His dark eyes glanced nervously around the room as he hurried into the
shadows. He crept towards the rectangle of light, hugging the wall.
Voices floated through the door.
"But why can't I keep them?" one pleaded.
"Look at them!" the other responded. "They're filthy! Completely ruined. You can't wear these. Besides, if someone sees you in this getup, it's all over. It's a blessed miracle Sarah couldn't see any pink feathers under all that mud."
"But.. these clothes are so.. frumpy!"
"Hey! Those are my clothes you're talking about!"
He peeked into the room.. The blond girl was wearing baggy cargo pants and a light blue sweatshirt. The only thing that remained of her previous outfit was the Legolas necklace. The rest of it was in a plastic bag that the Lady was holding with some distaste.
Wishing a closer look, he darted into the room and hid behind a cabinet. Slowly, he poked his head out. Suddenly, the blond spotted him and started in his direction! Cover blown! Run away! Run away!
____________________________
"Gotcha!" Moon exclaimed as she scooped up the tola. "Trying to hide from me, huh, Cheeseball?" She walked back to Jete. "He's really dusty, Jete. You should clean behind that cabinet."
"That's a good idea," she responded as she headed for the trash bin. "Why don't you do that?"
Moon made a face at her back, and Cheeseball climbed into the girl's sweatshirt pocket in search of food. The fan girl, momentarily distracted from her clothing plight, pulled some crackers from a cupboard and sat on the floor to feed Cheeseball.
Jete tossed the bag in the bin and turned to see a young man amble in, leading a small child by the hand. Completely without prelude, he asked, "Do you want this?" His eyes flicked disinterestedly toward Moon. "Hi," he said as an afterthought.
He was tall and lean, with a full head of thick, messy, sandy blond hair. His cloak was grey, but not purposely grey. Rather, it looked as though any color had long ago faded, and it sported a coffee stain and a frayed hem.
The child, on closer inspection, was not a child at all, but a cave troll drastically reduced in size. It stood little taller than a hobbit. With it's vacant face and soft brown eyes, and clinging to the youth's hand, the troll looked anything but menacing.
Jete gasped in delight.
"Oh, he's adorable! Where did you get him, Iddo?" She held out her arms, and the troll pulled from Iddo's grasp to clamber over to her.
Iddo shrugged.
"Behind the paper green files. Don't know how it got there." He scratched an angry red welt on his palm. "Apparently I'm allergic to it. Go figure," he added with a roll of his eyes. "Thought you might like it, considering you got the rat."
"Cheeseball is not a rat!" Moon exclaimed defensively, clutching the tola who was much more interested in the crackers than the new arrivals.
Iddo shrugged again.
"How can you be allergic to it?" Moon asked.
He let out a short laugh.
"I'm allergic to almost everything," he said.
Jete added, "And not all of them are neat little rashes, either."
"You don't even know the half of it," he said.
"I know about your wheat allergy."
"Hey!" he retorted. "Just leave that alone, Sweetness."
"Sweetness?" Moon questioned.
"He calls all girls that," Jete said dismissively. "I don't know why."
The cave troll got up and wandered about the room, fascinated with rudimentary things such as pencils and books.
"So, what does wheat do to him?" Moon asked.
Jete giggled.
"If he eats, say, a sandwich on wheat bread, he's flying like a kite for about three days."
"Hey, until you've gotten high on wheat, you can't understand the experience!" Iddo exclaimed.
"You get high off wheat?!?" Moon said incredulously.
"Yeah," Jete said. "We practically have to keep it under lock and key. After all, wheat is a lot cheaper and more legal than your average crack or shot of heroin."
Iddo scowled defensively at her.
"So what do you do here, Iddo?" Moon inquired.
Iddo leaned casually against the doorjamb.
"I keep records."
"Records? Of what?"
"Anything and everything. Got about as many files as allergies, and I'd like to see you try to count either."
"Iddo keeps records of everything that goes on in ISPCE," Jete said, rocking the cave troll that had climbed sleepily into her lap, tired after his exploration. "If you want to know how many calories were in the breakfast of a certain agent ten years ago, Iddo's got it in a file somewhere."
"That one would be in the paper files," Iddo commented. "Blue, I think."
"Wow." Moon said. "Where do you keep them all?"
"In the basement," Jete replied. "He doesn't really have a department, I don't think." She turned to him. "What color is, err, was your cloak?"
Iddo lifted a corner of the garment in question and studied it for a moment.
"Don't remember." He dropped it. "Never paid much attention."
Suddenly, a loud shriek filled the room, like a nazgul scream, but louder and everlasting. The cave troll woke up and let out a bellowing wail that added to the clamor and made Moon cover her ears.
"OH, NO!" Jete yelled over the confusion. "An elf is in trouble! We have to go!" Iddo was already out the door, and Moon struggled to her feet.
"No!" Jete commanded as she disentangled herself from the troll. "You stay here! Look after Cheeseball and the cave troll! You can't go to the battle!"
Jete dashed into the main tech room where Sarah was waiting with an open portal.
