Muddled Mediterranean Madness, Part 3
Day Three, Daily Life
6:50 AM
Kevin woke up much like he did the previous day. Even if he got the full eight hours of sleep he still woke up feeling exhausted. Maybe– no it definitely was this environment. He rubbed his chin and felt the slight bit of stubble coming on. That was something he could take care of. A quick shave. Then he could figure out the rest of the day.
He rolled out of his bed and fixed the neon gridded sheets. It wasn't much but at least he could cover the wrinkles from the undoubtedly restless night he had. He stood in his room for a moment and started stretching.
"GOOD MORNING ATTENDEES! IT IS DAY THREE OF THE DISENCHANTED CONFERENCE AND IT IS NOW SEVEN AM!" Monomouse announced.
Kevin stared at a speaker in the room. It was the first time Monomouse made some kind of announcement like that, at least as far as he was aware. But he was sure because of the announcement there'd be more others active at this point. Kevin tucked his handbook into his pocket with a granola bar sealed in a package. Maybe this morning he'd have the granola bar as some form of supplement.
The sun crested through the window overlooking the Monosea. It took a moment to adjust to the light as he turned into the men's washroom at the end of the hallway. Kevin stepped in and did his simple business of shaving and other daily attributes. Once he was finished he stared at himself in the mirror, a haunting look in his face before he splashed himself again with water. It was a good kind of warm.
He made his way to the elevator where Susan was already pressing the button. "Good morning Mister Kevin Flynn," Susan greeted.
"Good morning Susan," Kevin smiled. "You seem perky."
"I hardly slept two hours last night," Susan said once the elevator arrived at their floor. "Too busy worrying about Frank, Rodrick, Greg, and Manny."
"I can relate, unfortunately," Kevin said once they stepped in. "Sam has been on my mind as well. He's only seven."
"Manny is only three," Susan lamented.
The elevator opened up on the second floor. Stanley walked into the elevator and stood in between Susan and Kevin as they waited. Stanley rubbed his face awake. "'Morning," Stanley grunted.
"Good morning to you too Mr. Yelnats," Susan replied. "You look well rested."
"Yeah," Stanley smiled. The elevator opened and the trio walked out. "At my old prison camp–"
"No place for a child," Kevin mumbled.
"We had to wake up in the morning to get to work. A long day digging a hole. It had to be as long as deep as your shovel and as wide as your shovel," Stanley explained. "So this is really… a better form of relaxation."
"Frank would have admired your discipline in getting it done," Susan said when the three walked into the cafeteria. "But I can't imagine kids being forced to do that."
"Me and my luck," Stanley mumbled.
The unlikely three turned into the cafeteria's kitchen. Susan pulled down some pots and pans as she got a giant pot out. "Susan, if you don't mind me asking, why do you cook so much?" Kevin asked.
"I'd say it keeps me centered," Susan replied. "I'd rather devote myself to this routine than relying on what Monomouse cooks. WHich is good but if I keep my mind active then no tango hamburgers."
"Tango hamburgers?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.
Susan pulled a monocoin out of the pot. "It's Spanish for not being hungry. At least that's what I remember. Stanley, Kevin, do you want me to cook anything for you?"
"I can just make myself some oatmeal. I don't want anything too heavy tonight," Stanley mentioned.
"BE sure to add some bananas to that. A growing boy needs fruit and vegetables," Susan chimed in.
"I'll eat an apple on the side," Stanley pulled a bowl out of a drawer.
Kevin stared in front of the refrigerator. There weren't many supplies in there but there were a lot of eggs. In between one of the many dozens he pulled out a monocoin. Idly, he picked it up and put it in his pocket. "Susan do you have a small pot for boiling an egg over there?"
"There's a lot of small pots, here you go," Susan walked behind Kevin, handing him the pot.
The software engineer walked to one of the sinks and poured water in it. Stanley started to fill his own pot next to him. "That's a very big pot for a little bit of oatmeal," Kevin pointed out.
"Am I not supposed to use a big pot?" Stanley asked.
"It'll be harder to clean and it'll be harder to warm up," Kevin pointed out.
"Do you think that I can transfer this into a smaller pot?"
"It's not too late for that." Kevin watched as Stanley awkwardly grabbed another smaller pot to place on the counted next to the sink.
He continued watching as Stanley poured the contents of the bigger pot into the smaller one with a lot of strain. Most of the oatmeal did fall into the smaller pot with a satisfied plop but several spoonfuls fell onto the counter. "Why didn't you use a spoon?" asked Kevin.
"Because I thought it'd be easier to use this pot," Stanley bluntly answered.
"Oh Stanley," Susan passed behind him. "Here's some napkins. I'll take care of the mess."
"But Susan–"
"Let me do it, I want to feel useful while the thinking people do their thinking." She passed a glance towards Kevin as he tended to his pot of water and egg.
Stanley moved to a burner under a range hood as Kevin's egg slowly boiled. Once Susan was finished with her moderate cleaning, Kevin's egg boiled to a good level, and Stanley's oatmeal only slightly spilled with the temperature being too high, they all set up their plates on the counter. THey worked in relative casualness and plated their meals. Susan had prepared several stacks of pancakes, waffles, and crepes. "I didn't know you knew how to cook that much," Stanley started.
"Don't underestimate a mom," Susan replied. "And Some of them are for me. Not too much because I'd like to watch my figure."
