[ open event post! ]

[imperfect_science]

Who: Carlos The Scientist Sanchez
Where: The local high school; the nearest bar; somewhere running a quick errand, if you can catch him before he scuttles off into seclusion again; anywhere, everywhere.
When: The duration of the event (10/24 - 10/28)
Rating: PG, probably?
Summary: Carlos’s dream was to be a scientist, once. But with his reputation ruined and his only successful relationship in pieces, he spends his days teaching Biology to high school kids and trying to endure the monotony of existence. (Plottin’ post!)
The Story:

[ OOC: If none of these scenarios/settings interests you, feel free to throw in something different! You can also PM me with any ideas. I'm open to whatever. ]

Friday

Thank god it’s Friday. He’s the last one to leave the school at the end of the day, which might give Carlos the illusion of being a dedicated educator. Except he doesn’t linger because of how much he loves his job. To be honest, it’s actually painfully boring. His last request to liven up his lessons with an in-class experiment was denied. Again. (Though to be fair, this one included more toxic chemicals than would probably be legal, and it didn’t have anything to do with biology anyway.)

It’s just… at least at the school, he has a purpose. So long as he’s there, he’s not just Carlos Sanchez. He’s Carlos the teacher, and being at the school is better than doing nothing. Outside of the framework the school provides… well. Carlos isn’t really anything at all.

Maybe he’ll go to the grocery store tonight after work. It’s been awhile since he actually cooked a proper meal for himself.

Saturday

Carlos isn’t much of a drinker or a socializer, but today he’s feeling bolder, somehow, like he might not actually mind getting out of his under-furnished apartment. The bar seems like a logical choice for a Saturday night. He’d spent some time there with his ex, and despite the bittersweet emotions those memories bring now, it feels like being in that environment could actually be more pleasantly nostalgic than painful.

Sunday

It’s been a while since Carlos has tried an experiment on his own. He’d convinced himself that there was really no point in going through all the trouble. What would it tell him anyway? Nothing he didn’t already know, probably.

Except on Sunday, Carlos feels differently. He feels like maybe it’s at least worth trying, which is why he’s wandering around town poking around trees throughout the day. Every tree, any tree, all the trees. There’s just something about them, y’know? Have you ever noticed how weird trees can be?

Monday

The moon has just started to take its rightful place in the sky when something changes. Something strange happens, and it's unexplainable, it's... it's new, and it's... scientifically interesting.

When Carlos leaves his darkened apartment, he’s like a child seeing the streets of Storybrooke for the first time. This place is old… yet it’s new. It’s perfectly normal… but strange. Except not as strange as some places he’s seen. Or things he’s seen. Or…

If he looks like a madman the way he’s staring at the world today, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The universe has become interesting again, and how could he have ever thought it wasn’t?

Tuesday

There’s probably only one place in town that even sells lab coats, but Carlos has found it. For the first time in days, he feels like himself again. Or some version of himself. We all have several versions of ourselves scattered across a myriad of dimensions, so the most we can ever really hope for is to know where we stand in the cosmic collection of you’s- or so Carlos thinks. It's so good to be able to think properly again.

You’ll find Carlos the scientist wherever there is something interesting happening today, which could be anywhere, but he’s especially interested in the radio tower that appeared almost overnight on top of the Macy’s…

Comments

Sunday - did u say trees

[thneedifestdestiny]

Owen's felt kind of...off, all day. Not in a good way. He hasn't been able to put a word to what he's feeling exactly, but he's been wandering around trying to figure it out. He feels like...like there's something else he should be doing. Something he should have done?

He doesn't know, but he sees someone investigating the trees nearby. Somehow, he feels weirdly protective of the trees for reasons he can't fully explain, so he wanders over to see what this guy is up to exactly.

"Uh. ...What are you doing?"

All of the trees!

[imperfect_science]

Carlos looks up from his tweezers and petri dish to blink owlishly at Owen, his attention having been completely devoted to the tree he’s examining up until that point. He hadn’t even heard Owen get close. It’s been a long time since he has been this single-mindedly involved in… well, anything.

