bridgescribble | A new year and a fresh start

Entry tags:

[gen],
[meme]

A new year and a fresh start

Yes, it's that time of year, time to set yourself to a strict regimen of self-improvement and wild optimism about your own sense of discipline. Whether it's a plan to eat 5 fresh fruits and vegetables a day, to be more emotionally honest, or to stop letting that demon in your head use your body to go on murderous rampages, declare it before one and all.

1. Post your character!
2. In your character's toplevel, write down one or more New Years' resolutions that they will really, really try to follow.
3. Tag around and commentate!

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[ Through gritted teeth. ]

No. It does not. You are a person, not a weapon.

Then, no, I have not received treatment.

[As he grows more agitated, nearby objects that aren’t secured begin to float. Coffee mug, pens, books.]

[ It isn't like Wren can blame him for the agitation. It stirs their own fury, as injustice always does, the anger they struggle to keep a hold on that has been a constant battle their whole life.

Breathe.

They reach out to put a hand on Sigma's arm, calm, steady, voice gentle but firm. ]

Hey. Breathe with me, okay?

[ They do the 4-7-8 breathing exercises for him to follow along with. In, hold, out. ]

[Its a struggle for him, to concentrate on her voice and control his breathing. It takes longer than it would for most of her patients, but eventually he settles, and so do the things he’d floated without even trying.

(He himself remains floating, but there’s an additional reason for that: it’s easier on arthritic joints than letting his body have weight.)]

Thank you. I’m sorry for the outburst, it will probably happen again.

[ Wren shrugs, just as steady and outwardly calm as when they started. They don't mind the floating, either. If it makes him more comfortable that's what matters. They enjoy it themselves, they're just far more accustomed to hiding their own abilities as much as possible until absolutely necessary not to. ]

You didn't light anything on fire. It's hardly an outburst.

[He pinches the bridge of his nose, taking one more deep breath.]

Fire is outside my purview. Flinging things at you was more likely. Though, ahm. Lifting people up high and dropping them is also pretty devastating. Easier outside than in an office.

Well, I'm very good at dodging.

[ That's putting it mildly. ]

There's nothing wrong with getting upset at your situation. It's objectively fucked up.

[ They won't bother giving a lecture on 'obviously you should try to not hurt others not responsible with your outbursts' since it seems he's very aware of the danger and is trying his best not to given the tools at his disposal. Which are basically none, thanks to having no help. ]

Would you like the story from the beginning? It might make more sense with even more context.

If you're comfortable sharing, yes.

[There’s almost a vague confusion, at the idea his comfort matters in any of this. He pauses for just a moment, then shakes his head and begins to speak.]

I am…I was…an astrophysicist, specializing in the study of gravity. I’d done work at Horizon Lunar Colony with Dr. Winston, before being transferred to the ISS to continue my series of experiments. But something went wrong and I was exposed directly to a micro black hole, mind and body. It broke me, mind and body.

I was evacuated, of course, but no one knew what to do with me, especially early on when I was even more volatile than I am now. So they tucked me away and hid all the records.

That is, if you'll forgive my bluntless, incredibly fucked up.

[ Then, to make sure they know specifically what they mean- ]

How they treated you in the aftermath.

Yes, it is. But I think what fucks me up is not being able to trust my mind, when it has always been what I’m known for. I feel like a racehorse with four broken legs. I know what I am for, and it’s not within my reach anymore.

The group I work for now, they humor me. I have a lab environment to work in. But it is hardly the same.

[This may be a sign of some underlying issues even before the incident. The struggle of a high achiever who felt that said achievement was the whole point of life. Even if a black hole hadn’t gotten him, burnout would have eventually.]

[ Oh boy that's not a familiar song and dance for them or anything. And truly what a clusterfuck: the best and easiest solution for the current situation just exasperating past underlaying issues. What to do? ]

Forgive the bluntness of the question-

[ But they suspect he'd appreciate them not wasting time trying to gentle something and instead just being straightforward with it. ]

Do you have any hobbies?

Ah...music. When I was younger, it was another way to impress people. But I play for myself now. It helps with the auditory hallucinations, but also is how I try to express what I've seen, what I've been through. I play piano, violin and cello.

[ Wren can't help but give a small twitch of a smile at the admission that it was originally to impress people. That is somehow not surprising. ]

That's an impressive array of instruments.

I've thought about picking up another. To give me something to focus on. Clarinet for a challenge, perhaps.

[There's a flicker of a smile to indicate that this is actually a joke.]

[ There is a soft exhale that could even be an aborted laugh at that. ]

You could, actually, you know.

I'd need to get my hands on a clarinet. Which would mean asking them to order one for me. It's not an essential to the care and keeping of your mad astrophysicist.

But. Perhaps I'll ask, just to see.

I could try to smuggle you one.

Would you actually?

[The offer of kindness like that takes him by surprise.]

Of course. I doubt it would be difficult.

[ ... And it would give them a better idea of the security in place so they can do what they ultimately want to do and uh break him out.

Better to not bring it up until they're sure they can pull it off though, don't want to get hopes up.]

I would appreciate that. Though, ah, getting caught would likely be very unpleasant for you.

[Given how Talon would likely react.]

Are you worried about my safety?

Yes. Of course I am. I’m afraid you’ll draw their attention to yourself.

[He gives them a long, quiet look.]

It’s enough to know you would try, really, to do me the kindness of offering an instrument.

Mmm.

... That is very kind of you, to be concerned. But let me worry about me, okay? I won't take any risks I don't think necessary.

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spaghettification - 2024-01-06 03:56 (UTC) - Expand

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