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.

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[nobasisinfact]

Would you prefer I bring your coffee down first?

[11calls]

No!

[Yeah, it's even sharper. Besides, she's already climbed back onto the counter and gotten it.]

I want you to come home.

[nobasisinfact]

You'll make unwanted comments.

[He knows how much he looks like a certain mass murderer.]

[11calls]

What are you talking about?

[nobasisinfact]

I look ridiculous.

[If he sounds like he's sulking, it's because he is.]

[11calls]

Seriously? Richard Strand, I have seen you dramatically sitting in a chair hoping I wouldn't notice you while you wore a dirty flannel over a wifebeater and had a grief beard and looked like the unabomber. I've seen you ridiculous.

What you are is being ridiculous. Come home.

[nobasisinfact]

I have my reasons.

[11calls]

Richard Robert Strand, you are being insufferable. Come home right now.

[One can almost hear her hands on her hips.]

[nobasisinfact]

[There is a long-suffering sigh.]

I'm in my office.

[11calls]

Is your office home?

[nobasisinfact]

At the moment.

[11calls]

Richard. No it is not.

[That may have been a small whine there.]

[nobasisinfact]

It's only a few days.

[11calls]

You're being stupid!

[nobasisinfact]

It's for your own good.

[If she saw him there would be no end to the parallels between him and Simon, and it would never end.]

[11calls]

Being away from me and my not sleeping is for my own good?! I thought we past those times a hell of a long time ago. What happened to not picking up your ball and going home?!

[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.]

[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.

[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.]

[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.

[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.

[11calls]

Not really. It's not going to change who you are for me, you know. Really.

[Alex just reaches up and touches his cheek gently for a second.]

For being the smartest man I know, sometimes you're just thick.

[nobasisinfact]

I prefer to think I'm cautious.

[11calls]

You? Cautious? Never.

[nobasisinfact]

Better than blindly running into things.