Seems mostly like an amusement thing. They do trash the police station a lot, though. Also, the one I caught spray-painted "ACAB" everywhere. So they've got a big "fuck the police" attitude goin' on, which I respect. But not when it means I don't get paid.
Yeah, Ray. Maybe I'll do that after I find the bastard.
... Oh my God. Spengs, you're crying? I wasn't even sure you could.
[Sounds kind of like she's asking if she's their baby. Egon pauses for a moment, wiping the tear from his face.]
Perhaps if you express this attitude more openly, they will be drawn to you, and it will be easier to capture them. [A pause.] Also, contrary to popular belief, I am perfectly capable of expressing my emotions.
[Said in a monotonous voice.]
Ray, perhaps it was your enthusiasm that led to her being eager to communicate with you in a way you would comprehend. In a few weeks, using Kölliker as a translator, we may even be able to communicate with our other Pokémon.
[This must sound really weird from Venkman's perspective.
Oh, I hadn't thought of that! Wow, that'd be great! We wouldn't just have to rely on second-hand information about Pokemon here if Ko translated for us!
Is she still talking to you guys? I can't hear it.
[And odd, lopsided smile appears on Venkman's face- something genuine and warm, both things that aren't particularly common for him. He looks down the alleyway again- old habits really do die hard- and speaks up, his voice noticeably softer.]
I know, Egie. I wouldn't've been in love with you since undergrad if I didn't know that.
She is. I assume that telepathic communication cannot be transmitted digitally.
[Egon opens his mouth to reply to Ray when Peter says that. He pauses, staring at the screen. Kölliker reaches out a figurative hand in concern. She doesn't yet have the words to ask about her dad yet, but she's taking in the fact that this loud baby box is making glasses funny dad feel the same way whenever he talks to happy good dad at night.
There's a lot he can say right now, but he feels it would sound ingenuine. He settles on the nostalgia factor to try and convey his fondness.]
You know, I wonder where all of us would be if we hadn't met each other during college. [He glances towards Ray.] Or if we'd never expressed any romantic attraction to each other.
[Ray wraps his arms around Kölliker, not unlike a stuffed animal.]
God, I don't even want to think about that. You know that I didn't have a whole lot of friends in college before I met you guy. There weren't enough people out there who'd be willing to put up with my love of the supernatural and monsters like you guys do.
[He frowns thoughtfully, before he smirks.]
I'm sure if we never clicked I would have done something really boring like become a used cars salesman or something like that!
If I'd never met you guys, I'd probably be in prison. Or working with my dad at whatever con job he feels like pushing, now that he's outta the carny business. Not sure which is worse.
You know you guys were half of what got me through my doctorates. And not, uh, not just because I borrowed your notes, Spengs.
[Kö is a squishy baby and fits right in Ray's arms. She burbles a little bit--happy good dad is not happy? Glasses funny dad is also sad but glad? Baby is confused by the range of emotions in this room.]
I'd probably have been forced to take on more "serious" work--pressured to abandon my interest in parapsychology to pursue "real" subjects such as mechanical engineering or physics. And with no one else to confirm or deny my theories....
[He shakes his head. He's not stupid--he knows that the things he does or says tends to put off other people.]
Either way, I am glad to have avoided that path in my life. And I am also glad to be able to come to this dimension with you two, and to be fortunate enough that you two had also met your version of Egon. The sheer slim probability of this is incredible, and should be celebrated.
[Ray leans against Egon, resting his head on his shoulder.]
It really is nice, and even if fate doesn't exist, the fact that we were able to meet each other and better all our lives for it, in multiple dimensions, no less, makes me feel happy.
I love you too. And I can't wait to hear your weird baby talk when I catch back up with you both. And get to see you in person, Spengs.
[Venkman's gotten pretty used to the whole "this is an alternate reality version of my boyfriend" thing, but video messages aren't the same as seeing him face to face.
He seems to be about to say something else, but a crash from deeper in the alleyway interrupts him. For a moment, Venkman panics, turning behind him to face whatever it is and briefly covering the Pokegear screen with his hand. Then-]
... Oh. Oh!
[Venkman picks up the camera and turns it to face the Squirtle peeking out from behind a toppled over garbage can. It's... it's wearing sunglasses? And holding a can of spray paint??]
Someone was eavesdropping, huh?
[Quietly, as an aside for Ray and Egon's benefit:]
That's the one I caught. The one who ran off on me.
I know. And I love you, as well. I look forward to seeing you finally.
[A pause. He's about to ask Venkman if he had been able to get the deer to the PokéCenter when the sudden crash makes him stop. Concern mars his mind, and Kölliker beeps in response, but the moment passes. She peers at the screen, trying to wiggle out of Ray's arms.]
[Ray knows he needs to be a good role model, but he bursts out laughing when he hears that, both out of shock and both because that's weirdly precious.]
