Accidental video | un:Thestrandinstitute

[nobasisinfact]

[The first visual are stacks and stacks of books, then tiny hands grabbing one before there is a pause and another hand reaches for a cup of tea.]

This whole thing is idiotic.

[The boy's voice is deeper, but it isn't the usual smooth voice of Dr. Richard Strand. The intonation and cadence, however, is. Richard has been unmistakably affected by the curse.

There's a sigh as one hand reaches up to, presumably, pinch the bridge of his nose as if he's getting a headache.]

She'll be insufferable if she sees me like this.

Comments

[nobasisinfact]

It would be ridiculous not to.

[nobasisinfact]

Exactly.

[gristle]

So like. In your one chance to be a kid in a long time you’re wearing a tie and a jacket. Richard you gotta loosen up.

[spherenpc]

You’re either dumber or braver than I thought. Probably both.

[nobasisinfact]

[There's a long, long silence. He doesn't feel he's 'picking up his ball and going home.' He feels he's protecting her from seeing his face every day and realizing just how similar he and Simon are. From making those connections and coming up afraid of him.]

It's better than the possible alternative.

[Even without the deep voice, there's a quiet fear in it. He doesn't want her to look at him like that, to possibly reject him. It's another layer of armor, but one that is born for fear of those around him. Fear of what dots might be connected and turn out to be true.]

[nobasisinfact]

More than likely both.

[nobasisinfact]

WHat would you suggest?

[nobasisinfact]

I can handle my own affairs.

[11calls]

[Alex knows that fear in his voice, and she just gives an audible frown.]

Richard Strand, I have seen you in so many damned ways, when we've been terrible to one another, when you disappeared, when you were back but when you weren't. Even if you've got your own freaking tall paul over there, it's not going to change how much I love you.

[And then sadly:]

I thought you knew me better than that.

[gristle]

Like I don't know? A t-shirt? Play some games, do some dumb things. Like jeez, Richard playing tag wouldn't hurt you.

[nobasisinfact]

I've never doubted that.

[Congrats Alex, you have worn him down to a point where you get to see the overly looking like Simon him.]

[spherenpc]

Well, at least that's something we can agree on.

[nobasisinfact]

I've played tag before.

[threshes]

Yep, that's sure something a man says right before he goes and mucks it all up.

[nobasisinfact]

How unprejudiced of you.

[threshes]

Honey, I've seen generations of em rise and fall. Entire civilizations. I ain't wrong.

[nobasisinfact]

Are you finished?

[gristle]

Not in a long time. And I miss kids. Come play. Max is gonna play.

[nobasisinfact]

How did you manage that?

[gristle]

Bet him he couldn't. Duh.

[nobasisinfact]

That was rather idiotic of him.

[11calls]

[Alex just frowns for a moment, before she's banging at his office door.]

You thought I'd freak out because you look like Simon a little? Really? Richard, I already knew that! I saw the Cheryl tape. And the developed pictures.

[gristle]

He’s freaking out. This helps not.

[threshes]

Never.

[nobasisinfact]

[It's no use now. She's seen the reason he was hiding, so he opens the door.]

There's a difference between that and seeing the similarity in person.