[16:40] Gonzo Giustizieri takes some time to find the estuary-- directions have never been her strong suit, and that definitely hasn't changed on an island where half the locations are floating somewhere above everyone's heads. But she makes it! Eventually. Novak was bringing the nets, she'd brought a shitload of citronella oil to keep the mosquitoes away from them while they worked, it was simple. "So!" She reaches for the net in his hands, tugs lightly. "You need me to wade out there for your beetles? A specific beetle, yes? The, ah, the...blue ones?" A beat passes, and she adds another question, grinning. "Is this a couple's activity? More beetles with two people, or will I be doing all of the work here?"
[16:53] Damir Novak (cosmological) is crouching on the shore, feet planted firmly in the sand, hands propped up on his for balance, peering into the water -- when there's the sound of footsteps in the sand behind him. He turns his head to look. As soon as he lays eyes on Gonzo he smiles broadly and moves to stand. "Good evening," he replies. He shifts the bug-catching net in the crook of his elbow so he can reach both hands into his pockets. After a few moments of digging, he pulls out several small, round jars attached to lengths of leather. Immediately, Gonzo's hands on his net gives him pause, and he tilts his head at her curiously. He allows her to take the net, if she wants. "Ehm...well, any of the aquatic beetles. Maybe some different ones. And I thought you might...be the one who is faster. But are you sure you want to be doing wading in that?" His look to her leather boots and the trousers. Honestly, he's just a little relieved she wasn't wearing a dress.
[17:09] Gonzo Giustizieri stares at the jars, curious, head tilted, unintentionally mirroring Damir's movements. When Damir releases some of the tension on the net, she tugs it into her hands, tosses it, catches it, measures the weight of it. Not that it's necessary, but it's fun. "Eh? Oh," she says, and drops onto the sand in an instant, limbs folding at sharp angles like a discombobulated slinky. She yanks off her boots, tossing them near the tents for safekeeping. That done, she pops back up into a stand, and rolls her pants up over her knees. "They have gotten wet before, it is no issue. Are you sure the..." And she gestures at the double-layered, heavy turtlenecks. "Very good at keeping away the mosquitoes, but they will absorb the water like a sponge. You can swim? I will not have to drag you out like a kitten?" Oh, yeah. She picks the net back up, and starts wading into the water before turning back to look at Damir. "The bottles are for holding the bugs, yes? Do I get some?"
[17:19] cosmological Resident: Rolled 1D20 and got 11(-1) for a total of: 10 | (Roll Reason: stability)
[17:20] Damir Novak (cosmological) glances around as Gonzo starts stripping off the boots. not seeming to realize what exactly Gonzo is up to. "Oh, did you bring other...," he trails off as she asks the series of rapid-fire questions. "Of course I can swim. I just thought it would be cold." He looks down to his sweaters and frowns. "Maybe I will take one off so one is dry if the other gets wet." There's some glassy clinking as he sets thte bottles down in the sand, before proceeding to peel off his over-sweater.
It's when the sweater is half-way over his head that he realizes what Gonzo is doing. "Oh - hey! I really do not recommend that...you do not know what kind of garbage people might have thrown in here. Or it might be slippery. Wait!" He tosses the sweater to the sand, scoops up the bottles in a quick motion, and then dashes after Gonzo into the water. As if to demonstrate his point, one of his boots slip on a nearby rock and in a quick, foolish motion, he actually grabs onto Gonzo's shoulder to keep himself from falling face-first into the water.
[17:24] odontoceti Resident: Rolled 1D20 and got a 9 [Roll Reason: 1d20(+3) stability]
[17:36] Gonzo Giustizieri is pretty aware of the dangers, but given the circumstances, barefoot bug-catching feels worth the risk. Although she does yelp when Damir grabs onto her shoulder, and now /her/ foot slides off of a rock. Luckily her balance is still better than Damir's, so when she falls, it's on her hands and knees, hat, face, and shirt-front dunked into the water-- but with Damir safely above-water on her back. Probably. She raises her head, sputters, shakes like a dog. "Use the toes to grab onto the floor, and it is easier to keep the balance. Easier to feel what is going on down there, as well. And-- ah! Oh!" She dunks her torso back underwater, lunging forward to grab for something. When she emerges, the eyeliner is...looking worse than usual, and she is grinning like a lunatic. "I got one!" A closed fist is held out to Damir. Then she blinks, staring into the middle distance for a second before some wheels seem to finish grinding in her brain, and looks back at Damir, eyes open too wide. "Oh, and good evening to you too."
[17:50] Damir Novak (cosmological) watches with utter horror as Gonzo goes down. "Oh, shit-" He gasps, standing to steady himself and reaching to try to catch her or help her up -- but it's too late, she's face-first in the water.
