☈ strike #18 (video/...action?)

[thestormishere]

ARIES
- You'll get 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' stuck in your head for the next week.
- You will find a turtle in your laundry.
- Just go sleep on the couch tonight. You don't want to know why.
- Hide it, no one saw!

[ Like everyone else, Lightning wasn't really sure what to think about the odd message that showed up at the front of her

Comments

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

[As much as Robert is busy with... various baking things, an appearance of a chelonian tends to grab his attention.

So have a bright-eyed, more confident - and much dirtier - scientist peering over at your journal, Lightning.]

... A testudine...? H-How did that happen, Sergeant Farron...?

[He doesn't sound quite as awkward as usual, either!]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ Robert. You are weird. ]

... 'Testudine?'

[ Funny... that doesn't sound like tortoise or turtle. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

It is the... s-scientific name for the order that encompasses turtles and tortoises...

[In other words, it's a general-purpose term. Though he would not have identified this particular individual as a turtle. There's a pretty clear difference!]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ There isn't really much of an answer from Lightning for that right off, though perhaps if Robert listens particularly close he might catch a soft "Right" muttered in exasperation under her breath. By now she's pretty acclimated to the eclectic variation in viewpoints and such of the other residents... so she doesn't even think twice about the fact that she has very little idea what the heck he means there before just disregarding it for the moment. ]

This one is a tortoise.

[ He knows, Lightning, he knows. But. It had to be said. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

Yes, though... the e-exact species I am uncertain about.

... I am, er, m-more familiar with turtles... [For several reasons.]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ Yes, yes, she remembers that-- er, person she'd met hanging out with him some time ago, and chances are she's seen the Turtles numerous times since then, too...

She falls silent. This isn't really a conversation she'd normally be having, so... suddenly, she's not sure where to go from there, regardless of the fact that he'd asked a question that she left unanswered. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

[His increased confidence means that Robert isn't entirely shut down by the prospect of dealing with Lightning's silence. In fact, he's bold enough to venture...]

... As for... o-one of your other questions... I have been trying to discern a pattern, when I have not been... o-otherwise preoccupied. But... so far, I cannot see any obvious ones...

[Probably because the generator uses the same things for every category.]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

I see... [ A soft but obviously exasperated sigh. ] And chances are getting everyone to cough up enough information to pinpoint anything has to be next to impossible anyway.

[ Kinda bitter? Yep, though she doesn't have too much room to talk. It's remarkable she made this inquiry to the journals at large in the first place, given that natural reticence over exposing any weaknesses. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

Likely, yes... a-as it is, organized information gathering is... d-difficult in Luceti. Added to the fact we are all... affected, and... it becomes nigh-impossible...

[He can't blame her for being bitter, actually. Knowing there's a pattern that could be found but not being able to find it is patently annoying for him.]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ She's shaking her head at this for sure, but doesn't make a verbal response for the journal to pick up- nothing there she doesn't already know, and nothing immediately comes to mind to add. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

Still... [He adds this almost musingly.] ... I-If perhaps we could... e-encourage villagers to record their experiences, then we could... d-develop a sort of database on experiments...

[It might be useful in the long-run?]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

As far as I can tell, effects between experiments tends to be pretty random.

[ Except for the part where they often seem aimed to specifically torment one's weaknesses and such. He's welcome to prove her wrong, though.

Even if her hard tone seems to imply differently. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

... One w-wonders about that. Oftentimes, they seem... t-targeted.

Though I am uncertain wh-why that is... [At first, he'd wondered if the Malnosso could simply pick through all their thoughts. But then when he'd realized that the villagers could communicate about things the Malnosso didn't know... well, then it made that obvious that that wasn't it then.

But then where do the strongly ironic (or cruelly pointed) experiments come from...?]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

... We're experimental subjects. Stirring us up and seeing what happens is the point.

[ Like, duh. Wow she's bitter. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

Yes, but... the sheer... c-calculatedness of some of the... e-experimental procedures... it, it simply makes one... wonder.

[Or makes him wonder, at least.]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

Like I said, they're trying to stir us up. If it's targeted, then it's more effective.