greatdeduction | PC CATCHALL FOR REX

Mr. Rex, have you been listening to a word I said? I was sorry after the verdict, and I was sorry during the week, and I was sorry when I realized the truth too late, and I was sorry not to put the whole thing to bed when I did so! Yes! Why do you think I brought this up right away? Because I knew it had to be addressed!

[He's getting a little frustrated, now.]

I will not say sorry for caring more about Miss Susato. That I will acknowledge. You can understand that. But to think that you were tossed aside like trash...it is simply not true. Letters or not, people did think of you. I am sorry that no one reached out to you despite that.

And why should I believe that? Why should I believe you, when everyone here is always lying?

Because you could either wallow in the belief that everyone around you will always betray you, or you could give yourself a chance to take the leap and allow yourself to believe them, for a change.

I cannot control how you feel, Mr. Rex. I cannot force you into decisions. I cannot make you forgive me, or anyone else here. What I can do is attempt to shake you out of this belief that the people around you are cruel and will never care for you. What sort of life is that?

[ his face hardens ]

One where I don't get taken advantage of and killed again.

You're just killing yourself. A slow death.

[He looks towards the ground.]

You're made for great things. Nanites and brilliant brain and all.

[ (george costanza) hold on, i'm shifting into rex's-mindset-from-last-night mode. ]

You don't know that. You can't say that. No way you got to know me enough to think that.

It may not be "enough"...but I am a great detective. I make it my business to know as much as I can.

[He tilts his head.]

Do you remember us at the party? When you took an interest in my hand?

[His metal hand, whirring away.]

[ warily: ] Yeah...?

Come now. In an instant, I could tell you were enamored with it. A most inquisitive mind, focused on machinery and the way it worked! Others would scarcely care.

[He lifts his hand to look at it, the gears spinning.]

Its little moments like that make me understand you a little more, Mr. Rex.

...well it's not like it made any difference, is it.

...

[...]

[He folds his arms.]

It can make a difference now. I have many such similar things at home, you know. Actually...here.

[He's pulling out his goggles from his bag to just. Toss lightly at him.]

Take a look! My own invention. Your chance, here and now, only. If you want to take it. Maybe you just want to keep wallowing in your own thoughts about how everything in this world is heartless and cruel, though. I'm not you, after all.

[ oh this is just cruel and manipulative. and it's absolutely working.

Rex takes the goggles, turning them over in his hands, trying to investigate anything that may indicate further function beyond, well. just goggles. ]

What do they do?

[That's right! That's Herlock Sholmes for you! Actual snake!]

[Annnd they have a bunch of stuff on them! Well, a few knobs, but there's clearly one that switches on the light in the lens, another which adjusts the position of them for magnification.]

Multiple things, my dear boy. Magnification is activated on this one, but at their full power they can scan heat signatures, connect with another device to enable photographs of whatever you are looking at, a filter for easy visibility of a substance that illuminates skin prints, and the like! A tour de force for murder investigations!

[ he fiddles with the switch and the knob indeed, glancing through the lenses to see the effect. In particular, he checks to see what the magnification mechanism is on these anyway. Is it more like a magnifying glass, some kind of lens that slides into place over the regular lens? Or is it more like a telescope, with extending eyeballs like fuckin snail eyestalks? ]

Huh. And what's all this powered by? Electricity, a battery? [ He'll also start searching for a power source!! ]

[It's a lens that slides in place over the regular lens! Same with the filters.]

A battery, of course. In my time, electricity, while steadily being used, has not yet progressed to a point where it can be used in small portable devices like this.

[It does probably have a small compartment for a battery, somewhere! Look, IDK how his stupid inventions work, They just Do.]

[ yeah he'll just investigate the battery compartment and the battery itself. still looking at the hat: ]

Hm. Not bad, I guess.

You gonna make it any better, now that you're not limited to just "your time"?

I might! But everything comes with a price, here. And if I take them home...well! There's always room to improve, with inventions.

[A pause.]

Do you want it?

[ looks up sharply, blinking ]

What? Why?

Why not? You're an inquisitive mind. I feel it would be in the hands of a rightful owner, with you. Perhaps you could make it even better than I?

And, what, suddenly you don't need it anymore yourself?

My dear fellow. If a great detective was only great because of the tools he used, he wouldn't be so "great", would he? Of course, its a beneficial thing to use, and the only one of its kind, but its hardly the only thing at my disposal.

[That is, to say, he could make do without it, without much fuss.]

Think of it as a gift from me to you. Knowledge is meant to be shared, and taught, not hidden away. Especially in the form of inventions such as these.

[ turns the goggles over in his hands some more, staring at them as he does, before looking up again, a suspicious squint in his eyes ]

...is this a bribe? Are you just trying to bribe me into liking you with these goggles?

Edited 2021-11-28 06:06 (UTC)

[There's a surprised pause.]

[And then - he lets out an uproarious laugh, throwing his head back.]

Ahahaha! A bribe?! My, Mr. Rex! If I could do something like that, a lot more people would be able to tolerate my obnoxiousness-!

[Self...self aware?]

Ah... [And he calms down, shaking his head.] It's goggles, my dear boy. Think of me just passing it on to the newest generation of innovators. That's all. No liking required.

[ you say that sholmes, but plenty of people seem to tolerate your obnoxiousness just fine as it is ]

But...why? You could just as easily take the goggles back if they're so useful to you.

Many things are useful to me. But the fact is, the word there is "things". Things come and go. People may, too, but it isn't as if I can build a whole new you from scratch, can I?

[that's terrible and plenty of people should reconsider]

As I said, I simply think it would be nice for you to have it! That's all. Are you saying goggles aren't your style, Mr. Rex?

(no subject)

third_alternative - 2021-11-28 07:14 (UTC) - Expand