“I. Um. Well, I think I’m taking samples?” He sets down the tweezers and nudges his glasses up his nose. “Yes. I’m taking samples of the trees. No one would know if there was something going on with them unless they tested for it, so I just…” He looks down at the plastic grocery bag he’s filled up with other small containers full of bark, small bits of branches, and leaves. “… thought I might as well.”

ALL OF THE TREES?!

[thneedifestdestiny]

He gives Carlos a bit of a look at first. He's never heard of someone taking samples of trees before. After all, aren't they just...trees? Is there really anything else left to know about them?

That look fades though. Something about all of this twists at his heart in ways he can't fully explain. He cross his arms in front of him, as if he's cold.

"Do...Do you think there could be something going on with them?" he asks.

YOU'VE GOT IT FRIEND

[imperfect_science]

“Well, yes. Technically. Something could be going on with anything, if you think about it.” He doesn’t really have a particular reason for doing what he’s doing today. Carlos just woke up feeling antsy and strangely curious, his old scientific supplies seeming less like junk and more full of possibilities.

“But I won’t know about the trees in particular until I’ve finished examining these.” He gestures to the bag, smiling sheepishly. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with them yet… this whole thing is strange, isn’t it?’

[thneedifestdestiny]

"Yeah, kinda," he admits.

It's definitely weird. This guy is plucking bark and leaves off of trees and putting it in a little baggie, and that's super weird, but any judgement is half-hearted. Today's been a pretty weird day as it is, and he's not even even the weirdest thing about it. Owen looks from the baggie full of tree parts and up into the branches above them, thinking about something.

"...Say, can I ask you a stupid question?" He looks a little wary, but he doesn't wait for an answer before he asks, "Do you ever think...do you ever think the trees are kind of weird here? Like...I dunno, like they should look different?"

[imperfect_science]

It’s alright that Owen doesn’t wait for a confirmation. Carlos would have told Owen that any question was absolutely fine, even a stupid one. Questions existed to be asked, after all, even if not all of them could ever be answered.

“You mean, do I think something is wrong with their appearance in particular?” He considers the question as he turns to look at tree right beside him. He’s a little surprised with how seriously he’s taking the suggestion, his eyes lingering on the roots of the plant before he shakes his head.

“It’s not something I’ve thought about before. But who knows? Maybe… maybe they should look different. How would we know unless we studied it?” That’s not something he would have allowed himself to say day before yesterday. A thought like that would have been filed under ‘silly’ and ‘unimportant’ and ‘proof that you really need to get some kind of hobby.’

“What do you think the trees should look like?”

[thneedifestdestiny]

The question has Owen looking up at the tree again. What should trees look like?

"...I-I dunno," he says. Then he makes a vague gesture in front of himself, as if he's forming a ball in the air. "Fluffy, I guess? Soft? And skinnier too. I don't know how to describe it."

Suddenly he feels ridiculous though, and he jams his hands in his pockets and looks away.

"That's probably stupid though," he laughs, nervously. "I-I mean, trees don't look like that! That's silly. I think I'm losing my mind..."

That has to be it. He's losing his marbles and he's taking it out on this poor guy...who is picking things off of trees and may or may not also be losing his marbles.

[imperfect_science]

“Well… we’ve never seen a tree like that. True.” Carlos sounds less uncertain of Owen’s sanity and more of his own as he tentatively continues that train of thought. “But who’s to say that they don’t exist out there, somewhere? We… wouldn’t know unless we looked.” He looks down at his samples again, barely restraining a sigh.

“You’re not the only one. I’ve been having these irrational thoughts all day, and you know, strangely shaped trees isn’t even the weirdest thing to cross my mind. I don’t know if that’s any consolation though. Is it better to feel like you’re going crazy alone, or in a group?”

