-krssssssht-

[Blaze]

Blaze cries out in surprise as something impacts outside the school! She starts to get up the teacher tells them to stay calm.

"What the hell was that?..."

[KonokoHasano]

--Chisame, Chronicle of Art--

A girl turns, raising an eyebrow. She looks normal enough...on the surface, but there's something strange about her.

Chisame stops for a moment, tilting her head, but shrugs and glomps the girl. "Hey! I need giganto help! I'm not sure where I am, and this place is giganto weird!"

[Mendi-chan]

*Frowns... inserting another 20 credits into the machine... If this didn't work, he'd have to improvise...*

[Jello Shot Mischa]

A Rational Response

Back in what many would consider to be the "real" world, a CTC armored vehicle pulls up to the location where the distortion had been. The rear hatch opens, and a woman in a lab coat hops out, followed by two men in combat armor (one older, one younger) and one of the CTC's EDU robots. The woman gestures to the vehicle's crew. "We'll signal when we need a pickup. There's no telling how long the observations will take." The driver nods in acknowledgement, and the vehicle pulls away in a cloud of dust, leaving the four standing on their own.

"I don't see any sign of the distortion..." the older man says.

The woman lets out a sigh. "Resources have gotten stretched unpleasantly thin," she admits. "There was some kind of free-standing transmission in this location... but it seems to have faded already." She pulls out a device from her satchel, and starts walking around the area, scanning it for any remnants.

[Vomica]

Merah just peers up at the woman, as she talks. As soon as she says the bit about the orphanage though... well. Her eyes instantly go wide in fear! She stammers, "W-what? No! I have a home! I just need to get back!" The teenager starts to panic, and then meeples! ...somehow calming herself down from just having a full on rant -- or whatever it could have turned into. Merah just stares at Shrapnel, "...no. That's... I told you! I'm not from around here!"

[Anonymouse]

For about a half an hour, the CTC crew doesn't seem to pick up much of anything at all. There's background radiation, of course, but it's just the normal mix of minor color contaminants, faint nuclear fallout, and wild magic that one gets by scanning anywhere around Muffinville...no real signs of anything special.

It's not until about the thirty five minute mark that they might begin to notice the very faint buzzing sound in their ears, like a television that someone left on three rooms to their left.

And then, all at once, the readings go crazy. The scanner starts to pick up all sorts of things, a mad jumble of heat and cold, light and dark, life and vacuum! It's like the poor thing's been suddenly fed every signal it knows how to understand, and its not quite sure how to cope! And as the ratings increase in bizarreness..they may notice the air around them starting to fizzle, like static!

--Blaze, Chronicle of Magic--

There is a gurgle and a ripping sound...and the mass begins to crack. First one arm--black and jagged--then another, and finally a whole terrible beast is revealed.

"S-stay calm, children! It probably won't notice us if we just..."

The teacher's voice trails off slightly, as its head snaps in their direction...and it begins to move!

--Chisame, Chronicle of Art--

The girl stumbles back at the glomp, looking at her strangely.

"Who are you? What are you> How did you get here?"

--Mendo, Chronicle of Chance--

The machine spiiiins...and...tomapple, che-cherry, plushie. Nothing. Maybe he should try his luck at something...well, less luck-based?

--Merah, Chronicle of Smoke--

Shrapnel does not seem particularly impressed by the girl's stammering, but she shakes her head and puts a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Well, look. It's either you get on that bus and you're safe. Probbalby. Or you stay here and we put you to work."

She glances back out down the tunnel where they came from.

"Is your home was out there though, its gone now. They're not called the Relentless for nothing you know."

[Blaze]

Blaze starts to sweat slightly. Normally she would head to the roof and pepper this thing with rockets, but now she has no weapons! She swallows hard when it turns to look at them.

"I-Is this normal?!"

[Mendi-chan]

*Frowns... turning away from the slots. This was bad news... But maybe if he played some poker he could turn the tables. There'd be less of a house advantage there for certain, because he could control more. Clinking 10 credits down onto the nearest poker table, he looks to the dealer*
I'll buy in for the next round.

[KonokoHasano]

The girl stumbles back at the glomp, looking at her strangely.

"Who are you? What are you> How did you get here?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm Chisame, I'm human, and I don't know how I got here. It's weird, and there's lots of paint, and a crazy lady, and it's giganto beautiful, and I'm trying to find a way out, and I came here, and I met you, and I glomped you, and you asked me who I am, so I told you I'm Chisame the human."

She smiiiiiiles

[Vomica]

Merah just considers Shrapnel for a few moments, then gives a dark frown. She looks back over her shoulder, and back up at her "...my home wasn't there. But... I... don't know if I can get back home." She takes a deep breath, and summons all the maturity that she has been able to cling to! The girl moves the bangs out of her eyes, and looks the woman in the eyes "I'm staying here. It's obvious that things aren't going well, and you need all the help you can get. ...maybe there are even things that I can do..." She trails off, keeping Shrapnel in the dark. She doesn't even know if she is in the Muffinverse still, or if there is a way back. But she has dealt with things worse than giant robots in the past... but that was before ever being in the 'verse.

[Jello Shot Mischa]

(( Made a minor adjustment to my previous post -- three people just seemed too small for a proper squad, so I edited to increase it to four. It'll at least allow more interaction within the group... ))

For about a half an hour, the CTC crew doesn't seem to pick up much of anything at all. There's background radiation, of course, but it's just the normal mix of minor color contaminants, faint nuclear fallout, and wild magic that one gets by scanning anywhere around Muffinville...no real signs of anything special.

Of the four CTC soldiers, the scientist seems to be the most active, walking around the area with her sensors excitedly in an effort to determine what might have occured. The EDU robot simply stands at attention, while the older of the two male soldiers simply finds a tree to lean against. The younger shifts a bit uneasily, glancing around in concern, until he finally provokes a sigh from the older soldier.