"I'd eat what I want," Kevin said as he held open the door. "Lest there be a situation where food is limited."
"Perish the thought," Susan feigned clutching her heart
7:35 AM
Rapunzel stood over the buffet looking at the wide variety of food in place. She hesitated with a plate already piled higher than her hand would be if it was in a fist. She looked at her plate, then the food, then her hands, before she made her way to the long table in the center where all of them would meet up for breakfast.
Already there were two others, Evie and Camilla, in deep conversation over some idle topic. She took her seat next to Camilla as she politely greeted her a good morning. Camilla bucked in response before returning to her conversation with Evie. Rapunzel struggled with her spoon and fork as she tried to get her breakfast ready.
The door to the kitchen opened as out came Susan, Stanley, and Kevin. Susan delicately balanced her breakfast foods as she placed them at the end of the table. "Help yourself for some homestyle pancakes, waffles, and crepes!" she cheered.
Rapunzel made her way to the other side of the table as though she was going to guard the pancakes but only grabbed one off of the top. She plopped the pancake on top of her precarious tower of food as she got the brilliant idea to look for another plate. She made her way to the buffet when more people made their way in.
The idle chatter in the room grew as the last to come in, Will and Goliath, made their way to the drink station. Goliath grabbed a cup of hot water while Will opted for a colder blend with oranges and apples. The two took their seats at the large table as the idle chatter continued.
"Bawk."
"Nothing more about my memories…" Thalia mentioned.
"This place only seems to be getting smaller and smaller…" Aladdin complained.
"But we can't have exhausted all of our options," Wendy opined.
"Bawk."
"I'm still not seeing anything familiar with my clothes. That's the strange thing," Justin mentioned.
"Umm," Tara clinked her glass with a spoon. "Everyone?"
The conversation slowly died down as everyone drew their attention to the disc jockey. She fixed her beanie as she placed her glass down on the table. "I was umm, talking with Jessica and Thalia yesterday. I think it might be fun if we… had a party?"
"A party?" Aladdin spoke up.
"I'm not opposed," the Ghost Host smiled. "I love a good party and the ones I'm known for holding are killer."
"Ignoring that… horrible pun," Susan shuddered. "I think there's a matter of safety."
"And we still need to look around for other pieces of information," Kevin mentioned.
"Looking?" Thalia stabbed a piece of meat on her plate. "We've been looking for the last two days! Can't we get a break?!"
"That's really why I thought a party could help us relax," Tara continued. "I could perform some of my… my music and host. At my high school we have proms and I know that sometimes there are Morps. This could be like a MORP. A prom without a king, queen, or any of the royal court."
"So like, what do you want us to do?" Tanner interjected.
"Have fun?" Jessica interjected. "I for one think that I could easily perform to relieve Tara of her DJ duties if she so desires. It could also be a way to exhibit some of our talents in a casual setting."
"Ooh, can I perform a couple of songs?" Chyna excitedly raised her hand. "I finally tuned my acoustic guitar."
"If it keeps my mind off of this stupid game then I'm all for it," Ivy agreed.
"Well, if anyone has umm, objections," Tara shied away. "Speak them now and we can work them out."
"What time do you want us to celebrate this… party?" Sally asked in an airy voice. "And for that matter what are we celebrating?"
"Ten o'clock is our curfew," Thalia started. "So how about we have this party at six o'clock?"
"Do you think that'll give us enough time to set things up in the conference hall?" Wendy asked.
"I was thinking it could be outdoors because conference halls are just too stuffy," Tara scratched her chin.
"I'm down for an outdoor shindig," Max smiled. "It beats staying in this hotel."
"Do you need food?" Susan asked. "I can cook a cake or two."
"That sounds like a good idea," Tara agreed. "Is there… is there anything else we should set up?"
"I would suggest making attendance mandatory for at least one hour at the start," Kevin said. "That way we can at least keep tabs of each other."
"Sounds like a good idea," Goliath crossed his arms. "Forgive me but I'm not much of a partying sort. THe nightlife in my hometown is annoying as is."
"You don't have to stay all the time," Justin pointed out.
"But I am curious how this party will be handled," Basil strode about on the table. "I would very much love to see everyone so fun and flighty in a situation like this."
"Any opposed to the party?" Jessica asked. There was no real response. "Then it's settled. Tara's party will be tomorrow at six o'clock PM. If anyone wants to help Tara set up the party, talk to her."
Tara balked for a moment before she returned to her small cup of milk. The conversations slowly died out when breakfast came to a slow end. Susan returned to the kitchen to take care of the load of dishes, this time helped by Justin and Jessica. Goliath finished another cup of tea before marching off to who knows where.
"Bawk Bawk," Camilla walked up to Tara.
"I actually am too, thanks," Tara patted Camilla's shoulder as she did the same.
12:00 PM
Basil scurried in between the railings separating the walkway and the Monosea as the light sea mist sprayed his diminutive spray. He finished another loop in between the railings before suddenly sitting down. He opened his handbook to look at one of the new upgrades he put most of his monocoins into. There were one hundred steps recorded. The little plant he was growing was now sprouting two leaves. "Is this even worth it?" he wondered aloud.
He realized that no one was around him. He figured as much. Even Little Lizzie McGuire, who was the closest to his size, was more or less attached to Big Lizzie McGuire and the other girls. Such was the life of a genius mouse.
