[ SESSION TWO, HASSHIN! ] [ When last we left our heroes... ] A red-haired woman in a red cloak, her face lined with age, is right outside the barn, her gun pointed right at poor Eric's face. "Hi! My name is Remi Harmon, and you have 60 seconds to tell me why you're in my barn." [ Hopefully, those 5 points Bea put in "Talk like a hummingbird on crack" won't be wasted! START! ] * Eric babbles. "Please don't shoot we're not here to rob you or anything I swear I don't even know how we got here this has been the weirdest day ever and... don't shoot me... please?" * Eric keeps his hands up in the air. Way up. No sudden movements from him, no sirree. * Beatrice smiles and waves. "Hi! I don't really know why we're here, though not really in the existential sense, but more in the practical." She beams. "But I don't think we were doing anything that's going to hurt your barn, unless you have some really fragile hay or something." So it might be nice if you could put away the gun, even if you do think you need it for protection or hunting or whatever people have guns for. *** Todd changes topic to ' You go first. You're more... err... naked then I am. || http://www.livejournal.com/users/otherworld' I don't really know. I've never really even seen a gun outside of a museum or documentary or policeman. ( Remi shoots Bea! She is blissfully silent! ) * Gerard smiles faintly, and adds, "To clarify, we were merely asleep here, after being teleported to this place by a strange book." He side-glances at the speedy talking child. * Beatrice beams. There's a pause, then Remi sighs and lowers her gun. "You're too insane to be dangerous. Well, teleported, carriage, flown in by rocs, whatever. You might as well come inside and have some tea." She turns and walks toward a nearby cabin. * Eric blinks. He then exhales, lowers his arms, and looks at the others. "I guess we should follow her?" * Beatrice 's eyes widen. "Tea? Wow! I haven't had tea since..." She scrunches up her brow whilst she follows Remi. "... oh. I guess since yesterday. Well, I could do with a cup anyways." [ For those keeping track of the soundtrack: "A Person's Warmth", Wild Arms 3 OST disc 2, track 9 ] * Gerard nods towards Eric. "Yes, we should. It's better than staying here, at least." He walks along after Remi. Okay. * Eric follows everyone else. * Beatrice bounces along, idly peering at the cabin, the trees, the grass, the sky, the clouds, and the back of Remi. (We've actually got that one. Amazing. ^_^;) [ What lies outside the barn isn't much of a farm, though there is a chicken coop and a small plot of tilled land; it looks like an early crop of some greens is coming in. The dirt path leads up a small hillock to the cabin, where Remi can be seen in the distance opening the door. ] ( For the record, I only volunteer so much info. If you want to know more, you have to ask. ^_^ ) * Beatrice dashes up the path to stare at the chickens for a second, then up the path some more to stare at the crops, and then up the last bit to the cabin. * Eric looks around as he walks, trying to spot the source of water he heard earlier. * Gerard looks at Beatrice, and comments, "My, she's an energetic one. I wonder if she got it from the elder Featherstons." He continues walking. I wouldn't know. I never took any classes from them. [ What Eric notices is that Remi lives in a most unusual place; you're clearly at the top of a grassy steppe overlooking a very dense forest many feet below. The entire thing is ringed by some very tall mountains; a few are snowcapped. ] [ On the far side of the hillock, a wide stream runs down from the mountains, and runs to the edge of the steppe, cascading down into the forest valley below. ] * Eric looks down at the forest. "Nice. If I weren't completely lost and confused and somewhat fearful for my life, this would make a good painting." (Is the garden all the same crop?) ( No. There's a number of different things. Staple vegetables, mostly. No grains. ) * Beatrice bounds up to the house and through the door, if it's still open. * Gerard says, "Hmm?" and looks to the sides of the path. "You might be right, at that. A painter, then?" [ It is indeed open a crack; presumably one pushes it open instead of making a Taz-shaped hole in it. Inside is the cabin's kitchen, a very rustic affair. It was built around the well pump and cistern, which is enclosed in a tiled recess just to the left of the door. Inside the cabin is all wood, as well as a small table with chairs. Remi is sitting at it, putting out cups. "Have a seat." She gives Bea a once-over. "Try not to break anything." ] ( I have this feeling some of that got cut off. ) (Nope.) * Eric nods to Gerard as they walk into Remi's cabin. "Of sorts. I dabble in it in my spare time." (No, it looks like it all came through.) * Beatrice looks around, almost in awe. "Wow, it's all so pretty." She sits down in a chair calmly, though her foot twitches a little. "Did you make it all yourself? And what sort of stuff are you growing? How long have you had the garden? Do you fertilize or is the ground good enough here?" * Gerard chuckles, and gestures with his cane-hand. "Everyone needs a hobby." He eyes the house and takes a seat. Remi raises an eyebrow. "I think I'm the one who gets to ask the questions, thanks." She glances at Eric and Gerard. "Have a seat. I don't