3. In A Pickle (comes with extra pickles)

[continuousgroaning]

[After checking the date in a few places- on the network, on a calendar, and on an electronic sign outside a drugstore, Tina is satisfied that she's only been gone HERE for about a day, even though years had passed back home. Which was a bit frustrating, but she knows there's not much she can do about it.

And when she says hello to the network, she's dressed in a damp pickle-shaped costume.]

Uhm, I'm in a pickle. Can someone help me out? ... get it? I'm in a pickle because I'm... dressed... like one... ha, ha, ha...

I know I wasn't gone for long but I'm sorry if I worried anyone. I went home and came back here with a bunch of new memories. Very good memories... [And Tina drifts off then, a blissful expression on her face.]

Comments

video

[poreiavian]

I don't get it. [what a weird expression.] Why are you dressed like a pickle? Is it... oh what's that holiday called -- Halloween?

PermaText

[d33tached]

Why are you dressed like that?

[D33 is not amused.]

audio

[h2no]

[he's laughing at the pickle joke like it's a genuine slapper.]

Bwahaha! Nice one, kid! What happened?

video »

[eloquentness]

[ Ohhhh dear. ]

I'll come over as soon as I can. What's the costume for?

video

[continuousgroaning]

Nah, I was something different for Halloween. My family was in a parade to promote our restaurant, and since we sell hamburgers... well, we were SUPPOSED to all be different hamburger ingredients, but Mom was on a roll and made four pickles instead.

[continuousgroaning]

Parade. We were all supposed to be different hamburger ingredients, but Mom ended up making all of us pickles because she thought the first one turned out so well.

audio

[continuousgroaning]

[Tina grins in return.]

I learned from the best. My dad's a pun master. Uhm, we entered a float into a local parade. We were all supposed to be different burger-related things, with my brother in his burger suit like usual, but Mom liked the first pickle so much, she and Dad and Louise and I all ended up being pickles.

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[continuousgroaning]

A parade. We were trying to advertise our restaurant, but Mom went overboard and ended up making 4 pickles instead of the different costumes she planned on.

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[eloquentness]

Ah. She must've relished the opportunity.

[ It's probably a good thing she doesn't recognize her unintentional pun, as she's already running out the door. ]

What city're you in right now?

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[continuousgroaning]

[Tina makes a rimshot noise with her mouth.]

Nice one. Uhm, I'm back home in Maurtia Falls. ... which isn't really home but it kind of is while I'm here.

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[eloquentness]

Maurtia Falls, got it. [ Camera's a little shaky, but she's going as fast as she can to the Porter. ]

Also, what do you mean by "you went home?"

[poreiavian]

So it would be a "hamburger" with nothing but pickles on it! That sounds sour and delicious. [now she kind of wants to try one. she'll have to make a note to herself on that. actually, on that note--] What exactly is a hamburger?

[a very normal question, coming from a very normal earth girl.]

Re: audio

[h2no]

It's gonna break my heart if I never get to meet your dad, kid.

[he frowns.]

Wait... from home?

[d33tached]

That's utterly absurd.

[He does not say so fondly.]

[namesaquestion]

What, you went home? and came back like that? Serves you right for getting stuck in it.

[Nikolai, be nice.....]

[continuousgroaning]

[Thankfully Tina will take it in stride. FOR NOW.]

Well, it WAS a costume for a parade.

video »

[continuousgroaning]

Well, uh, I'm not sure how it works, but... I Ported out, I guess. I lived for a few years back home and then I ended up back here, except only a day had passed here. I was warned it might happen, so I'm not too shocked.

audio

[continuousgroaning]

I'm sure the two of you would get along famously.

Yeah. It's... it's weird, but I went home for a while. Only a day had passed here, but a few years passed back home.

[continuousgroaning]

I didn't mind, honestly. if i wasn't a pickle i'd have been a ketchup or mustard bottle. or a french fry

[continuousgroaning]

You've never heard of hamburgers before? Uhm... [She pauses. It's actually kinda hard to describe a burger to someone who's never heard of it, now that she thinks about it.] It's ground beef shaped into a patty and grilled, then put on a bun. You can put pickles on it, or tomatoes, or lettuce, or pretty much anything.

Re: audio

[h2no]

My life is sad and punless without him...

[he puts a hand on his head.]

Just thinkin' of that gave me a headache. This porter stuff is weird...

audio

[continuousgroaning]

And I'm not nearly as good at it as he is. Dad comes up with a new burger pun every day.

It is. I try not to think too hard about it, but... it was nice to go back to my family. I have some nice memories, too.

Re: audio

[h2no]

Hey, ya gotta learn from someone. I'm sure you'll be able to take up the pun mantle soon enough.

I'm sure. How were they doin'?

[aggressiveapathy]

That's an amazing hero costume.

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[eloquentness]

Huh. [ She's used to timeline discrepancies, and things seeming like forever when they're really not - but getting sent home? That gives her more hope than she wants to admit. ] How'd that happen? You decided to go, or the Porter chose for you...?