A particularly loud splash took him out of his deep train of thought. One of the waves had crested high and almost got his legs particularly wet. He backed away as he heard footsteps thudding behind him. "Excuse me! My apologies!" Basil stammered out.
"Oh don't apologize," Tara interrupted. She bent down and placed the table she was carrying down on the ground. "I shouldn't have been carrying a lot. But I wanted to see if this could be a good place maker for the party."
"Ah, Tara," Basil tipped his hat. "I've been meaning to ask. Where are we holding this party?"
"Hop on," Tara beckoned. Basil scampered up her shoulder as she led him to the site.
"You know I never really realized that this was an islet," Basil said once Tara stepped foot onto the tiny landscaped landmass. "I see there's a lot of things here that could facilitate the party, such as the view of the mountain in the distance. And the fortress."
"Yeah, that's nice of you to bring that up," Tara agreed. "There are outlets on the ground that we can use for Chyna's performance or Jessica's performance."
"Do you need my help in any manner?"
"Sure, but I don't want to saddle you with, you know, too much," Tara scratched her cheek. "Don't you usually have a notebook on you or something?"
"That I do, and I have my handbook now!" Basil eagerly flipped his handbook open to show Tara the pedometer linked to the plant he was growing. "That table is square right?"
"Right," Tara said.
Basil walked down Tara's shoulder and walked around the perimeter of the table, measuring it to be some 20 of his paces each direction. "I've calculated the typical handbook to be about My height, which is just shy of five inches. My pace is about two inches so if my math is correct you've got a table of about 40 inches square"
"That's some really quick math. I guess the next question is how many of these tables can we fit on here?" Tara asked.
Before Basil could answer Goliath and Rapunzel, both of whom in idle conversation, talked up to the two of them in almost lock step. "HELLO RAPUNZEL! GOLIATH!" Basil shouted out.
"Basil!" Rapunzel bent down. She patted his head affectionately as she extended a hand out for him. "Are you helping Tara with the party too?"
"Yep, we're trying to figure out if we have enough room to galavant for a night of good fun," Basil asked.
"If you need anything from us let us know. Rapunzel wanted to see if there was anything from the gondolas we could use as a form of decor," Goliath explained.
"Uhh, Goliath," Tara spoke up. "You know how the handbooks have a photo function? Is it possible for you to fly and take a photo of this island? I want to see what we're working with."
"Photos?" Rapunzel turned to goliath as he swiped on his handbook. She looked over the gargoyle's handbook to see an image of herself moving in time with her blinks, her breaths, and even with the hair movement. "So cool."
"You might want to back away, Rapunzel," Goliath advised. "I cannot go too high as there is a limit that seems to be on the upper area."
"By my calculations I think that limit is approximately 200 feet in the air. That's a high limit especially for one like me," Basil explained in a low voice towards Rapunzel, who nodded. "Goliath says that he can flap his wings to help his gliding but that doesn't work all of the time."
Goliath made a swift movement into a nearby building. It had a balcony that overlooked that portion of the Monosea. The gargoyle spread his mighty wings as he tested the air currents. He flexed his mighty wings for a moment to see if he could get an inkling of the air current. Then he glided some fifty feet above the ground and took a photo of the island before dropping into the water.
Rapunzel and BAsil rushed over to the beach as GOliath slowly lumbered on land. "I know I usually sink but it helps that this isn't as deep as one would expect," Goliath explained.
He showed a photo of the island that he took once the three of them made it back to Tara. "It's a semicircle… and we have a lot of land to use. Alright, I can see it now. Let me–"
Tara took out her own handbook and used the front facing camera to take a photo of the photo that Goliath took. Once it was processed, the photo that Tara could see was… surprisingly lacking. "Why is it black?" Rapunzel asked.
"That's because these handbooks don't take photos of photos on handbooks!" Monomouse suddenly popped up. "Consider it our own form of screenshot protection! If you want to see the images you have to connect to each other and send images that way!"
"Connect to each other?" Rapunzel asked again.
"Bah, you'll figure it out. That's the only way information can go from handbook to handbook. Why do you need to take a photo of what this overbuilt statue took anyway?"
"For a party," Basil declared.
"Party? That's why you're moving stuff around? They can only stay outside for a week before they have to be cleaned!" Monomouse started.
"Duly noted," Goliath gruffed.
"But having a party? Even when someone is trying to kill? You can have your party but we still have to get this killing game on a roll!"
"But… no one's planning to kill…" Tara hesitated.
"If you're telling the truth, which you are , you don't know what other people are thinking," Monomouse strutted around the island. "You kids have no idea what's in store."
The mouse disappeared behind some bushes as the quarter stared at his departure point with a look of hesitation.
"So umm, I guess you can figure out how to send it to me?"
"That's a promise," Goliath said as he leaned on a planter. He fiddled with his handbook, which looked almost too small for his hands, and started to get to work. The others waited for a moment. Rapunzel ran her fingers through her hair idly.
"ATTENTION ATTENDEES!" Monomouse blared through the site. "REPORT TO THE OFFICE BY 1:45 PM! THAT MEANS IN FIFTEEN MINUTES! BECAUSE YOU DISENCHANTED IDLE LAYABOUTS NEED SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT!"
"That sounds ominous…" Basil turned to the other three.
