"We're going to the store to get you guys some regular clothes," Katie explained as she and Megan put on their shoes and pulled on large shirts with hoods. "It's ten at night, so there won't be as many people out, and you won't make quite so big a stir. But you're going to have to leave your weapons here."
"Why?" Legolas asked, pulling the strap of his quiver over his head.
"Because it would be considered threatening. And we don't' want to draw any more attention to you than we absolutely have to. No one can know who you really are." She opened a drawer and they put all their weapons inside.
"Why not?"
"You're elves," Katie explained patiently, as if it should be obvious. "As far as the people here are concerned, elves don't exist. At best they'd think you were just playing a role; at worst they'd think you were crazy. And if they found out that you really are elves from another world…" She shook her head. "We'd all be in very deep shit. The government would get involved, and the press… Scientists would want to study you… Lots of trouble." She grabbed a small bag. "So if anybody questions you, lie, or don't say anything. Okay, let's go!"
She and Megan led the four of them down the hall, through some kind of common room, through another hall, and down a stairwell. "It's a good thing we live on a quiet floor," Megan commented. "On some halls, everybody would still be up partying."
It was dark outside, but the area about the building was lit by very bright lamps set high on poles. These must be the lights run on lightning that Katie talked of, Estel thought excitedly.
There were other buildings nearby, and some large objects that he didn't recognize sitting on a gravel-covered yard.
"There isn't enough room for all of us in my car. One or two of you'll have to go with Megs," Katie said.
The twins volunteered, and Megan led them over to one of the strange objects. Estel smiled to see the tiny redhead leading his two tall brothers. He guessed that they would each feel more comfortable with the other twin nearby. He himself was quite glad Legolas was coming with him.
Katie pulled on a handle of a nearby object—what had she called it?... her car—and opened a door in its side.
"Hop in," she said cheerfully.
Hesitantly, Estel sat down on the soft chair inside the car, and Katie shut the door, only to open one just behind Estel's seat. Legolas got in here. Katie shut his door, and went around the car to the other side. She slid into the seat on Estel's left, which had some kind of wheel over her lap. "Alright. Lesson number one. How to travel in a car," Katie told them. "Always buckle your seatbelt." She indicated a strap to her left and motioned for them to take hold of their own. Estel and Legolas both found their seatbelts, and Megan showed them how to buckle them.
"What are these devices for?" Legolas asked as Katie buckled her own.
"In the unlikely case that we're in an accident, the seatbelt will keep you from flying out of the windshield," Katie said unconcernedly. "It'll probably save your life."
"Oh, I feel much safer, now," Legolas said nervously. Katie grinned. "You'll be fine. I'm not that bad a driver!" She stuck some kind of key in a keyhole and turned it. A dull roar started up, causing her passengers to jump. She didn't seem to notice. A combination of floor pedals, handles and turning of the wheel had them backing up (Estel and Legolas both grabbed hold of handles on the doors at the first shock of movement) and then moving out of the gravel lot.
Estel decided he did not like the experience of traveling in a car at all. They moved through the dark, going far faster than a galloping horse ever could. The twin lights on the front of on-coming cars, traveling just as fast as they, always seemed to pass by far too close for comfort. Estel gripped hard to the door-handle, and he could hear Legolas in the back seat mutter a prayer to Elbereth under his breath.
They took a turn a little sharply, and Estel barely suppressed a gasp. "Relax, guys!" Katie exclaimed. "You're making me nervous!"
Estel could only breathe a heart-felt sigh of thanks to the Valar when Katie finally stopped the car. She showed them where the door-handles were so they could get out. Estel had never seen Legolas move so fast.
In a minute, Megan pulled up beside them, and Elladan and Elrohir joined their younger brother. Both looked a little tense. The four Middle-Earthlings moved close together for some degree of comfort. Estel had not looked around very much as they were traveling, far too concerned with his own fears to observe anything very closely. They were in another lot, this one even more full of cars. They were not on gravel this time, but some sort of black hard material, softer than stone. Before them was a very big, long building with a lit sign in the front reading "WALMART".
They moved across the lot toward the building. Katie and Megan, at the front of their little group, stopped where some cars were passing by. One paused and the driver waved them across. Megan waved in thanks and herded them all across and into the building.
A glass door opened for them, and Estel and his companions looked in vain for the person who had opened it. Katie and Megan seemed unconcerned.
Inside the store, Estel and his friends gaped. The store was huge, and very brightly lit. Estel wondered if even the Silmarils had burned so brightly as these lights!
Despite Katie's assurance that there would be fewer people in the store at this time of night, Estel was bewildered by the number of people he saw. The Pennsylvanians seemed as curious about the Middle-Earthlings as the Middle-Earthlings about them. They were dressed in very odd clothing. He nudged Legolas with a smile.
"She was right," he said teasingly in Elvish, "all the women wear trousers!"
Legolas smiled in return, then continued to stare about them. The twins were doing the same. There was a bemusing assortment of wares for sale here, much of which Estel did not recognize. In one area was produce, then a number of small pieces of paper with bright pictures on them, and then a space full of clothing.
It was to this that Megan and Katie led them. Estel wondered how they could tell the male and female clothing apart.
It took quite some time for the girls to find them some proper clothes. The elves were hard to fit, being so tall and slim.
Coming out of the fitting rooms, Estel overheard Megan and Katie in conversation.
"They weren't wild about the car ride," Katie commented to her roommate.
"I know. Neither were the twins. White knuckles on the oh-shit handles the whole way."
"Oh!" Katie noticed Estel. "How did they fit?"
"They are fine," Estel answered with a bemused smile. "May I ask what oh-shit handles are?"
