[Video] OTA - plans

[gregorydeegan]

[As usual, the shot is from above, aimed down at him laying in his couch fort, chilling. He has his guitar across his chest and picks at it idly as he speaks.]

"Hey, so... I know that the District X thing is where I really should be going but... well... Honest answer is that I'm not. I really want to go to the concert, and you know what? I'm good at healing things, not as good at researching them. So. Yeah. There's that."

[He sounds unusually defensive, for Greg. He seems like he's trying to convince himself that it's okay to have fun, even while he's feeling guilty for not having been helpful during the sinister thing. Lookit people, a rare sighting - an insecure Greg!]

Comments

That is so Gregory.

[griot]

Viti takes a deep breath so as not to roll his eyes at the pun. He gave a fake laugh instead.

"I see." Viti said as he nodded. For a moment he is silent. He looks away, but then he suddenly looked back.

"Speaking of wonderful powers, please tell me more about your team. My power certainly didn't tell me everything."

[gregorydeegan]

"Even if it had, it would enamor you more to the group to learn by talking to us," he pointed out. "Same for whatever team you wind up joining."

Yes, that implication is what you thought it was.

[griot]

Viti got out of his chair, and kneeled in front of his small refrigerator.

“Well I’ll tell you what my power did tell me, other than that Jimi Hendrix once got arrested for jaywalking.” Viti pulled out a bottle of orange juice, and some seltzer water.

“My powers told me, that your team has a member who smash well, but cannot alter emotions or offer support…”

Viti poured the orange juice into two paper cups till they were half full.

“Another member who can alter emotions well, but cannot smash well or offer direct support…” Viti poured in the seltzer.

“And a third member who can support well, but cannot smash well, or alter emotions…” Viti used a spoon to mix the two substances together.

“And that’s what I call…” He picked up a cup and offered it to Gregory.

“…a perfect team.” Viti had a large smile on his face.

“Your team has great potential as it is, but is there nevertheless room for someone who might be able to spy well someday, even if he has some learning to do?

[gregorydeegan]

"There is room for those who want to help, yes. But that's not what I meant," he said, taking the cup with a nod of thanks but setting it aside for the moment. He wasn't inherently distrustful, but consider it a side effect of having Donovan Deegan for a father. Dramatic law said that if this were a story, there would be something in the cup meant to incapacitate him. He was sure there wasn't, but on the slim 1% chance there was...

He would never live it down if he drank it. Not from his dad, and not from his brother. Seers made annoying older brothers. They really really did.

"What I meant is that we are more than the powers we contribute to the team, and the most important things to learn about us... are best learned by experience. The way it takes forever to get a laugh out of Skaar, but it's totally worth it when you do. The way Krista smiles, and tries so hard to be there for everyone at once."

"That's more important than support, tank, rouge," how to classify his description of Krysta in this analogy? He wasn't sure. Should have thought this out before he started speaking. Of course, that wouldn't be him being him, so he just grinned, "and peacemaker."

"To work well as a team, we have to work well as people. That's what matters most. Because trust me... if you can't get along with us as people, being on this team would just feel like pun-ishment."

Yeah. He really just said that.

[griot]

"Room for people who want to help?"

Viti pulled his head back.

"The one and only good thing you can say about me is that I wanted to charge into a plague zone to save lives, and freaked out when I found out I couldn't.

That's almost as brave as trying to help Zancrow with his homework." He couldn't help but chuckle at his own joke.

"As for getting along with the team as people..." Viti's eyes veered away from Gregory's. His body shifted uncomfortably. He could only speak after he downed some of his spritzer. After the sizy juice washed over his tongue, he spoke.

"ummmmm. Well..."

He finally sighed, and his whole body drooped so hard his glasses almost fell of his nose, but he was finally able to look in Gregory's eyes. "The truth is, I have a learning disability that makes it hard to relate to people, and even if my powers were at full capacity they wouldn't let me gain information about human emotion, because the disability would stop it."

Viti sighed yet again. "There I said it. I'm disabled ok?"

I had to make a new icon for this

[gregorydeegan]

"Brave isn't wanting to run head first into danger," he said. "Brave is being scared out of your wits and running towards the thing that scares you, not because you want to, but because you have to. Because someone needs you, because someone is in danger, because it's the right thing to do."

When he said the thing about being disabled, he shrugged. "Hard to relate to people is not impossible. It just means it takes more work. None of us are perfect, but we are understanding. And while maybe I don't know just how difficult it is for you to relate to people...

He leaned forward and rolled up his pant leg, showing off the blight. "I know something about how hard a disability can be. And about using mutant powers to compensate... and how to cope when that disturbs people."

He rolled his pant leg back down and smoothed it. "The walking stick isn't just a comedic prop; though it does serve that purpose as well."

I am flattered about the new icon. I am.

[griot]

Viti's pupils dilated when he saw it. The blight that ran up Gregory's leg like a black chasm, and spread its tendrils like a kraken reaching from the black sea to pull down a ship.

He was stunned by the sight until the pant leg was finally rolled down. It took a second before he could gulp down the rest of his drink.

"Not all of us are comfortable talking about our disabilities, so I didn't bring up your leg injury, but now that you have, may I ask how something like that can happen?"

[gregorydeegan]

He shrugged. "Part of my mutation."

He didn't add the fact that it hadn't been that bad before Jacob got to it. "Not much to talk about. And, I'm not particularly comfortable or uncomfortable talking about it. I thought it would help you to know that I do understand, at least... in part."

[griot]

"I see. Well I appreciate it. We both have large hurdles to get over."

Viti picked up his cup and threw in the garbage, and sat back down in his chair.

"As for my request to be part of your team..." Viti shrugged, "...there's really nothing more I can say for myself. I would love to be part of it, but if I am not a good fit, then I am not a good fit. I wish I could say that I have true bravery, but I don't know that I do. Now if you'll excuse me I do have some work to do.

I won't be going to district X, but I should still do some research in case the pathogen makes its way here. Even if you are going to the concert, you might want to read up as well."

Viti faced the glow of his monitor, but when his eyes lit up in revelation he turned back to Gregory.

"Oh by the way, you are certainly not useless in an outbreak. Even if your fire doesn't kill pathogens, its healing properties would allow us to use more powerful drugs than normal, which might be needed."

[gregorydeegan]

"Maybe it would help that way," he said, nodding as he pushed himself up carefully, holding onto his walking stick.

"And I didn't say it was a no, just at the least a not yet. I'd also want to talk to the others, and have you talk to them, before making any call either way. I'm willing to help you, to work with you. Teammates or not. That offer is still in place."

"Alright?" he said with a warm smile.

[griot]

"Alight. Thank you for the offer and thank you for the help so far." Viti followed his statement with a nod.

(ooc note: I am going to assume Gregory left at this point."

When Gregory left Viti bathed in the light of his computer.

He imputed the words "District-X" into his search engine, and that would be the start of many hours of research.

So we're done?

[gregorydeegan]

And he limped back to his room.