2007-10-27: Would You Rather

Starring:

Beck_icon.gif Bert_icon.gif Tyson_icon.gif

Summary: Three geeks walk into a bookstore…

Date It Happened: October 27th, 2007

Log Title Would You Rather


Enlightenment Books

Tyson had been getting on curious about a something that had been on his mind since his conversation with that woman in the comics store. How had he been able to dodge so well? Sure a couple shots was normal, but what he had been doing…. It didn't make sense was all; and it was that urge that made him follow up on the rumors of the book that had all the answers. The first place he had to look was the place with such an obvious arrow leading to what he would need…

And inside that little bookshop, Bert's browsing through the more religious tomes. (If Kabbala counts that is.) A couple of books are selected, and now she's thumbing through them, narrowing down her selection. Idly, she raises a hand to brush some of her red hair behind her ear as she worries a little at her lower lip.

With each step, Ty's brown locks of hair bounced springingly as he scanned the section headers looking for the parapsychology or psuedoscience section, even paranormal. He knew the name of the title and the last name of the guy who wrote the book, he just needed to- Then, he saw Bert and stopped, "Hey, Bert!" He waved at first, not completely certain… maybe she had a twin…?

Bert has many sisters, but no twin! Hearing her name called out, she looks up and over. A smile splits across her face as she sees Tyson, "Oh hey there, Ty. You again! I told you so about running into people in this city!" Making a snap decision on her book of choice, she cradles it in her arms, "Running around on your own again?"

"Of course." Tyson said with a smirk, "No old man's law is going to keep me back." He was set in his ways it seemed and not angry, but determined. He noted the book in her possession and was curious considering their aisle. "What're you getting, today? A book on Nuclear Wiccan Scientology perhaps?"

Bert laughs and shakes her head. "Uh huh.. only after you turn eighteen. You're looking mighty young here." She holds her book up, flashing the title proudly. Oh Kabbala.. "It's a prank gift for my brother-in-law. He's a rabbi and this'll make his head spin. Then he'll laugh.. and I think I'll look for Nuclear Wiccan Scientology after my first paycheck."

"I don't know…" Tyson began wearily, "I was making that up and it still sounded terrifying." He shuddered, the thought leaving him and his normal disposition returned. "The lovely first paycheck… I need to be getting another one some time…"

"Sure, you made it up now and you're scared.. but just wait til you see the book on a shelf a year from now and realize you could have made a killing off it!," Bert says with a teasing grin as she tucks the book under her arm. "Don't get into too much of a hurry to grow up. You might find yourself wishing to be back in school, summer vacations, not having to work. Although, I wouldn't be living back under my parents' roof again if you paid me."

Tyson couldn't help but chuckle at how Bert characterized what he should be doing, "Listen, I'm fine being a kid; but I see no reason not to get a little change on the side for when parents decide to hang money over my head…" His eyes shifted back and forth nonchalantly. "That aside, do you have any idea where a book called…" He had to think about it for a moment. "Activating Evolution? Yeah, Activating Evolution, by Chocolate Suresh…"

Tyson couldn't help but chuckle at how Bert characterized what he should be doing, "Listen, I'm fine being a kid; but I see no reason not to get a little change on the side for when parents decide to hang money over my head…" His eyes shifted back and forth nonchalantly. "That aside, do you have any idea where a book called…" He had to think about it for a moment. "Activating Evolution? Yeah, Activating Evolution, by Chocolate Suresh… No, wait, Chandra Suresh… hehe."

"Hey man, been there, done that. It gets you out of the house, and gets you your own money. I know it's not cool to tell your date or girlfriend that what you get to do on the weekend depends on how much money you got from your parents." Bert may be out on her own (sort-of) and in grad school, but high school is still rather painful in memory. She feels the pain, man. As Tyson asks about THE book, her brows lift a little. "Huh. You're looking for that? Color me surprised. It's over this way. I remember because I picked up a copy the other day to go with the comics I bought. You got me thinking, what can I say?"

