[FIN] A Big Fishy

[Gwennythe]

Normal.
Fine.
Okay.
But dead.

It didn't make sense. It just didn't. Things died and whatever had caused it would be caught in a test, or at least, the most likely candidate would reveal itself.
But there was nothing.
Tambrey had tried every test, every scan and every sampling she could gain access too without hogging an unreasonable amount of resources or taking up too much time.
It meant a couple of options were never going to be covered, but given the appearance of everything about the Sharpedo, she highly doubted them to be likely candidates.
In the end, she'd had to label it 'inconclusive', and attached a note to the file she stored on the lab log; of course, she doubted anyone would read it, but she felt it was important to note such an... odd death just so they had it on file, at least.

The scientist knelt on a towel, next to the bathtub, mind playing over what she'd found, or rather hadn't found, while her hand moved the water around to the delight of the not-yet fully-grown Luvdisc, who proceeded to splash back at her.  

[TawnyAngel]

The door to the next room over opened, allowing the sound of chatter to float through to the bathroom. "But how did he even manage that! Like a bloody cheap chase scene sketch."

"Sawk saw saww ss sawk saw!"

"Yes, Rose, he put the bloody bench away but he bloody hit me in the ear with it too!"

"Saww!"

"Up yours, you git." While this was said with an attempted growl it actually came out with a huff of amusement too. "But I suppose it goes to show that there's no such thing as too much paranoia no matter what anyone says...." There was a pause, then in slightly flustered tones; "Hoi, Tam, you in the bath? You've left the door open!"  

[Gwennythe]

"Hm? Sounds eventful!" Tam' called back, then thought about the question. "No, I'm not. Someone else is. You can come in if you want." Well, that was probably a very awkwardly confusing statement, but Tam's mind was still a little elsewhere, and she didn't really want to get up from where she was kneeling yet. Besides, Oxy had heard the voices and, though reluctant to leave the nice bathwater, was over Tambrey's arm now, effectively trapping it for a moment, in a bid to try and hear more of Rose and Aulus.

Tambrey's towel was designed with a print of an Azurill wearing aviators, and she was in black shorts and an old ninja-squirtles top, apparently having dressed prepared for being splashed.  

[TawnyAngel]

Waht? "What?" Aulus blinked and peered into the bathroom cautiously. When he spotted the Luvdisc he relaxed and laughed. "Oh, that sort of someone! Cute! New acquisition?" He then took in Tam's attire and grinned wider. "Ahh, I haven't seen that top for a while, love it."

As he stepped into the bathroom proper Aulus proffered a bag of assorted nuts, large seeds, and small pieces of dried fruit to his partner. "What's the verdict? I dried the fruit out in Hayes' oven, decided against trusting the general populous of the base wouldn't do something awful if I left the tray in the canteen ovens for n-hours. I think it's come out pretty well - the cinnamon is nice - though I'd do bigger bits of apple next time I think."  

[Gwennythe]

The Luvdisc, either startled or feeling mischievous, fired a small jet of water directly at Aulus' face. Given the otherwise relaxed nature of the Luvdisc, it was probably the latter.

"Ooh!" Tambrey reached to take and test a piece of fruit moments before Oxy turned into a squirt gun.
"Mmm. Yes. Very good." She agreed with a nod, grinning as she tasted the mentioned cinnamon.
As to her attire.
"It is an old top but, uh, I do like it too... Yes, she's new. The old top is, um... Because someone can't stop splashing around every time they get to play in any water... Her name is Oxytocin, by the way. Or Oxy. Oxy, this is Aulus..." Squirt... Oh... Well. There was an interesting greeting...  

[TawnyAngel]

Aulus swerved out of the way of the water with the reflexes of a man who was quite used to things trying to kill him.

Rose, while technically faster, was not used to things trying to kill him and so took the little jet of water in the face as it arced down from the height of Aulus-face-level. He spluttered and laughed. <>

At this point Aulus registered that the projectile had been harmless and gave a snort of amusement. "Too slow Rose! Glad you approve though Tam, and that's a good name for a Luvdisc! Made her yourself?" She really was very pretty, he knew that putting in a new pattern was harder work than a simple pallet swap and Oxy had a lovely smooth gradient on here. "You're beautiful, aren't you?" he added to the Luvdisc herself, perching on the edge of the bath and offering his left hand down to her to investigate.  

[Gwennythe]

<> Mimicked Oxy, cheekily, at the Sawk, sounding rather pleased with herself.

"I very much approve! Those are good... Bigger apple slices sound awesome!" Tambrey enthused, imagining them with cinnamon too. They sounded /really/ nice.
"Thanks. Um. Well. More or less. I, um, needed a water type anyway... I don't think Linnaeus wants to be at all, so... I suspect I'm getting an Umbreon from him. Anyway, um, we've been running a few patterns and different aquatic skin variants recently... Actually some of that was thanks to something Lex requested... Well. Um, I remembered we had the Luvdisc base genome in the system and tried applying a few different pigment allele pairings and patterns... She's prettier than my projections." Tambrey grinned proudly, but then frowned, remembering to add. "Anyway, I, uh, figured I really should invest in a water type after, um, you know."

Oxy was very very pleased to be getting more attention.
She flapped and splashed about, attempting to gently bump at the hand and get a feel of it.

<< No she isn't!>> Called a jealous little voice from the other room. << She keeps splashing me!>>

"I keep telling you that means she -likes- you Franklin..." Tambrey rolled her eyes.  

[TawnyAngel]

Aulus smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners with fondness. "Y'know you're always better than you think you are Tam, at pretty much everything."

...Well that had been a bit heartfelt.

