(no subject)

[lych_o_learning]

[Lichtenstein sits, ankles crossed, finger on his lips for... about an hour. Not long to him, but the fact that he doesn't move, not even to blink or breathe, gives him a mannequin-like quality until that hour is up.]

Are you ever bothered by the stories strangers tell about you?

Comments

[meanwhileback]

Not really. I mean, it'd be hypocritical, since they're usually true.

[that's a total lie, but she covers it fairly well with her usual attitude of faintly-amused, feigned boredom. Youth these days, I swear.]

So are you undead, or what?

[lych_o_learning]

You can still be bothered by the truth.

[He stares at her. That disapproving teacher stare.]

Yes.

[meanwhileback]

I fucking knew it! I am getting so good at this. FYI, if you try to eat me, I will blow you up, so. For edification.

[Is that true? Who knows! It's probably in everybody's best interest if that didn't happen, though. Our creepy masked friends wouldn't take kindly to explosions, probably. They creep Penelope the hell out! Almost as much as undead people!]

People in general bother me, though, so it's not like what they say is any worse than what they do. Or the fact that they exist, at all.

[lych_o_learning]

I don't eat people. Or anything. I'm not a mindless beast, I am a doctor and a professor.

[Annoyed by the comparison to the mindless undead? Just a bit.]

It must cause you particular difficulties at times, though.

[acharmingsmile]

People only say the most delightful things about me.

[ Or so Gilderoy imagines. ]

[lych_o_learning]

[Lichtenstein stares at him for a few minutes.]

You don't know people very well.

[acharmingsmile]

I can't imagine what they could possibly come up with, my dear fellow.

Do people say unkind things about you? Perhaps you should do something with your hair.

[lych_o_learning]

[More staring.]

I am not entirely trained in the psychological side of medicine, but I am certain that your mental state is... damaged. Which does not seem like a hard thing if you have such a laughably large ego normally.

[acharmingsmile]

But- I beg your pardon, damaged? I am perfectly sound of mind and body! [ Gilderoy just can't believe his ears. What a rude man. ]

But you could stand to work on your manners, couldn't you?

[lych_o_learning]

I have suitable manners, but you have an idiot's perspective of reality. I think that is far more important to change.

[peratic]

Yes. Often. I'm still mired in the process of trying not to give a damn.

[lych_o_learning]

Why does it bother you?

[peratic]

If it were all done by people who couldn't have any influence over my life, I don't think I would mind. It certainly didn't bother me at school.

But rumors perpetuated by strangers in my field, ones who don't think anything of repeating often entirely fictional stories about the junior doctors...that can actually damage my career. It's difficult not to feel hamstrung.

[lych_o_learning]

Because it gives strangers control over your life, then. [He nods.] That is reasonable. What do you do about it?

[peratic]

[ Gisela mulls over the typical sort of answer she'd give, and the truthful answer, eventually ending up with a cross between the two: ]

Bide my time, which isn't particularly cinematic, but is still probably the wisest decision. I won't always be the youngest one in surgery. Why, what do you do about it?

[lych_o_learning]

Nothing. It doesn't affect me in any way I can't undo in a single conversation. If it did then I would be having words with the storytellers, but I expect you could not do that as effectively.

[flagg]

Rarely, rarely. Who doesn't love a good yarn?

[lych_o_learning]

The people the 'yarn' lies about.

[flagg]

Well, friend, if you live long enough, you may find that the world gets distorted in more ways than a tall tale or two can hope to accomplish. And what do they matter then? When you know the truth is like a little white worm eating its way through the body of the universe?

[lych_o_learning]

Little white worms are irritating. Not anything of any consequence, but still irritating.

[fruktansvard]

[ Fabian looks up from his book and settles his pen between his fingers. There's a moment before he answers. ] That depends.

[lych_o_learning]

On what?

[fruktansvard]

On what you mean by bothered, specifically. Am I personally troubled by their stories or am I moved to sympathize or am I disgusted? By bothered do you mean any sort of emotional reaction or do you mean ill reaction?

[lych_o_learning]

An ill reaction. Are you irritated or disrupted by them?

[fruktansvard]

Not usually. It's easier to pull an empathetic reaction than a disgusted one from me.