What happens when a scientist seeks distractions...

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder had been avoiding reality. Specifically the reality that his research didn't matter here, with a heavy side of angst over the direction Nathan had pushed his research at the last. Though Daniel Jackson had mentioned another geneticist, Carson Something that reminded him of British history somehow, Mohinder couldn't face the clinic and the

Comments

[skybot_snd]

"No," the T-1000 provided a response before even seeing the offensive item in question; the query hadn't been directed to him, but the box didn't seem to be capable of verbal communication anyway. He spared the human a brief glance before approaching the box and glancing inside. He'd been correct in his initial assumption - it could definitely be worse. "It could give you leather pants," he elaborated ominously.

It was hard for him to conceive an article of clothing that was significantly worse than one worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He assumed it was subjective to the individual, though.

Fortunately, he'd managed to achieve more positive interaction with the box since that highly unpleasant incident.

He redirected his gaze to the man, scanning him intently from behind his sunglasses. "You're trying to establish a pattern," he told him, not so much a question as an assessment made out-loud.

[karmic_darwin]

"Yes," Mohinder said, eying the newcomer inquisitively. "Leather pants would be worse, but I was really just making conversation." Privately he thought leather pants might not be worse, it depended on what color and who wore them. Dani, for example, would look very...good, in leather pants. Alcuin and Daniel Jackson, also.

He waved with his offhand toward the box, shrugging his head. "I'm a scientist. Old habits die hard, or in this case not at all. I don't expect I'll find one, but it never hurts to ask the question."

[skybot_snd]

"I'm not sure it enjoys conversation," the T-1000 countered neutrally. He'd initially tried to resist the concept of a sentient box, but eventually, having failing to find a logical pattern to its behavior, he'd just accepted it as fact. It held little significance to him, and while he wasn't familiar with the kind of technology that'd be able to produce such an object, he couldn't negate the possibility of its existence. "It might perceive it as a challenge."

A scientist. That fact alone made him more interesting to the T-1000 than the average human. "Questions without accessible answers are rarely useful. And I doubt you have the resources to locate an answer."

The one thing that the man most likely did possess was an abundance of spare time.

[karmic_darwin]

The stranger's manner of speaking was crisply logical, very properly scientific. It reminded him a little of his father.

"Perhaps," Mohinder answered. "Although, I've been studying it for days now, and it doesn't seem to be disturbed by me talking to it. The afternoon I told it I couldn't possibly wear dress shoes with shorts for one more day, it offered up a pair of sandals, almost like an apology."

He shrugged neutrally, folding the poncho for later use. Not to wear, for god's sake, but line a storage chest or something. "Sometimes questions are more important than answers. They provide a...purpose, a framework, direction."

Smiling politely, he added, "For example. I'm Mohinder Suresh. And you?"

[unchosen_son]

"Dude, until you get the leather assless pants, you haven't seen the worst," Sam offered in sympathy, even if a poncho that color was definitely like warfare on the eyes. "And trust me, getting those things is even worse when you consider someone might have worn them."

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder blinked, then huffed a half-laugh. "Assless?" He lifted the poncho to study it more critical. "Yes, I guess at least this could be used as a blanket. For the blind."

He wasn't even going to think about wearing someone else's assless leather pants.

[unchosen_son]

Sam's grin sort of just broadened and he couldn't help a laugh, even if he sounded embarrassed to be laughing in front of a stranger. "I'm Sam, and I've been inflicted with horrors by that thing for ages now."

[karmic_darwin]

Despite the grin and flashing eyes, Sam's laughter reminded him a little of some of the younger POIs. Like they'd grown up in a world where there wasn't much to laugh about, and it always startled them when something managed to make them laugh.

"Mohinder, and it seems to like to dress me in orange." He glanced down at his own shoulder, as if to verify it, then arched an eyebrow over an only semi-rueful grin. He liked orange, and Mira had always said it favored him. Only, he didn't think she'd had an Auburn Tigers polo shirt in mind, at the time. "It also thinks superhero costumes are the funniest gag gift ever."

[goldeneyedflash]

Bart couldn't help chuckling. "It gave me a wonderful pair of red stilettos, once, exactly my size, too," Bart said, putting his basket of laundry from the tree house on one of the dryers. "However, it usually gives me stuff that isn't completely objectionable."

He reached in, and dug out a few more pairs of red handkerchiefs masquerading as jogging shorts and a Star City Stars sport jersey. "I think I'll give this to Tim. He's a Knights fan."

[karmic_darwin]

At the sound of a familiar voice, Mohinder looked across the poncho he'd been folding. "I'm sure the stilettos were meant to go with the jersey. The box seems to plan ahead."

He smiled greeting. "I'm doing an informal study. Would you mind if it I wrote that all down?" After so many years, getting consent for human subjects research (even when the consent wasn't much of a choice), was habit. Jerking his chin at the jersey, he asked, "Who's Tim?"

