2016-10-31: Hallowe'en in Another Reality
11-26-2024, 05:23 PM (This post was last modified: 12-03-2024, 04:58 PM by Bob Schroeck.)
11-26-2024, 05:23 PM (This post was last modified: 12-03-2024, 04:58 PM by Bob Schroeck.)
Hallowe'en in Another Reality
or
A Mingling of Misplaced Souls
by
Brent Laabs
Rob Kelk
Robert M. Schroeck
with
James Bostwick
Dartz
Inquisitive Raven
and other current and former posters to the Drunkard's Walk forums
or
A Mingling of Misplaced Souls
by
Brent Laabs
Rob Kelk
Robert M. Schroeck
with
James Bostwick
Dartz
Inquisitive Raven
and other current and former posters to the Drunkard's Walk forums
Chapter 1. The Invitation
A place that would be seen by three-dimensional beings as the Yggdrasil control room
October 16, 2016
Out of necessity, all physical actions in this realm are being described as if they were their three-dimensional analogues.
"... We already lost the reality that was home to Bella and Edward[1] before anybody was displaced from it, and things are only going to get worse in the short term as mortals measure time," Peorth concluded her status report.
Urd nodded grimly. "Thank you, Peorth. Losing even one reality is a shame for us all; we need to do better. Belldandy, how are the displacees handling their time in Refuge?"
She smiled and spread her hands apart in a gesture that showed her reply would be mixed. "Some are doing well, some are doing poorly, and a few simply don't care."
"How can they not care?" Skuld asked.
"They don't know. There's one... dude?"[2] Puzzled, Belldandy double-checked her notes. "... 'dude', who's still bowling every week; he simply abides in a different version of Los Angeles. There isn't much that we can do for him or the others like him."
"That statement implies that you want to do something for the others," Urd didn't quite ask.
Belldandy nodded. "These people have what is to them a unique chance to meet people whom they consider to be fictional characters, and learn firsthand just how little they knew about these people from their stories. While we can't bring everyone together because of language barriers and space constraints, we can still let groups of them meet and learn about each other."
"That's a great idea!" Skuld said with a grin. "Getting them to meet each other in a relaxed atmosphere would be a good preparatory step before they need to work together in a fight, too. Where do we start?"
"We should begin with the English-speaking displacees," Peorth suggested. "They have been spread across two continents and some notable islands off the coast of a third; they're our single largest refugee group."
Skuld said, "You're talking about people who have been gifted with fluency in English, right? They're a big group, yes; there's literally hundreds of them with more arriving every week. Where can we get them all together right now?"
"That isn't an issue," Belldandy replied. "My husband and I live in a residence that can hold them all."
Peorth looked worried. "You aren't seriously considering gathering all of the displacees together, are you, ma cherie? We don't really want mortal enemies in the same place at the same time, do we?"
Skuld chuckled. "The fight might make for good entertainment. We'd almost definitely get a few einherjar out of it."
"We're too busy right now to indulge in your Valkyrie hobby of collecting fighters," Urd pointed out.
"It isn't a hobby!"
"Ladies!" They both turned to face Peorth. "We don't have time for this. And I begin to understand why you want to have a party, Belldandy."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to somebody who knows the three of you well. Each of you are working harder than the rest of us are, and it's beginning to show in your work. The three of you need to relax for an evening. As for how you relax, I think most of us agree that a fight to the death between displacees would be a bad thing at this point, no matter how many einherjar we would gain before Ragnarök. That still leaves hundreds of refugees who can meet without trying to rip each others' guts out of their bodies, and I think we're all agreed that this is a good idea for them to do so. It's also a good idea for them to have a chance to meet you socially."
Skuld smiled. "And imagine how many of them would be happy to meet the real Sailor Moon."
Belldandy sighed. "That poor girl will be run off her feet just meeting everyone. We'll need to be especially nice to her."
"She'd probably like having her boyfriend back in her life," Peorth suggested. "We'd best hold this get-together soon, before the guest list gets too long. When's the next holiday in the English-speaking world?"
Urd grinned. "Hallowe'en."
"You just like dressing up," Skuld muttered.
Belldandy ignored her younger sister. "I'll let Keiichi's building managers know that we want this to happen. Now, what do we do for the French-speaking displacees, or the Polish-speakers?"
"Same thing, different places," Peorth suggested. "And that would give the trainees and me our own chance to get away from the office for an evening."
"Why not?" Urd agreed.
Douglass Gardens Apartments
Somerset, NJ, USA
October 16, 2016
1:00 PM Eastern Time
"...Okay, then, let us know what works for you and I'll make sure that it syncs up with everyone else's schedules," Bob said, his cellphone at his ear. As his wife Peggy watched, he nodded, although the other person in the conversation wasn't there to see it. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Cool. In that case, let me let you go. Take care, and let Aunt Linda know I said 'hi!'." He took the smartphone away from his face and stared its the screen just long enough to find and swipe the "end call" button.
"Well?" Peggy asked as the phone went black and he laid it down on the tabletop next to the remains of his lunch.
Bob smiled. "Uncle Arthur said he and Aunt Linda will be happy to come by the next time they're in the area and workshop with the bands."
"'Workshop'?" Peggy raised an eyebrow.
He laughed. "His word, not mine. Which is a lot more than I actually asked him to do."
Peggy nodded and sipped her coffee. "And when will they be coming?"
"They're not sure," Bob replied, shrugging. "No more than a few weeks was the best he could tell me right now. Before Thanksgiving at the latest. He'll check their schedule and get back to me." He grinned wickedly. "And then I tell the girls that I've arranged for a multiple-award-winning composer and arranger to work with them on their music."
"Yui'll go nuts," Peggy chuckled, then took another sip.
Bob gave her a flat look. "Yui would go nuts if you gave her a cracker with cheese on it." Peggy only barely avoided snorting into her coffee as he continued. "I'm coming to love that girl like a daughter, but she's the single most indiscriminately happy person I've ever met."
"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" Peggy said with a grin of her own.
Before Bob could reply, though, the phone on the "manager's desk" in the part of the first floor of their apartment that served as their office rang. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he jumped out of his chair and dashed over to the desk, where he picked up the handset and hit the "talk/on" button. "Douglass Gardens Apartments," he said brightly — he answered outside calls so infrequently that it wasn't a chore. "How may I help you?"
"Good afternoon, Bob! It's Belldandy." And indeed it was — there was no mistaking her voice, and Bob smiled. He could listen to her speak all day.
