(no subject)

[3potionproblem]

Snake eggs have a very interesting feel to them. Once I get some more equipment, I should be able to test different properties of the shell. Does this work like the goats did? Will I be able to get more at cost?

Comments

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Of course it's alright. All I've done it measure it, weigh it, and held it up to the light to try and see inside.

Am I completely banned from all experiments? Another student and I rather wanted to do musical tests on them.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

[John shrugs.]

Not all experiments, I suppose. But ones that could end in a broken egg are right out.

So it depends on what kind of musical tests you're talking about. If it's what frequency you'd need to hit to shatter an eggshell, that's a BIG no.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Nothing of the sort.

[He grabs his violin from it's stand and hands it to John to hold while he resins the bow]

I said music, not noise.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

[John accepts the violin, blinking at it in surprise for a moment.]

You want to play for it? That's... nice, actually. But what do you want the experiment to prove?

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Well, snakes are deaf and at this stage of development it is even more so but perhaps indoctrinating it to the vibrations of metered sound will have an affect on a hatched snake. You want it alive and such an experiment requires a living sample so I suppose we could consider this a compromise.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

Huh. Yeah, fair enough. Feel free to serenade the snake to your heart's content. Maybe it'll do it some good, who knows.

Now we just need to come up with a name for it.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Snake 001 will suffice.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

Uh, no.

I only support that name if you were going for a James Bond, MI-6 angle, and I know that can't be the case.

Plus I'm almost completely sure nobody makes tuxedos for snakes.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

If you name it, you've already set yourself up to grow attached. Numerical designations are better.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

And I think steering clear of numbers might get you to stick to the "no snake killing" compromise.

Numbers imply an unlimited supply of backup snakes.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

I have yet to be responded to in regards to the number of snakes I'm allowed.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

The point is we aren't going to NEED any backup snakes.

Keep this up and you're in danger of me giving it the most embarrassing name imaginable.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

I might want extra all the same.

You can name it whatever you like but you can hardly expect me to call it anything other than Snake 001.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

[John squints at him.]

So those would be, what, snakes on the side?

The most embarrassing name in the world, Sherlock. And I'll write it on the snake's jar in big, bold letters. And charm them so they can't be erased. So you'll always see it.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

For shell stress tests. You said you wanted this one alive. There's no accounting for other specimens.

And don't you dare do something so... stupid.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

Good luck convincing the professors to hand over an unknown number of baby snakes for you to subject to every test under the sun. If we do get a grade on this, I won't be held accountable for the fates of whatever bonus snakes you get your hands on. If any.

Maybe it's stupid, but it's strategic, weapons-grade stupid.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Fine. You win. At least name is something dignified.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

[John grins.]

Alright, since you asked nicely. Or at least less sulkily that you could've done. I'll try to come up with something good then. I won't make this a war of snake name attrition.

Though now we ought to figure out who has the egg when again. I was going to keep it since that would keep it safe from your shell tests, but the music thing you've got planned is quite good.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

I don't sulk.

How long exactly is it supposed to take before it hatches?

[He holds out his hand for his violin. Time to tune it.]

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

[John doesn't dignify that with a response beyond a very disbelieving "Oh, really?" look. Still, it manages to remain a very fond expression. The hatching question catches him a bit off guard as he hands back the violin.]

Er, I don't really know. I've got know idea how long it takes snake eggs to hatch under regular conditions, let alone whatever weirdness Hogwarts might apply to it. Could be as soon as tomorrow or as far off as weeks from now for all I know.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Then I suppose an every-other-day sort of set up will suffice. Though I would very much like to be present when it hatches.

[He tunes his violin, plucking the strings then setting the instrument on his shoulder to test the sound with the bow before going to the next.]

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

Well, yeah. Of course I wouldn't let you miss that.

[John is quiet for a moment as he ponders names. He feels stumped; he doesn't want to go for a common or embarrassing name now that Sherlock's backed down from calling the thing Snake 001, but no truly good names are immediately forthcoming either. He tries to think about things associated with snakes, and suddenly an idea flashes alight in his eyes. It's a complicated name and it takes a few seconds of lip-chewing and brow-furrowing thought for him to remember it, but finally it comes.]

What about Asclepius? As a name, I mean.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Asclepius? ... Isn't that Greek or something? Well, it's certainly better than Bill or Sam or Steve the Snake.

[Action]

[3houseswatson]

Yeah, Greek, I think. Probably one of their billions of gods or something, though I wouldn't know.

But you know that symbol a lot of medical services use, the one with the snake wrapped around a stick? It's called the Rod of Asclepius. I looked it up a while back, and the name came back to me.

[He shrugs.]

Thought it might be as decent a name as any.

[Action]

[3potionproblem]

Is it really? Well, that'll do then, I think. I have to hand it to you, John. I didn't really think you'd put that level of thought behind it.

I promise you Asclepius will live to hatch from his shell. I'm sure I can get my hands on a baby snake at some other point in my life to experiment on in less life affording ways.

Danse Macabre?