation swirls around her with a pure, watery aura, the water and bubbles coalesce into the sailor-suited uniform, and Mercury stands in Ami's place. The gem on her tiara glimmers briefly.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Senshi learned the hard way about the uniforms when Venus complained about hers back in Sailor V days, was allowed to switch into armor she thought she was cooler - and couldn't fight at all thanks to its weight.]

I did. This is the form I fight in.

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
[She eyes his bo, and then once more reaches into nothing. She raises her arm straight in the air, and closes it around the tambourine that materializes in her grip. She shakes it, calls on her planet, and her sword shimmers into a watery existence. She pulls it sharply into a ready position.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[She waits until she's sure of her opening, and then a quick step and turn in brings her into perfect position to strike out at her opponent. She adjusts easily for the different target areas on the different body.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-21 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[She thinks about more than that. As soon as she regains her footing from the sweep, Ami applies their conversation from earlier this quickly: The air temperature suddenly drops as she gathers her energy for an attack of snow.]

Mercury Aqua Cyclone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9Niz40qto)!

[She gestures with her hands as she speaks, and a stream of snow and ice heads straight for Donatello.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
[She pulls up short the second he calls out.]

Are you alright?

[She hadn't thought it'd be that bad, and she instantly feels terrible. She hurries over towards him.]

[Action] self, you should not be thinking 'now the opposite: turtle soup!' >_< XD

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry! [She looks around quickly, but there's nothing here to help warm him with; of course not.]

Should we go inside? [There'd be blankets... hot tea...]

[Action] sorry! XD

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Fire is too foreign to her to learn, even here; she's focused on Nala instead. Healing suits her.

Ami gives Don her hand, and helps to support his weight as they head inside.]


I'm sorry. [She feels like she can't apologize enough. She hadn't meant to harm him.]

I just thought... I just thought it would be a small advantage.
Edited 2011-10-22 01:19 (UTC)

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Her voice comes out weak, too; the same voice as Ami despite the blue hair and uniform.] I'll remember.

[She will. This certainly drove it home. It's more relevant than one might expect, somewhere like Luceti and even back home if the enemy were to somehow arise again. Youma had taken on many different types of forms.]

And to apologize, please let me help you until you're feeling a little better.
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

[Action] *interrupts at a hideous time if this is okay?*

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-22 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, if the yelling hadn't gotten his attention before, the appearance of his slumped, ice-frosted partner being brought in by a battle-suited Ami - or, rather, Mercury, Robert has to correct himself - is frightening, to say the least. The little scientist scurries up to them both, eyes somewhat widened.]

Don, are you alright? What happened...?

[Is he going to have to get out the tepid water? Because that's the first thing he should probably do...]

[Action] it's perfect. >D

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert can get the water while Mercury helps Don to a chair. She doesn't answer the question, instead she gives a nervous glance to Don.

Truthfully, she feels ashamed. She shouldn't have let it happen like that. She should have... something!]
Edited 2011-10-22 02:00 (UTC)
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-22 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Worriedly, Robert casts a single glance over his shoulder before heading off to boil water for the tea - this is something he does as quickly and efficiently as possible, and in the meantime he's casting glances at the sink. Should he try to get Don to the water...?

... May as well get him the tea first, though.

A few minutes later, he returns, with the warm tea in a nice mug for Don.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
It was an accident.

[She might be saying to Don, it's so quiet and Robert is already leaving the room. It's the best she can do.]

Do you want anything? [This, is definitely directed to Don.] I'll bring it right away.
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-22 11:42 am (UTC)(link)
[He almost catches the words as he leaves, but when Robert returns he lets himself study the situation in more detail, at least long enough to confirm what he was seeing before.

It's alarming that they were fighting, though clearly it must not have been for anything more than practise, as they're obviously not angry with each other. Still...]


You are welcome, but... are you e-entirely certain you are alright...? I could get you to a more suitable environment...

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 11:43 am (UTC)(link)
It was my power. [She confirms that much, at least.] I was born with these powers from a past life, not from Luceti's spirits.

[She's babbling, because so far from arguing or angry, she feels terrible that this happened.]
semper_cogitans: (:/)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-22 12:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[As Don expects, Robert entirely misses the reason for the eyebrow raise; instead, he seats himself, regarding Sailor Mercury with equal parts curious interest and mild worry. The last time this happened, he didn't exactly have the right mindset for seeing how her powers worked, and though he certainly is curious, he hoped his introduction to them would've been less... awkward.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 12:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[She's Mercury right now. Mercury sits as carefully as Ami, posture straight and formal, hands properly in her lap.]

Thank you for inviting me in. [The formalized words are entirely the shy girl, too. It was only during the battle that she'd seemed to take on more life, to gain confidence in a skin other than her own.]

