dr. green 💚🔬🧫

(Previous) Judith blinked at the kiosk as it played out their wait time. What joy! With a grin, she scuttled over towards the toys, and she pulled up one of the seats, admiring the playset closest to her, the bead maze. They immediately began pushing and proding the multicolored bulbs through their respective trams. She thought for a moment, then she maneuvered the beads all to one side. She sat back, satisfied with the neatness, a stark contrast to her laboratory. She hummed a chuckle, then grabbed one of the dinosaur toys. She rested her elbow on the table with her other arm, then with laze, made the small dinosauria gnaw at the beads, like a large lizard terrorizing a town. She smiled to herself, completely forgetting where she was or what she was supposed to be doing…

After approximately thirteen minutes a heavyset scientist walked behind Judith and cheerfully spoke at a fast pace. “I’m glad you’re having fun!” Professor Veronica Ratcliffe’s wide smile made it clear that she was genuine.

“Y’know, a lot of watchdogs like to act like they’re above playing with these nifty gizmos.” She paused to giggle. “But they usually play with them when they think nobody's looking!”

Then she walked over to the inner set of doors, scanned her key card, and ushered her visitor inside. The Lab Animal Breeding and Care Facility Ratporium was far larger than other laboratories. Yet it made good use of its space with tightly packed shelves loaded with everything required to keep lab animals.

Meanwhile Professor Ratcliffe had been spouting rat facts with every step. Some were about using them as experimental subjects. Some were about why they were cute. Some were frankly a little disturbing. Her cheery tone remained despite the darker “fun facts.”

The main lab, the one were test subjects were kept, was an elevator ride up. It still had some shelving with goods & smaller cages but much of the floor space was filled with large pens.

Professor Ratcliffe finally stopped talking about rats to put the rat riding her pocket in the “Nice Rat” pen. Then she exchanged it for the rat most insistent on getting in her hands before

“So what brings you here?” The professor asked as she sat at her desk stationed near the middle of the pens. She gestured at the stool next to her with her shoulder while getting her tablet out.

She stayed mostly silent during the trip around the winding pens, giving the occasional glance or soft hum in agreement at Professor Ratcliffe's facts about rats.

Once they were invited to sit, Judith skipped and then sank into the seat.

"Oh— uh!" She went for her front pocket in her lab coat, taking out a green notepad and flipping to a page she dog-eared. "I need a few rats for testing! Do you have any..." She adjusted her glass, staring at what she wrote. "...Wistar? Am I saying that, right?" She shrugged, smiling. "Um, you probably get my jist." She chuckled.

"Anyway, my name is Doctor Green, Judith Green, Judy, Jude, um... Call me any of those, I don't mind any!" She shut her lid in a smile, then took in Veronica's expression. "What's your name?" She asked politely, wanting to know more about this stranger.

(Previous) Judith tensed when the doors opened automatically. She paused for a beat, and with hesitance, she stepped inside. She creeped up to the kiosk, staring at the options. “Hmm…” She murmured, rubbing the top of her head. With an adjustment of her glass, she selected the request help button since she had never been at the Rat Emporium before. While she waited, she held her hands in her lab coat pockets. She glanced over at the toys excitedly. A part of her urged themself to go play at their hearts content, but she decided to stay put and watch at a distance.

“Hello and welcome to the Ratporium!” A bubbly, high-pitched voice played from the kiosk. “I’m currently in the middle of something but I’ll be with you soon!”

She thought for a moment, then she maneuvered the beads all to one side. She sat back, satisfied with the neatness, a stark contrast to her laboratory. She hummed a chuckle, then grabbed one of the dinosaur toys. She rested her elbow on the table with her other arm, then with laze, made the small dinosauria gnaw at the beads, like a large lizard terrorizing a town.

Lately, she hasn't left her own lab in quite some time. Come to think of it, she was out of sorts as well. Perhaps they were drowning in the dishevelment of one of her friends being wrung out from her own brothers doing, or it was the fact that same brother acted so recklessly that it nearly cost him his life.

Her lid furrowed, but she took a deep breath, thinking of hot tea or new slippers to buy online in her comfy bed. Eventually, she put on a weary smile, stuffing her map in her pocket, trying not to appear as tired as she was.

