nexus_crossings | Blinded (with Science?)

Blinded (with Science?)

Furious, flustered and frightened, Isamu didn’t stop running until he’d reached the plaza. Out of breath, he sunk down behind one of the larger walls.

“Of all the… it is preposterous. That is what it is…” he huffed to himself, trying to gather his thoughts. “If I were actually collecting data without consent, or in direct violation of consent, that would be one thing… but a meta-analysis? A review of pre-existing literature? How can anyone object to that on ethical grounds?!”

Someone had, though. And that someone happened to be his brother’s girlfriend. Of course, it was not a question of if Minoru would find out about an argument heated enough to make the Anthean’s eyes glow. Just a question of when.

But at the moment, Isamu wasn’t even thinking about that.

“Is curiosity, in and of itself, a crime? If learning something new is satisfying or even pleasurable, does that automatically make it as reprehensible as getting high?” He pondered loud enough for any passersby to hear him. “Is science, simply because it requires empirical evidence, ideologically unethical? Where, between theory and practice, is that line drawn and who, if anyone, has the right to decide when it is crossed?!”

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She smiles a little approvingly, at least he had the wits about him to protect his back. She nods back warmly, encouragingly. "That a boy." She murmurs her lit edging in so she's got a slight burring drawl as she keeps her tone low. Though it's not exactly a protective growl. As she scans again as well.

"Ah," she murmurs quietly almost sotto her ears twitching and swiveling this way and that. "Family drama tends to be a sticky wicket in and of itself." She murmurs wry but understanding. And gently tries to pat his arm in a 'there there' manner. Though she knew there were two sides of every story she couldn't excatly help mediate etc if she'd didn't hear from both of them but given his state. Best to let someone cool their heels (and or heads etc) before anyone did some talking etc with them.

"Alright then, if we need a hasty exit do let me know." She murmurs warmly almost nonchalantly..True she'd had to deal with her own fair share of spats tween folks in both her personal and professional lives so. (and this one wasn't even in the fisticuffs stage.. At least she didn't see any evidence for it..but yes best to try and avoid that if at all possible. shield or no.)

No, the argument had been an entirely verbal spat. When Ziggy’s eyes started glowing, Isamu booked it, not exactly wanting to stick around for whatever came after that. (Technically, empathic powers were also being used, and most humans would have felt the unease rolling from the Anthean much earlier on in the conversation. But Isamu was basically blind and deaf to such things.)

“It is only a matter of time until Minoru finds out…” he glanced at Aal, but then looked away. “It is a terrible position to have put him in. I know this. I… I had not intended to quarrel. It was a simple, friendly discussion amongst intelligent people about what classifies as paranormal - which in my mind, should be nothing. Scientific research normalizes the paranormal. Supernatural abilities have natural physiological, biochemical causes, even if they are not yet understood.”

Needless to say, that was the wrong answer, and things only went downhill from there. Hypothetical situations were taken as a personal attack and Isamu’s character and livelihood were both torn violently apart.

Aal hums gently smphathicly her face softens in understanding as her ear goes back a little in a semi sad canine way, "Ah, well least ya realize that..Most people make sure worst when they don't." She murmurs hopeful. She nods, pleased a little that he hadn't sought out trouble at least.

She tilts her head a little to the right as she listens and mulls the words over to make sure she understood what he was saying correctly before replying softly, carefully. "Ah, I suppose in..some cases aye. Ahem though I know for example in my own Realm many such things are linked to emotions..in one manner or another." She softly clears her throat. Pointing toward her more wolflike-looking furred ears in another example. "Especially high and strong ones..even subconsciously sometimes."

She tilts her head toward him a little in a dog-like manner. She knew her other side oft well usually put some at ease least when she looked more Canine than Wolfie.

As she pads toward the last place she'd parked her van.

Fortunately, Isamu wasn’t one to seek out trouble. He could think up an elaborate prank, give a cold stare and spit vitriol with the best of them. But he was driven by logic far more than by emotions. (Or at least, he wasn’t as aware of emotions he might be driven by as he was the logical thoughts surrounding them.)

“Yes… you could definitely say the conversation elicited… or more accurately, triggered, an emotional response.”

Aal's ears perk up a little bit hopefully, and then hums softly and nods. Her face softens immensely."Mmh, key word there." She half murmurs lowly her left ear twitches a bit half in thought. "Ahem, I see...a very delicate situation then indeed." She murmurs half pondering things over. Before glancing about again, readying her keys.

"Umm..ah don't get car sick do ya?" She asks almost nonchalantly. But one did never know. She could try porting them both if need be, but she also didn't want to freak him out or use too much energy if she didn't need to. Again preferring saving certain things for emergency or no other best opinion use. Unlike others who liked to do such hither and yon. Course some of those were either show-offy or sneaky like.

“I am unsure of what to do next.” He confessed. “I must admit, a fair part of me still intensely desires to discredit the accusations made, but the argument went beyond the trappings of reason long before it ended. Nothing I say matters… and if anything, will only worsen the situation.”

He paused to answer the more pertinent question.

“No, it is all right, I do not get carsick.”

