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[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?

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

On what?

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?

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

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

You don't care about the stories they tell about you then? Not even when it interrupts your life?

I care deeply, more often than not. I'm not easy to make feel uncomfortable. It's often the stories that inspire discomfort or ill feelings that really need someone to listen.

Why the question?

[Lichtenstein stares in puzzlement.]

You don't care about the story, you care about the person telling them?

I'm considering the stories I have to deal with.

Does this strike you as odd? [ Curious ] Deal with is a might bit different than listening to.

Strangers are not worth listening to because they are telling lies.

Which makes it all the more interesting: why are they lying? What are they hiding? Are they trying to make up for something? What kind of person does this make them?

You find no curiosity in people?

Why should I? There are more important, more interesting things in the world.

What interests you?

Science, medicine, in particular. Education, the gathering of knowledge, research into... most things. People are small, passing things that change their minds in an instant. Knowledge lasts, or should, and does not get distracted by little things.

Your perception on knowledge, medicine, educational methods - these all change, or rather evolve, and certainly should. Sometimes more drastically than man.

Learning what has always been is different to someone changing their mind for no good reason. Evolution is slow, calculated, understandable. People think far too highly of their own useless opinions on useless things.

[ He steeples his fingers with a slight smile ] Why must you 'deal' with these stories?

[His head cocks to one side.] People find stories troublesome, apparently. Worth interrupting plans and delaying the pursuit of knowledge.

You mentioned you were considering the stories you must 'deal with'. I was curious why you feel obligated to do so since you have such a sour outlook on people and their stories.

[ Alright, now comes the blunt question: ] What are you?

Knowledge needs to be handed down to people and people need to co-operate to discover new knowledge. People need to be dealt with, which means their stories also need to be dealt with.

[Lichtenstein stares, takes a deep breath and stares some more.] Have you ever considered that some people might find 'what' instead of 'who' insulting? I am a doctor, and a professor.

I have considered this, but if I meant who over what I likely would have said who instead.

Well you have your answer. A doctor. A professor.

[ Does he. Said steepled fingers touch his lips for a moment before they fold. ] Well then, best of luck to your dealings.

Good luck with caring about the world.

I'll certainly need it.

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