________________________________________________________________________
Oh, yes, now I own more things. So far in this fic I own Jete, Moon, Cheeseball, Iddo, and the baby mini cave troll. The troll is like a toddler now, but it will never grow any larger than a man. Oh, and just so you know, that wheat allergy is real. My teacher's son has that allergy. It's kind of weird. If you know of any other odd allergies Iddo might have, tell me, because he probably does. I would prefer real allergies, but you can make one up, as long as it's fairly reasonable. But I'm not asking, because that would be interactive. I'm just saying, if you think Iddo might have some allergy, ask, and I'll check, but he probably does. ;) And please tell me what you think of Cheeseball's pov. That was an experiment, and I want to know if I should continue it from time to time.
And, I'm sorry, but I won't be posting for a few weeks, because I'm going to Guatemala. I won't have internet access, or time to write even if I did. So, just bear with the delay, reread the fic, or read my others, or read Liliac's, Hirilnara's, or Huinesoron's. I promise, you won't be disappointed.
Liliac, yes, I know, you're correct, Americans are the ones who drive on the wrong side of the road. (though, we also drive on the right side of the road, which is wrong, because it's not left, which is right. Confused yet?) You guys are really wonderful, I admire you all. But everything we do is odd, so why not driving? And yes, I enjoyed getting her dirty too, and it provided an excellent excuse to get her out of that ridiculous costume.
Hiri, thanx. And don't worry, the Master will remove the duct tape soon. But you can still talk to her, even though she can't talk back.
Flor-gurl, yes, addiction is the perfect word for most fan girls, including Moon. Why do you think she needs to break the habit? If you have an addiction to Legolas, (i.e. if that name just sent you swooning) you need to join the Fangirls Anonymous support group. But I'm guessing you're not a Legolas fan girl. You're probably a Frodo fan girl. In that case, if that name just made you swoon, you should also join. Fangirls Anonymous isn't limited to Legolas fan girls; it's just that Moon is the only one in it so far. Yes, I've already given thought to adding another character's fan girl, but I'm not telling you whose.
Huinesoron, my muse, yes, your work is wonderful. And, see liliac's review response for my 'driving apology.' But I still want to know if mailmen in Britain have steering wheels on the left side. American mailmen have steering wheels on the right side.
Phaidra, again I say, if the name Legolas makes you swoon, you should join.
Malfoyelf, yes, I will, and I'm glad I kept the hair. I'm thinking of putting a colored streak in it, though. Maybe white, or silver. And, no, it actually incorporated little of pancakes. Only as much pancakes as is incorporated in ISPCE. That's the Huinesoron fic this one is actually tied in with.
"But why can't I keep them?" one pleaded.
"Look at them!" the other responded. "They're filthy! Completely ruined. You can't wear these. Besides, if someone sees you in this getup, it's all over. It's a blessed miracle Sarah couldn't see any pink feathers under all that mud."
"But.. these clothes are so.. frumpy!"
"Hey! Those are my clothes you're talking about!"
He peeked into the room.. The blond girl was wearing baggy cargo pants and a light blue sweatshirt. The only thing that remained of her previous outfit was the Legolas necklace. The rest of it was in a plastic bag that the Lady was holding with some distaste.
Wishing a closer look, he darted into the room and hid behind a cabinet. Slowly, he poked his head out. Suddenly, the blond spotted him and started in his direction! Cover blown! Run away! Run away!
____________________________
"Gotcha!" Moon exclaimed as she scooped up the tola. "Trying to hide from me, huh, Cheeseball?" She walked back to Jete. "He's really dusty, Jete. You should clean behind that cabinet."
"That's a good idea," she responded as she headed for the trash bin. "Why don't you do that?"
Moon made a face at her back, and Cheeseball climbed into the girl's sweatshirt pocket in search of food. The fan girl, momentarily distracted from her clothing plight, pulled some crackers from a cupboard and sat on the floor to feed Cheeseball.
Jete tossed the bag in the bin and turned to see a young man amble in, leading a small child by the hand. Completely without prelude, he asked, "Do you want this?" His eyes flicked disinterestedly toward Moon. "Hi," he said as an afterthought.
He was tall and lean, with a full head of thick, messy, sandy blond hair. His cloak was grey, but not purposely grey. Rather, it looked as though any color had long ago faded, and it sported a coffee stain and a frayed hem.
The child, on closer inspection, was not a child at all, but a cave troll drastically reduced in size. It stood little taller than a hobbit. With it's vacant face and soft brown eyes, and clinging to the youth's hand, the troll looked anything but menacing.
Jete gasped in delight.
"Oh, he's adorable! Where did you get him, Iddo?" She held out her arms, and the troll pulled from Iddo's grasp to clamber over to her.
Iddo shrugged.
"Behind the paper green files. Don't know how it got there." He scratched an angry red welt on his palm. "Apparently I'm allergic to it. Go figure," he added with a roll of his eyes. "Thought you might like it, considering you got the rat."
"Cheeseball is not a rat!" Moon exclaimed defensively, clutching the tola who was much more interested in the crackers than the new arrivals.