Aulus quickly transferred her attention down to Oxy. "But uh, I'll try the bigger pieces then, and balancing a team's good. I keep thinking I need to get myself a smaller psychic type, and maybe a steel type?" He couldn't guarantee that Tam and Ella would be with him on any given mission. "I was thinking maybe a Scizor, though I usually take Paul on missions so I'm not sure? Maybe I should get a Beldum and hit both nails on the head with... one nail?... That analogy didn't work did it? Heh, and Franklin isn't too pleased?"

Rose wiped his face and moved over to the tub. <> he repeated, now in the other sense of the word. <>  

[Gwennythe]

... Ah. Well.
Now she was blushing. That had been very nice... But she wasn't sure /quite/ how to take the unexpected 'feelings' from Aulus.
Well... It was probably healthy, even if she wasn't sure she agreed... and she should probably return the compliment...

Despite blushing, she smiled, and awkwardly followed it with.
"Thanks... Um. Uh. You know, that's... the same for you?"
Well, good. Now it was /more/ awkward.

"Ahem. Um. Anyway, bigger pieces sound really good. I'll look forward to those; these," She pointed at the bag "are a very good preview, and good as, um, stand-alone... Oh. Hrm. I've been thinking about a Beldum too, but more, um, computing power-wise. A nice compliment to Turing..." Her 'dex beeped, registering that the currently sprite-form Porygon-Z had heard her mention his name, and he was saying 'hi'.
"Odd analogy or not, I think they're really useful and, uh... Yes. My 'small' psychic and steel type is currently not pleased. I think she's a little jealous."

<> She was clearly just outside the door.

"I've never seen, um, a Scizor in action much properly... They seem like something that, um," would it sound odd to say it? It might do, but oh well, she went for it anyway "would suit you. Dependable, but fast, and, uh, skilled in a fight, when trained right, and well... You always train them right, so... Um. Either of those sound pretty good."

<< I am Oxy! You are wet! Hello Rose!>> She aimed another squirt his way, happy to make a friend.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh, um, thanks!" Aulus found himself flushing slightly too, and glad that Tam offered further topics of conversation. "And, yeah? I can see that being a lot of use to you.... To be honest I'm a bit wary of the Scyther line," he gestured at the scar across his face, "left a bit of an impression on me." He then glanced at the door, grinned, and nodded at Tambery. "Another small cute thing is an insult, eh? Tortie didn't like it much at all when I first started getting... well any pokemon other than her. Or making human friends. She got over it though!" Thankfully.

<> Rose agreed with a chuckle. <>  

[Gwennythe]

"Ah... Right." Tambrey gave a nod; one thing about Aulus she'd come to notice on occasion was that it was rather easy, despite its prominence, to forget he had that scar. That it was a scar. Having never known him without it, to her it was simply 'his face', as his metal arm was slowly just becoming 'his arm'...
"Um. I think so. I mean. Since her I've gotten Millicent, Enjee, Turing... Well, um. They're cute to me but... um, I guess, unlike Franklin they don't meet the, uh, usual definition of cute? So you might be right there... And, um, yes. I'm glad she did." Tambrey didn't fancy having Tortie angry at her. Ever.

<> Giggled the heart-fish, splashing about.

<< She's going to make a mess! I hear splashing!>> Franklin protested from behind the door.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Me too," Aulus agreed with a nod, "I think she and I are both happier for it... Well I know I am, and I think she is. I wouldn't want to go back to having her as my only friend in the world." Not now he had Tam, and all his other pokemon, and Claire, and Hayes. Aulus yawned slightly and rubbed his neck muscles with his flesh hand. "It's a mess in the bathroom Franklin, it's all good! And I'd call them cute too," he nodded, "but I understand where she's coming from." Same place as Tortie's hostility back when they'd first joined, a fear of being replaced. That was how he saw it anyway.  

[Gwennythe]

"She probably is." Tambrey mused out loud. "I mean. She was your only friend, at one time, you said, and um, well, being a friend means you feel happier when a friend is happier so... Um. Well. She probably is. I think..."

<< I told you she'd make a mess! We should send her back!>> Franklin called, apparently seizing on what Aulus had just revealed to 'make a point', a little like a toddler objecting to a new sibling.

"We're not sending her back, Franklin!" Tambrey called back, almost as though it was rehearsed or something she'd said a couple of times now.
"Um. Anyway, Yes. I think I know where she's coming from too... I think. I've had to spend a lot of time getting Oxy used to different things already... But it's not like Oxy can help me in the labs, nor is Oxy allowed out of her ball as often as Franklin is... I'm hoping she'll just get used to her. Oxy already likes Franklin..."

<< Not going back! Not going back! Are you going back?>> Oxytocin asked Rose, intrigued, and apparently having no idea what 'going back' actually meant in the context she was using it.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Yeah," Aulus smiled and nodded, "and she's even got friends too now! She won't admit to being happier of course, because she's Tortie and she's like that. I'm sure Franklin will come around eventually, when she's sure she's not being displaced."

Aulus nibbled on some of the nut mix he'd made and then abruptly said; "Mmh!" and swallowed. "Oh, but did you get the final results today? From the Sharpeado."

Rose chuckled and shook his head. <pink Aulus!>>

"Hu?" said Aulus who hadn't been paying attention to Rose. He then laughed and shook his head. "But then you'd be pink and wearing pink too. That'd be too much pink."

<>  

[Gwennythe]

<< No I will not!>>

"Stop eavesdropping, Franklin!" Tambrey called, than considered how to proceed with her answer; it was so unsatisfyingly odd... in that it was so absent of anything that would cause, well, death. It would be a normal result for a living, healthy Sharpedo.
"Um. Ye-es..."

She paused, hesitated, and was grateful for the extra time to work out exactly how to word her answer, as Aulus spoke to Rose.

<< No such thing! No such thing!>> Apparently Oxy agreed with Rose.