"You think?" Goliath extended a hand to Basil as the mouse scampered onto his shoulder. "Rapunzel, Tara, we don't want to see if there is a punishment in store."
"Did you–"
"I figured out how to send, dont worry about it," Goliath reassured Tara.
1:45 PM
The last one to show up after the motive was announced was the Ghost Host. "Forgive me, I'm still used to not traveling through walls," the Host apologized.
"That's our reality," Adam tiredly replied.
"HEY! SHUT IT!" Monomouse slammed its fist against the wall. "IT'S TAKING LONG TO GET YOU GUYS ALL PARANOID AND PROPER! DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT'S OUTSIDE THE WORLD?!"
"Not really," Rapunzel shook her head. "We have bigger problems like what Justin and Thalia are going through."
"And we can solve your problems without any murder," Max shouted.
"Oh can you?" Monomouse raised a mechanical eyebrow. "I know that you're all bluster and bluff and windbags and wheezes. You'll get more information with a murder!"
"Bold of you to say something like that," Kevin narrowed his eyes. "But you wouldn't have called us here if you didn't have any information."
"OH I HAVE GOT THAT FOR YOU NERDBOMBER!" Monomouse shouted. "GET IN THE OFFICE TO FIND OUT AND TAKE YOUR ASSIGNED SEAT! THAT'S THE ONLY COMPUTER THAT'LL WORK FOR YOU!"
Most of the group hadn't spent that long in the office. Lizzie observed that it was similar to her computer lab at school as she walked in. The twenty four of them shuffled about before they realized each computer was designated for them. "Listen up disenchanteds! The fact of the matter is that I know a lot of you have family, friends, and other important people on the outside world. If you wanna figure it out then you better turn on those computers and pay close attention to those monitors!"
At the front of the room Kevin clicked on the monitor. It whirred to life as a loading image first appeared with a suggestion to put on the nearby headphones. On the screen was a small video of a tiny, green, chameleon in an enclosed apartment. It scampered from furniture item to another as it picked at the air with its long tongue. Suddenly the chameleon became bored and sat on the couch. Meet Pascal. The happy go lucky chameleon. And as it happens he's missing the glow of his favorite person. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to him. A voice read some text aloud. Confused, Kevin pulled out his handbook and took a photo.
Further back in the next row Wendy waited with her headphones on, her mind wracked with thoughts as a small apartment showed up. "Hey what are you doing? You can't keep me in here!" A raspy, unusual voice came from offscreen. The owner of the voice stumbled on screen, tripping over a low table and breaking it. "Oh come on!" Wendy couldn't really identify what exactly they were but they adjusted their tie with one of their fuzzy blue hands. Meet Gonzo. He's an adventurer, but what kind of explorer can he be if he's locked so tightly in this room? The only thing that drives him more is his beloved but will he ever see them again?
"What is the meaning of this?!" Jessica whispered. On her screen was a furious monkey in a little hat. She thought it was a stylish hat and the monkey also had the cutest vest. But its big eyes were filled with anger as it seemed to ravage the room in fury. Meet Abu. Everyone needs a friend, even those who aren't that close to society. This is no place for a monkey but maybe it'd be more tolerable if a friend was there.
Thalia's video display seemed to be frozen on a display of the house. She stared at the house, more like a big fancy mansion, intently, waiting for something to happen. Weirdly enough it seemed to be pulsating, almost breathing, as a window opened and closed. This lavish mansion is established on grounds and grounds of well maintained gardens and forests. For one of you it's the only place they can call home. But maybe they'll let you in. That is if you can protect this.
"What?" Max asked out loud. On screen was a flooded apartment. It looked like a nice apartment with a table, a couch, and books in foreign writing on a shelf. Bubbles came from the lone occupant, a weird animal… thing. He couldn't be too phased since there was a talking microphone and a chicken that they somehow all understood. But it was strange. Bessie is a special friend. But if you can believe it they're the most powerful thing any of you will ever get the chance to see. Ah, but it's power can only be found if you kill it, so if you let it die then maybe it'll be yours.
Susan stared at her screen. A handsome young man dusted himself off of the ground and stood up. Then he took a seat on the couch with his head in his hands. His hair was long and he had dark black eyebrows. He pushed his hair back and sighed before he started to do some pushups. Ever vigilant, ever training, ever determined, Shen here is a disciplined young man. He knows his destiny and he's ever devoted to one of you. But will he ever reach his destiny?
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Goliath thundered.
"What do you mean by these being our hostages?!" Ivy added.
Amidst the chaos Justin stared at his screen blankly. His video was long done but something nagged at him. He looked at the photo he took of the text and the hostage before Monomouse called their attention. "RElax! This time around you can guarantee the safety of the one you're responsible for and your hostage! But in seven days if one of you isn't dead then all twenty four of your hostages will be! " Monomouse pointed to a projector screen where instructions for the motive were displayed clear and present to all of them.
The Hostage Motive (Seven Days):
This motive shall be, in the time for those we hold dear
The goals and wants for the next seven days shall be held clear
It's time to protect your very own ward
Prevent yourself from dying, but make it quick
Otherwise it'll be your death that someone else will pick
Get planning, get thinking, lest you get lost in the discord
The twenty four handbooks pinged. A copy of the motive was sent to all of them. Camilla stared at her handbook before she suddenly got riled up. "BAWK?!"
