Sinh and his bucket approach the small Gamekeeper with relief. "I came to you direct, sir, as this might touch on your duties... I just come from cleaning up the slime in the assembly hall and, well, it's become alive... or was, a little while ago."
He pulls out the vial and taps it for the wary-eyed kobold, and hands it to him. The slurk slime within begins to move and lash.
An amplified :: blurble? :: comes from the bucket. Sinh is quick to plunge his mop handle violently into the goo, silencing it. He sees Vakkler's look at the bucket and his attack before giving him a sheepish grin. "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but the bigger portion gets... uh... 'uppity' at times." He gives the slime in the bucket another whack for good measure.
Vakkler's eyes widen. "An ooze? Is it sentient, do you think?" He examines the goo. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out what looks like a long human finger.
The gamekeeper leans over to the bucket and pokes the creature with the grotesque item.
The Collie-Spin picks up the drumstick in its mouth, doing an impromptu single-stick drumroll against teh stone floor, then settles back on the ground, waiting for the girls to finish their conversation.
When they step back out in the hall, he's lying on his back, front paws up in the air, rolling back and forth. The girls stepping out grab his attention, and he pops back into his normal form, still on his back, legs up against the wall, "We ready to go now?"
Vakkler's eyes widen. "An ooze? Is it sentient, do you think?"
Sinh scratches his head, "I'd guess its got some brain power. It rose up like a snake and sorta talked and when I told it to get in the bucket, it attacked. Could just be mean-spirited or intelligent... or it hates mops." He considers the last possibility as the most horrid.
He examines the goo. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out what looks like a long human finger.
The gamekeeper leans over to the bucket and pokes the creature with the grotesque item.
Vakkler pulls out the finger, examining it for signs of acid.
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Vakkler eyes the goo-ridden digit and sees that it is, indeed, being 'digested'.
::Buzlorple ublaublau!:: With the speed of a cobra, the bucket's contents hurl themselves out of their washpail prison, away from the evil Janitor and his sadistic mop, over the kobold, and towards the far end of the faculty lounge... towards the table containing the freshly-made glazed donuts and Blue Mountain coffee.
Having been wary, the Gamekeeper is not surprised by the sudden dash of the creature which takes the Janitor by surprise.
The stunned Mr. Sinh can only remark, "Oi! It looks bigger than before!" before grabbing his mop like a holy talisman, intent on vanquishing this invertebrate bete noire.
"Well bugs are good especially the really crunchy ones. Though I guess if you don't have taste buds it doesn't matter what kind they are. So do you have to keep your master out of trouble I have to keep these two safe all the time. Let me tell you the time we got attack by orc marauders and I single handedly defeated them all."
The kobold holds up a hand. "Hold up, Mr. Sinh. This creature isn't carnivorous. We need to set up a dialogue. What do you know of it?"
"I think you once again are a little confused on the incidents of that night." Asch says with a sigh.
Sinh casts an uncertain eye on the beast which has now formed into a ball and is working its way haphazardly across the refreshment table, glazed donuts working their way into its opaque mass. The jelly donuts and the eclairs are now threatened.
Sinh grasps Betsy tightly, pulling her close, "Well I know it attacks mops! That's what it does!" He adds blackly, "I'm gonna smote it if it goes after those 'bear-claws'."
"Don't worry, 'Sima, you're not the only one who got insulted by Mr Relkav. He insults everyone. He made some awful comments about how useless I was too."
Nasima makes a face. "I know. Frankly I was more irritated by that. You're a dragon...um, something...thing...and he says stuff like that? Sheesh. What a sourpuss.
"Taron? Well, that depends. Usually not, but he was in a bit of a mood after Asch started to get all agressive. Taron's very protective of his mate. But I can't believe he'd make a comment about you....maybe you read too much into it? Either way, I'll mention to him that he might want to be a little more sensitive to what he says, 'kay?"
*nods* "Nah, it's okay; you're right. I really was just being hypersensitive. I normally don't have to deal with Khoda this much, plus being here, and all these new people...I think I was just a little raw around the edges you know? More cirrostratus when I should have been cumulus, if you catch my drift."
"...So are you interested in going to band practice tonight? I mean, I don't even know if you like music....but I thought it could be fun..."
Oh! Sure! Music is nice. I prefer storms and winds and breezes and things, but music is okay sometimes! Let me just get something normal back on and I'll meet you out in the hall...
The Collie-Spin picks up the drumstick in its mouth, doing an impromptu single-stick drumroll against teh stone floor, then settles back on the ground, waiting for the girls to finish their conversation.
When they step back out in the hall, he's lying on his back, front paws up in the air, rolling back and forth. The girls stepping out grab his attention, and he pops back into his normal form, still on his back, legs up against the wall, "We ready to go now?"
"Well, almost, umm....we both needs to change. How about we meet you in the cafeteria in a few minutes? It's almost dinnertime, thank goodness. I barely ate any lunch and I'm starving!"
"Sounds great! I'll see you there."
Ephebe quickly dashes over to her room, raises an eyebrow as a pile of sand comes spilling out into the hallway and sighs.
"There is no way I'm gonna be able to find my closet in that...Maybe Fieri has something I can borrow. Just a sec."
She knocked on the next door over. A red-headed girl answered, laughed as she explained what was wrong and gestured for her to come in. After about five minutes, Ephebe came back into the hallway dressed in jeans covered with colorful patches and a pink blouse that fell off one shoulder and left her midriff exposed.
"Why is it that every time I have to borrow clothes they end up being too....well, something. Er, anyways...."
"So...ummmm...I guess I need to ask Mr Sinh to help me clean the sand out of my room....."