Ko that's a bad word, you're not allowed to say that!
[Venkman's busy looking at his Squirtle, trying to figure out what to do here. He wants to be mad. He should be mad! He spent all day trying to track this thing down, and she just goes and finds him herself. Hell, maybe she's been following him all day, laughing at him as he ran all over the place. ... Watching him talk with his partners and laugh about the Ko's first words.
Ray's laugh momentarily breaks his train of thought, though, and he turns the camera back to himself to glance at Ko.]
... What did the baby say?
[And then, of course, seeing Ray just reminds him of Ray and Egon's advice before. Ugh.
Still. Maybe they have some sort of point.
Venkman crouches down on the ground, keeping eye contact with the Squirtle. He sets the Pokegear aside, facing towards the Squirtle and not himself. He runs a hand through his hair.]
Hey. I dunno how long you were watching me, but I'm not- I'm not upset with you. Um. Look. I caught you for a reason, but if you'd rather stick around here, I'm not gonna stop you. Obviously you've got some sorta thing going here, I'm not gonna force you to leave your friends or whatever.
All I really need is to show you to the police station so I can collect the reward, and then you can go free again if you want. I'm not gonna, like, turn you in. Can we- can we make a deal, there? I get the reward, you do whatever you want to do afterwards, and I don't ever have to bother you again if you don't want.
[The Squirtle tilts her head slightly, considering the offer.]
[Egon shakes his head.] No. You are not a bad baby. You cannot yet grasp the complexities of morality and thus cannot be "good" or "bad" based on what flimsy definitions human beings place upon these concepts.
[Kölliker burbles a little, a little confused but pleased. She nuzzles against Ray's face. Egon, in the meantime, directs his attention back towards the Squirtle.]
What is she doing? I can't see it with the small turtle blocking it.
Hey, I thought she’d be able to bond with your bad boy past!
[He’s trying his best Venkman!!
Ray happily nuzzles back while looking over at Egon.]
Maybe we shouldn’t be telling her that at this age. I know morality is complex but I don’t want her to get the idea that swearing is okay just because they’re words society has deemed as bad.
[He picks up the Pokegear and takes a few steps forward to get a better angle. Ray and Egon can now clearly see what she's doing. After a few seconds, the Squirtle takes a step back, seemingly proud of herself. In white paint, she's legibly written the name "LUCA".]
... Huh. Is that your name or another acronym?
[The Squirtle nods and points at herself. Venkman shakes his head, a little bemused.]
Alright, cool. I'm guessing this means-
[And then he tunes back into the conversation on The Morality of Swears going on on the other end, and he turns the Pokegear camera back towards himself.]
Ray, you realize Spengs is already trying to teach the poor baby microbiology and quantum physics, right? The man has no concept of what's too complex for a baby.
... Also, teaching her right from wrong early might be for the best, because I don't know if any of us will be ready to deal with a psychic baby who doesn't know good from bad but can master nuclear engineering.]
I think it is important for anyone of any age to be able to reason and understand the complexities of the world and not to dismiss things and categorize them with frivolous labels that bear no meaning outside of society.
[Egon watches, rubbing his chin with his thumb. Hmmm. He's going to teach Faraday how to write her own name after this. If she's willing to learn, that is.]
Fascinating how Pokémon have learned to coexist with human beings to the point where they are able to communicate basic concepts and even learning how to write in English. Beyond physical limitations, I doubt there is much stopping Pokémon from learning how to speak in fluent English, as well.
[Ko is a living example of that! Technically, she can't "speak", but she's communicating just as a human child would.]
I believe she trusts you, Venkman. Try approaching her.
I can't believe I agree with Ray, here. I can't believe I have any opinion on when a baby cell needs to be taught quantum physics.
It's possible she's just mimicking something else she saw written down before, though, isn't it? I mean, she obviously knows that's her name, but whose to say she didn't see someone write it down first, and then learned to copy it and see it as her own name? Or-
[Before he can finish that train of thought, he feels something tap his leg. Venkman swerves the Pokegear's camera down to look at Luca, who's come over of her own accord. The Squirtle waves, and taps the Pokegear screen right where Kölliker is, before looking back at Venkman. It looks like she's grinning?]
[Hmmmm.] Reading does seem to be an important part of a human being's development. And if she knows how to read, she can study quantum physics on her own.
[Makes sense, right? She obviously holds an interest in quantum physics. Egon peers at the screen. Kölliker makes a curious bubbling noise as she floats closer to the camera, blocking Egon's face entirely.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ghoststanning) wrote2018-12-26 08:12 pm
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[Gosh he's gonna start crying again he loves their children so much.]
Isn't that right, Ko? You're our baby!
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Yeah, Ray. Maybe I'll do that after I find the bastard.
