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[pkemeter]

"You have reached Dr. Egon Spengler. Please leave a message, preferably fifty words or less."

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[pkemeter]

I believe the slime had been placed in the sewer system several hundred years earlier by worshipers of Gozer. Once the slime had grown in volume and become charged with negative psychokinetic energy, Vigo noticed this and decided to utilize it for his plan. [He shrugs.] Waiting for hundreds of years in slumber did nothing to help him--he should've spent more time studying the effects of the slime.

[He puts his fork down and glances towards Ray.] We did perform a few experiments regarding how it reacted to differing emotional states, both negative and positive. For example, insulting it, regardless of the speaker's tone, would cause it to react, although yelling usually caused it to react more violently.

[ghoststanning]

I'm pretty sure the Mood Slime is an entirely different thing, since I have no idea why worshipers of Gozer would want to build a support beam like that that would stop giant earthquakes from happening. And while it could have some minor psycho-reactive power, it doesn't seem to be nearly on the same level, anyway.

...

You know you got really quiet when I asked about the experiments earlier, Spengs. What was that about?

[neverstudied]

Fair enough, but still, two different sewer slimes? Maybe they came from the same place initially, and developed different niche uses, and were utilized by different people. I dunno.

Huh. So you guys wound up screaming at slime for science.

[Despite this Venkman's dislike of his other self, there's a great deal of similarity between the two. They both love their partners, though one is better at showing it. They both have similar senses of humor, though one takes jokes too far sometimes. They both take pride in their public appearance and overemphasize their own importance, and it's hard to tell if either of them are as egotistical as they act.

But more than anything, they both seem to have a knack for knowing when a conversation is going to end in them getting to make fun of their partners, and they both love to take advantage of that. To the point that somehow, some way, Venkman winds up briefly echoing his own alternate self word-for-word.]

What kinda tests did you try for the positive reactions?

[pkemeter]

I would not discount the theory of evolutionary slime.

[Egon's body language stiffens ever so slightly--something only really noticeable to the people who've spent years around him. Or at least, someone who's spent time around some version of Egon Spengler.]

We exposed it to music and songs, gave it nurturing, supportive words. [He clears his throat.] Ray...mostly handled that aspect.

[He attempts to pick up his fork and start working on another piece of cake.]

[ghoststanning]

[Hm, well Egon's getting weird about it again, but so far it just seems like normal things to him?]

Yeah! Spengs told me already that it responds especially well with the song "Higher and Higher".

Apparently we used it to control the Statue of Liberty

[neverstudied]

[Venkman's eyes narrow ever so slightly. He damn well noticed that change in posture, Egon. Tread carefully.]

What, you didn't want to sweet-talk the mood slime, Egon?

... We did what with the Statue of Liberty.

[That manages to briefly distract Venkman from examining Egon further, at least. But it won't work for long.]

[pkemeter]

[Egon pointedly avoids answering that first question, deciding instead to focus on the way this particular slice of cake is structured.]

We coated the Statue of Liberty in positively-charged psychokinetic slime and played "Higher and Higher" at an extremely high volume, which allowed the structure to self-mobilize.

[They've used too many eggs in this--the texture is far too close. Interesting.]

[ghoststanning]

Whaddya say, Pete? You think that's weirder than the chicken man?

[Hey if Ray distracts Peter enough, he may accidentally help draw him away from the slime stuff.

...Maybe.]

[neverstudied]

Maybe a little weirder.

[It's rare for Venkman to concede so easily, but Egon is practically dissecting that cake on the table like a science class frog, and he wants to know why.]

Egon. Tell us more about the experiments.

[pkemeter]

[Egon stabs the fork directly through the cake, still pointedly avoiding meeting Venkman's (or Ray's) eyes.]

I don't see what else there is to speak on the matter. We tested the slime for emotional reactions, and were able to draw a conclusion on its psychokinetic make up.

[He starts picking apart the cake without bothering to even eat it.]

And what about the chicken man? How exactly was he able to make a deal with a demon in the first place?

[ghoststanning]

I’m pretty sure he just performed the standard demon summoning ritual where he gains something in exchange for his soul.

[Ray looks over at Venkman. Yeah, he’s really starting to notice how weird Egon is being too, and while he’s not fueled by being a jerk, he’s still really curious about what’s going on.]

