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Tweak says, "No thanks, I wax."

Winifred 'Fred' Burkle (scientific_fred) wrote in pandemansion,
@ 2008-04-02 22:42:00

Entry tags:

Sméagol, arriving, complete, winifred "fred" burkle

April 4th; Arrival of Fred
Who?: Fred and Sméagol
What?: Arrival of Fred
When?: Early Afternoon
Where?: The Foyer
Rating?: PG
Status?: Complete.

Fred let out a frustrated groan and let her head fall to the desk heavily. A pause. “Ow…” she moaned, lifting her head back up to rub her now sore forehead. That had done nothing to help with her situation at all except give her a potential headache. Just great. She let out a rather pathetic sigh before turning her gaze back down to the paperwork in front of her.

Right now, though, the last thing she wanted to think about was paperwork that needed to get filled out to please the higher-ups. Fred had gotten so close to returning Spike back to his corporal form, or at least, she was certain she had.

Now, though, she was back to square one, and Angel had said to focus on her normal work once again now that Spike was out of immediate danger of being dragged down to Hell. It still bothered her, though. But in a strange uncaring yet faithfully loyal that was almost cruel but practical and thoughtful way that only Angel could be, he was right. And it annoyed her down to the core.

Swiping up her pen once more with a frustrated sigh, she jotted down a few radical numbers before finally dotting it finished. “Done and doner!” she announced to the empty room.

Fred stood, tossing the paper back into its manila folder, as she crossed toward the lab. She was checking one of the many experiments that they were in the middle of when she felt it – a strange dizzying pull that threatened to throw her off her feet. She gasped, her eyes sliding shut automatically at the vertigo, and reached out a hand toward the counter to steady herself only to realize a second too late that it wasn’t there.

She stumbled forward a few steps before falling to her knees onto porcelain floor. A wave of foreboding washed over just as the eerie sound of overtly happy and calm elevator music permeated her senses a second before she finally worked up the courage to open her eyes. She was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu.

“Oh no…”

It was not because of the sight – for she had never seen anything quite like this place before – or the sound – really, who listened to elevator music anymore nowadays? – but the dizzy feeling, the pull, and the appearance in a different place completely unlike her own before. It took her back to the event nine years ago when she had—

Please don’t let this be Pylea, she thought, her face shining with uncontained horror.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” she muttered clumsily getting back to her feet and pushing her glasses back up her face.

This was not good.

She looked around the large expanse of a room, as she unconsciously took a step away from the fountain in the center. First things first – she needed to find someway to defend her self. Why oh why did she not carry weapons around with her? Or better question – why had Angel (or Wesley or Gunn) never seen it fit to teach her how to fight with weapons!?

She was going to kick their ass next time she saw them. If she saw them again.

“Don’t think that way, Fred,” she scolded herself as she inched through the room, eyes darting back and forth. She needed to find a weapon of some sort and fast.

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pandenpc
2008-04-03 07:08 pm UTC (link)

Sméagol had happily been sitting on the lip of the fountain, "They promised us, Precious. Lots of fishes, so juicy schweet, and rabbits. Lots of rabbits, fat and plump and raw. They promised us they'd treat us right, they did!" He nodded his head happily, peering down at himself in the fountain. Gollum did not appear, much to Sméagol's delight. "Not like that stupid fat hobbit." A shadow passed over his features, a glimmer of Gollum seen until there was a noise from the other side of the fountain.

With nimble feet, Sméagol jumped off the lip of the fountain. Hiding, waiting. Until he heard the soft cadence of a woman's voice. Slowly he peered over the fountain at her, a long fingered hand placed on the cool marble edge of the fountain. Bright eyes narrowed a degree, assessing the woman in front of him.

"What did they tell us, Precious?" He spoke low as he ducked back down behind the fountain. Eyes moving quickly back and forth, "We're to show the new masters the way!" He jumped up from his hiding place, scrambling near to where the woman stood.

"Sméagol is here, Sméagol will help the new master!" He nodded his head vigorously with a toothy smile at the woman. Hopping down off the lip of the fountain and ran over to the desk. In one swift movement he was perched on top of the desk. He picked up the key, "Where is it? Where is it, Precious?" A look of realization crossed his face, and bending over the back side of the desk he pulled out a drawer. Grabbing a map from the confines of the drawer, he scrambled back down off the desk and hurried over to her.

He held out the items that had previously been cradled to his chest, "Here you go! Sméagol can show you the way." He smiled at her again, chest rising and falling quickly as his eyes searched over her face. She was of the race of Man, but she was dressed quite differently than any he’d ever seen. But the Elf had said that some of the Men here would be different than the ones he’d seen. “Take it! Take it! Sméagol cannot keep the map and key.” He nodded, gracing her with yet another smile as worry began to dance upon his features.

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scientific_fred
2008-04-05 06:19 pm UTC (link)

Fred was in the middle of attempting to tip-toe across the room toward the door on the opposite side while wondering where that annoying music was coming from, when she heard the wheezy voice behind her. She turned quickly, barely catching a glimpse of the man that went skidding across the floor toward an unnoticed desk. Her cry of surprise was only muted by her amazement and conveniently placed hands over her mouth.