"TOTALLY UNCOOL!" Tanner interjected. The voices rose again as Monomouse disappeared in a flash of pink clouds.
"BUHCAWK!" Camilla crowed. "Bawk Buh Buh Buh Buh Caw Caw Cawk Buhcawk Kawk Bah!
"I wish it was that easy," Kevin explained. "If you need some time alone then take it. But this is a new development."
"Are we going to tell each other what we got?" Chyna nervously asked.
"I think it'd be safer if we don't," Mike rose to his full height.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Sally asked.
"Do what you want but I would rather be alone," the Ghost Host stood to his full height. He marched out the door as the others heard the elevator chime in the background.
"I… don't even know who my hostage belongs to or who my hostage is!" Stanley shouted. "What are we supposed to do now?!"
"We can tell each other," Susan hesitantly spoke up. "If it's not a secret then none of us can hold it against each other."
"But we need all of us to agree with that," Aladdin pointed out. "But telling everyone means that they have more leverage over all of us."
"I'm not sure if I like the way you're thinking," Jessica's eyes narrowed. "I too need some time to myself before I do something rash."
Jessica left the office with a sashay to her hips. Once she was out of sight from the door the remaining attendees heard her slam the door to the library. "Buck, Buck, Cub, Buck, Buckaw," Camilla flapped her wings.
"Could I come with you Camilla? I want to be distracted and we still have to get our dresses ready for the party tomorrow.," Ivy rushed up to Camilla.
The chicken's gaze softened as she nodded. "Buck-kaw kaw buck."
"I know girlfriend, the bathroom isn't the best place to be but it's all we've got," Ivy uneasily laughed.
Adam silently followed after the two women. After Adam the next to follow was Stanley. Chyna and Max stood up at the same time as if looking for comfort. Susan corralled the two of them as she put a hand on their shoulders.
And so the others slowly streamed out of the office.
"Do you want to come with me Justin?" asked Evie.
He shook his head, still staring at the screen.
"I understand, I'll be at the gondola station if you want to join."
"Sure," Justin mumbled.
After another five minutes after Evie left, Justin stood up. None of this helped wrack his memory at all.
3:00 PM
The words on the book slowly began to turn into swirls and swirls of meaningless scribbles as Sally continued reading. None of this was making sense but it was clear that she needed to take charge. She needed more supplies if she wanted to protect the nice young man in her video. The name Doug hardly rang a bell for her but his qualities reminded her of the best of her creator.
She slammed the book shut. Whatever the story was, about an old western town and the travelers who passed through, didn't help clear her mind from the hostage situation. When she pushed her chair in she found a monocoin. Now she was up to ten. She needed to find out just what kind of potion she could make….
Frustration and boredom were not good emotions and she was feeling them as she strode through the vast library. She stepped out of the library and decided to stare at the ocean in front. Sally needed time to think because if she didn't she'd surely fall into some kind of folly. She stepped out the doors of the conference hall, walked through the tunnel to the other side, and found herself staring at the light glinting across the water.
She slowly sat on the waterfront and buried her feet in the sand. It was warm. It felt good, almost reassuring. The waves lapped against the sand further downward and crested the fortress further back. Sally looked at the mountain that bordered one wall of the fortress. It was a stunning feature but she didn't have the opportunity to go close to it yet.
With a deep breath she closed her eyes and lied down. The sand was comforting even if it did go everywhere. She didn't even care if the sand got in her hair.
"Hi Sally," she heard a voice call out. "I didn't mean to interrupt but I wanted to see if I could practice here."
Sally looked up from her reclined position to see Chyna with a guitar in her hands. "I love a good piece of music. I heard you were planning to perform a song or two with Tara."
"Yep!" Chyna proudly strummed her acoustic guitar. "If you need the alone time I'm willing to practice somewhere else."
"No, I welcome the presence of music. Looks like you could use it too," Sally explained.
"Yeah, I suppose you could tell," Chyna nervously gulped. "It feels weird being responsible for a man my dad's age. Even weirder not knowing who they are besides the fact that they're a private detective."
"It seems to me there was no rhyme nor reason to these hostages being assigned to us," Sally thought aloud.
Chyna began strumming her guitar. It was a good piece of music, a lot more energy than Sally was used to. Chyna's voice slowly sang lyrics about pining for someone whose name was written above her heart. "Do you think it should be a little slower?" Chyna asked Sally.
"I enjoy it," Sally replied. "It seems macabre about writing their name on your heart. Something like that would surely endear himself to you. And if they did fall from the stars I can picture–"
"Sally you know they're metaphors right?"
"Where I'm from, songs are usually literal," Sally explained. "Just singing a little ditty about the day to day life. Truly haunting but now I yearn for the rest."
"Tara said I can perform– Oh Hi Lizzie," Chyna waved.
The blond tween waved back at Chyna. Lizzie walked up to Chyna and Sally and took a seat next to them. Little Lizzie fixed up a small bit of sand and started to lie down. "Do you think we can use the computers after today?" Lizzie started.
"I'm not sure if I want to," Sally mentioned. "I don't trust computers in general. This handbook is still making me wary."
"I heard there were customizations available in the shop. That's how Basil could get a small one for him," Lizzie mentioned.
"Why don't I get one?" Little Lizzie spoke up.
