D'AWW, hang in there, you two! Be strong, you can do it! *manly tear*[spoiler]

>>1058866
I agree with the first part:
>It's like getting to know each other, but I write things on a clipboard sometimes. I'm... new here, so while I don't know much about my bosses I can assure you that my intentions are friendly.

The second part, about, "Time to enter the cell!" seems a bit hasty. I think it SHOULD happen eventually, but I don't know if Kuvusha is stable enough for that yet. (Instructions: ) Until you feels like you can mentally manage that, or even THINK about it, focus on absorbing the fact he's a person. He can speak, you can understand him, it SEEMS like your facial expressions and inflections and mannerisms all translate. He's a person, same as you, and seems like a GOOD person to boot, just really big.

I agree that we should avoid (yet) revealing how little we know - for both our sakes. [spoiler]While I still suspect they knowingly threw a normie into the deep end and are having a giggle, Kushava seems resistant to the idea, and it's probably safer not to COUNT on that being what's up.
>>1058874
>If any difficult topic comes up excuse yourself saying that you are not sure how much you are authorized to tell him.
This is a good diverting tactic. Do try to tell him what you can when you can, so you're not a complete black box.

Questions for him, after your own brief explanation.
1. Do you have any immediate needs that need addressed before we continue the discussion?
2. What do you remember about how you got here?
3. And how long have you been here? The documentation doesn't say.
4. In general, what needs do you have that are not currently addressed? Furniture, books, puzzles or something? I'll come by to talk with you periodically if you'd like, even in addition to what's required by the job.

That might be enough for now, but later conversations (or this one, if he really doesn't want to end the conversation) could talk about where he comes from, what he did, what he likes. You could say some of that, too - redacting parts that reveal your inexperience.

If you're still having trouble dealing with his presence,
>>1058901
>Politely ask it to sit or lie down a little aways from the glass, and to try to not show it's teeth or claws overly much, and to look slightly away from you, to help minimize your panic reaction.
these seem like good ideas.

Haha, this update seems to be generating unusually long suggestions.

Ok, study- can have some connotations of- invasiveness. Clarify. Tell Orro you mean, more- watching, talking to, interacting with- try to understand, that sort of thing. It's not an issue if you flub some of it, just apologise and stay you were kind of dropped in the deep end, it'll help build rapport, and well- it'll be difficult to hide being in over your head after your breakdown. He's in need of a friend, so present yourself as someone who's capable of being one, you're both capable of empathising with each other after all.

That out of the way, questions: The basics for now. What does he remember about how he got here? What does he eat or drink? After that, social questions probably, build rapport.

Also, an observation: I don't think you need to worry about how much these subjects will eat. Look at his uniform, it's in the same style as yours. This facility must have a lot of resources and fabrication capabilities if it's capable of making a uniform for a person that size.

>>1058878

No, to all of these things.

Wait... Ask him if you are the first erson he can understand.

If so... did the people in charge know? Is this why they sent you here?

We should also ask him what he is and where he is from, obviously.

>>1058940
Also a good question to ask. There is also the possibility they have been ignoring him until they got someone specifically with people skills. Ask him how long he’s been alone, and tell him you work here so he can have somebody to talk to from now on.

Say. Uh. Has Kuvusha Istsadaiho heard voices, uh all their life? Often giving good suggestions, but not always? Not just... one singular internal 'voiced' mental monologue? Varying 'speech' patterns, as it were?

>>1058944
Her being here wasnt a mistake, I'm telling you.

Start by asking about the strengths of his species. The things that they are both known for, and take pride in. Do not ask about other species directly. You'll learn more about their preconceptions if you let them gush out their personal feelings and then cross-reference with the other subjects.

Then ask about social needs. Does his species have a dependency on numbers, and can it be with any other species? You should consider allowing him to interact with the other aliens. Get an impression of whether they are supposed to know each other, see if the worlds they come from are all connected, probably not connected, or alternates.

I’ve been calling you Kuvu this whole time, but is that ok with you? Your full name is kinda tricky to remember, but I’ll make a effort to if you don’t want me calling you Kuvu. I just think Kuvu is cuter.

Think of it as, some kind of foreign exchange program. You've been assigned to learn about the other's life and skills. What their culture is like.

Huh. Is he actually speaking your language, or are you just hearing it that way? As he talks, look at his mouth - do his lip movements match the words he's saying?

>>1059077
Good point if you can somehow understand aliens without a translator it would explain why you were hired despite your apparent lack of qualifications.

Your not expendable you're just psychic and didn't know it

Subject 1 is responsive and cooperative - write that down.
Notes mentioned caloric requirements and budgeting. Ask how much food Orro wants, and of what types. Might need to define common units of measurement first. Water, too, along with anything else it'd make sense to requisition. Maybe a few 40' shipping containers full of tree trunks, rope, and plastic sheeting as "nesting material."

Let's ask some of the essentials. Like if they have enough food and water.

[1/2] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/21(Tue)17:14 No. 1059206 ID: aa23a8
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>do consider becoming a plushie
>seriously consider that plushie thing
>It's like diving into a pool, only the pool is full of soft fuzzy fur!
Why do I keep thinking about this? No.

>you should take the plunge and enter the cell to shake hands with Orro
>I think you should work your way up physical interaction
I’m not doing that. I ... even if I don’t think he wants to hurt me, I only met him a few minutes ago. I have no idea if I can trust him enough for that, and if I’m wrong, I’m ... probably not getting back out of the cell.

>Get those thoughts of the alien picking you up and handling you like a toy out of your mind.
That’s terrifying to contemplate.

>Can you see a way to enter Orro's room?
>Clearly neither of you know how to open their cage
There’s a badge reader next to it. I’m guessing that’s what it’s for.

>it sounds like for some reason people get brought here for reasons we've yet to understand
Yes, we’re apparently abducting aliens or something. That’s another thing I don’t want to think about ... but I’m guessing I can’t really avoid that one as easily.