have any biscuits or anything, but I haven't had guests in quite a while." She pours everyone a cup of tea (there is a small milk and sugar set, as well as a bowl of what actually appear to be lemons), then sips her own. "So, start at the beginning. Who are you?" * Eric sits down as well, after taking a quick glance around the cabin. * Beatrice sips her tea, if a little loudly. "I'm Bea! Well, Beatrice. Actually Irene, but I hate that name." She makes a face. "My last name's Featherston," she says with a confident nod, and returns to her sipping. * Eric spoons a bit of sugar into his tea, then pours some milk in and stirs it. "Eric Corwin. I'm... studying to be a librarian, I guess you could say." * Gerard says with a slight-accent, "I'm Doctor Gerard Markel, Professor of History." He sips the tea without putting anything in it, and mms. Remi holds her cup in both hands and looks between the three of you. "Two bookworms and a loudmouthed kid. My, how very likely that you climbed the Watchtowers to visit a cabin nobody in the world should even know existed. How did you get here?" ( I hope I'm getting the flavor of Remi right. I don't want Scott's ghost to be mad at me. -_^ ) (Heh.) * Beatrice smiles. "We have no idea." She sips her tea, which she has managed to put fourteen spoons of sugar in. * Eric takes a sip of tea. "I don't think you'll believe us." Your host raises an eyebrow. "You'd be surprised what I would and wouldn't believe." Okay, then... would you believe that we were all looking at this old book, then all of a sudden the world went black and white, some big skeletal monster started attacking, a voice spoke to us in our heads and told us we had to "become part of the story", we all touched the book and then we woke up here? "You forgot the part about the door locking us in, Eric!" She tsks. * Gerard takes another sip of tea. Sorry. Yeah. The door shut and we couldn't get out when the thing was attacking. Otherwise, I would've run like he- *glances at Beatrice* -ck. Remi does not look too perturbed yet. "What was the title of the book?" * Beatrice smiles into her tea. "Really? I would have run like hell myself." * Eric nearly chokes on his tea at Beatrice's response, then clears his throat and looks at Remi. "The Terra Gospel." [ Whee, BGM switch. "Crystal Teardrops", Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ] The woman pauses, then sets her cup down on the table and frowns. "That's not possible. I know of a number of enchanted books, and... the 'Terra Gospel' isn't a book. I'm absolutely sure of that." Oh, this was definitely a book. Sure it was! It had pages like a book, and a cover like a book, and pictures like a book.... * Gerard adds, "And an awfully active book at that. Most books where we come from don't throw sparks, or move on their own to a few specific people." Yeah. It wasn't your normal, run-of-the mill book. Books SHOULD be like that, though. Remi shakes her head and is starting to look a little annoyed. "Let me say this again: the Terra Gospel isn't a book. Maybe someone thought the name was a bit funny, but you certainly can't have run into the real thing." She sighs, then sips her tea. "Where did you find this supposed 'book'?" It was in an exhibit. At the university museum. *nod* As to where it originally came from... it was found in the ruins of an old library. In... eastern Europe. Warsaw, I think. There's a moment while Remi puts down her cup and rubs her temples. "Maybe I need to be more specific. *Which* exhibit, at *which* university, in *which city*?" * Gerard frowns for a second, and says, "The Vienna Scroll exhibit, at Gastonbury University, which is in Leafbury Center Connecticut, in the United States of America." * Eric nods. * Beatrice nodnods. * Gerard smiles to himself, and says, "It is always annoying to describe places in the United states to people outside of it. Far too many names for any single place." * Beatrice finishes her tea and sets down the cup. "I suppose we should in turn ask where we are now, huh?" Remi frowns. "I have never heard of a 'United States of America', a place called 'Leafbury Center Connecticut', or a university called Gastonbury. THey're all exceedingly stupid names, come to reflect on it. But you're either lying here, or insane too, since the only name I recognize is 'Terra Gospel'." * Eric frowns. "We didn't make them up. And we're not lying. I can't vouch for our sanity, though." * Beatrice frowns. "I don't think we're crazy. Maybe you're lying to us, hm?" Does Warsaw sound familiar? Or Poland? Or even Europe? Remi looks at Beatrice as if she were a slug trailing slime down her good kitchen chair. "Considering you're the ones who dropped into my sanctuary unannounced when I haven't had another living soul here since before you were likely even *born*, I don't think I have any motivation to lie." * Gerard takes another sip of tea. "Well, if our being here is extraordinary, wouldn't it make sense that our story for being here is extraordinary as well?" * Beatrice idly spins the teacup. "That's kinda subjective, isn't it?" She shrugs. "Can I get another cup?' "No." Remi snaps, then turns to Gerard. "There's a fine line between 'extraordinary' and 'beyond possibility'." * Beatrice pouts and plays with the teacup some more. We are here, aren't we? And if we hadn't lost everything but my cane