thepurpleone | Cyberformed [] Inbox

[He's been sitting on this since his return. Velocity. He remembers her. He remembers everyone on that mission.]

Hey...Velocity.

It's cool. I mean, about the not checking in. I think we all kind of had a lot on our minds. But thanks for the follow-up I guess.

[Velocity nodded a very rapid and very earnest nod, then realized he couldn't see it and clapped herself in the helm]

Ow... Um! I mean. Um. I just-

[She sags a little]

I know that really big, galaxy shaking events keep happening, but I don't want anyone to feel like they're getting lost in all that. I don't want you to feel like that. So... So this is me saying that I'm here if you ever want to talk or ask questions or anything, any kind, bad or not.

Not that I think you'd ask bad questions! [She hastens to reassure him] I'm sure you ask good questions. You did really really good back on the lava fields, with your technology things that stopped the ships, and-

[A sigh]

And you did a good job. And I'm glad it was you there with us. You changed things for the better. That was all I meant to say. I suppose.

Edited 2024-06-02 06:48 (UTC)

[Belated as it is, it's the only acknowledgment he'd gotten about his part in that fight, although to be fair, he hadn't expected anyone to be aware of it, and he'd been much too frazzled after the whole mission to care. But someone's saying he'd done a good job then, that it made things better, and now they're long past the other end of that whole situation, Donnie can allow himself to feel good about that, and he gladly soaks it in.]

...thanks, Velocity. I was just doing what I could, just like everyone else was.

[And it wouldn't have amounted to much if they hadn't defeated the slavers. That had definitely been a team effort.]

[She nods again, but this time she's got a small smile playing on her face. He can't see that either, but it's audible in her voice when she responds]

I know. And that's why I thought I should say it, anyway. Or, because of it? Something like that. I know what it's like for no one to acknowledge something you did well, and-

[She trails off for a moment as she thinks once again about her school days, but her hang-ups aren't his responsibility or his problem]

And I know that it's easy to get wrapped up in everything that goes wrong, instead. So, sure, maybe your success was part of what a team did, but it's still a part that shone. You helped people. You did that. People are free, because of you. And it's okay to own that piece.

And besides... [She shrugs for a second time, awkward all over again, but sincere all the same] Your being invisible during parts of the battle back then was really interesting. Cool? It was cool. I don't know how to do that, and I like seeing what other people can do that I can't, if that makes sense?

[He breathes a small laugh at that.]

Wasn't really invisible. People just don't tend to notice you when most everyone else is several times your size, that's all. And other people just don't look hard enough sometimes.

[It hadn't mattered too much when there was poison raining from the sky, and eventually he'd been spotted after all. That had been scary, if only because he knows how close a call it had been. It's sad that he can honestly say it's not the worst thing he's gone through now, but that's edging towards the things he doesn't want to talk about.]

Anyway, there's a lot I'm still figuring out. I'm sure you're doing the same. Don't focus on what you can't do. Figure out what you can.

Either way? Still interesting, still cool.

[Her smile falters at what he says next and Velocity shrugs again, unseen, hunching one shoulder and hugging an arm to herself]

I can't promise that I'll be very good at that, but I can try. Right? That's always something true, no matter what. You can keep trying.

[Her own laugh is a bit shaky, but still there]

Even if it takes ten times, or more than that. So I can keep going, if you do, too.

I mean, trying is something. I'd rather be doing, why put in the effort if you're not expecting much out of it?

So long as you learn from those ten times. Continuously throwing yourself at a wall isn't going to change things, no matter how persistent you are. You have to change your approach, your tactics, your mindset, otherwise you're just going to exhaust yourself.

[Velocity shrugs again, but she's still got a little lingering smile in her voice]

You aren't wrong, but... Every time is different, though, even if it doesn't seem like it to other people. The emotional and physical context is constantly in flux, and building on itself. Sometimes that's what someone needs. To try and try and try again, until something clicks and you figure it out.

Or at least it was, for me.

I took my medical exams ten times. The first nine times, I tried changing up my studying habits, when I got in and out of recharge before the exam, what chair I sat in, asking for time extensions... And nothing worked. I tried nine times, I failed nine times.

It was after that last time when it just... something connected in my processor differently than it had every other time, and I realized that what was wrong was that I was trying to do my exams the same way as everyone else. I needed to take a verbal exam, instead. And I passed, with a 97%.

But... that was me. I'm not everybody. So maybe it doesn't apply to everybody.

Edited 2024-06-03 07:09 (UTC)

You know, a great American inventor of our world went through many supposed failed versions before finally successfully producing a working light bulb. He didn't see them as failures, but famously said, and I quote, "I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work."

It's a matter of perspective. So you're right in that the same method won't apply for everyone, but mindset is still an important factor. It changes everything- sometimes you just have to look at things a different way.

There are times when I'd come across a problem, something not working right and no matter how many time I rewire or take things apart, it's not functioning the way I want it to, so I have to remember to take a step back and shift my focus for a while, come back to it with fresh eyes.

[There is a small whir of actuators as Velocity shifts her weight back and forth for a few moments]

I don't think I've heard that sort of thing before. So it's just... steps in a process? Maybe?

[If she sounds uncertain to the point of dubiousness, it's because she is. Along with...]

Does it help? Returning to things after a break? Usually I just... attempt to power through until I have to stop. That's how I managed to write all of my papers and tests for school. The words might have wanted to wiggle off of the page, but if you concentrate hard enough, they... well, they still wiggle, and give you a headache for your troubles, but there'll be less of them to deal with. Probably.

Everything is part of the process. The failures, the breakthroughs, right up until completion.

[He thinks it makes perfect sense. The rest, he considers.]

I feel like it does. There can be external influences or experiences that can be rather eye-opening. I can't say I haven't taken the approach of pushing through to finish something, but...the resulting is never really as satisfying. Like. A nagging feeling that I could have done something differently, something better. Maybe others can't tell, but I always can.

[Velocity didn't know what to think of this different perspective, but... it did sound like it would weigh less upon you, didn't it? If everything linked up together, if even the failures weren't failures but just a way you learned not to do something. It was very tempting. As was what he said next]

That does make sense... after submitting things, I always found places where I would have gone into more detail or come to different conclusions.

[Another thoughtful frown, and she hesitated as a very small wish bubbled up in her chest, but...]

Do you think... do you think I could work on some of these things nearby you, sometimes? Ratchet said I ought to keep writing research papers to keep myself stimulated, and, well... I don't go very many places with anyone, aside from the medibay and the library. It might be nice.

Sure, I wouldn't mind.

[It might seem like his answer's too quick, too casual. From his perspective it isn't a difficult thing to decide. It's some form of asking him to help with a problem, isn't it? It's a refreshingly different sort of problem, although at the same time, kind of strange since he might not really be doing much of anything except just. Being there.

Huh. He'd never really thought about it in that sense, even though it's something their father had taught them early on.]

Just let me know, yeah?

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