howsmashing | Vol. 1 #106 -- [Voice/Action]

Entry tags:

Vol. 1 #106 -- [Voice/Action]

[Voice]

[The feed starts with Bruce staring down at the journal, resting his head on his hand as he taps on the journal with the eraser part of his pencil. This goes on for a couple moments before he readjusts and finally speaks.]

Oh, sorry... [He kind of zoned out for a moment there.] It seems like everyone has been getting into the Valentines Day spirit lately. I guess Cupid's been busy this year... [Actually he’s more than positive that this must be an experiment of some kind, but hey, he won’t spoil anyone’s fun.]

But to fit in with the season I figured I’d ask a fitting question: What is your definition of love?

[Action]

[Bruce is not the happiest of campers on Valentine's Day. The Holiday reminds him far too much of the time he's spent with Betty. And the life he had that used to be relatively normal. It was something that he knew he could never get back again. And being stuck in Luceti only made that realization that much harder.

He'll be moping on a bench somewhere, doing theories and mathematical equations in his notebook.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Love is complicated. What's yours?

To be honest? I've never had much luck in that AREA...

[That and Bruce is naturally a secretive mofo.]

But I was curious as to what some people in the village thought of it.

Most of them are still acting pretty goofy, I'm not sure they could give a coherent answer.

Yeah, I probably should've figured as much...

I take it Cupid hasn't gotten to you at all this time? [And by Cupid obv he means the Malnosso because there's no way this isn't an experiment in his mind.]

I was kidnapped until Valentine's Day itself. Perhaps I should be grateful.

[Hint... she's not.]

You were... kidnapped?

[Wow he had no idea. How did he miss that?]

I'm sorry, I hadn't realized.

[Spreads her hands with a shrug.] It was quiet. I don't think anyone noticed except Lupin and everyone he complained to.

Oh, is Lupin a friend of yours?

[He's actually never met him or anything, but he might have heard his name mentioned over the journals a few times.]

My ex. Though do try reminding him that.

[He smiles slightly at that.]

I'm sure he's not that bad...

Oh no, he is.

He stole my fiance once. For himself. Because he wanted the paintings that were going to be the wedding present. Another time? I spent three months investigating a counterfeiting ring once, and he got it into his head that he had to rescue the girl I was tutoring from my employer, came in and busted the place up, crashed the lovely gyrocoptor I wanted and everything. [Actually, she crashed it saving his life, but she holds him responsible, and won't admit she saved his life.] And just ask him about his beer snow cones.

[Hold on for one minute while Bruce actually tries to process all of this and try not to break his mind-- beer snow cones??]

...wait, what? Did I hear all of that correctly? [... Though admittedly, he turns into a giant green monster. Maybe he should be less surprised by things like this.] Okay, I take it back. It seems like he's quite the... friend to have. [Or at least he thinks he's her friend? He don't even.]

Not a friend. Rival. Frenemy at best.

Pain in the ass more like.

Well I'm sure he's not... all... bad? [Or at least he hopes not.] For you to even consider him a frenemy I mean.

Actually... now that I think about it... that names sounds kind of familiar. [Almost as if ya know. He had heard of that name in passing somewhere before. Like he's some kind of celebrity or something-- ooooh. Know what he's thinking of? Lupins. The plant. That was it.]

He has... moments. But a lot of people wind up with moments if you're just around them enough.

D'ya really think ya need ta define it?

Well... not exactly. But I figured everyone has some kind of subconscious definition or theory about what they feel love is.

I guess seeing all the couples around made me curious.

[Well, Rogue just so happens to have an opinion on this that she's not too insular to share due to the experiment messing with her.]

Love doesn't mean much at all - the feelings, I mean. Love's all about what ya do... an' sometimes, it's about why you do it.

That's... actually a pretty mature opinion. I'm not sure many people share it.

[And that coming from Rogue actually surprises him a bit. It seems like the girl has a good head on her shoulders.]

[Yeah, well, knowing that your mother loves you while watching her completely betray you and try to kill everyone you care about tends to make you a bit. cynical. about feelings.

So she snorts softly.]

No need ta be so shocked. I ain't like most people.

Yeah. I guess that kind of comes with the territory when you're... not like most people.

[Or mutants and mutates basically. Yeah, he's terrible at small talk isn't he?]

[Fortunately, Rogue is more amused than not.]

Yup. [And she will kindly broaden the subject.] Welcome ta Luceti.

... I suppose this would be where the obligatory "Hell" line would come in, right?

That, or Sparta.

