Backdated to Monday last week >_> My computer broke, whoops.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Characters: Alex and Fortitude students, and anyone else who might sneak in
Format: Whichever
This log is: open
Location: Computer Lab
Summary: Alex's first day teaching
Warnings: Worst teacher ever? (None)

Alex stood awkwardly at the front of the class, looking young enough and nervous enough that he could easily just be a lost student. He started passing out books, first to the weapons sitting in the front of the classroom, then to the rest of the class.

"W-well, I-I guess I'm supposed ta be your teacher or s-something.... I've n-never really taught before, so I guess l-let's start with the i-idea of programming. Ah, w-well, do any of you know anything about c-computer programming? I g-guess, if you don't, uh, j-just read the first chapter?"

Comments

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex stood watching him for a bit, smiling.] G-good! You're g-getting the hang of it fast, w-without even c-complaining!

[savedbyasong]

[Shion smiled] The world I came from relied a lot on computers, I think a lot of people come from worlds where they haven't yet been invented, or never will be.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

S-sometimes I think it would be better if we d-didn't have them, but it's hard to say. It's not a b-bad skill ta have on a world that does rely on computers.

[savedbyasong]

You do? [He blinked] Why do you think that?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[He pets the computer monitor, looking at the machine fondly,] d-don't get me wrong, w-without c-computers, I'd probably s-still be stuck in m-my room, afraid ta talk ta anyone, so they're m-my savior, but the world's t-too reliant on them.

It w-wouldn't be too hard fer someone like me ta shut the whole country down if w-we were motivated enough. It's scary! E-even some of the h-hacks I've pulled are gray-area. [He laughs a bit nervously at that,] B-but nothing that really hurt anyone th-the way I did it, it c-could've been a huge privacy invasion if I w-wanted it to be, but.... I'm r-ranting.

[savedbyasong]

You could do that? [He blinked, he had never heard of anyone using the computers in No. 6 against the city but... perhaps he wouldn't have heard of it if it happened. No... he definitely wouldn't have heard of it...]

Is that what you did before you came here?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex gave a small smile with just a hint of pride and nodded,] Y-yeah, and sorta. Just one really c-corrupt section. [He frowns a bit.] The th-things we found out, a-about what they've d-done.... [He shivers and his frown deepens.] I got ta experience a lot first hand, b-but... knowing why is different.

I-I feel like I need ta get back ta help finish things, b-but enough might be set in motion that i-it finishes itself even if my friends a-and I pulled back, [A touch of his smile returns, though bittersweet,] A-and here I don't have ta deal with the abilities I had at home.

[savedbyasong]

[Shion listened with a frown but nodded, he was interested in other peoples worlds and Alex's sounded interesting, if frightening.] I need to go back as well, but hopefully those who are still there can finish things for you...

[He blinked.] Abilities?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

W-well, at home, I see n-negative feelings. We c-call them shadows. I hafta eat them instead of normal food. Still g-getting used ta actually e-eating normal f-food... Ta be honest, I'm probably not eating healthy. [He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck.]

[savedbyasong]

Negative feelings? You are them? [Shion's eyes flickered, curious. He had never heard of something like that before, that negative feelings were shadows that some people could see. And he ate them?] Did it made them feel better?

[He made a mental note to check that Alex was eating properly, if he was not used to eating normal food.]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex nodded] I c-couldn't m-make people happy that w-way, but th-they'd feel more relaxed, sorta... neutral, if that makes sense?

[savedbyasong]

[Shion nodded, understanding. He couldn't make happiness but could take away negative emotions.] It does, but you can't see these shadows here?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[He smiles ever so slightly,] Nah, a-an' I don't need ta eat them. It's a bit of a relief, actually, but I'm used ta relying on shadows f-for judging reactions.

[Speaking of not being sure, he realizes he's been basically ranting,] I-I'm not bothering you, am I?

[savedbyasong]

No of course not. [Shion smiled] It is very interesting, so you can tell when people may be angry or sad by the shadows around them?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex smiles a bit back and nods] O-or I c-could back home. I've l-lost that here.

[savedbyasong]

Do many people in your world have that power? Or is it rare?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

M-more than should, b-but it's pretty rare. I d-don't know anyone who w-wasn't experimented on ta g-get it...

[savedbyasong]

Experimented on? [Shion frowns, human experimentation?]

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Yeah. [Alex begins rubbing his wrist, looking more uncomfortable than normal.] The f-first one that gave m-me those powers happened before I c-can remember, b-but, well, at home, I s-still had ta go ta these other experiments t-ta figure out all the effects the first had, and ta help them figure o-out how ta best use us. [At that last part, Alex clenched his fists and teeth. There was the hint of a fire in his eyes that gave him a bit of a dangerous aura.]

[savedbyasong]

[That was awful, experimenting on children, Shion's eyes glinted.] They sound awful.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

They a-are. They s-say we're not human, b-but they're the m-monsters.

[savedbyasong]

[Shion nodded, only monsters could do such a thing.] How can they say you are not human?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

[Alex is quiet a moment before starting,] W-well, we f-found out that g-genetically, we actually are genetically d-different enough from other people, b-but our abilities alone are s-so strange, and some of us can seem l-like monsters when w-we use them. My f-friend c-can turn s-someone's emotions a-against themselves.

[savedbyasong]

[Turn their emotions against themselves... Well that sounded dangerous but still...] It doesn't excuse what they did... they shouldn't treat anyone like that.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

No. They shouldn't. [Alex wasn't the sort of person to harbor much hatred, but he made an exception for those people. Normally, thinking about the doctors would also make him pale with fear, but he had forgotten that since coming to Rakuen.]