>The notes also indicate he's on about a 60-day timer before he gets A LOT out of it, straight up depressed.
I’m not bringing that up to him, for obvious reasons, but I’ll keep it in the back of my mind.

>These people might have some sort of extraordinary sensory power to be able to detect one another from far away
There was something like that in the subject file.

... Orro looks at me like he’s expecting me to say something. Oops.

[2/2] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/21(Tue)17:14 No. 1059207 ID: aa23a8
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“K-Kuvusha?” He has an easier time saying my name than I do his, apparently.

>To explain your dramatic reaction share that you just got here
... I guess it’s probably safe to reveal some of my situation.

“... Um, sorry. I’m ... very new to this job.”

>Politely ask it to sit or lie down a little aways from the glass, and to try to not show it's teeth or claws overly much
... That’s not a bad idea. I pause, thinking of how I want to phrase it. I know he asked if I was scared a moment ago, but at least for the sake of keeping him calm I ... probably shouldn’t openly say he’s intimidating.

“... Can you, um ... I promise I’m not going to collapse like that again. You don’t need to be right up against the glass ...” I think that’s indirect enough ...

“... O-oh, um, sorry.” He backs up a little bit, though he’s still pretty close.

“It’s alright, Orro. Now —”

>Explain that the main purpose of your studying him is to aid in his - and others' - recovery from, you suspect, whatever phenomenon or effect brought him here
>Tell Orro you mean, more- watching, talking to, interacting with- try to understand, that sort of thing.
“— to try to phrase it better ... I guess I could say that my job is to interact with you. Like getting to know each other, but I write things down sometimes. And hopefully help you recover from ...” I pause again. I don’t actually know what he went through. I don’t think calling it “translation” is going to help either of us, either.

“... f-from?”

>Find out if he remembers how he got here
>Ask him what he remembers about the events that led to him being here.
“... What do you remember about how you got here?”

He doesn’t immediately respond, and looks away from me for a bit.

“... I-I ...”

There’s a long pause.

“... I-I’d ...” His voice is shaking a bit.

... This may not be a good question to start with. I give him an out.

“If you don’t want to talk about it right now, you don’t have to.”

“That’s ... y-yeah ...”

I’ll have to come back to it, I guess ...

>Name, species name, gender, social status, recent events, needs, pressing concerns and the like!
I know his name already, at least.

“So, Orro ... what kind of, um ... what are you, exactly? They gave me a file on you but it was ... lacking.”

“O-oh! I’m, um, a numono.” Unsurprisingly, I’ve never heard that word. “A male one. We, um ...”

He pauses, presumably thinking. ... I guess I’d have a hard time coming up with an answer if an alien put me on the spot and asked me to explain what a tridenik is. I was right about him being male, at least.

“... w-well, um, the other species we know of say we eat a lot and we’re kind of clumsy. And we’re, um ... t-tough. On average. I-I don’t think I’m very tough.” There’s another pause. “Oh! And we have, um, ‘empathy,’ that lets us sense each other from a distance, and read our emotions a little bit. A-and we live in ... ‘hives’ ...”

He trails off a little. He seems to be using some words in a weird way ... I’m not completely sure how we’re able to understand each other, but maybe it has something to do with that?

>Is he actually speaking your language, or are you just hearing it that way?
He's speaking my language. Somehow.

I’m about to ask another question when he talks again.

“... I-I’m not going to get to go back home, am I?”

“I ...” I think he’s right, but I don’t think I want to tell him that. “I don’t know, Orro.”

He breaks eye contact and turns to one side, staring at nothing in particular. For a good minute or so, he doesn’t say anything, looking positively forlorn. I’m just about to try to move to another topic when he starts talking again.

“Numono live in hives. T-they’re sort of like ... a family or a tribe or something, but ... m-more ... ? It’s ... hard to explain to other species. There’s this sense of ... belonging coming from everyone around you, and it’s always there. M-my hive is called Daystar ... t-there aren’t that many of us, but we’re doing pretty well. We do, um ... a-accounting, and that kind of thing, for bigger hives that don’t want to spend that much time on it ...” He pauses again, and sighs.

“... This is the longest I’ve ever been away from them. I-in my entire life. I-I don’t know how many days it’s been, but even just the ones I remember ...” His voice is weaker as he trails off.

“I-I ... I don’t know how to deal with being alone, Kuvusha ...”

... What can I possibly say to comfort him?

Well for one, we don’t know for sure he’s never going home. Unlikely yes, but I’ve always been optimistic. As for comforting him, get his mind off his homesickness for now. Bring up your favourite movie, book, play etc, then ask him about his. Ask what kinds of things Neumono do for fun so you can compare. You might have something in common, and that will calm his nerves a little.

You're not alone, starting today. Together we'll find out where you belong.
Write down all words used in unusual ways. Establish trust by performing exercises where you fall backwards and let him catch you.

Sounds like losing their sense of belonging may be a reason they get depressed over time. Weird the species research note didn’t point to this obvious possibility. Maybe the other Neumono were less helpfully informative.

>cold comfort
... you could mention that your files indicated there were other Neumono somewhere in the facility. You do not know if any of them are Daystar ones, nor their current status, but you could ask around. That should give him something to think about and wait for.

You could also mention that for whatever reason, there is... an injunction against keeping numono together. Whether that is a justified precaution or base paranoia on the part of the facility, you don’t know. But whatever he can tell you about this empathy ability might help you get that injunction lifted.

Would being near any other Numono help, or does it have to be one from the same, er, family group?

And is there anything else he knows that could be done to alleviate his sense of isolation? You’ll be here, but you don’t know to what degree you can even begin to substitute. Is there any way to maintain or reinforce the, er, emphatic bond, somewhere in his people’s knowledge, despite being isolated from his hive?

If he has any ideas, you will try to help. It begins with him, though. Your starting point on how to help is whatever he tells you, at least until you can review whatever data has been collected from the other numoni. Numonae?

Tell him you will recommend Neumono be housed in hive groups.
Also take notes of all the stuff that was missing from the report, like the correct species name, the missing hive terminology, and details about empathy.