Damir is already beginning to regret this escapade. He's visibly grimacing when Gonzo resurfaces. "Ah, so sorry, I -- huh? What?" is all he manages before she shouts and dives under the water again. He's trying very hard not to panic or fret. But believing that at worst he's potentially drowned a fellow student, and at best he's thoroughly embarassed her...it's getting to him. He carefully shuffles closer to where she is and -- she resurfaces again. He scrambles to organize the bottles in his hand, to pop the cork out of one and thrust it toward Gonzo so that she can deposit the beetle safely within. The belated greeting is barely registered until a couple of seconds later.
He stares at her with some confusion. "Do you always...are you always so..." He seems to be at a loss for words.
[18:07] Gonzo Giustizieri has not stopped grinning, likely looking...somewhat manic. But really, that's just what her face is like. Can't be helped. "Grazie, grazie!" The first beetle, a chunky little thing in mottled silvers and greys, gets shuffled into the mouth of the bottle, and once it's stoppered, she leans in close to inspect it-- or, she starts to, then cranes her head up at Damir when he starts stuttering. One eyebrow is raised, and then her shoulders start tilting along with her head, her whole torso going at an angle. A completely unintentional side effect of being bent at the waist and looking up is the view Damir'd get of her cleavage...if there was anything there to look at. "You are surprised? I told you, there is no better activity for a girl than catching bugs." She straightens, and finally stops showing teeth, grin compressing to something a little more respectable. "Are you always so," and there's a gesture that results in drops of water being flung in Damir's direction, also unintentional. "Careful? Nervous? Surely the excitement, you are experiencing it? It is your project!"
[18:28] Damir Novak (cosmological) does not hesitate in plugging up the bottle as soon as the beetle (and a bit of water) has made it inside. He, too, leans close to peer at the beetle. Gonzo's movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention and his eyes flick in that direction -- only to catch a glimpse of the shifting of fabric and skin. His gaze darts away again before he sees anything impolite.
"Oh yes. That is true," he remarks, quietly, once again examining the beetle. A bit harder than necessary, perhaps. "Looks like...Very nice water scavenger beetle, I think. I have not seen coloration like this on one before."
He shifts to drape the beetle jar around his neck, like a necklace, before finally bringing his gaze back to Gonzo. Eyes above the collarbone...as always. Rather than meeting her gaze, he studies one of the sideburn just to the right of her eyes. "I am excited, yes," he replies, solemnly. He flinches minutely at the drops of water. "Just cautious, also. I would hate you to be getting hurt out here." He shrugs and rolls up his sleeves before squatting down to reach into the water to fetch the net that had been dropped.
"I want to look for predaceous diving beetle next...but we might need to move further to the river. Might be too brackish here. You okay so far?"
[18:50] Gonzo Giustizieri nods vigorously, and more water droplets fly out with the motion. "With that coloring, I am thinking bottom feeder. Funny guy! Almost missed him!" Then the vigorous nod is followed by an equally vigorous shake of the head, and a laugh. "Novak, Novak, I promise you this. If I am getting hurt, it is my choice. No fretting! I will be fiiiiine. Focus the concern on yourself, yes?" After he's grabbed the net again, she slaps him on the back, probably...leaving a good bit of water to soak into his sweater. Oops. Once he says they'll need to move further in, she doesn't waste a second and starts moving through the water-- though despite the enthusiasm, she's not running wildly, instead working her way forward at angles with the current, so as not to disturb the creatures with too much splashing. "Do the--" Before she finishes, she dives down again, and is underwater for a good 30 seconds this time before erupting like a crocodile, water streaming off of the soaked hat. She spits out a mouthful before holding out her cupped hands and trying again. "Do the predaceous beetles make a noise?" Pause, think. "Why the bugs, Novak?"
[18:56] odontoceti Resident: Rolled 1D20 and got a 15 [Roll Reason: 15+ it is a predaceous diving beetle!
10+ it is an evil bug
1-9 it is a clump of weeds and a scary worm]
[18:58] cosmological Resident: Rolled 1D20 and got 9 | (Roll Reason: same as above)
[19:21] Damir Novak (cosmological) stares at Gonzo with an impassive expression as she answers. He's quiet for a moment. He opens his mouth to speak again, and then -- SLAP! A frigid hand leaves a wet spot that seeps into his sweater. He shudders, and one can practically see him turn blue from the chill. "Er, right," he mumbles, pulling away to stagger through the water to resume their search.
And then -- he sees something. Could that be....? He dips the net into the water, attempting to fish it out. When he does, he comes to the disappointing realization that it is nothing more than a pathic clump of weeds. How could he have messed that up? He sticks a hand in to pull the weeds out when he notices the silence. Quickly, he glances around...and frowns. Where has Gonzo gone?