It's alright to talk right now. It's still a secret, but some of my friends know it here. [And... some people who unfortunately found out when she made mischief across Luceti in her first stay here as Dark Mercury still.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-22 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[Maybe Robert might make it obvious, because when he addresses her, it's softly and tentatively and a little nervously, but:] Ah... Sailor Mercury... Are you also alright...?

[She seems fine, but he may as well ask, for safety's sake. Even though he keeps eyeing Don worriedly.]

... If, if either of you need anything, I would be happy to oblige.

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 01:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I wasn't trying to be impressive. [She feels a little embarrassed by that, actually; she's always considered her powers weaker next to the other senshi's.]

I'm alright. [She answers to Mercury naturally right now.] Thank you. Some water, maybe.
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-22 03:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah... certainly. [He gets up again; this time it's a much more brief egress, though he's still a bit twitchy and is paying far too much attention to Don. Still, Robert hands the glass - full of cool water - to Mercury a moment after he returns to the room.]

... So, am I correct in the assumption that you two were, er... practising some sort of fighting? [His words aren't exactly accusatory, but they are a little awkward.]

[Action]

[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Well, better the skills than the skirt, at least. Mercury answers Robert quietly.]

We were training together. [It's a yes. And she's so relieved that Don has said he wants to do it again sometime; it makes the guilt a little less.]
semper_cogitans: (O:)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-23 06:31 am (UTC)(link)
[... Well. He knew Mercury was strong. He just didn't know how strong.

His expression flickers to one of surprise.]


That is... very significant.

[Of course, if it was based on temperature manipulation... well, it only makes sense.]

And you used your powers to do so, then...?

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-23 07:40 am (UTC)(link)
That was just circumstances. [She's saying it to make Don feel better, but also because it's true. A real battle is very, very different from friendly training. She wouldn't have stopped - and he would have found a way to come back and overcome.]

The cold was more than I expected.
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-23 10:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's worrisome behaviour to Robert, who doesn't know exactly why Don suddenly looks as exhausted as he does.]

I am... certain Sailor Mercury would not have... deliberately harmed you. [Still...] However, Don... you certainly seem adversely affected...

[He's not sure if he should be trying to help the turtle into bed or something.]

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-23 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[She shakes her head, and states the truth.] I controlled my attack. I just... I didn't realize it would affect you that strongly. I'm very sorry.
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-24 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
[It's unlikely that Robert will stop worrying. But he does stop pressing. Instead, he nods and tries not to fret too much over his partner's condition.

Turning to Mercury, he asks:]
Are all senshi able to manipulate temperature like that? [That's his guess, anyway. He doesn't know, exactly, that it's snow and ice Mercury used.]
Edited 2011-10-24 02:04 (UTC)

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
[She'll keep an eye on Don, too, but Mercury answers Robert's questions.]

No. My powers are Water. The others have power over different elements. Fire for Mars, for example.
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-24 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
Water... [That confirms something Robert had been wondering. He'd always noticed Ami's skills tended towards water and ice-related things, such as her spectacular swimming skills. This... makes it clear that it's a theme that she has.

It also means that ice was probably responsible for this temperature drop. So he nods thoughtfully.]


Like the Filial Spirits, almost.

[He does know there are others though the mun isn't certain if he knows Usagi is one for certain, yet, but he is still curious.]

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Mike very likely was; water is a key part of the aura of everything about her.

As for Robert, if he sniffs around Usagi's secrets, he's going to learn just why a senshi is also sometimes called
guardian.]

I guess you could call it similar. We were born with these powers from our past lives. [Even though that sounds incredibly unbelievable, too.]
Edited 2011-10-24 02:31 (UTC)
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-24 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[He's had several months to see things more unbelievable than past lives, and though part of his mind still rebels, he asks anyway.]

Are they part of what gives you past lives in the first place...? Or what allows the mechanism that sustains them to occur, at least?

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[She's starting to get uncomfortable with so much of the focus being on her.]

It's how we were born. We weren't born as humans, last time. [You can't apply the same biology and science, Robert - though Silver Millenium advancements were remarkable technologically, too.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-24 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sorry, Ami. Robert isn't really trying to be problematic, honest. He's just... unaware of how uncomfortable this is making her.]

What were you born as, then...?

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-24 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[And that's the end of her patience, because this wasn't about her to begin with, and because she's starting to regret revealing herself if it means losing being seen for herself and being lost behind her other identity.]

I came here to help Don. Let's think about that.
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-24 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's immediately apologetic, and with his attention pushed off the senshi, suddenly aware of how dangerously exhausted Don looks.

Yeah... interposing himself as quickly as possible between the hot tea and Don's hand, now.]


... My apologies.

[It's directed at both of them, in a rather chastised voice.]