and our clothing, we might have a better time of proving it. * Eric nods. "Yeah. Do we *look* like we climbed up here?" The woman in red snatches the cup out of Bea's hands irritably, then shakes her head as she places it on the table. "There's a number of ways to get up here. Teleportation spell... perhaps a gnome tunnel. Rocs or dragons, griffons..." She sighs. "Dropping in from what must be some other world doesn't have much val..." SHe suddenly stops. What's wrong? * Gerard takes another sip of the tea. Mmm. Tea. * Beatrice starts as the teacup's jerked away, but doesn't complain since Remi stops right before she can start talking. Remi stands up and slips the gun she was holding in her lap into a holster at her side. "Come with me." She steps outside, and you can hear the creaking of large wooden doors opening. * Eric blinks. "Um... all right." He stands up and follows Remi outside. * Beatrice gets up, teacup forgotten, and bounces along after Remi. * Gerard takes a last sip, and stands, snagging his cane and following. [ Outside, the woman is unlocking an old-style cellar entrance, which she throws open and climbs down into on broad, shallow steps. ] * Eric shrugs and follows Remi down into the cellar. * Beatrice stops to look at the chickens again, momentarily distracted. ( The chickens are a good minute and a half walk from the house. ) (No comment. ;p) (Well, forget that, then. LEt's bounce along into the cellar.) * Gerard walks down into the cellar as well. [ Inside, Remi waves her hand and a number of torches flare to life at her gesture. It's a root cellar, and she clearly doesn't use it for much. Large wooden crates are stacked in one corner, and bags of what appear to be corn and flour in another. However, the biggest feature is what looks like a gigantic barrel sitting against a wall; it's overgrown with ivy and other plants. ] * Beatrice looks around in awe. "So natural..." * Eric eyes the room. "Huh." * Gerard raises one eyebrow, and says, "So, do people around here use tricks like that often?" He gestures towards the torches. Remi shrugs. "No. Magic is rare nowadays, and the only people who know how to use it are..." She sighs. "It's not important. See that barrel? I want all three of you to touch it, one at a time." She points at the massive thing covered in plants. * Gerard says with a wry smile, "You sound almost like a book we just met." * Beatrice blinks. "Just touch it?" * Eric blinks, then shrugs. "Okay, sure." He walks up to the barrel and touches it. Remi ignores Gerard and nods at Bea. "Just reach out and try to touch it." [ As Eric's hand comes close, there's a sizzling sort of sound and Eric gets a nice jolt of electricity. ] * Eric jumps back. "Ow! Dammit!" * Beatrice waits until Eric is done, and with some trepidation, reaches out to touch the barrel. [ Bea gets the same treatment. It doesn't hurt, but it's definitely not a good sign for touching it further. ] * Beatrice jerks back. "Ah! What the hell is that?" Remi mms. She doesn't look too impressed, but is clearly thinking about something. * Gerard says, "I don't know, but the only comfort is that if she wanted us dead, we'd already be shot." He walks forward, gets ready, and touches the barrel. [ From Gerard's fingertips, there's a blue spark that jumps to the barrel's surface. It runs along the entire mass of plants like a number of tiny blue veins... and with a loud rumbling, the mass suddenly... moves, roots and ivy falling off it as it does so. ] * Eric jumps. "What'd you just do?" * Beatrice eeks and jumps back. * Gerard takes two steps back, and lifts his cane hand up a little. "Touched it, what else?" Sure you didn't make it mad? * Gerard smiles very slightly. "How am I to know what makes a large barrel mad, young lady?" [ The thing continues to move on its own; it eventually tries to stand up and hits the ceiling, then stops, saying in an oddly mechanical voice: << Structure limit reached. Activating launch platform. >> The ground under it begins to jack up, while the ceiling over it swings up and out like hangar doors. ] Remi, for her part, does not look happy, and sweeps past people for the stairs. "Outside. Now." * Eric follows Remi outside, quickly. "What *is* that thing?" * Beatrice runs for the stairs! "Gerard, you loony, you pissed it off good!" * Gerard wastes no time getting outside. "I didn't know we were on a first name basis yet, Miss Featherston." He frowns. "It's 'Abigail'," Remi snaps as she walks. Outside, the giant barrel has been elevatored into the sunlight, and is revealed to be... well, basically, a wood and steel protomecha. It has managed to stand fully upright and is currently 'dripping' dead plants. << System restart functional. ABIGAIL Mark IV online. >> ] ( - ] ) "I'll call you what I want! You made the ancient spirit of the barrel mad! I ... uh..." She stares upwards. * Eric stares. "That's a... giant wooden robot?" ( For the most part, it looks a lot like Gadget's super form from the Suikogaiden 2 opening movie. I'll see if I can screencap. ) * Beatrice crosses her arms and pouts. "It's a *robot*! I feel so gypped." * Gerard looks at the not-a-barrel-mecha. "That is one of the most incongruous things I've ever seen." * Eric shakes his head. "Bizarre." Then again, what hasn't been? The tea. ( And I can't. ) True. [ BGM switch: "Robo's Theme", Chrono