"Hi, Bell!" Peggy set her coffee down on the dining room table, tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at him. "I see by our caller ID you're not ringing us from your place, so I'm guessing this is a business call?"
She laughed. "Yes, and no. There's been some discussion here in the ... home office about getting as many of the displacees together as possible to meet each other. We think it will be an experience that most will appreciate, and it will also help with morale."
Bob saw where this was going and chuckled. "Let me guess. You want us to get out the guest linens and air out the spare room."
She laughed again, a silvery arpeggio. "Something like that, yes. We'd like you and Peggy to host a Halloween party for as many of the English-speaking displacees as care to attend."
"Aha! I knew there was a reason you saddled us with this monster complex! We're nothing but party central to you guys, aren't we?" He made sure his tone was light and teasing. Still standing at the door to the kitchen, Peggy tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. He hit "mute" and said, "Belldandy's asking if we'll host a big Halloween party for all the displacees."
"Find out if they'll be paying for it," she replied with a frown. "We can't cover something like that out of our budget."
"Right." Bob released the mute button. "Sorry, Bell, Peg wanted to know what was going on."
"Oh, that's all right," Belldandy said. "Well?"
"Well. I think we're okay with that." He glanced at Peg just to be sure, and she nodded once. "Yeah, I think we can do that for you. I'm just concerned about what it'll cost, and if maybe it's more than just two people can set up."
"Oh, of course. Well, we can help with the funding," she said, "and I'm sure Keiichi and Megumi will be happy to lend a hand."
"If we're asking them, we might as well as send out an all-call for volunteers to the entire complex," he mused. "It'd only be fair."
"Well, then," she said happily, "in that case it sounds like you've got the start of a plan!"
Bob laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't say that, yet. But we'll get there soon enough."
"Very good, and when you do, let us know what you'll need to cover costs."
"Will do. Is there anything else you wanted from us?" he asked.
"Oh, no, that's all. Thank you ever so much, Bob," she replied.
"All part of the service. And you know we could never say no to you, Bell."
She giggled. "In that case, I'll try not to abuse the awesome power at my fingertips. Good-bye, Bob!"
He rolled his eyes. "G'wan, get out of here, you troublemaker." She was still giggling when she hung up.
Bob put the handset back on the charger and looked over to Peggy, who was waiting patiently, cloth in hand. "Tag, we're it," he said. "We're the lucky winners of a Halloween Party, all assembly required."
"We've only got two weeks," she pointed out.
He nodded. "First things we need to do is round up volunteers and hit up all the other residences to see who's going to want to come. Then we can figure out what we need in the way of ... well, everything."
"How're they all going to get here? Charter planes and buses?"
"I haven't the faintest."
One of the advantages of Douglass Gardens having a modern PBX telephone network is that every apartment automatically got its own voice mailbox. From the master console program it was quite easy for Bob to send a message to every mailbox on the system, announcing that Belldandy had asked the managers — and by extension the residence as a whole — to throw a party, and requesting volunteers to help with setting it up.
While they waited for what they hoped were droves of willing and eager helpers, Peggy and Bob did some quick brainstorming. It would be insufficient to call the other residences and say "party on the 31st, no details yet", so they quickly established some specifics. A costume party on Halloween was pretty much a given. And after some discussion, they decided that making the party a potluck cut down substantially on both costs and effort, and would self-adjust for the number of attendees. Not to mention giving the attendees an extra reason to mingle and talk to each other. Peggy made a note to post a thread on the managers.yggdrasil discussion board where the attendees could sign up for specific dishes.
That settled, Bob printed out two copies of the latest list of residences, freshly downloaded off the managers' server. He mused at the necessity — the arrival of interdimensional refugees was practically a daily affair now, and it seemed like a new place opened up every week to house them. By the time they actually threw the party, there'd probably be two entire new households they'd need to invite at the last minute. Peggy sat down at the table in the dining area next to the "office", and Bob stepped over to hand her one of the sheets. "Here... you take everything from the Hangar on down, and I'll call everyplace above it."
She nodded, and dug out her cell phone. "Okay."
Before they could start calling, though, the doorbell rang. "Hi, Mr. Schroeck!" Ui chirped when Bob opened the door. She peered around him and waved at Peggy. "Hi, Mrs. Schroeck!" Looking back up at him — he wasn't a tall man, but for all that they were practically full-grown women, the Hirasawa sisters were tiny — she continued, "I got the message about volunteers for the Halloween party and wondered if you needed anything right away."
"Hey, Ui, come on in," he said as he stepped back and waved her in. Closing the door behind her Bob added, "Oddly enough, we could use another hand right now — we're calling the other residences and inviting them. Sit yourself down at the desk, take part of the list, and be your usual charming self on the phone."
He smiled as she blushed, and led her over to the desk which was the centerpiece of the "office" portion of the ground floor. A minute later they'd redistributed the numbers. He and Peggy still had the beginning and end of the list respectively, like before, but now Ui had the middle half-dozen residences. With three callers, the job should be a fast one.
"Mr. Schroeck," Ui asked on looking at her assignment, "is this telephone number supposed to have so many digits in it?"
"Huh?" Bob said. "Let me see." He looked over her head at the first entry on the sheet. "Ah, yeah, that's an international number — they're somewhere in Southeast Asia near Thailand, I think."
"Ah, okay," Ui said, nodding. "Okay, I think I've got this."
"Cool. And thanks for helping." With that Bob parked himself on a stool in the kitchen with his cellphone in hand, while Peggy had already seated herself at the table in the dining area. With the three of them separated widely enough that none of them would be inconveniently audible on the others' calls, they got to work.
Bob had his own international number to start his calls with. Consulting the printout in front of him every few digits, he slowly punched "011 353 089 011 0701" into his phone, and a few moments later he heard the distinct double-"brrrr" of the UK phone network's "ringing" sound.
7 Henrietta Street
Dublin, Ireland
6:20 PM Irish Standard Time
At the sound of the ringing phone, Meg raised an eyebrow. She rose from her seat and crossed to the side table where the phone — a near-antique hardwired land line — rested on a small table that pressed up against the water-damaged oak wainscoting.
"Seven Henrietta Street," she said upon lifting the receiver to her ear. "Meg Deckard speaking."
"Hello, Meg." A man's voice, with an American accent, vaguely familiar. "This is Bob Schroeck from Douglass Gardens. I hope I didn't interrupt your dinner."
Ah, that was why his voice was familiar — the various teleconferences over the past few weeks as they'd started thrashing out some manner of organization between the residences. "Hullo, Bob. No, we won't be eating for another hour or more, so you're fine. What brings you to call?"
