(no subject)

[kolus]

SI7 1982 | Shack Phone

connecting your call:
brrr---- brrr----brrr---- brrr----
brrr---- brrr----brrr---- brrr----
BR- "No refunds."

[ ooc: This post doubles as telephone and private network channel. ]

Comments

<reapercreeper>

[soundsurfing]

Yo you don' ask questions 'bout shady shit do you?

<MISTER MYSTERY>

[kolus]

just the important ones; what do you need?

<reapercreeper>

[soundsurfing]

Got a ton of music shit that I needa get rid of. Guitars an' the like, new. Know you know how to sell stuff.

[Stolen clothes on the volcano. Really.]

<MISTER MYSTERY>

[kolus]

ill need to look at them. looking for silver or something in exchange?

<reapercreeper>

[soundsurfing]

No prob. They at my house right now but I can move 'em someplace better. Still got workin' tunnels 'round town.

Huh, was gonna say coin but lately I've been tradin' in favours. How's that sound?

Action; 2/14 - Morning

[braidtrain]

Grunkle Staaaaaaaaaaaaaannn!

[Good morning family. For anyone who is checking the calendar, today is February 14th, the most important day of the month! And she's hunting down each and every family member with a very important purpose.]

Where you at Grunkle Stan?

<MISTER MYSTERY>

[kolus]

anyone else use those tunnels?

who else have you been trading favours with?

[kolus]

[ Picking a hair from the batter, he slides the spatula beneath the pancake and flips it over. The pan sizzles and aroma of butter frying slowly moves through the house, Stan's terrible singing accompanying it. ] Makin' pancakes in the mornin', doodly-doo. Frozen fingers in the freezer - Hey! What's the word, Mabel?

[ Stan greets her with a smile, just as eager to hear what the excitement is as she sounds to share it.]

[braidtrain]

[Stan's great singing you mean. She just had to follow the aroma to find him, and she grins as he answers, something in hand.

Mmmm pancakes...but no! Can't get distracted!]

Well Grunkle Stan, as you may or may not know, today is the third greatest day of the year!

[There's glitter on her sweater and on whatever that pink thing in hand is, and some kind of red fuzzy thing glued to her cheek that she either hasn't noticed yet, or hasn't been able to pry off yet.]

[kolus]

[ There was certainly something about the fourteenth of February, though he's not nearly as enthused as Mabel. He looks confused, especially when he spots the fur on her cheek. ]

Uh... The statehood day of Oregon?

[braidtrain]

Aw come on, you gotta know what today is! February 14th? A day allll about pinks and reds and hearts and flowers and candy?

[Does that ring any bells?]

<reapercreeper>

[soundsurfing]

Nah dude, ain't no one else knows 'bout 'em. The ones that peeps did know I already collapsed. Surprisin' what miners jus' leave 'round when you know where to look fer shit.

A few peeps, but they jus' small favours. Aint no one shady.

[Other than Stan.]

[kolus]

[ Valentines Day: a corporate conspiracy conceived by candy makers, rose growers, and jewellers to get people to spend money on junk. ] Oh. Yeah, that too.

Unfortunately, folks here never bought into the whole candy and chocolates thing. Local lore revolves around farmers and their fields. Lovers are supposedly tied together to a post and left in their crop to [ be burned alive ] play scarecrow for a week.

<MISTER MYSTERY>

[kolus]

sounds to me like im the one doin you a favor takin this stuff off your hands. but you let me use your tunnels and we can call it even. purely personal, nothing commercial. sun just aint as kind as it used to be, if you know what i mean.

[braidtrain]

Oh? Well if that's the case, I guess I better start planting a crop if that's how I'm gonna be spending Valentine's Day from now on!

[You sure you don't want to just take the card instead of putting these ideas in her head, Stan? She's very impressionable! (She's teasing.)]

<reapercreeper>

[soundsurfing]

Aw c'mon yo! You get free shit to sell an' use of my tunnels widdout givin' somethin' in return? No way! I like you dude but not that much!

[He DOES need to get rid of this shit though, and he doesn't really need the money, but getting something in return is nice...]

UGH look, gimme 35% of the sales an' you can have 'em an' use of the tunnels. I'll even grab a few city maps an' stuff an' draw on 'em to show you where the tunnels go an' crap.

[kolus]

[ Stan leans against the stove and grins. His niece never was one turn down a challenge. ]

Where you plannin' on planting? It wouldn't be my backyard, would it? [ These ideas could earn him money. The more she has the better. ]

[braidtrain]

Oh no no no, of course not. You're backyard I have something else in mind for! I'm sure I could find somewhere nearby though that nobody's using. Or I could probably ask that magic...horse guy? For some land! He's supposed to grant you wishes if you give him those weird coins right? I'll find somewhere.

[And it'll be great! She'll grow corn and strawberries and pumpkins and all of the good fruits and vegetables!]

[kolus]

Horse guy? [ Mabel may only be bluffing but mention of the Tikbalang alone is concerning. Stan is plenty familiar with the demons work. Enough to know he wants his niece to have nothing to do with him. ] How do you know about him?

[braidtrain]

I've heard people talking about him, and read about him on the network! This one person apparently even bought wings so they could fly! Isn't that cool? I think I wanna buy wings from him too, I wanna fly!

[But Stan she's earning these coins (somehow) all by herself!]

[kolus]

He's a demon, Mabel. You really think he just gives this stuff away? I've been to the races and that horse is a loser. Trust me, you want nothing to do with him.

Besides, wings don't even promise you flight.

[braidtrain]

You give him those coins, right? It's not for free, you gotta pay him! And well obviously I'll just have to be specific! It's like saying you want a hundred US dollars instead of a hundred bucks, or you'll end up with a hundred deer, right? "I want feathery pink wings that sparkle, coming out of my back, that are big enough and strong enough that I can fly with them. But not so big that I fall over because they're too heavy." See? That'll be a perfect wish.

[She's totally got this.]

Besides, I think even a demon would be hard pressed to do something mean to a cute little girl like me.

[kolus]

Where do you think those coins come from? It sure ain't me leavin' them around, I'll tell you that. You're letting some one trick pony into your mind here, paying him in what might as well be magical horse dollars.

[ Maybe 'pony' wasn't the best choice of word when explaining a monster to a twelve-year-old but it still beat the alternative for the jackass. She's playing right into his hooves and Stan fears the price she'll pay because of it. Even with such a well-planned wish, there are loopholes to exploit and some unpleasant quest left to earn it. Coins weren't always enough. ]

What if you only have them at night; they fall off and grow back every moon? Or, I don't know, you can only fly after you've drank somebodies blood?

[braidtrain]

Uughh then I will just have to be even more specific. It'll be fine! I am very good at being so specific that there is no room for messing anything up. I do everything with extreme precision! That's what it means to be an ar-teest! [A hair flip to go with that, which causes glitter to go everywhere and reminds her of why she was trying to find him in the first place.]

You know, we can discuss this later. I have something so much more important to discuss with you!

[kolus]

[ Whatever response had been on his tongue is forgotten at the glitter to catch his eye. He watches it dance in the light, gracefully fluttering down onto Mabel's sweater. The rest that settled there greet him warmly, sparkling as she moves. Stan notices she's holding something in her hand, his head tilting slightly before his attention returns to his niece.

He wonders what's so important it can't wait. ] I'm all ears. What's on your mind, pumpkin?