sciencesquid | IC Inbox

so

you were right.

i turned into a giant rat. im home now, but a rat.

r u ok?

[Peter for his part isn't sure why this inclination to hoard food has risen from a mild itch to a full blown need. He keeps finding himself buying way too many snacks or taking any loose snacks to hoard in his room.

The hoarding is only overpowered by the need to make sure everyone eats. Peter can't even intelligently explain why. He just woke up this morning with an unmistakable need to disperse his hoard amongst the residents of hill house.

Its why he's up at extremely early, trying to tuck a loose handful of snacks next to Otto and Norman's bedroom door. The crinkling of the chip bags is hard to miss in the quiet of the early morning. He's just trying to make the stack keep from toppling over.]

why didnt u tell me

why

why did neither of you even try to tell me?

[Is this a little presumptuous?

Maybe.

Is it possibly weird?

Also a strong Maybe. Especially with everything that had happened recently.

All of them are still recovering to some extent after the debacle at the lake, but Peter had planned this when he realized Father's day was creeping up on them. So, Peter technically already had things done. The somewhat awkward bundle of things in his arms is testament enough to that.

Peter wonders if he's being super mega weird, but he's already committed to this. He's just telling himself that as he knocks on Otto's door in the afternoon. He didn't want to make the whole day awkward, so he waited till after lunch.]

Um, Otto? Are you busy?

um

okay.

can you please help me with something?

I like made way too many latkes.

please help me try to eat all of these.

I need to ask a favor. Is that... agreeable? Or am I overstepping.

[In his excitement, Peter does not think about his phrasing at all. He's gotten his ability to stick to any surface back from Mana. He just shoots a message off to Otto wanting to share the news.]

Otto!

Otto!

I'm sticky again! Not strong, but definitely sticky!

Norman still remembers Otto's morning routine from when they were living together. So, a couple of hours before he would have been due to wake up, Norman slips upstairs and makes coffee and - very carefully, according to the House's dog-eared cookbook - berry pancakes. Some are a little more burnt on the bottom than others, and the first few go straight into the garbage as failed flips, but he ends up with a decent stack of successes, which he plates on a melamine tray that reminds him of far too many T.V. dinners. A fresh cup of coffee, a small cup of juice, and the little birthday offering is complete. Norman holds it in his top two spider-legs so that he can knock gently on Otto's door once he's back downstairs.

"Good morning..."

[Peter had wanted to go on this shopping trip with Otto, they planned on it. They needed to get groceries and disrupting the morning routine was necessary. The fog had cleared up and things were momentarily quiet, so a trip to get supplies would be a good idea.

The problem was Peter was very sleepy. He hadn't stayed up that late, but his whole system was thrown off from no patrol for the last few days. Taking a break from being Spider-Man was just throwing everything off on top of the gross fog. When Peter commits to something, he maybe over commits in the typical teenage fashion.

Its why Otto has a rat sitting on his shoulder as the two pick over a local store. Peter shifted to his travel size after some droopy walking and planted himself on his uncle's shoulder.]

We should get taco shells. [Was that on the list? No. No it was not. Enjoy the free color commentary from a rat, Otto.]

[The walk home feels like it takes forever. The fact he's woken up from another death on the shore of lake Dala doesn't help. He's back in Ryslig, which is both a relief as much as it is something outright exhausting.

He's mildly dried off by the time he pushes open the front door to Hill House. He slouches in the direction of his own room. He slows a little as he passes by Otto's room. He probably should just go to his own room and change first, but concern for the older man makes him hesitate.

What if they're all stuck in Felfri still?]

Otto-? Are you home-?

Someone gave me a building.

what... do i do???

am i allowed to own a building?

oh my god

((after this))

Norman's mind is a blur after he leaves Harry's body in the park. He knows he doesn't have much time before the harpy resurrects, and he isn't sure if his experiment will work or be a massive mistake. The fleeting rush of satisfied revenge for Beat and the threat against Elias' followers fades, and he pulls up his hood as he crawls across the rooftops, back toward Lake Dala.

At the edge of the city, he looks out at the lake before rappelling down to the ground ... and can't help but think of the last time he killed monsters. Of the long, painful morning he spent searching the shore for Otto.

He wonders who will search for Harrier DuBois, and in that moment, he knows he has made a grave error. His eyes sting, not with the cold, but with regret and fear, and he quickens his pace the closer he gets to the house. It's late at night, and he moves quietly down to the lower level, knocking on Otto's door as softly as he can.

"Otto?" He tries to keep his voice calm, but the tension and the anxiety bleed through. "You awake?"

Ho ho ho! Your Secret Santa giftee is MAX MAYFIELD. On the network, she's "MADMAX". And, yes, I'm pretty confident she's a she.