"Well, at the request of the really upper management, we're going to be hosting a Halloween costume party for all the displacees, and naturally, you and yours are invited," he said briskly.
"In the U.S.?" she asked. "How would we get there?"
"I'm assuming the megami are handling that or having it handled," he said. "We were just asked to provide the venue."
Meg hmmm'ed for a moment. "Well, I'd need to check with everyone to be sure, but I think you can put us down as a 'yes'."
"Great!" There was a brief pause during which she heard the rustle of papers. "Oh, one more thing — it'll be a potluck. Once we're done with the invites we'll post something on managers.yggdrasil to work out who brings what."
"Grand," she replied. "I'll keep an eye out for it." Meg smirked as a thought struck her, and impishly added, "This isn't going to be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style Halloween, is it?"
"Jinx us, why don't you?" Bob shot back. "No, not if I have anything to say about it. Any more questions?"
Meg laughed. "No, I think that's it."
"All right, then, let me let you go." He chuckled. "I've got plenty of invites to make before the day is out. Take care and we'll see you in a couple weeks."
"Ah, and bye then."
"Kickstand Cottage"
809 SE 8th Avenue
Okeechobee, FL, USA
1:21 PM Eastern Time
Even though they'd been moved in to the house for over three weeks now, the sound of the phone ringing was still a surprise big enough to shock everyone into silence. Hane hopped out of her seat on the big couch in the family room and trotted over to the end table where a wireless handset sat in its charger.
"Helloooo!" she chirped as soon as she had it to her ear.
"Hi, this is Peggy Schroeck from Douglass Gardens."
"Hi, Peggy, it's Hane!" She cupped her hand over the receiver and hissed to the rest of the room, "It's Mrs. Schroeck from Douglass Gardens in New Jersey." Returning to the phone, she added, "What's up?"
"Oh, we just wanted to let you know we're holding a Halloween costume party on the 31st and everyone there, including the Ritters, is invited. Can we expect you?"
"Hold on." Hane turned to the rest of the room. "The Schroecks are inviting us to a costume party on Halloween. Do we want to go?"
The rest of the room burst into a chorus of approval, with Onsa's shout of "Oh yeah!" while pumping her fist in the air, being loudest. A moment later, a curious Hayakawa looked in, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. Hijiri quickly explained, and he nodded.
Hane grinned and returned triumphantly to the phone, "We'll have to ask Tom and Ellie later, but in case you couldn't hear that, everyone here thinks that's a great idea."
The Black Lagoon
Gulf of Thailand, 11° 56' 8.7288" N, 102° 35' 45.51" E
17 October 2016
12:22 AM Bangkok Time
Revy snarled her way to an unwanted wakefulness at the sound of the cell phone ringing. Dammit, she'd just barely gotten to sleep. She grabbed the phone from its charger, brushed her thumb across the "answer" button and brought it to the ear that wasn't still buried in her pillow. "You better have a damned good reason for calling at this hour, whoever you are."
"Um." A girl's voice, hesitant, tremulous, came through the phone. "Ms. Revy? This is Ui Hirasawa at Douglass Gardens Apartments in New Jersey."
"Yeah?" Revy growled. "The hell do you want?"
"Um... we're going to be holding a Halloween party, and we wanted to invite all the displacees at your residence to come?"
What the fuck...? Revy lifted the phone from her ear, stared at it for a moment, then replaced it. "Hell, no. Our idea of a party is nothing like yours, little girl. Go away and let me sleep." She disconnected the call and threw the phone across the cabin before burrowing back into her covers.
The Anything Goes Cafe
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
October 16, 2016
2:25 PM Atlantic Time
"Funtom Property Management, Antigonish building. What can I do for you?" Epsilon's voice, trained by years of telemarketing work, sounded polite and friendly.
"Hello, Aaron. It's Bob Schroeck calling from Douglass Gardens."
"Oh, hello, Bob!" Epsilon's voice immediately lost its professional tone, sounding more human instead. "What can I do for you?"
"We're going to have a Halloween party here, and Belldandy-sama has asked us to invite everyone in the other residences."
"Belldandy," Epsilon replied flatly.
Bob realized that he'd made a mistake; during the weekly managers' meetings, Epsilon always asked someone else (usually Rob at Blossom) to deal with Belldandy in his place. "But they aren't organizing the party. This is something that we're putting together ourselves."
"I suppose we... excuse me." The phone wasn't on mute, so Bob could hear one end of the interrupting conversation in Nova Scotia. "No, I gave the business licence to Cologne the day before yesterday. ... Aren't you the expert in restaurant management here? ... Try the Xaverian Weekly; they accept ads and everyone on campus gets a copy. I am in the middle of a call. ... No, you're busy. I'll make something later, thank you." Then there was silence for a short moment, followed by Epsilon's voice at full volume again. "Sorry about that, Bob. Shampoo wanted some help."
"That's all right. We're here for them, after all. I was about to ask whether you and your residents would be coming to the party on Halloween."
"I want to come, but I've just been reminded that we can't. Cologne, Shampoo, Mousse, and Ukyo are starting an Asian fusion takeout restaurant and they're still building customer goodwill." It sounded to Bob like Epsilon was making an excuse, but it was a good excuse. "And do you really want the others to show up without supervision?"
"Wouldn't Kasumi be able to supervise the Tendos and the Saotomes?" Bob asked.
"Kasumi," Epsilon replied, using the same tone that he'd used to refer to Belldandy earlier.
"No, I suppose she couldn't," Bob said quickly. What was it with Epsilon and characters played by Kikuko Inoue, anyway? Bob didn't have time to ask about it just then, and he didn't think it was his business anyway. But he had to wonder if Epsilon would have the same problem with Lobelia from Sakura Taisen or Baita from Bakuon!! "Maybe you'll be able to attend next time."
"Maybe. I'm sorry that we're too busy, Bob." There was what sounded like a small explosion at the Nova Scotia end of the conversation, followed by Epsilon muttering, "Which wall has Ryouga destroyed this time?"
"You sound like you've got your hands full. I'll let you go."
"Thanks. I'll talk with you at our next meeting. I have to go." And with that the cell connection abruptly dropped.
Blossom Apartments
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 16, 2016
1:44 PM Eastern Time
Rob Donaldson looked at the call display on his cellphone, then tapped the speakerphone button. "Hi Bob! You're on speaker, and Mii-san is here."
"Hello, Mr. Schroeck!"
