Sixty-Second Theory [Action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Today, Don can intermittently be found standing outside House 55, eating a large but careful amount of the household's remaining food, and watching a long line of Kin'corans walk - or be forcibly herded - into the barracks to be teleported to wherever they're going.]

[In between these breaks, he will be industriously stripping the plaster from the walls of one of the house's long-vacant bedrooms, demolishing it right down to the studs. He has the windows open to help ventilate the inevitable dust, and the sound of his efforts can be plainly heard in the surrounding area.]

[Ask what he's doing in there? Complain about the noise? Or just join him to observe the sad parade of refugees?]

Comments

[i_speak_softly]

[Don will clean it when he's done, he swears.]

[To redirect Robert from that line of thinking, Don sticks a pencil in his hand. Why don't you check the math on these schematics?]

[semper_cogitans]

[Okay, okay, fine, don't let him obsessively scour for dust or anything.

It's still odd to use a pencil instead of a keyboard. Robert carefully props the schematics up against a section of the wall so that he can write, and then begins analyzing the math thoroughly. Are there any glaring errors?]

[i_speak_softly]

[The math is correct, but Don has probably left out something he should have considered. Will Robert find what's missing?]

[semper_cogitans]

[... Hmm... ...

... Aha.]

You forgot to account for heat diffusion through the window panes.

[Scribble, scribble, scribble. Robert will just helpfully model that for you, Don.]

[i_speak_softly]

[How could he miss that? Don smacks himself in the forehead, then casts an appreciative grin at Robert. One of the many reasons he keeps you around.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Hooray for being useful! (Though Robert would hope Don keeps him around for more than just his math troubleshooting abilities.)

While he's at it, he may as well ask another question.]

If the heating system of this room is separate... might it also not be suitable as a sort of greenhouse? [It's not like they have to worry about racking up an electricity bill, and presumably magic is relatively clean energy, right?]

[i_speak_softly]

[(Of course.)]

[Don glances around, and shrugs. Why not?]

[semper_cogitans]

[Awesome. This is the closest thing you'll get to squeeing from Robert, bar an event.]

Ah, excellent... I can move the saplings in here then, once it is settled. It will certainly be... a much more suitable environment for them here...

... Perhaps the room could do with other forms of heat-resilient greenery? [And now you have him excited, Don.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don is glad Robert has found something to enjoy about this project. While the scientist geeks out, Don will pry some stubborn slabs of drywall from the half-exposed studs.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Wait, there's a problem here. Don's doing all the work and Robert's not doing anything at all except geeking out.

Hmm.]

... Are there any tools I can get for you? [Or, you know, he could actually try doing something, though who knows if he's strong enough.]

[i_speak_softly]

Mm-mm.

[Don't worry about it. Physical labor is something he can still do without any help, and it feels good.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Well, okay. Robert doesn't like to just sit around doing nothing, though.

So he takes another look at the plans. Not that he's going to take over them or anything, but it might be nice to get some ideas for technology in here. Obviously they're limited by antiquity, but with Don's ingenuity and engineering skills, and Robert's knowledge, they might be able to cobble together some system for controlling other factors about the room that might make it more palatable to ectotherms. Maybe even some kind of controlled water sources? Who knows.

In between his thinking, he glances up and over at Don's working. There's something soothing about watching him do it, even when he's letting off clouds of drywall dust in the process, and it's definitely nicer than the lethargic nothing of before.]

[i_speak_softly]

[That vague quadrilateral in the corner of the sketch? A big bathtub.]

[With obvious effort, Don tears off a huge chunk of the plaster, which he promptly tosses onto the floor. Sorry about the resulting dust cloud...]

[semper_cogitans]

[Oho, so it is. That's easier to determine after a closer look at the quadrilateral in question - it's hooked up to a water source, after all.

That dust cloud didn't go over well though. Coughing in a sort of exaggerated way, Robert immediately puts his face into the crook of his arm and staggers back a bit, using the paper to fan away the rest of the dust. A carpenter this one is not.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Oops. Realizing what he did, Don calls up a little Wind magic to help pull the dust together and away from Robert.]

Are you okay?

[semper_cogitans]

[After another moment or two of coughing, Robert wipes the dust off his glasses' lenses using part of his sleeve (with a noticeable frown; he hates having to do that) and then nods.]

... I am alright, but... so much dust; it is a respiratory hazard...

Should you not be wearing a mask?

[i_speak_softly]

[Don's nostrils twitch open and closed as he considers this novel suggestion. His usual instinctive solution is just to not breathe much.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Brilliant solution there, genius.]

It would not take long to find a mask for you... [Though most might be silly to fit across Don's snout, come to think of it.]

[i_speak_softly]

[It's simple and effective okay.]

[Don shrugs. He would probably wear one if you brought it to him (at least until he misplaced and forgot about it), but it's no big deal if he doesn't have one.]

[semper_cogitans]

[It's something for him to do then. Robert, spurred into action by a potential objective, moves to go search for a good mask for Don.]

... Give me a moment. I will go do so.

[Knowing Don, he'll just keep working and turning the room into a mess, though.]

[i_speak_softly]

[No, he'll keep working and try to sweep up the dust a little. It's not terribly effective and will probably make Robert want to do it obsessively himself.]

[semper_cogitans]

[It is very difficult to resist the impulse to actually do so when he catches Don beginning, but Robert manages to stop himself and heads out of the room.

Less than five minutes later he's back with two standard-issue medical masks, with elasticized bands at the back - hopefully one'll fit comfortably over Don's significantly-wider beak - and cleaning materials. He knows he should probably wait until after, but the dust is driving him crazy.]

Here, Don. [He extends one of the masks Turtle-ward, clutching the other in his own hand.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don looks at the mask doubtfully, but puts it on. Immediately, the thin paper starts getting sucked into his nostrils every time he inhales.]

[... This is not going to work.]

[semper_cogitans]

[...

The irritated look on Robert's face is akin to someone finding a mismatched pair of socks.]

Well.

I suppose this will be... more difficult than I thought...

[And he's honestly not sure if sturdier masks exist that would fit Don's beak properly. Stupid human-centric designers.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don takes the mask off before he hurts himself, and awkwardly hands it back to Robert. Thanks for the thought, at least.]