Ask more about empathy, how far away can he sense other neumono? Also ask how he spells his name, and the species name as well. Can he quantify how tough his species is?

Offer to let him hold you

Physical interaction is a category of interaction and so is an eventuality. Plus hugs could help you and the subjects out in feeling comfortable. Work your way up towards feeling okay about being in physical contact with the subjects. That does not mean you need to start immediately.

Looking for other neumono in the facility to provide some company for Orro is not a bad idea but I imagine the organization isn't going to go for it. Doesn't hurt to ask. Also, make sure neumono of separate hives won't just hate being in proximity with each other.

Barring other neumono, it is possible the other subjects may be okay to let into the main room so they can offer each other company. Maybe we need to go and find an appropriate playmate for Orro. Notes mentioned 002 being easy to work with. Maybe you could meet and convince them to help.

So if HE has empathy powers, that means that weird mind powers are possible. Maybe YOU have some sorts of mental powers and that's why you're in this position?? That kind of thing would be a massive asset for this sort of job! You should spend some time meditating on the topic when you get back to your room. Maybe get out a paper and try and do some automatic writing, try and open yourself up to these weird thoughts you seem to be having without rejecting them out of hand, and do so while in a safe and controlled environment, and see what happens!

>>1059207
Well.
The Truth. He isn't alone here. You may not be familiar with hives, but you are still company. Hopefully, if things go well, you'll be visiting regularly. You two can get to know each other more. If he's okay with that.

Possible response is that if there's any way you can help, you'll try.

You MAY tell him that you're stuck here for at least half a year, too. This may be more or less impactful depending on how much you expect to miss people outside. It also probably doesn't sufficiently compare to someone with empathy - but it might be a start.

>>1059216
These are pretty good.

I'm alone too. I know it's not the same situation, but this is the first time I've ever had to go an extended time without seeing any of my species as well. We'll figure it out together.

There isn't much you can do to get him the company he desire, and the things you can attempt are likely to be denied because it's already written policy.
Maybe ask him the specifics this loneliness and what he know that could be done to soft it's effects.
If non-numono company help the only one we can offer with confidence is your own. You can come here after finishing checking the other subjects and the paperwork to spend time with Orro. If even poor company help you could bring a desk and try to do the paperwork next to him.

Decide if you will want to explore your plushy fetish or not. Revealing that you are weirdly aroused by him might help making him feel desired and less lonely.
I just realize their color schemes are the same as Dust and Fidget. Is that the reason for the plushy thing?

If we are not gonna question his general living condition can we at least address his refusal to eat? That sound important.

He mentioned having contact with other aliens so we can assume his culture is advance enough to offer a good education for someone who becomes an accouter. Not that you need to assume, you can ask if that is the case.
Request that he tell you whatever he can remember about his classes. We can probable explore this subjects for days but for starters we are interested in biology. What organs does he have? How do they work? What's his ecosystem like? What can he tell about other lifeforms from his planet? Does he know similar information about alien lifeforms? Do your best to write everything he is willing to share.

So like... do groups of you all ever gain crazy superpowers or behave weird, anything that might cause some sort of horrible misunderstanding that could be the cause of the injunction thing?? Something which I could describe in a way to put the minds of the powers that be here at ease?

"Well, that makes two of us. You aren't the only research subject in this facility... but as of right now, I'm your only researcher.
They knew you could have freaky mind control powers to go with that 'empathy' of yours, so I'm on a deathswitch; I die, and the facility goes into permanent quarantine.
So, uh... don't let me die, tough guy. Please."
*Pause*
"Tell me more about empathy. Does it work on every other neumono, or only the ones in your hive? How well does it work on other species? What kind of predators or natural disasters did your ancestors have that pushed your species to develop psychic powers just to elicit strong bonds?"

ok assuming he isn't lying you just found out that his kind of VERY social and he's been more or less alone for DAYS! Hmm, for this guys mental well being I think we're going to have to figure out some way to give him some sort of daily social interaction. However the only things I could think of is maybe seeing if another subject would be interested (and our bosses would allow it) to more or less bunk with this guy... assuming we could find one that is willing and were sure that doing so would help both of them. Or move your bedroom to in here just to keep the guy company.

neither option is probably ideal but it's clear you need to find something to help this guy... speaking of which, could you request items for the aliens and not just yourself? The guy seems to need social interaction more than anything but I'm noticing his room is pretty bare. A book or something at the bare minimum might help at least distract him for a bit while we figure out how to help.

Put your hand up against the glass, so he can put his hand up against the glass too and you can have a moment. Try not to think about how his oven mitt hands are so much bigger.

I don't have any advice on how to calm him down, but once you do, focus on getting questions about base necessities out of the way, including "do I need to do something to get you food and water" and "your file says you refused food and water for 13 days, which sounds not great for most people and especially bad for your kind; why?" All other questions can wait for future meetings with him.

I- wouldn't mention that there's other neumono in the facility, not yet. It'd backfire emotionally if they turned out to not be part of his hive. Request info about the other neumono then decide whether to divulge that, as we don't know if they're all neumono from different hives, or all daystar but separated out of some misguided security concern.

Still, this guy needs a friend, you can be that friend to at least help with his loneliness.

>>1059207

Well, tell the big guy that maybe now he doesn't have to BE alone. It's not the same, but ... you're both here, you're both not sure what's going on, so maybe you can get through this together.

Because maybe Orro needs to hear that.

Give him something else to focus on. The alone thing isn't really solvable short-term, but you can at least add enrichment so it isn't occupying so much of his brain. Ask about desired games and entertainment and so on.

[1/3] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/25(Sat)13:14 No. 1059482 ID: aa23a8
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>Would being near any other Numono help, or does it have to be one from the same, er, family group?
The way he described it, I don’t think I really need to ask to know the answer ... plus, I can’t say I really even want to when he’s obviously struggling with the topic.

