likesthecoat | (no subject)

I think part of that is to do with this whole relationship being online. There was a real sense of anonymity to begin with, so we were probably more open with each other than we would have been in person. And that creates a bond.

And we were friends first, which makes things go a little faster as well.

I'm not usually one for rushing into relationships either. I mean, how long have we been...whatever we are? A few weeks?

I tend to think of it as "dating." There's not really another word for it.

And yeah, it's only been a few weeks.

I was going to say "together", but that was way too ironic for me.

God, I've never felt this way about someone I've only been dating for a few weeks. It seems like so much longer.

Heh. Yes. A bit ironic.

It's the intensity, I think: how often we talk and the things we talk about. Even though, of course, I don't even know the name of yours organization and you don't know much more abut mine.

I think you're probably right.

And you may not know the name of my organization (though, technically, it's the USAF), but you know more than anyone I dated when I was in Colorado, where the standard cover story is "deep space telemetry". That's right, I'm a geologist and I work with deep space telemetry.

It wasn't the most effective of covers.

. . . yes, that makes no sense whatsoever unless you're measuring meteors or something.

[ooc: dozing off. continue tomorrow?]

To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what deep space telemetry is.

[ooc: Sure thing. Sleep well.]

Deep space exploration and research, basically, like if you worked for the SETI project or NASA. Say you worked on the Voyager project: part of the telemetry would be determining its path with variations from planetary gravitation pull, for example.

Not the first place my mind goes for a geologist, but who knows what sort of samples you're getting back from the Rover missions and so on.

I suppose there are off-shoots of deep space telemetry projects that a geologist might possibly work with.

And you explained that way better than anyone who ever tried to make it comprehensible to me before.

Mostly, I just heard, "Blah blah blah SPACE blah blah research."

Sometimes I think I missed my calling as a teacher. I don't like public speaking, though--that would have made it difficult.

If it would make you feel at home: "Blah blah blah SPACE blah blah blah."

I suspect being a teacher is a bit different than public speaking. For one thing, you're talking to kids (or at least people who are presumably younger than you), and for another you're talking to the same people over and over again, so I'd guess that you'd eventually become comfortable with them. It's not exactly a room full of strangers.

You can blather on about scientific nonsense to me any time you want. Maybe if McKay were Welsh, I'd hear more than, "Blah blah blah, I'm a genius, yakkity yakkity, seriously intelligent, blah blah BLOW UP A PLANET!!?" when he talks.

Probably not though.

Hm, perhaps. But it would still involve talking to people, whether I know them well or not, which is not one of my talents in person. I can't imagine many things more agonizing than facing every day with dread because of what you do for a living.

*laughs* I think I'd enjoy McKay, for some reason.

I don't know much about science, really, except what I've picked up on the job, which wouldn't make sense to many people outside the Institute. Pick a subject, though and I may be able to blather on about it.

Definitely not on my list of things to look for in a career.

I think you might, which is a little scary to be honest. Actually, sometimes even I like him. But if you ever meet him, you're not allowed to tell him I said that.

Hmmm...~~quantum mechanics~~ String Theory?

Or maybe just the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow.

Although I must also admit that part of my job description is receptionist, but we get about two tourists in the information centre a month and it's not as much a part of my job as one might think. I know the pizza delivery boys quite well, though.

Your secret is safe with me.

Hm . . . Blah blah blah STRINGS blah blah blah M THEORY blah blah blah GRAVITY blah blah blah.

Blah blah African or European blah blah?

You keep trying to outgeek me. You should know it's futile.

How well?

I know.

I'm not trying to outgeek you. I'm just trying to draw out the geek. ~~I think it's cute when you're geeky.~~

Well enough to say, "Hello, Raj, how's the baby?" or, "Hi, Samuel, I see you survived exams," when they deliver the pizza.

. . . Oh, Lorne. You're so charming and witty. You take my words away.

See? Your conversational skills can't be that bad if you've discussed their lives with them. I don't think I ever talked to any of my delivery boys beyond, "How much?" and maybe a comment on the weather.

And a quick study to boot. You really are my Big Damn Geek.

Well, here's the thing: most people can't bear silence. They have to fill it somehow, with talk or music or whatever. So if you say, "How are you?" most people will tell you, and they don't always ask in return.

There are advantages to being the quiet one. You learn a lot.

I want to make an icon of that. BIG DAMN GEEK.

(And yes, all yours, too.)

Huh. Whenever I ask people how they are, they just say, "Fine." Maybe you're less intimidating than I am?

I see. I might have to try this "quiet" thing sometime.

You should. I'd certainly appreciate it. I was watching Firefly the other night, and I saw that episode and thought of you.

(God, I wish that were true.)

Hm . . . maybe I am. I have this quiet, unassuming aura, after all . . .

I will, once I'm at a computer with a better graphics program than this old clunker. And I love Firefly--you've just scored another point with me, you know.

(It's more true than it is false, you know.)

You're making an icon for me? I'm all a flutter.

Between the Big Damn Geek and the "This must be what going mad feels like" icon, I figured you might be. And I'm all about scoring with you.

(Is it?)

It doesn't mean we're engaged or anything :P.

*laughs* You're on the right track. Firefly, Lord of the Rings . . . you're seducing me through media.

(Yes.)

No? Guess I won't start picking out rings then.

Don't forget Hitchhiker's Guide, Discworld, Monty Python and Blackadder.

(You just made my whole week.)

*laughs* Didn't we already have the talk about rushing? A couple times now?

See? Every geek point. Now, if you get this joke: "There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who know binary and those who don't" you'll have my heart forever.

(I'm certainly not anybody else's big damn geek.)

I get the feeling we're going to have that talk a lot.

Lucky me, then. I know just enough about binary to get it.

(Now you're making me feel sheepish.)