Aal hums and looks thoughtful, "Aye I see.That happens more often than not.." She murmurs slightly wry but understandingly. She hums, "Well, maybe not at the moment..But actions also speak louder than words..But ermm still probably best to let the others involved have time to mull things over and calm down a mite." She advises softly, though not overly long.

She nods softly, with a small smile and sigh of relief. As she unlocks her VW Blue and White van's door and moves to open the passenger door. "Oh alrighty then." She murmurs, "Just making ure..ahem pardon the wee mess. " She murmurs her cheeks pinking a little in the back was three pairs of baby seats a few toys and such about. Blankets and extra diapers and such in a bag on the seat and things like a large stroller in the way back along with a bean bag chair or two.

A dream catcher hung from the rearview mirror along with an SBPD K-9 Unit Badge on a green collar.

“Oh, no trouble at all… the mess, I mean.”

While he couldn’t directly relate, he still understood the struggles that came with babies - especially multiple babies. He imagined their family car looked very much like that at one point too. He smiled as he climbed in and buckled his seatbelt, so Aal wouldn’t feel unnecessarily self-conscious.

“Perhaps I failed to commit this particular detail to memory, given my somewhat harried mental state at the moment. But, where are we going?”

She nods gratefully, "Thank ya kindly." She murmurs sincerely. As before scooting around the back and over to the driver's side opening the door, she glances up as she starts to climb in. "Oh, pardon. figure ya want to lay low somewhere a wee bit. Though if ya prefer I could just drop mi groceries off and then yourself whenever ya feel safest." She half offers.

Especially if anyone came looking for /tracking him.

Eyebrows rose as he considered both the practicality and the thoughtfulness of the offer. “That is a worthwhile endeavor at this point.”

Going home at the moment meant facing his brother, who may or may not have been woken up by a message from an angry girlfriend. (What Ziggy did after their confrontation, he didn’t know.) Minoru wouldn’t leave for work for several hours yet, so spending a little time with Aal sounded like a perfect idea.

“Thank you, kindly.”

She hums and nods softly, "mmhmm." figuring such. As she shuts and locks the doors behind her before buckling up. He wasn't her first logical friend. "Aye..Thought so." She murmurs a little wryly with a small nod.

She smiles brightly at that, "Yer very welcome. And besides, The sooner to socialize the wee ones with mi various pals the better." She murmurs with a little wiggle. Two birds one stone.

With thoughts of Ziggy’s Anthean abilities fresh on his mind, he couldn’t help but think of one more enigma.

“I do hope they take to me better than Ziggy’s baby sister Zayda did.” He replied softly, looking down at his hands. More proof that he would never truly understand everything he was curious about. “Something about my mind - which has yet to be sufficiently tested or explained, and maybe now, never will - put her straight to sleep.”

"Oh?" She murmurs half curious, half with a tilt of her head her face soft in sympathy. She blinks a few times as her hand hovers on the gear shift. She hums half in thought.

"Intresting..mmh I mean..perhaps it soothed her in some manner?" She highly doubted a baby especially wouldn't hesitate to cry etc if something upset them. She softly hums. As she shifts gears and turns on the engine. "I'm sure there's perhaps other tests..or something ya can do in the meantime."Trying to give him some possible hope.

“Soothing, as in a sensory deprivation chamber, perhaps.” Isamu countered. “At least that was the currently-untested hypothesis suggested by the mother.”

She, too, was a hybrid like Ziggy, and would probably grow up having many of the same abilities. Fewer issues with genetic mismatch, though. Perhaps even more powerful? Only time would tell.

Isamu looked over at Aal, a little more mindful given the situation he just experienced. “Would you be offended if I asked about your abilities, and those inherited by your offspring?”

Aal coughs a little wryly bemused at what she hoped was humor anyway. "Mmh, wouldn't be able to comment to that..well at the moment. " True she wasn't likely whatever level his 'extended' pack was so to speak.."Ah, well I imagie if she'd done the same to another friend of mind..She'd not be so..He always says his mind feels like a racing engine." She informs him with a wee tilt of her head before glancing about and checking the mirrors before starting to move.

Aal blinks but gives him a warm smile. "Not at all, Least they have some..Heaven knows what all they'll grow into or inherit from either side of the family. " She informs him. Though they had some rough possible ideas. Some Shifters and Mages etc were born with gifts others..Could learn of course. Like herself and her mate for example.

She started to pull back and then forward, heading toward the heading toward the currently cozy cottage near the woodlands.

Except that first part was not a joke. Aletayria was serious when she said it, and so was Isamu now. But rather than dwell on that, his mind was now preoccupied with better understanding these children.

“Ah, so magical ability is something that develops later?”

Aal blinks and gives a small kind smile. That goes a mite sheepish. "Ahem, I mean everything has a reason aye?" She half asks half states. Trying to smooth things over.

"Ah, can yes. Depending on various factors. Ahem. I know some Realms can be similar and vary widely in such things. So can sometimes what a person can and can't do.." Though the Nexus was much more..flexible than most she'd seen that was for certain. (Unless one counted Wonderland for example).

