Chat room adventures

Alice picked up a dagger and spun it around in her hand, "impressive," she told she shop keeper, "how much is it?"

After she had paid the shop keeper for the dagger and scabard she double checked her money supply.

"To the book store before I spend all my money here!" she declared.

When they went to cross the street a blast of wind drove dust into Alice's eyes. She closed them to get it out.

And as he promised, he was there.

Adam wandered to the back of the store. There seemed to be no damage, or disturbance of any kind. How odd Adam turned around and everyone was one. Now I'm a little freaked out

"Come this way..." said a sweet seductive voice.

"Uhh.... I'd really rather not," replied Adam.

"Come here, Now!" the store shook.

"See, I'm afraid but still, I'd really much rather stay right where I am." With a swoosh Adam was standing before the coolers.

"Free me...." said the cooler.

"You're awfully big aren't you?"

"Not the cooler! I am the Queen of the Icilies. A long forgotten race that once lived in the space between galaxies. Please take me to your Space ship and free me from this world."

"Fine. in the cart you go." Adam scrapped the ice shards from the cooler and placed them in his cart. Everything returned to normal. Matt and Rick came to Adam, arms full of Dr. Pepper.

Nutty was still browsing through the various herbs, oblivous that Alice had spoken or left.
"Moongrass....moongrass.... where is it..." She shuffled through the packets until she found the one she needed, tossing it into the basket dangling on her arm along with other herbs, potion bottles, and a couple of powders, the labels with unoriginal names like 'Eye of newt'.
"Why don't they just say 'Crushed ginger?' I feel like a blimmin witch." Nutty muttered, going to the counter to pay for her lot.

Alice paused for a moment and shut her eyes as if something had fallen into them. Suddenly her lids flashed open and she shuddered.
"Are you okay Alice?" Scipio asked.
"Hmmm? Oh. Yeah. Just something in my eye," Alice lied.
"So the book store next?" Heather prompted. This seemed to cheer Alice up a little and she nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh yes. I need a lot of books."

They reached the book store and Heather ran a hand along the dusty volumes in the older section.
"Some of these haven't been looked at in years and there are so many classics," Heather noted.
"You should see the ones in the back room but they don't let everyone go in there," Alice remarked.
"Have you been in there?" Scipio asked.
"Oh yes," Alice replied proudly.
"Do you think they'd let me take a look?" Heather asked, clearly impressed and curious.
"You have to pass a test first," Alice explained.

"What kind of test?" Heather asked.

"One to see how much you read. But its a long and tedious test so I might be able to get all three of us back there without you two having to take the test. I'm a very good customer."

Alice walked up to the register and pulled out a card, "are those two with you?"

"Yes."

The lady at the register pushed a button and a door opened behind her. Alice aknowledged for Heather and Scipio to follow her.

"Oh my god!" Heather said when she saw the mile high book shelves.

"The moderns are in the front, the classics are more towards the back." Heather took off running, and Alice started to climb a ladder.

When she reached the top her foot slipped and she had to grab tight. It hurt the sides of her arms and she winced in pain. When she turned her attention back to the bookshelves she saw him again.

She screamed and fell.

"I'm melting...."

"You whine to much." Adam grabbed a bag of ice and opened it. He shoved the now wet ice crystals into the bag. "Better?"

"Much."

"I think I've got everything." MatT and Rick eyed Adam carfully. "What?"

"Did that ice cube just talk?" asked Rick.

"Of all the things we've seen the talking ice block freaks you out?"

"I am the Queen of the...." She was muffled as the bag was but on the checkout counter. Matt just shrugged.

Alice would have hit the stone bottom if it weren't for Scipio. In his attempt to catch her they both colided with the ground, leaving them both unharmed beyond a few bruises.

"Thanks Scipio," she said standing up. "I guess my foot slipped."

"I don't think thats what happened," Scipio accused.

"No its not, but I'd rather not talk about how klutzy I am," she tried to walk back to the ladder.

Scipio grabbed her arm, "you're not only klutzy."

"Yes I am," Alice insisted.

"There's something wrong," Scipio protested.

"You're hurting my arm," Alice attempted to change the subject. Scipio sighed and let go but followed her up the ladder.

"You should talk to someone about it," Scipio said.

"And by that you mean I should talk to you?"