"Listen, kid, if something's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. We're here to make sure if anything does happen, the professor doesn't get hurt. No sense fretting about it until it happens, though."

The younger soldier swallows. "Well... I understand that, sir, but... I've heard a lot of stories about what kinds of things can happen around here."

The older one looks over his charge. "How long have you been here, kid?" he asks.

"Seven months, sir, although I've mostly been doing VR training and patrol duty in Academy City. This is my first field assignment in Muffinville proper."

The other soldier chuckles. "Ahhh, I see. And it's got you worried?"

The younger one hesitates, but finally nods. "Some of the things I've overheard the other grunts talk about... I mean, things like getting brainwashed so you even forget who you are, who you were, everything about yourself..." He shivers, involuntarily.

The older man nods knowingly. "Kid... don't tell anyone, but I hear yeah. I think a lot of the people serving here worry about things like that... but you can't let it get to you. It'll just wear your nerves away to nothing." He sighs. "There's people who've been working to make sure we're taken care of. We've got CRAVEN gear, the ED, and we look out for each other. I can't guarantee you'll be fine, but one thing I will tell you -- I'll do everything in my power to watch your back and look out for you. I'm trustin' you to do the same for me, and for the doctor over there." He nods towards where the scientist is still walking around, starting to curse under her breath at the apparent lack of progress.

The young man pauses, and then nods, looking a bit relieved. "You're right, sir. Thanks."

"Don't mention it, kid."

It's not until about the thirty five minute mark that they might begin to notice the very faint buzzing sound in their ears, like a television that someone left on three rooms to their left.

And then, all at once, the readings go crazy. The scanner starts to pick up all sorts of things, a mad jumble of heat and cold, light and dark, life and vacuum! It's like the poor thing's been suddenly fed every signal it knows how to understand, and its not quite sure how to cope! And as the ratings increase in bizarreness..they may notice the air around them starting to fizzle, like static!

Time passes uneventfully, and the younger soldier almost starts to relax. As the readings suddenly go crazy, however, the scientist lets out a yelp of surprise, and the EDU robot suddenly stiffens, moving to attention. Noticing these reactions, the older soldier readies his weapon, scanning the area for any immediate threats, while the younger takes a moment longer to ready himself, moving to sweep the opposite arc to his superior.

"What's the situation, doctor?" the older soldier calls out.

"Something's happening... I can't narrow down any specific readings." She begins to feverishly try and adjust her equipment. "I'm getting all kinds of signals... it's almost like there's multiple realities converging on this point, cosanguine spaces..."

The soldiers don't really understand what she's getting at, but as the air itself seems to start fizzling and crackling, they all move together, the older soldier grabbing the scientist by the arm to keep her close by. "Well, kid... I guess it's time for the show to start."

[Anonymouse]

-kwsaahhhhcattershhhed-

Fragmented voices seem to coalesce around the CTCers, as the static grows thicker, like a fog--the patches of the real world around them grow less and less with alarming speed, until it seems like they're being driven through a Wonka-esque tunnel, images, smells, sounds, all melding into one, and--!

--The private is the first to awake, though the others will begin to come to gradually as he sits up, the ground--the sand--giving away under him slightly as he sits up. It's sunny out--sunnier then it had been in Muffinville--and the breeze is hot against his face, despite the shade of trees.
It's not until he hears the gentle sound of the waves against the shore that he realizes he's sitting on the edge of a small beach. He--and the rest of the squad; the robot, the sergeant, the scientist...but unfortunately not the van all seem to have been deposited on the shore of somewhere...tropical. He himself is leaning slightly against a tree, the start of the end of the beach, where it gives way to the beginning of something of a jungle.

--Merah, Chronicle of Smoke--

Shrapnel's eyes widen slightly. Surprise? Amusement? Disbelief? Merah couldn't tell...but she breaks the eye contact quickly shaking her head.

"Well...can't say I didn't try." She cracks her elbows, beginning to walk into the interior. "If you stay here though, no one's going to let up on you just because you're a kid though, Meara." The ground seems to suck at Shrapnel's boots as she waves for the girl to follow her, a -Shlup- with each step she takes. "...Not that you're gonna go out on the front lines, of course."

--Chisame, Chronicle of Art--

The woman gives Chisame a long stare. And smiles. "Oh. Oh! You're an appreciator of art...? Well, a pleasure to meet you, Chisame." Stretching gently, she looks up to the sky. "Would you like to hep me with an art project, Chisame? I'm always looking for new things to work on..."

--Mendo, Chronicle of Chance--

The woman--a tall, black-haired lady in a green trimmed suit, gives him an inexpressive smile. "Of course, sir." Motioning to a seat, she gives him an odd look...and deals out a hand! A two of spades, king of diamonds, ace of hearts, 4 of spade, 7 of clubs.

--Blaze, Chronicle of Magic--

The students seem paralyzed--one girl speaks up. "I--I hear rumors...but I've never seen anything..."
The creature roars, and begins to move! And...where did Gust go?

[Blaze]

Blaze looks around, her face filled with concern for her new friend.

"Gust? Gust?! Did anyone see where Gust went?!" she asks loudly.

[KonokoHasano]

The woman gives Chisame a long stare. And smiles. "Oh. Oh! You're an appreciator of art...? Well, a pleasure to meet you, Chisame." Stretching gently, she looks up to the sky. "Would you like to hep me with an art project, Chisame? I'm always looking for new things to work on..."

"Oooo, sure, art can be fun! What do you need?"

[Mendi-chan]

*Sighs, putting three cards onto the table.*
I'll take three... Say Miss, I have to ask, is there something wrong? You've been givin' me a weird look ever since I walked up.