Pax RP

Paolas trembling in terror finally stopped at hearing someone's voice-Vitos voice, close by, telling her that there was no need to be scared. Then she felt a hand pressed into one of hers, and unlike the horrible wetness of their simulated environment it at least felt dry and warm. Paolas hand initially twitched and seemed as though it would be pulled away from him-before it closed around his hand in what for the small girl passed as a very tight grip, what others would term only a firm one. The next sentence, that it was only as real as she made it, got to her a little more and Paola took a very deep breath before she risked opening her eyes again.

Trinrst bobbed his snakelike head at Krii, his kinds way of nodding, before carefully listening to Natanga, him and CHARWINs discussions. Once again the Naga had a good point-though he wished she would be less abrasive about it, he was fairly sure by now that wasn't going to happen. "I am sssorry we cannot do anything to help Krii, but as long as you are sssure you will be ok, I ssshall leave you to it for the time being" the Tezcan told the Kerluck, as he turned around to make his way over to-

"Can this thing, Specimen B, walk on land?" Flaera suddenly piped up. Apparently she'd either missed the conflicts that had been going on between their two groups or she didn't see a problem with what she was doing. Or, more likely, didn't quite understand the reasons behind it.

"Flaera!" Trinrst virtually shouted, not wanting to have to try and mediate again-but the strange creature looked at him with such naiivety the Tezcan just shook his head and gave up as his entire body turned red with irritation."What's the-" "Never mind, it doesn't matter now" "Oh, okay" Trinrst shook his head and switched his course from Flaera to where Paola and Vito were. He wanted to have at least a short discussion with them before he asked his question, especially as they were now down to three.

Paola had kept her eyes open this time, even though she desperately wanted to close them, purely because somebody else was with her. She would've gone bright red by now if the terror hadn't had it's grip on her so well-nor did she show any sign of letting go of the Serpells boys hand. Paola even turned her head to look at him-that seemed to help a bit too. He was breathing, and that was impossible underwater. If he brushed his hair a little difdrently he'd be really handsome... Paola thought that was an odd thing to think about, then licked her lips nervously. "I... I'm sorry, I don't want to-to let you down" she said, then turned her head so she could at least look at the creatures they were supposed to be trying to figure out would survive this planet "Um, maybe... we should... ask what the plants on that... walking tank are for?" she said, clearly meaning the giant scavenger crab which she was intently watching, rather than the mass of liquid that surrounded it. "Or... Maybe we should ask if it will feed... on the bodies made by the virus? That... would be a lot... of tempting food, right?., i'm sorry, I don't know much about-about water creatures" Vitos idea seemed to be working, though she was obviously still not at her best. She didn't even notice Trinrst coming towards them.

((Colours added ))

Lily watched Lucas as she smirked backing up as he got closer towards her as she smirked she was not going to be stupid enough to stay that close to the line to take direct hits. "You're a fool boy" Lily said, a name in her mind. "Lucas" She corrected herself as she smiled nodding to a few of the boys who started to pelt a few at Klay and Seth now as she took aim at Lucas personally.

Ni'tri looked at them watching the plan as she tried to get Lily's attention towards her and give them as many openings to the team as she could to be of some help.

"Thanks Trinrst." Krii managed to reply, then doubled over again. He felt like he couldn't really speak anymore withough regurgitating his breakfast everywhere, so he simply gave the Tezcan a universally friendly thumbs up to show that he would be okay... so long as everybody asked their questions quickly. "I'll keep an eye on him, Trinrst." Natanga added. She didn't really want to swim over to Vito with him, so sticking around to look after Krii was a much more favourable option. "And, although I doubt that it is possible, if we think of a good solution after we hear your clues I'll come and tell you."

"Can this thing, Specimen B, walk on land?"

"Specimen B currently lacks the respiratory structures required to live on land, and even if it had such biological equipment an adult's exoskeleton is too well adapted to the high density of the ocean floor. Should it even try to walk on land it would not be long before it's legs would snap under it's own bulk."

"Specimen B's young do not have this problem, for their exoskeletons are not yet fully developed, so they are capable of walking on land... However they must still be within a body of water to breathe. A juvenile Specimen B can hold it's breathe for approximately four minutes."