Trigger OST disc 2, track 9 ] * Beatrice stares up at 'Abigail'. "At least it's wood." She knocks on one of the legs. Remi bites her lip. "That was... a companion of mine, a very long time ago, left this as a sort of protector... but after a hundred years or so, it wasn't necessary. But it was also an early-warning system for an event we knew would come." She glances at Gerard. "Waiting for the right person to activate it." * Eric blinks. "Wait... did you say a hundred years?" [ 'Abigail' looks down at Bea kicking it, reaches down, and picks her up by the back of the shirt, turning its head to face her. << Analysis: Attacking foe. >> It turns to Gerard. << Instructions, master? Dispose/Subdue/Annihilate? >> ] * Gerard whips his head from the mecha, to Remi, back to Abigail, clears his throat, and says, "I believe you can just ignore her for the time being." He looks back to Remi. "Master?" * Beatrice squeals as the robot picks her up. "Ack! Stupid thing! Put me down! Technology ought to know its place! Uppity so'n'so..." SHe continues ranting in this manner while twisting around, and trying to get free. And how did you know Doctor Markel was supposed to activate it? [ Remi glances at Abigail and raises an eyebrow. "Funny. I always imagined it would talk like he did." She does not look convinced that this is a bad thing. Abigail merely looks at Gerard, and there's a *click-whrrr* sound. << Affirmative, master. >> It drops Bea. Thankfully, it's not very far and she can land on her feet. ] (*cackles*) * Beatrice lands and sniffs, looking affronted. She rearranges her shirt. The red-coated woman breathes out, and glances between Eric and Gerard. "One question at a time, alright?" She turns to eye the steambot, which is standing there like a statue, making the occasional mechanical noise. "I didn't know it was him any more than I knew it was your or the brat. But there was a chance it was one of you." She frowns. "Someone from the 'otherworld'." (It feels so Warcrafty, in a Scottish accent. "Aye. Nae. Aye. What'cha want me to do now?") ( I pondered it. Then I realized I'd be forced to destroy it, and you DID pay CP for it. ) (*cackles*) (Hee. ^^;) * Beatrice finishes blushing and looking mad, and eyes Remi. "'OtherWorld'?" Remi nods. "The imaginary world beyond the Faithless Eye. Legends have talked about potential visitors from the 'otherworld' who held the keys to the future, but even after all this time, nobody really understands them. They look and talk like us, bleed like us... but they're different." Imaginary world? Faithless Eye? The woman in red frowns. "I personally never believed in the tales about the 'otherworld'. But I made a promise and I kept it. For two hundred and thirty long years." And I really hope you don't mean to test that part about the blee- what? ( What is this, the ASK system? Can someone make a full sentence? c.c; ) * Beatrice rubs her forehead. "You sound like one of the Native Americans dad used to interview." She blinks. "Wow, you're old, then. You don't look it." * Gerard makes a 'huh'ing noise, and looks sorta-stunned. "Well. That is certaintly a difference. Two hundred and thirty years..." (You'll have to forgive Eric; he's a bit stunned at the moment and his grammar is suffering. ;p) Remi sighs, and she does start to look a little old. Though certainly not 230. "I stopped aging when I was fourty-five. We all had to choose a way to protect our charges, and for me... well, it's a story we'll go into when we get there." * Eric blinks. "Wait, where are we going?" Or was that not literal? * Beatrice turns and looks at the surroundings. "Well, it's certainly a pretty place to spend a few centuries." She shakes her head. "I'll tell you in minute. I have to get something from inside. Stay here." She waves a hand at Gerard. "Help him figure out his new toy." With that, she heads into the house, leaving you with Abigail. Birds are perching on it; it turns its head to look at one with that same cogitive *click-whrr* sound. * Gerard rubs his head. "This is not what I expected when I woke up today." He looks up at the robot. "So... Abigail." The mecha swivels its head down to look at Gerard. << Affirmative, master. Where is the control unit? >> * Eric eyes it. "I don't think any of us expected this when we woke up... although something about this almost reminds me of this weird dream I had a few nights back." * Gerard says, "My name is Doctor Gerard Markel, Abigail. And what control unit?" *click-whrr* << User profile cannot be registered without the control unit. Please register for more features. >> (*snerk*) * Beatrice sits down and stares off the cliff. "Yeah, that sounds nice and modern to me." * Eric nods. "Makes sense. Can't do much without the equivalent of a CPU, or a hard drive, or whatever... you know, my CompSci classes did *not* cover giant wooden robots." * Gerard looks at the robot with a stern look, and shakes his head. "Nor did my doctoral." He says, "So, Abigail, what sort of things do you do? Besides Annihilate and Subdue?" *click-whrr* << I am the Abigail Mark IV, defense and protection unit. I defend and protect. Please see user's manual for precise feature list. >> * Beatrice looks up. "I wonder if the user's manual's on a piece of bark? That would make sense." * Eric snickers. "The manual. Of course." ( Hmm. Cham, do I have your