I think... it would be prudent to get Don to his own bedroom, at this point...

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-25 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
[Diversion successful. Mercury concentrates, and her body shimmers with a watery blue aura as she lets her transformation fade and Ami stands in her place.]

I'll help bring him there. I'd like to monitor him there awhile, too.

[She will totally rig up her computer if she needs to.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-25 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
You are exhausted, Don. We need to get you somewhere safe.

[He doesn't even blink at Ami's transformation - knowing what it is, now, he's more focused on helping Don. Putting the tea down safely on a nearby coffee table, he links an arm under Don's side, propping the slumping turtle up.]

... Do you think we will be able to support him, Doctor Mizuno?

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-25 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
[She's not really strong. On the other hand, what choice do they have?]

We'll do our best.

[Clothes, and hair; back to dark instead of blue.]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-25 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[However weak Ami might be, there's no way she's weaker than Robert. He can't even lift Don, though feeling Don nuzzle his shoulder is at least a comfort that the turtle is still conscious and breathing enough to be vaguely aware of his presence.

Robert is a little warmer than usual, because of adrenaline.]


Alright... I can brace him on one side if it would help. Or should I stand first...?

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-25 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll help from the other side. [She motions for Robert to take his place.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-25 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
It would help, yes. If you're going to fall asleep, it would be safest and most prudent for you to be somewhere more comfortable than here.

Besides, it would be easier to monitor you there. [So saying, he sidles up to Don on the opposite side of Ami, waiting for whatever signal to lift the turtle and take him back to his room.]

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-25 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[She gives emphasis to Robert's words by a single one of her own.] Please.

[Gently, she reaches for Don's arm to help him to his feet, and nods to Robert.]
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-26 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[... Okay, good, that makes things easier. Robert still supports Don though, just in case.]

Your bedroom is best... [He'll help Ami go in the necessary direction if Don needs the extra assistance.]

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-26 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
[She gives a little breath of relief, and nods. She lets go of Don, but stays close enough to help him again if he needs it in a moment.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-27 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[That will be when he's actually in his bed. Robert gets any necessary doors for Don, escorting him inside with a single-minded gentleness, and helping the turtle to get into his bed if necessary.

To be honest, it worries him a little, seeing Don - strong and healthy, to his own perception - so easily reduced to this.]

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-27 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[She stays close, though she lets Don get to the bed under his own power. As soon as they're to the door, she gives a quick glance to check whether the bed is ready or made.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-28 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
[If you say so, Don. Robert backs off quietly, but his expression is quite serious.

After a moment, he glances at Ami. His voice is soft, though still not exactly a whisper.]


... Do you wish to... monitor him?

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[identity profile] no-use-running.livejournal.com 2011-10-28 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
I'd prefer that for awhile. However, he doesn't seem to be in danger as long as he takes the time to recover.
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-29 09:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert casts a worried glance over his shoulder. Don doesn't look in any immediate danger anymore, true, and Ami is probably right. Still...]

... I worry, anyway. Is... is it unreasonable of me to ask to stay in his presence as well, or... would that violate doctor-patient confidentiality...?
semper_cogitans: (:/)

[Action, if that's okay?]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-03 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert isn't always around Don in the house - they do separate occasionally - but nonetheless, when that interesting little cryptograph that his mun spent forever trying to figure out, seriously goes over the network, he can't help but go look for him. After all, it was pretty fascinating, and better to hear about it from him directly.

It doesn't take much time to find Don - there's only so many places he can be, and the back room is a self-evident place. So Don might find himself somewhat less alone in there, eventually.]


... Don? Am I... interrupting you?
semper_cogitans: (:|)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-03 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
[And Robert does so, walking over to the desk until he stops at Don's side, curiously.]

Yes?
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-03 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
[... Hmm. Fascinating. He may as well.]

... Testing.

[... Not the most eloquent of phrases, but...]
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-03 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
[What can't he say? Their relationship is complex in a million ways. But aren't all relationships?

Oblivious to the mental processes going through Don's head, Robert smiles at him.]


May I enquire into what this interesting project is, Don?
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-03 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
A memory post... [Thoughtfully, Robert scrutinizes the desk. There's a tinge of sadness in his expression - he doesn't want to think about what might happen if Don were to go home.]

... It does seem like a prudent idea.
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-03 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert wouldn't even know how to explain them to himself, if he didn't know. Accepting it all at face value would be difficult, and how much proof really exists?

He looks up at Don.]


I... should.

Though ideally I would never need to use it... [It'd be a reminder that he could forget, however terrifying that is.]
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
Ah - I was... simply curious about what you were doing. That question has essentially been answered.

... Though... that is a fascinating cryptogram - may I ask how exactly you produce it...? [Obviously Robert wouldn't know it's a secret language.]
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
Yes... the interesting code you were writing in. I saw it broadcasted over the journals...

