Escape [PSL]

[wicked_west]

Elphie had been asleep without Ford or the Chistery. Once she'd disappeared from him that one day, she stayed away. But today of all days, he was banging on her door. Him and the monkey. And he was hollering something about a ship and if she wasn't the witch anymore to follow him.

Elphie threw on the nearest dress... her flowered one... and grabbed all her scarves. She left the broom behind.

"What do you mean a ship?" the former witch asked as she opened the door.

Comments

[got_his_towel]

"Exactly!" Ford said, then quickly slid a fish into the monkey's ear. He gestured for Elphaba to come over to him quickly.

[wicked_west]

Chistery grabbed at his ear and shrieked as the fish made its way to the ideal spot in the monkey brain.

Elphie walked over a little more cautiously. "It goes in the ear... will it hurt?"

[got_his_towel]

"What? No. It's made for this." He frowned. "You've been asking for this fish for the last half an hour. Put it in your ear already."

[wicked_west]

Just because she'd been asking about it for the last half hour didn't mean Elphie was exactly excited about sticking a fish in her ear. Fish lived in water... the very same water that was fickle about whether it wanted to kill her or not. But she snapped her mouth shut and took the fish from him, slipping it into her ear and pursing her lips at the sensation of the thing finding the right spot.

And then all the sounds made sense. Elphie clapped her hands to her ears as she looked around her in wonder.

[got_his_towel]

"Did it get stuck sideways?" Ford asked, misinterpreting her reaction. "Just shake your head."

[wicked_west]

So many people talking about so many things. After another moment, a grin slowly spread across her face. "Oh Ford! It's wonderful." Uncharacteristically, she gave him a very sweet kiss before turning back to the crowd and absorbing what she could.

[got_his_towel]

He was a bit taken aback by what he perceived as the sudden shift in response.

"Oh. ...Okay, then. Froody." He glanced around. "Time to get something to eat."

[wicked_west]

Elphaba merely smiled at him before calling down the monkey. And then she had a thought, "Do you think we'll be able to understand Chistery now too?"

[got_his_towel]

"But we understand him now," Ford said, though he had always had a fish in his ear. "It's not a language problem. He just keeps saying the same word over and over."

[wicked_west]

Elphie frowned. "I suppose you're right. And you had a fish since the hotel." She looked dejected for a moment but presently the sounds and smells brought her out of it. "Did you say something about food?"

[OOC: Funny enough, in the second book, Chistery speaks like a human... the reason being that everyone stopped trying to get him to talk.]

[got_his_towel]

"Food!" Ford declares, heading for the food court. He goes to a kiosk and orders three meals.

[ooc: maybe we can have him learn a bit at a time?]

[wicked_west]

Elphie followed while Chistery few aimlessly along the ceiling. When Ford turned and handed her two meals she held one up to Chistery, but pulled it back before he took it. Elphaba was not going to be responsible for a monkey flinging... flinging...

"What is is?"

[got_his_towel]

Ford looked at her, then at the plate. "It's garstook. A vegetable stew from Borcammon." He looked up. "Come down and eat, Monkey. We have a ship to catch!"

[wicked_west]

... Elphie didn't want him flinging garstook, so she kept his plate and held up just enough for him to take and eat at a time. Meanwhile she slurped at hers hungrily. "What sorts of ships are good to fly in... aside from the ones that won't kick us off?"

[got_his_towel]

"We want to find a long distance cruiser," Ford told her. "One that will get us far. This is a sad corner of the galaxy."

Sorry it's so late. I was time traveling!

[wicked_west]

"Is it?" she asks looking around in surprise. "It doesn't look much different from the Emerald City. And it seems better off than the Vinkus."

I'm working six days a week while I train another manager! I'm ALWAYS late! :P

[got_his_towel]

... This isn't a planet. You want to stay on a spaceport?

Re: I'm working six days a week while I train another manager! I'm ALWAYS late! :P

[wicked_west]

"It's not? Then we should go to a planet." Elphie didn't really know what she was saying. This was all new Ford. Remember? She'd only been in that Oz place and then in the hotel?

[got_his_towel]

"Yes. And not one around here," Ford said with a nod. "Come on. Let's head to the docking platform and see what our options are."

[wicked_west]

"Right. OK..." Elphie finished up her food and saved what she could from Chistery's for later. "Lead the way," she added calmly preparing herself for whatever was about to happen next.

[got_his_towel]

"No... no... no... definitely not...." Ford ticked off ships as they passed them, sparing each little more than a passing glance.

[wicked_west]

The ships all looked fine to her. Seriously, what was he looking for?

"What's wrong with that one?" she asked as they passed the tenth ship.

[got_his_towel]

"Too slow," Ford said. He glanced at the next few, ticking them off likewise "No... no... no..." He stopped suddenly. "This one," he said, stepping towards it, looking for a catch to open the hatch. It was a much smaller ship, but one designed for interstellar flight. And if he could steal it, they wouldn't have to hitchhike.....

[wicked_west]

Elphie regarded the ship with a look of slight disgust. All the other ones looked nice and big and safe. Not that she knew what safe was on a spaceship. But this one was very odd. And as she was trying to figure out calculations in her head, things weren't adding up right.

"But... wouldn't there be more room and even food for us on one of those bigger ships?"

[got_his_towel]

"But they're no fun!" Ford protested. He finally got the catch to release. "Come on. Get in," he said with a grin. He'd be having a look around the cargo hold to see what provisions they had before they left.