[Closed] @eidxiety🧜‍♀️🔬

[winterbolt]

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[eidxiety]

Bird??

[Bird... What an easy name. Huh. They're so weird though.]

Can I have it??

[You cannot have it. You can't just pick everything you want up, Ain! What the fuck bud!]

[dyn4m0]

No?

[Ain...]

That's a wild bird. Even if you could catch it, do you think it would be happier in a cage, or living out here? It can't be in the water with you either.

[eidxiety]

But it's cute...

[You cannot have Everything, you spoiled baby. Look at you. Look how DEMANDING you are.

Anyway, Ain will leave the bird alone and continue to walk around the courtyard. He likes the way the grass feels under his feet, honestly. It's soft except for where it's been mowed, and kind of cold... he wants to flatten himself in it and take a nap.

Yaaawn.]

What do humans do for fun outside? Do you play in the grass? Do you have toys??

[We have to show Ain the joys of beach volleyball. And maybe football. And possibly fireworks—]

[dyn4m0]

[Fun...a word that Add isn't super close friends with, honestly. Never has been, even when he was a kid...he always had his nose buried in his studies, or whatever thing he was working on at the time. He didn't really even have any friends to speak of. Not ones he can remember, anyway.

Add puts his hands into the pockets of his labcoat as they walk.]

Moreso kids than adults, I guess. Kids will make fun out of anything, even just running around...but they play with toys the same as you. Balls, frisbees...that sort of shit.

[eidxiety]

Why not adults? I'm an adult, and I like playing with stuff. [Sirens don't have to have jobs though. Society doesn't expect them to do anything other than eat and play.] What's a frisbees?

[Can he chew on it...]

[dyn4m0]

Adults play, just not as often. We have jobs...we have to work to keep on living. That's just the way the world works for humans.

[Sirens, meanwhile...they have it made. All they have to worry about is getting enough food and shelter, otherwise they're set.

Anyway, Add gestures with his hands.]

They're like that plate you tried to eat earlier, except lighter. You toss them through the air.

[...]

Do not try to do that with a plate.

[eidxiety]

I would never~. I'm a good boy~.

[No you are fuckin not. You're a naughty boy who eats porcelain, climbs into penguin enclosures, and tries to manipulate snacks and toys out of the people assigned to you. Sprays Ain with the hose.

He sticks his nose in a flower nearby and takes a big sniff, then comes away sneezing because pollen in him nose. Blegh!]

Can I have a frisbee? Will you play with me if I have one? Maybe you'd be less grumpy all the time if you had time to play~.

[dyn4m0]

Haaah? The fuck does that mean??

[Add leans over to look at Ain in the face with a sneer, his hands braced on his knees.]

You do realize I can't just keep giving you stuff because you asked for it, right? You're already getting a brand new tank!

[AND maybe pets!! AND he got to leave his enclosure! AND he got people breakfast!!!]

[eidxiety]

Yes you can! You have the power to get stuff! I don't! I don't have "money"! You won't let me get a job!

[Ain, trust us, you don't want a job. Go be happy and swim in your tank and play with your toys.]

[dyn4m0]

[Add rubs a hand down the side of his face.]

This is the first I'm hearing about you wanting a job. You don't want a job.

[This world won't hire Siren workers, they're not THAT progressive yet.]

And it's not up to me. Everything I get for you goes through my boss first. Especially bigger things like the tank. Just because you answer to me doesn't mean I don't have someone I have to answer to, dumbass.

[eidxiety]

Well when do you become the boss so that you can give me everything I want?

[This is such a stupid argument you GUYS]

How does that work? Just go into her den and tell her you're the boss now!

[Do NOT go into her HOUSE]

[dyn4m0]

And then I get my ass kicked out! That is how you lose your job!

[Add is going to throw this fish he swears to GOD]

I don't want a promotion like that. I don't care about getting more duties, and I wanted this solo project with you, but I'd sooner throw myself in the ocean than be made the manager of anything.

[eidxiety]

[?? Just GO BE THE BOSS!!! This would ordinarily be the point where Ain throws himself down into the grass and has a fit, but for some reason his entire demeanor changes and his eyes start to sparkle.]

Aww, I love you too!!

[help]

You're so sweet! I'm glad I get to be on a solo project with you too, whatever that means~.

[dyn4m0]

[Ain you're so lucky you're so pretty and Add is inexplicably attracted to fishpeople now. After a moment of just...sighing, he'll shake his head and turn on his heel, nodding back towards the facility.]

Yeah yeah...anyway, we should get back inside. You've got a couple more hours outside of your tank before we need to get you in temporary housing until the one in the office is done.

[eidxiety]

Okay~.

[Ain veers off toward the inside again, which means no more chatty Ain. He can only be "forced English" Ain. Wiggle wiggle wiggle, he's big steppying into the distance to go back inside where it's cooler.

Hm... he could use a drink.

Trundle trundle, back to the cafeteria! He knows where the food is :) It's there :) He is completely passing by all the things in the lobby such as vending machines and the security officers who are looking over like "? fish", but maybe it's for the best Ain doesn't try to steal a taser or something.]

[dyn4m0]

[Honestly if Add doesn’t try noodling one, Add is not explaining the vending machines. One less thing he can do crimes with, for sure.

When they do make it back to the cafeteria, he will grab Ain a big bottle of water and open it up for him before handing it over. You’ve only had milk all day please hydrate.]

