case 11 | BBS + action

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

I've tried asking the teachers this already, but it looks like I'll need tutors this Quarter. Again. Not for languages this time - unless any of you know Japanese - but for actual classes I'm taking this Quarter, like Boxing, Survival Skills, and the "age appropriate" math classes I've been forced to take.

If anyone's interested, let me know. I'll pay you well in something, even if it isn't in cash.

- Damian

[Sometime later today, after he's made his BBS post, Damian's chilling in the Quad underneath a shady tree. (There's even a banner for "VOTE AANG FOR HOMECOMING PRINCE" over his head.) He's got a math textbook on his lap and a pencil in his hand as he's attempting to do math homework. Judging by the amount of eraser shavings, it looks like he's struggling a little bit... with basic 7th grade math.

There's also an old-fashioned (by Damian's standards) phone lying a little to his side, but it's not immediately obvious until someone's sitting next to him. As it is, he's not really aware it's there. After a moment, he hits the back of the tree in frustration... and immediately sticks his hand in his mouth. Right. Some things just can't be solved with violence.]

Comments

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

[Danny has been taking quite a few walks outside, particularly in the Quad. He so rarely ever gets to go outside at home that being able to freely here is, literally and figuratively, a breath of fresh air.

He stops when he hears a THUD against a tree nearby and turns to look. The boy sitting under the tree looks familiar for some reason...but that doesn't matter now. He approaches the boy and notices the math homework. Danny turns his head a little to see what sort of math work it is and--hey, he knows this stuff!]

Hey, um. Do you need any help with that? [He points down at the math work.]

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

[Damian makes a face as the other guy comes over, pulling his hand out and wiping it on his jeans. At least his fingers weren't bleeding - that was an upside.]

Maybe.... [He's not going to ask for help outright because hey, this guy's a complete stranger.] Is it that obvious?

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say 'obvious'... I just figured you had to be hitting a tree for some reason. [Nervous laugh.]

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

[Note to self: next time you're frustrated, don't resort to violence.]

... Fine. [motions for Danny to sit next to him as he pockets his phone] How do you do this set, anyways?

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

[Danny sits down and looks more closely at the math problems. He doesn't remember learning this material, exactly, but he does know it. ...Even if he isn't the greatest at math.]

Okay...so you've got a mystery number here and you're trying to get from one number to the next, and you have to figure out what the mystery number is. Does that help?

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

[.... why would someone think he was having trouble with that basic Algebra? Damian raises an eyebrow but decides it's better just to play dumb. Just this once.]

Kind of. Can you explain it another way?

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

[W-well! It was the first math problem on the page he saw that wasn't answered, okay!!]

...Hmm. Well...it's kind of like you're on level 3. And the boss battle is on level 9. So how many levels do you have to play through to get to the boss?

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

... Six? [Maybe he'd said it too quickly, but the analogy gets a grin out of Damian. Filling it out now!]

Did you play a lot of video games in your world?

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the answer. [He doesn't even notice. Danny just thinks you are a smart cookie!]

And yeah, I did. Didn't really have much else to do, so video games were a pretty big thing for me.

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

At least you know what they are. [taps his pencil against his chin] Most people're from backwater worlds, so they don't even know what tablets are.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Most people? Really? I thought everyone was from a similar world--at least technologically...

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

[shakes his head] Not necessarily. Some people's worlds have teleporters but not running water... it's kind of insane.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

What? Seriously? That...that sounds ridiculous. My world doesn't have teleporters just yet--I don't think--but we've definitely got running water.

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

Seriously. It's like someone forgot to equally distribute the technology and they're all living in some Portalesque world. [makes a face]

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah. At least our worlds have the basic necessities and the cooler stuff, like video games and the Internet and stuff.

...Uh. Your world does have those, right?

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

Of course. [grins, setting his homework aside for the time being] I don't know what I would've done without Ninja Zombies 3.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Ninja Zombie 3? Haven't played that one. I guess I'm more of an MMO guy--I played a lot of Doomed back home.

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

I'd be surprised if you did. [smirking all-so-slightly] It was released in 2041.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

2041?! [if Danny were drinking something, he'd be spittaking here.]

That's--I-It was only 2007 for me back home!

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

Yeah? I figured as much. Most people aren't further along than 2011, at best.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Really? Wow. Why do you think that is?

But still...2041. That's--that's pretty far in the future! For me, I mean.

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

You and everyone else at Garden. I only know of one other person from around my time... which is weird, but I guess they prefer it that way.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Huh.

So...what's the future like? If you don't mind me asking.

[bratbeyond.livejournal.com]

It's probably different from yours, but Neo-Gotham's pretty schway. We've got flying cars and creds instead of actual cash and traveling's a lot easier... [shrugs] I'm not really sure where to begin since I've never been to your past.

[totallynotaspaz.livejournal.com]

Well...there's video games, and those have pretty realistic graphics now! Normal cars, no flying. We still use cash, but there's also credit cards. Oh, and the Atlantis just launched a few days ago when I was back home headed for the ISS, if space exploration is still happening in the future for you.

[Oh yeah, and interdimensional portals, and energy shields, and hovercrafts. Too bad Danny doesn't know about those.]

I...don't really know what else to say about it. I mean, it's all normal for me, so I don't know how to describe it to you.