Contrary to expectations, Bob Schroeck's voice did not fill the room. Instead, they heard a rather pretty but not completely confident female voice. "Hello, Mr. Donaldson. Mr. Schroeck asked me to call you. I'm Ui Hirasawa. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." She almost sounded like she was in a call centre; Rob could hear Bob and Peggy talking on calls in the background.
"That depends on how you define 'important', Ms. Hirasawa," Rob replied, using the same level of formality that she was using. "Mii Konori and I are finishing off some paperwork for Funtom Property Management Canada."
"That sounds important. Maybe I should call back...?"
Rob thought that this didn't sound like the self-confident Ui Hirasawa he knew of from watching K-On!, but her voice sounded like Ui's in the anime. And his contract said he was hired to help the displacees, so if Ui had a problem, then it might be his responsibility to help. Maybe. "Talking with a displacee, any displacee, is more important than my paperwork, Ms. Hirasawa. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Mii whispered, "Should I leave?"
"Not yet," Rob whispered back.
"Thank you for asking," Ui said more confidently than she sounded before. "You're much kinder than Ms. Revy was."
"Revy? Of the Black Lagoon? You called Revy?"
"Just before I called you, yes."
"Oh, my," Rob said. "Who let Revy pick up the phone? She's the least personable person aboard that boat. Ms. Hirasawa, I promise you that I will not react the way that she did."
"Thank you!" Ui said with obvious relief.
Mii quietly made a note to avoid speaking with this "Revy" person if at all possible.
"Now, is there a problem at Douglass Gardens that Bob can't help you with?"
"Actually, I'm helping Mr. Schroeck," she replied. "And it isn't with a problem. It's an invitation. We're having a Halloween party."
"That sounds like fun," Mii said. "Why are we being invited to it?"
"Mr. Schroeck said that Belldandy-sama insisted. We're inviting everybody. Belldandy-sama also insisted on that. I've been told that she wants everybody to get to know each other. Would you want to come to the party? All of you, not just Mr. Donaldson?"
Rob nodded in agreement, not that Ui could see him. "So it's our turn to grant Belldandy a wish? Sure, why not? Speaking for myself, I'd love to attend. And I'm sure that at least some people at other residences would love to meet Usagi-chan in person while they have the chance."
"'Usagi-chan'? Tsukino Usagi-san? Sailor Moon?!"
Rob chuckled. "It sounds like you're one of those people, Ms. Hirasawa. Yes, Sailor Moon."
"I'd like to meet everybody, too," Mii added. "We'll need transportation, though. It is a school night."
"Mr. Schroeck hasn't told me how that will be arranged, yet."
Rob shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if necessary, the ladies can take two days off school and I can drive six hours each way on I-81 if I have to." Then he had a thought. "Considering that involvement by the megami means there's already a supernatural element to the party, I have to ask: This isn't going to be a Buffy Halloween party, is it?"
"What's a Buffy Halloween party?"
"One with supernatural shenanigans that inconvenience the party-goers."
"Oh, I hope not."
"So do I. Let Bob know that Mii and I will tell the other girls about the party, and I expect we'll all be there."
"Certainly, Mr. Donaldson. Oh, we're planning on it being a potluck."
"We have a pastry chef in training resident here. No doubt Mako-chan would love to make some sweets for you. And before you ask, yes, she's Sailor Jupiter."
"I'll mention that to Mr. Schroeck. Um... what you said earlier..."
He heard the hesitation in her voice, and assumed that the call had gone from being about the party to being about the caller and a possible problem. "Yes?"
"Is it strange for a resident to help a building manager?"
"Not at all," Mii replied before Rob could. "I'm a resident here, and I'm helping Rob-san. He's helping me with tuition here, so helping him is the least I can do."
"It's more like your working here part-time is a justification for me paying you. I'd still help out as much as I can, but this makes it easier to explain to the upper management." Or lower management, in the case of the demons, but Rob thought that Ui didn't need to know that part of the arrangements. And with that thought, he turned his attention back to the call. "Ms. Hirasawa, I do have one more question."
"What is it?"
"It's an interrogative sentence designed to elicit information," Rob said. "But that's not important right now."
Ui giggled. "Mr. Donaldson, are all of the residence managers like you and Mr. Schroeck?"
"No, Ms. Hirasawa. Bob and I have known each other for years, so some of our personality traits have rubbed off onto each other."
"Ah, I understand. What's your question?"
"Will we have a chance to hear Wakaba Girls play during the party?"
The line was silent for a moment, then Ui asked, "You want to hear us play? Wakaba Girls? Not Hokago Tea Time?"
"Well, I'd like to hear them play too, but I do want to hear your band play, please."
"I'll ask the others, but I think we can do that, Mr. Donaldson. Thank you for asking! Oh, but I should be calling other residences, not continuing to talk with you. Good-bye, Ms. Konori and Mr. Donaldson."
"Until we talk again, Ms. Hirasawa."
Once the call ended, Mii said, "That was kind of you, asking to hear her play. They're an amateur band, you know."
"I know. But the poor dear needed a confidence boost after speaking with Revy, and I do want to hear their band's music at least once."
Douglass Gardens
1:43 PM Eastern Time
"Bob, is this a joke?"
"Huh?" Bob looked up from the next number on his list of residences. Over at the desk, Ui looked up as well. "Is what a joke?"
Peggy waved her list. "Is Jenny Everywhere's number really 867-5309?"[3]
Ui looked confused. Bob sighed.
Live Oak Manor
Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA
October 16, 2016
1:45 PM Eastern Time
Jenny Everywhere snagged the phone just before it rang. "Live Oak Manor, Jenny speaking."
"Hi, Jenny! It's Peggy Schroeck at Douglass Gardens,"
"Hey, Peggy, nice to finally meet you, kind of." Jenny settled herself into the closest chair and got comfortable. "What brings you to call?"
"Oh, we're hosting a potluck costume party on Halloween," Peggy said. "We got voluntold by Belldandy," she added with a chuckle. "I'm surprised you guys don't already know and have all your costumes already, what with being time travelers and all."
Jenny laughed. "Oh, it doesn't work like that, unfortunately. The Celestials have us locked down to keep us from messing things up worse than they already are."
"I suppose that makes sense," Peggy mused. "So anyway, we're calling all the residences we know of to invite everyone. Can we expect you?"
Jenny nodded to herself. "I'll have to double check with everyone here, but put us down for a strong tentative yes."
"Great!"
"It's not going to be a Buffy Halloween party, is it?" Jenny added impishly.
