Seventy-Second Theory [Voice]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don has been living in the tunnels since the beginning of the last experiment, and for that time he's been almost entirely absent from the journals as well. Today, he finally re-establishes contact with the outside world.]

Has anyone ever considered building another village elsewhere in the enclosure? [...] Don't we have an organization that's always looking for that kind of volunteer work? The "Blue Viscera"?


[The transmission ends there, but later in the day there's another one:]

If anyone is willing, I would be very honored to have a new sensei. I'm fourth-dan in bojutsu but I haven't been formally trained in two years.


[After dark, he seals up his lair and goes home. When he reaches House 55, he doesn't announce himself, but goes silently to the winter room and re-closes the door behind him.]

Comments

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[... He didn't mean to hit him that hard.]

[Don looks up, out of the barest corner of his eye. Does Robert's nose look any different? It's hard for him to tell.]

And you brought me food anyway...

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Something approaching a smile:] I am... s-still a Terran. By default, many of us are... not exactly ph-physically resilient.

And... [More seriously:] You were... very a-afraid of me. All things considered, you... reacted quite well...

[The last part makes his expression grow sad, though he doesn't respond to it yet. Why wouldn't he?]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don warms a little at this reaction, and manages to look up a few more degrees.]

Let me see.

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

Of course. [Robert dips his head to allow the Turtle to see the shape of his nose better. Luckily for Robert, it isn't broken, though there's still light bruising at the edges of it. Robert's not self-conscious enough to cover said bruise.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Unconsciously echoing the way Robert touched him a few moments ago, Don runs his thumb down the human's nose. It doesn't feel any different.]

[He sits back, satisfied.]

Were you... surprised?

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

Highly. It... took me qu-quite some time before I understood there was an experiment...

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don sits back a little, alarmed. What did Robert think was going on, that first morning?]

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

[That was the thing, he couldn't be sure.]

It... was my i-initial hypothesis, considering the... d-dramatic nature of the reaction. But... [Robert falters.] I was... u-uncertain if something I did might have... caused such a reaction...

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[His shoulders slump a little, again. This is all-too-understandable.]

To be honest, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Now it's Robert's turn to be surprised.] ... You felt it w-would...?

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

Well, yes. When I wake up from a nightmare, I've been known to punch my -- I'll punch anybody.

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

Ah... [Robert's expression softens with something between worry and relief. He hopes Don's nightmares don't plague him...]