The One With The Cold Shoulder: Video

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Scrad holds the comm out at arm's length. Behind him, Charlie is pointedly facing in the opposite direction. They both seem less laid-back than usual. Their shoulders are tight; a general sulk lurks around them. Scrad says:]

So here's what I wanna know: where are all the non-humans? Hands up, round of snaps, head count, whatev-...

[He's cut off as his own hand yanks the comm away and holds it out at arm's length from Charlie instead. Charlie says:]

Just so you know: I'm not speaking to you.

[Scrad, facing away from the comm, explains through audibly clenched teeth:]

That's not. How not speaking to somebody. Works.

[To which Charlie replies:]

I can't hear you.

[The back of Scrad's head sputters:]

You just-...!

[Scrad pulls the comm back in front of him and line faces into it. The boys are having a fight. They're also projecting it. Have fun interpreting that emotionally, monocephaloids.]

Comments

[championoftime]

Not a human...

And ah... I do note that you're perpetuating a cycle there. You may want to distract one another?

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Scrad says:]

Huh?

[Because they're both pretty much always distracted, before Charlie snatches the comm away to explain:]

He's being completely unreasonable.

[championoftime]

He does have a point, I believe- [He motions from side to side at where his screen is.]

But you were asking about those of us that aren't human aboard the ship?

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Charlie asks:]

Him-he, or me-he?

[Scrad guides the camera back in his direction:]

Yeah, this place is like a sausage party, but with humans instead of sausage.

[Off-screen, Charlie grumbles:]

I was talking.

[championoftime]

The bigger one. When you're not speaking, you usually don't speak. But I'm of the impression already you'll suffer horrific medical consequences if you attempt not to so don't bother refraining.

[He taps his chin.] There have been up to ten time lords aboard at once. Six, really, but one of us was five different people. That's the most I've observed of any non-human race.

Text

[strangehistorian]

[Oh dear.]

What seems to be the problem?

Video

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[This would be impossible to explain via text. Mostly because they only have two hands. Charlie uses one of said hands to point at Scrad:]

He's an idiot.

[Scrad smacks their hand away with their other hand.]

Get my finger out of my face!

[Charlie raises an eyebrow:]

So now it's your finger.

Video

[strangehistorian]

[If Chromie seems annoyed, it's because of the empathic bleed.]

What started this?

Re: Video

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[One hand points at Scrad's head. The other points at Charlie's.]

He did.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin's usually not the most calm and peaceful personality at the best of times. And this flood has him edgy. Now that he's sharing Scrad and Charlie's fight, feeling their anger like it's his, he snaps and snarls:]

Mother Othering Other! [The swear makes more sense in Gallifreyan. Really.] Shut up, both of you.

[Normally he'd be more interested in the alien question. But right now, thanks to them fighting, he's feeling the need to fight.]

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[They shut up immediately, two pairs of eyes wide a staring at Narvin unblinkingly, and two pairs of lips pressed into tight lines. Their annoyance at each other/themself is almost completely overridden by relief. They're comforted by the harsh direct order. There's no question of how to respond to it. Charlie does tentatively suggest, though:]

I...think you mean "fucker".

[timesbureaucrat]

[Their relief is Narvin's relief and his anger cools a bit. And is then replaced with irritation.]

I meant exactly what I said. The meaning gets lost in translation.

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Even having someone who is not them respond with irritation is comforting. This: they're used to. This they deserve. Scrad agrees:]

English is pretty limiting.

[nolongerhollow]

I am not human. What did you wish to know?

[twoheadsofcabbage]

Let's start with: where're you from?

[Charlie is, by now, making faces at Scrad behind...well, his own back.]

[nolongerhollow]

Earth. But humans are spectacularly bad at sharing the planet, so we live there in secret.

[twoheadsofcabbage]

So you're a non-human Earthling?

[...still counts.]

[ichoosefight]

[ Awww. She is sympathetic but amused. ]

You guys having a fight?

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Charlie focuses the comm on his head.]

No, we're having a touching moment in a very special episode. What's it look like?

[ichoosefight]

You should play nice. You're stuck with each other.

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Charlie insists:]

I was being nice. I was very nicely telling him his idea is stupid. I haven't even punched him yet!

[marshal_art]

[Forgive Art while he stares for a moment. He's been told about you but it didn't prepare him for the reality.]

I would've thought you boys would've come up with some method of conflict resolution by now.

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Really? What are people saying? Inquiring minds want to know. Two of them. Charlie tells him:]

What part of 'I'm not talking to him' didn't you hear?

[marshal_art]

[Boyd Crowder gave him a head's up...but only to the fact of your existence. Nothing more.]

I heard, just doesn't seem like an effective way to solve the problem.

[twoheadsofcabbage]

[Ha ha. A "head's" up. Scrad grudgingly admits:]

Talking is kind of...our thing.

[In other words: the silent treatment is actually a legitimate threat to their species.]