B-Squad Common Room, SPD HQ, Newtech City [July 31st, 2025]

[bridge_carson]

In retrospect, the fish tank in the common room probably wasn't the best place to *hide* an octopus.

On the other hand, the octopus seemed to be happily making friends with the fish who normally lived there, so that was... something?

Bridge was sitting on the couch, contemplating bringing Cam-Mollusc out for a playdate.

[ooc: for those in THE FUTURE. or for any who'd wish to call/email/send messenger pigeons to those in THE FUTURE.]

Comments

[multiplez]

"Hey, Bridge," Z said upon walking into the common room. "What's up?"

She hadn't noticed any changes to the fish tank yet, no.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"The Synthetron keeps giving me blueberry muffins instead of chocolate cupcakes," Bridge complained.

Oh, and there was an octopus in the fish tank. Shh.

[multiplez]

Past tense? What madness was this?

"Try punching it," Z said. What? She wasn't the scientific genius of the group (that would be Bridge). "Or maybe it thinks you need to eat more fruit."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Laziness more than madness, really.

"Chocolate is a bean?" Bridge tried.

As if to emphasise Bridge's point, the octopus took that moment to reach up and slap a tentacle on the water.

[multiplez]

"Yeah, but--" the splash drew her attention. "What was that?" She veered off toward the fish tank.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"...Nothing?" Bridge tried.

[multiplez]

"Oh, huh, I think they changed the tank," Z said, peering into it. "There's an octopus in here." She frowned. "I hope it doesn't eat the fish."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"What, Frank?" Bridge tsked. "Nah, he would never. Right, buddy?"

[multiplez]

"The octopus has a name?" Z asked. "That was quick."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Well, it was a very long trip. We bonded." Well, so much for disavowing knowledge of the octopus's presence.

[multiplez]

Buh? "Bridge," Z said slowly. "It was a very long trip from where?"

[needsaparrot]

Xander was not going to be the one to ask "Why is there an octopus in the fishtank."

This was partially to do with the fact that after Fandom and Sunnydale he wouldn't find an octopus in the fishtank to be all that surprising, and partially because he hadn't noticed it yet.

What? He was too busy slouching on the couch reading his newest issue of Hardwoods Monthly. Not dirty.

"You know, when I subscribed to this I was kind of actually hoping it would be dirty."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

You live in a Disney-owned fictional universe, Xander. THERE IS NO DIRTY HERE.

"Why would you think it would be dirty?"

[needsaparrot]

"Because it's published by the same people who make Nail It, which is dirty." Duh. Who said he ordered it in this universe?

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"So they're branching out?" Bridge guessed. "Trying to grab as much of the market as possible."

[needsaparrot]

"Either that, or it's only dirty for demons or aliens or tree fetishists." Xander tossed it to the table. "I mean don't get me wrong, I've been known to refer to a power tools catalog as carpenter porn; I'm just not into staring at maple centerfolds."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I should hope not," Bridge said warily. "I mean, they say marriage can change a relationship, but..."

[needsaparrot]

"There are so many jokes about wood that I'm not making right now because you just know the Big Dog would walk in right when I hit the dirtiest bit."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"He does have eerie timing when it comes to that," Bridge noted. Not that they knew this from experience.

[needsaparrot]

"And he always just looks at you. Like he doesn't have movable eyeballs maaaaybe he got it and maaaaaaybe he didn't, but he thinks you're kind of an idiot either way."

And by 'you' Xander mostly meant 'me.'

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

Jen looked a little . . . flat, when she walked into the common room.

And tired, and cranky, but mostly slightly less than three-dimensional.

"I think we finally got the bugs worked out of the containment card upgrade tech."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Good," Bridge nodded. "Cause oh man, that thing last week with the Vorax? Wasn't pretty," he made a face. "...Are you okay?"

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

"I have the feeling back in my feet," Jen assured him, hobbling just the slightest bit on her way over to the couch. "It was only gone for a second."

[multiplez]

"Whoa," Z said. "Are you okay?"

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

"Fine," Jen said, leaning over with a slight grimace to work her boots loose. "And I can assure you that the containment process itself will give criminals a little more to think about when this update gets rolled out."

[multiplez]

"Yikes. Is this gonna...uh. Wear off?"

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

"That's the part we're working on now." Jen held one hand up and peered at it like she had to make sure it was three-dimensional again. It hadn't felt like it for a while. "Next time I'm making Boom do this part."