updated sheet with your revised powers on it? ) ( ...I don't have a sheet for you at all, looks like. c.c; ) * Gerard leans forward onto his cane. "Just my luck. A robot with a manual and control unit I don't have." Maybe that's what Ms. Harmon went off to get. Remi steps up behind the lot of you, carrying a small wooden box, and a large package wrapped in brown paper. "We'll get to you in a second, 'Doctor'. You girls, come here." * Eric blinks at Remi. "Excuse me?" Remi glances at Eric a second, then grins a little. "It's the hair. Sorry. Come here." * Beatrice stands up and looks around a little, then bounces over to Remi. What's up? * Eric looks down at himself, and then walks over to Remi, muttering. I take it guys don't have long hair around here? * Gerard walks up to the robot, and puts his hand on its leg. He hrms. * Todd opens up the box, and holds it out to Eric and Bea. "Here. One piece each. It came with the hunk of junk." Inside are two perfectly egg-shaped, small pieces of amber. * Eric takes a piece of the amber. "Okay, what do we do with it?" * Beatrice 's eyes widen. "WOW. That's the coolest piece of amber I've ever seen! That'd look fantastic on a necklace or bracelet, or... " She snatches it up. Remi raises an eyebrow. "Eat it, of course." It's not much there, about the size of a fun-size candy bar. * Eric stares. "Eat it. Right. No, seriously. What do we do with it?" Remi frowns. "Eat it." * Beatrice stares at it. "Is it chewy?" "Just eat the damn thing!" * Eric eyes the amber. "Well, it's not like this is any less weird than anything else we've seen so far." He pops it in his mouth. * Beatrice shrugs and pops it down. [ It's a bit like a Cadbury caramel egg, actually, combined with a licquer chocolate. The outside is a thin shell that tastes a bit like maple candy, and the inside is a bit like sweet syrup, and is warm. ] * Eric chews and swallows. "Mmm. That was good. You'd make a killing marketing that around Easter." "Mmm, that's the tastiest amber I've ever eaten." She muses, finger on her chin. "That's not saying much, though." [ The warmth from the amber actually spreads out to your whole body. When it hits the tips of your fingers is when the fun starts. The grass around Eric suddenly grows quite tall, and a number of flowers sprout around his feet. Bea, meanwhile, turns into a white tiger. No, really. ] * Beatrice blinks. "Mrr?" [ Bea can't talk. She can growl and purr, though. ] * Eric jumps back in shock. "What... what happened to me?" He then looks over at Bea and screams. * Gerard hears the screams, looks over at his companions, and eloquently says, "...", looking stunned. * Beatrice jumps at Eric's screams, and runs to hide behind Remi. She meowls kinda piteously. * Eric points a shaking finger at Bea and stammers. "Ch- change her back! Right now!" Remi raises an eyebrow. "Looks like the legends were partly right. That's amber from the Terra Gospel. It unlocks hidden potential." She gives Eric a sort of exasperated look. "I can't just 'change her back'. She'll change back once she concentrates a little, I wager. I'm guessing you got the power to control plants, or something." [ It's true. From now on, Eric, you can use your plant control and meld abilities. Bea can naturally now turn into her white tiger form. ] * Beatrice has become distracted by a flower, which she has decided to stalk. Mrrrrr... Remi coughs. "Meanwhile... this is for you." She hands the package to Gerard. * Eric blinks, then shakes his head. "Oh, sure. Control plants. Sure, like I'm going to just be able to tell that bush over there to grow, and it'll do it." He points at a nearby bush. * Gerard blinks, and shakes his head. "Package, right." He eyes her suspiciously, and unwraps it. [ The bush does not grow. It does, however, trim itself into the shape of a question mark. ] * Eric stares at the bush. "That did *not* just happen." [ Actually, it did. No, really. ] * Beatrice pounces on the flower, and proceeds to gnaw on it a little. Can you do topiary animals? [ Inside the package is what really looks like a modern PDA with a color screen. When Gerard touches it, the same blue sparks fire from his fingers and it boots up. Abigail click-whrrs. << Hello, $USER! I am the Abigail Mark IV. Please fill out this registration form. >> ] [ The bush, meanwhile, attempts to fulfill Eric's request. The end result looks like a rubber duck. ] * Beatrice perks up at the sparking and looks over at Gerard. "Mrrrrr...?" * Eric *stares* at the bush. "Right... um... I'm just gonna go sit down over here... yeah, that's it..." [ The bush helpfully shapes itself into a chair. ] Stop that! Be... be a bush! Go back to the way you were! * Gerard says wearily. "A PDA. At least it wasn't candy to turn me into a talking horse." He peers at the PDA. [ Gerard: The PDA is now blinking a question on the touch-screen -- "ACCEPT VOICE COMMANDS? (Y/N)" A few lines below is some fine print: "You can always change this feature later." ] [ If a bush could look disappointed, it would. It goes back to being a bush. A sulky bush. ] * Gerard will hit the Y with... um... the pen thingy! Yeah. Poink. * Eric sighs and shakes his head rapidly. "Better." He wanders over to a nearby tree and leans against it, trying to regain some sense of... anything, really. Remi is observing this with... it's hard to tell if it's