You’ve seen most of everything you’re allowed to see, but I’ll let you wander a little while longer.

[Add is well known for speaking to Ain out loud like this despite him “not understanding”, so this is at least considered normal by his coworkers.]

[eidxiety]

[??? show him the things he's Not allowed to see, then.

Ain takes the bottle in his noodles and takes several large swigs of it. Glug glug. He doesn't shotgun it like the milk, but he does take exaggerated gulps of it for sure.]

What call?

[Taps the bottle.]

[dyn4m0]

Mm? “Bottle”.

[Add taps the plastic with his nails.]

“Plastic”. Made of plastic.

[There’s a lot of it in the oceans right now he’s so sorry.]

[eidxiety]

Bottle!

[Apollo voice: bottle

Good, this is easy to say. Unfortunately for Add, though, Ain is approaching the lobby, which has lots of furniture and places to sit. Visiting scientists and college students who are here to take their lessons check in sometimes, security officers walk around, photographers come to interview staff, some people are at the counter making donations...

It's kind of a lot, but that's what lobbies are. Of course, Ain immediately gets silly about this, walking past a group of visitors before he starts to ring.

He darts behind a couch and peeks at them as they all shuffle to check their phones.

Score.]

[dyn4m0]

[Add can’t help but smirk as Ain plays a trick on the visitors. All in all, other than eating a plate, Ain’s actually been pretty good. Maybe he’s biased, or maybe he’s just getting soft, but it’s nice to see him outside of the tank enjoying himself. Still…Add hasn’t forgotten about the other night, nor about their current relationship together. What are they, even? A scientist and his specimen? Boyfriends? Mates???

He can’t think about that now. He’ll just lean against a wall and continue to supervise while Ain does crimes.]

[eidxiety]

[He literally said he loved you and called you his mate earlier, why are you dumb. When he gets the larger tank it's over for you he's jumping your bones.

Of course, now that Ain is creaturing, he's getting some attention. Some of the photographers here for their standard NatGeo reporting catch wind of Ain trying to prank people, and very cautiously approach with a nod to Add. They try to ask him questions, but he doesn't understand.

He points to a camera and says:]

Aa??

[He's still behind the couch, by the way. If he ducks down far enough to where they can't see his mouth, he'll start making Samsung text message notifications.]

[dyn4m0]

[Listen okay romance makes him flighty and the thought of commitment gives him indigestion, of course he’s dumb.]

That’s a camera. Look, don’t touch.

[He signs to Ain as he talks to continue selling the idea that he’s still teaching Ain words. Out of all that he just said, he’d know “don’t touch” for sure.

Then, to the reporters:]

Turn your flash off if you’re taking pictures.

[eidxiety]

Don't touch.

[He nods, like, yes he knows these words. Don't touch. Do not eat the camera. This is a different camera from the eyes, though. This one isn't in the wall and is quite bulky... he doesn't really get it, but he supposes the eyes must look like this when they're not in the wall.

The photographers do turn their flashes off for what it's worth. Ain, meanwhile, sips his water while one of them takes pictures of him half-hiding. The other person is asking Add questions, like, how many words does he know? Is he shy? Does he like pulling pranks? Does he know a lot of songs? What does he eat?

Ain isn't used to humans who don't smell like lab, so he crawls around the back of the couch and sniffs the one taking photos, taking a tentative seat on the couch after a moment. They don't smell mean. They kind of just smell like they ate lunch.

He points to himself.]

Smart baby.

[Let it be known that he's not introducing himself by the name Add gave him ever, he is Smart Baby because someone called him that once and he will ride that high for the rest of his life.

He points to Add.]

Add.

[dyn4m0]

[Catch Add scoffing again as he’s given an impromptu interview in the lobby.]

He loves to remind people of that. This is “Bluhen” by name, but he’s been given all sorts of nicknames by the staff. He knows over thirty phrases by this point and understands them through sign language when speaking through glass isn’t possible. There’s still a lot he doesn’t know, but we’re working on expanding his knowledge of simple phrases.

His normal diet includes clams, fish, shrimp, and some seaweeds, but we supplement his diet with beef and chicken for enrichment since he’s not hunting on his own.

[They've thought about giving live prey, but haven’t done so yet for fear of the Sirens getting hurt that way.]

[eidxiety]

[Congratulations you're gonna be on the news, and not for the reasons you initially thought! We love conservation! We support not murdering the Sirens! Look how pretty and healthy he is, is he pettable?

(Ain will move one of their hands onto his head at the question like yes, he is pettable. He is a good boy give him pets. This is not lending much to the "this is a sentient creature" argument, he's kind of like a parrot to them right now, but still.)

It is at this point that the parrot connection really does hit, though, and someone pulls out their phone to play R2D2 noises. Ain mimicks these perfectly, sounding uncannily robotic despite the fact he's a very organic creature. More questions get asked (conservation status, how social is he, are there more Sirens here, what's the goal here with the program, etc etc), but Ain is up on his feet big steppying toward one of the camera people. He takes her hand and starts leading her on to the cafeteria...

Add better be following after because a) Ain is being filmed and b) this bitch is showing this woman where the cafeteria is solely to point to one of the bananas in the cold case.]

Have?

[He's manipulating a snack out of you, RUN (the crew thinks this is so cute of him, look it's a doggy begging for food aww).]