[goldeneyedflash]

"If you think finding patterns in this loony bin will help, be my guest," Bart said, chuckling. "As for the red, I think it's more working on a theme. Like Power Rangers, or something. And Tim's my house mate. One of. Since I'm the one who doesn't insist on working graveyard shift, I get to do the daytime chores."

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder quirked a grin and made quick notes of Bart's acquisitions. "Can you look in the box again and see what it put in there since you took those out?" he asked. It wasn't all that scientific of a study, but it'd help if people followed the same methodology.

To Bart's question, he simply shrugged, wry. "Scientists will be scientists. I can no more help asking questions than I can breathing. Since I also needed clothes, it was a good place to start." He waved a hand toward the box. "Color themes for you, too. Interesting. I get red. And superhero-like costumes. Any chance your friend Tim has a color scheme or theme too?"

[aintamuppet]

Colin had torn his sleeve. He wasn't quite sure when or how he had torn it, but there was a nice big rip right around the elbow and now that he had it, he realised he should get a new shirt. Back home if his mum had seen him with a ripped shirt he'd have gotten a yelling and cuffed for it, thus why he and Mark had started hiding destroyed clothes inside the dresser drawers behind where the drawers pulled out. Mark said they had to hide them there because she looked under their beds when it was time to do laundry, and then she'd find them. Colin thought that made sense

[karmic_darwin]

Over the edge of the poncho, Mohinder caught sight of a young man lingering near the stairs. He watched for a moment to see if he would come, or had other intentions. But when he'd stood several minutes, obviously trying not to intrude but still watching Mohinder, Mohinder made up his mind.

"Please, don't let me keep you from the box if you need it. I'm just observing it today," he said politely, accent more pronounced with the quieter tones.

[aintamuppet]

It was still surprising some of the time how nice people were in the compound. Aside from the rude lady he'd met, Colin still thought it was interesting that everyone was always looking to help or be out of people's way as much as he did. Not that there weren't any people like that back home, just less of them. He thought maybe it was just because he didn't go out much. And that people werren't very happy around where he lived.

He nodded, slowly edging his way down the stairs and then quickly down the last few. "I jus'-" he started, stopping again and looking at the box, eyes shifting from it and to the dark man and back quickly. "I jus' need a new jumper."He picked at his sleeve, even if he wasn't wearing the torn one. That one was still in his room.

[karmic_darwin]

It didn't require speech for Mohinder to identify that the young man had a disability of some sort. He lacked the characteristically thick lids of Down's Syndrome, and the lack of motor coordination of cerebral palsy. He seemed simply slow.

As he might have with one of the Children of Interest, frightened and potentially dangerous - although he felt certain this young man was not - Mohinder stepped back to give him space to pass. He resumed folding the poncho, and eschewed direct eye contact. "I hope the box is cooperative. It seems to be a bit temperamental. I'm Mohinder. What's your name?"

[all_happening]

She'd heard about his arriving, of course; there would always be things that she and Eden didn't talk about, but that had definitely merited mentioning. After Halloween, too, she was sure she would have recognized him anywhere, even having spent most of that twisted day with Russell before they'd both disappeared. Despite that, though, it was still surprising for Penny to see him sitting by the clothes box when she glanced through the doorway.

"You should've seen what it gave me yesterday," she said wryly, more gently than usual, as she leaned against the door frame. "Just when you think you've got the worst thing possible, it manages to one-up itself."

[karmic_darwin]

Mohinder looked up from his notebook to see a pretty blonde woman leaning in the door frame.

"Is that a scientific observation, or an extension of Murphy's Law?" he asked, tone equally wry. "It seems to like orange and superheroes for me."

[all_happening]

"Both," Penny decided, then pausing, corrected herself, "either. Hard to say, around here." She walked into the room, after that, kneeling near him in front of the box. "I get a lot of leather. Sometimes tulle. Sometimes both." It was half-tempting to describe the catastrophe she'd pulled out with Eden, but there was the fact that she'd been with Eden to consider, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to describe that stripper outfit with someone like Mohinder.

She smiled, though, glancing up from where her attention had been on the box. If the look was at all forced, it wasn't too noticeably so. "I'm Penny," she said, holding out a hand. "Penny Lane."

[karmic_darwin]

"Leather and tulle? That's an odd combination. It reminds me a little of a song a friend of mine would never actually admit he liked."

Nathan's odd repressed affection for Fleetwood Mac had puzzled him enough that he'd finally given up and downloaded a few albums. Once he'd heard them, he understood them for the nostalgia they were and had bought the CDs to indulge Nathan (on the rare occasion he came to the apartment) without Nathan having to admit it.

Mohinder blinked, surprised to find his mind wandering that way. Sliding her a rueful sort of smile, he took her hand. "Mohinder Suresh. Apparently the very epitome of the absent-minded professor. It's nice to meet you, Penny."