"I mean, you are my conscience and my inner thoughts," Big Lizzie told her. "And you also get access to mine."
"Speaking of handbooks," Chyna changed the conversation. "Are either of you used to taking photos yet? I know it seems strange but I want to take photos of myself during the party."
"Oh that sounds so fun!" Lizzie perked up. "If we find enough supplies we can set up a photo booth. Mister Flynn can help us out!"
"Photos are still unfamiliar to me," Sally trailed off. "But I read enough books in the library for now to know that there exist amazing booths where you walk in and an image of yourself will be available after a minute or two."
"Making a photo booth?" Chyna asked.
"That seems fun/That seems like a lot of work!" Both Lizzies said at the same time.
"Yeah it'll be a lot of work but I think we can make it!" Chyna excitedly clapped. "That's such a good idea Sally. Lizzie did you want to take charge on getting some of the technology?"
"Sure!" Lizzie smiled. "I'd rather do this than think about who I'm stuck protecting. Maybe if the person I'm protecting knows I'm a hard worker that'll motivate them even harder!"
"Or they won't care because they might not know," Little Lizzie spoke up.
"Hey that's enough Little Lizzie," Chyna interjected. "I think Big Lizzie is doing such a good and nice thing. Come on, this is supposed to be fun."
"Fun," Sally smiled. "If we need more monocoins we should hunt for them right now. Unless you want to practice more music."
"I'll hunt for coins later," chyna explained.
"Okay, then I'll get a head start on askign Mr. Flynn!" Lizzie cheered.
"And I'll look for those monocoins," Sally declared.
The three, rather four of them, put their hands together. "BREAK!" Little Lizzie and Chyna shouted to Big Lizzie and Sally's confusion.
"Let's do this!" Sally cheered.
3:45 PM
"You know that took awhile but I think this suits you," Ivy smiled.
Camilla looked in the mirror. She was newly clad in a pair of blue felt shoes that hardly caught against her talons, light yellow stockings that ran up her legs to the base of her stomach, and a light pink vest that accentuated her curves in all the right ways. "Bawk-Caw!"
"And the piece de resistance," Ivy said. "We can button this little pin!"
Ivy held up a small lapel pin in the shape of a top hat. Camilla grabbed it out of Ivy's hands and pinned it to her vest with a look of pride. "Bawk Bawk Bawk buh-caw."
"A comedian huh?" Ivy started. "Is he any good?"
"Caw caw caw," Camilla shrugged.
"I mean some of his jokes have to land right?" Ivy asked.
"Buck-Caw Buck-Caw. Buck Buck Caw Caw Buck."
"No don't apologize, I know, I'm missing my family too. And my friends," Ivy sighed. "You know my best friend is doing this little thing for her little sister. I know my mom wishes I was more like her."
Ivy started to pack up some of the other fabrics she walked into the bathroom with. Camilla noticed at her feet a pair of scissors. She kicked them over to Ivy when the fashionista finally walked by her. "Got them at the store, but they're pretty dull. Man I wish my mom could see what kidn of outfit you have on you. Maybe then she'd let me style her more."
"Cawk-Bawk- buck buck buck. Buck buck buck caw."
"I know it's a hard thing to think about but I don't think so," Ivy gulped. "If anything it'd be my dad. I know he means well and he dotes on me. He's a weirdo but… he's my dad."
Camilla patted Ivy's shoulder as she sat down. "Bawk Bawk Bawk. Caw Caw caw cawk buh bawk."
"You think so huh? Well," Ivy looked around. "Your secret is safe with me."
The two shared an understanding look. Camilla took off her new clothes and bundled them nicely in a small bag Ivy provided. "Bawk Bawk Bawk."
"Sure," Ivy nodded. The two walked out of the fourth floor washroom. "I'll be right back. I'm going to drop most of this off in my room."
Camilla waited at the elevators as she hit the button to go downwards. As the elevator dinged, Ivy quickly rushed to join Camilla. The two took the elevator down one floor. "Oh hey," Adam hesitated. At his feet was a box full of random trinkets and in his hand was a wallet.
"You can come in sugar," Ivy tilted her head.
"Okay, I don't mean to intrude," Adam kicked the box of supplies into the elevator as Camilla held one open. The elevator opened at the second floor for a moment before closing. "Did you have a productive fashion session?"
"Yeah," Ivy proudly stated. "If you want I can open my services up to the boys here."
"You think?" Adam asked. "I'll keep it in mind."
The door opened up on the first floor. "Bawk bawk?"
"No," Adam said as he hoisted the box of supplies on his shoulder. "There's not much but I do want to work on this in the conference room."
"Be sure not to leave anything there that could be trash," Ivy mentioned. "Who knows how strict Monomouse could be about it?"
"Caw…." Camilla led the way as Ivy and Adam engaged in idle conversation. She held open the door to the conference room as Ivy, then Adam, walked in. Camilla followed the two of them to an unoccupied round table in the room. Adam placed the box of stuff down on the table as he began rummaging through. Camilla picked out a screw driver inquisitively. "Caw?"
"Not sure if I'm totally confident in what I'm doing," Adam started. "I just know what I need could help us all if it works out."
Adam attached a button to a metal component. "You know I'm gonna be backing up," Ivy said. "But I'm supporting you from afar!"
