{ 01. | laboriously typed over the course of half an hour }

[deshabille]

WANTED: Tour guide.
REQUIREMENTS: Consciousness for more than four hours would be helpful.
LOCATIONS OF INTEREST: All of them.

MT

Comments

[trickntreats]

Aaand what's in it for me, assuming I happen to be interested?

[deshabille]

Good company. The chance to feel superior. Surely one of those appeals.

[trickntreats]

[Well, he can never turn down a chance to feel superior. Plus, he's bored. He could use someone to troll.]

Eh, why not. Could be fun. See you at your quarters, then?

[deshabille]

All right. I'm at [ whichever condo she's at. ]

[trickntreats]

On my way!

[And he was indeed. Within fifteen minutes he showed up at her door, knocking a jaunty little ditty.]

[deshabille]

[ When she opened the door she pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked up at him. She was unimpressed. Still, she stretched out a hand to shake, because that was the thing to do, or something. ]

Mal. And you're my tour guide.

[trickntreats]

[He shook, just a little harder and more exuberantly than was polite (just because he could).]

Thaaaat's me. Call me Syl. Or Gabe. Or Gabyl.

[What, you didn't think he went around giving any 'real' names to everyone. As far as he knew, his bakery-buddy still thought his name was Noah.]

[deshabille]

[ She looked at him levelly and allowed him a small toothy smile. Her current discombobulation notwithstanding, he at least seemed reasonably interesting. ]

I don't think I'm going to call you Gabyl, but thank you for providing that option.

[ Pulling the door closed behind her, she stepped out into the corridor and nodded. ] Lead the way. I hope this place is more interesting than it looks at first glance.

[trickntreats]

[He spreads his hands, lifting his eyebrows.]

But it's two for the price of one!

[The archangel spins on his heel, shrugging and motioning her to join him.]

It's not. It's just rock, rock, rock and more rock. Oh, and glowy crystal things in the ceiling.

[deshabille]

Discounts are not always worth it.

[ She follows him outside and squints up at the aforesaid crystals. ]

I noticed those. They seem overly dramatic. Do they do anything or are they just decoration to prove that we are actually in a mysterious cave?

[trickntreats]

Well, they changed color the other day! They used to be blue.

[He lifted his eyebrows in faux surprise. Wasn't that so interesting! The entertainment around here!]

[deshabille]

How fascinating. I'd chart the color changes in a little book if we weren't meant to be leaving soon.

[trickntreats]

It's such a pity. We'll have to miss the crystals changing for other stuff like fresh air and stars and open sky!

[He lifted his hands in false shock and rolled his eyes.]

[deshabille]

Stop talking about it, it's making me so sad.

[ They're coming up to a cluster of buildings now. Mal lets her eyes run over each of them in turn. Even the architecture is so different. ]

[trickntreats]

And we wouldn't want to have that. The architecture is bad enough!

[It's different, but they're all the same to each other, and it's just impossible to ignore the fact it's all underground and in cave. As far as Gabriel is concerned, it's just depressing.]

[deshabille]

It is a bit . . . [ She snaps her fingers, thinking. ] Industrial.

[trickntreats]

Just a bit, yes. Like the walls are a bit rocky.

[deshabille]

[ She can't help grinning at him. Okay, maybe she's a little impressed. ]

You're a terrible tour guide. Aren't you supposed to be showing me the wonders of our new home? Temporary home, that is.

[trickntreats]

[He grins back and then sweeps his arms around to indicate the street.]

What, you mean these don't qualify? All this industrial sameness! It's practically unique!

[deshabille]

It's practically . . . the same as any other cave! But with buildings inside.

[ Even dwarves have more style. Quirking an eyebrow, she asks the question that's been bothering her - ] So, who exactly built all this? It wasn't made tremendously clear to me.

[trickntreats]

[Oh, he likes her. He shakes his head, still grinning slightly.]

What, you think they actually told us poor amnesiacs that? Pff. All I know is that the big bossman is called the Caketaker.

[deshabille]

Ah. Okay. It's one of those things. Not much information, plenty of vague menace. Oh, goody.

[trickntreats]

I'm almost impressed, really. I'd be more impressed if I was the one on the other side.

[deshabille]

[ briskly] Yes, well. If wishes were horses, then beggars would make soup out of them and eat for weeks. In this case, unfortunately . . . We're at the delightful whims of a man with no name.

[trickntreats]

He has a name! We just don't know it.

[He gives her a reckless grin.]

More fun that way, or so they tell me.