(no subject)

[v_knidh8er]

It takes a second for Turtle and Mike to adjust to the lower levels of light behind the door. Once their eyes adjust to the large gumdrop shaped lights that dot the ceiling, they are able to see that directly behind there door is a large antechamber. The wall to the left is lined with lockers. The wall to the right, is one large organizational rack of cleaning tools and supplies. Straight away there is a doorway, more like an opening in the wall really, that leads to stairs. Stairs that go down.

Comments

[mnt_mike]

Mike shivers as he adjusts to the shift in temperature. He removes the bomber jacket, and hands it over to Turtle.

"You'll need this more than I will."

He keeps the hat though.

[wonthewindfall]

Blinking, Turtle slips on the jacket. It's entirely too large, and she flaps the sleeves around like a bird.

"Whoa. What is this place? It's like being stuck in the bowels of my school, except with edible light fixtures." She hurries over to the lockers, unsuccessfully trying to open one or two. The candy dials kept dissolving in her hand. Annoyed, she goes to investigate the cleaning supplies. One of the mops slips loose and whacks her on the shoulder. "Ow. The way things are around here, I almost think that was on purpose."

She glances at the stairs and quirks an eyebrow. "Now what, oh fearless leader?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike lifts up the hat long enough to scratch his head. It makes a funny squeaky noise when he does so.

"Well, I guess we follow those stairs there."

He gestures towards the stairs.

"We're going to keep to the shadows as much as possible. Think you can handle that?"

[wonthewindfall]

Turtle thinks back to last Halloween and sneaking into the Westing mansion. This is nothing. Smiling grimly, she nods.

"Shadows. Got it. You're on." She starts to creep down the stairs, back pressed against the wall, when the steady drone of voices reaches her ears. Turtle Wexler is not afraid, but she is cautious. She turns back to Mike, looking at his hands.

"Do you think you would have better luck with the dials? We have to blend better somehow." She looks worriedly at his shell. "Maybe there's something Loompa-ish in the lockers that will help?"

Turtle knows she's grasping at straws, but even the most unremarkable stock takes off sometimes. Luck might be on their side.

[mnt_mike]

Mike blinks at her for a few moments in confusion. Then it hits him.

"DUH! Right, sometimes I forget."

Shaking his head he makes for the lockers, babbling as he goes.

"You know, it's a little known fact that shades of dark green and blue actually blend into shadows better than black. People who wear black? They're just trying to make it look like they're hiding. If they really wanted to hide, they'd wear green."

He kneels so he can listen to the delicate candy tumblers turn and spin until he finds the right combination, and the locker springs open. His babble picks up right where it left off as he rummages through someone else's stuff.

"So really, turtles are nature's perfect ninja. We're already green to start. Plus, being cold blooded means we don't set off heat detectors. Our shells are bulletproof, and best of all we've totally got the element of surprise on our hands. People think we're slow."

He tosses a baseball style cap over to her, it lands on her head. He pulls out a Hazmat cleaning suit, and tosses that over to her as well.

"Oooh! Jellybeans! Score!"

[wonthewindfall]

"Really? Cool. Maybe I'll make my next witch's costume green so I can better sneak up on Theo."

Turtle doesn't flinch as the hat lands on her head, and she catches the Hazmat suit easily. She does notice, however, that Mike hangs on to the jellybeans. Just the same, Turtle is rather awestruck and starting to decide that she really likes Mike. He's a purveyor of random knowledge, and she recognizes a kindred soul. "So are you like, really a ninja?"

She quickly shoves her precious braids up into the hat and struggles into the Hazmat suit, after removing the jacket of course. Mostly she wanted to see if it would fit, but once it was on, she discovered that it effectively hid all of her except her face and hands. Brow furrowed, she sticks her head in the locker and starts rumaging around.