He peers around, searching for a sign, before finally noticing her shadow near the surface. Moments later, she erupts, managing to spray a good deal of water all over Damir. He looks nonplussed, and returns to tugging the clump of dirt out of the net.
"Oh, hello. I hope what you have there does not bite you." He remarks...just moments before he hisses an "Ah, fuck!" and his hand withdraws suddenly out of the net, like it'd been bitten. Which, apparently, it had.
Out from the clump of weeds wriggles...a lengthy bobbit worm, writhing and thrashing from where its mouth is connected to Damir's leather-gloved hand.
[19:39] Gonzo Giustizieri is all prepared to dump the prize in her hands into another one of Damir's bottles, but there is no bottle ready. Instead, there is a worm thrashing around, and that takes priority. She shoves a hand down the front of her shirt, releases the beetle, and grabs the strings to cinch the top closed and contain the bug. That done, she lopes forward to make a grab at the thrashing worm. "What the hell?! Are you hurt?!" She has the tail end of the thing in one hand, but it's still wriggling around mightily, and she's looking for a place near its head to grab, but for now, she's occupied trying to hold it steady. "Behind the jaw, pinch it behind the jaw, like you are handling a snake! Enough pressure, and it will either release the glove or the head will c-- agh!" She jolts to the side like she'd been shocked, but is trying very hard to maintain a grip on the nasty worm as she squirms in place, grimacing as tiny legs skitter around inside her shirt, looking for the next best place to bite.
[19:43] cosmological Resident: Rolled 1D20 and got 12(+2) for a total of: 14 | (Roll Reason: 0-9 cringe
10-14 decent
15+ great)
[19:53] Damir Novak (cosmological) had been frozen for a moment or two because of the shock, but now, he gets into action. The hand holding the net drops the thing and comes up to the back of the worm's head. It takes a few seconds of squeezing and prying and shaking the hand being bitten, but eventually, the worm lets go.
Even after he's been freed, he continues to hold the worm tightly behind its head. He spares a few moments to admire it, the way that its iridescent segments shimmer in the dwindling sunlight. Then he sighs, peering up at Gonzo with pinched eyebrows. "You see, something like this is why I am using net, not doing diving like you are." Then he slides one of the bottles down his arm so that he can thrust it toward Gonzo. "Here. Take this. Wait...where is your bug?" He looks around suspiciously. "You screamed. Did you drop it?"
[20:12] Gonzo Giustizieri takes a moment to be indignant. "I did not /screa/-- ggrk." The 'ggrk' came from her clamping her mouth closed when the bug bit down again, in an effort to muffle the shout. She keeps her mouth closed for now, scowling at the bottle and unstoppering it for Damir, all while trying very hard not to wiggle as the bug continues to scramble around her torso, looking for a way out. "Put it in, fast. Head first, head first, go go go!" She takes a deep breath, and-- okay. No more wiggling. Her eyebrows are doing an Olympic gymnastics routine of microexpressions, but everywhere else? Holding steady. "I did not drop the beetle." She squints one eye and is caught somewhere between a smile and a grimace as the bug continues travelling. "Novak, I need to ask you a favor. Get the bottle ready. Catch it before it flies, understand?" Aaaand then she tugs at the string cinching the shirt together and pulls the entire thing down around her waist, freeing the beetle which is...just crawling around, heading for her back. "Get it, get it, get it! Use the gloves!"
[20:30] Damir Novak (cosmological) stares at Gonzo with marked confusion at the outburst. Put it in? Head first? "Put /what/?"
The worm in his hand twitches and realization dawns on him. "Oh, no, no, certainly not," he laughs, but its mirthless and awkward. "I need to go get rid of this thing, there is no way that I can...I mean...um, are you okay?" He quiets down as she explains herself...sort of...and absolutely no comprehension crosses his expression. He does, however, know how to follow orders he's been given even if he doesn't understand them. And so, he bodily chucks the bobbit worm into the water a few feet away from them to free his hands, and hurriedly proceeds to Get A Bottle Ready. Barely a moment passes between the 'pop' of the cork and...Gonzo dropping her shirt. Damir's eyes widen as he takes in the sight of the beetle crawling around the poor girl's torso, the reddened bite marks. And then he's splashing his way closer, trying to find a good angle of approach...
A split second later, both his hands dart out to cup the beetle in his hands. "Got it!" He shouts triumphantly, wrestling it into the bottle. And then he's looking around confusedly, one hand on top of the bottle to keep the beetle from escaping. "...but I dropped the cork somewhere..." he mumbles. Then he sighs, tilting his head at the final bottle that dangles from his wrist. "Can you grab the cork from the last bottle? Then maybe we are done."
