Team Bonding, AMA

[the_civilian]

[ Tadashi is reclining in a bed in medical, wearing the beatific smile of the enlightened and the well and truly stoned. ]

I love biology. Well, no, I'm enthusiastic about biology, I don't love it. I love programming and engineering and my family and helping people. Not in that order. Maybe in that order in regards to science. Except programming and engineering are the tools I use to help people, but I do love them too.

[ He stares off into space for a moment, then shakes himself and focuses back on the camera again. ]

But, you know, the thing about biology that's so cool is that we don't understand it all the way. Sometimes biological interactions happen unexpectedly. Like, these painkillers. I don't have an example of them to show you; they're already in my system and the medical staff won't give me more of them because they make me really loopy. Which is cool, because it's not an allergic reaction or a result of a miscalculated dose, it's just a reaction that happens sometimes to some people. Which is cool! Even almost a thousand years in the future of an alternate universe -- which has seriously weird rules, oh my god you guys I wish I loved biology and philosophy and physics more so I could study how weird this place is, I could write so many papers -- people still don't really know how our bodies work and why they react to certain things the way they do. Reality is amazing and I am so happy it exists!

[ He beams at the camera, but his smile eventually fades into confusion. Then he gasps in apparent surprise. ]

Oh yeah! Anyway, I'm super bored right now and I can't concentrate enough to read anything longer than a few sentences. And I've kind of been focused on dealing with my own stuff and not lighting things on fire when I shouldn't to get to know people, so I was thinking I should get off my ass and do that. Metaphorically, not literally, because the medical staff has confined to this bed until I metabolize the painkillers.

I was thinking we could do a...thingy. That thing people sometimes-- AMA! Ask Me Anything, that thing! We could do that, but just for Legionnaires. Not that I don't love the staffers here, I do, but I was thinking it could be a team bonding thing and some people here are more private than others. But I'd need one of the scary computer ladies to lock it down for me, because I can't figure out how to do that right now.

[ His eyes widen suddenly. ]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean that like "scary computers who are women", that would be rude, I meant it like "scary women who are good with computers". Computer programming has a long history of ignoring the contributions of the women who are it's backbone, and we have a lot of women here who area really good at what they do and they deserve to be afforded all the respect due to them as people and as badasses. The patriarchy sucks like the vacuum abhorred by nature.

...I think this got away from me. What was I talking about?

Comments

[calibrates_big_guns]

The, ah, substitutes aren't particularly pleasant.

[A diplomatic answer, judging by the distaste in his voice.]

Fortunately, Val's been vat-growing meat. Not exactly the same, but a lot more palatable.

[the_civilian]

Is it because it's vat-grown or because it's weird alternate universe meat?

[Remember that part of the ramble about weird alternate universes? Yeah, he's thinking along those lines again.]

[calibrates_big_guns]

[He opens his mouth to answer but stops.]

You know, I hadn't really stopped to think about that.

[the_civilian]

[An opportunity for SCIENCE!]

We should figure out where Reinhardt got his sausages, do an experiment, see if those taste weird to you!

[calibrates_big_guns]

As long as they're dextro-friendly, I'll try anything once.

[the_civilian]

What does it take for something to be dextro-friendly?

[calibrates_big_guns]

The proteins in it have to be based on dextro-amino acids. Otherwise it's either going to be nutritionally worthless or a pretty unpleasant allergic reaction in the making.

[the_civilian]

Huh. Well, chemistry isn't my field, but it's not like their aren't chemists here.

[Tadashi leans forward and whispers into his omnicom.]

We shouldn't ask Invisible Kid though. He got his powers from drinking his chemistry experiments, and that's a pretty basic lab-safety no-no.

[unrecovered]

He told me where he got his beer - sausages might be in the same area.

[the_civilian]

Score! We should totally get some sausages.

[unrecovered]

Maybe when you're sober.

[the_civilian]

You want me to come along?

[Tadashi looks delighted]

[unrecovered]

Nah, we're gonna take your idea and go without you.

Of course we want you to come.

[the_civilian]

I guess that makes sense. I've been weird and stand-offish, but not so weird and stand-offish that my presence is off-putting.

[smarterthandad]

Just let me do that brain scan and you won't be able to tell I didn't import it from Palaven.

[Wait. That could be misinterpreted.]

...but not because I'm going to rewrite your brain.

[Nailed it.]

[calibrates_big_guns]

That's reassuring.

[/sarcasm.]