>You could also mention that for whatever reason, there is... an injunction against keeping numono together.
This is one of the only things the document was especially clear on. I’m guessing I have no ability whatsoever to change that policy. Telling Orro that there are other numono but he’s banned from seeing any of them feels like kicking him when he’s down ...

>Put your hand up against the glass, so he can put his hand up against the glass too and you can have a moment. Try not to think about how his oven mitt hands are so much bigger.
I get that some part of me is thinking this might be touching, but ... his “oven mitt hand” is bigger than my, uh ... all of me. I feel like that’s crossing a line from “heartwarming” to ”existential terror”.

>Establish trust by performing exercises where you fall backwards and let him catch you.
>Offer to let him hold you
No, that’s — the same problem. When I let myself think about how big he is, I start feeling that creeping dread again that makes me want to bolt out of the room or just collapse on the floor. I need to ... at least get through this conversation before I let myself fall apart again.

>Physical interaction is a category of interaction and so is an eventuality. Plus hugs could help you and the subjects out in feeling comfortable. Work your way up towards feeling okay about being in physical contact with the subjects.
>it is possible the other subjects may be okay to let into the main room so they can offer each other company
... If ... I’m going to be stuck in here for six months with Orro and whoever the other subjects are, I ... I guess I’m probably going to have to get over it. Somehow.

But ... right now, it’s ... “Hi, giant, emotionally unstable alien who I have known for less than an hour! I’m going to willingly remove the physical barrier between us and give up the only real piece of leverage I have in this situation! Please don’t accidentally crush me or take me as a hostage or literally just snap me in half because you’re absolutely big enough” —

No, okay, no, no. This isn’t a good line of thinking at all. He’s big but he’s also a person. I just ... have to keep reminding myself of that.

>If even poor company help you could bring a desk and try to do the paperwork next to him.
That — might work, actually. I should probably get through checking on my other assigned subjects before that, though. I hope the others are handling things a little better ... Orro was the only one with a note saying he specifically needed to be checked on, at least.

>Or move your bedroom to in here just to keep the guy company
That’s definitely going too far.

>You MAY tell him that you're stuck here for at least half a year, too. This may be more or less impactful depending on how much you expect to miss people outside.
No, see, that’s another thing I’m trying not to think about right now.

>You're not alone, starting today.
>You may not be familiar with hives, but you are still company.
>We'll figure it out together.
This is ... the best thing I can come up with. I break the silence.

[2/3] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/25(Sat)13:15 No. 1059483 ID: aa23a8
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“Orro...” He’d turned away from me, presumably lost in his own thoughts, but he turns back. I’m still trying not to think too hard about him having to look down at me.

“I know it’s not much, and I know I’m not a numono, but ... for whatever it’s worth, I’m here for the foreseeable future. You won’t be completely alone.”

“... T-thank you, Kuvusha.” He still looks sad, but I think he does mean it.

>focus on getting questions about base necessities out of the way
>you can at least add enrichment so it isn't occupying so much of his brain
Maybe I can steer things in a more positive direction.

>could you request items for the aliens and not just yourself?
I ... guess Ms. Ontinaz didn’t really clarify that. I’m a little more willing to be optimistic about it, though. If I present it to Orro as more of a possibility than a guarantee, it might not be that much of a disappointment for him if I can’t get him a board game or something ... especially as compared to mentioning there are others of his kind around he’s not allowed to see.

“... So, um. To try to change the topic a little bit ...”

He sighs and visibly relaxes. It looks like I wasn’t the only one feeling a little on edge.

“They didn’t really explain the details of how you’d be housed to me ahead of time. Do you, um ... have food and water?”

“I-I do. Um, sort of. B-behind this ... partition thing, t-there’s a shower that I’ve been getting water out of, and there’s an, um ...” He points to a spot on the ceiling. “A ... p-panel or something? I-It slides open and a tray comes down with ... something edible, anyway. I-I don’t know what kind of meat it is, but it’s ...” His face seems to light up a little. “Y-you work here, right, Kuvusha? C-can you ask whoever’s in charge if I can get something better to eat? A-and maybe a better way to get water? L-like bottles or something ... I-I feel like an animal the way I’m doing it right now ...”

“I can put in a request, at least!” It’s good to know he’s not starving. “While we’re on the subject, um, is there anything else you want me to ask about, Orro? This room is ... pretty empty.”

[3/3] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/25(Sat)13:15 No. 1059484 ID: aa23a8
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“W-well ... i-it would be nice if I could have a blanket or two, and ... w-when I’m ... um, when I was by myself back at home I’d usually read, but ... I-I’m not sure if you’d have any books that I could actually ... um ...”

He has a point about the books, though I’ll put it on the form anyway. After a pause, he continues.

“... t-this is a long shot, but there’s this toy puzzle thing I like to mess around with, um ... it’s kind of ... y-you hold it in your hands, and you can ... spin the pieces? I-if you can get me something like that ...”

“I think I know what that is. A ... combination puzzle?” They’re not my thing, really, but I know what they are. “I can ask if they have one of those. And ... maybe they’ll have books? I’m still learning exactly what they can and can’t provide, sorry.”

“I-I guess that makes sense.”

I brought the paper in here, so I guess I can go ahead and start writing the stuff he asked for down. Maybe I should start on my notes, too ... actually, am I supposed —

“Um ... K-kuvusha?” My train of thought is interrupted when Orro addresses me again.

“Yes?”

“... a-are you able to open up the glass?”

Oh no.

Probably! :D

>a-are you able to open up the glass?

maybe? haven't really actually checked to be honest.

Though maybe a way to get around the "books being to small" thing. If you can get him a projector and some kind of remote big enough for him to use, you could probably give him an ebook or something and have the projector just beam it onto a wall big enough for him to read it... or if we have a "he can't read your language" kind of deal I guess you could have it play movies. It's something at least.

the only other things I could think of is just figure out how big he actually is and see if you can't request the items he asked for in his size.

Be honest about it.

I don't think we can actually open the glass can we?

"I do not have an obvious known mechanism for opening up the glass at this time. I'm worried about accidental harm to the premises and denizens you might cause, even without direct intent. I am *exceptionally concerned* about a systemic culture of immorality within the governance structure and leadership and oversight of this facility."