[... That seems less dangerous now that the Shredder and Karai are gone, but...]

... I was curious to ask you about it.
semper_cogitans: (>_>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[... Is it just him or is Don acting slightly... off? Hmm. Well. Robert doesn't want to get it wrong, but...]

... Is that all it is? [Though, after a moment:] ... You do not have to elaborate if you do not wish...
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
[The fidgeting, Robert actually recognizes as a nervous thing - probably because he does it all the time. So he gently leans into Don's side.

Encouragingly:]
Notes about what, if... I may ask?
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
Significant information that... you would not want somebody to merely be able to read at will. [Robert's voice is soft; he is considering that statement and matching it up to what Don is doing now.]

... This... must be along the same lines, then.
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
[It's something even he isn't supposed to be able to read, and part of Robert twists a little at that. Open, blunt honesty is pretty much what he expects from everybody he loves - especially because it is so easy to hide things from him.]

So this is... for yourself...

... In the event that you, er, were to... forget, correct...? [There's a definite hitch in Robert's voice when he says "forget".]
semper_cogitans: (:<)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Softly, barely above a whisper:] I... understand it could happen, but... but I do not enjoy the prospect...

[He grasps at one of Don's hands and will hold it fiercely if the turtle allows.]

... Part of me will... always love you, though.
semper_cogitans: (-w-)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert isn't going to judge. Don knows everything deep and dark there is to know about him, anyway, and what else could Don ever tell him that would drive him off? He means too much, now.

There is silence, poignant silence, as Robert just stands there himself, holding that hand like nothing else matters in the world.]
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Yeah, Robert is not weirded out at all. In fact he's both fascinated and somewhat enamoured of this person all over again. An entire language?]

That explains why it was so unorthodox a structure...

... Your genius never fails to astound me. [And he's being entirely frank when he says that.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
... How could one create a language accidentally? [Robert is unfamiliar with organic languages that spring up in absence of other influences...

... Not terms, though. He's used to those being fluid enough.]
semper_cogitans: (:|)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[And this is one of those moments that Robert thinks he would understand better if he had actually had siblings.

It might explain the blank look on his face, at least to an extent.]


... Sort of... spontaneously generated?
semper_cogitans: (O:)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
[Yes, there is a major disconnect.

... Give him a second.]


... Aha. So... your subspecies' language, then. ... So to speak.

[... A language used by all of four, maybe five, people. Well.]

... Is it based off of Trachemys scripta elegans vocalizations? [The question isn't an inherently awkward one, but it is interesting, on some level, to see Robert acknowledge the species difference.

... even if only for a moment.]
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
[...

You know, that is actually sort of pretty, to a tone-deaf person. And either way, it's decidedly fascinating to hear.]


... That is remarkable... [He'd known turtles were capable of such vocalizations, yes, but he'd never heard Don make them.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-04 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
I have heard... similar languages, actually. Including one created by the piping of air through various spiracles on a large arthropod-like species. [That species actually sounds a lot like wind instruments tend to. Almost like a talking pan flute.]

... It must be... interesting, to be one of the sole users of such a language...
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-05 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
I understand. [He's gotten better at concealing this sort of thing. Shredder taught him well.] ... I... have no right to share it, particularly if it functions as a code...

[... It's not like he could read the contents anyway, to be fair.]

... Besides. I trust you with things too.
semper_cogitans: (:<)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-05 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
[It's Robert. When isn't there something on his mind?

Still, he makes a small, thoughtful sound.]


... Giles knows about... about my s-substance-using history, now. And I spoke to Helios about Benjamin, briefly. But you still know more details than anybody else...

... [Quietly:] And, well... you are the only one who has seen my scars.

[That's still something he really cannot do with anybody else, yet. Not so easily, anyway.

Now it's Robert's turn to finger at his sleeve absentmindedly.]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-06 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Even more quietly than before:] ... If... if that did happen, I... I would t-try my hardest. To... to be accomodating.

...

[But would it be the same? Would that Don even love him like this one does? He knows that multiversions can be drastically different in many minor ways... and that could easily happen here.]

... if... if the s-same happens to me... then I kn-know you would.
semper_cogitans: (:|)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
[And Robert does so, parking himself neatly next to the turtle and settling himself at the now-somewhat-cleared corner.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[... Well, on the one hand it might be a violation of privacy to ask, but on the other hand, Robert is so damn curious...]

...

May... I ask what that says?
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
[And Robert has to smile softly at that. It does sound statistically unlikely, doesn't it? And yet Robert was lucky.]

... That seems... fitting, yes.
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
My journal? [Always in one of the omnipresent lab coat's pockets. Robert fishes it out a moment later, holding it to his chest.]