"Ahem but mi-pups could shift quite easily back and forth since birth..and likely before." She informs and slightly murmurs. After all, she could have sworn she felt the tattle tale swish of a tail or two over the last year. Along with they're swimming about. Something their Daddy enjoyed immensely as well.

“That is fascinating. They already possess this magical ability to change their form?”

If it happened this early in life, it seemed obvious that it was an inheritable trait for their kind. Isamu perked up just thinking about it. Shape shifting wasn’t something anyone on his world could do. He didn’t have the foggiest idea what actually happened in the body to allow it to change that way.

“Has there been research into how and why this occurs? Or how it works?” He asked. “…does it um… hurt? To change?”

Aal hums and nods warmly. "Mmhmm. Aye..I mean we figured it likely since both me and Dor can.." She tilts her head.

"Ah..I believe there's been more out there.. least there's some lore oraly as well.." She tilts her head. "Whether others have done so..It depends some groups are more open about such..and some more ..secretive and protective of such things for good reason. She's documented and such what she's can as well. "There are family trees and such naturally. " And stories. She was a lover of such and history.

"Oh no..I mean if ya get nervous it can be a bit unpredictable sometimes with high emotions when yer first learning how..But the change itself nope..like..slipping in and out of yer shoes once you're used to it..It does take a bit of energy..though like if you run at high speeds you need to intake a lot of calories after and such." She tries to explain as they head toward the apartment building. That's one of their temporary 'bases'.

Having recently documented the energy expenditure of Ziggy and the rest of the band members on stage, he could understand the need for more calories to compensate. The musicians proved to be quite the athletes during a show. And Isamu had no doubt that he’d recorded exactly how much energy it took, in comparison, to use empathic powers.

Isamu struggled to fathom, however, how something as radical as shapeshifting could be as easy as putting on shoes.

“The amount of energy required suggests that this is a physical change, not merely an illusion of a physical change. It is as fascinating as it is perplexing…”

Aal blinks and then adds to clarify, "Um menially and ah muscle memory wise sort of way I mean." She tries to explain. "Some of us..Like my husband and I didn't even know we could do such till our late teens." She explains warmly.

Aal hums, and tilts her head a little with a small warm wolfish smirk at that and nods. "Aye, exactly. Glamours are..a mite different and not as long lasting in their effects." She informs him in a teacher like tone. Least inside etc to a person.

The clarification made more sense. Minoru would have said the same thing - that jumping out of a window was about as easy as stepping off a curb. It was all a matter of muscle memory once you'd had sufficient practice.

"Glamours?" he asked curiously. "I believe I have heard the term mentioned before. Those are... illusions?"

He could not place it fully, but he recalled it being in reference to Loki, who could also change shape.

Edited 2021-10-25 18:54 (UTC)

Aal nods softly for a moment.

"Um ahem aye." She murmurs her ear twitching slightly back uncertain at his feelings on the matter. Before softly smiling and tilting her head slightly in a 'kinda.' look. But still keeping her eyes well on the road. "Aye..in a way I mean depending on the spell and caster tis usually used to make one look different in some manner. Sometimes oft thoroughly..Disguise and such predominantly." Though needless to say perhaps bad folks would use anything for their ends.

“Intriguing…” Isamu’s mind was quickly connecting the dots, cataloging additional questions for later research.

He wondered what differences could be observed if he attached sensors on spellcasters proficient in those two techniques, much like he had done for his recent study, An Assessment of Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure in Rock Musicians. How much energy was used in each? How did it tax the body of the caster? What hormonal changes proceeded or followed the change? And could he measure brain activity? Electroencephalography, perhaps? But how to analyze that data so that the electrical impulses measured provide something useful?

“Dare I say, quite fascinating.”

If Aal was concerned about him thinking such traits were inherently bad, or associated with criminals and the like, she need not fear. He didn’t have enough context around magic users to even have those kinds of biases. This was all far too new to him.

Aal perks up, even smile a little, her shoulders tense but then ease ever so slightly. It wasn't very often folks wanted to listen to her talk 'shop' as it was. Let alone babble sometimes if she got overly excited.

"Aye..I mean can be when one doesn't have to say deal with the fallout or try to fix something someone did." She adds after a moment. Sometimes she needed to vent a wee bit. Now and again. Her tone was slightly wry with a tilt of her head with a slight sigh. Theory and discussion was and could be fun though or carthradiac.

"Ahem, sort of why I..ah." She begins pauses and focusing ahead states softly. "One of the reasons why I came here in the first place..I ..was tried and on the last of my patience..and such." She informs him softly. "That and well..one of my dearest friends."

She murmurs the last lowly, swallowing a lump with a soft sniffle. Now she didn't know if she'd ever hear from or see him again. Ahem, true she'd run into one of his doubles before. But twasn't the same..and she. She droops visibly ears, shoulders, eyes, felt like she royally screwed that up as well. As her tail wrapped round her thigh.

No one wanted to be friends with an over-eager, stupid ol puppy wolf who tended to mother hen/herd. A bit well she tried not to go overboard. She stressed baked etc. ok.

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