[That's it. That's what's wrong. No matter how kooky Fiddleford was, at any age, he never missed anything. He was always sharp as a whip, and frankly more observant on a bad day than Ford was on a good one. This behavior is... it's uncharacteristically stupid, except stupid maybe isn't the right word. Scattered? It's wrong. That's the point.
And how does one begin to address that? He can't very well just say 'Hey, Fiddleford, don't take this the wrong way but you're acting a lot less like a genius than you usually do and it's starting to get off-putting'.
Well. He could very well just say that but he's trying this new thing called tact and he has a faint suspicion that would not be tactful, somehow. If he were Fiddleford he knows he'd be deeply sensitive about the whole sanity thing, in much the same way he is deeply sensitive about the whole fingers thing, because Ford Pines is incapable of not being sensitive about things. He's also not too great yet at not assuming everyone has the same thought processes as he does. So of course Fiddleford wouldn't want this called attention to.]
You, ah -- mm. I had forgotten you likely haven't had much practice with this, have you?
[Because he's new. He has to be, because Ford can't have missed him being here for any great length of time. He's going to be really mad at himself if that's the case.
MIPS gives a concerned sort of yip-beep, sensing its trainer's unease. In the absence of an actual command it just kind of hovers, vibrating softly either with anticipation or because one of its feet is touching a bit of snow and it's caught on the geometry.]
no subject
And how does one begin to address that? He can't very well just say 'Hey, Fiddleford, don't take this the wrong way but you're acting a lot less like a genius than you usually do and it's starting to get off-putting'.
Well. He could very well just say that but he's trying this new thing called tact and he has a faint suspicion that would not be tactful, somehow. If he were Fiddleford he knows he'd be deeply sensitive about the whole sanity thing, in much the same way he is deeply sensitive about the whole fingers thing, because Ford Pines is incapable of not being sensitive about things. He's also not too great yet at not assuming everyone has the same thought processes as he does. So of course Fiddleford wouldn't want this called attention to.]
You, ah -- mm. I had forgotten you likely haven't had much practice with this, have you?
[Because he's new. He has to be, because Ford can't have missed him being here for any great length of time. He's going to be really mad at himself if that's the case.
MIPS gives a concerned sort of yip-beep, sensing its trainer's unease. In the absence of an actual command it just kind of hovers, vibrating softly either with anticipation or because one of its feet is touching a bit of snow and it's caught on the geometry.]