The entry room largely resembled the cart area at the entrance of supermarket aside from a kiosk, set of chairs, and a table with toys that would be more at home in a pediatric office.

"Hmm..." She murmured, rubbing the top of her head. With an adjustment of her glass, she selected the request help button since she had never been at the Rat Emporium before. While she waited, she held her hands in her lab coat pockets.

(prev) Judith’s smile widened upon seeing the spare parts. She took them into her hands, then let out a small huffy laugh. “Classic Teddy!” She bucked one leg to spin her chair towards an empty wall. They pushed a panel on the laboratory surface, and once a part of the wall caved in, it came back, then revealed her prototype. She didn’t mind showing her secrets to Bert, especially since she wanted to keep closer ties to fellow scientists in case she needed another pair on hands on deck. She scooted over to Bert again, presenting it to him and then laying it onto his hands. “Here she is! Beautiful lady, I must say so myself.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s on safety.” She shut her lid in a grin, then took another bite of her cake. “Take a gander at it if you want!” She offered while chewing. She reached out to Sherri Jr., offering her hand to pick her up.

Bert loved watching the panel on the wall present Judith’s project. His eye sparkled as he beheld the EFFI. He held it gently like an egg until they said it was on safety. He examined the various components of it intently and curiously.

“Why, she is beautiful! Quite literally. Very aesthetically pleasing. Many overlook that part of designing weaponry.”

He pointed it in a random direction to imagine what it would be like to shoot it. “All of the science departments were certainly abuzz about the, ah, melted hallway. As soon as I could I hurried over to the site to observe the damage. And, wow, was it incredible! How does it work, if I may ask?”

They perked up when Bert asked for information on her beautiful project. Also, her confidence swelled at the word of mouth of how fascination struck the other scientists, yet she felt bad about the melted hallway, feeling like she could have done the janitors a favor and cleaned it up or repaired it for them.

She grinned, going on about how her weapon worked and every precaution about it.

"—and with these!" She gestured to Teddy's gift and put a culicued hand up. "It'll be even more powerful! Then we will concur the galaxy under the rule of The Hater Empire!! Mwoahah!" She giggled manically but settled down soonafter. "Ah— anyway..." She coughed into her hand.

(prev) Judith happily listened along, swinging her legs while she sat in her chair. When Bert mentioned someone else, she moved her head to stare at the entrance of her lab. She was slightly nervous at the idea of another person who she didn’t know entering. Then, when she heard shuffling and scampering, she turned their head to be greeted by the lovely Sherri Jr! “Ah! ¡La mujercita!” She shut her eye in a smile, then began to pet her delicately. “Hello, the dignified Sherri Jr!” She looked to Bert, then once the cake and present was pulled out of the carrier, addressed from Teddy, she frowned deeply. Her heart was aching and painfully mornful for their friend. She took the gift and sighed softly. “That was really nice of him.” She murmured, taking the cake and opening it up to take a bite. She missed Teddy. She could only imagine how much Bert did as well. They shook her head, then blinked. It was her celebration! She should bring the mood back up, even if it would be nicer if Teddy was with the both of them. “What’d he get me?” They asked with their mouth full, taking the gift again and beginning to tear it open with a small grin.

Bert’s smile wavered upon seeing Judith’s doleful expression when they received the gifts from Teddy, knowing how she must be feeling. But he maintained his positive attitude and added, “He is a nice guy!”

Bert watched Judith open the gift with anticipation. “I believe it is material that may help with your incredible marvelous spectacular EFFI!”

"Classic Teddy!" She bucked one leg to spin her chair towards an empty wall. They pushed a panel on the laboratory surface, and once a part of the wall caved in, it came back, then revealed her prototype. She didn't mind showing her secrets to Bert, especially since she wanted to keep closer ties to fellow scientists in case she needed another pair on hands on deck.

She scooted over to Bert again, presenting it to him and then laying it onto his hands.

"Here she is! Beautiful lady, I must say so myself." She chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's on safety." She shut her lid in a grin, then took another bite of her cake. "Take a gander at it if you want!" She offered while chewing.