[20:39] odontoceti Resident: Rolled 1D20 and got a 2 [Roll Reason: cork?]
[20:47] Gonzo Giustizieri peels her arms out of the sleeves as soon as the beetle is removed, letting the shirt flop free around her waist. Luckily there's a tank top underneath, but no bra. Typical. "No bites? Good, good!" She whirls around, scanning the surrounding water for the cork...and does not see it. At all. No sign of a cork. Really sad. So she does what he says, and unstoppers the last bottle, swats his hand away from the top of this one, and plugs it closed. "Done!" She gives the two occupied bottles a forlorn look, then shifts that look up to Damir. "That is all?" She tilts her head, then her whole body, balancing on one foot in the water. "Only two beetles? Surely you need more for your studies?" One hand tugs at the bottom of the tank top, pulling it up to prod at the bite on her stomach curiously. "It is not venomous, if that is the concern." Then she shrugs, and starts heading for the beach. Until she remembers something. "Wait! You never answered, why the bugs? You must be doing this for some reason?"
[21:04] Damir Novak (cosmological) watches Gonzo stopper the bottle with visible relief, although he averts his eyes from anything other than her hands. "Yes, two will do for now," he says, wrapping the length of cord around his hand and pulling the jar close to his face. Almost instantly, his expression lights up. "Oh! This /is/ predacious diving beetle. Very good, very good. No, I am not worried about the vendom." He holds the bottle close to his chest, looking rather chipper. Suddenly, something occurs to him, and he glances around looking for his net. Once he retrieves it, he splashes his way after Gonzo toward the beach.
Her question makes him pause just before stepping out of the water.
"Oh. My degree is in entomology. But this has nothing to do with studies. Fellow student asked for demonstration and explanation of insect locomotion in exchange for favor." He lifts the jar again, pointing to the motion of the beetles legs as it skitters around this inside of the glass sphere. "My mentor suggested aquatic beetle would be best for such demonstration, and I agreed." He steps onto the beach, and glances down to look at his discarded sweater. He has to shuffle some of his belongings around -- the beetle bottle tucked into his pocket, the net placed onto the sand, followed by his muddied gloves -- and then he fetches the sweater up. And then, suddenly, he also stretches to peel off his uncomfortably damp sweater. He's not totally nude underneath, at least. There's a full-torso corset and an undershirt beneath that.
"I am sorry about the biting, though," he says, sounding both regretful and muffled behind the sweater.
[21:29] Gonzo Giustizieri squints at Damir when he starts to look chipper, eyebrow going sky-high. But it's paired with a growing grin, even though it's half-suppressed. "Hey, a smile! So you /do/ get excited!" She seems pleased by the discovery. Once she gets to the beach, she looks from her wet pants to the dry boots in a pile, balances on one foot again as she thinks, then dips down to snag the boots and rest them on her shoulder. Just gonna barefoot it the rest of the way. "Oh, yes, the locomotion! The way an animal moves, it can say so much, there is much to be learned from it!" She shifts from one foot to another, excited by the topic. The stripping almost goes without notice, up until she spots the lacing on the thing. And plucks at one of the strings. "You had this on the whole time? Your breathing, it is not impaired?" She looks at him, expression somewhat clinical now, like she's about to ask him to take a deep breath. Then something seems to click. "What? No, no, the biting, it does not bother me. Once--" She sighs, and starts pulling on the sweater to help him out, since the wet wool is clinging to him. "It is interesting to see how the animal reacts in the circumstances. I would gladly do it again! You are binding?"
[21:47] Damir Novak (cosmological) tries to shimmy out of the heavy, wet wool, but is indeed a little bit stuck. He grunts irritably at the plucking of his corset. "Well, it fits correctly. So no. No impairment of the breathing." He huffs, wriggling an elbow out of the confines of one of the sleeves, and with Gonzo's help, he manages to pull the rest over his head. His gaze meets Gonzo's and settles there impassively, hanging for several moments. And then, rather than answering, he just bends over to swipe his dry sweater out of the sand and slips it on. It rides up a bit, and he tries to tug it back down. "I appreciate your enthusiasm very much, Miss Giustizieri," he says, with some finality. "Thank you for your help. Can I walk you back to dorms?"
[22:01] Gonzo Giustizieri blinks twice at his sidestepping of the question, then beams at Damir. "Good! The breathing, it is very important." She gives him another bright look, curious, then dips down to grab the bottles in one hand, and snags Damir's hand with the other. "Hey, I will not say a word. You see what I am working with here," she says, laughing and lifting a shoulder to scratch at her sideburns. "You and me, we are on the same page!" There's a wink, and she swings their hands as they walk. "Yes, yes, lead the way, Mr. Novak."