...

Also, screw JUST getting the 'researcher's sci fi exploration armor' thing, you need a full on mecha or armored vehicle that you sit in, that can go in the rooms with you in it, where they can put a finger against, and you can open up a panel and touch them or something, so you can safely share physical contact.

Or I guess some modification to the door in the glass to safely do that with you two on opposite sides of the glass, that'd probably be easier. But they might have the mecha lying around!

May as well be honest and tell him you're kind of freaking out a bit!

>>1059484

Let's start by asking "why." Allow Orro to explain his request, and work from there. We do need to establish a positive relationship with him, and actually hearing him out (rather than freaking out) will go a long way toward doing that.

Besides, if we can manage a polite conversation with him, the rest of the subjects will be easier to deal with, too. Get used to things with the one you at least recognize as a person.

I have a thing to open up the glass, but I don’t know by how much.
Promise to open it at your next session! Deadlines work wonders.

>>1059484
Tell him it's probably possible, but you're going to have another panic attack if you figure it out and then DO that. Maybe after you get used to how big he is.

Orro never said why you'd be opening the glass.

Ask! Maybe the answer won't just be "I need a hug."

Probably will be, though.

Tell him you don't know yet, and you are not ready to find out.

Say that there's a thing here for that but you're not sure.

To be honest, considering his emotional state, if you interact with him physically he's likely to be extremely careful with you. How wants companionship, he's not going to risk ruining that.

At this time we don’t know how one would do that beyond the obvious method. And unfortunately there is a rather distinct size disparity that makes you personally nervous at the prospect.

Why don't you get him a very large supply of air dry clay and massive amounts of various modeling supplies so he can both fidget with stuff with his hands and make useful things for himself?

"... It's possible, but the real question is whether it's a good idea. Certainly not, at least not while I'm both in the room and not familiar enough with you to trust you with my life. Try to understand my position? But in general, that might be doable, assuming there's a way of opening this door remotely, though I might need time to furnish what I suspect is 'the common room' first."

>>1059484
Tell him that because you're new here, you don’t have the security clearance necessary to do that.

Maybe? To be honest you aren't sure how most of the stuff here works so while the badge reader might open the glass it might also fill his room with sleeping gas or something equally bad. Also if you were able to open the glass, doing so might end up with you getting fired, or worse.
For now I think it's better if we didn't push random buttons wondering what they did.

Well, you have to make sure it's safe, first. If you work together reliably, then maybe! Goals, you know?

You can be honest that you don't know. Up to you if you're ready for that but at least ask why he wants to. If you are still worried, maybe mention that to him. You'll figure something out eventually in that regard.

Getting that requisition request in is a good idea so we can start to get an idea of what our options are.

In my opinion, I'm not sure what else to do here if you aren't willing to open the door. It feels bad to leave him alone given how he's feeling, but we might have to go and get that order in and maybe look at at least one of the other subjects. We can still think about seeing if subject 002 would make good company for Orro.

>>1059484
Explain that yes, you are able to open the glass, but you are also very new and are very small, and thus a certain level of trust is needed to open it because while you deeply, deeply sympathize with him, you are also afraid of dying.

You might be able to, but you aren't sure yet if you're allowed to.

Are trideniks omnivorous? I assume you eat meat otherwise I would expect a freakout because of the mental image of his feeding habit.

The logistic behind the provision of food for those enormous alies must be challenging. Don't request better meat for Orro, instead ask for improvement on the flavor. This way the request will be vague enough that it could be interpreted as replacing the meat for higher quality food if they are well dispose to do so or the provision of seasoning to make the food they are giving more tolerable if they would refuse the alternative.

Can you imagine the cost of printing on paper large enough for Orro to read and tick enough for him to handle? One book would be a luxurious item. For budgetary reasons I wouldn't expect them to provide something like that.
Setting up a projector is a more viable solution, like suggested here:
>>1059486
It should even be relatively simple to set up giant buttons he could use to interact with the computer. At minimum two buttons to move the text.

When he say bottles does he expect water to be delivered in such containers the same way the food is or does he want containers to filled in his shower? I can't imagine we have functional bottles for his size.
The closest thing should be a large metal water tank. One of those should work as a glass for him.
I imagine large bathtubs could be lower cost alternatives. The volume would be smaller and he would have to hold it with care to avoid crushing it but at least it should be able to be inclined without breaking unlike a full glass fiber water tanks.
Request for large water containers for the subject drinking purpose. Let's see what they will decide to deliver.

I don't know why they didn't provide him blankets. It's a lot of material, but assembling it should still be relatively easy considering everything that was already done for making this cell. They even made clothes his size just like our uniform.
Straight forward request: Large blankets for the subject.

The puzzle would have to be build. It's a very complicated request that could be justifiable rejected as a waste of effort, but it would also be something the engineers and mechanics love to work on. The approval would depend on how much fun whoever is making those decisions would get out of it.

>“... a-are you able to open up the glass?”
Maybe. We don't know if our clearance level is high enough.
If we can he would get access to this side of the room. If we're also allowed to open the big metal door it would give him access to an empty corridor. Our living space is too small for even his hands to enter.
Where exactly does he want to get at? His existence isn't known by the larger public, so if he escape this facility he will cause panic, there won't be accommodations his size outside and acquiring food will involve somehow capture large quantities of small creatures. Does this sound like a viable alternative to his current predicament?
If this is about physical interaction, give some time. We've just meet. Wait until we know each other better before we trust you to be all handy big boy. At minimum you will have to show us your gentle touch.

>>1059488

Wait, I'm confused, is there an actual portal in the glass, like a door, or some weird control setup *next to* the glass? Can you inspect whatever-it-is for details or instructions or print?

Maybe you could actively inspect it while narrating what you see while he watches? As a trust and rapport thing.

>>1059484
Tell him you'd have to check with your superiors before you can do anything like that.