Iddo shrugged again.
"How can you be allergic to it?" Moon asked.
He let out a short laugh.
"I'm allergic to almost everything," he said.
Jete added, "And not all of them are neat little rashes, either."
"You don't even know the half of it," he said.
"I know about your wheat allergy."
"Hey!" he retorted. "Just leave that alone, Sweetness."
"Sweetness?" Moon questioned.
"He calls all girls that," Jete said dismissively. "I don't know why."
The cave troll got up and wandered about the room, fascinated with rudimentary things such as pencils and books.
"So, what does wheat do to him?" Moon asked.
Jete giggled.
"If he eats, say, a sandwich on wheat bread, he's flying like a kite for about three days."
"Hey, until you've gotten high on wheat, you can't understand the experience!" Iddo exclaimed.
"You get high off wheat?!?" Moon said incredulously.
"Yeah," Jete said. "We practically have to keep it under lock and key. After all, wheat is a lot cheaper and more legal than your average crack or shot of heroin."
Iddo scowled defensively at her.
"So what do you do here, Iddo?" Moon inquired.
Iddo leaned casually against the doorjamb.
"I keep records."
"Records? Of what?"
"Anything and everything. Got about as many files as allergies, and I'd like to see you try to count either."
"Iddo keeps records of everything that goes on in ISPCE," Jete said, rocking the cave troll that had climbed sleepily into her lap, tired after his exploration. "If you want to know how many calories were in the breakfast of a certain agent ten years ago, Iddo's got it in a file somewhere."
"That one would be in the paper files," Iddo commented. "Blue, I think."
"Wow." Moon said. "Where do you keep them all?"
"In the basement," Jete replied. "He doesn't really have a department, I don't think." She turned to him. "What color is, err, was your cloak?"
Iddo lifted a corner of the garment in question and studied it for a moment.
"Don't remember." He dropped it. "Never paid much attention."
Suddenly, a loud shriek filled the room, like a nazgul scream, but louder and everlasting. The cave troll woke up and let out a bellowing wail that added to the clamor and made Moon cover her ears.
"OH, NO!" Jete yelled over the confusion. "An elf is in trouble! We have to go!" Iddo was already out the door, and Moon struggled to her feet.
"No!" Jete commanded as she disentangled herself from the troll. "You stay here! Look after Cheeseball and the cave troll! You can't go to the battle!"
Jete dashed into the main tech room where Sarah was waiting with an open portal.
________________________________________________________________________
Oh, yes, now I own more things. So far in this fic I own Jete, Moon, Cheeseball, Iddo, and the baby mini cave troll. The troll is like a toddler now, but it will never grow any larger than a man. Oh, and just so you know, that wheat allergy is real. My teacher's son has that allergy. It's kind of weird. If you know of any other odd allergies Iddo might have, tell me, because he probably does. I would prefer real allergies, but you can make one up, as long as it's fairly reasonable. But I'm not asking, because that would be interactive. I'm just saying, if you think Iddo might have some allergy, ask, and I'll check, but he probably does. ;) And please tell me what you think of Cheeseball's pov. That was an experiment, and I want to know if I should continue it from time to time.
And, I'm sorry, but I won't be posting for a few weeks, because I'm going to Guatemala. I won't have internet access, or time to write even if I did. So, just bear with the delay, reread the fic, or read my others, or read Liliac's, Hirilnara's, or Huinesoron's. I promise, you won't be disappointed.
Liliac, yes, I know, you're correct, Americans are the ones who drive on the wrong side of the road. (though, we also drive on the right side of the road, which is wrong, because it's not left, which is right. Confused yet?) You guys are really wonderful, I admire you all. But everything we do is odd, so why not driving? And yes, I enjoyed getting her dirty too, and it provided an excellent excuse to get her out of that ridiculous costume.
Hiri, thanx. And don't worry, the Master will remove the duct tape soon. But you can still talk to her, even though she can't talk back.
Flor-gurl, yes, addiction is the perfect word for most fan girls, including Moon. Why do you think she needs to break the habit? If you have an addiction to Legolas, (i.e. if that name just sent you swooning) you need to join the Fangirls Anonymous support group. But I'm guessing you're not a Legolas fan girl. You're probably a Frodo fan girl. In that case, if that name just made you swoon, you should also join. Fangirls Anonymous isn't limited to Legolas fan girls; it's just that Moon is the only one in it so far. Yes, I've already given thought to adding another character's fan girl, but I'm not telling you whose.
Huinesoron, my muse, yes, your work is wonderful. And, see liliac's review response for my 'driving apology.' But I still want to know if mailmen in Britain have steering wheels on the left side. American mailmen have steering wheels on the right side.
Phaidra, again I say, if the name Legolas makes you swoon, you should join.
Malfoyelf, yes, I will, and I'm glad I kept the hair. I'm thinking of putting a colored streak in it, though. Maybe white, or silver. And, no, it actually incorporated little of pancakes. Only as much pancakes as is incorporated in ISPCE. That's the Huinesoron fic this one is actually tied in with.