"Huh? Let me ask Bob," Peggy replied, and before Jenny could tell her it was a joke, the line was muted. A few moments later, it unmuted. "Bob says no, and why are so many people asking?" Peggy sounded genuinely confused.
Jenny couldn't help herself — she laughed.
Appartements Mont-Royal Sud
Montréal, QC, Canada
October 16, 2016
1:49 PM Eastern Time
«3487 rue Parc. Allô!» Cassiopée said into the receiver.
«Allô,» a man's voice responded. «Um, voici Bob Schroeck chez, um, de Douglass Gardens en les États-Unis...»
"Oh, hello, Bob," she said, switching to English.
He sighed in obvious relief. "Hello, Cassiopée. Thank you for sparing both of us my badly-remembered high school French."
Cassiopée laughed. "Gladly. What brings you to call?"
"Ah, at the request of certain persons who shall remain Celestial, we're going to be holding a Halloween costume party for all the residents in the network. And of course you and your band of merry pranksters are invited. Oh, and Grahame, too, of course."
"That sounds delightful," she said.
Callahan's Bar
Rocky Point, NY
1:51 PM Eastern Time
Mike pulled the cordless handset out from under the bar and thumbed it on as he brought it to his ear. "Callahan's, Mike speaking."
"Hello, Mr. Callahan!" The sweet voice of a teenaged girl came across the line. "This is Ui Hirasawa calling from Douglas Gardens in New Jersey." This early in the day the Place was only sparsely populated, and there was no background ruckus to drown her out.
"Well, good afternoon, Miss Ui. What can I do for you?"
"Our residence is going to be throwing a Halloween party — a costume party — on the 31st," she chirped. "And we wanted to invite you and your family. Do you think you can make it?"
Mike sighed. "Unfortunately we're far too busy on a night like Halloween to get away for a party. But thank you for thinking of us."
"Oh, that's too bad." She sounded sincerely distressed, and Mike smiled at the empathy in her voice.
"Now don't you worry about us, young lady," he reassured her. "I run a merry place here, and we'll be celebrating in our own way. And I'll see to it that we keep you in mind while we do."
Phantomhive Manor
Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells
Kent, UK
5:56 PM Greenwich Time
The telephone barely had had time to ring before Sebastian had lifted the receiver from the hook. "Phantomhive Manor," he said briskly and professionally. A butler who can't properly answer his employer's phone isn't worth his salt, after all.
"Good afternoon, Sebastian. This is Peggy Schroeck from Douglass Gardens Apartments in the United States."
"Hello, Mrs. Schroeck," Sebastian replied. "May I inquire what brings you to call the Manor this pleasant Sunday afternoon?"
"Ah, well, we'll be throwing a costume party on Halloween, and we wanted to invite you and Lord Phantomhive."
A small but pleased smile crossed the demon's face. "I do believe my master's schedule is free that evening. I will confirm with him, but unless you hear otherwise from me, you may count on our attendance."
"Oh, good," crackled over the transAtlantic connection. "Now, the party is a potluck, but we wouldn't expect Lord Phantomhive to have to bring a..."
"Nonsense!" Sebastian interrupted her. "Let me know where and when to choose a contribution. Rest assured we will arrive with something to share with everyone."
"Oh, thank you, Sebastian!" Peggy's smile was audible. "We'll be putting a signup on the managers' board shortly."
"Excellent. In that case, unless there is anything else, allow me to bid you good-bye and good evening."
"And to you, too, Sebastian," Peggy replied. "We'll look forward to seeing you."
Aria House
Venice Beach, California, USA
10:57 AM Pacific Time
Bob wasn't expecting the sweet voice who answered, "Brent's phone, Alicia speaking."
"Oh, um, hello. You must be Alicia Florence, right?"
"Right." She glanced at the name on the phone. "Do I know you, Bob?"
"I'm Bob Schroeck, co-manager of Douglass Gardens Apartments. I have the same job as Brent."
"Ara, of course!"
"Can I speak to Brent?"
"Well, he's a little bit buried in sand at the moment – let me see if I can get the phone down to him."
Bob explained, "Well, I just wanted to invite you all to a Halloween party here in New Jersey."
"Oh, that sounds lovely. We're having a little party of our own right now, but it would be nice to meet you all. Ara, it looks like he's getting out of the hole."
Tomo's yell made it across the phone line, "IT'S A SAND MONSTER, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"
Alicia spoke, "Hold on just a minute, please."
A few seconds later, Brent Laabs was on the line. "Hey Bob, what's up?"
"I was just about to ask you if you wanted to bring everyone to a Halloween party here in Somerset. You know, let our tenants get to meet other people like themselves."
"Cool. But how are we going to travel there, deep in the heart of Jersey?"
"Where the city rats run in big packs, deep in the heart of Joisey?"
Brent chuckled. "Heh, you like that song, too."
"Oh yeah, it's a classic. Uncle Floyd for the win."
"I probably heard it because you posted it on the forums, didn't I?"
"Probably."
"Great tune, bad it isn't a answer. Flights from LAX to New York for everybody won't be cheap, and then we'd have to rent a van to get the rest of the way there."
"You don't want to do that. Go to Newark Liberty. It's only half an hour away. If you arrive at JFK or LaGuardia, you'll have to spend at least a couple of hours just driving across most of New York City — and not the scenic parts," Bob advised. "Considering the goddesses want this party to happen, though, I'd be surprised if they weren't making arrangements for everybody."
A few cheers were picked up on the phone's mic.
"Sounds like we're coming."
Bob spoke, "Great, I'll see you there. I'll email you the details."
"Before you go, I do have one question though: It's not going to be a Buffy Halloween, is it?"
"Now why is everyone asking me that question?" Bob grumbled in jest.
Gulfside Rest
Pensacola Beach, FL, USA
2:00 PM Eastern Time
The phone rang while Harley was finishing up the dishes from lunch. He slid a damp sandwich plate into the drying rack, slung the dishcloth over one overlarge shoulder, and snagged the wall phone from where it hung on the opposite wall of the kitchen. "Yo," he said. "Harley here."
"Mr. Waters? This is Ui Hirasawa from Douglass Gardens in New Jersey."
"It's just 'Harley', Ms. Hirasawa," he corrected gently. "'Mr. Waters' is my father."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she squeaked.
"Nah, 's okay, you didn't know," he replied. "So what can I do you for?"
"Er... I'm not sure I understand..."
Harley chuckled. "That's just a spoonerism that some of my friends say on purpose. What can I do for you?"