Vito heard the answer but was now too distracted to object to somebody else wasting their questions. Unlike Paola he was not terrified of the water, and so there was nothing to stop his face from blushing an awkward bright red. His typically overbearing demeanour faltered, and his usually brilliant mind was stalling horribly, like a car that couldn't shift gears from 'desire for teenage romance' to 'desire to ace this impossible assignment'. That was a particularly clumsy analogy, but a good example of how suddenly terrible he'd become at thinking straight.

~... she specifically said 'I don't want to let you down' rather than 'I don't want to let the group dow- wait, why am I thinking about stuff like that? Augh, stopstopstopstopohwowshe'ssobeautifulandisstillholdingmyhan-AUGH!~

He really hoped that there was not a mind reader present.

~... Focus! Focus! She's still talking!~

He heard most of her questions, though his responses indicated that he too was quite far from the top of his game. "Uh, well, the, uh, plants are probably nothing important... maybe parasitic, or, er, just flowering algae... It's a good question though, I can understand why you'd want to ask it!" His ancestors were no doubt spinning in their graves over his attempt to make her feel better about such a foolish question, but Vito wasn't exactly thinking about them right now. "Maybe the, uh, bodies is a better lookin-I MEAN question to go with..." ~Augh! So stupid! So awkward! What on Pax is wrong with me?!~ To be fair, asking about the infected bodies becoming a potential food source would be a good line of questioning, Vito was more commenting on his own response.

Unlike Paola, Vito did see Trinrst approaching, and he immediately became incredibly self-conscious. After being the most demanding member of the team he couldn't possibly be seen to be wasting his time flirting with Paola, even if she was totally gorgeo- ~Stop that!~

Okay, think. What did they know so far?

<div class='spoiler_toggle'>RECAP</div><div class="spoiler" style="display:none;">SCENARIO: Nominate which of the following species will survive on mostly aquatic world where landmasses are currently forming and the oceans are receding.
- In ten thousand years a small asteroid hits this world. It contains an alien virus that wipes out approximately 90% of life on this planet. The virus is airborne in nature, and completely unlike anything that the lifeforms of this world have ever encountered, so the effects are devastating. After less than a hundred years the virus has nothing left to infect, and dies out.

SPECIMEN A: a carnivorous cetacean. They travel and hunt in small packs, focusing on taking down large prey for big meals, and they must travel up to the surface every few hours for air. In this era, they are towards the top of the food chain, though they are no match for larger predators.
- The youngest of the three species. It is deemed by CHARWIN to be 'very young'.
- Due to it's need to come to the surface to breathe it is highly likely that this species falls prey to the airborne virus and becomes extinct.

SPECIMEN B: a scavenger decapod crustacean. It feeds on dead matter that falls to the ocean floor, and uses it's pincers and exoskeleton to ward away predators. They are technically at the bottom of the food chain due to their diet.
- The oldest of the three species.
- Incapable of living on land in the adult stage of it's life.
- Capable of moving, but not breathing, on land in the juvenile stage of it's life.

SPECIMEN C: is a herbivorous cephalopod. It feeds on seaweed and various other forms of marine algae, and can camouflage when it is threatened. They are quite low down on the food chain.
- Neither the oldest nor the youngest of the three species.</div>
What could he talk to Trinrst about to make it seem like he hadn't just become a drooling moron in the presence of a pretty girl? He couldn't steal Paola's question, so he needed to think of something on his own... Specimen C was so far flying under the radar, perhaps he should ask about that? But what he really needed was a definitive answer, something more like what Krii had asked or what Paola had in mind. Natanga and Flaera had wasted their questions on pointless trivia, the age of the species did not matter and knowing that Specimen B cannot currently survive out of water long enough to make any real difference was useless. She should have asked her question in the future tense, as in 'will Specimen B ever walk on land' - this was evolutionary biology after all, not everything was going to happen within a single generation...

Hm, perhaps he should ask something about the mutation rate? About diet change? What if he asked a more direct question, like what the effects of the virus on Specimen B or C were? Argh, too many questions, and it was so difficult to focus when he had Paola looking at him with her exquisite silver eyes- ~No&#33; Come on Vito, focus&#33;~

Ironically. for Vito, the girl who was currently gripping his hand in her aquaphobia happened to be the mind reader he so feared. Luckily, she was far less focused on the loud, confused thoughts of others she picked up by accident than she was on looking anywhere but at the simulated ocean that surrounded them. Now the colour changing cephalopod had her eye-although she quite obviously had to swallow when she saw it perform it's camouflage trick. Even so the very long, strung together thought of his managed to cut through all of that-and she did what she usually did when she picked up thoughts without meaning to-pretended that she hadn't heard anything-althought her cheeks seemed to get a slight bit more colour to them. Paola hoped he hadn't noticed...

