7 | [ location: the jeffersonian institute ] / [ accidental visual ]

[bonescientist]

Brennan's normally immaculately ordered office at the Jeffersonian Institute is anything but ordered today. Several books have been pulled down from the bookcases and stacked on the floor in rows, a few chairs have been lifted on the table, the cushions and pillows on her couch are askew. Nothing is ever askew in this room. The anthropologist

Comments

[Visual]

[patternal]

The expression on Corwin's face as he watches everything unfold filters through indifferent, then intrigued, before finally settling on amused. He can't even understand what it is that even makes him keep watching, but for some reason, he finds himself fascinated enough to keep right on spying. Maybe it was some of the more...rare things that she evidently keeps in that room--that mummy certainly qualifies as "something interesting."

"Lose something?"

[Visual]

[bonescientist]

The unexpected voice causes Brennan to jump slightly and to glance towards the door of her office, but upon finding it empty of visitors, she's quick to realize what has happened. Yet again. Those damn tablets were a nuisance and she really should know better than to keep hers anywhere but stowed away where it couldn't record things on a whim.

"My iguana," she replies tersely as she lifts herself on her knees and brushes her hands off on her blue lab coat. Brennan isn't burdened with too much regard for polite smalltalk on a normal day, and her current distress is making her even less inclined to entertain strangers - not to mention she's somewhat embarrassed at having been caught turning everything in her office over like a madwoman.

[Visual]

[patternal]

That didn't help with the amused expression at all, and, in fact, might have made it worse. At the very least, it probably wasn't going anywhere for a long time. Of all the things that she could have been looking for... Corwin certainly wasn't a stranger to the odd, but then there were some things that were just plain weird.

"You lost a lizard?" he asked after a few moments to mull over the hilarity of the idea and with just a little bit of incredulousness behind his words. It couldn't have been that strange to misplace a pet--especially one of that size--but the whole thing was very nearly approaching laughable. That's what she was worried about?

"Good luck with that."

[Visual]

[bonescientist]

Brennan frowned in confusion as she considered the man's tone. She had notoriously bad social skills and more often than not, she tended to miss the point by miles. She suspected that this might be one of those occasions where she missed the punchline of the joke.

"Yes," she confirmed after a moment despite her confusion. "Well, technically I didn't lose him, he escaped his terrarium. I must have neglected to properly close the hatch after feeding him."

More hesitantly, even a touch warily, she questioned, "Is there... something amusing or unusual about that?"

[ visual ]

[bonescientist]

Having been alerted to the accidental broadcast by now, Brennan is less surprised to hear yet another voice speak up. Carefully setting down the replica of the Paranthropus boisei skull on her desk that she'd been peering under, Brennan pauses her search to blink at the girl she doesn't recall seeing before.

"I am, yes," she responds slowly, with a slight frown of bemusement. Apparently getting caught turning her office upside down and generally acting as if something really was wrong should raise no concern in Brennan's opinion. After a moment, she tacks on, "But it seems that my iguana is missing."

[ visual ]

[bonescientist]

Brennan isn't puzzled or offended by the question, for she can fully appreciate the need to be specific.

"Oh, he's an actual juvenile Iguana iguana, approximately ten inches long from head to tail," she clarifies with a nod, a touch of regret in her tone as she explains, "I must have overlooked to properly close the hatch of his terrarium after I fed him some hours ago."

Rationally, she knows the reptile could have sneaked out of her office many times by now and into the lab area, but she's holding onto hope that the creature is hiding somewhere in the room. Possibly it's silly to be so concerned about a lizard that doesn't reciprocate affection like dogs and cats do, but Brennan has gotten quite fond of the iguana despite that.

why don'tcha come up to my office;

[bonescientist]

[Brennan glances up at Angela from the stacks of books she's moving about for the umpteenth time, although rationally she knows she's already looked there and that it's unlikely she'll find what she's looking for.]

Watch your step, please. I'm glad you're here, Angela - would you help me find Douglas? It seems that he has escaped his terrarium sometime within the past few hours.

why don'tcha come up to my office;

[bonescientist]

Yes, I did. I think I've checked everyplace he could conceivably hide in. He really is quite good at that. [Brennan smiles crookedly, an almost childlike admiration and even a touch of excitement in her tone at her pet's obvious hiding prowess. Weird enthusiasms; Angela should be used to people with those. Brennan smooths down her lab coat and straightens up, similarly glancing about the room with a more sober expression.] Hopefully he hasn't wandered into the lab area. It could take a while to find him there.

[voice] /late forever

[slayersidekick]

[ Willow actually debates for a while whether or not she'll answer, but eventually she does, worried in spite of herself. ]

I-is... something wrong?

[voice] no worries, i've been a slow tagger lately. :(

[bonescientist]

[ oh, hello, another unfamiliar voice. ]

My iguana has escaped his terrarium and I can't seem to locate him. So, nothing of pressing importance on a larger scale, but a cause for personal concern nonetheless.

[voice] high five slow train

[slayersidekick]

[ it's about time willow made with the not-so-unfamiliar anyway. ]

Oh... lost pet? I'd be worried, too. I mean... all I've got is a cat, but... y'know, you get attached to them.

Um... Do you need help finding him?

[voice] choo, choo!

[bonescientist]

Agreed. Although in comparison to more traditional pets such as cats and dogs, the intellectual capacity of reptiles is markedly less and they do not form attachments to their owner the same way, I've gotten quite fond of this iguana over the years I've had him.

[There's a brief pause as Brennan considers the question.]

I think my friend Angela and I will be able to find him eventually. But I appreciate the offer, miss...?