... Did you want me to record something for you, perhaps...?
semper_cogitans: (:<)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
Ah - well, yes, it would be for myself. But about you.

... I keep letters for everyone, as well. [He says this in a way that suggests he's rewritten them dozens of times.] In... in the event something happens...

... I do hope they never have to be used, though.
semper_cogitans: (-w-)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert doesn't have anything in mind when he writes. He just writes, to pour out all those things that he may never actually say but need to get to them somehow. All the things that he hoped he would have adequate descriptors for at some point.

Still, everybody deals with it differently. Don doesn't need to write, as much as Robert would treasure it. He still treasures that one note...]


The only problem is condensing my feelings for you sufficiently...
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-07 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I could... but I suspect it would take several journal pages to write. [He smiles weakly at that, tracing a finger over the edge of Mike's comic, one of the few reminders of the turtle's presence in Luceti.]

... it may be what I settle on, though. A few sentences would not even be nearly enough to describe you...
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-08 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
[Taking the pen and turning to the journal himself, Robert peers down at the blank pages, trying to think of what he should write about his lover.

Words come to mind. Intelligent, wonderful, accepting, dedicated... but they aren't enough. This one might need math to best model...

... Yeah, he's scribbling out an elaborate mathematical equation now, in Terran math. In pen.]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-09 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Softly, more to himself than anything:] Don, you are certainly difficult to... model for.

... This is a rather inadequate model, as well. But I think it is the closest I can get.

[... It's a complex tangle of mathematical concepts, illustrating things like change of attraction over time, intensity of desire for and Don's qualities, like his intelligence... it looks like a mess.]
semper_cogitans: (-w-)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-09 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[...

This is exactly why Robert loves Don.]


... And now it is beautiful.

I would say nearly perfect.
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-09 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
[In response, Robert peers curiously over at Don's notes.]

... Are you recording information about other people right now? Or... is it something else entirely?
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-09 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
I do not wish to pry... [He trails off, awkwardly resettling himself in his chair at that. Irritating Don is not what he meant to do, not that he can entirely tell that he did it.]

... I just hope it is a successful endeavour.
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Probably a good thing to do - having a curious person sitting next to you while you're doing something you'd rather not be questioned about is a recipe for awkward.

Luckily, Robert brushes it off quickly enough.]


It is... one of those precautions that one takes, hoping one will never need to find oneself using it - but being inordinately glad that one had thought to make it, in the event one has to.

[Which is a very roundabout way of agreeing.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
... Not that I am aware of... [Yes, he just comes up with sentences like that on his own. The mun doesn't think he's quoting anything...]

... Did it sound like one?
semper_cogitans: (>_>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
...

Why on Terra would he teach you to break your thumbs? [That is utterly incomprehensible, and slightly horrifying to boot.]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
No... I had never heard that sort of rhetoric.

[Then again, he supposes a lot of the rhetoric that the family knows wouldn't be something he would understand.]

Breaking your own digits... [There's a cold horror in Robert's voice at that.]
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[He shakes his head, in an awkward sort of way.] It, er, was never knowledge I... came into much contact with.

[Generally if Robert were to have been restrained his reaction would be to panic instead of escape. Um.]
semper_cogitans: (:<)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Admittedly, very few. [Basic safety tips taught to Terran children, like advice on how to sit properly in transport pods, some emergency equipment usage, and emergency medical techniques.

But physical stuff he knows almost nothing about. It shows.]
Edited 2011-10-13 20:54 (UTC)
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-13 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Is it truly that problematic? [Robert wrings his fingers together anxiously, trying to imagine the kind of mindset that leads one to feel that learning how to escape restraints is a necessary part of life.]
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-14 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
[And Robert manages a shaky smile back.] I would suspect you would worry about it regardless...

... I am always willing to... to learn, if you wish.
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-14 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
[How could he forget? It was important, after all - and it's something that he seriously does need to think about.]

I... I want to be able to... to be part of your family, in earnest, and... and this is something I think fits that description.
semper_cogitans: (:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-14 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course. [Robert stands, almost reflexively, when Don does, standing behind him obediently.] Where did you wish to go...?
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-14 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Well, Robert's not going to be getting out that way. He looks awkwardly at the window, clearly gauging the fifteen different ways he could spectacularly fail at getting through it.]

... Would you mind if I just used the door...?
semper_cogitans: (:|)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-15 07:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Yes, seriously. It's still a window, and asking Robert to jump out a window can only lead to miserable failure.

So he nods and goes to make his way around the house the old-fashioned, non-ninja-y way. Which might take a couple of minutes, though he does hurry himself along.]
semper_cogitans: (>_>)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-15 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[... Now where did his boyfriend go? Robert stands still and, essentially, comically turns in place attempting to locate Don. When that doesn't yield information immediately, he ventures:]

... Erm... Don?
semper_cogitans: (:/)

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[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-16 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh. Add "arboreal" to the list of things Robert never expected Don to be until this moment.

