( closed )

[shrinkage]

Who: Ray Palmer & various
Where: Various
When: Late September-November
Rating: PG13
Summary: Planned threads; follow-ups; request fulfillments; flood prevention; PM for a starter!
The Story:

--dig them up; let's finish what we've started. dig them up, so nothing's left untouched.

Comments

[waverides]

I believe that's what I already am doing.

( it's a rare joke and one that's incredibly subtle given that gideon kind of is solving puzzles in the work that she's helping ray do. but she knows the distinction between their work and this game and knows the significance of an offer to spend time with someone in a non-work setting. it has her turning from her work, taking a step towards him )

What will these puzzles entail?

[shrinkage]

[ he vocalizes a slow ha-ha in retaliation to her very terrible joke, but grins anyway. ]

Come sit, it's easier to show you. In this game, you're presumably a character exploring a deserted island and learning things about it through the abandoned systems that used to run it.

[waverides]

( gideon moves from where she'd been sitting, following him and sitting beside him )

It sounds similar to our situation here.

[shrinkage]

Right? But it's also the opposite.

[ he opens the game and talks as the opening plays through. ]

It never talks to you, but it teaches you how to solve it as you go.

[waverides]

( definitely the opposite. that is one thing that wonderland doesn't do )

What's the purpose of it? Or perhaps the final goal?

[shrinkage]

Hmm. I want to say probably to get off the island? But sometimes these are just about uncovering secrets...

[ secrets, gideon. you know. stuff you shouldn't keep from your family? ]

Still interested?

[waverides]

( she has absolutely no idea what he's talking about nope nope )

Of course. Now that you've pitched so much it seems that I should at least experience it.

( look she's growing )

[shrinkage]

[ quality bonding time! without asking, ray passes over the controller and corrals some snacks for himself. ]

So, what've you been up to lately? Did you say you went to check out the planetarium?

[waverides]

( wait what don't give her this she doesn't know what to do and will just. take it. hold it. not do anything )

I have. It's no substitute for actually seeing the stars-- ( which she has also done! but they weren't the same familiar constellations that she knows ) --but it was nice seeing something familiar.

And being able to actually see them was something rather new.

[shrinkage]

[ he watches gideon fondly for a moment, glad to hear her opinion of the thing. sometimes ray still forgets that she isn't just a sassy disembodied voice waiting to judge his habits.

in this moment, she feels most like a person that ray's yet experienced. ]

I'm glad you liked it. Does that mean you've been feeling better?

[waverides]

( there's a small measure of surprise, because gideon did not expect that question nor for tay to call her on her bullshit. she's still getting used to the fact that he gives a personal damn about her. she's not used to the responses she should be giving but misses doing.

she's glad at least that she can control how her voice sounds, keeping the surprise and any tell-tale signs of lying from her words. she's a pro. if only he didn't know the truth )

I'm not certain what you mean. I've 'felt' fine.

( for all she feels. sensations and feelings are still newish )

[shrinkage]

Look, I've been waiting and giving you space and hoping you'd come to me, or maybe Sarah. I heard you, Gideon.

[ he puts on his best mom face, and raises his eyebrows. ]

Destroying the ATOM affected you. It hurt you.

[waverides]

( there's a pause, and somehow gideon manages to look a little guilty. for all that she'd been avoiding and covering it up now that ray has called her on it she cannot lie to him )

I didn't believe it was anything to be concerned about. ( it's a partial lie, as gideon has been concerned, and knwos that ray had been from her first moment of pain when they'd first used the nanites.

it's why there's another brief pause before she adds: )

The headaches hadn't subsided before that.

[shrinkage]

Wait, what?

[ it feels a little like the space around him warps when gideon says her headaches had never stopped. he'd started this conversation out proud to have noticed, and confident that he could make gideon feel cared for.

this confession is not what he'd been expecting. ]

The headaches. The headaches you got when we first injected you?

[waverides]

( where someone else might give a nod, gideon simply ads: )

Yes, Doctor Palmer. They became less frequent after our initial adjustments but did remain.

[shrinkage]

[ it's not clear what drives ray to stand-- guilt, or shame, or something altogether different. but he pushes off of the sofa to turn and face her, frown set deep into his brow. ]

And you didn't think to say something? To tell me?

[waverides]

There was no impact on my functioning.

( some dìscomfort but nothing that prevented gideon work on her tasks )

It did not seem important.

[shrinkage]

No, Gideon! There was impact!

[ ray seems to startle himself with his own loudness and takes a step back. ]

You can't play ignorant about this when you've already been lying to me. I'm going to need a better answer than that. Preferably an honest one.

[waverides]

( it surprises gideon too, causing quietness from her. she doesn't know what to do here, and hasn't from the beginning. she'd seen people refuse help, ignore problems as much as admit them. for ray to be so passionate, she supposed, about her own health-- that was something she hadn't seen so much, never mind think to expect it )

I am being honest. ( part of her is, anyway. there's many layers to this, many thoughts and considerations all running around that super processor of hers. she still doesn't expect her wellbeing to be of importance, but also-- ) I had been monitoring and assessing it. I didn't know if there would be a solution.

( considering it was more than just the headaches.. what she'd felt after destroying his suit had been incredible in the worst possible way, and it was a little frightening. not knowing something about her own functioning was something she didn't know what to do with )