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Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

During the ride, Isaac initially read the paper work closely. His experience with contract negotiations, not to mention having to deal with immigration and visas, had taught him to very careful with anything he signed. After a while, though, he stopped and stared out the window for a while. Everything he'd read was legal, if alarming, but more importantly, who exactly was he going to raise a protest to over anything in this?

Eventually he finished reading and signing what was left - there wasn't much else to do on this ride, and there was always a small chance it could be useful. Not very likely though. The ride itself didn't bother him too much - reminded him of road trips, of which he'd been on plenty. Just thinking of it that way helped to fend off some of the anxiety.

When the bus finally stopped, Isaac waited for everyone else to get off first, then unfolded himself out of the seat and squeezed out of the bus. As he stepped off, he put on his sunglasses and put his hands in the small of his back, turning to work the kinks out of it - and using that as an excuse to take a look around. Not much to see. They really were in the middle of nowhere.

Isaac stepped forward when his name was called and accepted the card graciously - might as well see what's going on before starting trouble. "Thank you, Ms. LeJeune. Or is it Doctor? I'd appreciate a tour. Sounds like we're all going to be here for a while." He tries out a smile, adding, "Might want to start with the restrooms, after a long ride like that. I wouldn't complain about a stop by the cafeteria, or where ever you're serving dinner, either."

quote:

Isaac "Izzie" Wilson


Physical 2d6+1
Dexterity +2
Fortitude +1
Strength +1

Mental 2d6
Conviction
Intellect
Wits

Social 2d6+1
Charisma
Dignity
Manipulation

Academics
Animal Handling
Athletics 3
Computers
Conversation 3
Crafts
Defense 1
Dodge 2
*Dream Navigation
*Dream Shaping
Drive
Firearms
Hunting
Languages 3
Law 2
*Magic
Medicine
Melee
Occult
Science
Stealth
Streetwise 2
Survival
Tracking
Unarmed 2
Writing 2


Dream Self: Azimov

Physical 1d6+1
Dexterity +1
Fortitude +0
Strength +0

Mental 2d6+2
Conviction +1
Intellect +1
Wits +1

Social 2d6+2
Charisma +1
Dignity +1
Manipulation +0

Advantages

Stranger in a Strange Land
Isaac has never really fit in anywhere, but in his wide travels and varied experiences allow him to adjust rapidly to new situations and interact with strange and foreign people and customs without losing his equanimity. He knows how to figure out how to get along in a new place without giving offense, and how to get what he needs even when he doesn't know the language.

Good Teammate
Unless you have freakish athletic talent, you only get so far in basketball on your own. Good players learn when to defer to their team mates, when to pick them up, when to have their backs. Isaac can put aside his own ego for the good of the team, and understands the value of loyalty. He knows that teams work best when everyone knows where they stand and what their role is, and as long as it serves the collective good, he's willing to take a back seat when it's for the benefit of the group.

Derived Values

Waking Self
Health: 8
Sanity: 6
Grace: 7

Dream Self
Health: 4
Sanity: 9
Grace: 9

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Jul 19, 2013

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Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie checks out his ID card, hoping they hadn't used the same picture as he had on his driver's license - last time he'd renewed, he'd just gotten off a flight from Moscow and he'd looked like he hadn't slept in a month. He checks out his new companions, too.

The punk girl, Andrea, is clearly trouble, but the kind that's most dangerous to herself. He'd seen her and her friend staring at him a bit on the bus too. Better to let them come talk to him - pushing on his end would just get their backs up. The other girl, Lara, has something off about her that Izzie decides to let be - he won't avoid her, but bothering her in a stressful moment like this seems like a bad idea. The red head, Maureen, seems sad and scared, which isn't an unreasonable reaction. Still, have to make the best of it - they were stuck here either way.

He can't help but grin when Fatimah jumps in. He likes her already - she seems like she doesn't take any crap, and with a name like that, Izzie has to figure she's been even more of an outsider than he has.

Izzie keeps an eye on this Russel character - maybe he's just a dumb kid, plenty of people could be a poo poo at that age, including him from time to time - but something about him makes Izzie especially uneasy. He also makes a mental note to talk to Iris Kim when he gets a chance - she strikes him as an athlete, possibly a professional or Olympic, or perhaps a martial artist. He knows the type, after all. Izzie doesn't know what to make of Moon yet - the big man seems a bit shy, but it could just be the situation. Could use a friend maybe. The Bernard guy he puts in the same category for the moment.