horror, or a desire to put a bullet in the backs of your heads. She's saying nothing, however. [ The tree bends down and shades Eric a little. An apple falls down next to him. ] * Beatrice walks over and sniffs the bush. She looks over at Eric, then at Gerard, then shakes her head a little. * Eric looks up at the tree. "Uh... thanks?" He picks up the apple and takes a bite. It's good. And he's starting to calm down just a tiny bit. * Gerard looks up at Beatrice, and says towards Remi, "It's taking her a while to concentrate. Which is no real surprise, but still not comforting." Abigail booms: << Voice command protocol engaged. Hello, $USER! You may now directly register with this unit via voice interface. >> Remi shrugs. "I like her this way. Quieter." * Beatrice suddenly changes back into good old Bea as soon as Remi says that. Except for the ears. The cat ears. And the tail. * Beatrice looks a bit dazed. "That... was kind of scary." She doesn't appear to notice the changes yet. ... I am glad I am not the one who will have to explain that to her parents when we return. * Eric blinks at Beatrice. "That's... an interesting look for you, Bea." He turns and leans his back against the tree. .... look? * Eric points to his ears. Oh, the tiger, you mean. I kinda... wait, my ears? * Eric nods, expression halfway between shock and amusement. Remi coughs. "I'm going to go inside and prepare. When you've played to your hearts' content, come get me." With that, she wanders back in the house, and shuts the door behind her. If your hearing is good, you can hear a heavy bolt slide into place too. Twice. * Beatrice reaches up to her ears, and feels them being fuzzy and cat-like. SHe swiftly adopts Eric's expression. * Gerard sighs, and says to Abigail, "So, what's the next step?" I can't tell whether to laugh or cry. (;_;) Abigail swings its head to look at Gerard again. << Please indicate user name. >> * Beatrice changes back into a tiger, and then back to herself again. She reaches up to feel her ears, eyes scrunched closed. [ Still kitty, kid. ] * Eric leans harder against the tree. "I'm gonna do both, I thi-" He suddenly stops, because all of a sudden, he's partially *in* the tree. * Gerard responds, "Doctor Gerard Markel." (Whee. Department of Redundancy Department descriptions. ^^;) Abigail's head straights. *click-whrr* << Hello, DOCTOR GERARD MARKEL. I am the Abigail Mark IV. Please select a Mode or input a command for this unit. >> * Beatrice eeks as Eric partially disappears, and then notices her tail. "AIGH! I have a TAIL! I'll NEVER find any clothes to fit now!" [ Amazingly, your current clothes have formed around the tail. ] * Eric screams and jerks himself out of the tree, then runs a short distance away from it and points. "The tree. Tried. To. Eat. Me!" [ Eric's shade suddenly disappears. An apple falls *on* him. The tree seems a bit resentful. ] Ow! Oh, fine, get all pissy now. I'm not the one that tried to swallow you! Or is this revenge for eating that apple? * Beatrice sits down, tail curling in front of her. She stares at it while fingering her ears. "Oh no. My mom is going to KILL me." * Gerard looks up at Beatrice and Eric. "My original sentiment still stands." He looks at the PDA. "At least all I have to do is figure out this robot." [ The tree does not answer. Probably because it's a tree. ] I'm talking to a tree. Beatrice has cat ears and a tail. A professor from my college has a giant wooden robot. And we've just talked to a two- hundred-and-thirty year-old woman. * Beatrice looks up, tail twitching. "Are we all crazy together?" * Eric looks at the sky and screams. "What the hell is going on here?!" [ The sky isn't any more verbose than the tree. ] Abigail repeats, deadpan: << Please select a Mode or input a command for this unit. >> * Gerard rests the PDA in one hand, and rests on his cane in the other. "Something beyond strange, that is for sure." He turns to the robot. "What modes and commands do you have, or can't you tell me yet anyway?" * Beatrice stands up again, and turns to face the skyline. She sighs, and smiles. "Well, I can't think of a better scene to be crazy in." Her tail twitches crazily. << For a complete list of Modes and applicable commands, please consult the user's manual. For brief assistance, the online help is available. >> The PDA flashes: "INTERACTIVE HELP TUTORIAL? (Y/N)" * Gerard looks annoyed, and says, "If a paper-clip appears, I am going to hit it with my cane." He hits Y. * Beatrice briefly changes into a tiger and then back. "I wonder if I'm going to want to eat meat now." She looks saddened by the prospect. * Eric snickers at Gerard's remark and walks over to a different tree. Out of curiosity, he reaches out and touches the trunk for a few minutes, then, with a shake of his head, continues to push. His hand sinks into it, and he yanks it back out. [ The circular blue 'gem' on the top of the PDA above the screen flares to life, projecting a holographic image of an aging, overweight man in mechanic's clothing, carrying a giant wrench. "It's about damn time ye turned up," it grouses in a tinny voice. ] (AIGH!) ( Yes, that's right. Magellan's eternal fate is to be Clippy for a mecha made out of shipping containers. ) (I can feel the love.) * Eric shakes his hand, making sure that it's all still there, then blinks at the voice