Author's ramblings: I spent about two hours staring at name databases to find a name for the other character, because I really need a name for her. So in the end, I decided give her the first name that popped into my head. First because... –winces- it's my name. I also mixed it with Bea's name during Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Bia.. –evil cackle- Also, Katrina's first name is Maria, too. Well, anyway…
Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis, Holly, Beetroot, Foaly, Butler, or Mulch. I don't even own the box. The only thing I own here is Ria's name. Meep. Therapy.
---------------
"Let me guess, another day of doing absolutely nothing?" Holly asked.
"Not quite." Katrina said, with the smallest hint of evilness.
"So… what are we going to do?"
"I have no idea," she said blankly. "Ask her."
She was obviously referring to the other one of her captors, who suddenly spoke into the microphone.
"What? It's not MY turn to think of what to do! It's your turn! I was in charge last time!"
"Yes, and what did we do then? Absolutely nothing. So that's why it's still your turn."
"That was the general idea!"
Their argument continued quite loudly for the next few minutes, until Artemis interrupted.
"SO we'll be doing nothing again?"
"Umm… yes," Katrina says miserably.
They heard a collective groan from the people in the room.
For the second day in a row, they were left with nothing to do, except stare at the wall, the ceiling, the floor, or themselves. They heard more humming coming from the speakers, but any singing that they were planning to do was deterred by six voices shouting "DON'T!" and a few colorful swear words on Root's part.
So they sat there, until the speakers started making noise again. A faint sound emitted from the speakers, and it sounded strangely like…
Snoring.
One of them had probably fallen asleep on the mike, not bothering to turn it off. Holly decided to extract a little revenge right there by shouting "WAKE UP, YOU LAYABOUTS!"
Whoever had fallen asleep gave a grunt, and probably bumped her head on something hard, because a crashing sound and a loud "OW!" followed by the thud of something hitting the floor, even more crashing sounds, followed by an explosion sound.
And strangely, following that, were the distant sounds of a radio talk show.
"Ow."
"What just happened there?" Foaly asked.
"Well, it went a bit like this. Holly shouted, she woke up, bumped her head, fell down, and kicked the broken radio, causing a small explosion and getting it to work again." Katrina said, laughing.
"Are you all right?" Holly asked guiltily. "Sorry about that." She never knew that her captor was THAT clumsy.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine…" she mumbled. "I just…ouch… need to… OW…get back to the chair. OW!"
Even more crashing sounds. Followed by a shriek, a thud, and another half-hearted "ouch".
Holly, Foaly and Mulch were laughing now. At first it was a bit pitiful, but now it was just plain funny. Their captor was so clumsy, it was a wonder she was even alive.
She was mumbling to herself. "Stupid. Stupid, clumsy, stupid. Stupid, clumsy, stupid, idiotic Ria."
"Your name is Ria?" Artemis asked suddenly. He was surprised that they had never known her name before, being trapped in her company for four days.
"No," Katrina cackled. "Her name is Maria. Mariiiiiiiaaaa."
"Shut up, Katrina, your name is Maria, too," she snapped. "SO don't bother me about my name."
"HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA," Katrina shouted at the top of her voice.
"No! Stop it! YOU KNOW I DESPISE THAT SONG!"
Mulch knew that Ria was being driven insane by the song, so he joined in. Driving people insane was a talent of his. He sang along with Katrina, driving Ria to insanity.
Butler, sensing where the situation was leading, decided to interrupt.
"I think that's quite enough, Mulch. When Ria gets mad, she becomes insane. And when she's insane, she tends to shrink rooms. As I'm sure you remember."
Mulch stopped singing right then. Katrina, without someone to sing with her, suddenly quieted.
Ria was now reduced to whimpering, driven insane by the song.
Katrina cleared her throat. "Well, while I get Ria here sorted out, back to that old standby, potatoes."
At the word 'potatoes', another sack of potatoes appeared, along with the potato peelers. They all sighed, picked up the potatoes, and got to work. Katrina led the sobbing Ria away from the microphone, leaving the six prisoners of the box alone.
"We have to get out of here," Holly said, in a low voice. "Soon."
"They're mad," Root said, nodding his head in agreement. "Mad."
"Oh! I have an idea!" Foaly said suddenly. "Potatoes!"
"The settings of the box and the overdose of potatoes has finally made you insane, Foaly. Not even your tinfoil hat can save you now." Mulch remarked dryly.
Foaly swished his tail in annoyance. "No, stupid, I meant the potatoes gave me an idea."
"You plan to construct a computer made entirely of potatoes?"
"D'Arvit! Will you shut up, Mulch? The plan has nothing to do with potatoes, it's more on how we get the potatoes."
"Really?" Artemis spoke up, suddenly interested. Foaly's idea just might work after all. "Explain."
"I just noticed, that all the potatoes come dropping from the ceiling," he said. "So, if that's the way in…"
"Then it can also be the way out!" Artemis finished. "Of course!"
"So all we have to do is get to the ceiling," Holly said, understanding the plan. "But the one question is… how?"
"That's my idea!" Foaly continued. "I have a plan…"
But any mention of the plan was cut short by the return of their two captors.
"Okay, she's back to normal now," Katrina announced. "So she won't be shrinking any rooms today!"
A sigh of relief was heard in the box.
"But, we'll have to leave you here for a while," she continued. "I have to take Ria here to therapy. While we're not here, you can sleep, or do whatever it is you do when we're not around."
She turned off the microphone, and left the prisoners of the box alone again.
Foaly cleared his throat. "Now, back to the plan…"
---------
Authorness: Errr… I still have to make a plan. HELP!
Meep, I hate the name. Xx But after two hours of staring at a computer just looking for a name, you have to think of a stupid one. I dedicate Ria's name to Ko (hao-addict) and Katrina (OtakuNekoGirl), my fellow sufferers of the bitter name.
Now, be good and tell me in your review how exactly Foaly's plan is going to work.
The One Whose Brain Does Not Work Properly, also known as Ona, wishes you well.