"Oh, right! I'm calling to let you know that Douglass Gardens is throwing a potluck costume party on Halloween, and that you and your tenants are all invited."
He ran his free hand through his beard. "Sounds like fun, but how are we going to get there?"
"Well, Mr, and Mrs. Schroeck were asked to throw this party by Belldandy," Harley's eyebrows rose in surprise, "so we're assuming she's got something in mind." She paused a moment in an almost audible shrug. "We just don't know what yet."
Harley nodded to himself. "Well, then, Ms. Hirasawa, assuming there's a way for us to get there that doesn't involve a few thousand dollars in airfare, I think we'd be happy to attend."
The Banzai Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Strategic Information
Somerset, NJ, USA
2:03 PM Eastern Time
When the phone rang, Eunice closed the copy of Microsoft Office for Dummies she had been reading for the last couple hours, lifted the phone's handset and hit the blinking button for the inbound line. "Banzai Institute," she announced in a practiced cadence. "Mrs. Johnson speaking. How may I direct your call?"
"Hello, Mrs. Johnson, this is Bob Schroeck at Douglass Gardens, just down the street from you." There was the briefest pause, and he added, "Don't tell me they have you working on a Sunday afternoon."
She laughed. "Oh, no, I'm not working — but I am in my office catching up on new software. And when the main line rings, it lights up on my phone here."
"Fair enough," Mr. Schroeck said. "So, the reason I'm calling is that we'll be throwing a costume party on Halloween, and we wanted to extend an invite to Team Banzai and the members of the Institute."
"Oh, I'm afraid we'll have to decline," Eunice replied instantly. "The Cavaliers are booked for a show that night."
"Ah, of course. Well, in that case I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
She shrugged, even though there was no one to see her. "Sorry, I'm sure we would have had fun. Good-bye."
"Later," he said and the line dropped. Eunice set the receiver down in its cradle with a thoughtful look.
Douglass Gardens
2:06 PM Eastern Time
Ui checked the next number on her list and confirmed she'd read the address correctly. "Mr. Schroeck?" she said when she saw he had just hung up.
He looked up at her. "Yes, Ui?"
"What time is it in..." She glanced down at the sheet again. "Adelaide, Australia?"
"Mm. Let me check," he said, turning his attention to his cell phone. A few fingertaps, and he nodded. "It's about 3:30 AM there right now," he said without looking up.
She bit her lip. "Maybe we should wait to call them?"
Bob looked up. "I don't think that you need to worry about waking anyone up — there's supposedly someone on duty around the clock who can answer the phone."
"Oh, okay, then!" she said with a smile.
"The Hangar"
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
3:38 AM Australian Central Daylight Time
Night watch in a facility that has yet to see anything close to action is one of the more boring duties a soldier can undertake. Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao were sharing the duty this night — their compatriot Sousuke Sagara had school in the morning and thus was spared the task — and they had reached the point of maximum boredom (for Kurz) and annoyance (for Melissa, with Kurz). While she cleaned her sidearm at her desk in the office that overlooked the Hangar's large open maintenance floor, she glared at Kurz, who had his feet up on his desk, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head.
The unexpected ringing of the external phone line was like a jolt of caffeine, shocking them both to a higher state of alertness than they had possessed a moment before. With a devil-may-care casualness that grated on Melissa's nerves, Kurz reached out and smacked both the the "answer" and "speaker" buttons. Folding his arms back behind his head, he announced, "Madman Omar's House of Iniquity, Omar speaking."
"Kurz!" Melissa snarled, and he shot her a grin.
"Um, what?" what sounded like a confused teenage girl said on the other end. "Is... is this the Hangar?"
"Yes, this is the Hangar," Melissa said in a softer but still professional tone. "Pay no attention to the idiot there."
Kurz clasped a hand to his chest. "Mao! I'm hurt!"
"Not yet you aren't," she hissed at him, "but keep it up and you will be!"
The unknown girl giggled nervously at the exchange before tentatively saying, "So, um, hi? This is Ui Hirasawa at Douglass Gardens in the United States."
"What can we do for you, sweetheart?" Kurz smarmed, and Melissa wished she was close enough to kick him.
"Um..." Melissa scowled. Whoever the girl was, she didn't have any defenses against Kurz's lech act, and it was audible in her voice. "I'm calling to invite everyone there to a Halloween costume party at Douglass Gardens?"
"Really?" Melissa asked. "You're inviting people halfway around the world from you? How are we supposed to get there?"
"Well, Belldandy asked Mr. and Mrs. Schroeck to throw the party, so we think she has something planned for that."
Belldandy, huh? Melissa had been in the military long enough to recognize an order disguised as a suggestion, and if a goddess was having a party thrown, attendance was no doubt required. The Captain would almost certainly agree. "In that case... Thank you for the invitation, Ms. Hirasawa. The two of us here can't formally accept it — we'll have to pass it on to Captain Holder for that — but just between us I think it's likely we'll all be coming, so it's probably safe to mark us down as a tentative yes."
"Just so long as it's not a Halloween like on Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" Kurz added.
The girl on the other end laughed. "It seems like everyone's asking about that!" she said with a little giggle in her voice. "No, we're pretty sure it's not. Anyway, thank you! Good-bye now!"
"Good-bye," the two of them replied and the line dropped.
Melissa glared at Kurz. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" she demanded.
"Hey," he replied, "It was funny. And apparently something other people were actually worried about." He gestured casually. "Don't get on my case. She wasn't offended or upset. I mean, just imagine if Sousuke'd picked up the call — she'd have been traumatized and he'd have been completely baffled."
Melissa rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but give a small chuckle at that. "Oh, yeah." She pitched her voice lower. "'Is this a mandatory training exercise? I do not understand the purpose of this gathering.'"
Kurz added, "'Are these strangely-dressed individuals valid targets? I do not recognize what force they are part of.'"
Melissa laughed and nodded. "We're going to have to make sure he's as disarmed as we can possibly get him."
The Steeple
Philadelphia, PA, USA
2:10 PM Eastern Time
Heather Raven put her bottle of cold brew iced tea down on her desk and started going through her paperwork for Funtom Property Management. The paperwork for the van was particularly messy. She needed to arrange for the adult Takamachis to get their driver's licenses so she could put them on the insurance.
She was wrestling with PennDOT's website when the phone rang.
Heather snagged the phone on the first ring. "Steeple. Heather Raven speaking."
"Hi, Heather. This is Peggy at Douglass Gardens. How're you doing?"
"I'm doing all right," she admitted.