Tyson raised an eyebrow at that, "I got you thinking? Most people don't even think I am possible of thought… but to be able to inspire that in others… well.. I'm honored." He laughed before going quiet with a sigh. "Seriously, though. I guess I've just been having a couple burning questions. Like is it possible for someone to be able to know just how far it is between two things?"

Bert rolls her eyes in a playful manner. "Aw, you little farbissenah punim. Keep that frown turned upside down will ya?" She leads the way over to the shelf where 'Activating Evolution' is kept. "Well.. yeah. I saw this book when I was shopping for my textbooks for the semester once. I couldn't afford to get what wasn't on my list, but yeah. You got me thinking. All of the stuff in that book? Kinda reminds me of the comic.. and huh? What do you mean? I take it you aren't talking about actual physical distance between two objects."

"It's that and a mild curiousity." Tyson said as they continued to make their way over to the shelf. "I mean, I figure evolution is simply survival of the fittest and if that's the case, some body with /that/ skill…" He tried to phrase what was going through his mind as a vagueness that obscurred an epiphany, "They'd just have really good aim or something making them a better hunter, I guess…" His inner geek was showing… "So, yeah, actual physical distance."

"Well duh. How else do you think a species survives? It adapts.. but anyway.. my geekery majors are in computers, not the science and theory of evolution. I get what you mean though." After all, Bert is just as curious.. for her own reasons of course. "It's all neat. I keep rereading parts of the book to make sure I don't get lost in the subject matter. Very fascinating. Makes me wanna go back and get a whole new major. Almost." A grin is flashed Tyson's way in teasing.

Beck shoulders his way in through the entrance, rubbing his hands together as he does so before putting them into his pockets and craning his neck to look from one shelf to another. Something catches his eye on the shelf and he moves towards it, slipping it free from between two other texts and flipping through it a moment.

"That's what I was thinking!" Tyson said excitedly, before catching himself and needing to be reminded to calm himself down, especially since he had just heard someone come in… but they had reached the shelf and he spied the book, simply staring at it for a moment before actually reaching /for/ it. "From a technological aspect, though, it'd be like we were innately capable of actualizing preprogrammed faculties. Not that I know much about that, but still." He held the book in his hands, doing his best not to look at it as if it were the holy grail.

Bert grins at Tyson's excitement. It's so cute watching a teenager /try/ to stay emo. "Listen to you. I bet you're all into taking AP classes, and have a free ride waiting for an ivy league college!" Hearing the door open and someone walking in, she glances briefly over in Beck's direction before turning her attention back onto Tyson, "I didn't really put a lot of deep thought into it, since it's very theoretical.. and well.. I just found it fascinating."

Beck glances up from the book when he notices the briefest pause in the conversation across the way, offering a smile in the direction of the pair before turning his attention back to the part of the book he's reading over. Apparently it isn't for him, though, as he slots it right back where he found it and begins to walk down the length of the shelves again. So what if he's eavesdropping, right?

"You'd be wrong there." Tyson laughed, not really certain he should be proud of admitting what he just did. "Just like you said, the theory is interesting, and if it pans out in some way in our reality, by all means let's have a party." With that he begins investing some of his own time in the book, flipping it open and reading a page that just happened be close to what he was thinking of… "Did you know they said it may even be possible to grow spines like a porcupine? Man, that would suck. Imagine if you were trying to get close with somebody and they came out? Oops, I swear, that's never happened to me before?" He shrugged helplessly.

Bert leans up against the bookshelf as she converses with Tyson. If Beck is eavesdropping, well, let him. It's a public place, so it isn't as if the conversation is totally private. She laughs aloud at Tyson, "You're funny. Too bad you're like half my age or something. Geez, this is like the conversation I heard in the breakroom today. I thought I was back in grade school for a moment.. people talking about who's superpower would you rather have.. Spider-man or Wolverine.. I mean with all the talk of if this could happen. Theoretical science. Man, keep this up and I /will/ find myself earning another bachelor's."