"It's just a prototype, don't worry about–"
Camilla screeched as the component suddenly lit on fire in front of them. Adam pulled out a fireproof blanket and slammed it over the fire. The hot metal cooled down as Adam breathed heavily. "ARe you two okay?!" Ivy rushed up, grabbing Camilla almost possessively.
"I'm fine," Adam exhaled.
"Buck," Camilla concurred.
"Sucks about that thing," Ivy said. "What even was that thing?"
Adam coughed as he lifted the blanket, covering the table in a small layer of smoke. "I wanted to see if I could use this on the outside to see if we could… well…"
"Buck-buck-buck-buck." Camilla jumped from the table. She grabbed her handbook as Adam shoveled some of the unburnt effects back into his box.
Adam pulled open his handbook. "I have eight monocoins. I'm going to go to the store and I'm going to try to find something."
CAmilla and Ivy, both rather bored, followed Adam as they crossed the door into the store hallway. "Bawk ba!" Camilla greeted.
"Oh hi," Max nervously smiled. "I'm not trying to find a weapon, I swear."
"Ain't no one was accusing you," Ivy quickly deflected. "What were you trying to get?"
"The store has a random option and I have forty monocoins. I wanted to see if I could get some paper. Miss Heffley said we could do something for the morning if I got some paper," Max explained.
"So she has you running her chores?" Adam said as he looked over the wares through the glass cabinet.
"No, it was my idea. I know she comes off as doting, but she said I could deliver the papers at breakfast. She says she has a lot of tips for the party that we need to get out for tomorrow, and she says she's cooking cupcakes so she needs some other paper to properly portion," Max explained.
"Woman's got a plan that's for sure," Ivy commented.
Adam pointed to a box of random trinkets for three monocoins. "Your funeral, or is it Max' funeral? Or is it your hostages' funeral?! We won't know, until seven days!" Monomouse cackled from behind the plexiglass.
"Oh I wish that thing didn't have a risk of blowing up," Ivy said as she balled her fists.
Max stepped up to the counter and handed a single monocoin for a random draw. Monomouse looked at a ball it randomly drew before suddenly pulling out a board game. "Chinese checkers. Good for up to six players. Good luck getting to play it before you die!"
Ivy pulled Max away from the counter. "How about this, I'll try going for some paper and you three can set up some of those chinese checkers?"
"You sure? I'm not sure if Miss Heffley would accept papers from anyone else," Max worriedly replied.
"Bawk Bawk Bawk, buh-caw."
"True, and if it helps clear Adam's brain I'll do it," Max obliged. "I've been trying to get my brain clear all day. It's what Robe and Megan would have wanted."
Adam placed an understanding arm around Max as he led him to the conference room. "Megan? Robe? Your friends huh?"
"Through thick and thin," MAx said as they walked through the threshold. "My best friends."
"Derby's mine," Adam sincerely said. "He's also one of my favorite students. I know it's weird teaching a peer my age but I know Derby can be smart. I just have to be a friend as much as I have to be a teacher. It blends the line between the authoritative and the platonic but he's a longtime friend of mine."
"Bawk," Camilla flocked to another table. Max placed the set of chinese checkers on the top and set it up. Camilla took the blue marbles. Max took the green marbles. Adam took the red marbles.
By the time Ivy showed up with a ream of printer paper, a roll of parchment paper, and other bits and bobs, Adam had won the game. "That was fun," Adam said.
"Why don't you keep it?" Max offered. "You seem to get this game more than I do."
"If you want to play with it you can join me," Adam perked up.
"It was fun, but it also kind of felt a little uncool. Skateboarding and biking and kungfu is where it's at for me. Board games are okay, and just that, okay," Max sighed. "And I have to deliver the papers to Miss Heffley."
Ivy handed the papers to Max as he tucked one under his arm and carried the other out the door. "I hope to see you tomorrow for breakfast. I'll deliver papers to your door before breakfast when Miss Heffley gets them done," Max waved goodbye.
Ivy stared at the chinese checkers. "It ain't fair, that a cute little kid like that is stuck in this mess of a game," Ivy slammed her fist against the table.
"Cluck cluck."
"Haven't even thought of that," Adam sighed. "I don't even know a Dr. Finkelstein and I'm responsible for him?! I thought teaching would be tough."
"Let's… let's pay a round again. I heard you won Adam, so you better not go easy on me."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Adam pushed a marble.
6:00 PM
The sun started to set on the conference site. Wendy looked at the sunset from a point around the Monosea. She sighed as she almost choked her water bottle. There was a lot on her mind. She didn't want to be the first to admit it but she was excited about the party. Back home she'd be focused on the parties her high school would hold. That was the price of being one of, if not the most, popular girl in school.
Here though, home popularity meant little. It was the unfortunate reality that definitely weighed on Will, who wouldn't be out of place on Homecoming Court or the football captain, and for Tanner, who she could see that the waves weren't really helping him feel at ease. She couldn't really put a finger on the older compatriots, Kevin least of all, but she knew that Susan and Max' bond was tight.
"Wendy?" a nearby voice walked up to her.
"Hey Tanner," she put up a smile.
"It's getting kinda chilly. I wanna hold a bonfire but since Tara's running her party tomorrow I don't wanna harsh the mellow," Tanner started. "What say you and I head up for some dinner?"