"Sure," Spin says as the girls go back in the room. He looks both ways, realizing he doesn't actually knwo where he is, and arbitrarily chooses to go right...
Surely I'll run into the cafeteria eventually. he thinks as he wanders off deeper into the school.
"Well we are going to go to the cafeteria for dinner. I suppose after that we need to go to our room there is stuff that can't be said out here." Asch says as Amada and he head towards the cafeteria.
Once again in jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt, Nasima steps out of her room in time for a suspiciously cold wind to blast by her. "Well! That was rude. Not so much as a hello. Even the winds from the building's HVAC has more manners than that. Tch." She turns and begins walking to the cafeteria.
Vakkler clicks his tongue. "Very odd." He reaches onto his head and pulls off Slarrow.
Slarrow ribbits and hops onto the table.
The gamekeeper nods. "We need to see that girl, who the slime came down on. Nala. I'll find Sunwake, and you look for the girl. Sound good?"
Sinh nods "Certainly, Master." but he keeps his eye on the goo ball which is now rolling through the eclairs with reckless abandon.
"Little Sinh, please mind the slurk." He debates leaving his mop but decides not to trust Betsy's fate to a potentially mopicidal gooey menace, no matter how stuffed full of donuts. He clasps the mop and exits the lounge with a rapidity that belies his advancing years.
Vakkler leaves, checking the popular detention sites first.
Mr. Sinh heads for the dormitories figuring the girl would likely change clothes after getting slimed. He roams the halls at pace and finds Nala chatting with Spin.
He nods to the couple, saying "Excuse me, Miss, but Master Vakkler needs to see you, right now."
Due to the size of the school, finding the various parties is time-consuming. The goo ball has more than enough time to finish off every pastry on the table. It rolls towards the cringing salad bar where, due to its rapidly growing size, it knocks over a salt mill, scattering sea salt everywhere. Salt - not a trusted ally of goo balls - causes it to react violently. It bounces off walls, lashing its pseudo-pods and seeking escape from this sodium rich torture chamber. Taking on a more serpentine shape, it propels itself into the small kitchen and into a wet and secure hidey-hole - the floor drain. Jackpot! It discovers all sorts of organic edibles and begins to eat its way along the labyrinthine sewer system growing larger with each 'mouthful'...
Looking down at the paper in her hands Marra continued down the hall looking at the various rooms as she tries to figure out which one is the one she was supposed to be staying at. Spotting Sinh Marra smiles to herself and walks over to him. "Sorry to interrupt, do you know where this room is?" Marra asks holding up a paper with vague directions to her room on it.
Slarrow croaks in alarm. He hops to the door. Unfortunately, he's no way of opening it. Determined not to neglect his post, the slurk hops against the barrier repeatedly. He quickly gives up, and starts looking for food.
Sinh gladly stops in the midst of his 'mission' to assist the young lady he'd met before whose abilities seems somewhat related to his own. He flushes slightly, She called me 'adorable'.
"I'd be very glad to help, Miss." He looks down the hall and sees the room from which Nasima emerged. He walks her a few paces in that direction and points. "Its right there, Miss. Your roommate just left for the dinner meal. She's a sylph girl with cloud-like hair, very friendly, she is. You can hardly miss her if you look at dinner."
He gives her a respectful nod and turns around to Nala. "Come, Miss. Master Vakkler is waiting. Ahhhh, young Spin, could you make sure that young lady..." he indicates Marra with his eyes, "makes it to the cafeteria, please? Two rights, a left, and another right should get you to the main hall. Then, just follow your nose and the other students. Good evening to you both." Sinh guides Nala back to the faculty lounge without delay.
It is a strange scene in the faculty lounge - an agitated slurk being followed diligently by a squeaky washpail that circles it trying to vaguely defend or help it...
*facepalm*
"I'm talking to myself. Because they both thought that I told them to meet them at the cafeteria. Well....maybe I can....it's not that far...I am going to get into so much trouble if anyone finds out I'm wandering the halls alone," she muttered to herself, heading towards the cafeteria at a half run.
Unable to find Jiminy, Vakkler decides to give up for now. He heads back to the lounge.
Arriving at the door, he opens it. "Slarrow, did--HADES!"
The small kobold is knocked over by a determined slurk.
"Slarrow, get off!" Vakkler snaps.
The slimy creature is already hastily fleeing. The kobold rolls his eyes and looks back into the room. "Where'd it go?" he asks the servant. "The slime?"
"So what do you think of this whole snipe hunt thing? It sounds like there will be some tough competition. You up for this tomorrow baby?" He asks Amada as they sit down together in the cafeteria.
"You wanted to see me, Mr Relkav?" Nala asked just a little too sweetly. She made sure to keep well clear of Slarrow.
Vakkler nods. "Tell me, what do you know of slimes?"
Nala frowned. "Well, I know I didn't appreciate having a tub of slime dumped on me earlier. It took forever to wash out of my hair. But other than that, I'm afraid I don't know anything at all. We haven't gotten as far as slimes and oozes yet in cryptozoology."
"Have you had any other experiences with them, student?"
"Oh, thank you very much Mr. Sinh, heh I suppose I should have simply checked the rest of the hall before asking for directions." Marra said with a smile before waving to Sinh as he guided Nala off elsewhere, she then turned to Spin. "Hello, I am Marra Ironbound." She said extending her hand to Spin hoping that he would not be annoyed at Sinh asking him to show her to the cafeteria, she could probably have found it herself but she often found herself getting lost or distracted so this was probably for the best.
"I see." Vakkler clicks his tongue. "If you're lying, I'll find out. I know some students in particular would be quite happy at such a prospect."
He stares at her impassively for a moment, then shrugs. "Well, go along then."