He glances up then, peering through the branches at his well-camouflaged partner.]


... Is there some reason you decided to climb up there?
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action] pffft, as if Robert can judge that!

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-16 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Not really. That hardly explained anything. Still, Robert trusts Don's judgment for... whatever it is he does.

He still steps back awkwardly, though, when Don leaps down to the closer branches. Internally he is judging the strength of those limbs...]


I have never seen you do this before... though I suppose that, judging from your earlier exploits, it is not too unreasonable to consider this. [Climbing a building is pretty similar...]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-17 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert eyes the tree warily at this.]

... I... am not certain on the... safety of the idea.

... Or the rationality.

[If he falls... well, it's going to hurt him a lot.]
semper_cogitans: (:/)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-17 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[Maybe he'll try one day, but right now Robert doesn't trust his climbing ability enough.]

Of course.

[For the time being, he'll just... stand near the tree itself. Hopefully not so near that anything'll smack him in the head...]
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-17 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[How does he do that? Seriously. Robert blinks in surprise before refocusing and smiling nervously at Don.]

... Hello again.
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-17 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
A mixture of admiration of your abilities and discomfort of my own lack thereof? [It's so remarkably blunt...]
semper_cogitans: (:/)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
[As a response the scientist sidles up to Don's side and stops there obediently.]

I presume this does not necessarily have a destination...
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
... I cannot say you ever have, before. [Robert leans into that broad, familiar plastron as they walk together, but his mind is lost trying to discern the meaning of that statement.] Why would you ever admire that?
semper_cogitans: (>_>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
[... Sadly, this reasoning is entirely lost on Robert.]

... not exactly.

[The look of confusion on his expression might almost be comical.]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert bites his lip at that. He can hardly fathom what it must have been like, growing up in a world where he had to learn to fight - it's just so terrifyingly unlike what he knows.]

... If... if I could have, I would have made sure you would have never had to...

... or, or at least would not have such a dire need to learn,that would exclude anything else you wished to do...
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert smiles a little to himself, in an awkward sort of way.] ... I... spent much of my time indoors, to be frank. Researching, reading texts, playing holovideos and immersive video games, using the Internet in general...

[... He was quite the little shut-in. Hell, Don probably sees similar behaviour in him now, when he isn't coaxing Robert to go outside.]

Sometimes we did go to the Institutes, though - my parents and I, that is. They were... fond of taking me. [Probably because it was easier than trying to keep up with him themselves.]
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
[... There's a long moment before Robert answers that.]

... It meant I... had to deal with other people.

[... Face-to-face, at least.

This might be a strange sentiment to hear from a human, but it does seem to genuinely bother Robert... at least a little.]
semper_cogitans: (:<)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Obediently Robert sits down next to Don, bringing his shoulders in reflexively as he drops his gaze contemplatively to the river's surface.

This isn't something that is easy to describe or put into words. Language fails him in these circumstances.]


... There was... a constant perception of... of being judged, negatively, by others. Whether they were or not. I c-could not... understand what people might be trying to convey, much of the time, and... and that made me even more ill-at-ease... Additionally, my v-verbal tics exacerbated things, and...

... [He falters, awkwardly.] I am... sorry. It is not... a concept that translates effectively.
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[He keeps grabbing his own fingers and twisting them gently; it's a reflex. It occupies his mind while he tries to sort out his feelings.]

... Social cues, primarily. I... I w-was not good at perceiving them.

... Still am not. Th-though... [Softly:] I... I think I might be learning some of yours'.

[If Robert has been seeming to notice things over time that he didn't before, Don, that might be why.]

But because of that, there is... an e-entire part of some conversations that is not... visible to me. Wh-when I was neurotypical, I perceived these parts, b-but... ... I cannot, anymore. [He remembers, sometimes, fleetingly, how it worked. But he can't do it again, not nearly so easily.]

... As a result it... m-makes it difficult to determine what people r-really... mean. Whether they are... being honest... Like with Mr. Saki.
semper_cogitans: (:<)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
...

I do not think I would notice, unless... unless I watched, and perhaps not even then.

[Ninjas are trained to be inscrutable. Leo's feelings can be inscrutable to even the most perceptive of people. Don himself is often such.

Where does that leave poor Robert? Thoroughly in the dark, most of the time. Often, he doesn't even realize.]


... from occasions where I have been in e-either of your presences... [He fidgets, trying to recall from living together with both of them for quite some time now.] ... I know something is being communicated, but... b-but it is like it is encoded in a format I can only barely begin to d-decipher...
semper_cogitans: (:|a)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[If it helps, Robert isn't upset by this. It's one of those parts of his life that he has sort of accepted, and though he is trying to learn the cues of those around him - especially the ones he loves - it takes time and mental effort and concentration. It will never come to him naturally in quite the same way it did for those brief few days.]

