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

Re: Judge Beeny

[walkingballpit]

What would you be if you weren't a judge?

[thedreamisdead]

Probably a singer of some kind or the idle rich. I can't see myself taking up my mother's career.

[walkingballpit]

I can't tell if you're serious. You should sing something to prove it?

[thedreamisdead]

I should clarify: My father was a singer. He made his millions with comedy songs and, later, protest anthems and movie soundtracks. He even won an Arnie for one of them, though that was likely part of a terrorist plot.

I haven't sung since I was five years old. I doubt I'd be any good.

[walkingballpit]

Your dad sounds cool, minus the terrorism. I'm hoping that wasn't him - that's not a question. I know you probably don't want to get into it. I wouldn't.

But that's kind of weird. Your dad was in the arts and you wouldn't want to do what your mom did. My 'rents were the opposite. Mom was an actress, and I wouldn't want to follow my dad's footsteps...

You should try, next time you're in the shower. Or take lessons while you're here. Everybody should be able to sing along to their favorite tune.

[thedreamisdead]

He's dead. Talking about it won't hurt anyone.

In any case, he was supposed to win at the Academy Awards, give a speech about 'Down with the tyranny of the Judges' or some such nonsense, then detonate a bomb hidden in his brooch and allow a group of Democratic terrorists to claim credit for the propaganda victory. I'd been kidnapped and held hostage to assure his obedience, but the Judges found out and rescued me before he could make his way to the stage.

It should be noted that my mother was a founding member of the group that forced my father to do this.

[So, that should explain a few things. Especially her attitude.]

It's something to consider. [Her favorite songs don't have any words that she's aware of, but there's no reason to shoot Robbie down when he's playing nice for once.]

[walkingballpit]

[ After a second's hesitation, Robbie gives his head a shake and tries to stick to sympathy rather than pity. ]

I'm so sorry. I know getting cut off from your parents is hard.

[ He feels awful for the way this conversation headed. There's nothing like making someone stick their fingers into a electric socket of past traumas. Even if Beeny sounds well-adjusted, that's not a happy set of memories.

Robbie doesn't bother to ask if her dad survived. Either the judges killed him in the rescue, or the man blew himself and an entire audience to hell... he kind of hopes it was the former. All things considered, he'd rather not have Beeny drawing any parallels between him and her dad. ]

My mom was an eco-terrorist for like... six weeks. She had no idea what she was getting into, though...

[ Oh, god. Abort, abort babble sequence. This isn't something to bond over with anyone. ]

Anyway. You should try it. If Dazzler can be New York's Kylie Minogue who is Australia's Madonna, you can be the singing Judge. I'll teach you the songs from Legally Blonde if you swear not to tell Rich, Vance, or Sam that I know them.

[thedreamisdead]

I don't dwell on it. Judges don't have time for that kind of sentimentality.

[Not that it's stopped her from investigating her mother's death. Or trying to figure out how her mother thought.

She pauses, then skims over his mother's criminal past. Bonding over terrorist parents isn't exactly on the agenda here.

Also, she's just pinged Rich, Vance, and Sam in this conversation.]

Something tells me I'd need some hair dye for those songs to be very accurate.

[walkingballpit]

Right. Of course not.

[ What's he supposed to do? Argue when clearly parents are the absolutely worst subject? For once, he's keeping his trap shut, because shitty parents are something you don't talk about beyond being nice. ]

I actually thought you'd be more the smart, no-nonsense brunette, but, sure, if you want to go for the Elle Woods role.

[ That's evil, B. ]

[headinjuries]

Wait, seriously?

[walkingballpit]

[ He is pretending it's about the terrorist thing. ]

She used to be big into social issues. She might still be. She'd be the celebrity at a protest. She wanted to save the rainforests; they wanted a celebrity to draw attention to their demands. I can't remember if they were going to kill her or ransom her. That was, gosh, eight or nine years ago.

[headinjuries]

No, no, the part about Legally Blonde.

[walkingballpit]

Never miss an opportunity to add to your pop culture repertoire. Besides, smart Reese is the sexiest Reese. Did you ever see Election?

[headinjuries]

Uh, no?

[walkingballpit]

We should ask Wash to do that for movie night.

[headinjuries]

Knock yourself out, I guess.