v_knidh8er | (no subject)

(no subject)

When the first refugees arrived at Milliways and started excavating their new home, it was a relatively simple matter for them to discretely dispose of the residual rock in the forest, and later, when they got tired of barrowing the gravel that far every night, on the shores of the lake.

But as manufacturing processes began to take shape, many uses for the ground up rock was found. Bricks were baked by fusing the gravel with Devonshire fudge. A type of concrete was formed by mixing the stone with a smooth blend of toffee, and raw gravel was employed in the Water Treatment filters.

However, the population just kept growing at increasing rates. Now the Loompas have to excavate new tunnels just to use as land fills for the ground slag produced from their other digging. This has caused a baffling labyrinth of dead ends and false passages in the underworld.

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Exhausted, Turtle shuffles along, kicking at stray bits of toffee and gravel.

"Did you see that? I can't wait to tell Violet that I drove a train." Turtle knows that Violet most likely won't be terribly impressed by this, but she's pleased anyway. Yawning, Turtle kicks another patch of gravel and it goes flying in a cloud of dust. Suddenly they hear the distinct sound of gravel falling down a tunnel. Turtle blinks and catches sight of what appears to be a rabbit hole of sorts. "Neat."

Indy crouches and eyes the narrow shaft. There's a chink of solid light someway distant, though its not easy to tell how far off. He trades glances with Mike. There's no way either of them could fit through, but...

"I think it might be an exit. Think you can squeeze in there, Turtle? Who knows when the next chance might be. Someone should go for help."

Turtle frowns.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you two all helpless and alone." Her smirk fades as she yawns again. "Actually, I really do need to be getting home if at all possible... How about I let Bar know where you are? If anyone asks, they will get the information?" She moves toward the tunnel.

"But it is cold, and there are wolves!"

Mike smiles.

"Shove off. Get thee home. Thanks for all your help Turtle, couldn't have done this without you. And uh...we'll catch up with you...", he looks around, "at some point?"

Turtle looks back and forth between them and grins. Truth be told, she's a little nervous about wandering off alone, but she knows she'll be fine. All she has to do is remind herself that SHE had the guts to sneak into the Westing Mansion when others did not. Gumption. That's the word Baba used.

Turtle is still nervous.

Gulping, she gives Mike a quick hug and... smiles at Indy.

"Then I guess this is goodbye. It's been a real... treat. I mean that. I'll leave word with the bar." She salutes them one last time, and whips around, braids flying. As she races along the tunnel, she calls back over her shoulder. "Bye! Be careful, and I'll see you soon!"

There's a pause of and then a flurry of activity as all five Rogue Loompas begin to Chase after her down the rabbit hole. The leader stops just before disappearing out of sight and bows low to Indy and Mike. Then he smiles and runs after his friends.

"Take care, Turtle." Indy salutes the girl as she scrambles into the hole, followed by the motley crew of rebels.

He smiles at Mike. "Nice kid. And a helluva train driver."

He sniffs, glances into the gaping canyon and then down the winding tunnel ahead of them. The compass on his watch spins wildly, much to Indy's beumsement. "I guess we go forward."

"She's good people. Great name too."

Mike catches a glimpse at the compass.

"Oh that's never good. Forward it is then. Age before beauty?"

"How old are you anyway?" Indy mutters, taking the lead.

"Me? Twenty one as of January and April First and Halloween."

Indy looks confused. "You have three birthdays?"

"Doesn't everybody?"

Mike snickers.

"Okay, here's the thing. All four of us are the same age, despite what Raph and Leo would have you think, right? But since we're not quadruplets we figured we couldn't have the same birthday. So we chose a day that we liked best and that's when we celebrate the fact that we turned a year older in January.

So we have a New Years party for everyone. Then, I get April Fools because...well come on! When else would my birthday be? It's obvious. Kinda like how Raph celebrates his on December 21st. You know, the longest night of the year?

Anyway, so that's all well and good, but when we started hanging around with April and Casey and were able to go to actual parties with people, I sort of took Halloween too. No one would deny me a second party. I'm the baby, afterall.

Makes sense?"

Indy snickers. "Absolutely not. But... that's par for the course. Well, crap... now I gotta figure out a present for you?"

His eyes take on a mischievous gleam in the dim light. In fact, it's getting very much darker in these deep reaches of Loompaland. Only an occasional gumdrop has been spared in these unused passages. They trudge onwards, taking turns to decide which tunnel take at the intersections... probably not the best plan the pair ever had.

"That's it, I'm totally not listening to you anymore. Two days, Indy. TWO WHOLE DAYS! Do you see this? Mickey's hands have gone around these numbers,...count'em four times. FOUR TIMES!"

Mike continues to grumble, but not nearly as loud as his stomach does.

It has indeed been two whole days. Two days stumbling blindly through the pitch blackness. Two days of Mike griping about how hungry he is. Two days of Indy bitching about blisters.

"It's always right... Mike always has to take the right hand tunnel," Indy moans dejectedly. "EVER thought that the right hand tunnel may just be bringing us round in big circles?"

"Damnit all Mike! Even if Turtle did get word to the Bar, there's not a chance in hell anyone's gonna find us down here now."

In the darkness, you can hear the sound of him poking at the roughly excavated tunnel wall. "Where's the candy now huh? When we actually need it?"

"OH so this is my fault now? I'm not the one who got kidnapped by midgets....TWICE! You were caught by people a third of your size! What kind of two fisted explorer are you anyway?! And you got something against RIGHT? Huh? Okay...FINE...we'll go left. Will that make you happy? LEFT. Look! I'm going left. Any other requests? Or is that the only one LEFT on your mind?"

Grumbling and snarking at each other, the beleagured companions head off down the new tunnel...

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