Fifty-Seventh Theory [Written/Voice/Action]

[i_speak_softly]

[It's sunny and warm and spring, and Don can't wait to get outside. Or he wouldn't be able to wait, if he didn't have such impressive self-control.]

[He diligently starts the morning with his usual exercises, then sits down to leave a few messages in his journal before leaving the house.]

[Tutoring Beast in reading has made Don reconsider his own literacy skills, and after much thinking he's decided to do something to improve them. To that end, he easily constructs a filter, then labors through writing a brief message:]

Filtered from Housemates | Unhackable

[In translation-shielded kanji:] I WANT PLEASE: SOMEONE IS ABLE TO TEACH TO READ JAPANESE A SLOW STUDENT.

[There. Anyone who can't read that is automatically disqualifed as a teacher; anyone who can should immediately see the need for some teaching.]

[Reminding himself that lack of knowledge is not a cause for shame, but an opportunity to learn, Don closes that filter and opens another.]

Filtered to Leonardo | Unhackable

Hey, Padawan. If you ever take a break from mastering the Force, call your otouto and let him know you're okay.

[And finally:]

Filtered to SHELL members | Unhackable

The world visit experiment should be happening soon, if we can believe anything that blue man says. After that I'd like to have another meeting.

I'm taking nominations for other topics of discussion or club activities.

[Don will check for replies later - for now, he closes the journal, takes his gear, and quietly leaves the house. He'll be spending the next few hours meandering among the cherry trees, looking for early blooms.]

[Anyone who meets him may notice he now wears a silver chain around his wrist, half-visible where it laces through the leather wrappings.]

Comments

[Voice|Filtered]

[fearless_leader]

[Leo's currently perched up on the roof of the community house. The warm sun is so nice.]

I'm trying to master light magic. [He smiles though, glad to hear from Don.]

How are things, otouto?

[Voice|Filtered]

[i_speak_softly]

Of course. A fearless leader never turns to the Dark side.

[But seriously.] Things are okay here. It's been quiet.

[... That might mean that he misses you.]

[Voice|Filtered]

[fearless_leader]

Of course not.

[Seriously though. He's missed you too, Don. He hated to leave. He's happy to know you're fine.]

Good to hear it's quieted down. So, what are you up to, today?

[He might be fishing for a reason to see you, bro. Are you going to give him one?]

[Voice|Filtered]

[i_speak_softly]

I visited the cherry tree hill earlier, but I might go for another run.

[You could, you know, catch up to him somewhere.]

Under SHELL filter

[notshadowfever]

Oh ho! I'm glad to see SHELL is still around. I feared it had disappeared during my absence.

Under SHELL filter

[i_speak_softly]

[... Was there no meeting over the winter? Don will have to ask Robert about that.]

No, it was... just sleeping. Why were you absent, Dr. Eggman?

Under SHELL filter - Sob lack of icons

[notshadowfever]

[If there was one, Eggman didn't notice.]

I was just on a boring mission for the Malnosso. It's a little while ago now, though. Very disappointing, no decent data to be had at all!

[Voice, New Filter to address both]

[geniustheveil]

I'd be happy to work with you, if you'd like. And I hope we'll be able to meet. I don't trust the Malnosso, especially right now; we should discuss their offer.

[Voice, New Filter]

[i_speak_softly]

Oh. You... [Well, of course.] Yes. I'd like that.

[Voice, New Filter]

[geniustheveil]

[She says it for him anyway.]

I'm Japanese.

But, if it's alright to ask, why are you trying to learn? [Please tell her it doesn't have to do with world-hopping.]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Had something to ask him about, housemate?

Whenever Don gets back - or even before he leaves, doesn't matter to Robert - he'll find a cup of coffee waiting for him in a thermally-insulated mug, and a scientist sitting at the table, poring over a book of astronomy. There's an eclectic mix of topics on the ones sitting next to him, but the ones that might stand out the most are several books on Earth history, and a book about Japan.

Someone's trying to prepare himself for going to another world. (And maybe gathering information to simulate the world of a certain friend.)]

