lucetilogs | New Species Event - Mass Interaction Log

Precisely. [Novice to healing magic replying. It doesn't actually exist back home. Not like here in Luceti, at least.]

So. Off to the clinic, then. Hopefully someone there knows something about dragons. Or, um, "Night Furies". Which is apparently what I am.

If all else fails, Helios can probably manage something.

I could accompany you to the clinic, if you would like. I remember where it is.

... I had to take Helios there once. [That is not a memory Robert wants to relive, the image of Helios covered in blood...]

As for treating your species - Toothless, the Night Fury, had a human friend that I spoke to. It is a pity I do not know where that friend is, because zie would probably know something about the treatment of Toothless' species.

And I could call Helios for you, if need be. I would presume I could more easily operate the journals than you can, at the moment.

I'm glad you did. [And that's not a picture Giles even to begin imagining, that of Helios covered in blood. He's almost had a fit about that more than once.]

Oh, and I've met him. Hiccup. He's a small floating green star right now - not sure how much help he'll be.

[Giles takes a few cautious steps forward. His chest twinges a bit, but it's uncomfortable more than anything else.]

...I might take you up on that, actually. But until then, let's try for the clinic.

He needed it very desperately at the time... [Robert averts his reptilian eyes from the Night Fury's face.] And there is... very little I would not do for Helios' sake. Taking him to a clinic when he needs help is something anybody sane would have done for a friend. [Especially a friend who I still have remnants of attraction for.]

A... floating... green star? ... As in, an actual star? ... How does that even fit in Luceti?

[Robert carefully follows at Giles' side, both leading him to the clinic and trying to keep an eye on his pace. If he's in too much trouble, Robert will get his journal immediately. He pretty much always has it on him... though as a turtle he hasn't had anything to really clip it to.

Maybe he should wear a belt like Donatello.]

[Yeah, sorry, Robert. But after his minor...okay, not so minor...meltdown in front of Helios, Giles will be avoiding any and all mention of his housemate as deftly as he can.]

Anything can fit in Luceti. As a matter of fact, Hiccup currently fits in Luceti better than I do.

[He's favoring his right leg as he tries to keep any pressure off his broken rib. But otherwise, Giles is walking normally enough, for a dragon. Walking requires far less lung power than flying.]

[That's okay. Robert still has a little awkwardness about Helios himself. Still remembers kissing him... And now that he's with Don, that kind of memory seems like a bad thing to keep going to. Especially when he knows it wouldn't work.]

... I... presume he's more something small, then. Like an Asteroidean. A sea star, that is.

[That slight limp is a little worrisome, but it's not like Robert could really prop a whole dragon up. At least the clinic's within view, now.]

... I'm not sure what I could really do for you if it is rib damage... I believe they would have to set somewhere. Or... [A thought strikes Robert.] Doctor Faye-Ling healed Nu with one of the Filial Spirits' magic... [A slight sigh escapes the turtle at this.] I wish I understood how exactly that worked.

Nu?!

[Giles lets out a growl at the mention of that particular robot. Loudly.]

No. Absolutely not.

[Robert flinches at that loud growl. He can't help it. Why is the association with Nu such a bad one?]

...

I d-didn't mean Nu would be involved. Doctor Faye-Ling is a neutral party. She... simply assisted me, with healing Nu when she was attacked.

... I don't understand what has occurred between the villagers and Nu. Apparently, something has happened there, but... [Robert's tone turns nearly helpless.] ... I only spoke to Nu once, and she seemed... She was just a person. And that random attack in the square was completely unprovoked. No sapient should be treated like that; it's entirely unethical.

[And this is after Yuber nearly attacked and killed Robert for trying to protect and heal Nu. He still fervently feels that there was no right for anybody to attack her, especially not in the way that had happened.]

... B-but it was only a suggestion, anyway. Just... somebody with Filial healing magic... as much as I would prefer to use conventional medicine, the technology here is uncomfortably... ancient.

Would you say it's any more "ethical" to slice people open and dump their bloody corpses in the bakery for their friends to find?

Because I wouldn't.

Nu murdered two of my friends, along with that monster Yuber. They weren't the first, and they are good people who suffered and are still suffering under their death penalties.

I've dreamed of doing what Luffy did to her. [Giles, on the other hand, is resolute. Yuber is the only one of the two he's ever spoken to, and that's the only reason he holds more hate for him than he does for Nu. But to see one of Link's murderers hurt and beaten? It had been a good thing for him to see, even over the journal's video feed.]

[And Robert just goes stock-still and stares at Giles at that, open-mouthed.

The first rational thought he has is that Nu lied to him. She said that she wasn't aggressive.

The second rational thought he has is that she might have killed him, then, if Yuber hadn't chased him away.

The rest of his rational thought goes towards trying to formulate a sentence.]

