recolle | closed || a small world trapped in a tank

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closed || a small world trapped in a tank

WHO: Minako, Freya, and Lucy
WHERE: Recollé Aquarium
WHEN: Sometime in March.
WHAT: A well-deserved Roommate Day!
WARNINGS: None. Probably.

[ROOMMATE DAY. There's a lot of stuff to do and see as usual. Aside from looking at the fish, there's also the animal shows, the science displays, and the touch tanks. The aquarium has also recently welcomed a handful of new baby animals, and in celebration, there's special (overpriced) meals and desserts themed around them at the cafe.

First, the fish tanks! There's some jellyfish in this tank, and Minako only gives them a cursory glance, wanting to avoid them for Reasons. She occupies her attention with the Finding Lory fish instead.]

These ones are so cute!

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[Lucy was often one or two tanks ahead (there were eels! the biggest lobster she'd ever seen! sharks!) but Minako was over here. Lucy didn't mind the jellyfish (they were in a neat round tank), but her friend's presence was at least a slight anchor keeping Lucy in place. Slightly.

The blue tangs were a very vibrant blue, though, and Lucy stopped flitting around like a butterfly to stand next to Minako.]

They're pretty.

[And a different fish caught the light from its tank and flashed silver from down the hall, and Lucy was distracted again. Off she went, an unusual lightness in her steps.]

[Minako glances up, but almost immediately Lucy is off again to look at another fishy specimen. It's endearing to watch her be so...childlike. Or as childlike as Lucy will allow herself to be.

It makes her feel lighter in her heart. If even Lucy is happy, then there's nothing she needs to worry about right now, other than keeping up and having fun with her roommates.

She pulls out her camera phone and takes a few short snaps of Lucy wandering around, smiling to herself.]

Aw. Definitely gonna post these ones to Facebook later.

[And if Lucy's often flitting ahead a few tanks, Freya often dallied a tank or two behind. She sauntered along at an easy pace, taking her time to observe the animals. She hasn't bothered to take off the hat one of them shoved on her head.]

[After Lucy darts away again, Freya steps up next to Minako.]

I was thinkin'. You should keep her busy next interactive exhibit we come across. She should have a season pass to this place; never really get to see Lucy like this.

[Lucy was distantly aware of her roommates talking about something, but there were these weird fish that looked like they were staring at the ground all the time. And...a much larger version of a fish she was fairly sure she saw cut up at a grocery store. This one was contentedly swimming around near the look-downs, though. Definitely not in pieces.

The quietly excited child at the aquarium showed zero sign of stopping.]

[Minako grins at Freya and snaps her guide to the museum out of her purse, running her finger down the paper.]

The penguin show is in ten minutes, and then there's an ocean wave simulation with otters after that. So that'll give you plenty of time.

[Not...noticing that Lucy has gone way ahead of them.]

[Freya makes a little intrigued noise at "ocean wave simulator," otherwise watching Lucy bounce from tank to tank in the increasing distance.]

Oh, yeah. Penguins'll hold her. [She shoots Minako a half-grin, her voice lowering despite their younger friend being well out of earshot.]

Think we should've brought a harness?

[And with that, Freya saunters off after Lucy again. Best not to lose her to trying to track the same fish through the large tank, or something like that.]

[Lucy's easy to re-locate this time! She's standing still for once, hands pressed against the sides of the octopus tank. Said tank's current occupant is sprawled on the other side, arms curled up and floating lazily.

Two of Lucy's vectors have appeared out of her back; one occasionally floats higher or lower than the other one, and the octopus moves its arms more or less in time with them, quite like it could see the vectors too.

It's easy to hear her muttering.]

Fucker knows I'm watching.

[Minako snickers to herself as she follows after her roommates, pausing next to the octopus tank next to Lucy.]

Maybe it's the way octopi play.

[She raises her arms to mimic the other two, making a little wave with her arms.]

[Chuckling, Freya steps back and at an angle to take a picture of the two and their boneless new friend. That one's going on the internet with some comment about interactive exhibits.]

[Now the octopus was mimicking Minako too, waving two more of its arms right back at her along with the ones copying Lucy's vectors. It didn't seem terribly bothered at these funny tourists standing outside of its tank.

Lucy was still grumbling, but less now that Minako was nearby.]

I guess.

[Minako snorts out a laugh at the octopus' reaction.]

Freya, please tell me you're getting this on video.

[Pictures won't do this scene justice.]

Oh, and the penguin show is in about ten minutes, Lucy. You wanna head over soon to get some good seats?

[There's the little bloop indicating that there was video now, but she didn't know how much it'll catch. At this point.]

Mm, I dunno. Got a lot of pictures.

You rather it ignore you, Lucy?

[Lucy curls up into a brief sulking posture when she hears that little camera cue, though she didn't look away from the octopus. It was still copying Lucy and Minako.]

All the other fish did.

[Not quite a yes, not quite a no.

If the octopus had an opinion, it kept it to itself, for it was an octopus.]

...yes, just...in a second, Minako.

[...could her vectors pass through glass? Or whatever this was. They seemed to do that to some things, maybe this time too?

One of the spectral hands touched the clear surface with its fingertips--and sank through it without issue, neither disturbing the glass or the water. The octopos' behavior changed immediately, from lazy mimicry to alertness; its arms dropped to the tank floor to raise its body up, its color shifting slightly to better match its rocky substrate.

Lucy wiggled her vector's fingers at the creature, and it considered this.

Considering.

Considering.

And the octopus pounced at the distortion in the water, passing straight through it harmlessly. The octopus drifted straight to the bottom, looking a bit bewildered.

Lucy blinked, and stared at her own vector. The other one disappeared.]

...weird.

[SHE HOPES YOU GOT ALL OF THAT ON VIDEO, FREYA. Even if some people might not understand what the heck is going on. Minako scoots close to look at the vector too, then touches the spot on the glass it went through. No leak. No crack. No nothing!]

Whoa.

[Some people, including her.]

I'm not even gonna try to understand what just happened. [Primarily the everlasting mystery that was Lucy's ghost hands, but strangely not the weirdest thing Freya's seen. She glances over her shoulder, looking for aquarium staff.]

Can you feel with those things?

[invisible hands how do they work]

Yes, and...no?

[Lucy watched her friend touch the glass too, a little relieved that there was in fact no apparent damage. Just a terribly confused octopus.]

I can tell when things are solid, but not if they're...water, I guess?

[The vector briefly brushed Minako's sleeve, and Lucy shook her head. It was...different from the glass, and Minako's arm for that matter.]

[Minako pats the vector, looking intrigued.]

We should have them hold ice one day, and see what it feels like to you while it melts.

[Fun roommate science ~~that doesn't cause mental instability~~!]

Anyways, we'd better hurry and get seats to the penguin show! Unless you don't want to be in the splash zone. We could just sit in the back.

[Freya flicks the camera app away, tucking her phone into her pocket, and (lightly) claps Lucy on the back.]

What's a little water for a chance to be up close to those little sweethearts, yeah?

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closed || a small world trapped in a tank

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