"Yeah. You should. So what did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing!"

"Oh really? Come on Alice, what's going on?"

"Oh! Oh! Mrs Ice Queen?" Mattster asked eagerly.
"*sigh*... what is it, Matt?"
"Mrs Ice Queen, can you make popsicles of any flavour?"
"I could if I chose to."

"Oh! Oh! Mrs Ice Queen?"
"What, Matt?"
"Mrs Ice Queen, can you make me some Dr Pepper popsicles?"
"I can."

"Oh! Oh! Mrs Ice Queen?"
"What is it now, peasant?"
"Mrs Ice Queen, will you make me some Dr Pepper popsicles?"
"No I will not."

"Is he always this stupid?" the Ice Queen asked Adam.
"It comes and goes."

Alice sighed, "I'm not really all that sure myself."

"You know something."

"I know Jay's found a way to get around the disruptor Adam put up."

"Thats bad."

"Like I don't know that, if I close my eyes he's going to be there, driving me insane."

"What do you think he's trying to do?"

"Get me to kill myself." Alice reached out and grabbed a book. "I've been looking for this one."

"Why did you call me here?" Bella asked nonchalantly, taking a drink of the martini they had placed in front of her.

"We think we can be of service to you," A man in a long, black trench coat answered.

"Last time you tried to help me I was almost killed."

"Yes, but that was an accident. Those rarely happen ya know."

"Yes, but I was also injured in another way."

"How so?"

"Christofer, when you left, you took the largest part of me possible to take. You took my heart!" Bella stood up and started to pace, as she always did when seh was spazzing. Chris grabber her arm.

"You were always so over dramatic," he muttered, pulling her close to him. She would have answered him, but he kissed her, taking away her breath and leaving her speechless.

"What do yo uwant to do to help?" she sighed, giving up on what little will power she posessed.

"I want to come with. I'm a good fighter, and I promise I won't leave you again."

"I'm not sure if Adam will approve, but It can't hurt to check."

"And Bella," he added as they walked towards the door.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"It is too hot!" chimed the Ice Queen.

"It's a desert." Adam replied, "Just keep in the bag, We'll be at the ship in a minute."

"I have never been treated this way. i am Royalty!"

"Indeed you are, A royal pain, now shut up." Adam walked briskly to the Highwind. "You guys can go do what you want now," Adam told Rick and Matt, "Come back when you're ready."

They nodded and left. "Theses quarters are cramped!"

"It's a bleedin freezer!" Adam said, We dont have a massive ice chest for you."

"I cant believe I picked you to transport me."

"You're lucky I picked you up at all. I could have left you in that store." She fell silent. At last, some not whining time.

Alice managed to shove twelve books into her bag before she resorted to making Scipio carry some.

"Good Goddess, Alice, how many books do you need?"

"Probably twenty more, and a lot of coke and mountian dew."

"When are you going to have time to read all these?"

"At night, when I should be sleeping."

"You're going to be like a zombie."

"Yeah, but.... at least I won't see Jay."

"You should tell Adam, maybe the psonic disrupter is down or something."

Alice shook her head and handed him another book, "I doubt it."

They came across Heather at the front of the backroom, "oh my god alice are all those for you?"

"Yup."

"Wow. And I only got twelve," Heather gasped, a touch regretfully.

"That's plenty," Scipio declared hurriedly. "And you can always buy more at the next planet." The two girls nodded thoughtfully and finished purchasing their books.

"Would you like me to carry another?" Scipio asked as they headed back to the ship.

"No. That's okay," Alice replied from somewhere behind a huge armful of books.

"Oooh. I think I'm going to go back to that magic shop after this. It's about time I got a weapon," Heather decided.

"What made you think of that?" Scipio asked.

"The guy on the cover of this book has one," Heather replied.

Alice and Scipio laughed as Heather rushed down the street towards the magic shop.

"I wonder if she knew I could've given her one."

When they reached the highwind Alice dropped off all her books in her room except one.

"You're latest novel?" Scipio asked.

"Nope, actually I picked this up at the magic store."

"I only saw you buy the sword."

"Five finger discount, anyways, it'll do me more good than it will at the store."

"How?"

"Occulmency."

"Like Harry Potter occulmency?"

"Yup, this shows you how to actually do it."