... What... why... What reason would anybody have to do something so utterly barbaric? [Hurting somebody at all was horrifying enough. Killing two people, presumably innocents, and slaughtering them and leaving their corpses to be found...

Still. Still. Robert still can't justify attacking somebody. But he doesn't say that, now.]

... I... I am sorry, Giles. I... didn't know. [I didn't know she was capable of that.]

[Giles stops when Robert does. He watches the scientist carefully, probably guessing most of the thoughts that are going through his head.

For a moment, the Night Fury looks almost pitying.]

She seems to ally herself with Yuber. And...these two friends of mine were the ones who killed Yuber the last time he started attacking villagers. [He can't give Link and Sheik's names, not yet.]

Perhaps she has some degree of affection for him. I don't know. And I don't particularly care.

...I wouldn't have known either, if I hadn't spoken with these two after they returned. Don't blame yourself. Some villagers can be like that - deceptive and dangerous. We have a shapeshifter hiding somewhere around who is almost as bad.

... I think they care for each other. Or something. Wh-when... when I tried to give Nu medical assistance... Yuber showed up. [Robert's shaking. Just slightly, but he's shaking. He stares at the ground, at his hands; anywhere but at Giles.] ... He threatened... t-to kill me if... if I didn't get away from her.

... And she could have killed me too. [Suddenly he realizes just how important it was that Litchi was there, and how much she was risking for his sake.

He actually sobs a bit.] D-Doctor Faye-Ling put herself in the way... for my sake...

[Giles bites back a sigh. Then he sits down in front of Robert and lowers his head to the turtle's level, eye-to-eye. Even if his eyes happen to be a lot bigger than Robert's right now. So he's a bit hard to ignore.]

It sounds as though it was her choice to help.

You have nothing to be ashamed of. There are any number of people here who would have done the same for you.

...have you checked in with this, this Doctor since then?

[Robert shakily meets Giles' gaze after a moment, a hand defensively going up to his face. It doesn't really do much, but it does give him some stability.]

... I didn't want her to be injured as well...

And, yes. I have... spoken with her. It seems that Yuber and Nu never attacked her... I suppose that perhaps they were just more interested in Nu's continued safety than in taking the life of my friend.

[Robert shudders bodily. It looks a bit strange to see on a turtle. He's even instinctly scrunching inward a bit, but like the other mutant turtles, he can't retract fully into his shell. Just enough to make him look a little ridiculous.]

... Luceti can be so dangerous at times... so much more than Terra ever was. Ever. For any reason.

[The problem with going from a bipedal body to a quadrupedal body is that all of Giles' normal instincts for body language and his habits have gotten turned on their head. And, with as big as he currently is, he's had to be so very careful even being near most of his friends.

Barring his own voice and his own explanations, which seem to really hurt more than help, he can't do anything to stop Robert being so upset about the whole thing. It's an impossibly frustrating feeling. So he just tries to keep his tone of voice as light and quiet and non-threatening as possible.]

I'm glad to hear she's all right. It sounds as though she's a very good friend.

[It actually doesn't make a significant difference in Robert's case. In fact, he may even be able to read Giles' body posturing better now than he could before. That's just how pathetic he is with emotional cues.

And really, it's more the fact that death happened in Luceti and it was deliberate. Death is something that Robert has never seen in this context. It's terrifying... terrifying to know that it haunts everything here, that suddenly Luceti isn't safe, isn't sane.]

... I... I would hope she thinks so too. ... Gods, if they had killed her... [He wrings his two-fingered hands.]

... I am sorry, G-Giles. I... [He trails off, sniffling just slightly.] Thank you... for explaining that to me.

[He's honest about that. Even if it's painful and terrifying, Robert would rather know. He always wants to know. Even if it kills him a little inside, he always wants to know.]

[If he can, his readings will be rather confused. Giles can barely read his own body posturing. So much of it usually relies on working hands.]

If you're not certain, you should probably speak with her more. That's the best way, in this place.

And upsetting people with the sordid details of the places they live and the monsters rampaging around them reminds me far too much of my old job. The sentiment is appreciated, but there is absolutely no need to thank me.

... I should talk to her, yes. I only hope this experiment has mostly left her alright.

[Try to pull yourself together, Robert. This is unprofessional.] ... Your world is a dangerous one too, then?

[He looks genuinely sad. Just... sad.]

It seems that all of my friends live in worlds fraught with danger and violence and cruelty. If I could take you all to Terra, I would. Gods know that you all seem to need a place that would not deign to destroy you.

[He shakes his head a bit.]

... A-At any rate, we should get to the clinic before it gets too late. Hopefully another doctor will be around...

[Giles tries to look reassuring. It isn't easy with an entirely different face.] For an experiment? Everyone seems to be doing well enough for themselves, apart from the species confusion and extra legs.

And that's very kind of you to offer, Robert. [Except it's too late for Giles, far too late.] But honestly, I've never liked computers much. I'd be horrible company in your world.