W-Well... I suppose putting things into w-words I can understand usually would be... an assistance.

... Bluntness would... also help.
semper_cogitans: (D:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[He knows, which is why he was so hesitant to say that... although he still doesn't quite understand how it would be offensive. It is literally something he doesn't understand - as much as that makes him feel mildly bad - and... well, how would it be offensive to explain something he doesn't understand?

... still.]


... I am uncertain. Other than me... l-learning the cues... which is, well, d-difficult.

...

I have to... to d-do so consciously. I have to... think about it. A-Analyze situations. [It has to run in the back of his mind, like a scanner working in the background, and that gets mentally exhausting sometimes.]
semper_cogitans: (:<)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
... Emotions. If... if you can. Things you f-feel.

I... I know that can be... difficult. [Robert has trouble with it too.]
semper_cogitans: (:<)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-18 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Robert keeps his gaze down, staring at the middle distance, but he nods almost imperceptibly.]

... Lonely and afraid, y-yes.

...

Lonely, knowing that... that there is a space, between myself and others, that can be bridged but... n-never entirely removed.

And a-afraid, because... because it is so e-easy to lie to someone like me. [Saki was a terrifying reminder, but even so, he knows that he could look at someone, and that person could smile, and say nice things, and be generally pleasant, and he'd never be able to tell what that person really felt.]

... s-sometimes I am not even certain about what you feel, and then... then I f-feel as if I may have perceived you incorrectly, or... or n-not at all, and... [... then I feel like a failure.]
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
[In response, Robert leans against Don, resting his head on the turtle's shoulder. The comforting motion helps, at the very least.]

... You never do so on purpose. And you are... easier than most people to deal with... [... Probably because Don goes out of his way to accomodate him.]

... thank you for loving me, at least. You... you make me feel... less alone.
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert will never get tired of it either; it's such a reflexive gesture for him now, one that he's used to with Don. He's used to their different heights and the texture of Don's shoulder and the way Don's bridge feels against his own side.]

... I imagine I must be... d-difficult at times, too. [He smiles, but it's a little self-depreciating.

Oh, if he only knew...]
semper_cogitans: (-w-)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Robert's smile brightens at that, and he leans into Don's hand, suppressing the urge to reflexively straighten his hair while simultaneously liking the gentle contact.]

Not too difficult, I hope?
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
I hope so. [Instead of being insulted - probably because he agrees, on some level - Robert just presses a small, brief kiss to Don's cheek.]

... I try to be, at least...
semper_cogitans: (:/)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
Of course, if you are.

[... Don might find that the discussion will go better than expected. A certain scientist has been doing a lot of research on turtle biology...

Still, Robert stands, moving aside so that Don can get up unencumbered.]
semper_cogitans: (O:)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[...

Random displays of prowess like that never fail to take Robert aback.

... He's just going to get up the sort of pathetic way, dusting his lab coat off reflexively.]


... You always manage to make that sort of thing look effortless.
semper_cogitans: (:>)

[Action]

[personal profile] semper_cogitans 2011-10-19 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[He'd appreciate it, actually. Not that it'd be easy for him to learn, but...]

... I would be delighted.

For now... [He takes Don's hand in his own and points himself in the direction of home.]

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-03 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[She chuckles a little.] How we met? I remember. It was in the library, and I dropped all my books.

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
It would have been rude not to.

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah... Valentine's Day, right? We got those fake letters and you introduced me to Raph.

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-05 12:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I did, but I wasn't too much help I don't think. Just some manual labor.

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
And then I remember visiting whenever one of you guys would get yourselves hurt.

It was mostly Raph, though. The dummy. [That last part is said with a bit of affection. Hey, dummy is an an endearing term. Really!]

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-08 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Not always, but... in the beginning, yeah.

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
He sort of... confessed, but I was in love with a friend from home at the time. Things got... really awkward after that, but a little before we left we seemed to be getting better.

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
W-well... yeah? He didn't tell you?

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
Don, don't you think I can tell the difference between you and your brothers? After all this time?

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 12:20 pm (UTC)(link)
No, it's fine. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?

[Voice]

[identity profile] crytearsofjoy.livejournal.com 2011-10-12 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
A-all right. Talk to you later then, Don.
justicereigns: (I'm listening)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-05 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
What? [While he considers himself a friend... he's not sure if Don does in return, nor does he know what to say about himself. :|]
justicereigns: (Blue)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-07 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[Jack Sparrow does suck, (according to the marine) and more people should realize it (again, according to the marine).]