coming from near the robot. * Gerard says, "I was unaware I was late, Mister...?" He trails off, expecting a name. Or something. "Now isn't that a fun toy," comes Remi's voice from behind Gerard. She's assembled a few backpacks and laid them out on the lawn. "I wonder if he always knew how to do this, or if this is something he learned from..." She trails off. "His name is Magellan." * Beatrice looks over at the hologram. She seems mildly disturbed by it, though she ends up ignoring it and walks over to Eric. She peers at his hand. "How creepy." [ "Good to know the age hasn't dulled yer senses, you old bat," the hologram cackles. "Listen up good, boy, 'cause this thing ain't got much juice and I' ( Ignore that. ^_^ ) * Eric takes a deep breath and looks at Bea. "Okay. I'm going to try something. If I don't come out in a few minutes, get Remi... oh, wait, she's already here. Well, um, here goes." With that he walks into the tree. Literally. [ "Good to know the age hasn't dulled yer senses, you old bat," the hologram cackles. "Listen up good, boy, 'cause this thing ain't got much juice and I've got a lot ta tell ya. This is the Abigail. Ye'll need it in the future, I can guarantee that." ( + ] ) * Beatrice blinks as Eric vanishes, then turns and blinks at Remi, then turns and blinks at the hologram again. She's looking a little bewildered. Remi's eyebrow twitches. SHe mutters something difficult to hear, but which contains a number of colorful invectives. * Eric steps out of the tree, looking quite dazed. "Wow. That was... that was..." He shakes his head. "Amazing, really." (*cackle*) * Beatrice looks at Eric. "Is that you, or are you a tree now?" I'm still me, I think. I hope. [ "The Abby's got a few modes. It's in Standby mode right now. It'll protect ye, but won't do much else unless you tell it to." There's a pause. "Ah see you've got voice commands on. Good. Just tell it 'Abigail, !' and it'll do it to the best it understands. Now, about the Modes..." ] * Beatrice pokes Eric in the shoulder. "Well, you feel real enough." She smiles, which looks bizarre with the cat ears. "Maybe this is making some sense after all." [ Eric has yet to take root, grow bark, or become paper. ] * Gerard nods, and pays attention. He can do that. [ "Alright, boy. Say: 'Abigail, Tunnel Mode!'." ] * Eric looks at himself. "It's not making all that much sense. But I guess I can go along with it... for now. That voice *did* say we were in a story, right?" * Gerard shrugs. "You're the mechanic." He clears his throat. "Abigail, Tunnel Mode!" * Beatrice looks at her tail, which is kind of waving around of its own volition. "Yeah. Kinda funny story, though. You know, I wanted to be a large cat when I was a kid, but I never thought I'd get to be one." [ There's a *click-whrr* and Abigail suddenly booms, echo-y like: "TUNNEL MODE: ENGAGED". It gives out a burst of steam, and two extra arms extend from the chasis. The 'hands' on all four arms retract and drill bits emerge from all four. The legs fold down and retract in, revealing wheels hidden inside. ] * Beatrice stares at Abigail. * Eric nods at Beatrice. "And I used to go play in the woods a lot when I was little, but I never had any desire to be a tree or anything like that." He looks over at the Abigail and *stares*. Remi raises an eyebrow. "...nice job, old man." * Gerard says, "Now that would have been useful a few times. Drilling machines are so expensive." [ The Magellogram coughs. "It'll tunnel through even solid bedrock if ye give it time. Runs practically forever. It ain't much good for combat, but it'll do in a pinch. If ye have to get through metal, there's a tunneling laser, but... it's a little unreliable. Strong, though." ] [ On cue, A lens flips down over Abigail's left eye, which burns red, then lances out with a ruby laser beam that saws the top right off Remi's barn. There's a moment as it hangs there, then collapses in, demolishing the building's top floors. ] * Eric gapes. * Beatrice starts, and unconsciously hides behind Eric. She peeks out and stares. * Gerard cringes. "I'd like to note I had nothing to do with that." The woman in red snatches the PDA out of Gerard's hand. "What the fuck is wrong with you, you crackpot son of a bitch! I ough..." She pauses, then sighs and hands it back to Gerard. "Lords, you people have me doing it now." (*laughs until he dies*) * Eric laughs weakly. * Beatrice giggles a little, but refuses to move from behind Eric. I... yeah. If anybody needs me, I'm going to go hide in a tree until you figure out how to work that thing. Just... keep it away from me. [ The hologram tries to look embarassed. ANd fails, because Magellan was never embarassed about anything in his entire life. "Well, then. Sorry 'bout tha. Just be careful. Alright, let's move on. Say: 'Abigail, battle mode!'