"Dr. LeJeune," Izzie puts a slight emphasis on the first part. "When you say clean, do you mean completely dry? I'm okay with that, though I've gotten used to a glass of wine with dinner. Just wanted to be clear is all."

"And, uh, when you mention the magic... is that something we'll be doing tonight? Or do we get some time to settle in first?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie nods at Fatimah's question. "Yeah, that was a trip! It took a bunch of takes, I couldn't stop laughing at the guy in the suit. And I kept mispronouncing itadakimasu." He manages to get it right this time, though he has to say it slowly. "And call me Izzie. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ishikawa-san."

At Andrea's outburst and Moon's unexpected intervention, Izzie doesn't manage to smother his own laugh. He grins at the others. "Hey, let's just be cool everyone. It's been a long trip for all of us, you know, and Doctor LeJeune's just trying to get us all on the same page. I'm sure that stuff about the ball courts wasn't just for me, after all, same as the other stuff applies for all of us." He holds up his hands in a placating way. "And Doctor, just call me Izzie. Everyone does. Please, lead on."

Once they start moving again, he makes sure Axel is out of earshot, and leans down to Fatimah, mock serious. "She's wrong though. That boy cries sprinkles. He sweats caramel."

He does keep an eye on Moon though. Surprising depths to the man - he did that on purpose, and knew exactly what kind of attention he'd get from Axel when he did. Unlike the goony kid, Izzie doesn't think it's because Moon is patronizing Andrea, or expects anything in return. Izzie wonders who the guy is - a cop, maybe? Or a psychiatrist, maybe a teacher. Any one of those could have the same instincts, and the training to pull it off that smooth. He'd have to find out more about the man.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Jul 22, 2013

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie hooked his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt, and got himself a cup of coffee, which turns out to be pretty good. The pastries aren't, but Izzie admits to himself he's been spoiled rotten in that regard. Out of habit, he grabs a bottle of water and a Clif Bar for later, sticking them in the pockets of his jeans.

Izzie picks up on Kim's comment. "Reminds me of mini camps, or the Summer League. It's nice, but you can tell it's place people are getting work done."

"Speaking of which - Doctor, what's this study for anyways? I mean, I get that understanding sleep has a lot of important applications, but why dreams specifically?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

"Bouncer, huh? Yeah, I can see that. And I think you got A- ah, Nil, dead on." Izzie sips a glass of wine, pausing a moment to savor it. He's no oenophile, but you don't live in France for five years without getting to appreciate wine at least a little. The stuff they were serving here was pretty good, actually. "And yeah, I play basketball in Europe. Mostly in France and Russia, Spain for a year, Turkey for like four months. Now, Miss Kim here," Izzie nods to her politely, "is an athlete too, right? Something Olympic? Swimming or a martial art, I'd guess."

"Fatimah's a journalist. I was thinking photographer, like artistic or for magazines, but what you said about getting the camera back, it's because this is a story, I think. Let's see, Bernard... IT guy. Something with computers anyways. Maureen I could see working at a flower shop or something like that." He goes around the table, stopping and looking a bit sheepish when he gets to Lara. "Probably something... artsy. Painting." He moves on to Moon. "Moon here, I'm not sure. Cop maybe? Or a veteran?"

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Jul 26, 2013

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie has kept quiet since his guesses, hoping to get a better read on the others once they got started talking. He starts to get up when Lara has her episode, but sits back down when she seems okay.

"Well," he says into the silence that follows. "I think I'm going to hit the gym after dinner. Never be able to get to sleep if I don't work some of this energy off. Anyone want to come with?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie sits up and fumbles for the map on the bedside table. Once he manages to snap it on he stay where he is for a moment, rubbing his forehead. He picks up a water bottle and drains it. Yesterday he kept trying to think of it like a mini-camp or a road trip, but... Today it's sinking in that he's not going to see his team-mates, or his family, until this is over. If it ever is.