It's at least partially true given we don't even know how to open the enclosure

>>1059484
Hard pass.

Given how sudden it is, even if they are completely trustworthy (which may or may not be the case), the rest of the facility won't know that they were released, rather than escaped. Plus, where would they go from here?
Its better to try to work with the system, rather than against it.

Plus, who knows. This may or may not actually be a neumono. There are a few things in the Asteroid universe that could potentially mimic a neumono to this level, and if we go beyond just that universe, then there is a plethora. Hell, just imagine if we open up door number 2 (or some other door) and another neumono is in there with each insisting that the other isn't real?

To add: there could be some serious health issues with opening up the glass as well. Given how gravity works and square cube law, there must be some serious gravitational fuckery being generated around that cell to keep them from turning themselves into pulp.

Not really sure why people are worried about opening the glass leading to his "escape". If he can't break out of the glass, how is he supposed to break through at least two giant metal doors.

You ought to take a quick break to calm your nerves. Maybe a short nap.

>>1059537

Regarding the square cube law, it could just be the Trideniks that are diminutive and lilliputian. A good way to figure that out is: How many times their height can a Tridenik fall from, and expect to survive the fall with only minor injuries? Especially if they're wearing slightly billowy clothing and fall with limbs spread to increase drag?

Otherwise, there are a number of weird scientific things that could be happening. Are the atoms themselves of the other entities different in a way that allows their matter to be more diffuse? How do your and their mass compare, are you hyper dense compared to them, close to similar weights perhaps despite the size difference?

>>1059522
>>1059536
>>1059537
>>1059541

Guys, let's please try to keep the speculation to the discussion thread, linked in the OP. It's a great place puzzle out such things, and we've already got one or two posters trying to reason through what "translation" might entail.

>>1059543
I get that, but this is literally just pertaining to the here and now consequences of opening that door. Just saying we don't want to open the door next update and then Bam! chunky salsa.

>>1059490
Asking why, to be clear, seems like a good idea, even if the answer probably IS because he needs a hug.

If so.... Attempted facts time!
1. Giving him a hug probably WOULD be good for his mental health.
2. It is completely understandable for you not to be ready for that. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably be pretty hesitant, too. (Even if my own predicted fate upon being dropped into the forest is "eventual death by trying-to-hug-something-I-should-not.")
3. You DON'T actually know if you can open the glass. (Though given the giant metal doors past the glass, the answer is probably yes, at least SOMEONE can open them.) Though, I'd be careful about lying or trying to mislead too much - trust seems like it's going to be a major component of this/these relationships, by necessity.

If you decide to defer, you can say e.g. "I'm not sure. I can ask about it and see what they say."

If you decide to try for it (and have confirmed he wants a hug), you can again try to control the situation for your own mental stability - have him lie down, approach him rather than the other way around, whatever you're sufficiently comfortable with that accomplishes the goal.

“Yes, but I’m not ready to do so. It’s just… there’s a lot for me to take in. I’ll try again later.”
Was that so hard?

>>1059541

Also your breath rate, resting heart rate, hearing range, voice rajge, relative amount of space the heart equivalent takes in the body, and the like. If he can, you know... hop without issue, and seems to fall at a 'typical' rate, in a world where your own species can't fall many many times the length of their bodies, something very very weird may possibly be going on.

Is there any way you can see and hear that shower in action? Looking and listening to the water falling will help you figure out if the laws of physics are being obviously fucked with. IE, does it seem like a massive epic waterfall, or more like a shower on your own scale, just somehow bigger? Does the water fall at a normal rate? etc. etc.

>>1059695
Yes, let’s ask if we can watch him shower. We need to get acquainted with the subject facilities so we can help others learn how to use them.

>>1059695
>>1059696
He's not going to let us watch him shower. And I'm pretty sure Kuvusha doesn't want to be known as a pervert, so she's not going to ask that.

>>1059696

Turn on the shower WITHOUT HIM IN IT, like from the side, and then step away! God, I didn't think that needed to be said! He'd get in the way of watching the water anyway, because he's big and would get, you know, literally in the way!

I think even mentioning the shower at this point in your blossoming relationship might sound a bit demented. You've got to be more subtle about these sorts of things.Perhaps offer to share dinner with him, or something, first.

>Telling Orro that there are other numono but he’s banned from seeing any of them feels like kicking him when he’s down ...
Letting him think he’s alone and not checking if this place secured any of his family members whose presence may aid with their mutual inevitable depression also seems kick-y. You don’t have to tell him right away, but it’s something to check up on, right? If anything the lack of info on these guys is a reason why you don’t know if you can trust whether that restriction was the right call or not.

>can you open the glass?
Possibly, yes? For one, there appears to be a larger area outside of this room, presumably something like a common room area for the sake of... giant aliens.

Is he feeling cooped up? You’ll take it into consideration, but you shouldn’t let him out right away. Even if he begs, which, please. Don’t? That would just make this day the worst. It’s just that you’re... comparatively small. Would be great if you could get to know each other a bit more first, okay?

... and if you could figure out if there’s an official procedure for doing it.

[1/2] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/28(Tue)16:31 No. 1059712 ID: aa23a8
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>If you can get him a projector and some kind of remote big enough for him to use, you could probably give him an ebook or something and have the projector just beam it onto a wall big enough for him to read it... or if we have a "he can't read your language" kind of deal I guess you could have it play movies. It's something at least.
>Why don't you get him a very large supply of air dry clay and massive amounts of various modeling supplies so he can both fidget with stuff with his hands and make useful things for himself?
If I am allowed to request things for the subjects, I’ll keep this in mind. Hopefully I am ...

>The logistic behind the provision of food for those enormous alies must be challenging.
>For budgetary reasons I wouldn't expect them to provide something like that.
I feel like my employer has an unimaginable amount of resources to throw around, judging by this place. They gave him custom clothing, after all.

>I don't think we can actually open the glass can we?
>is there an actual portal in the glass, like a door, or some weird control setup *next to* the glass?
There’s a badge reader by the glass just like there is with every door in this place. I don’t think it’s much of a reach to guess that it opens the whole thing up, especially since the main room is also huge.