...

...

...

...

[That was just. SO BAD. He let's out a small laugh. YES A LAUGH.]

Really? [You really just went to the Sparta jokez.]

[Huh. Nice laugh, Bruce. She didn't know you had it in you.]

C'mon, ya hafta admit it would be the best way ta welcome New Feathers.

[Dude writing math and moping on a bench? She only vaguely recognizes him, but she's just going to waltz on over in her love-euphoria, and take a seat next to him, clapping him (lightly! Super strength and all) on the back]

[He jumps in surprise when he feels the hand hit his back. Probably a little more than he should have. All that time spent being on the run from the law has made him far more jumpy than he should be.]

...!? [Oh it's... her. That's actually kind of a surprise. Out of all the people who would try to comfort him, he would never had expected to see Fray.] Oh. Uh. Hello...

Hey. You're.... that one guy, right? Not a rocketmouth you were... [Man it's been a while, the name's eluding her. Her brilliant plan is already hitting a snag here]

Yeah, that's me... [Fffff he didn't know his being secretive was that obvious to people.] I'm Bruce by the way.

And you're... Melaka right? [He's pretending like he hadn't already memorized her name by now. He stalks the journals like... some kind of mad journal stalking person. He's memorized a lot of people's names acquaintance or no.]

Yeah, Melaka Fray. We spoke a few times, I think.

[Or at least once, but]

Yeah, I remember that...

[And now he's just going to... slowly close his notebook. He doesn't want her to think he's some kind of paranoid psycho with all the theories he's trying to compile together about this place.]

I take it your Valentines Day has been going well so far?

Been... [...Smile. such a smile] Jesu, actually been pretty Rocketship so far.

Uh.... Rocketship...?

[Excuse Bruce as his mind tries to put together the later part of the sentence after 'been'.]

Oh! ...that's-- that's slang isn't it? [He had to ask if something was slang. Wow he feels like an old man now.]

It's Haddyn. [She actually laughs at this. It's been pissing her off more and more (irrationally) when people don't understand things people would pick up easily at home, but... well, not a lot feels terrible right now. she leans back on this bench, looking skyward just long enough to conclude it freaks her out still and then looking back at Bruce]

No one's awake to it here. Old 'Merican or just some other language... Two cen'll do that, I suppose. Prob sound like I'm skitzing to you.

[He pauses for a second and shakes his head.]

No no. Actually... I think I'm starting to catch on to it. [He just has to put that big brain of his to use.] Does everyone where you're from speak that or...?

Lot of the Lowers, anyway. [And she smirks. Though it's not exposed now, she her upper body to the left side, where he tattoo is]

I'm not sure I see the need for one. [A personal definition, that is.]

I guess you could try and pin some kind of description on it, but [it cheapens the emotion] there's more to it than that, I think.

Yeah, I don't disagree with that...

[But he's a scientist! It's his job to cheapen emotions!]

With all the love that's been in the air lately though, I figured it might be a fitting question? [...] Actually definition probably wasn't the word I was looking for. I wasn't looking for anything precise really...

So what were you looking for, then? [If definition wasn't the right word.]

Discussion mostly. Back home I used to be a scientist. And science... usually has a rather different view on love. I wanted to see how people felt about it from an emotional stand point.

[And he also wanted to see just how far the Malnosso had possibly tinkered with the villagers mindsets this time around.]

Well, that's the thing. Emotions are complicated and with love it's the same. Love can feel great, or it can be painful. Love can make people do stupid or amazing things. You can love someone and still hurt them, or vice versa.

[Sigh.]

Love can be both good and bad, depending on how someone handles it. That's why a definition doesn't really work. It varies from person to person.

["You can love someone and still hurt them..."

Boy, does Bruce know this part all too well...]

All of that's true as well... But I think that's also why it's such a good topic to discuss isn't it? Two people could have two completely different theories of what it is and neither of them has to necessarily be wrong.

Like I said I wasn't really... looking for any concrete examples or definitions. It was curiosity mostly...

It definitely makes for an interesting conversation. So, what do you think about it?

[Sure, he's a scientist, but he's also human. And all humans have emotions.]

I think love... is about sacrifice. And sometimes compromises. You should be willing to do anything that's within your power in order to make and keep that person happy

[...]

Which sometimes can even mean letting that person go I suppose... [A living reincarnation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde isn't exactly someone who would be on the top of your list to date.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Vol. 1 #106 -- [Voice/Action]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

[ voice ] 1/2

[ voice ]

[ voice ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]