004 | Video

[watashinonamaewa]

[ When it begins, the camera is pointed in the direction of water. Beneath it, you see the newest member of the oxygen gardens swimming around slowly — Cibo's coelacanth. It's old from the looks of it; With scales hanging from it and its color is faded. And it barely fits into the frame at the distance that Cibo seems to be holding the comm device. Basically, it's a huge fish.

Soon enough, the camera turns to show Cibo, who seems pleasantly exhausted. She's normally slept at least once since the jump by this point. But she hasn't and it shows through to her tired voice. ]

If anyone knows how to care for any sort of fish, please respond. I would like to know if there are any special requirements for a creature this size. I am in the oxygen gardens, if you wish to come.

[ She looks off-screen to the water. ]

Also, if you know the name of its species? I've named it Dhomochevsky for now. He was another... friend I had...

[ The sight of the coelacanth seems to have drawn her attention away from the feed. After realizing it's been on for a long minute, she quietly shuts it off. ]

Comments

[text] 1/2

[testgasm]

[is that a fish or a dinosaur

I mean really Cibo.]

i don't know how to take care of fish sorry

[text AND THEN LIKE TEN MINUTES LATER]

[testgasm]

did you get my note

Text |

[watashinonamaewa]

If you would like to come and see it, I will be here.

And yes. I saw your note. Please do not be sorry. It is okay.

c:

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[anomalies]

Whoa. That is one big fish.

[ seriously, wow.

he watches it move, trying to place it, but the camera moves before he can pinpoint the order. ]

Sorry—that's definitely a sarcopterygian, but I can't tell which. Could I have a closer look? Just for a sec.

Video |

[watashinonamaewa]

[ It's back on and turning in the direction of the coelacanth, which she has kept in place by keeping her hand in the water to keep its attention. Her hand is as still as possible so the water isn't disturbed and then aims the camera from a good distance to show it again. ]

Would you be able to tell me more about it if you know the breed?

video »

[anomalies]

A little. I'm a [ dinosaur hunter ] palaeontologist—or at least, I was. Training to be one, anyway. Sort of skipped the degree, graduated directly to fieldwork.

[ connor watches it glide slowly through the water, thinking. this stuff used to pop into his brain like clockwork, like a computer file—but then again, he's not usually had to deal with water-based prehistoric creatures, and with his database currently AWOL, it's become difficult to pull the correct species derivations out of thin air without someone there to confirm. still, it doesn't take more than fifteen seconds for it to click, and for a triumphant grin to spread across his face. ]

That's a coelacanth, that is. They're living fossils—evolved in the Late Devonian, thought to have died out in the Late Cretaceous. I dunno how they survived, but they did.

[ so cool. ]

I could tell you a bit more about its physiology, but otherwise, I don't know much. They eat smaller fish, I think. That's about it.

[video]

[uncodlyawwesome]

[this is a face that is pressed against the comm like it's gonna help him see better]

I dunno wwhat humans call it, but that things a pretty big fucker - wwhat size is it? Is it in saltwwater or freshwwater? Wwhere'd you get it?

Video |

[watashinonamaewa]

[ Cibo, uh. Can see you struggling there for a better view. She'll just move the camera back to the water to let you see again, though what you see is what you get - unless you want to come on down and look for yourself. ]

It is around one hundred-seventy centimeters.

[ A short pause. ]

I don't scientifically understand the difference between the different types of water. And I don't know where it came from, other than my own reality.

Video |

[uncodlyawwesome]

You can't just havve a freshwwater fish swwimmin' around in saltwwater, an' vvice-vversa! [AGHAST] Howw'd you feel, wwindin' up in an atmosphere you couldn't properly fuckin' filter?

Wwithout lookin' at it closelike, I wwouldn't be able to tell you wwhat kind it wwas, though.

[video]

[fuckinghysterical]

[LB stares at the fish in wonderment. Even if she wasn't as enthusiastic about fishing as the rest of the people in her hometown were, a sight of a fish that big was still something else.]

That's nothing that's swam in Norway, that's for sure. Heeheeheehee -- unfortunately though, I know more about catching fish than taking care of them.

Video |

[watashinonamaewa]

[ Cibo turns the camera to herself with a small amount of worry. ] Please don't catch Dhomochevsky. I don't want him to be harmed.

[ Oh, she's called it a 'him' now. When did that happen... ]

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[fuckinghysterical]

What? No! Of course, I wouldn't! Heeheeheehee! With a fish as magnificent as that? I don't think even my father could have brought that home to eat; something like that's almost one of a kind.

[She smiles faintly, with the faintest hint of melancholy.]

Besides, I don't think I could eat seafood anymore, even if I wanted to.

[Because her trauma was over as something as stupid as that, yes.]

Video

[bottlearum]

[Jack raises an eyebrow.]

I've seen a lot of fish in me time, luv, but I ain't ever seen one as bit as that.

Video |

[watashinonamaewa]

[ Cibo smiles. The way this man speaks is appealing to her in some way. ] It seems that no one has seen one of this kind before.

Do you know how to care for fish at all? I've never seen one before this...

Video |

[bottlearum]

[He gives a shrug. How do you care for most animals?]

Keep it inna body of water big enough for it, and feed it, I reckon.

video; AND I FINALLY POST 10 YEARS LATER geez omg self

[fly_like_pie]

WHOAoaoaoaoaoaoa!

[ No time for inner Pie Maker commentary, just surprise! ]

Video | TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT OMGGGG

[watashinonamaewa]

[ Okay, she was actually a little startled just then. And she's not normally the easily startled type. So. Ned. You get a confused pout of 'how do I even respond to that' while she thinks of, well, how to respond to that. The best she has right now is... ]

...is there something wrong?

video;

[fly_like_pie]

No... I, uh. It might just be my communicator freaking out, but why... why is that fish so big—

Or is it just me freaking out—wow, so huge. Is that even possible?

( NOT HERE )

[bonus]

[Oh.

Hello there, face.]

[fly_like_pie]

[ O B L I V I O U S. ]

[video]

[circumitus]

It's going to be miserable all the way out here. You should put it out of its misery, if you know what's good for it.

[Way to be sensitive, Rey. Rude.]

Video |

[watashinonamaewa]

[ WOW. RUDE. ]

That is like saying that we are miserable here when we are not. It must be as happy as I am to be far from our reality...

[circumitus]

That's different. We are independent creatures, able to adapt to survive. That thing won't make it on its own, without care.

[She has no sense for pronouns when it comes to animals and fish, fff.]

voice;

[bonus]

[With what sounds like a longing sigh,] I do like this ship. Any tips yet?

Video |

[watashinonamaewa]

You're new here, then? [ Jumping to conclusions, of course. But why else would someone ask her that? ]

Make friends. They are important and help make you happy. I didn't understand what they were at first, personally...

[ Short pause. Gentle smile. ] I will be your friend if you do not have many yet.