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.))

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[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.]

[He curls up on himself, not that this will help anything, and is grateful that Ami is the kind of fighter who stops when their sparring partner goes down.]

P-please don't do that...

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...]

[If only he had studied some Fire magic...]

Yes...

[He holds out his hand. Ami is small, but maybe she can help a little?]

[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)

[He leans on Ami a little, and laughs weakly.]

Keep it in mind if you're ever in a real fight against a reptile.

[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.

[He limps up the front walk and nudges the door open.]

Come in. And you know you still owe me a fair match, right?

[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...]

[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)

[Don settles gratefully into the chair, pulling a throw blanket over himself.]

Robert, some tea? Please?

[He'll explain once he has a warm drink in his hands.]

[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.]

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.

I'm fine. Was that your own magic? I've never seen anyone do anything like that with Sona.

[Obviously the most important thing here is to investigate the nature of what hurt him.]

[When Robert returns, he murmurs "Thank you" and takes the mug carefully, holding it between his hands and inhaling the warm vapor.]

[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...

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.]

I'm okay here. Please sit.

[He gestures to the other chairs, suggesting Ami might make herself comfortable as well. He also raises a brow at her, silently asking whether it's all right to discuss her abilities in front of Robert, even as he feels bad for communicating with her in a way he now knows his partner won't even be aware of.]

[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.]

[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.]

[Don isn't aware of the 'Mercury' name. As far as he's concerned this is Ami in different clothes.]

It was very impressive.

[He sips the tea slowly, gauging its effect on his body.]

[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.

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.

[What, he can't admire another fighter's skills?]

[He blinks curiously at this exchange. He should probably ask a real question, but it isn't important enough right now. Instead he'll focus on safely equalizing back to ambient temperature.]

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.]

[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.]

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

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[Action] sorry! XD

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

[Action] it's perfect. >D

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