(Untitled)

[sh_consulting]

WHO:  sh_consulting and flotillaborn (and maybe John Watson later)
WHERE: Sherlock's MAC apartment
WHEN: The day after thanksgiving.
WARNINGS: None~
SUMMARY: After Tali wakes up, and is checked over by John, the good doctor leaves for groceries and Tali is left with the questionable company that is Sherlock.
FORMAT: Para and then maybe quicklog.... anything goes!

Comments

[flotillaborn]

Once her body had decided that the toxin had worked itself out of her system, it had apparently come to the conclusion that the best thing to do would be to revert back to its normal form. It made sense in some ways -- her suit was equipped with a reserve of antibiotics and replaceable fluids, and it could monitor her vitals without external equipment.

She awoke on the couch with a dreary groan -- her head ached -- and did her best not to panic, trying to remember where she was. Someone's strange apartment, she remembered the doctor, and -- oh.

Tali pushed off the edge of the couch and wandered over to where Sherlock was pouring over his equipment, raising a three-fingered hand in greeting.

"Mr...Sherlock, right?"

[sh_consulting]

Sherlock grudgingly pried his eyes away from his experiment and found that... ah. She had changed. The materials of her suit were completely foreign... Interesting. Usually he could tell what something was made of at a glance, but nothing quite fit. Not that surprising, given her company of the night previous - Sherlock had the same trouble with Garrus' armour

He didn't even blink.

"Sherlock, yes." There was a pause as he reconfigured his brain away from his experiment and back into forced social niceties.

"Tali, correct?"

[flotillaborn]

"I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay here. I recognize that it's not exactly the most convenient of situations."

She didn't move to peek at his experiments - Mordin had never appreciated it - but instead, leaned with one hip out and her arms crossed over her chest. "And that's -- it, really. I don't want to interrupt."

[sh_consulting]

"It was the most logical outcome." He paused for half a second, "And, well, any friend of Ghost's." The sentence ended, with absolutely no intention of adding anything to it. He was, however, more than accustomed to distressed people showing up in his flat (how else would he get cases?), and since she had brought an actually interesting problem, his tone was actually relatively benign.

He did, however, pull himself upright, looking over the mess of equipment that had spread over his table, and, in some instances, onto the floor.

"Ah, well, it's nearly complete. Just a few last calculations."

[flotillaborn]

"Do you need some help cleaning up? I won't break anything, promise." Three fingers were more dexterous than you'd think. She didn't move to pick up his things, though -- wouldn't, without permission.

Tali listened to his words, nodding. She was glad to hear that Ghost had other people who cared about him.

John seemed nice enough, too.

[sh_consulting]

Sherlock frowned at the suggestion. Clean up? It hadn't even occurred to him.

"No. It's - fine."

He pulled away from the table and walked into the kitchen. It felt a little awkward, somehow, without John, and he mused silently over that fact as he came up to the kettle.

"Tea?" He couldn't exactly ask her to leave, until John came back.

[flotillaborn]

"Ah, that's -- all right. I think I'm going to stick to being like this for a while."

Which meant that she couldn't ingest anything that Sherlock had to offer. She tugged on the edge of her headscarf. "But thank you anyway." She followed him into the kitchen, boots clicking quietly on the floor.

"Does the network have any further information on the toxin release?" She'd check herself, but that seemed -- rude, somehow.

[sh_consulting]

"Hm?" Oh, right, the network. He'd been... otherwise occupied. He drew out his communicator and started immediately flipping through it.

"I hadn't checked," he said, even as he did so now, not looking up. What was conversation? "I have my suspicions already, though. I've no doubt this is Crane's work."

[flotillaborn]

"He's a -- doctor, isn't he?" Well, if he was going to pull out his communication device, she'd do the same. Her brows furrowed.

"It doesn't seem unlikely, given his interest in peoples' fears." And if he'd 'accidentally' posted patient files to the network, she didn't peg him as the most moral of men.

She brought up her omni-tool on her left arm, flipping through the last few minutes' data about her body.

All clear so far. Hrm.

[sh_consulting]

"Yes. Well, at least he claims to be. He's also a rather skilled chemist..." Though of course, how he learned that is not a subject he's going to go into. Especially with anyone who might be inclined to tell John. ... Other than Ghost, of course.

"He is more than a little obsessive, isn't he?" Scroll, scroll, scroll - Ah, yes. A post from Edward. Definitely Crane, then. "Ah - and seems like I was correct."

He looked over at his chemistry set in the other room. "Well. It was a brilliantly crafted substance."

[flotillaborn]

"Which is, of course, all we ought to be worried about." She frowned behind her mask and crossed her arms a little more tightly over her chest, canting her head to the side. Had he figured out the structure of the substance?

"If you've figured out what it is, you might wish to inform local hospitals and clinics looking to create an antidote, should this happen again." Tali mentally ticked off the names that Sherlock was dropping -- just Crane, so far. Hn. People to remember and watch, evidently.

[sh_consulting]

He raised an eyebrow at her. What else would they be worried about?

"Nearly done. I'll have John take it to the clinic as soon as it's complete. He's left his footprints, now, if he tries this again he'll have to work quite a bit harder."

[flotillaborn]

That didn't seem to stop most of the people who considered themselves 'villains'-- he'd probably see it as some sort of challenge, creating something they couldn't trace back to him.

Tali nodded. "That's good of you." Strangely enough, this man so far reminded her of a ruder Mordin. Odd.

[sh_consulting]

"Good of me?" He raised an eyebrow. "It should be John that you thank, not me."

A timer back on the table in the living room chimed, and a grin slipped onto his lips.

"There. Now it should be done." He slipped gracefully back to the living room and up to the equipment.

"Curious?"

[flotillaborn]

"Unless I'm missing something here, you're the one who's helping other people."

She arched her brow and cast a glance over to the table. "I don't know much about chemistry. Engineering is more my thing."

[sh_consulting]

And if John hadn't intervened, the helping part would only come second to the discovery. Sherlock merely shrugged in reply, turning to his experiment... ah yes. Perfect. Exactly what he had thought. He smirked to himself and quickly entered the information into his comm.

"Pity. It's a rather interesting formula... Well. I digress." He looked up. "Engineering?"