"Good!" Peggy replied. "I'm calling because we're throwing a costume party on Halloween and you and your residents are invited."
Heather raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me this isn't going to be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween."
Peggy laughed. "Well, given how many other people have asked..."
"Well, how many of them were interviewed by a character from Buffy?"
"Really? Who?"
Heather considered how to explain her situation. "D'Hoffryn, lord of the Vengeance demons. His servants specialize in Monkey Paw wishes. No, wait. Monkey Paw wishes are safer."
"Yeah, I guess you have good reason to worry. But no, this is happening at the request of Belldandy, and we're pretty sure she's not going to let anything like that happen."
Heather allowed herself to relax. "Well, that's a relief."
Peggy chuckled. "So, that dealt with, I need to tell you that it's a potluck."
"Okay... Mrs. Takamachi's a professional chef."
Heather's cat climbed into her lap and attempted to move from there to the desktop.
"Cool. If she's willing to help out, then you're covered," Peggy said. "No need to worry about exactly what you'll be bringing yet... we'll put a sign-up sheet on the managers' system once we're done with all the invites."
Heather thought for a moment as she removed the cat's front paws from her keyboard. "Okay... There's a brew supply shop nearby where I can probably get a giant tank of CO2 and attach it to my SodaStream to keep us in carbonated drinks for the teetotalers."
"That's going to be at least half of the guests, so that's great. Don't forget to add it to the sign-up."
"I won't," Heather said.
"I'd ask you if you had any more questions, but that's about all the answers we have at this point."
"I was about to ask about getting there, actually," Heather offered. "I mean, we're in Philadelphia so getting someplace in Jersey isn't too hard, but I might need directions."
"Well, we can get you directions, but we're figuring that the goddesses have something in mind, given we're inviting everyone including the folks in Australia. Don't plan on driving just yet."
Heather nodded, even though Peggy couldn't see her. "Gotcha."
"Well, that's about everything then... I have one more to call to make, so I'll let you go."
"All right, I'll see you later."
"Yeah, in person finally! In two weeks! Bye now." Click.
Heather made a note on her calendar and returned to the PennDOT website after once more removing the cat from the keyboard.
Ben Rose House
Highland Park, IL, USA
1:13 PM Central Time
Oh, hey, readers. Ferris Bueller here. It's about time the authors got back to us folks in Chicagoland. I mean, six short paragraphs in Everyone's a Critic? That's hardly even a cameo. But I get it — they're juggling more than seven hundred people, and not everyone is going to be center stage all the time. (Although if you ask me, the girls at Blossom Apartments are getting more than their fair share of stories...)
Anyway, Cameron, Sloane and I have finally started settling in since we arrived not quite two weeks ago. Lately we've been feeling out our new roommates Bean, Rally and May, who just showed up on Thursday and are still getting used to the idea of Refuge, let alone sharing a house with three strangers. Yeah, everyone is getting used to everyone else. The last thing any of us were expecting at this point was an invite to a party, but... I'd shrug here but you wouldn't see it.
So it was right after lunch and we were cleaning up when the phone rang. I was closest to the kitchen phone, so I dropped my dishtowel on the countertop and picked it up. "Ben Rose House," I said, overriding my natural impulse to say "Frye home". "Ferris Bueller speaking."
"Oh! Hi." An older man, sounding somewhat surprised. "Wasn't expecting you to pick up. This is Bob Schroeck, one of the managers at Douglass Gardens in New Jersey."
"Hi, Bob," I said and grinned at the memory of a certain drinking game. "Douglass Gardens — that's where all the musicians are, isn't it?" Sloane and Cameron were giving me inquiring looks, so I covered the mouthpiece and whispered, "It's the manager from New Jersey."
"Yeah," he said as I shifted my attention back to the call. "And comic book artists, and magic knights, and psychics. You know, just everyday folks."
I chuckled. "Right. Just like us here."
"Hey, you said it, not me," he replied with a chuckle of his own. "Anyway, I'm calling because we're throwing a costume party on Halloween, and you and your housemates are invited. Can we expect you?"
"Hold on," I said. "Let me ask." I put my hand over the mouthpiece again. "We've been invited to a Halloween party in New Jersey. Want to go?" I asked the room at large
"Oh, definitely," Sloane squealed. Cameron nodded his head slowly and thoughtfully before declaring "Yes".
I glanced over at the table where Bean, Rally and May still sat. "How about you guys?"
Rally and May traded looks before saying "Yes" together.
Bean shrugged and said, "I suppose."
Lifting my hand from the mouthpiece, I said, "Looks like we're all up for it. Six of us just in case you didn't hear that we got three new people a couple days ago."
"Got it," Bob said. "Marking that down now. As for getting here, well, we're doing this at Belldandy's request," I raised an eyebrow at that, "and we're assuming she's making arrangements to get everyone here and back again, even the folks in Australia."
"Well, that's good to know," I said. "Is that it, then?"
There was a pause on the other end, and then Bob said, "Nah, that's it. We'll see you in two weeks. Later!"
"Bye!" And he hung up. Good. For a moment there I thought he was going to ask about you guys, and then what would I say?
The Masaki Home
Coquitlam, British Colombia, Canada
11:16 AM Pacific Time
As the refrigerator door shut behind her the house phone rang. Garnett snagged the receiver with one hand while setting down the miso Sasami had requested on the counter next to the other ingredients for lunch. "Masaki Home for the Romantically Entangled. Garnett Iwasaki speaking."
"Good morning, Ms. Iwasaki!" A girl's voice, bright and cheery. She sounded a bit younger than Garnett. "This is Ui Hirasawa at Douglass Gardens in New Jersey."
"Good morning, Ui. You're one of the K-On! girls, aren't you?" Garnett slid down the counter to give Sasami more room to work. "What's up?"
"Oh, yes, I am! I'm helping out Mr. and Mrs. Schroeck — Belldandy asked them to throw a party on Halloween, and we're calling all the residences to invite everyone. So... you're invited? All of you?"
Garnett chuckled. "Well, thank you, and thank the Schroecks for me. I don't want to speak for everyone without checking first, but I think it's likely we'll all want to go." Washuu strolled into the kitchen and poked her head into the refrigerator, clearly looking for a snack.
"Oh, good!" There was a pause, then, "Okay, so, it's going to be a potluck, and they'll be posting a signup sheet on the managers' board by tonight. Oh, and it's a costume party, too."
"Sounds fun," she said with a smile. "So, how are you getting people there? I mean, we'll probably have Ryo-Ohki fly us over, but..."
