New Species Event - Mass Interaction Log

[lucetimods]

Who: Anyone!
What: All in here
When: Today, Tomorrow, Until April 2nd
Where: Anywhere in Luceti!
Summary: People in Luceti wake up as something they weren't before. An elf, a gremlin, a vulcan, or perhaps a mermaid? Try living in someone else's shoes... if they can even wear those.
Rating: Not recommended for those with weak constitutions, raging hormones, shipping goggles, or people just too cool and attractive for this kind of thing.

No need for LJ Cut! Mass action style stuff all around town. You can use this if you don't want to make a post. Or you can make a post anyway. Have at!

Comments

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[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.

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

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.]

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[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.]

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[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.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

... 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...

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[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?

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[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.

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[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.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[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.]

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[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.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

... 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...

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[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.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

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...

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[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?

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

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?

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

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.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[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.

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

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.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[That is strange, to Robert. The sentiment and the expression. But he doesn't really question it... after all, he finds so many Lucetian things odd himself, like refined sugar.]

I hope your world's environment is less damaged than the pre-Terran environment. It would be a shame to have such destruction in other multiversions as well...

[It's not so much wrong as it is simply horrifying to Robert's mind.] Why would you need to fight? They cannot be reasoned with at all? [He shakes his head, looking mildly traumatized.]

... What is a vampire, anyway? [Giles will quickly find that Robert doesn't recognize the names of almost any mythological creatures.]

... I see... well, I do hope for the best in the case of Helios. [Robert eyes the door of the clinic.] ... Can your current body even fit inside?

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

No, it can't. Not without seriously damaging some of the beds.

[...] A vampire is a demon that's possessed the dead body of a human. The human must have died by having their blood drained by the vampire, and must have drunk some of the vampires in turn before their death.

They can be reasoned with, but only in so far as it benefits them. Otherwise, they're soulless monsters with no conscience or mercy, driven by their own pleasures and impulses. The only emotion they can truly feels is regret - all their actions derive from a need to reclaim the life that was taken for them.

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[Everything in Robert wants to say that the idea of a vampire is utterly and completely ridiculous. In fact, he nearly goes to voice something to that degree, and then stops, sobering. Seeing magic has opened up a veritable can of worms in terms of physics, especially when Robert had some proof - seemingly definitive - of physics between worlds being different.

The rest is more disconcerting. People who can't be reasoned with.]

... I see... [It's a huge ethical dilemma, for Robert. Sapients deserve rights, period. Sapients deserve core, basic rights. He has never run into a case where the basic rights of a sapient might override another basic right of another sapient.

It's... not a pleasant topic to consider.]

... Should I fetch a doctor for you then, or...? [Suddenly, Robert is mildly uncomfortable. Mostly because he's trying to justify something to himself.]

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

If you could, I would greatly appreciate it.

[If one conversation between the two of them could go by where he doesn't traumatize Robert, Giles would greatly appreciate it.]

I'll just...wait here.

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

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[Robert goes into the clinic, cautiously, not really wanting to leave Giles alone outside but not really having a choice either.]

... Er, excuse me... might there be any doctors here that could help my friend, who is currently a large reptilian form with what we suspect are internal injuries?

[... Is there even anybody in the clinic? Robert's half-tempted to call Helios anyway.]

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

[airborne-giles.livejournal.com]

[Don't call Helios. Helios is already freaking out enough about Giles, he doesn't need to know that Giles is crashing about all over the scenery.

Oblivious to Robert's concerns on that front, Giles will just doze next to the clinic while the turtle searches.]

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

[herpderpetile.livejournal.com]

[That's exactly why Helios should know about it.

Eventually (handwavetastically?) Robert comes out with a doctor. Who proceeds to do something useful. Or something more useful than Robert could do, anyway...

Hopefully Giles feels better after the nameless doctor assists?]