You alright, Spengs? The way you’ve been reacting whenever we bring up the slime really makes it sound like something happened during the experiment.

[neverstudied]

[Excuse you, Venkman is entirely motivated by non-bastard reasons. Definitely]

Hey, Dr. Spengler, you can stop the cake autopsy any time now. And there's plenty to "speak about on the matter". Don't you usually like it when I ask questions and provide actual feedback about your experiments? You got a reason for clamming up right now, Egie?

[pkemeter]

[Egon stops taking apart the cake. But he still doesn't look up at either of them. He rests the fork on the plate and folds his hands together, appearing oddly contemplative.

After an uncomfortable pause, he says--]

Perhaps we should speak some more about your experiences.

[That's...all.]

[ghoststanning]

[Should he be concerned? He feels concerned.]

... Spengs, did something happen? You can tell us; we’re here for you.

[neverstudied]

[There's a part of Venkman that's concerned, too, even though his gut tells him it's not anything genuinely horrible. Just something Egon finds embarrassing and is reluctant to talk about.]

Is it something you don't wanna say out loud in public?

[He thinks it over for a moment. And then, like another version of himself before him, Venkman tries to make a joke- in this case to cut the tension.]

C'mon, it's not like you were sleepin' with it, were you?

[God help us.]

[pkemeter]

[Now that gets Spengler to react. His hand jerks and causes his fork to clatter against his plate. His face turns a distinct shade of red as he clears his throat and looks away from both of them.

There's your answer, Venkman.]

[ghoststanning]

[At first, Ray is concerned by that reaction. Since he was slightly worried that something bad happened during the experiment, he couldn’t help but take his reaction as a bad sign. What did it mean? What could have been so bad that-

And then the joke Venkman made hits him and it clicks.]

Oh.

[And then-]

Did I-?

[Ray quickly cuts himself off, however, because he realizes that there no graceful way to say “HEY DID I WATCH YOU FUCK SLIME?!”]

[neverstudied]

[There is a long, long moment of silence as Venkman accurately interprets every single detail of Egon's reaction.]

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

[And then, he looks at Ray, grinning like an idiot.]

Didn't even take me a week, Ray, how about that for efficiency?

[And then, back to Egon-]

Ok, so, give us the details. Was the other Ray there when this happened? I need to know if I can hold this over both of you, or just you.

[This is Christmas morning for him rn he is delighted]

[pkemeter]

[While all of this is happening, Egon just sort of starts sliding down in his seat ever so slowly, still refusing to meet either of their eyes. The only thing he can think of right now is how glad he is that he decided against allowing Kölliker out of her containment unit for this particular date.

After a brief pause, he finally manages to mutter out a single sentence that is barely audible--]

He-- [He clears his throat.] He was, yes.

[Please let him die]

[ghoststanning]

[Now it’s Ray’s turn to turn a dark shade of red.]

H-hey, wait a minute, what-?

[This is how he dies.]

[neverstudied]

[This is the best moment of Venkman's god damn life

He is trying so hard not to just lose it in this restaurant- he's shaking from trying to keep himself from laughing.]

Ok. Ok. Ok.

With the other Ray, are we talking scientific observation or active participation.

vague nsfw text ???

[pkemeter]

[Egon's practically halfway hidden by the table at this point. His face is an impressive shade of red.]

Ray--Ah, my dimension's version of Ray Stantz suggested the first. [He rubs his temples, closing his eyes in resignation.] But later, we--it was proposed that we could illicit a stronger reaction from the slime if a stronger emotional reaction could be triggered by any participating party.

[As he speaks, his words grow more and more mumbled.]

[ghoststanning]

[Ray just... gently rests his head on the table.]

I think I’m living in a nightmare...

[The worst part is that he can’t even say that any of this seems out of character for him.]

nsfw text

[neverstudied]

Nightmare, you kidding? This feels like a dream.

[Venkman pauses, and looks at the sleeping Wimpod in his lap. He deliberately pulls out a Pokeball, retracts Roach, and steeples his hands together, grinning at Egon.]

So.

How much of that change of plans was just because of science, and how much was just Ray rationalizing his way into bed with you?

i hate this thanks

[pkemeter]

[There's an uncomfortable pause.]

He made sure to ask multiple times whether I was comfortable with this arrangement.

[All Venkman can see is Egon's forehead and his hair. Good job. You've killed him.]