She watched, almost mesmerized, as this creature rummaged through the drawer before pulling out a parchment. Then he was making his way back over to her again and attempting to hand her the items, but for a long minute (or maybe it was short, she wasn’t quite sure), she simply stood there staring at this man – creature – thing. He did not seem completely human with his skittering and big bug-eyes… but there was something in those very same eyes that spoke of a soul.

Lowering her hands from her mouth, she took the parchment and key from him, not really paying the items much mind as her entire attention was focused on this creature. She was fascinated by him in a way that she was often fascinated by puzzles that she tried to solve. It was a moment later that it finally registered that this creature meant her no harm, which was a very good thing since she doubted she would have noticed if he had otherwise.

“Sméagol?” Fred repeated with a toothy grin of her own as she studied him. “Thank you, Sméagol. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Fred.”

She took a moment to look at the items in her hand – a map and a key, just as he had said. The key even had her name on it with a room number marked: Room 278. The map was intricately laid out and marked, but it didn’t exactly tell her much save for what was going on inside and around the mansion. She let her hand drop with a sigh and turned toward Sméagol hopefully.

“Do you know where we are?” she asked with a sheepish grin. “I know we’re in a mansion, obviously, and I know I have a room, though not sure why I have a room, unless I really don’t have a way to get back right away, which would just make the others worry, but at least I don’t have to stick to a cave, but other than a mansion and a room, I really don’t know where we are or what continent I’m on or even what world this is! So… do you know?”

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pandenpc
2008-04-06 12:30 am UTC (link)

Sméagol nodded his head as she spoke his name, "Yes, Sméagol! Sméagol is happy to help the new master." He paused for a moment, eying her carefully. "Such a strange name the new master has. Fred, is it? Sméagol has never heard of a name like that, Precious." He dropped his gaze to the floor, looking at the tiling for a moment as his 'brows' drew together.

He looked back up at her, his 'brows' no longer drawn together and he was smiling at her once again. He listened as she rambled, the smile wavering slightly on his face as he tried to catch all of the things she was speaking of. "Sméagol does know where we are! Young master is right, we're in a mansion, on an island. Sméagol was told by the Elf prince." He grinned again, and tilted his head slightly to the side. He wasn't quite sure what a mansion was, but that was what he'd been told anyway.

A look of confusion crossed his features. "Sméagol does not know the answer to that either, but Sméagol does know that the mansion provides what the masters need. Why would the young master be in a cave? There's no reason for that. Sméagol does not like the light, oh no it burns us, but Sméagol's room is dark and dank like a cave." He nodded once again, and then peered over at her key. "What does it say? Sméagol can't show the master the way if we do not know what it says."

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scientific_fred
2008-04-06 02:50 am UTC (link)

A small giggle fell past Fred’s lips as Sméagol called her name ‘strange’. She would have shot back that his name was just as weird if not in the back of her mind; she felt she had heard it before. It was such a strange sensation to believe that you might know something and not know what that is. She blamed it on the music playing from seemingly nowhere – it was starting to grate on her brain, she thought.

The idea of an “Elf Prince” made her eyes widen slightly. That seemed like something out of a fairytale! Then again, being rescued by a man on a horse in a demonic dimension seemed like something out of a fairytale, and Fred knew without a doubt that it had happened. So, there was no reason to doubt this information either. But if it was true and she was on an island where this creature – Sméagol – resided along with an Elf Prince… then that definitely meant she had been sent to another dimension.

That just made things all the more complicated, especially since he did not know what dimension it was at all, it appeared. A small sigh fell past her lips as she thought about this. This place definitely seemed a lot friendlier than Pylea, but…

“It’s a little hard to explain,” she laughed sheepishly at the mention of the cave. Sometimes, her ramblings could not make a lot of sense, she knew, but sometimes, her real life made even less sense. It was always easier to just not try to explain it to people. “And it was a long time ago.”

She looked back down at her key number. “It says Room 278,” she said, smiling, as she showed him.

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pandenpc
2008-04-07 03:21 pm UTC (link)

Sméagol thought he'd done something that pleased the new master when she laughed. So Sméagol grinned, waiting on her to speak or do something once again. As her eyes widened, his did as well. Oh no, what had he done? "Sméagol did not mean to upset the young master. Oh no, never meant to upset her so." He bowed his head slightly, worry dancing across his features.

Glancing back up at her with the worried look still upon his face, his head tilted to the side. As she told him it was a hard to explain, Sméagol's worried look melted into one of confusion. "It is in the past then? Sméagol does not understand why then the young master brings it up, if it is in the past." Sméagol would never understand Men, and their reasoning. They thought on things too much.

Shaking his head he looked at the key, only understanding her words not the writing on the key. "Sméagol knows the way!" He replied happily, nodding his head vigorously, and started scrambling towards the steps. Once he mounted them, he paused looking back over his shoulder at her. "Come on then, Sméagol will show the young master the way to her room." He waved a hand at her, beckoning her to follow him. "Hurry, hurry." He grinned before he turned and bounded up the stairs that would lead to the second floor.