On the other hand, the boy's awkward words didn't seem to quite be getting past this-nearly, but not quite, as Paola turned to fix him once again with her silver eyes at his reply to her idea with the bodies. That was... weird. Though before she could speak a certain serpentine member of their group joined them-amd made her jump out of her skin.

When Trinrst got to them his scales red colour was just starting to turn back to grey-green, but it went a considerably lighter colour at seeing the two as they were-Paola even had her eyes open and focused on one of the subjects of their assignment-the one he wanted to talk about. That was a good start, he supposed.

"I see you're a bit better now Paola" the Tezcan said, making the small girl jump, lose her focus and quickly cover her mouth with two hands to stop herself from crying out-the one currently causing the embarrassing awkwardness between her and the Serpells boy somehow managing to grip his hand, briefly, tighter, before she shook off the silly fright enough to answer Trinrst. "Y-yes, a little. Thanks to-to Vito"

"Excellent" Trinrst commented, then rubbed both pairs of his own hands together. Though a reptilian, he could still tell something was going on here-although not to the level of another humanoid.

"Well" he began, feeling awkward himself, and showing it with very small spots of purple embarrassment "we've only got three quessstions left-and I'd rather not wassste mine" the Tezcan spoke to both of them, then pointed to the colour changing cephalopod "it sseemsss thisss fellow would likely be sslower to adapt because of the lack of a ssskeleton. However before I assk about it I want to know what you two think about it"

Paola didn't really think well at the minute-in fact rather than the assignment she'd slid into her own thoughts again. Why did she feel so awkward, despite the fear? Why was she thinking of how handsome Vito'd look if his hair was just a little different, every time she looked at him? This is hell, it had to be. Her own, personal, watery hell, given an impossible assignment in the midst of the terror, and enoigh distractions to almost take her mind off it-distractions for reasons that she didn't quite understand- No... wait, she did understand. She should've known this would happen.

~I think I've got a crush on Vito Serpells&#33;&#33;&#33;~ she thought, far too loudly and accidentally projecting it into the minds of those close by, in the shock of realisation. Then quieter ~... and it's only the first lesson~

Of course, she realised what she'd done immediately afterwards and went just as red as he had. But then, at least it was getting her mind off the water around them 'Mother's gonna kill me if she finds out' she thought, privately.

((Colours added.

Oh how very fun and awkward XD))

((Hm, this gives an interesting twist with Vito's limited experience with mindspeak ))

~I think I've got a crush on Vito Serpells&#33;&#33;&#33;~

Vito had no idea why in the name of Pax he might have such thoughts but for some inexplicable reason this popped into his head. Why was he suddenly developing narcissistic feelings about himself... and referring to himself in the third person? But what other explanation could there be? This was such a similar feeling to the voice that he'd heard just earlier today in homeroom, and that was also a voice of his own expressing itself inside his head... But this one seemed completely different to that, it was so feminine, and it didn't seem like something he'd think about at all&#33; So either this was his own thought and he had greatly underestimated the fragile nature of his own psyche or this was somebody else's thought and he'd been deceived, no, manipulated earlier today into selecting a certain subject that he would not otherwise have considered.

It was difficult to decide which was the less desirable possibility between the two, so for now Vito pretended that he'd noticed nothing and resolved to end this exercise as soon as possible. Now motivated to bring things to a close, his brain could divert it's attention from Paola and focus on completing the task at hand... at least for a minute or so.

Specimen C had been ignored for too long, but Specimen B had received a lot of focus. He could either use his question to try and find out more information about Specimen C or ask a question to try to disprove Specimen B as a potential survivor... Or attempt to do both at once.

"After Specimen A, is it Specimen B or Specimen C that is the next species to be wiped out by the virus?"

"Neither Specimen B nor Specimen C are completely wiped out by the virus. Several pockets of Specimen B young died out when venturing on land to feast on the many corpses present but the virus was completely incapable of surviving in water and thus could not wipe the entire species out. Specimen C, being incapable of surviving on land and having no reason to venture out, were not affected by the virus at all."