That said ...

>you can again try to control the situation for your own mental stability - have him lie down, approach him rather than the other way around, whatever you're sufficiently comfortable with that accomplishes the goal
... this makes thinking about it a little better, but I still can’t make myself do it. It’s too much. I don’t think he’d hurt me, but ...

>Be honest about it
If I’m honest with him, he’s going to want me to open the glass. That’s the only obvious reason to ask me about it. And I was dreading the idea of him bringing it up this whole time, because I am not ready to try that yet. But, I feel like he won’t take it very well if I tell him to his face that I’m terrified of him. I wouldn’t feel great if someone said that to me as a reason for keeping me trapped in a box after getting abducted.

... I never thought I’d have to imagine myself in a situation like that, and yet, here I am ...

>Tell him you don't know yet
>Tell him you'd have to check with your superiors before you can do anything like that
... I could try to put things off, especially since I really haven’t tried using the control, but of course he could just ask me to try it, and then I’m right back to the same problem, because I’m still not willing to open it yet.

>I do not have an obvious known mechanism for opening up the glass at this time
... Or I could just lie to him. I could even play it off as a misunderstanding if I decide I’m okay with opening it later. Everything here is already weird enough that I doubt he’d ever suspect anything.

... But ...

... Even if he’s the size of a house, he’s still ...

I would feel guilty about it for months. I don’t ... think I can handle that on top of everything else.

... I think I have to just tell him the truth. He’ll be sad either way but at least my conscience won’t eat at me for the entire rest of the time I’m here.

... I’ve taken long enough to respond that he knows something’s up. I can only hope he’s mentally bracing for a response he’s not going to like. Please be doing that, Orro. I take a deep breath.

[2/2] Kuvusha Istsadaiho 2023/03/28(Tue)16:32 No. 1059713 ID: aa23a8
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“I ... can open the glass.”

There’s a glimmer of genuine hope in his eyes that I wasn’t prepared for. I should have lied. Why didn’t I lie.

“I ... I can’t do it yet, though.”

“W-why not?” It’s still there. In his eyes. I’m going to break his spirit and my conscience is going to try to kill me even though I told the truth.

“I’m ... I’m sorry, Orro, but ... it’s not that I think you’re going to hurt me, but you could, and I just met you ...” I trail off a little. I’m fumbling my words.

“... n-no, I ... I understand ...” His voice sounds shaky again and he’s looking at the floor. ... I think I screwed up. ... I definitely screwed up.

... But feeling that way doesn’t make me any more willing to actually let him out. I’m a terrible person.

There’s a long silence. He doesn’t say anything else and I can’t decide what to say either. I’m left with my own thoughts for the moment.

>You ought to take a quick break to calm your nerves. Maybe a short nap.
I wish I could do that.

>Promise to open it at your next session! Deadlines work wonders.
... That would be tomorrow. I really don’t think I’d be ready by tomorrow.

>I'm not sure what else to do here if you aren't willing to open the door. It feels bad to leave him alone given how he's feeling
I can’t just leave now, can I? This feels like a terrible place to end the conversation ...

What do I do ... ?

>>1059713
Ask about his language. Try "Mirrat te a" for starters!

Hey, Kuvusha, as your conscience, I’m not gonna lie to you. You really beefed it there. First impression gone right down the drain.

That said, the guy’s not exactly rich in the market of friends, comrades, or lovers. And he doesn’t really seem the type to hold a grudge. This is probably repairable. Maybe not an apology - and DEFINITELY don’t just leave, especially not now - but maybe if you promise to stay with him for a little while.

Extrapolating a little further, you could potentially offer to drag your bed in here and sleep in the same room as him, given he seems so lonely. That might help him adjust to you in the long run. It’ll also give him ample time to compute the actual difference in size between you, and, hopefully, that’ll lessen the possibility of a jamstain incident if you ever /do/ end up opening that glass.

Your session's not over yet. Take this pause to write down your impressions and check the subject notes again, see if any observations need updating. Why is he called Vakolibol in your notes? Ask about his biology, see how it differs from yours. Start with the obvious things like anatomy and then more abstract things like sleep cycles, mating rituals, attractive features in a mate and how big he is relative to other creatures of his home.
Tomorrow you'll feel differently about things, you just can't see it from here. You can practically feel through the glass how soft that green fur is!
It can't be assumed he can read your language, though he maybe able to use audiobooks.

You kinda have to open the glass now, unless you want to leave him behind incredibly disappointed.

>>1059713
I think you could have been a bit more eloquent, but you did good. If we really want to say something, just ask him if he would open the glass up if he was in your situation. While he is probably nice, he could also be manipulating you. Time will tell if that is the case, but I think he would agree that it would be incredibly irresponsible and reckless to open the glass after such a short meeting. In time, the glass probably can be opened, but there needs to be more mutual trust built up first.

You know, you could tell him about some of the other subjects and see what he thinks about them. You could even let him pick one on the opposite side for you to open (the shutter not the glass) so you both could talk to them together.

Nah, I'm also your conscience. You did the morally right thing. Good Is Not Nice. You told him a difficult truth, with emotional vulnerability for yourself AND information that he didn't want to hear but could benefit by hearing. You established, as a first impression, that you'll be honest and forthright with him, that you'll share information he has a right to know even at a personal cost, and you'll value his long term benefit and well-being and ability to make informed decisions over his short term emotional state or that of your own.

You showed real vulnerability, and that took courage. Provided you keep to this path, he will, AT WORST see you as a very honorable jerk who will never lie to him, even by omission, and who is absolutely trustworthy.

The whole point of you being here is to study a general unknown. You can comprehend a general shape, but that doesn't make your guess automatically correct.

Start out with the obvious: his microbiome could kill you. Things that are harmless or beneficial to the neumono could instantly invoke cardiac arrest in you. Then talk about the other species (don't specify that they're sapient) and how their diseases could kill each other.
And then there's the potential for his 'empathy' to do something in close-contact.
And there's the potential harm of him tripping and squishing you. Duh.