"Like you read my mind," Wendy crushed her plastic water bottle. She stuffed it into her pocket as the two of them walked back to the hotel. The two engaged in small talk as they finally made it into the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was empty. Wendy opted first to grab a drink, this time opting for some ice tea over several ice cubes. Tanner offered her some sugar and honey, which she accepted kindly. Tanner dropped his butt into the seat opposite her. "It'd be nice to have everyone together for a good dinner. We only had dinner together two days ago."
"It's comforting to have us all together," Wendy agreed. "But I think our group breakfasts are a little too much at times. Especially for Tara and Lizzie."
"They've, like, gotta adapt, especially if we need to share information," Tanner curled his lips. "Golly this is hard to do. Trying to be smart."
"I can unfortunately relate," Wendy sipped her tea. "But all of our brains have to come to a solution, right?"
Tanner opened his mouth to answer when the cafeteria opened. Aladdin walked in with a more subdued hop to his steps as opposed to the normal stride he took. Behind him was Camilla, who awkwardly followed in Aladdin's footsteps. "Aladdin! Camilla! Care to join us?" Tanner shouted.
"Bawk," Camilla shook her head.
"I'll join you though," Aladdin smirked as he picked an orange from the rack of fruit most nearby. He also grabbed some napkins before shoveling it into his pants.
"So…" Wendy started as Aladdin sat down. "I know we shouldn't talk about this. I'm in charge of…. I can't really describe who they are. They aren't human though."
"Not human?" Aladdin asked. "I suppose that checks out. I think…. I think I know who my hostage is."
"Me too," Tanner lamented. "There's this girl who is just so… so smart. She's so much smarter than me and she knows how to connect with people. I don't feel like I'm worthy of her…."
"Oh come on, you're plenty worthy, you're a handsome lad," Aladdin playfully punched Tanner. "I don't have many friends to be blunt. My best friend is a monkey and… Jasmine… she's…"
"I didn't mean to make you sad," Wendy said. "Just let it all out."
"I don't have anything to let out," Aladdin scoffed. He leaned in as he started to peel his orange. "I think I have Chyna's brother. I don't want to assume anything but they have the same skin tone."
"Well, that's usually a close indicator," Wendy said. "Not entirely, but you might benefit from letting Chyna know."
"Why tell her?" tanner asked.
"I don't know, the thought just came to me. But there's also the chance you could be wrong. What was his name?"
"Cameron," Aladdin said. "What kind of name is that?"
"I wouldn't know," Tanner shrugged. "But that sounds good for a girl and a boy."
"No I definitely had a boy," Aladdin explained.
Wendy stood up. She made her way to the buffet for a plate. As she nearly dropped a dumpling she suddenly made a dive and rolled into the fall path for the dumpling. She held up the dumpling triumphantly as the rest of the food on her plate remained, untouched.
Tanner and Susan, the latter of whom walked in, gave a round of applause as Wendy returned to her table. Camilla had already left the cafeteria, satisfied with her food, after staring at Susan. "This motive really isn't working out for us," Aladdin pointed out.
"I think that was the point," Tanner said.
"I don't know how to describe my hostage, but his name was Gonzo," Wendy said as she started at her dumplings.
"I know who my hostage is," Tanner started. "Stanley Yelnats the third. Stanley's dad I think."
"Makes sense," Aladdin curled his lips. "Now what are we supposed to do with this information?"
Wendy finished a dumpling and swallowed it. "Maybe… maybe we find out who our hostages belong to and promise to not kill them? Just so we can be safe?"
"Just so we can be safe," Tanner echoed.
Aladdin turned around to see the Ghost Host walk through the threshold. "I'll talk to you two later. It's been a good conversation."
Wendy and Tanner sat across from each other. Tanner took a sip of an orange soda he grabbed from the drink station. "I know this for sure, I want to help protect Stanley," Tanner said in a low voice. "Poor kid is already cursed."
"How bad is that curse?" Wendy asked.
"I dunno. But I don't want that curse to be directed to me," Tanner mentioned.
The two sat in a tangible silence as Wendy sipped her tea. "You're my friend, I like to think we're all friends," Wendy said with a hint of remorse in her voice. "I don't want any one of us to die. Much less at the hands of another."
Tanner nodded grimly. He blew a warm breath of air into his hands. The two shared a silent look together as Wendy stood up.
Her seat was quickly replaced with Max. Tanner could talk to Max, they could talk about girls and bullies and other boys stuff. He was a little young. They talked like they were old friends as Max finished his food.
The others walked in and out of the cafeteria. Each ate different amounts and quantities of food. Susan was more social that evening as she bounced between three different tables. Others, like the Ghost Host, largely kept to themselves, only interacting in the buffet line. Kevin was able to confirm with most of the others that the breakfast meeting would still happen the next day.
Tanner left the cafeteria with lighter spirits than before. But as he walked through the doorway he realized that he should pick up more monocoins. That'd keep him occupied through the night. He checked his count. He had eight.
He opted to go for a random draw of three different trinkets. One was a puzzle cube that required matching the numbers to their side. Another was a drinking bird that could take some water. The last one was a Monomouse piggy bank.
When he took the elevator up he found a monocoin in one of the corners of the elevator. He took a brief stop in the restroom to take care of his business. He stared at himself in the mirror as the water started to run. Two words that he was familiar with could only describe the events of the day.
Totally uncool.
24/24 Alive