I see... what for?
justicereigns: (Smoker - Justice)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-09 10:16 am (UTC)(link)
I'm a marine.

[... SO helpful.]
justicereigns: (justice in springtime)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-17 09:37 am (UTC)(link)
Of course. I work for justice.

[JUSTICE. As Smoker foams at the mouth like a rabid dog... but not really of course. Hyperboles rule. Still, kind of overenthusiastic about that word there.]
justicereigns: (Thinking)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-20 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Anytime I guess. Though I'm not really what I did.
justicereigns: (Let it all slip away)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-21 08:48 am (UTC)(link)
Heh. I tend to do better with questions that aren't about me.

[How sad.]
justicereigns: (Thinking)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-21 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
All right. So how's your notes project going?
justicereigns: (Blue)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-23 07:36 am (UTC)(link)
What's it for? In case you get sent home and come back or something?
justicereigns: (Thinking)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-26 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Smart idea.

I left myself a trail to follow as well.
justicereigns: looking over shoulder in the dark, heading up the stairs, justice on the jacket clearly visible (justice in the darkness)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-28 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I know. That's why I'm extra cautious this time.

Besides, the trails were here for me from last time as well. Just took digging.
justicereigns: (Confused Justice)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-29 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
What was what like?

The trails I left?
justicereigns: looking over shoulder in the dark, heading up the stairs, justice on the jacket clearly visible (justice in the darkness)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-30 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
[A shrug.]

Well you were one of them. I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not.
justicereigns: (Thinking)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-10-31 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
You and your brothers remembered me.
justicereigns: (serious)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-01 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
So this time, I left a trail of people who know me well. Anything else the Malnosso can easily remove, but if I disappear and reappear, I can always talk to who remembers me.

Friends are rare enough for me that I'll trust the few I've got.
justicereigns: (Let it all slip away)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-03 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
So this time I have Ikki for a roommate and Kohaku who can fill in whatever blanks in my memory I lose.
justicereigns: (Thinking)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-04 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
My best friend and roommate here.
justicereigns: (Teen smoking justice)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-08 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
No. Different world entirely.

I barely talk to most of the people from my world. Since they're all pirates, except for one recent arrival.
justicereigns: (serious)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-08 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Bellemere. She was a marine until retirement. She's Nami's mother I believe.
justicereigns: (che)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-10 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Orange hair, collects mikan. She's the Straw-Hat Cat Burglar.
justicereigns: (serious)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-12 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[Straw-Hat is the name of Luffy's Crew. The Mugiwara Pirates.]

Yes.
justicereigns: (sidelong thinking)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-14 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[Thinks it over. It's not exactly like he owes it to the girl to keep her secret, but still, it's her story to tell, not his.]

Pirates helped her where marines could not. [True and at least partially why, as well as still vague enough that it applies to a certain Princess who allied with them as well.]
justicereigns: (Weight of the World)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-17 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
There aren't many pirate crews people could say that about. Whitebeard and Straw-Hat. Those are the only ones I can think of.
justicereigns: (serious)

[personal profile] justicereigns 2011-11-18 06:38 am (UTC)(link)
Some are worse than others. [Closest admittance you'll get.]

[Action] B-been meaning to tag this. XD

[identity profile] honorthecode.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 06:19 am (UTC)(link)
Leaving a note to yourself, Donny?

[Leo's leaning against the door frame. He's relaxed at the moment, or at least as relaxed as he ever is. He at least hoped he translated it right. Though it also gives him an excuse to check on his one remaining brother.

[identity profile] honorthecode.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[No, not really. Just this one that's semi public, bro.

He looks thoughtful for a moment.]


Right, don't forget to pick up a dozen eggs and flour.

[identity profile] honorthecode.livejournal.com 2011-10-08 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
[He shrugs.]

I could. It won't be as good as what Mikey made though.

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Mulder is appreciative of keeping good notes, he does that all the time himself, after all.]

I'd be glad to. What exactly are you looking for?

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-14 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Using your own code, huh? Not a bad idea...

[Since They Are Always Watching and all.]

I'm Fox Mulder, an FBI Agent, and we got to know each other out of shared interests, especially the cool and unusual science around here. [Leaving out the actual specific details of the things they've looked at, but he knows that Don knows that.] We've also run across each other on one of the drafts, which is always a good situation to find out who's got your back.

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-20 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
I probably wouldn't have fared as well without your help out there in that jungle, though.

[It definitely had been a great teamwork situation for them.]

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-22 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
You did a good job at leading me around, though.

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-25 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Hey, he doesn't have the turtle-like instincts... well... or ninja-ones, either, technically.]

Sounds like he'd be surprised to hear that?

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-26 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
You may as well start somewhere, right?

[Voice]

[identity profile] ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com 2011-10-29 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. It's worth a try, at least.