." ] Hey, who am I supposed to hide behind now? You can hide behind my tree. * Gerard takes the PDA back, and rubs his head. "This may be more trouble than it's worth. Don't demolish the house this time, Abigail. Battle mode!" * Beatrice does so, and moves very quickly when Gerald starts talking about battle modes. [ For the record, the tree gives Bea a *Look*. Or does it? It's just a tree, after all. ] * Eric goes most of the way into the tree, leaving just his head sticking out. * Beatrice rests herself on the tree warily, head peeking around. [ Abigail, meanwhile, gives another whir-click. "BATTLE MODE ENGAGED". The two extra arms retract and the legs return; the laser lens stays in place, and the drill bits retract, revealing a giant boxing gloves on both hands. A compartment on the right hand opens up and a metal tower shield folds out from the wrist block like a fan. ] Remi just... sweatdrops. She gives the PDA a warning look. "We've seen the laser. No more on the laser. Got it?" ...Is it safe to come out now? * Beatrice has become distracted by a floating insect. Her ears twitch. * Gerard eyes the boxing gloves. "As long as Abigail doesn't decide your tree is a boxer, you should be fine." * Eric emerges from the tree, keeping a wary eye on Abigail. "Okay." [ The EMH continues. "Battle mode's designed to protect ya. It can pack quite a punch, and it's got some armor and tha shield in case of emergency. But it's not designed ta take a lot of punishment. Be careful with it, 'cause only a Drogg will know how to fix it, and who knows where one might be, whenever it is ye are." ] * Beatrice trips over her tail while following the bug and ends up sprawled on the ground. Owww.... * Beatrice rubs her head and climbs back to her feet unsteadily. [ "Alright, lad. One last mode. Say 'Abigail, Storage mode!'." ] * Gerard follows along with the bouncing hologram. "Abigail, Storage mode!" * Eric walks over to the first tree, the one that dropped an apple on him. "Okay, so you weren't trying to eat me. I'm sorry." He feels a bit silly apologizing to a tree, but he's always been taught that it's good to be polite. [ There's a loud *CLANK-WHRR-CLICK-WHRR*, and the Abigail becomes... a giant barrel. Said barrel then ignites a rocket booster and fires off into the sky. Really. ] [ The tree, for its part, doesn't look convinced. But it does give Eric another apple without smacking him with it. ] * Beatrice looks up at the departing Abigail. "Did you make it mad again, Gerard?" * Eric catches the apple. "Hey Bea, you want-" He stops as he watches the barrel fly off. "Okay. Just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger..." Remi eloquently opines: "..." * Gerard eyes the dissapearing barrel suspiciously. * Beatrice looks at Eric. "Did you want something?" * Eric holds up the apple. "Oh, I was just wondering if you'd like this." * Beatrice beams. "Yeah! I'm kinda hungry." * Eric tosses it to her. "Okay, catch!" [ The barrel does not appear to be coming back. "Ingenious, ain't it? Takes care of itself. When ye need it back, hold up this thing..." The hologram points down with the wrench at the PDA "...and shout 'Arise, (mode) Abigail!'. It'll show up in whatever mode ye need it in." ] * Beatrice catches and takes a bite. * Gerard says, "Arise? Is it going to destroy whatever I'm standing on?" He mutters, "It would fit, that is certain." * Eric walks over to Gerard. "I wouldn't be surprised." [ The hologram coughs. "Well, tha part's... a bit unclear. I didn't really understand tha whole thing. But! It'll never appear right where you're standing or thereabouts, so." The hologram cackles. ] * Beatrice walks over munching the apple, trying to avoid her tail, and eyeing the hologram. "You don't know much for someone who looks so old." * Gerard rubs his head. "I think I will wait until I get out in the open before trying it, if it's all the same to you. After a drink. And not tea." [ Magellan's image cackles. "Lass, I've probably been long dead by tha time someone finds this thing." He starts to get staticky. "Well, looks like this program's fadin' out. Just treat it with respect, and tha Abigail will protect ya. Good luck... people from the 'otherworld'." It fizzles out. ] * Beatrice stares. "This is getting a little creepy." * Eric nods. "Yeah. And... almost a little sad, too." Remi is looking away over the forest. "Sleep tight, old man." * Gerard says simply, "Talking with the dead is only a step from reading their histories, in the end." He rests on his cane. "They just have better ways of doing it." * Beatrice finishes her apple, including the core. "That's creepy too, Gerard." She looks at Remi. "So what do we do now?" Remi breathes out. "We go to find out why you're here." She points down at the forest. "Down there. The Birth Forest and, at its heart, the 'Terra Gospel'." * Eric blinks. "Like the book... and the amber?" She mmms. "It's much bigger than that, but... we'll see." She turns around and indicates the backpacks. "Supplies for you." ( Wow. This ran a little long. We're wrapping up, though. ) * Beatrice walks over and picks up a backpack. "We're hiking it, then?" * Eric looks over at the backpacks. "I haven't been camping in years." * Beatrice grins. "I have. This is gonna be great." * Gerard does a little managing, and picks up the backpack. "Thank you, Miss Harmon." He peers at his PDA-thing. * Eric grabs a backpack and slings it over his shoulder. "No worse than my textbooks. Guess I'm ready." Remi frowns. "Don't thank me. It's a long way down. And the Birth Forest..." She sighs and rubs her temples, then points toward the waterfall. "There's a sediment cave around there that leads to the valley floor. We'll go through there." * Beatrice beams. * Gerard nods. Okay. Remi nods. "Alright. Let's go." [ What awaits our heroes in the Birth Forest? We'll see soon enough! ] [ SESSION TWO END. ]