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The Lab
Jul 1, 2008 14:34:08 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 1, 2008 14:34:08 GMT -5
Jamison walked stiffly down the stairs. Sleep had not come to him; for the remained of the night, his brain had been a whirlwind of worries and ideas, most of which had been generated by the creature's escape the previous afternoon and only compounded by the arrival of the strange boy from the circus. He was convinced that the whole wretched mess could play out in his favor, but he would have to be at his sharpest at all times.
Which is one of the reasons why he was in a particularly beastly mood when the early-morning birdsong assaulted his ears and he had caught nary a wink of sleep.
He rose early, put on his dressing gown and slippers, enjoyed a hasty cup of tea, and made his way to the basement. Taking a seat on the laboratory bench, he watched the tank, looking only half-heartedly for its lone occupant.
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The Lab
Jul 1, 2008 14:42:23 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 1, 2008 14:42:23 GMT -5
The creature had woken and crawled out from its cave some time before, dug up the last of its hidden apples and chased the fish in its tank before growing terrible bored and settling in the bottom around the lights, amid its collections of items.
It no longer seemed concerned with the monkey skull, as it didn't have it clutched in its thick hand. Of course, it had smashed the thing against the wall of its cave while communicating with Erik the night before.
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The Lab
Jul 1, 2008 18:07:02 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 1, 2008 18:07:02 GMT -5
After at least ten minutes of staring into the water, Jamison finally managed to spot the creature where it had settled among its array of curious, red-colored objects. Automatically, he dug in his pockets for a scrap of paper and began to record the identities of what objects he could make out clearly and list hypotheses as to why each object was chose, but it was more reflexive than intentional, and his heart really wasn't in it.
And he was so tired all of a sudden. He stilled his hand for a moment and debated ascending the stairs to ask Mrs. Waterbury for a pot of coffee.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 3, 2008 21:11:03 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 3, 2008 21:11:03 GMT -5
Erik appeared silently in the doorway to the lab and stood for a moment before entering and going straight to the tank to find Wanizame.
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The Lab
Jul 6, 2008 19:20:12 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 6, 2008 19:20:12 GMT -5
Possibly sensing its little friend, the creature stirred in the bottom of the tank and turned over to peer sleepily up to the glass, then smiled and spun around, pushing through the water to get to the front of the tank and pressing up against the glass, its hand thunking against the glass on level with Erik.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 6, 2008 19:28:21 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 6, 2008 19:28:21 GMT -5
Erik smiled without pretense, pressing his hand to the glass.
"Hullo," he said.
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The Lab
Jul 6, 2008 19:39:26 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 6, 2008 19:39:26 GMT -5
It pushed away from the glass and spun around in the water before hopping up onto the rocky little beach and pointed up at the hatch.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 6, 2008 19:46:17 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 6, 2008 19:46:17 GMT -5
Without so much as a glance at Jamison, Erik nimbly climbed up and slipped through the hatch, presenting himself to the creature.
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Post by Wanizame on Jul 7, 2008 8:14:59 GMT -5
It grinned and busily checked Erik over to make sure he was whole and in good condition, prodding at the mask to see that it was still firmly in place, then it curled its lean arms around the boy and trilled at him.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 7, 2008 9:10:53 GMT -5
Still unused to such treatment, Erik stiffened slightly, then forced himself to relax. To a certain degree. The creature's obvious affection for him was both wondrous and strange to Erik, and he was almost disturbed by how gratifying a feeling it was. He knew he needed to cease expecting such things. But it was so easy to smile and feel good when he was around the merman.
"I slept in my own bed," he informed the creature, needlessly as he thought. "And then I ate, oh, a tremendous lot."
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The Lab
Jul 8, 2008 16:56:39 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 8, 2008 16:56:39 GMT -5
Jamison sat up with a start; when had he dozed off? He fumbled for his pocket watch and checked the time, relieved to see that he couldn't possibly have been sleeping for more than fifteen minutes. His journal lay open beside him, filled with scrawls that looked more like a drawing of a grassland than anything resembling actual words. He sighed and shook his head. Perhaps the coffee really was an excellent idea.
Henry stood and crossed the lab, nearly to the stairs before he noticed his new assistant was in the tank with their subject. He gaped for a moment before rapping on the glass.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 8, 2008 17:00:49 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 8, 2008 17:00:49 GMT -5
Erik started guiltily and turned to see Jamison. Grimacing behind his mask, he scrambled out of the tank to stand before the professor.
"Good morning, sir," he said.
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The Lab
Jul 8, 2008 17:12:27 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 8, 2008 17:12:27 GMT -5
Henry wore a mild frown as he watched the child scurry out of the tank. "Erik, good of you to come down so early. I hope you were able to get a good breakfast." He looked up at the top of the tank. "Though I trust you will be more careful in closing the hatches next time you enter the tank; I should not like the creature to blunder about in my labs again. There are dangerous things in here, and it could hurt itself quite easily. Do you understand?"
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 8, 2008 17:30:11 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 8, 2008 17:30:11 GMT -5
It wasn't as if it was going to go anywhere, Erik reasoned to himself. Not while he was there. But he swallowed it, and nodded, remembering what the creature had done with Erik's own blade.
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The Lab
Jul 8, 2008 17:40:34 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 8, 2008 17:40:34 GMT -5
"Good. Feed the animal--three fishes and three apples should be sufficient, I should think--and then come to my desk. I should be back before you finish; I need to see the housekeeper. Again, be sure you close the hatches securely."
Jamison crossed to the stairs and ascended them rather shakily, not sparing the boy or the merman another glance.
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