Blinded (with Science?)

[itmeanscourage]

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?!”

Comments

[ziggyplayedguitar]

"You know Mick puts her to sleep too by being too much of a dad." Ziggy tried to smile but just shook his head and motioned at the rest of the building with his hand, venting the frustrated feeling with the gesture. "No! It relies on me and every other person risking with me to save this planet. They're all your species. They aren't empaths, they aren't Antheans. They just know the cost of this world for themselves, for the people they love. Some of them may even be more broken than you imagine yourself to be."

Ziggy huffed out a breath at this display and Minoru would certainly feel the frustration building in the Anthean. "Did you just suggest Minoru is broken too because I've forgiven him for more than I've ever had to do with you. Minoru and I have had arguments that make our little disagreement look like a happy tea party."

Ziggy stopped and all of his presence went silent. "Isamu, I don't know what is going on in your head but... until you stop convincing yourself about me thinking you are broken we will get nowhere. I've tried to tell you I don't think you're broken but you've ignored me thus far. I never said you were a threat to my mission either. I don't understand why you keep saying things to me that I've not said to you."

Ziggy sighed and shook his head. Glancing around the room before meeting Minoru's panicked gaze with one of his own; at a loss for what to do for the moment. Slowly, Ziggy brought his attention back to Isamu.

"Humans fear the unknown. Humanity is taught to think of the dark, the silence, or an unanswered question as a terror as real as a demon under the bed. Fear demands you pluck at it until you know so it isn't scary any longer." He pulled completely away from anything that related to specific people to try and dispel the tension that seemed to be growing.

He's giving time for that to sink in while looking for the right words. "It is uncomfortable, I imagine, not knowing every molecule in us. Humans fear not knowing as a species. We fear what you might do to us in order to no longer feel afraid, to not so gently yank us from the unknown box to the comfortably understood and digested box, metaphorically."

[itmeanscourage]

Oh, Minoru could feel it and he cringed. This was not how he thought this would end up going when he nudged Isamu into facing Ziggy. Actually, this point, right here, was the exact opposite of how he thought it would go. He was starting to wonder if he should have just volunteered to deliver the papers himself when Isamu finally looked up from the most formal apologetic bow Minoru had ever seen him give.

"You clearly had no trouble differentiating between what and who when it applied to how you felt I saw you. Can you... can you apply it to me?" he asked, honestly. "But the other way around. The what... not the who."

Minoru cocked his head to the side.

"I... I do not know if this notebook contains answers as to why your empathic abilities work the way they do, what effect they have on particular neurotransmitters or the mediation of particular electrical impulses in specific regions of the brain. But if... if it did, I... I might be able to understand the source of the neurodivergence." he hugged the notebook and held it out again, looking at the cover. "But if I follow your fears to their logical conclusion, wh..what might bring me comfort and relief could potentially create the means by which an entire species could be dulled to your influence at the biochemical level, rendering your message mute to a world that needs to hear it the most. I am, therefore, a threat."

He bowed again, but this time, holding the book out toward Ziggy. His hands were shaking.

"I... I can give you back your answers, but... but I... I cannot stop myself from wanting to know them. I... I know that's probably not the right response. I don't know what is... But that... that is the truth..."

Minoru put his hands on Isamu's shoulders, and looked back up to the frustrated Anthean. Neither of them really knew what to do, but Minoru silently mouthed, 'Tell him it'll be okay.'

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy sighed heavily and moved toward Isamu, glancing between the notebook and the person holding.

"The notebook doesn't have the answers you seek." He slid his hand over the notebook but didn't take it yet. "What and who are very important, Isamu, and the threat you mentioned isn't even one I had considered but you're right that it could."

He shakes his head and finally takes the notebook back. "I forgive you for all of this. I don't see someone broken or faulty, never have, even when I learned you couldn't feel me. I accepted that was who the twin of my partner was and I accept you even when we argue or disagree. In my culture, apologies and making right..." he paused to point at Isamu's paper. "... are more important and enduring than any argument."

He stepped in to offer another hug to Isamu, if he wanted it. "The other side of that is that you might have some answers if you asked the people instead of trying to devise experiments to figure it out alone." Ziggy tried to smile and wished Isamu could feel the forgiveness but knew he couldn't. "You're not alone here but, perhaps I should teach you some of our culture before you talk to the older Antheans?"

It's gentle, forgiveness, an offer to help, everything Ziggy can think of to tell Isamu it is ok. That this is ok. That they are ok as friends.

[itmeanscourage]

Minoru rubbed his brother’s back. “He’s right. Anthean culture is all about forgiveness.”

He spoke, as Ziggy alluded earlier, from experience. They’d certainly had some disagreements of their own, but they worked them out. They compromised where they could, and in time, accepted what could not be changed. It had made their relationship stronger.

Isamu might never believe that the notebook wasn’t a test, but his mind no longer disputed the sincerity of the person that owned it. A part of him was still petrified, but his tension relaxed when Ziggy wrapped him in a gentle hug. He let out a breath he wasn’t aware that he was holding.

It wasn’t Anthean empathy, but something got through.

“I… would like that.” He nodded hesitantly, bowing a little less this time.

The thought of asking older Antheans, of course, hadn’t crossed his mind. But he had a two entire notebooks dedicated to experiment design on the subject of Anthean empathy alone - a topic that was best left unsaid.

“Come on, Bro. Ziggy needs to finish getting ready for the show. I’m sure the crew could always use an extra set of hands. Do you want to stay and watch the concert?”

“No, not particularly. No… no offense…” he looked up at Ziggy. This had been a very intense afternoon, and he really didn’t feel like facing any of his other newfound friends in this uncomfortably vulnerable state.

“Okay. I think we’re in London. We could always go to a pub.”

“Can we just go home?” Isamu asked softly.

Minoru smiled equally softly. “Of course, Bro. Of course. Just a sec.”

He moved to hug his koibito, thank him for everything and put some positive energy back into the mix. Ziggy may have the gift (and the curse) of prophecy, but Minoru was equally determined to make that mysterious future better. He didn’t bring it up again directly. This still wasn’t the time or the place, and Ziggy had a job to do out there. Instead, he filled his thoughts with the most love and happiness he thought he could manage and embraced Ziggy until he’d shared it all.