Katie laughed. "The handles inside the doors of the car. Passengers instinctively grab them when something in the driving frightens them—when they're exclaiming, "Oh, shit!"
Legolas stepped out of the fitting rooms with some clothes over his arms. "My goodness, the language you employ!" he jibed mildly.
Katie only smiled back.
In the end, the girls outfitted them with three sets of clothing each, plus belts and the warm shirts they called "hoodies". Megan decided their shoes wouldn't be terribly noticeable. So, armed with their loot, they made their way to what Katie called the "check-outs".
The customers and employees who remained the store at this hour continued to stare curiously at them. The twins were used to this kind of reaction from humans; they rode into human towns sometimes with the rangers. But Estel and Legolas were a little unsettled. True, Estel sometimes garnered surprise when in one of the elven realms other than Imladris, but not to this extent.
The girls appeared to notice everyone's attention as well. "Let's do self-checkout," Megan murmured to Katie, who agreed.
They led the group to a kiosk with a strange machine on it. "Please select a language, or scan an item," a woman's voice spoke loudly. The four Middle-Earthlings all jumped and looked around.
"It's just the computer," Megan hissed as Katie began moving the clothing across part of the machine.
"What is a computer? Where is she?" Elrohir asked.
Megan couldn't help smiling a little. "No, I mean the machine. It's called a computer. It's just a recording of a voice, not a real person."
They were still fascinated by the recording, and watched the computer closely as Katie slid all their purchases over it. It spoke the prices for each item, then gave the total.
"Uh, Kate? How were you planning to pay for all this?" Megan asked.
"Plastic," Katie answered, pulling a small card out of her purse and swiping it through part of the computer. "I'll tell my dad I bought a gown for next year's formal. He'll pay for it."
"Will these be expensive?" Elrohir asked.
"Well, twelve outfits ain't exactly cheap, even at Walmart!" Katie said wryly.
"I am so sorry," Elladan began contritely.
"Don't worry about it," Katie interrupted him with a smile. "It's the least I can do."
Megan had been putting the clothing into blue sacks made of some strange, crackling material as they talked. Now Katie put the card back into her bag and they picked up the sacks and began to walk away.
"Do you not pay for them here?" Legolas asked, confused.
"Oh, I already did," Katie assured him. Apparently deciding the explanation would be too complicated, she didn't elaborate. She and Megan led the way out into the lot of cars again, and drove them all back to the college.
"Oh, man, it's past midnight," Katie exclaimed when they returned to the room.
"Where are we all going to sleep?" Megan asked, suddenly realizing they had a problem.
Katie looked around. "How about the two of us share your bed, and two people can share my bed… and we can borrow Kim's extra mattress for the other two. I'll go wake her up and ask."
"Oh, do not wake anyone," Elrohir interjected. "Elladan and I can sleep in the chairs." Elladan nodded agreement.
"Are you sure?" Megan looked doubtfully at their wooden desk chairs. "They're pretty uncomfortable."
"Elves can sleep standing if we must," Elladan reassured her.
The girls went to the bathroom to change—Katie explained that was the room the Middle-Earthlings had appeared in. Estel and Legolas pulled off their boots and climbed into one of the beds. When the girls returned, Megan moved something on the wall and the light went out. They climbed into the other bed as the twins settled into the two chairs. Katie's laugh suddenly rang out in the darkness. "Can you just imagine the looks on everyone's faces tomorrow morning?"
"Why? Because we are elves?" Elladan asked.
"Well, actually because you're guys—males. And very, very handsome males at that!"
"Why would that be strange?" Legolas asked.
Megan and Katie both began laughing. "Because Watson is a women's college!" Katie managed to gasp out between chortles.
The twins exchanged a look in the dark. This was not good.
TBC
AN: Can anybody think of something shorter to call them than "Middle-Earthlings"? It's a bit cumbrous. I would use "men" or "elves", except that they're a mixed-racial group, and "males" sounds really strange. I appreciate any suggestions!
And please, no sick comments about guys sharing beds! I know it's a little weird for our culture, but up until quite recently it would have been perfectly acceptable, and does NOT, I repeat, NOT mean they're gay!. :)
I figured, since I dumped Katie into Elladan's bed, the least I could do was dump the Middle-Earthlings in a girl's dorm bathroom… Heh. Luckily, only Katie and Megs were in there!
And yes, I go to a women's school. I miss guys. :( lol
Darkened Dreams: Actually, I really did think about getting an elf hit by a car… Maybe I still will! —smiles wickedly— GAAAAH! MORE PEOPLE IN BRIGADOON! AAAAAAH! —sings— There in the highlands… The highlands of Scotland…
Chibi Chingo: I checked, and I have two. But thanks for keeping an eye on me! I need to start rereading all my work very carefully… :) Thanks!
Ravens Destiny: I haven't read Eragon. I really should. Nothing wrong with being a chorus girl! I was a chorus girl for four years. —sings again— Harry Beaton! Break a leg, and let me know how it goes! Yeah, sure. What the heck. —stands back and watches RD take a practice swing at Elladan with her cricket bat—
EresseElrondiel: Hey, THAT's an idea… You get your elves, and I'll get mine, and we'll get them all together and take them to Disneyland!
werewolflemming: Thanks, you relieve my mind!
Madd Hatter: Loyalty duly noted. Promotion in order. :)
Thanks also to crazycatluver, Hermione at Heart, and theycallmemary! I'm so happy people are continuing to read!
Please review! The faster you review, the faster we'll get to the next chapter and you can see the impression the elves and ranger have on all those poor college girls! Hee hee…