Chapter 5: The Jealous Brother and the Blocks of Destiny
Location: The Cooper Living Room – Medford, Texas Date: February 22nd, 1980 Status: Social Maneuvering
The morning sun bled through the thin curtains, illuminating the dust motes that Sheldon was currently trying to track with his eyes, no doubt calculating their Brownian motion. Mary was in the kitchen, the scent of sizzling bacon and percolating coffee creating a olfactory profile of a classic Texas morning.
In the center of the rug, George Jr.—"Georgie"—sat cross-legged. At five years old, his aura was a Muddy, Resentful Orange. He stared at the three bassinets with the look of a king who had just been informed his kingdom was being divided by three tiny, screaming usurpers.
Mary walked in, carrying a bucket of oversized primary-colored plastic blocks. "Georgie, honey, why don't you play with your brothers and sister? Show them how to build something."
Georgie huffed, dumping the blocks onto the carpet with a clatter that made Sheldon flinch. "They're just blobs, Mom. They can't even hold a ball."
The Sign-In: The Playground of the Mind
I felt the familiar hum behind my eyes.
[DAILY SIGN-IN PROTOCOL: AVAILABLE] > [LOCATION: THE FAMILY RUG – MEDFORD, TX] > [ACTION: SIGN IN?]
Sign in.
[SIGN-IN SUCCESSFUL!] > [REWARD: +3 TO SOCIAL INTUITION] > [REWARD: NEW TRAIT: 'MECHANICAL APTITUDE (LVL 1)'] > [REWARD: SKILL: 'EMOTIONAL SYNCHRONIZATION'] > [REWARD: PRODUCT: 'THE ELDER BROTHER'S RESPECT' (Consumable Item: Use to mitigate sibling rivalry)]
The [Mechanical Aptitude] kicked in instantly. When I looked at the plastic blocks, I didn't just see colors. I saw load-bearing capacities, interlocking tolerances, and the geometric potential of the 4x2 stud pattern.
Beside me, Sheldon reached out with a shaky, uncoordinated hand. He managed to stack a red block on a blue one. He let out a soft, triumphant "Goo."
"Oh, look!" Mary squealed, dropping her spatula. "George! Come quick! Sheldon is building! He's a genius!"
Georgie rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "It's two blocks, Mom. A monkey can do that."
The Play: The Socialable Prodigy
I had a choice. I could build a replica of the Parthenon and solidify my status as the "Super-Genius," or I could bridge the gap with the boy who was currently feeling like an outcast in his own home. I chose Social Intelligence.
I used my [Physiological Mastery] to force my infant fingers into a precision grip. I didn't build a tower. Instead, I grabbed a yellow block and pushed it toward Georgie's knee. I looked up at him, my eyes wide and bright, and let out a soft, bubbling laugh.
"Gah-jee," I cooed. My first "word." Or a reasonable infant facsimile of his name.
Georgie froze. The resentment in his aura flickered, the orange softening into a Surprised Pink. "Did... did he just say my name?"
"No way," George Sr. said, leaning against the doorframe. "He's only a few days old."
I did it again. I grabbed another block and handed it to Georgie, then pointed at the pile. I wasn't acting like a rival; I was acting like a fan.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: EMOTIONAL SYNCHRONIZATION] > [ACTION: MIRRORING GEORGIE'S VESTIGIAL CURIOSITY]
Georgie's face broke into a grin. "Hey, look at that! Ethan wants me to help him. He knows I'm the one who knows how to build stuff." Georgie sat down properly, picking up a green block. "Watch this, Ethan. I'm gonna build you a garage for your toy cars."
[QUEST COMPLETED: THE BROTHERLY BOND] [REWARD: +30 REP WITH GEORGIE COOPER; +10 CHARISMA] [TRAIT UPGRADE: 'CHARISMATIC INFANT' (Passive: Adults and children are 25% more likely to favor your needs)]
The Silent Victory
While Mary and George were distracted by Sheldon's "tower" of four blocks, I spent the next twenty minutes "helping" Georgie. Under the guise of infant clumsiness, I nudged blocks into place, ensuring the base of Georgie's "garage" was structurally sound.
By the time Mary came to pick us up for a nap, Georgie was beaming. "Ethan is the best, Mom. Sheldon just stares at the blocks like he's trying to do math, but Ethan actually plays."
Sheldon, meanwhile, was staring intensely at a red block, frustrated because he couldn't calculate why the plastic had a slight mold-line deviation. He was already isolating himself with his intellect. I, however, had secured my first lieutenant.
As I was laid into the crib, the System updated:
[ETHAN COOPER - ATTRIBUTES] * Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 20 (Buffed)
Social Intuition: 8
Mechanical Aptitude: LVL 1