truth_is_cold

074

[Public | Audio]

[There is apparently one section on the fifth floor that's full of royally pissed off people. This lovely little announcement starts out with the sound of a hand slamming a communicator several times because the thing just isn't turning on fast enough, or working to his liking.]

Anyone up for a game of chess or Pai Sho or... practically anything? I have a ridiculous amount of games.

I'll need about twenty minutes to clean my room. [Because he has been breaking things left and right.]

I think I'll be leaving soon. At least for a little while. [Possibly for good. He's not sure yet. He's thinking that might be the case.] I need someone to be responsible for Ben for me, but I need to see my daughter. "Blame" whoever you like, I can't be of any use right now.

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[The news came as a surprise to her. Both of the admission of certain tendencies, as well as the mentioning of a child. Aya had family--or, at least, what she considered family--back home, yes, but to leave one's offspring?]

Then I wish you luck on your journey.

[Her eyes fall to the chess board, eyes faintly glowing as she continues to process this.]

I cannot guarantee my presence would make much of a difference...but I would never stand idly by if Ben was in need.

[That's been the hardest part, staying away from her even knowing he's missing no time at home. Not beyond what network errors allow for.]

Your presence makes a difference to him. [He says that doubtlessly as he moves a pawn on his side.]

[She also moves a pawn.]

That is what I would like to believe.

Have you learned how he talks yet. The real way he shows his emotions? [He mostly leaves Ben to his own interpersonal relationships, but in the event that he shouldn't come back, she should know.]

I...think so.

[She speaks as one who was only just thinking of this now, when, in truth, Aya had studied their interactions countless times over. As she did with every acquaintances. Much of it she still did not understand--there was only so much logic that could be applied to a single-sided perspective--other than the results were 85% positive.]

We have exchanged many instances of dialogue together, and I have never failed to understand his words. As for his emotions... [A pause. More processing. She looks up.] ...it is a subject I am still learning much about myself.

When you grow up fearing how to speak freely, or simply needing to keep your emotions to yourself, you learn to say them between lines. So if someone really cares about you they'll care enough to listen for them.

[It's a truth of communication in his culture, and he looks disappointed that Ben had to learn it the way he did.]

When he tells a story, all the people he knows are cast in the roles. The story is how he feels about those people, and says the parts of them he can't understand.

I have repeatedly communicated to him that he is both free and welcome to speak to me in whichever degree of freedom he prefers.

[The "repeatedly" indicating that she is well aware of his hesitations to do so, but persists in her insistence.]

[Though the mentioning of Ben's stories gives her pause. She always listened to them. They had talked about some of her stories before as well, so this was nothing new either.]

Have you been able to sufficiently translate his meanings behind each of them?

To some degree. [Now that he knows what it is, and not just stories.] And I believe that most people have encouraged him to communicate. I think that's the medium that he feels most comfortable with.

When I was here before, as an inmate, I rarely conversed with my closest friend bluntly. We always talked in metaphor in public. No one could understand us.

[And he misses Braxiatel a great deal.]

I am used to most other individuals not understanding me 100% of the time. However, I do not believe it has ever been because I spoke in metaphor.

[He just sort of snorts softly at that. Not a full laugh. He's not in a good enough mood, too. But it is amusing.]

[Aya tilts her head slightly to one side, curious. She's not offended by the laugh.]

Did I say something you find amusing?

[He makes a small space between his fingers.] Just a little. [And he moves another piece, without offering explanation as to what it was.]

...oh.

[And she seems to accept this as an answer. It was not the first occurrence, and it would most certainly not be the last.]

[In lieu of further conversation, Aya simply returns the move. Focusing heavily on offense and long-term strategy. Her eyes occasionally glow as she processes the latest potential algorithms to predict his next moves.]

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074

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