"Are you talking about the Halloween party?" Washuu had pulled her head out of the refrigerator and was now looking at her with eyebrows raised.
"Hold on, Ui," Garnett said, then put a hand over the mouthpiece. "Yes, we just got invited." She frowned minutely. "How did you hear about it?"
Washuu waved a hand breezily. "The goddesses contacted me and asked me if it would be difficult to set up portals connecting all the residences to Douglass Gardens. Pfft! Like it's a challenge!" She spun on her heel and wandered out the kitchen, taking big crunching bites out of whatever it was that she'd found in the fridge.
Garnett blinked, then removed her hand from the phone. "Did you hear that?"
"Um, no?"
"Washuu says the goddesses asked her to set up portals to connect all the other residences to yours for the party."
"Oh! That'll be handy!" Ui chirped happily, then shifted gears abruptly. "Mouuuu...."
"What?" Garnet asked.
"That means we have to call everyone again to let them know!"
Douglass Gardens
2:20 PM Eastern Time
"Good news, everyone!" Ui announced as she hung up her most recent call.
Bob and Peggy looked up. "What?" Bob asked.
"Washuu says she's been asked to set up portals connecting everyone to us for Halloween."
Bob glanced at Peggy. "Well, that solves that problem."
"What, do we have to call everyone back now?" she asked, frowning. Ui nodded solemnly.
He shrugged. "If you want, but mentioning it when we post the signup sheet for the potluck should serve just as well."
Warehouse 13
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2:21 PM Eastern Time
Robert Thompson hit the speaker button almost as soon as the phone began to ring. "Warehouse 13. Kestrel speaking."
"Hi, um, Kestrel? This is Peggy Schroeck from Douglass Gardens."
He smiled to himself and leaned back in his chair. One thing to say for this job, they understood that a programmer needed a really good chair to work in. "Good afternoon, Peggy, nice to speak to another of my fellow managers."
"Oh, yes, nice to speak to you, too," she said.
"What brings you to call?"
"Well, we've been asked by Belldandy to throw a Halloween party for all the displacees and managers," she explained, "and we wanted to invite you."
He sighed. "That's kind of you, Peggy, but I don't think that's going to work out. You have to understand, I'm not so much a manager like you and Bob as a prison warden. Most of my 'residents' can't be trusted outside the Faraday cage that lines the entire building. And even if they could, most of them are pretty much immobile and can't interact in the physical world anyway. The ones that can are the ones I'd never let do so." He shrugged, even though she couldn't see him. "So thanks, but we'll have to take a pass."
"Even just you yourself can't get away?" she asked, a little plaintively he thought.
He sighed again, shaking his head with a rueful smile. "Like I said, Peggy, I'm the warden. Some nights I can sleep in my own bed, but other times it might be days before I can go home. It depends on how much trouble my... inmates are making. I don't want to plan to be away for any length of time in case they take it as a cue to try something."
Peggy didn't say anything for long enough that Kestrel started to wonder if they'd gotten disconnected. "That sounds... unpleasant," she finally said.
"It is what it is," he replied matter-of-factly. "And it's not all bad. Strange as it sounds, I love what I'm doing. It's just that I can't let my guard down. Maybe someday — in a few months, a year — but not this Halloween, no. Thanks, though."
"All right, then, I guess I'll mark you guys down as 'no'," Peggy said reluctantly. "You have a good Sunday afternoon, Kestrel."
"You, too, Peggy." The line dropped and the phone automatically hung up. Kestrel took a deep breath then leaned back in his chair and studied the bare brick of his office walls.
Douglass Gardens
2:25 PM Eastern Time
Peggy crossed out Kestrel and Warehouse 13 on the sheet in front of her, then looked up. Ui she knew had finished her calls, and Bob looked like he had, too. "We're done?" she asked.
"Yep," Bob said. "I left an invite on Artie Duncan's machine, more for politeness' sake than anything, since the Artery's had posters up for their Halloween bash for a couple weeks now. Far as everyone else is concerned? Well, we're still waiting for some tentative yesses to turn into confirmed ones, but we at least have a ballpark number of guests to work with, and we can start figuring out what we need in the way of ... oh, I don't know. Do we need some kind of permit from the town for an outdoor party this size? It certainly won't fit in the community center." He shook his head. "Tables, chairs, tents, those foil Sterno-heated trays for food... Those propane-powered outdoor heater things." He frowned. "More stuff to figure out."
"Oh!" he continued. "And before I forget... Ui, I'm sorry — I should have paid more attention to what I was doing and not included the Black Lagoon on your list."
Ui's face was blank with surprise for a moment, then she launched herself from behind the desk to wrap Bob in a hug. "That's okay! Anyone can make a mistake," she declared. "And I'm sure that whoever called, she still would have yelled at them." She released Bob and stepped back.
Bob shot a look at Peggy, then shrugged. "If you say so, Ui. But I wouldn't blame you if you were still upset."
"Oh, I could be," she chirped. "But I'm too busy looking forward to all the people I'm going to meet in two weeks!"
Bob grinned. "Honestly, Ui? So am I."
While almost everyone was fairly enthusiastic about attending (and meeting other people in the same situation as themselves), a few individuals saw fit to decline their RSVPs. Touya Kinomoto more regretfully declined to attend, as he had part time work scheduled, bearing silver platters of hors d'oeuvres at a fancy Hollywood party. Yukito Tsukishiro decided to stay behind and hand out candy at Aria House, though pretty much everyone knew that it was just an excuse to get more time alone with Touya.
And at Aria House, Tomoyo Daidouji's sewing machine was worked so hard by its owner making costumes that she nearly drove it to destruction.
The character of Jenny Everywhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Everywhere, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed. — Steven Wintle
- Twilight and the characters thereof are copyright © 2005-2008, 2015, 2020 by Stephanie Meyer, and are used without permission.
- The Big Lebowski and the characters thereof are copyright © 1998 by Working Title Films, and are used without permission.
- RMS: For our younger readers who may not recognize the reference or understand why Peggy thinks this is a joke, "867-5309/Jenny" was a huge hit in 1981 for the band Tommy Tutone.
-- Bob
I have been Roland, Beowulf, Achilles, Gilgamesh, Clark Kent, Mary Sue, DJ Croft, Skysaber. I have been
called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the sun grows dim and cold....
I have been Roland, Beowulf, Achilles, Gilgamesh, Clark Kent, Mary Sue, DJ Croft, Skysaber. I have been
called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the sun grows dim and cold....