[thneedifestdestiny]

"I...I-I'm not sure," Owen says, forcing a laugh. "I've never felt like I'm going crazy before, so. I dunno."

That's not true though, is it? As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he feels a pang of guilt deep in his chest. He can't remember ever having reason to feel that way, but it seems so familiar, the thought of slowly losing his mind alone.

"...Is it still going crazy if everyone's going nuts though?" he asks. "I mean, then it's kind of normal, right?"

Normalcy would be pretty awesome right about now.

Sunday

[strategisch]

Normally, Arthur doesn't go outside a whole lot. He doesn't have any friends to hang out with, or anywhere to go, so he doesn't see the need. But today he's unusually restless, like he needs to go and look for something. So out and about he is, curiously watching people as the go about their business, like he's hoping to find someone in particular...

That someone is not Carlos, but he still causes Arthur to give pause because... really? What is his high school biology teacher doing with that tree?

"Mr. Sanchez?"

[imperfect_science]

“Hm?” Carlos is halfway up a tree, a hand grasping one of the lowest branches as the other strains to grab a lightly brown leaf in the midst of a green bunch, and his body sways dangerously as he turns his head to look down at Arthur. He squints, taking a moment to place one of his best students. It doesn’t help that his glasses have gone slightly askew.

“Arthur? Hello there! It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? Objectively anyway. If you don’t like sunshine, I don’t know if it counts. Either way, it’s… a day, definitely.”

[strategisch]

Mr. Sanchez is known for being a bit... erm, eccentric, and Arthur liked him a lot. Class was really interesting whenever he managed to sneak in one of his freak experiments, and the pyrotechnics that ensued afterwards were always entertaining to everyone else too. But even still, he'd never seen him, or any adult, really, climb a tree in the middle of main street in broad daylight.

"Um, I do think it's a nice day! But don't you think you should be using a ladder, or something?"

Putting aside what he's doing for the moment, Arthur just doesn't want him to fall. He can't catch a full grown man. He'd break more than just his last pair of glasses.

[imperfect_science]

Carlos gives Arthur a blank look at the mention of a ladder, as if… no, it really hadn’t occurred to him.

“That is an interesting suggestion, but I don’t know if it would be entirely necessary.“ A bird lands on the same branch as his hand and has begun considering his fingers with a hungry look. “I just need to grab a sample, then I’ll be right down. This tree is just a little bit taller than it looks from the ground. Don’t you think so?” Nevermind that Arthur would have no way of knowing from his place on the sidewalk.

[strategisch]

"I think most things don't seem quite as tall from the ground, sir!"

He hovers around nervously. It feels stupid, but lately, he's had an odd case of-- anticipatory vertigo? Whenever he looks up, he expects to see something tall before him, looming and dangerous, and it makes him feel dizzy.His doctor is probably sick of him by now, but they should talk about it.

[imperfect_science]

“That’s an interesting theory. I think you might be right!” He strains to reach the leaf, the bird spooking and flying off before he’s grabbed hold of his goal. He grins down at Arthur, but whatever he sees on the boy’s face has the expression replaced by one of concern by the time he has both feet back on the ground.

“Are you alright? I’m fine, really.” Arthur had always seemed like a sensitive child, but Carlos hadn’t thought seeing him in a mildly dangerous situation would affect him that badly.

[strategisch]

"I'm alright, really," when he looks back down, it stops bothering him, so it can't be that serious, "I've just been having a bit of vertigo lately-- I get dizzy when I look up. Maybe my oxygen saturation isn't so good at the moment."

He has asthma, and occasionally has to use a nebulizer on top of his inhaler, so dizziness isn't that new to him.

[imperfect_science]

“You’re not the first person I’ve talked to today that has felt strange.” Carlos slips the new sample in with all the others as he speaks. He’s got quite the collection in there, the samples differing by tree part and by tree type. “I’m not feeling quite like myself either. It’s different though, not dizzy. Not bad. Just... different. Did this just start for you over the past couple of days?”