He paused, chest rising and falling quickly, as he reached the top of the stairs. Looking left and then right he thought for a moment. "Oh no, Precious. What did the Elf prince say again, Precious?" He murmured to himself, closing his eyes and thumping his hand lightly against his head. A look of recognition crossed his features again as he recalled which way the rooms were, and he turned to watch her with bright eyes. He knew the way properly now, and he would do as he'd been told. For if he didn't he wouldn't get his fishes, or his rabbits. And he liked his fishes and rabbits. Sméagol purred softly at the thought of a full belly, and shifted a little in place as he waited on the young master.

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scientific_fred
2008-04-11 02:48 am UTC (link)

“Oh, no, no, no, no!” Fred exclaimed, her eyes widened, waving her hands frantically in front of her. Sméagol hadn’t said anything to offend her at all! She grinned uncertainly down at him, attempting to ease his worries. “You didn’t upset me! You didn’t upset me at all! I was just thinking of the elf prince that you mentioned. He sounds very… important,” she finished lamely, giggling nervously.

She hadn’t meant to worry the little guy!

Fred blinked and tilted her head to one side as she considered Sméagol’s words. A strange little ironic smile played her lips as she thought about it. “You’re right. I’m not sure why I bring it up either.” She paused for a moment, sobering slightly. “To remind myself of how I got to where I am, I guess.”

Then she was grinning again as the little man-creature took off up the stairs. She couldn’t help the small laughter that escaped her lips as she rushed up the stairs after him as he hurried her along. The mansion didn’t seem so terrifying now that this little man was helping her along. It may somehow still have a connection to Pylea, but she was not a naturally suspicious person. It was just not her style to assume the worse.

Even in the worse type of people, there was good. Angel was proof of that.

She looked behind her toward the foyer as she neared the top of the stairs. The hall had such an elegant look to it. Suddenly, the idea of an ‘elf prince’ hanging around did not seem so shocking. This type of setting was perfect a prince to come galloping by on a white stead. She smiled at that thought. Save for the fountain…

Her eyes lingered on the fountain as she stared at it from above. She could not place her finger on it, but there was something odd about that fountain. She stared at it curiously, her gaze hard and focusing, as she tried to figure it out. Was it the shape? Had she seen it before? No, that was not it…

Sméagol’s voice caught her attention once more, and she turned back around to ascend the rest of the stairs. She looked both ways down the halls with an open expression of awe on her face.

“This place seems endless,” she said, looking toward another staircase leading even further up and down both hallways that seemed to go on forever.

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pandenpc
2008-04-11 05:50 pm UTC (link)

Sméagol nodded his head, "The young master is right. The Elf prince is very important, and very nice to us." His head kept nodding, "The Elf prince has promised us fishes, and rabbits until our hearts content." Sméagol swayed in place a little bit, a look of pure bliss upon his features.

Sméagol still did not understand Men's reasonings. Things happened, it was the way of life. Then again his own thoughts had been muddled by the Precious, and usually the Precious was all he could think on. Now, however, his thoughts were somewhat cleared of the Precious. Even though he mentioned its name every so often.

Bright eyes watched Fred as she came up the stairs, and he bounced around. His eyes followed her gaze and he nodded, "Master is right, the place shifts and adds rooms as people arrive." He started down the right hallway, "This way!" He glanced over his shoulder back at her, looking around until he found the numbers that matched her key. He paused in front of the door, settling back. "Here's young master's room! Everything else is marked on the map for the master." He nodded his head happily once again, thinking about the praise he'd receive for this job well done.

"There is the Elf prince, and two men who are in charge here. Their names are a little brighter on the map, or so Sméagol thinks." He gave her a toothy smile, and moved back a little bit so she could open her door if she so wished. "They've told us that if a master has a problem to seek them out. There is a room that holds vast amounts of food, some of it cooked for the Men of this place." He made a face, shuddering a little bit. "They ruins the food by cooking it." Shaking his head he looked back up at Fred, "Is there anything else that Sméagol can do for the master?"

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scientific_fred
2008-04-13 03:52 pm UTC (link)

Fred followed Sméagol half-curious and half-eager to see what she would find. She stopped in front of a door quite like the other hundred or so that decorated the hall. There seemed almost nothing special about it from the outside. She wondered why this one was hers when it appeared that there were hundreds of other empty rooms waiting to be claimed according to the map.

There was definitely something else at work here.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the map. Smeagol spoke the truth – three names in particular seemed almost brighter or bolder than any of the other names on the list. She would have to seek them out soon to ask them a question or two about this place soon. After she got her bearings straight, that was.

She smiled slightly down at the man-creature before shaking her head. “No, I think you got everything, Sméagol. Thank you very much.”

She stuck the key into the lock, turned it, and with one last wave and grin to Sméagol, stepped inside. Now to get to work on trying to figure this whole thing out.

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