Sam's Office: Beware of Geeks Bringing Gifts

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:06 pm

"I'm not intending to force anything, here."

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:24 pm

"Can you blame me for having misgivings? A feeling of a lack of control?"

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:27 pm

"I'm not blaming you for anything, Will. I'm just trying to work with you."

by **Sara Stanton** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:32 pm

"Well that's why I'm here, I guess. Not that we don't trust you, Professor, but... well you probably know how important ease of mind is."

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:32 pm

"I trust you more than most, Professor...just...don't blame me for being hesitant."

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:05 pm

"Not in the slightest. All I'm asking is if there is anything I can do to make this easier."

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:22 pm

"Be gentle with me?" he said, wryly.

"No, seriously, I don't know...I think that's just something I have to get over."

by **Samantha McManus** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:44 pm

"Would you like a moment to get comfortable and ready?"

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:53 pm

"I'm afraid if I take a minute, I'll end up taking several years, so, I suppose I'm as ready as I will be."

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:55 pm

"And you, Sara?"

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:04 pm

She nods. "Go right ahead." she says, taking Will's hand.

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:11 pm

Closing her eyes, Will and Sara got the sensation of wings flapping around them as she made contact with Will's mind, pulling Sara along with her.

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:30 pm

A white, featureless void.

Well, that was a bit disappointing.

All that was there was a single tollbooth and turnstile, apparently not connected to anything, with a bored looking Will reading a magazine labelled, simply, "Magazine."

Of course, SAM would sense a HELL of a lot more activity going on. Sara, on the other hand, would see roughly jack and shit.

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:31 pm

This is never going to stop being strange... it goes through Sara's head at the disorienting sensation.

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:36 pm

"...under construction, are we?" Ms. McManus' avatar quirked a brow at the tollbooth attendant.

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:40 pm

"Where is everything?"

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:07 pm

"Hrm? Oh, the gate," the man said, yawning. "No, no, just a checkpoint -- do you have your passports?"

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:26 pm

"We've been invited in."

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:17 pm

"Sorry, no exceptions."

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:22 pm

"Will, it's me. Can't you... phone in or something to check with whoever decides this?"

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:31 pm

"I'm gonna have to see or hold SOMETHING if you want to get in here."

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:34 pm

"Right. Metaphors and all that, isn't it?" she asks Sam and then reaches into her own chest to pull out a heart-shaped ruby the size of, well, a heart. She holds it out to CheckpointWill. "Will this do?"

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:06 pm

Will raised an eyebrow. "Peculiar passport."

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:08 pm

"...perhaps you ought to be a bit more... literal," Ms. McManus said.

Reaching behind her avatar's back, she coalesced the memory of Will inviting them into her mind into an actual little blue passport folder.

She held it out to the Will that was manning the checkpoint.

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:22 pm

"Mmmhmm. Let's see here," he said, taking out a magnifying glass and investigating Sam's passport. "Hmmmm.

Mmmhmm.

Hmmmm.

Mmmhmm.

Mmmhmm. Celtic war goddess, check check. Alright then. No foreign food or memories?"

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:23 pm

"All within TSA-approved containers, properly sealed."

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:24 pm

"Alright, enjoy your stay," he said, ending up stamping both the passport and the ruby, handing them back.

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:32 pm

"Why is this place so different each time?"

by **Will Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:36 pm

"We wouldn't want you to be bored, would we? Tourism."

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:38 pm

"And we only seem to do this after something has happened, aye?"

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:42 pm

"Guess I'm just surprised a mind is so... malleable."

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:43 pm

"Trust me, it can get... stranger," she says, making her way in.

by **Narrator** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:55 pm

A million sights, a million sounds, a million SMELLS.

The candy factory? Oh it was still there -- at least it looked like it was, way back in the distance. But where as before, it seemed to dominate the landscape, now it was just one amongst hundreds of buildings, in an entire mishmash of architectural styles -- modern, glass and steel monstrosities, thatched cottages, futuristic spires, gothic cathedrals, old Arabic houses. They piled over one another, blending in and merging in, frankly, physically impossible ways, with apparently random staircases and ladders running between them, catwalks stretching high over the dirt streets below, pneumatic tubes running here, there, and everywhere.

The sky itself was busy -- a biplane soared overhead, just underneath an old zeppelin, and beyond that, a '50s style Sci-Fi flying saucer.

The streets were lined on either side by stalls, with people shouting their wares -- a busy street market, running up and down the road as far as either of them could see. And the people! Some were Wills, a bunch more were people they knew from XU -- and others were slight modifications, blendings, and entirey new (or, at least, new to them) characters. Scales didn't seem consistent, either -- some people towered, fifteen feet tall, rapping on third story windows and conversing with people inside. Other scurried back and forth, six inches at best, darting underfoot here and there.

The smell of baked goods and roasting meat, fresh bread and aromatic spices, floated through the air, and everywhere, there was the sounds of things sizzling and cooking.

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:59 pm

"Wow..." is all she manages, stunned by the cityscape.

by **Samantha McManus** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:02 pm

"As I said. My own just continued getting bigger."

by **Sara Stanton** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:06 pm

"Where do we even start?"

by **Narrator** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:37 pm

There certainly wasn't a shortage of people to ask, nor of goods to try, though there DID seem to be a disappointing lack of signage.

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:27 pm

"He still likely has some central control mechanism for his shifting. May as well start with the bit that's familiar, aye?" She looked to the factory.

by **Sara Stanton** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:30 pm

"Makes sense."

by **Will Stanton** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:02 pm

All roads led to Rome, it appeared -- or at least towards the factor, which did seem to be the central point in this sprawling megapolis. They could get there, though they'd have to be careful not to be separated in the very busy streets, unless they took an alternate route.

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