... Oh my God. Spengs, you're crying? I wasn't even sure you could.
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[Sounds kind of like she's asking if she's their baby. Egon pauses for a moment, wiping the tear from his face.]
Perhaps if you express this attitude more openly, they will be drawn to you, and it will be easier to capture them. [A pause.] Also, contrary to popular belief, I am perfectly capable of expressing my emotions.
[Said in a monotonous voice.]
Ray, perhaps it was your enthusiasm that led to her being eager to communicate with you in a way you would comprehend. In a few weeks, using Kölliker as a translator, we may even be able to communicate with our other Pokémon.
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[This must sound really weird from Venkman's perspective.
Oh, I hadn't thought of that! Wow, that'd be great! We wouldn't just have to rely on second-hand information about Pokemon here if Ko translated for us!
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[And odd, lopsided smile appears on Venkman's face- something genuine and warm, both things that aren't particularly common for him. He looks down the alleyway again- old habits really do die hard- and speaks up, his voice noticeably softer.]
I know, Egie. I wouldn't've been in love with you since undergrad if I didn't know that.
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[Egon opens his mouth to reply to Ray when Peter says that. He pauses, staring at the screen. Kölliker reaches out a figurative hand in concern. She doesn't yet have the words to ask about her dad yet, but she's taking in the fact that this loud baby box is making glasses funny dad feel the same way whenever he talks to happy good dad at night.
There's a lot he can say right now, but he feels it would sound ingenuine. He settles on the nostalgia factor to try and convey his fondness.]
You know, I wonder where all of us would be if we hadn't met each other during college. [He glances towards Ray.] Or if we'd never expressed any romantic attraction to each other.
[Kölliker watches with intense curiosity.]
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God, I don't even want to think about that. You know that I didn't have a whole lot of friends in college before I met you guy. There weren't enough people out there who'd be willing to put up with my love of the supernatural and monsters like you guys do.
[He frowns thoughtfully, before he smirks.]
I'm sure if we never clicked I would have done something really boring like become a used cars salesman or something like that!
[Haha...]
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If I'd never met you guys, I'd probably be in prison. Or working with my dad at whatever con job he feels like pushing, now that he's outta the carny business. Not sure which is worse.
You know you guys were half of what got me through my doctorates. And not, uh, not just because I borrowed your notes, Spengs.
["borrowed"]
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I'd probably have been forced to take on more "serious" work--pressured to abandon my interest in parapsychology to pursue "real" subjects such as mechanical engineering or physics. And with no one else to confirm or deny my theories....
[He shakes his head. He's not stupid--he knows that the things he does or says tends to put off other people.]
Either way, I am glad to have avoided that path in my life. And I am also glad to be able to come to this dimension with you two, and to be fortunate enough that you two had also met your version of Egon. The sheer slim probability of this is incredible, and should be celebrated.
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It really is nice, and even if fate doesn't exist, the fact that we were able to meet each other and better all our lives for it, in multiple dimensions, no less, makes me feel happy.
I really love you guys, I hope you know that.
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[As if he didn't have a hand in this.]
I love you too. And I can't wait to hear your weird baby talk when I catch back up with you both. And get to see you in person, Spengs.
[Venkman's gotten pretty used to the whole "this is an alternate reality version of my boyfriend" thing, but video messages aren't the same as seeing him face to face.
He seems to be about to say something else, but a crash from deeper in the alleyway interrupts him. For a moment, Venkman panics, turning behind him to face whatever it is and briefly covering the Pokegear screen with his hand. Then-]
... Oh. Oh!
[Venkman picks up the camera and turns it to face the Squirtle peeking out from behind a toppled over garbage can. It's... it's wearing sunglasses? And holding a can of spray paint??]
Someone was eavesdropping, huh?
[Quietly, as an aside for Ray and Egon's benefit:]
That's the one I caught. The one who ran off on me.
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[A pause. He's about to ask Venkman if he had been able to get the deer to the PokéCenter when the sudden crash makes him stop. Concern mars his mind, and Kölliker beeps in response, but the moment passes. She peers at the screen, trying to wiggle out of Ray's arms.]
bastard?
Oh.
[He glances over at Kölliker.]
Don't say that.
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Ko that's a bad word, you're not allowed to say that!
[He says, through giggles.]
Oh, hey Pete's new Pokemon!
[c: he's happy to meet you.]
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Ray's laugh momentarily breaks his train of thought, though, and he turns the camera back to himself to glance at Ko.]
... What did the baby say?
[And then, of course, seeing Ray just reminds him of Ray and Egon's advice before. Ugh.
Still. Maybe they have some sort of point.
Venkman crouches down on the ground, keeping eye contact with the Squirtle. He sets the Pokegear aside, facing towards the Squirtle and not himself. He runs a hand through his hair.]