"Spider-Man's," Beck says quietly as, now rather nearby, he finishes looking over another book and slips it back onto the shelf. And then he perhaps realizes that he maybe said that aloud and he looks a little embarrassed a guilty for having jumped in on a conversation he's not really involved in. So he attempts to explain himself, "I mean … the super strength and the super agility. I … uh … well, I suppose I wouldn't want to have a power where I ripped holes in my knuckles every time I used it. Even if it did heal … uh … heh."

He clears his throat, makes a 'oh boy' face and turns back around to look at the bookshelf. Oh no, he didn't say anything at all. See? He's looking through a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Yes. Robert Pirsig. Very interesting.

"I'll try not to inspire you to anything too great…" Tyson chuckled, looking up from reading to hear a man give his two cents about the preposed Spider-Man v. Wolverine issue. Usually he would let the man go, but it was an interesting enough debate, "I think Wolverine is for people who like getting up close and personal when dealing with situations, while Spider-Man is the typical smart-mouthed punk you want to knock out. Both fine choices, but doesn't spider-man turn into a man-spider at one point? Wolverine'll just live for a long time, maybe forever, being able to survive pretty much whatever…" Tyson pondered the extremes of each case trying to ultimately refine his decision. "I guess… I'm more of a Wolverine." He shrugged, immediately seeing similarities.

Bert looks over her shoulder as Beck makes his presence known. Ding-dong! "Don't be afraid to let your inner geek shine my man," she says with a wide grin towards Beck. "Do I need to walk away and let you two have some private time so you can man crush on Spider-man and Wolverine?" Her cheeks almost dimple with the ever widening smile on her face. Merriment shines in her eyes as she teases the two guys. They both look to be easy marks for some good natured ribbing, so hey, she's moving in for the strike!

"Oh, I think I'm done," Beck answers when it comes to the crushing on Marvel's two most popular super heroes. He nods to Tyson, "You've got a point though … some people are Wolverine, some people are Spidey. But I hope people don't want to knock me out."

He offers another slight smile at the pair and closes the book in his hands, deciding he may as well introduce himself. It is only when he does that that the fact he has an accent, although a very faint one, becomes obvious: "I'm Beck."

Tyson looks at Bert with an incredulous look on his face, "Yeah… well that's about the extent of my knowledge anyway. I'm just really good at inferences." At Beck's statement and introduction, Tyson nodded affirmitively, "It's nice to meet you, though, Beck. I'm Tyson." Simple introductions were all that were really necessary, who knew if they were ever going to meet again… Then again… he had only met Bert recently…

"What if it's to knock you out only to drag you home with them?" Bert says with an impish grin Beck's way. It's said in a teasing manner, but she could very well be serious. Who knows? "I never could decide what superhero type I was. My mind keeps changing about it. My name's Roberta, but everyone calls me Bert. Careful around us, we're bad influences. I think!"

"I'm not a shining paragon of sensibility myself."

Beck smiles a little more in turn at the pair of them, nodding his head when they both give their names as though committing them to memory. Always nice to be able to remember a face when you see it on the street.

"I don't think I'd need to be knocked out, all the same."

He slips the book back onto the shelf.

"If you're good, you don't get knocked out." Tyson said, taking another look at the book in his hands before starting to exit the aisle and make his way towards the checkout. "At any rate, I've got to get going." He turned and waved at the pair, "It's always a pleasure, Bert. I'm sure the same will be said about you too, Beck. Until we meet again." With that, he was on his way out, more or less out of range of any more ridiculous conversations.

Bert doesn't have much of a response for Beck other than a huge grin and, "I love a man with a big vocabulary." Her book is held briefly to her heart before she walks away. "Nice meeting you Beck and it was good running into you again Ty. See you boys around sometime!" Aw, now she didn't think the conversation was ridiculous! She enjoyed it! Then again, Bert's a total weirdo, so… anyway. Taking her book, she pays for it before leaving the shop.

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