He throws the empty water bottle across the room, and puts his head in his hands. After a few minutes, Izzie sighs and gets up. He picks up the water bottle and throws it in the bin for recyclables, and sits down at the desk provided to put in his journal.

quote:

Dream Diary: Entry 1

A basketball game. Don't know against who, or where. An important one. Down to the last seconds, less time on the game clock than on the shot clock. Made a move, crossover, hesitation dribble, split the defenders. Made some space and hit the shot, as the buzzer went off. Won the game.

Haven't been able to move that quick in a while, and I never had that kind of change of direction. Course, I was playing the way I'd dream of playing, right?

Then there was this guy on the court. Said something about the game, about how it was more physical than someone else's, and that he wondered how we'd do if we got swapped between them. And there was a door behind the net. He said I could play for higher stakes. Told me I'd have to make a choice, that he hadn't had he chance to make a choice himself. Then he disappeared. The door was still there.

That's when I woke up.

Izzie stares at it for a moment. It seemed stupid written out like that. He shrugs, hits submit. After that, he gets up and changes into some jogging clothes, grabs his phone and headphones for some music, sticks that Clif bar from yesterday in a pocket, and heads out for a morning run before breakfast. Might hit the gym beforehand too.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie drops into breakfast late, having gotten his run in first. He smiles and waves as he comes in, making a beeline for the food. He loads up a plate of fruit and the healthiest looking muffin he can pick out, then grabs a tall glass of OJ and a cup of coffee. It takes a little effort to balance it all, but he manages to get to a seat without spilling it all over the floor. As he drops into a chair, he accepts the handshake from the newcomer.

"Izzie Wilson, nice to meet you. Didn't see you on the bus. Anyone else come in with you?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie raises his eyebrows at Guy's response. "Oh! My bad, third wave, right. Still kind of jetlagged, to be honest." Izzie turns his attention to his breakfast. "Going to hit the gym after breakfast, if anyone wants to come with."

When the commotion goes by, Izzie looks up, craning his neck to see, then he stuffs the rest of his muffin into his mouth and washes it down with the OJ. He gets up. "Don't mean to rubberneck, but... I'm going to go see what's going on." He heads out after the Doctor and the orderlies, reflexively grabbing a water bottle on the way out.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie stays behind the security guard, but takes shameless advantage of his height, craning his neck to see.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie doesn't push past John the security guard. He isn't moving along yet either. "Holy poo poo, man. Did she really..."

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Aug 11, 2013

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie stares for a moment longer before getting a hold of himself. "Yeah... yeah, sure. You're right." He lets Moon pull him away, shaking his head slowly. "She seemed kind of down, but... you know, this whole thing, the bus ride, I just thought..." He stops, at a lost for words, and just shakes his head again. "Man."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Standing with his hands on his hips, Izzie stares at the door for a good long time. He shakes his head, looks down at his shoes for a moment, then walks around the door slowly. When he comes back to the front, he stops in front of it again for a few moments. Then he throws his hands up in the air in frustration.

"What the hell." He reaches out, grabs the knob, and shoves the door open as he steps through.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

The robot, Izzie, has stood a bit apart as introductions are being made, peering up at sky and out into the distance, then back to the doors and the walkway. He looks over at Jonas eventually. "What do the scientists think is happening?"

His voice comes out calm, and a bit tinny. More HAL 9000 than Robbie the Robot, but still clearly artificial. Distant. Cool. Izzie pauses at the sound of it, and peers down at his own hands, turning them over curiously.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie waves politely at Kim when she appears, but his attention is drawn by the table. He walks up to it, then hops onto the top and goes to the center. He stops and looks up, then back at the other dreamers. "I think this is its own place. Not just a shared dream." He turns to the more experienced ones. "How far have you explored?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie hops off the table and follows the big demon, still looking around at anything. "We'll all make fools of ourselves at some point here, I suspect." A little bit of an accent is there, something Slavic. Russian perhaps.

"And she - he? - Nils didn't expect to be believed. I thought it was funny actually." Izzie delivers this with apparent sincerity, but completely deadpan. "I wonder what shape Moon has here." He sets off down the path, still looking around at everything with open curiosity.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Not particularly interested in the fight, Izzie follows Guy on his rolling quest through Camelot. He keeps stopping to look around at everything, then jogging to catch up with the many-handed one, and occasionally tosses a question at him. "Have you been here often? How many others are there here?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie stops, turns around, and goes out. Then he comes back in. "This is actually what it looks like." He looks at Guy, shrugs, and climbs into the nearest one. "Might as well."

