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[youbarium]

Who| Carlos and anyone
What| He's been a sad scientist lately, and a reclusive scientist, and an obsessive scientist. He is a scientist who is bad at remembering that he has friends, and he can do things with friends, and that the world does not revolve around memorizing a blueprint.
Where| The coffee place on the ground floor of the Tribute Center.
When| Late this week/possibly this weekend, any time you feel like finding him
Warnings/Notes| None so far.

I almost have it. I almost have it. Just a few more days, and I'll be able to recreate the blueprint completely accurately.

Carlos can't make an actual recording of his progress, since the Capitol would both confiscate his recording device and record him making the recording itself, but that doesn't mean he can't pretend to take voice notes in his head.

Steve, Tony, and Bruce have been a huge help. Steve especially. Between the three of us, I'm sure we can reverse-engineer this machine.

He sits at a small table, hair artistically mussed and one shoe half-untied, and sips a cup of coffee. The steam makes his glasses fog up, but he only seems to notice so much. That is, he is repeating a cycle of actions: he takes a sip, his glasses fog up. He wipes the lenses with the sleeve of his lab coat, and sips again. He does not seem to get agitated, nor does he seem to realize that he could avoid this by removing his glasses. He just repeats the motions again and again, too lost in thought to take any further action.

I'll be ready when I go to District 13. If I go to District 13.

Comments

[silberfuchs]

"There's a zoo." He shrugs. "Or museums. Or even just the park for a walk. You look as if you haven't seen the outside in some time so my vote is the first or last, if you need help narrowing it down, but if you'd rather a museum at least it's out."

Albert sips his coffee, looking a bit closer at Carlos. He looks tired, stressed, weighed down in a way that is to be expected given their circumstances but Albert learned long ago that wallowing in that pressure is the fastest way to burn out. It's the last thing he wants to see happen to Carlos.

[youbarium]

"It doesn't have to be a museum," Carlos admits. "My first Arena was a museum, and it's been kind of hard to go into them since. Actually, the only time I did was -- was with Cecil."

His voice is almost, almost neutral. Almost natural. His next words almost aren't too quick.

"The zoo is fine."

[silberfuchs]

"Ah, I didn't know you came in during that one. That was my first as well." He hadn't been in it long enough to really develop any feelings on museums he didn't have already. As for Cecil, it's difficult to discuss because of the uncertainty and he can tell it's not something Carlos wants to talk about, at least not right now.

"Alright, the zoo then." He stands from the table, giving Carlos an out from the topic of Cecil and expecting him to follow suit. "I'm hoping they have an aviary, personally."

[youbarium]

Carlos had been in it for weeks, shut up in a planetarium with some other scientists.

...only a few of those scientists are still around now.

He downs the last few mouthfuls of cooling coffee and gets up to follow Albert. Carlos still seems a little out of it, but he's together enough to ask, "Are you interested in birds?"

[silberfuchs]

"They're calming to watch, flying around as they do." He shrugs. "In general animals actually don't like me, but birds I've never had problems with."

He looks to Carlos as they walk, opening the door out to the street and then following him into the late-autumn air. "What about you? Any animal preference?"

It's idle talk, but nonetheless important just for how idle. Getting to know the things that are missed when you're both in dire straights. In the Arena, in the Rebellion, this is how Albert would prefer to make friends, instead of jumping straight to the risking life and limb part.

[youbarium]

Carlos laughs a little sheepishly. "Well, actually," he says, "I've always liked planarians."

He says this with the tone of someone who does not expect that the animal will be recognized and who absolutely will not judge anyone for it.

[silberfuchs]

"Planarians?" If Carlos had said the word with any other inflection, Albert likely would have opted for the more awkward pretending to know what the hell he was talking about, but since he clearly didn't expect Albert to have any earthly idea what he's referring to, it's easier to admit ignorance.

[youbarium]

"Yeah," says Carlos with a small smile. "They're little flatworms, that are really good for laboratory work, and they look like they have little eyes on top of their heads, and--" And he realizes he's rambling. "--and I've always thought they were really cute," Carlos finishes, with a little embarrassed laugh.

[silberfuchs]

"Interesting. That suits you, I think, finding something appealing about a creature most wouldn't." Flatworms. Seriously, only Carlos. Still, it's supposed to be a compliment.

"I'm not sure if they'll have any at the zoo, but one can hope." He smiles. It's a joke, of course. He's never heard of a zoo with flatworms, but if he can keep Carlos laughing even a little then he's accomplishing what he set out to do with the outing.

[youbarium]

"It's not very likely," agrees Carlos, relaxing a little more. "I think we have a much better chance of seeing your birds."

He thinks back for a long moment.

"It's been years since I've been to a zoo," he admits. "A lot of years, actually. I never went to the one in Night Vale, even after the renovations in March."