i_speak_softly | Fifty-First Theory [Written/Voice/Action]

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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.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[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?

Like I said, I haven't been out yet today. [That's an explanation, right?]

[In a moment, Don drops down to crouch on a branch a few feet above Robert's head.]

[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...]

[Don't worry; he's climbed this tree plenty of times before.]

You have to get up earlier in the morning. [He stands up on the branch, casually leaning against the trunk.] Can I convince you to join me?

[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.]

[Don considers this, and tries to replace his fantasy of helping Robert to gracefully ascend the tree, with a more realistic image of Robert humiliating, and possibly injuring, himself.]

[Sigh. You win.]

Give me a few minutes, then?

[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...]

[Don nods, looks up, and leaps away. He vanishes quickly among the still-green leaves, and soon there isn't even a rustle to mark his passage.]

[In a few minutes he'll be back, arriving in another tree a few yards away. He looks somewhat less tense, but not at all more tired.]

Hi.

[How does he do that? Seriously. Robert blinks in surprise before refocusing and smiling nervously at Don.]

... Hello again.

[Don resettles, straddling the branch comfortably.]

Why are you looking at me like that?

A mixture of admiration of your abilities and discomfort of my own lack thereof? [It's so remarkably blunt...]

[The side of his mouth quirks up, and then he slips off the branch, landing lightly in the grass.]

You're fine. Walk with me?

[As a response the scientist sidles up to Don's side and stops there obediently.]

I presume this does not necessarily have a destination...

No. [Nevertheless, he puts an arm around Robert's shoulders and steers him in the general direction of the riverbank. After a few dozen yards he speaks again.] Have I told you I admire your non-ability?

... 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?

Because... [He waves his free hand vaguely.] Because you're able to not be able. [He touches his palm to Robert's chest briefly, as though he can somehow push understanding into him.] Do you know what I mean?

[... Sadly, this reasoning is entirely lost on Robert.]

... not exactly.

[The look of confusion on his expression might almost be comical.]

[Nope. Don misses the look as he tries to sort out his own thoughts.]

I'm - I'm jealous. Of your world. That you could spend your time doing something other than learning how to fight.

[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...

[Robert, you're missing the point. But Don won't press: if you knew how unique you were, you would have lost part of what made you special.]

What did you do, growing up?

[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.]

[That sounds wonderful, but --] Why didn't you go outside?

[Having been denied outside for much of his life, Don has a hard time imagining why anyone would willingly forego it.]

[... 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.]

[Don recognizes there's more that needs to be said on this subject. They've reached the riverbank, and he uncurls his arm from Robert's shoulders, tugging lightly on the scientist's sleeve as he sits down in the grass.]

What is it like for you?

[He had tried to guess, all those months ago, when he described it to his brothers, but he's wondering now how accurate he was.]

[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.

[Action]

[Action] I tried to read that as 'abnormal'

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

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