"I just hope that's actually a moon out there." Izzie pulls down the canopy, kicks in the engines and blasts out of the hangar.

[22:44] <@Gorbash> !roll 2d6+3
[22:44] <+Morphball> Gorbash: 11 = 2d6(3,5)+3

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie turns back and forth in his seat, trying to get his eyes on the TIE fighters. "Uh-oh." He twists and turns in his seat so he can look out the canopy at the approaching TIE fighters. "I have a bad feeling about this." He frowns, then punches a button to extend the s-foils. Fortunately most of the buttons are clearly marked. Then he grabs the stick, and yanks back hard, at the same time adjusting the throttle down.

The combination causes a sudden change in relative speed. Two of the TIEs scream past as he pushes the throttle back up and rolls over, squeezing the trigger for the laser cannons as the nose swings across the path of the two. One shot hits the TIE dead center and blows it apart, the other clips its big panel and sends it spinning out of control towards the moon's surface.

Unfortunately, there are still two more shooting at him. The X-Wing shudders as laser shots glance off the shields. Izzie jams the throttle wide open, and rolls, and yanks back as hard as he can on the stick, breaking across his the line of attack the remaining two TIEs are taking. He glances up, and sees one take the bait - it climbs relative to his turn, pitching over in a high yo-yo to cut the corner of Izzie's break. Izzie lets up on the stick a little, just enough that the TIE's maneuver is an over correction. As the two move back into the same plane, the TIE suddenly finds itself out in front instead of in position for an attack. The pilot immediately continues his dive - a mistake. Izzie swings in behind, and just as the enemy realizes his error and begins to break, opens up. Two shots miss, but one takes out the TIE's engines and the last blows it to pieces.

That leaves one - and he's right on Izzie's tail. All the maneuvers failed to shake him off. Izzie breaks one way, then the other, then tries a roll, but the TIE sticks with him. Izzie keeps him from getting a clear shot, but the glancing hits steadily lower his shields. All the while, they drops closer to the moon. In the middle of a roll, Izzie looks down and sees the answer - a deep, winding canyon. Izzie breaks one way, then dives suddenly, into the canyon. The TIE follows him in.

Izzie winds his way through the canyon, cutting as tight as he can around corners and pillars. The TIE, more maneuverable, gains ground, but can't get a clear shot. Izzie's shields recharge, but the end game is clear - the X-Wing can't keep away from the TIE forever in these close quarters, can't turn and attack, can't pull up to get out of them without giving the TIE a clear shot. But the TIE pilot has missed Izzie's plan. Coming around a corner, Izzie finds what he was looking for. The canyon narrows sharply. Izzie rolls immediately, and diverts all the power he can to his shields. The X-Wing, now standing on one s-foil, just fits, shields flaring around it as it rattles off the rock walls. The TIE, lacking shields and the same size in every aspect, isn't so fortunate. The pilot pulls up at the last minute, but it's too late. It crashes into one side, one panel tearing off as it spins away, and bounces off the canyon floor once before exploding. A spray of fire and debris follows Izzie out of the narrow pass as he rolls back to the normal aspect and pulls up out of the canyon and into space.

"Wasn't expecting that to work. It is a dream, I guess." He starts looking around for some place to land this thing.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie comes in a little late, but waves at the others. He grabs a seat at whatever table Moon is at, seeing as Axel and Bernard don't seem like they want company. "Man, I feel beat this morning. Like I barely got any sleep at all. Stress maybe. Usually being in a strange place doesn't bother me - used to road trips, you know? Probably that thing with... well, you saw it too." Izzie runs down for a second, then shakes himself and pushes on. "And then this rain today, that really puts you down. Hard to get going, right? What I'm getting at is, day like this is a perfect day to get to the gym. Force yourself to get moving for a bit, instead of letting it suck you into being a lump all day. Even if you decide to be a lump afterwards, you still feel better. So, anyone care to join?"

After breakfast, Izzie spots Lara looking a bit lost. "Hey, looking for the gym? It's over that way, I scouted it out already. Here, I'll show you 'round."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie chuckles. "Yeah, I play ball. Over in Europe, mostly in France, but a fair bit in Italy and Spain. And I was playing in Russia for a while. Even in Turkey for about a hot minute." Izzie shrugs. "I was on the national team here for a bit too, after I played in collge. I think that's why Nils girl knew who I was. I guess I'm sort-of famous. Not like some of the guys I've met on the court. Man, those guys were on a totally different level."