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

[It's been a strenuous evening - trying to wrap his head around written proper Japanese with Ami and Rei, and then doing his best to keep up with Leo on a grueling run. Don hesitates a half-second when he sees the book about Japan, but no, Robert couldn't know about his secret study session.]

[Don rummages through the refrigerator, throws something in the microwave, and returns to the table, where he takes a long drink from the thermos and surveys the piles of books.]

[Right. Robert's upcoming (they hope) visit to Don's Earth. A completely logical reason for this sudden research. Not that a survey of world history will in any way prepare the scientist for what he's likely to experience.]

Robert... can we talk about this?

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Yeah, no, it's just a mildly-paranoia-inducing coincidence. It actually has much more to do with Sayo than it does with Don, though part of it is about trying to learn more of the elusive culture he will have to understand if he speaks to Don's family.

He glances up when Don walks in - yeah, it's late and he's slightly... worried... but at the same time not entirely surprised. It's just like Don to want to enjoy the weather.

But still - ]

Yes, of course, but... should you not equalize first? The temperature outside is... still not ideal for such late nights.

[Filtered]

[musubi]

Hey Don.

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

Isamu. [He was thinking about you recently, now why was that? Oh yes.] You know Naoki is here, right?

[filtered]

[musubi]

Of course I know Naoki's here.

But this isn't about him.

[Voice/Written], under the Kanji filter

[faithfulflame]

[Rei is intrigued. Ami's told her about the Turtles, and she's spoken to Leonardo, so she figures she'll offer to help. Calligraphy, after all, is her favorite subject. In a beautiful, flowery script, she'll respond in hiragana, since clearly he knows some Japanese]

Good Afternoon. My name is Hino Rei. I would be happy to help you learn to read Japanese.


[This is later followed by a Voice call]
Good Afternoon. If you weren't able to read my earlier message, my name is Hino Rei, and I would be happy to help you learn to read Japanese. Consider that to have been a bit of a test.

[Voice/Written], under the Kanji filter

[i_speak_softly]

[... Oh shell. Don gets the first two sentences without too much trouble, but the third just has way too many verb forms. (Not that he would be able to name them as such; grammatical structures are a subject he's never been able to wrap his head around.)]

... I think I failed.

[Voice], under the Kanji filter

[faithfulflame]

My my, what were you able to get from my message then?

[Filtered]

[most_unwanted]

I don't trust what he says, which means there should be a hell of a discussion to follow.

By the way, I hope you don't mind me inviting my partner along to the next meeting? She's a skilled scientist- a medical doctor, actually- and I know she'd have a lot to contribute.

[Filtered]

[i_speak_softly]

All scientists are welcome in SHELL. [Even ones of questionable morals, apparently.]

Who's your partner for the experiment?

[Filtered]

[most_unwanted]

Good, I think you'll like Scully. She's my voice of reason and skepticism.

For the experiment, I'm going to another world. Why waste the opportunity to see somewhere completely new? I'm headed to a world filled with demons and magic, with a young woman called Reimu.

[action]

[cop_an_attitude]

[Sally is just out minding her own business among the cherry trees when she rounds a corner and finds herself face to face with a giant anthropomorphic turtle.

Try not to take the alarmed shriek personally. She's new. :|]

[action] yay a normal

[i_speak_softly]

[Don is startled to suddenly encounter a shrieking woman - that kind of occurrence isn't nearly as common for him as it used to be.]

It's okay! [He raises his hands in a placating gesture, then reaches up further to pluck a flower, which he cautiously offers to the screaming lady.] I'm a friendly giant talking turtle.

Re: [action] \o/

[cop_an_attitude]

[Sally puts out a hand to kind of prop herself against a tree and clutches at her heart, trying to will her pulse back down to something below Mach 5. But once the initial shock passes, there's nothing to suggest the giant talking turtle is not, in fact, perfectly friendly.]

I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to... It's just, we don't have giant talking turtles at all where I'm from, friendly or otherwise. [This is still seriously weird, but she feels dumb just standing there, so she reaches out with equal caution to accept the flower.] Thank you. Sorry again about the screaming.