trans_9 | The more things change...

Zouichi had taken a few wounds during the mission, but nothing that he would deem serious enough to require medical treatment. He'd already begun to heal, and he estimated that by the time tomorrow rolled around, he'd once again be at full strength. This was not, of course, true of everyone who had fought on that moon -- those who had lost their lives, for instance.

But for him, intense combat was the norm. There was no sense dwelling on loss of life or regretting the past, and there were no nightmares about the dead or dying. There was only the future, and the battles to be found there.

So it was back to business as usual: maintenance on the HDC, clearing stray leaves off the front steps and caring for the flowers... and teaching his pet parrot some commands. Today, however, Alan seemed more intent on rolling onto his back and demanding to be picked up. So Zouichi settled back in the shade of a nearby tree instead, playing with the bird and occasionally wondering where he'd picked up all these new phrases that sounded suspiciously like Lash.

Maybe if Howard showed up, they could look for odds and ends in the City.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah, I think I'm just about done with adventure today!" Howard flails around, trying to find Zouichi in the dark. "You can see in the dark, right? That's why your eyes do that cat thing?"

Close enough, considering that strangely, the walls of the tunnel appeared to be lit with some kind of extremely dim phosphorescent mildew. Zouichi grasped Howard's hand. "Don't worry. All we have to do is go back the way we came."

He began backtracking his way through the passage, slowly as to not force Howard to trip and fall. "You know, this kind of thing seems to happen an awful lot on this ship."

"Zou? Not to be a buzzkill, but we should be able to see the light from the exit if it's still open." And it's not.

...And on that note, why is there wind in this passage? Back and forth, almost like breathing.

Well, if there's wind in here, obviously --

"The wind must have knocked the exit closed. Just keep moving."

Don't panic, Howhow! It could just be the movement of air from the other end of the tunnel.

Howard does keep moving and keep a lid on that panic. Up until the floor bucks a bit. Then it's time to panic.

"I'm moving, I'm moving! Let's get the hell out of here!"

Zouichi sped up in response; at the very least, the ceiling was starting to let up a bit, allowing him to stand a little straighter.

What was that, an earthquake? Did the ship have earthquakes?

Howard nearly faceplants as he runs up onto the stairs to the trapdoor. He tries to push it up, but it's too heavy - much heavier than just the door. "Zou, I think one of your ghosts just pushed Han Solo back onto the exit."

Yes. They're your ghosts, Zou.

Why are they his ghosts?

"All right, stand back." Zouichi steps forward and gives the door a fierce shove; there's a heavy thud on the other side that is probably the statue tumbling over on its side and off of the trap door. He pushes the trap door open easily for Howard to scamper through and at least no one's chasing them this time!

Howard up and out of the trapdoor in a heartbeat, reaching a hand down to help Zouichi up (although logically, even if Zou did need a hand up it's not like Howard would provide all that much pull). "When are we going to learn?"

Zouichi pulled himself up, taking Howard's hand but not really exerting any substantial pull on it. He was fairly light, but so was Howard, and he didn't want to drag them both back down.

"Apparently, nev--"

Abruptly, his flashlight blinked back into life.

"Okay, I'm going to admit that was weird."

Howard nods. "Yeah. We're on a meaty spaceship hurtling through the multiverse, and that's weird."

His flashlight has clicked back on too. "You sure Toha didn't put a little homing beacon for supernatural weirdness in you?"

"I thought it was just psychics that had it in for me. Besides, I could say the same for you. I don't think your life has been the epitome of normalcy, either."

He looked back down at the trap door. "Well. I think I should put that statue right back on top of that door."

"Yeah. Sounds like a good idea. I'll put a Do Not Enter scribble on the door." He shudders. He's pretty sure that was a mouth down there, or at least a gullet, and he doesn't want to think too hard on what could have just happened. "Maybe, but I never run into creepy things while salvaging unless I'm with you."

"Perhaps it's the combined force of our supernatural magnetism," Zouichi said dryly. He was taking this rather well, but that was typical enough.

"We should get funds for a study." With that, he kicked the door closed, placing the screaming Han statue right over the entrance.

Zouichi takes just about everything on this ship well. Psychic mold? Get the blowtorch! Ghosts in the mine? Caution tape! Weird mouth under the house? Eh, just move Han back over it.

"You know the instant we go looking for ghosts, we aren't going to find any."

Well, honestly, Howard, think of all that energy Zouichi would waste if he went and reacted to everything weird that happened on the ship. Besides, some problems had easy answers. And you couldn't live your life in fear of ghosts! Although you could possibly live with moving Han on top of your haunted cellar.

"Oh, is that how it works? But I have so much anecdotal evidence."

Of course you can live your life in fear of ghosts! You can live your life in fear of everything, and clearly that has no negative affects on your mood, sleep patterns or overall health!

"Maybe we can get paid for interviews on ghosts. Or be on Paranormal State! Or Ghost Hunters. Ghost Hunters is better, the guys on Paranormal State are tools."

"You could write some supernatural memoirs," Zouichi suggested. "Live off the royalties and buy a place that isn't haunted. Maybe get a movie deal."

And get played by Samuel L. Jackson okay no

The more things change...

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/wrap?

wrap!