He shakes his head with a grin, then mulls over Lara's question. "I like it a lot, but its got its downsides. Playing ball professionally, I mean. It's a weird job. You spend most of your time getting ready, or waiting around. Practice, training, meetings, workouts - you have to keep your body and your mind in shape, and that gets harder as you get older. Which is weird too, I'm getting to like late middle age as a basketball player, maybe got ten more years to play if I'm lucky. Most other jobs, I'd be talking about twice or three times that long, right? So everything feels like it's sped up a bit."

"It can be a bit lonely too. Away from your family on road trips. You get used to waking up in places you don't recognize, but the schedule is strange. Hard to get settled. Then the games are crazy - you sort of don't notice in the moment, but you have all these people watching everything you're doing, yelling their heads off sometimes. But it's really cool too. It's... it's like a drug, I guess."

He scratches his head. "It's hard to explain. The kind-of-famous thing, that's actually easier. It's like meeting your parent's friends all the time. Like they know of you, sort of have an idea who you are, but you don't know them. There's a lot fewer total strangers, but you still don't really know those people. Most people are cool though, they just want to say hi, let you know they appreciate you. A few think they know you better than they do, but they're easy to deal with. They'd be kind of jerks anyways, so it's easy to deal with if you remember that. You can't let the couple of real weirdos or assholes freak you out is the main thing."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie nods at Lara. "It's not that odd, really, but you have to understand how the League - the NBA - works for it to make sense. See, there are only 30 teams, right? And a basketball team only has fifteen players at a time, and really only about ten of those guys get any kind of real playing time. And really it's only the six or seven best guys who are regular players - the five starters, and one or two coming off the bench. So that's about... a hundred and eighty, maybe a few more, who are getting a lot of time on the floor, and they're the ones getting stable multi-year contracts."

He pauses when Ewan comes out, and waves, grinning. "Sure man! Just give me a minute or two here, and I'll be up for it."

Izzie turns back to Lara. "Sorry bout that. So, anyway, everyone else, you're going from short contract to short contract. It's good money, sure, but it's not stable, you know? So if you're part of the three hundred or so guys who are in the NBA or at the fringe, you spend a lot of time just sitting around and hoping you impress someone enough to keep your job. But over in Europe, the competition is still good but not as tough, so someone who'd be a sixth man or on the bench in the NBA can start, get a long term contract, get more playing time and more money. It's a tough choice, 'cause everyone knows you're playing less competition and stuff, but..." Izzie shrugs.

"For me, when I came out of college I was starting in Philly, and doing okay. Never would have been a star, but I was doing well. Then I hurt my knee. Bad timing too, didn't get a contract with my old team 'cause they ended up bad that year and drafted a real star at my position. I've got no resentment for it, it's a business, you know? Anyways I got picked up by Portland after my rehab. Was starting there too, after a few weeks, coming back into it... and then I hurt my other knee. After that, all I was getting was one year minimum offers. Which I would have taken, 'cept I need to support my mom and my family. And I met this guy at Portland, a Russian guy who ended up going back over there. He called me up, told me he could get me a spot for more money in Russia. The money sounded good, I could start, and hey, going to Russia? That sounded pretty exciting. So I went, and I ended up staying, playing all over Europe. Russia's great, but it can be a little crazy. Western Europe is more stable."

"Hey, if you want to stick around for this, we can hang out afterwards, or if you want to go get your workout started, that's cool, we can meet up say near the stationary bikes? Anyways I better not keep Ewan waiting, don't want to tick off the gendarmes right?"

Izzie is already in his workout clothes, so he puts a headband on before going over to Ewan and giving him some dap. "Play it to 21, right? Got any court rules here?"

Just for kicks, here's an Athletics roll.
[13:01] <@Gorbash> !roll 3d6+3
[13:01] <Morphball> Gorbash: 13 = 3d6(2,2,6)+3

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Sep 1, 2013

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie sticks with Lara, but stops for a second when he sees the government men. He catches Bob's look, and shrugs almost imperceptibly. He waves at Gretchen, then grabs whichever seat happens to be open, not minding if it's up front but trying not to block anyone's view. He twists around a bit to find a comfortable position.

