ximilia | Voice; un: naruhodo

Entry tags:

Voice; un: naruhodo

[Normally when Ryunosuke sends any kind of broadcast over the network, he does it with a sense of formality. He takes care to introduce himself, and he tries to choose his words carefully.

Right now, he just sounds tired, and faintly bewildered. The message is brief:]

So... Was anyone else aware that Emerton Haughtford was once-- or currently is--? The commander of this station...?

Genuine question. Because it is certainly news to me.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Ximilia".

[It had seemed like a good idea at the time: moving forward in the interest of being more honest and open in spite of the risk. Surely, Emerton deserved to know about his old life--

Or, at least, that was what he'd thought before. Now Yujin isn't so sure.]

I left him a letter encoded with the name, and the name alone. He's an intelligent man. It wouldn't have been difficult for him to make it out.

[Ryunosuke cocks his head, considering what Yujin is saying. He seems like he's perhaps concerned about having done this, but Ryunosuke can't quite pin down why. It seems like an innocent enough work around...]

Oh. But... Even if he figured it out... It's not like the name would necessarily mean anything to him. Right?

Edited 2023-06-27 15:38 (UTC)

...Unless, of course, it meant something to whatever it is that brought us here.

[Olivia? Some particularly malevolent orb? He doesn't know, he's just guessing, but as far as he knows, he was the only one who made this misstep.]

What if it wasn't only Emerton we were keeping the Ximilia a secret from?

[Ryunosuke crosses his arms, still frowning slightly... Visibly trying to think through what Yujin is implying with that comment, but mostly failing to put together any theories that actually feel sensible, at least to his mind.]

Erm... Sorry, but what are you suggesting, exactly? That something else may have intercepted and decoded the letter, then...?

[(Pace watch: no actual ambulation yet, but he is kind of tapping/jiggling one foot very slightly while he thinks.)]

[He sighs heavily, expression troubled. Maybe he's overreacting. But it's impossible not to feel guilty when he technically disobeyed a direct order.]

Olivia, or the orbs, perhaps. I don't know what I'm suggesting, exactly. I just know that we aren't where we should be, and I told the truth when perhaps I should not have.

[He considers that, while also observing Yujin's troubled expression. It's a bit strange to be offering reassurance to a man who he sort of views as being above himself, but...]

Well... If you're asking for my opinion... [And he pauses, slightly, so Yujin can interject if he isn't--] ...The correlation feels... Tenuous, really. Isn't it just as likely that this is the result of some completely detached instance of orb-related trickery?

[Besides, we could ALL do with a lot less secret keeping, is what Ryunosuke is thinking, imagining a few other specific faces from home alongside Yujin... But he refuses to say that part out loud.]

[Although the reversal of roles here feels unusual, it's not wholly unwelcome. The last few months have been difficult: even he can't hold out forever, trying to appear more in control than he really is just for Ryunosuke's sake. Sure enough, he doesn't interrupt, allowing the younger man to voice his own opinion too.]

Yes... [he shakes his head.] Yes, I suppose you have a point. I shouldn't be making connections where there aren't any. Occam's razor, and all.

It's difficult not to jump to conclusions, where the orbs are concerned. Things are easier when there are clear explanations, but there often... aren't any, where the orbs are concerned.

[A beat. He looks just a little embarrassed.] I'm sorry, Naruhodo. I'm just thinking out loud.

Hm? Oh, no! Please, it's no bother at all.

[He hesitates.]

Actually, to be honest... I was just distracted trying to remember which of your cases that thing you mentioned was featured in. The razor belonging to this Occam fellow? I can't seem to recall mention of it, and so I'm afraid the reference has gotten past me a bit.

[He literally can't even find it in himself to make fun of you for this Ryunosuke, holy shit.]

"That Occam fellow" died in the 14th century. Just a little too old to have been a client, I think.

[Just kidding, he can a little bit.]

Occam's razor, or the law of parsimony, is a philosophical idea. In short, the simplest explanation is often more probable than a complicated one. Of course, our mutual friend might suggest that eliminating the impossible first would be a better idea, but...

[Ryunosuke blinks owlishly, stunned to find just how off-track he apparently was.]

A-ah. Right...

[For a second, he wonders if he should be more ashamed of his ignorance in this case, but. You know what? He is NOT going to be embarrassed about this. Because who on earth reads philosophy?]

So... How exactly is a razor involved, then?

[Yujin pauses.

His eyes dart away from Ryunosuke's face as he fiddles, absently, with the end of his mustache. Although the philosophical concept's common enough... he... has never actually thought about whether there was any sort of real 'razor'.]

I always believed it was, er, more of a metaphorical razor...? Cutting to the truth of a matter, or cutting away unlikely explanations?

[Now also a little stunned, Yujin blinks, returning his gaze to Ryunosuke once more.]

Yes. There isn't a real razor. I think.

[Oh? That was a stumper, apparently. Ryunosuke watches Yujin while he thinks that one through.]

...Huh. Alright, sure... Though a razor's a bit of an odd choice, when it comes to cutting implements, isn't it? Why not Occam's Sword? Or shears?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Voice; un: naruhodo

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

ryu actively draining his braincells

no subject