Vito felt somewhat stupid for having assumed too much to ask his question, but he felt that it couldn't be ignored. The possibility of turning it into an easy win was just too tempting. Fortunately CHARWIN had been unexpectedly kind in volunteering this information, as he could have just as easily stopped at the end of that first sentence... perhaps their simulated teacher was truly hoping that they would solve this mystery?

"Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful to the group, Trinrst... Paola." For some reason he felt worse about not being helpful to Paola than his not being helpful to the group, but Vito tried not to focus on that right now (and failed - his thoughts returning once more to her stunning silver eyes).

Trinrst actually folded his lower pair of arms, wrapped the right top one around his thin body and had the top left ones elbow resting on that, tapping the side of his long serpentine jaw as he thought.
On the one hand, he felt like he'd just been ignored, but on the other CHARWINs answer to Vitos question had given him an idea, and on the other it did seem that there was something completely unrelated and very awkward going on here-especially with the very un-Tezcan thought that had invaded his mind just a short time ago The reptilian decided it wasn't worth worrying about right now and concentrated instead on the problem at hand. The answer to Vitos question had once again nullified his assumptions. The other two didn't have to contend with the virus so it could well now be the species that was the quicker to adapt to the land that would survive the changes.

"Not at all Vito-in fact your quessstion hass given me an idea for mine. I jussst hope that I am not indicating the wrong direction" the Tezcan told Vito before he asked his own question-clearly neither of the humanoids in front of him were in any position to have even a short discussion with him "Of Sspecimen B and C, is it the one quicker to adapt to the rising landmasss that ssurvives, or the one ssslowesst to adapt?"

Meanwhile, Paolas eyes grew round for they were focussed more on the at home looking serpent than anything else, even partially blocking out the fear, awkwardness and embarrassment from earlier The very last question to help the group fell to her, causing her to start twisting her silver dress nervously with her free hands.

CHARWIN was very slow to answer Trinrst's question, thinking for what seemed like a full minute.

"The one that is the slowest to adapt survives. The oceans will eventually rise to cover the landmasses that have only just now emerged, rendering any abilities to dwell on land entirely useless on this world."

Vito nodded, feeling that this was what most of them had concluded. An excellent question from Trinrst, Vito thought to himself, the Tezcan had proven to be more reliable than some of the other members of this group, who squandered away their questions on useless information. He felt a little better when Trinrst attributed his inspiration for this question to Vito's earlier question, though he also couldn't help but wonder whether the young Tezcan was just trying to make him feel better for asking a poor question.

"Please ask your final question, then give me your answer. Remember that you must rationalize your answer; you cannot simply nominate a single species and leave it at that. Three minutes and twelve seconds remain."

The last question was for Paola to answer... and she was looking rather nervous about it. "... Don't worry Paola, you should be able to figure out what to ask." Vito said, trying to reassure her once more. "Vito is right," Natanga chipped in, making her way over to the small group with Krii in tow. "Though you don't need to worry too much about your question. If you take too long we won't have time to agree on an answer." "O-of course, that doesn't mean that she should just, urp... throw her question away..." Krii countered, looking more sickly than ever. "Don't worry, I highly doubt that she'll make the same mistake that Natanga did." Natanga's eyes narrowed, and she looked about ready to throttle Vito, but restrained herself. "It is a timed exercise Vito, and my question served as a perfectly adequate start." Vito seemed tempted to say something more, but Natanga had reminded him that this was indeed a timed exercise, and time was running out. He gave Paola's hand a squeeze to urge her on in the hopes that she would ask her question quickly.

Paola swallowed lightly, although both Krii and Natanga had come over it seemed to offer their support it only felt like the nervousness was alleviated-briefly, just enough for her to be able to think clearly for a short amount of time-she just hoped the question that she could think of was a good one. Still looking very nervous, Paola closed her eyes, took a steadying breath, then opened them again. "Okay, I've got a question, I think" hopefully it'd turn out to be a useful one "CHARWIN, will specimen C develop to live on the landmasses before they are covered by water?"

Paola finished, and nervously swallowed again. There was at least one good thing with the others being around, as she didn't have to look too far to avoid seeing the endless simulated ocean depths.