"What's the word, Doc?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie sits in shock, then leans forward, staring at his hands. Ishikawa too? Izzie doesn't care what the doctor claims, clearly something is going on here. After a while, he gets up and walks out, no particular destination in mind.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie blinks at Bob blankly for a second before he catches back up with what's being said. "Uh, yeah, sure. That'd probably help." He shakes his head. "Sorry. Kind of in shock, you know?" He runs one hand through his hair and sighs. "I better go finish my workout. See you at dinner, maybe?"

Izzie heads back to the gym afterwards, planning to hit the weights and the elliptical for a while.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie is still a bit distant, but nods. "Sure man. If you've got any friends who want to jump in too, I'm cool with that." He pauses for a moment, looking ahead, then adds a bit suddenly. "Hey, I've really only checked out the gym... What sort of stuff do people do here to pass the time? I mean, no offense, but it seems like it'd be easy to get bored."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie shrugs, his hands spread out. "I'm mostly a gym rat. Though - anyone do any fencing? Or martial arts stuff? I've always been interested in that."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
None here, feel free to fast forward.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie raises his hand from his place standing against the wall. "Why?"

He waits for attention to turn his way, then continues. "Why this experiment? What are they attempting to accomplish? It seems to me that they want something specific out of this." He tilts his head, and adds, "And why do you think they are unaware that something is going in the dreams here?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie listens at the back for a while, but as things begin to devolve into old arguments, he quietly slips out the door. He stops outside for a moment, looking around, then turns and sets out in the direction that looks least traveled at a comfortable pace.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie stops, slowly turning to try and spot the speaker. "Isaac, though I'm no stranger than most. I admit I missed the doorstep, so if I darken it, I did not mean to. Perhaps shedding some light on it will help - may I ask who you are?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

"You seem to have switched places with the wolf." He looks the red cloaked woman over. "A dream, or a dreamer? Or a nightmare? I make no assumptions here. Is this your domain, madam?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

"Perhaps we needed the symbols more than the details." Isaac considers, then holds up one finger. "I will modify my first question. Whose domain is this?" He raises a second finger. "I shall add another. Who are you?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

"All the better not to be eaten, my dear. I shall keep my other question for now." He pauses, and cocks his head to regard the woman. "My name is Isaac. I'm going to keep exploring. I wouldn't mind if you were to join me."

He looks down at her feet for a moment. "Perhaps if we're lucky, we'll happen upon a stupid man made of straw and an easily frightened lion. Then we could get you some shoes to match your cloak."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie nods to Red, then heads off down the path again. "I usually don't go barefoot. Too wild."

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

"You find the most interesting things when you're lost. I wonder whether this path actually goes anywhere." Izzie peers down it, then shrugs. "I must admit to a bit of impatience! I suspect you can keep up, so..." Izzie breaks into a jog, then a run. Not a sprint, but a steady pace meant to cover ground. He sticks to the path, but doesn't slow for obstacles, jumping over stones and anything else in his way.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Asimov/Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie stops and looks up at the face, then at the cave. He tilts his head, and turns back to Red. "I'm not sure. What lies within the cave?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie lies in bed for a bit, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the answer to his question. He shakes his head, sighs, and considers skipping the diary entirely, but figures that might cause more trouble than it's worth.

Izzie walks into breakfast, as usual grabbing an extra water bottle and something to snack on later when he's working out, then piles up a plate with pancakes and anything else that looks good. He looks around, smiling and saying good morning to everyone, then spots the table with Tycho and Bernard. He waves, then walks over. "Mind if you I join you?"

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie laughs at Tycho's misidentification. "In my dreams I'm the Truth. But nah, I'm Izzie Wilson. I do play some ball, out in Europe, was on the national team for a bit..." He trails off when the Doctor comes over, and watches them move off. He turns to the others at the table.

"Wonder what that's about, huh?" he asks quietly.

Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore Tycho. I could have sworn I responded to that query.

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Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Isaac "Izzie" Wilson

Izzie pats Iris' hand. "Honey, life was never simple." He chuckles, then adds. "Hey, do you think you could show me some taekwando? I learned some savate while I was in France. I'm sure I'm not as good at it as you are at your style, but I could show you what I know."

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