Hey. I dunno how long you were watching me, but I'm not- I'm not upset with you. Um. Look. I caught you for a reason, but if you'd rather stick around here, I'm not gonna stop you. Obviously you've got some sorta thing going here, I'm not gonna force you to leave your friends or whatever.
All I really need is to show you to the police station so I can collect the reward, and then you can go free again if you want. I'm not gonna, like, turn you in. Can we- can we make a deal, there? I get the reward, you do whatever you want to do afterwards, and I don't ever have to bother you again if you don't want.
[The Squirtle tilts her head slightly, considering the offer.]
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She said "bastard", which is a bad word, and makes me sad when you say it. Babies seem rude when they say it.
[That last part is directed towards Kö, of course. She lets out a burble-beep, then glances towards Ray for confirmation.]
If it seems to be going poorly, offer some other non-material goods. For example, perhaps information on how to make more effective sunglasses.
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He's right, it's very rude for babies to say words like that.
[He still loves you though.
But oh, he should probably help Venkman with his Pokemon problem, he calls through the Pokegear in hopes that the Squirtle hears him.]
Hey, buddy, Venkman is a good guy! Not good in the sense that he works for cops, but he's really nice once you get to know him!
[Oh right, she's a delinquent.]
He cheated most of his way through college too if that helps!
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[Venkman winces when Ray calls out, then rolls his eyes.]
You're so helpful, Ray. Thanks for letting literally everyone within a half block away know that about me.
[He turns his attention back to the Squirtle. She appears to have taken a step or two closer, but is still pretty far away.]
But... yeah. I'm not gonna turn you over to the cops. Believe me, I know how that feels. Can you at least trust me that much?
[There's a long pause. Then, the Squirtle lifts up her sunglasses, perching them on her forehead.
... And turns around, pops the top off the can of spray paint, and starts writing something.]
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[Egon shakes his head.] No. You are not a bad baby. You cannot yet grasp the complexities of morality and thus cannot be "good" or "bad" based on what flimsy definitions human beings place upon these concepts.
[Kölliker burbles a little, a little confused but pleased. She nuzzles against Ray's face. Egon, in the meantime, directs his attention back towards the Squirtle.]
What is she doing? I can't see it with the small turtle blocking it.
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[He’s trying his best Venkman!!
Ray happily nuzzles back while looking over at Egon.]
Maybe we shouldn’t be telling her that at this age. I know morality is complex but I don’t want her to get the idea that swearing is okay just because they’re words society has deemed as bad.
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[He picks up the Pokegear and takes a few steps forward to get a better angle. Ray and Egon can now clearly see what she's doing. After a few seconds, the Squirtle takes a step back, seemingly proud of herself. In white paint, she's legibly written the name "LUCA".]
... Huh. Is that your name or another acronym?
[The Squirtle nods and points at herself. Venkman shakes his head, a little bemused.]
Alright, cool. I'm guessing this means-
[And then he tunes back into the conversation on The Morality of Swears going on on the other end, and he turns the Pokegear camera back towards himself.]
Ray, you realize Spengs is already trying to teach the poor baby microbiology and quantum physics, right? The man has no concept of what's too complex for a baby.
... Also, teaching her right from wrong early might be for the best, because I don't know if any of us will be ready to deal with a psychic baby who doesn't know good from bad but can master nuclear engineering.]
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[Egon watches, rubbing his chin with his thumb. Hmmm. He's going to teach Faraday how to write her own name after this. If she's willing to learn, that is.]
Fascinating how Pokémon have learned to coexist with human beings to the point where they are able to communicate basic concepts and even learning how to write in English. Beyond physical limitations, I doubt there is much stopping Pokémon from learning how to speak in fluent English, as well.
[Ko is a living example of that! Technically, she can't "speak", but she's communicating just as a human child would.]
I believe she trusts you, Venkman. Try approaching her.
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It’s not that I think it’s “frivolous”, but I think we should at least teach her how to read before she learns about complex theories!
[=T]
Try doing graffiti too, Venkie!
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It's possible she's just mimicking something else she saw written down before, though, isn't it? I mean, she obviously knows that's her name, but whose to say she didn't see someone write it down first, and then learned to copy it and see it as her own name? Or-
[Before he can finish that train of thought, he feels something tap his leg. Venkman swerves the Pokegear's camera down to look at Luca, who's come over of her own accord. The Squirtle waves, and taps the Pokegear screen right where Kölliker is, before looking back at Venkman. It looks like she's grinning?]
... She likes your baby.
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[Makes sense, right? She obviously holds an interest in quantum physics. Egon peers at the screen. Kölliker makes a curious bubbling noise as she floats closer to the camera, blocking Egon's face entirely.]
--Oh.
baby?
She said "baby" in a questioning tone.
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[:c don't be mean!]
Oh, that's Pete's new Pokemon, Ko! She's some kind of turtle.
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