Friday, at school. lmk if this doesn't work

[hyperkinesia]

Robert might have said 'thank God it's Friday', but it's not like it makes that much of a difference to him. He still takes work home with him on weekends, the one difference is he doesn't see the students or coworkers. On the one hand, weekends provide him silence and solitude - on the other, going to school every week day is often the only time he actually goes outside.

But the end of Friday particularly, he doesn't mind at all. The school empty, the hallways quiet, and Robert takes his time to finish whatever work he still has left, dropping a visit to this or that lab for whatever he might need.

He walks into the biology classroom with a microscope in his arms, though, this time actually returning something he'd used for his class that day. When he walks in he spots Carlos sitting by his desk, and pausing for a moment he greets him with a nod. "Hey. Still here?"

This is perfect! Sorry about the late reply though OTL

[imperfect_science]

Carlos looks up from a barely touched stack of biology essays, blinking rapidly, and he quickly nods and smiles in greeting. He’s a little bleary-eyed, like he had been on the verge of falling asleep before Robert walked in. “Afraid so. But it’s not like I really want to bring this home, either… oh!” He spots what Robert has under his arm and perks up considerably. “You remembered to bring that back! Thank you. I’d forgotten you had taken it.” He looks from the microscope to the block on the wall, eyebrows rising when he sees the time. “You’re here late too, aren’t you?”

[hyperkinesia]

"Yeah, it'd take up a little too much space in my classroom anyway," he smiles, then turns to the shelves to set the microscope down next to the others where he'd gotten it from. "I was finishing a few tests for next week. I get it done faster here, plus it's quiet right now. What about you, what's holding you up?"

[imperfect_science]

Carlos takes a moment to answer, his fingers drumming softly on the top of his desk as he watches Bruce return the microscope to its proper place.

“Same thing as you, mostly. Trying to get some of these graded before the weekend starts.” He holds up an essay as an example. "But also, don’t you think that sometimes the quiet in a public place is… different than the quiet at home? I just find it easier to work here than in my living room, and I think I’ve narrowed it down to that.”

He shrugs, not sure if it makes sense. He’d had the irrational urge more than once to somehow measure the quality of the silence in his apartment versus the silence in his empty classroom, but that was a notion that had been tossed out almost as soon as he’d thought of it. Silence wasn’t something that could be measured, right?

[hyperkinesia]

It makes perfect sense, at least to Robert it does. He nods, not needing any time at all to imagine what that must feel like, because he knows.

"I get it. I feel that too sometimes," he takes a few steps around the classroom, leaning against one of the desks. "Most times it's just easier to get things done here, like it's more... relaxing, like you can focus better. It's a different kind of silence and solitude."

[imperfect_science]

“Exactly. It’s a different sub-species of silence.” It’s refreshing talking to someone who understands what he’s talking about. Of course, Carlos hasn’t really tried to make close friends of his fellow staff, so maybe it’s his own fault that he hasn’t felt this sort of camaraderie in a while.

“I’m guessing you also live alone then?” He folds his hands together on top of the essays, officially on break now. They’ll be there later. And tomorrow. And the day after that.

[hyperkinesia]

Same goes for Robert, in a way. He doesn't usually go through lines of thought this random, but he rarely ever just talks to people. He's just gotten so used to being alone, especially after Edward was gone, he almost can't remember what it's like to just hold a conversation that really isn't meant to go anywhere.

"I do, yeah," he always assumes that's general knowledge, at least around school. Guess not everyone knows it. "I don't really have the temperament to live with other people."

[imperfect_science]

“The temperament?” It’s probably not polite to pry, but Carlos doesn’t have much of a head for social niceties, and he is woefully out of the loop when it comes to gossip around the school. He continues on, as if that hadn’t been a potentially rude thing to ask.

“It’s nice though, isn’t it? So much easier to work. And… well, mostly to work.” Having said that, he had been close to moving in with someone not long ago, but… it hadn’t worked out.