Fifty-Fourth Theory [Video]

[i_speak_softly]

((Forward-dated to tomorrow morning.))

[Don sends Leo off to battle today. He's not worried, only slightly disappointed that he doesn't get to go too.]

[When it becomes clear that the weather is settling in for a good storm, Don begins setting up a day's worth of entertainment.]

[The journal feed comes on with a shaky image of a television screen. After a few moments the picture stabilizes, and Don leans over to address his audience upside-down.]

Hi everyone. I'm going to be watching some movies while we wait out this weather. You're welcome to join me.

[Anyone in Luceti, with or without power, so long as they have a journal handy, may see the following films, with short breaks in between:

10:00 AM: "Star Wars: A New Hope"
12:30 PM: "Jurassic Park"
3:00 PM: "The Last Samurai"

After a somewhat longer break for dinner, the movies will resume.

7:00 PM: "Beauty and the Beast" (Before starting this film, Don will filter the video feed against tailasoldastime. He'll unfilter when the movie ends.)
9:00 PM: "The Elephant Man"

... Don has never seen this last one all the way through. Maybe tonight he can finally do it.]

[While watching the movies, Don will work on restoring the computer files he deleted during last month's experiment.]

((Talking during the movies is very much encouraged; please threadjack/do log-type things!))

Comments

[i_speak_softly]

You don't have to tell me anything.

[To be honest, part of him would rather not know. He returns his attention to the movie, where Gaston is informing the villagers, in song, of how great he is.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert doesn't realize he'd rather not know, and assumes this is more an attempt for Robert to save face than anything.

Still, the movie is sufficiently distracting at this point that Robert turns his eyes back to it.

... Gaston comes off as a real ass to him.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Yup. Splinter had made clear to his impressionable boys which of Gaston's traits were worth emulating, and which were not.]

He's a strange villain, isn't he?

[semper_cogitans]

He... certainly is. And... ethically repugnant, to... say the least.

Does he not understand the concept of consent...? [... Yes, this is what Robert fixates on. And the fact he's a parody of masculinity? That hasn't even registered.

...

He does have kind of a nice-lookin chest though... not that it excuses anything.]

[i_speak_softly]

I don't think he understands she's saying no.

[Hence, doesn't know he's doing anything wrong. Don is curious to see whether Robert will pick up on this gray area.]

[semper_cogitans]

[... Nooot quite.]

How could he not? It is... fairly evident, even to me.

[Yes, getting into a serious discussion about ethics due to Beauty and the Beast. Only Robert...]

[i_speak_softly]

[In the most affectionate tone:] That's because you always expect no.

[More seriously:] Gaston can only imagine yes, so that's what he hears.

[semper_cogitans]

[That... makes a very selfish sort of sense.]

... Ah... well, I suppose he... should learn otherwise, then. It is... not good to be ignorant...

[As Robert knows himself. Ignorance leads to all sorts of problems.]

[i_speak_softly]

[An hour, a bowl of popcorn, and much commentary later, Don gets up to change the DVD. He settles back onto the couch as the black-and-white credits flicker onto the screen, curling close to Robert and seeming much more anxious than he did earlier.]

[semper_cogitans]

[In response, Robert curls back, letting a hand drift almost reassuringly to Don's shoulder.]

... Is... is there an issue...?

[i_speak_softly]

[Don doesn't answer. The opening scenes of the movie should be all the explanation Robert needs.]

[semper_cogitans]

[... Even Robert can tell that this movie is going to be horror incarnate.

But he sputters, aloud, when he sees the cartoonish words in black and white -]

"Freaks"...?!

[That is a clearly disgusted sputter.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don slides down to rest his head in Robert's lap, his shell towards the back of the couch, one leg partially drawn up. He's just going to watch the movie from here.]

[semper_cogitans]

[That's okay. Robert doesn't mind; his fingers lay lightly on Don's arm.

He's too busy focusing on the inexplicable things on the black-and-white screen.]

... These are... a-absolutely appalling conditions...

[i_speak_softly]

[Abruptly:] I've never seen the end of this.

[semper_cogitans]

[That sounds both sad and understandable.]

Why not...?

[i_speak_softly]

I can't get through it... None of us have finished it.

[semper_cogitans]

[With infinite gentleness and understanding:] You do not have to, if you... do not want to.

[i_speak_softly]

I do... [And he falls silent again, biting his thumb and focusing on the movie.]

[semper_cogitans]

[The imagery in the movie is disturbing for so many reasons. Dark and grimy and gray, full of crowded streets and fires belching smoke and strange angular buildings... not a piece of foliage in sight.

... But the actual travesty is yet to come. Good gods that surgery...]

... how on Terra is that permissible...?

[i_speak_softly]

[Don squeezes Robert's knee, but Robert probably won't know what this means, because Don isn't entirely sure himself. It's somewhere between "Thank you for understanding this is wrong", "Don't leave", and "Enough commentary", probably with other important ideas mixed in there as well.]