"You know, that Little Guy upstairs had quite a bad reaction when he saw me. It's a shame I don't have orange paint... what's this?" Turtle reemerges, a bottle of Caramel Magic Shell in her hands. "Neat! It has a turtle on the cover." She cracks the seal and spreads some in her hand. It instantly hardens, turning her skin a bright orange.

Hmmmmm...

[mnt_mike]

Mike continues to go through the lockers one by one, pocketing anything that looks worth stealing...er...borrowing with no intent to return.

"Oh yeah, been studying for...well, since the beginning really. Once we got up on two legs Splinter started putting us through our paces."

Absentmindedly he rubs the back of his head. One walking stick smack too many.

"You know, I'm kind of kicking myself for not having kept some of those Wizard candies that Raph had kicking around. I bet they'd be great use down here."

Mike takes his placemat plan out of his utility belt, looks it over again, and makes the necessary adjustments.

1) Find door.
2) Get Indy
3) Rejoice.

[wonthewindfall]

Off to the side of the lockers, Turtle grins. She has a plan of her own.

"Wizard candies?" Half the bottle is gone, and the shell makes an odd squelching sound as it comes out. "Hey, I met Raph! He got mad at me for kicking the wall or something. Then he bought me breakfast! I like Raph. Pancakes."

Finished, Turtle tosses the bottle at Mike's feet. She steps into the dim light and beams.

"So? What do you think?"

Turtle Wexler is covered in caramel and completely, horrifyingly orange.

[mnt_mike]

Not really listening...
"Of course he did. He's a marshmallow. Hmmm?"
He turns to look, and his jaw just drops.

"You...you're you're orange! Look at you. You're an orange Turtle already to go to a Devo concert. Hold still."

Clipped to his utility belt is a Polaroid camera. The flash is blinding.

[wonthewindfall]

"Deva wha?" Turtle blinks rapidly at the harsh light. "MIKE. I need to be able to see here." Grumbling, she puts the jacket back on and stalks toward the stairs, trying to see around the tiny dots in her vision. "Come on, we need to hurry."

She starts down the stairs again, expecting Mike to follow. Ever aware of potential danger, Turtle listens to the voices below and keeps to the shadows, just like Mike said.

[mnt_mike]

Mike indeed follows, just not in a way that Turtle is expecting. After stowing his camera, he removes a set of climbing claws from the belt, straps them on his hands, and leaps to the ceiling of the stairwell. Limbs pressed against opposing walls he shimmys his way down the stairs, ready to lift her out of harm's way, should harm come looking for trouble.

For the most part, it's an uneventful journey that just continues. The stairs seems as if they have no end. If nothing else, it's a good introductory lesson in sneaking.

[v_knidh8er]

The stairwell does end. The tunnel opens to a great room that has been hewn from the very rock itself. Think the Mines of Moiria, only sweeter, brighter, and with more curve than angles.

The area is a series of plateaux and terraces with a multitude of tunnels that lead off in all directions. A raised monorail track can be seen winding it's way around the town proper.

It's quiet. Maybe a little too quiet.

[wonthewindfall]

The Hazmat suit and large bomber jacket make moving a bit difficult for Turtle. She has unwittingly picked up the Loompa Walk. She shuffles to the end of the stairs and looks around with wide eyes.

"Wow. This is incredible, and I'm suddenly starving. Man, I wish movie theaters were built with this much candy." Her eyes sweep the tunnels, and she frowns. "It seems... eerie. Do you know where your friend is?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike drops from the tunnel, and gives the system of caves a once over.

"Cheese and rice super bar! Would you look at that?!"
A pause, a blink, and a time check.

"Yeah, it is awful quiet around here isn't it? I mean it's only...four o'clock? Where the heck could everyone be at four o'clock? You don't think they're having tea, do you?"

He covers his Mickey Mouse watch with his wrist band, and gives the place a second scan, muttering under his breath as he does so.

"well, if I had someone I wasn't supposed to, and who went against their will, I'd lock them up somewhere so they couldn't get out. Dungeon or Police Station...."