Until you're certain of how his biology will affect you, that glass stays put.

>>1059713
Tell him it's something you'll work towards. Starting now. Ask him about other creatures on his homeworld. What is there aside from neumono?

>>1059713
You really should've told him that because of how new you are, you don’t have the security clearance necessary to open the glass. That way he would understand that it's not your choice on if the glass is removed or not.

But now that you've made it clear that you specifically don't want to open the glass, you'll need to think of something to tell him.

You should try telling him that you didn't say you'd never open the glass, just that you wouldn't do it right now. That way he'll know that you'll remove it eventually.

ask him if he'd like you to set up your office in here so you can talk while you work.

You could probably leave him with a glimmer of hope as well that you could ask your superiors about what the protocol is to letting individuals roam though probably also let him know that all he'll be able to access at this time is the half of the room you're on and the "hallway" that leads to the other rooms since the way you came from is to small for him to enter outside of the... would we call the area next to the big door that leads to the "hallway" a lounge? Yeah he wouldn't be able to go past the lounge since everything pass that is made for things you size and the other rooms have other guest in them that we have yet to even talk too. Plus you still need to furnish everything so it has a color beyond grey.

>>1059725

THIS!!! This is perfect.

I was thinking we could end things here and go to the next subject, but the way you put it even I am feeling guilty for leaving him.
If you're planing to open eventually anyway get this over with. Ask him to do whatever do you think will reduce the chances of giving you another irrational panic attack and do it.

Hey, this is recoverable, just keep calm. I'd pose a rhetorical question to keep him from thinking it's something he's doing wrong, which where I suspect his thoughts are going. He seems anxious and a bit prone to spiralling. What if the situation was reversed, he was tiny and you huge? Then follow up with saying that you want to be able to open the glass, doesn't have to be true right now because you'll likely have to open the glass at some point anyway, and insist that you'll work towards getting to that point.

Next will be to get him to think of it as something that can be worked towards, which it is- so this would be more thinking out loud about strategies: You have paperwork you need to do, requisition forms for the things he's requested, observation reports, etc, do the paperwork here. Meals can be had here too. Anything to acclimate yourself to his presence.

The key thing here is to make it seem like something achievable to him, and to you as well too! He needs to understand it's not something wrong with him but a very natural reaction to dealing with a giant creature that can be overcome, you need to understand this is something you can work towards, and you both need to see that it's not impossible.

There really isn't anything else to discuss at this point. If you aren't willing to open the glass, then you should be spending your time trying to figure out what you can do for him. Lying was never going to be a good solution and pretending you aren't intimidated isn't either. There's nothing really left to debate here. Let him know you are going to see what you can do to make him feel better and you can work on becoming more comfortable later. You can even tell him you'll work on feeling more comfortable for something like that in the future unless you are adamant you'll never do so. You didn't do anything wrong by telling him you weren't comfortable opening it even if it made him feel bad. Given how this situation has been laid out there was never a way for you to figure out what you needed to do before speaking to him. So, regardless of what you do, he will have to deal with being as he is for at least a little while longer.

If you aren't going to leave then steer the conversation back to talking about each other. Maybe you could open the outer garage door so he can at least look into your work area to see you while you do your paperwork? That way you can do your thing and he can maybe call you if he has more questions, concerns, or just wants to talk.

If possible, ask him if he has interacted with any others of your kind yet.



Also, your job is to assist with their recovery from translation and each of these subjects are one of multiple individuals of their species found. You are not the team making first contact; concerns about deadly viruses and the like are concerns that have certainly been dealt with by former teams associated with the project. Clamp down on the paranoia. You are basically the alien psychologist/therapist, not a xenovirogist.

If we're going to throw random paranoid theories around: what about the uniform we were told to wear whenever we are working? Are we sure it's not messing with our body? Maybe without it, we're even smaller. Maybe the uniform on the subjects is keeping them from being even bigger. food 4 thot

Tell him that you are a small bean and you are afraid because he is big and it's going to take a bit to get over that. You want to open it but you're too nervous right now. Tell him you also feel bad about it

>>1059713
Make a promise that if you two can work together well, you can see about lowering the glass.

Inform him about your day and how stressed out you are that you've been locked in here for six months and you, too, need a hug!

What to do? Simple:
Ask him about himself, ask him about hid hobbies, ask him about his vocation, tell him about your likes, tell about your friends, tell him about whimsical and fantastic world.

Have a genuine conversation and it will become not only a productive work day, but a fullfilling experience, for both of you.

>>1059723
>>1059724
>>1059726
>>1059729
>>1059732
>>1059735

Here are some points I've pulled out of some posts. And/or added myself.
1. You could ask him how he'd feel if the positions were reversed.
2. You could tell him you'll work towards it. Either "I'll" or "we'll", depending on how you feel about it. The point about mutual trust was a fair one.
3. Good vs nice: I have had several relationships where really, I ought to have told the other person something MUCH sooner, but I didn't want to make them sad. It usually went even more poorly in the end. I think what you did was within a stone's throw of optimal.
4. I wonder if you CAN requisition power armor or something? Ask the quartermaster what's available. As you've said, they appear to have insane resources.
5. You could offer to move your desk into this entry room, for company? I'm not sure what desk work there is to be done, yet, though.
6. Beyond that, maybe just talk for a while? You could, like, lean back against the glass or something?

Kuvusha, I am your TRUE conscience... You should feel very terrible for insulting the canned beans in your kitchen! Beans are good for you Kuvusha, you want to eat lots of beans. Eat enough beans and you may grow big and strong like Orro! Your conscience demands beans...

"Look... I'm not ready to open it with me in the room, but I'll look into whether it can be done remotely. You're not the only subject in my ward, and there's a chance I'll be able to set up 'social time' with folks who w-won't get terribly hurt if you're less than perfect in handling them. Alright? Ah- but none of the others in this wing are numono, either, just keep in mind. Sorry..."