How To Get By In A Hostile World, Thursday

[suitably_heroic]

"Today, we're going people watching," Atton said.

In the Danger Shop, yes.

And that was all he said, yes.

He sat down on a bench and watched people pass on by.

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Sign In!

[suitably_heroic]

Pedestrian-like.

Re: Sign In!

[justice_undone]

Breq

Re: Sign In!

[intotheout]

Gratuity Tucci

Re: Sign In!

[giveherahand]

Mara Jade

Sit Down And Watch

[suitably_heroic]

It's a perfectly normal city street. Perfectly normal people are milling by.

Or... are they?

The more attention you pay, the clearer their distinctions may be: the woman with the cough, the man with the reddened eyes, the lost little boy... it's easy to get lost in all the small details, isn't it?

After A While...

[suitably_heroic]

"So," Atton said, turning his head to look at the nearest student. "What do you see?"

Re: After A While...

[justice_undone]

"That's a very complicated question," Breq said. "Seeing is one thing, interpreting is another. And it all depends on your reason for watching."

Re: After A While...

[suitably_heroic]

"It's only a complicated question if you're looking for a handhold to tell you what I want to hear from you," Atton said mildly. "What do you see?"

Re: After A While...

[justice_undone]

"No," Breq said. "That's not what I meant." She looked at Atton, face blank. "My purpose for looking at these people will influence the information I find. With no purpose given, my personal interests will be that influence."

She nodded towards a young man with headphones. "She is enjoying whatever she is listening to."

Re: After A While...

[suitably_heroic]

"And my point is to make you think about what you see, and why you're seeing it," Atton said patiently, "And whether that information is going to be useful to you."

Re: After A While...

[justice_undone]

She was used to processing huge amounts of information. Perhaps she just found this a little too easy, although Breq didn't admit that to herself.

"You assume I have a purpose then?" she said, the phrasing deliberately ambivalent.

Re: After A While...

[suitably_heroic]

"Everybody always has a purpose," Atton said, shrugging. "We have to. The brain - at least, a human brain - can only process so much at once. So you better make it count."

Re: After A While...

[justice_undone]

One human brain did limit her, and Breq still had to get used to that.

"I noticed the person enjoying the music she was listening to because that is something I would appreciate too," she said. "Do you consider understanding and recognition of a shared experience a purpose? And if you notice the same about someone you care about, does that have a purpose? Does noticing all the little things about them that make you love them have that?"

Re: After A While...

[suitably_heroic]

"I consider it a purpose, because we look around that way to see if someone is worth our time," Atton said, shrugging. "And we like confirmation that the things we like are things other people enjoy, too. As for people you already know, well, you might want to get to know them better, or appreciate what they are and what they mean to you."

Re: After A While...

[justice_undone]

"Perhaps it's just a definition of the word purpose, then," Breq replied, now adding a smile.

Re: After A While...

[suitably_heroic]

"Nobody does anything for no reason at all," Atton said. "This exercise is all about finding out where your focus goes, what you notice, when you don't have a specific goal to work towards."

Re: After A While...

[justice_undone]

"Then my conclusion is that I take an interest in finding people who enjoy music. Although I prefer it when I can hear the music too."

She knew this, of course, and so did anyone who had ever served on Justice of Toren.

Talk to the Teacher

[suitably_heroic]

He's around after class.

OOC

[suitably_heroic]

Almost weekend. A real one, too.