Third Thesis | [Written]

[intangible_girl]

[Ingrid is at that stage of recovery where she is feeling well enough to be bored, but not well enough to do much of anything about it. So she has a question for you, Luceti:]

Have you ever met someone here who was a fictional character in your world?

[Almost as an afterthought, she signs her name. This is hardly as official as last time, but she

Comments

[Written]

[semper_cogitans]

I have not met a fictional character from my world, but I have met an individual named Oswald whom is very literally a living cartoon, at least in terms of how he described himself to me.

Oswald told me that in his world, all cartoons are alive in some sense, though he has no real knowledge of how this occurs other than the fact that this certain studio drew him. (It is quite amazing how he is aware of this fact himself.)

[Robert actually really wants to do analysis on Oswald if Oswald won't mind. Of course it would be up to the rabbit whether he was comfortable with it or not, but Robert is beyond fascinated by the possibilities of looking at Oswald under PET or fMRI.]

I find this extremely fascinating. Perhaps it has something to do with this phenomenon?

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

Well... [Ingrid bites her lip and looks away as well.] I... We should really discuss what happened, when I... the other day. [Don't make her say it out loud.]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

... We certainly can, if you would like.

... But in what way would you want to approach the topic...? [Robert tilts his head curiously. He seems... less embarrassed than he should be about this, honestly.

... Probably because he knows that Don isn't angry.]

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[He does seem less embarrassed than he should be. That... throws Ingrid off.]

Uh- well... isn't there... anything you wanted to discuss?

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Thoughtfully:] Well, I already explained the matter to Don... [Quite bluntly at that, and with much reassurance necessary for both parties.] He seemed... unperturbed by the fact it happened, though... though I would not necessarily take that to mean he condones it occurring again, of course. [Now Robert looks embarrassed.

He glances nervously over at the floor.]

... Was... there anything e-else, perhaps?

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[Ingrid sits slowly down on the bed, her tiredness welling up unexpectedly. It is this, and only this, that makes her say out loud what she says now.]

I suppose I wanted to know if you might want it to happen again.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[The question, unexpected and certainly unprofessional, makes Robert flush even more.

He really has... no idea how to deal with this situation. On the one hand, he cares about Ingrid deeply already, for only barely knowing her a few weeks. If ever there was a girl that he might be able to consider, in this way... it might be her.

... But on the other hand, it would be an absolutely potentially catastrophic thing, and he doesn't know if Don, Ingrid or himself are capable of dealing with the ramifications.

So he stares at the floor, going about three shades of red darker, and mumbles the most brilliant answer in the world.]

I... I... a-am not certain.

[Wait, um, isn't there something actually concrete he can cling to? Robert makes a weak grab for it.]

... I... c-certainly would not want a r-repeat of that... debacle. You very nearly d-died, due to my foolishness...

[And he's not letting you die again, even if he did desperately want to kiss you, Ingrid.]

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[That's not a 'no, never, ew,' and even though it's foolish, Ingrid treats it like an unspoken yes.]

Just tell me one thing, Robert. Why did you let me kiss you? [Why let me kiss you and then tell me you had a boyfriend?]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[There are so many potential answers he could give to this question. He wants to give all of them at once, somehow...

I like you and want you to be happy. I didn't want to hurt you. You were too sick to know any better. I liked the idea of somebody else wanting me of zir own accord. I'm not strong enough to tell anybody no.]

I... I did not want to... w-worsen the situation in any way.

[Though he realizes that's exactly what ended up happening anyway.]

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[That sounds like an excuse, and Ingrid pounces on it, her voice almost a purr.]

Are you sure that's all there is to it?

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[It sounds like an excuse because it is an excuse.]

Ah... I am at least fairly certain...

[And more mumblingly:] I am so unused to th-this...

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[Ingrid backs off a little. She doesn't want to badger the man.]

So am I...

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert shivers and looks down at the floor. The whole thing is just uncomfortable in several ways, not all of them entirely bad but all of them inspiring awkwardness on Robert's part.]

...

I-I, I apologize.

...

A-At least Don is... not upset? It... c-could have gone far more poorly than it had.

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[He's not upset? That seems... strange to Ingrid. She falls into a thoughtful silence, and realizes a few things. One, that Don would certainly be more upset (or upset at all) if he had a clear idea of the situation, which means that two, he does not, which follows into three, that Robert must not have given him a clear idea of the situation. That means that, four, he (at least somewhere deep down, if not consciously) did not want Don to comprehend the situation.

And this all leads up to five, which is a much larger leap of logic than the first four, namely, that Robert does in fact have feelings for her.

She smiles.]

I'm glad things went well.

[Robert, you are so dead.]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Ingrid is so off on most of those that it's almost hilarious. Most of it comes from the fact that both Don and Robert are fail at emotional things, and as thus are misinterpreting why Ingrid kissed him - though of course, Robert's knowledge should probably be slightly better.

... In practise it isn't, though, because he can't read the social cues that accompany it.]

I am as well...

I would not want anything to harm our friendship.

[He's just making it worse, isn't he?]

[Action]

[intangible_girl]

[Actually, the word 'friendship' hurts a little, but only a very little. She does enjoy having Robert as a friend.]

Nor would I.