Buy or make Max a gift by December 26, or Santa will come down your chimney and box your ears.

If you need more information, contact me C/O Hawkeye Pierce at Crowe Clinic, and I'll delegate him to tell you to do your own research.

[Early in the morning of the 24th, a gift arrives for Otto. Inside the wrapped giftbox is a plushie in the shape of an octopus, but even though there's no indication of it, this isn't just any plushie - or just any octopus, for that matter: this was sewn entirely by ~~Diavolo~~ someone very important. It has the air of something that, conceptually, was meant to be cute - it's pink and everything! - but there a strange element of uncanniness to it somehow. The large, dark eyes are more haunting than endearing, and the stitches have an oddly raw quality to them...

Anyway, the card attached just says, "Merry Christmas! -- Secret Santa." Enjoy, Otto.]

[ Otto will receive a flashlight that works underwater, since he currently lacks much in the way of bioluminescence. The note that comes with it reads "Congratulations on your change! Happy swimming!" ]

Okay, this is kinda... out of nowhere.

But, I just felt like I should actually ask, you know? I kinda of have just been assuming.

are you okay in general with me calling you 'dad' or like some variation? Or do you prefer just 'uncle'. I kind of flip between either when I talk about your or Norman.

I don't know what the future has in store for us, but, I care about you, and I just... want to know.

[There is a shadow creeping along the wall, bright eyes opening to peer around the quiet that has fallen over Hill House.

After the initial horror at the transformation, Peter finds himself well... more than fine with being a Shade. He's staying home primarily out of the way of the apparent vengeance spree going on in Bavan.

The worst feeling Peter has had so far has been the urge to cause slight bits of mischief here and there. It's about on par with being a pooka. It has been keeping him relatively content given the fact he couldn't really go online given he kept going through the computer.

The shadow comes to a stop in the living room, emerging from the wall to slink forward where Otto is busy reading.

A shadowy tendril creeps along the surface of a table, grabbing at a familiar pair of sunglasses.

Peter laughing a little is a dead give away to his incredibly tame crime.]

Edited 2023-01-22 21:06 (UTC)

[Peter already has a feeling this conversation won't go so great, but... he wants Norman and Otto to know where he's going.]

Otto, hey

I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be joining Steven and the rest of the people headed out the wastes to explore it.

Just as Peter, no Spider-Man, no heroics. Promise. I'll be safe.

As a heads up, I'm going to be staying at the tower for a few days to work on a project. I'll have my laptop with me if you guys need to message me though.

Okay

so

i really fucked up

can you please help me?

[It sure has been a...series of hours.

However, the work doesn't stop, even if matters are lighter when the fog isn't in. Most of what there is to be done at Veritas involves preparing for the influx in unusual corpses sent their way: ensuring adequate staff coverage, phone tree assignments for the human interns, supply stocking, housekeeping...

Boring. But he's fallen from "acting coroner" into "director," somehow, and if he doesn't want any interesting bodies to slip through the cracks if he becomes indisposed, this prep work is necessary.

However, it means he leaves on time, around when Rachel's due to go. He falls into step beside her, natural as anything, holding the sturdy front door more out of comradeship and respect for her slime limitations than politeness. (Lord knows that when he's focused on something, Holmes will sometimes just barrel through a door, bystanders be damned.) They're chatting about something or other, probably related to whatever was on the radio while they were working, as they exit.]

--but there are some excellent examples of Italian contributions to the form. Have you heard Donizetti's harp solo, from "Lucia di Lammermoor?"

[--or something along those lines.]

Edited (not me failing to remember details from the case it was mentioned in) 2023-06-07 17:06 (UTC)

Good morning Dr. Otto.
I forgot to inform you that I will no longer be requiring your chauffeur services even when I return to being a slime. I greatly appreciate the help you provided, especially with the additionally stress of it putting you in proximity at times of someone you have an unpleasant history with.

[After talking with Chiaki a little, he's less high-strung about the issue, but he still has to ask The Dad.]

Otto, are you free???

I have a question, like a really dumb one I guess. Well, I guess its advice I'd like to ask?

Edited 2023-10-08 18:31 (UTC)

I guess as a heads up, Mr. Stark is here.

I'm not sure how I feel about it, but, I'm helping him where I can.

Can I show you a schematic I finished? Its kind of silly but... I'm proud of it.

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, OCTAVIUS. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 015.03.020.15 * OCTAVIUS has joined 015.03.020.15 <OCTAVIUS>** You've reached Dr. Otto Octavius. Please leave a message.

<P.B.P> - May 7th

Mid-May idk - [Action] Rat Snack Attack

<P.B.P> After he gets his laptop back after The Incident

6/19/22 - Fathers day bABEY

<P.B.P> mid-july