I'm sure someone will still be there. If not, I'll wait. Or we'll call Helios.

It just... reminds me of the first experiment I witnessed here in Luceti. Although that one left me unaffected...

It was an experiment where the villagers were apparently given the form of someone or something they cared about, desired, or enjoyed. [Robert smiles just a little bit.

It's never too late. Okay, well, maybe it is in Giles' case...] You might find nanocomputers more agreeable than the computers you are used to. They can be quite hands-on if you enjoy that sort of thing... At any rate, it would be a peaceful place.

[Robert nods at the last bit.] I hope his magic is working alright now, at least...

[Giles raises an eyebrow as he settles himself down next to the clinic.]

I admit, even I can't think of a way for the Malnosso to turn something like that into something horrific. But Buffy tells me that they aren't all bad. I just have terrible luck.

I don't like computers. Never...understood them, really. Books are better, in my opinion - always have been. And the feeling is entirely mutual on their part.

But peace is nice, sometimes.

[And...goddammit.] I forgot about that...

Right. So we'll call Raine instead. Or McCoy. Let's not induce Helios to slice himself open, shall we?

There are certain ways. Some people were apparently transformed into inanimate objects, sometimes even comestible objects. One could be consumed quite easily in such a state.

I would be more than glad to assist you with trying to understand computers, if you wanted to learn. But as for the books... well. Books do not exist on Terra anymore, because all of the wood pulp required to produce them was a detriment to the ecosystem... Much of Terra's biodiversity was lost during an incident known as the Great Cleansing.

[Robert's eyes slide downward with some wistfulness.] ... Some of the tree species here in Luceti I had only ever seen in databases before...

... Sometimes? Wouldn't peace be nice all the time? [Peace is all that Robert has ever known.

Until now.]

Ah, I've spoken to Ms. Sage before. But Doctor McCoy, no... though I have heard of him. [~~Assuming the Archie thread happened before this one...~~] Regardless, I could contact either of them if you'd like and there are no doctors...

I do hope Helios' magic is corrected soon, though. The effect wouldn't last forever, would it?

No books at all? [Giles stares at Robert in evident shock for a second, before giving a vehement shudder.] Then no thank you. I'd go absolutely mad. ...I wouldn't know what to do with myself if it was peaceful all the time. [And it's true - he wouldn't. For the entirety of Giles' life, he's had to deal with demons and vampires and monsters, while defending himself and others.] It won't last forever. It might last for a while, but it won't be forever.

[Robert hurries to clarify on what he thinks is the reason for the reaction.] Oh, their contents haven't been lost - I assure you. Massive planetary databases with many redundant backups ensure that. It's... simply that most of the plant life on Terra was heavily damaged by pollution and climate change, to the point where wood quotas were no longer sustainable. Even a century or so of regrowth has yet to restore the forests to their former biodiversity... though the cryozoo operators are working to reduce the impact.

... Until I came here to Luceti, I had never seen a book outside of a museum. [Robert's expression looks strange for a moment.] ... It was a very strange experience walking into the library, at first.

Are trees... more common in your world, then? Or is there some other method used to produce books?

[The next part kind of shocks Robert a bit.]

... Your world is that... violent? To... the point where you cannot fathom a life without it?

[Excuse Robert a moment, Giles. He's just trying to process the enormity - the terrifying implications - of that statement.]

... Before I came here, I... had never even seen violence outside of databases...

[And then of course, in three months he's seen his best friend bleeding, the whole villager manipulated at the Malnosso's will, people being attacked, a war draft, and... heard of people being killed, now.

And he was threatened to be killed himself.

He forces himself into a more normal tone.]

... I hope not. Helios seems to mentally depend very much on his magic... I suppose it'd be something like if my nanocomputer was broken.

Books that aren't paper and ink aren't books. Maybe you disagree. I know some people do. [Jenny did, she always did, and that makes Giles pause for a second, a very strange look on his face.

But then he shakes his head vehemently, almost as if dislodging a thought.] But if it doesn't have a cover and pages and paper and a smell, as far as I'm concerned it isn't a book.

Trees are a good deal more common in my world. Not anything like as common as they should be, but they're still relatively plentiful.

[He closes his eyes at Robert's next question. Because hearing it spoken back to him, Giles understands just how wrong it must sound.]

Yes. My world is that violent. For my entire life, I'd been taught to fight against that violence. The monsters and the vampires and the end of the world. And I've lived quite a while.

[Then he opens one eye.]

I have a friend who was entirely stripped of her powers by the Malnosso. She couldn't access them at all. But even they returned within six months.

New Species Event - Mass Interaction Log

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argh I'm not sure if I should get some other doctor-character mun to threadjack

We can handwave it and say someone manages, don't worry ^-^

Might be best because I don't know any of those muns :|;;; shot

You know a few, actually. I'd just rather not have a three person therad.

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