A new year and a fresh start

[stockingfeats]

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!

Comments

[gloriousthorn]

If you're comfortable sharing, yes.

[spaghettification]

[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.

[gloriousthorn]

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.

[spaghettification]

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.]

[gloriousthorn]

[ 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?

[spaghettification]

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.

[gloriousthorn]

[ 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.

[spaghettification]

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.]

[gloriousthorn]

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

You could, actually, you know.

[spaghettification]

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.

[gloriousthorn]

I could try to smuggle you one.

[spaghettification]

Would you actually?

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

[gloriousthorn]

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.]

[spaghettification]

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

[Given how Talon would likely react.]

[gloriousthorn]

Are you worried about my safety?

[spaghettification]

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.

[gloriousthorn]

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.

[spaghettification]

[He looks like he wants to argue for a moment, before he ducks his head a little.]

Very well, Doctor. If you insist.

[gloriousthorn]

... Thank you, truly, for your concern for my wellbeing. I will look out for myself, but I don't want to lie and say I won't do something. I will prioritize getting to see you again.

[ Hopefully that will ease any worry. They also know how underestimated they are. That's by design, frustrating as it can be sometimes. ]