SCENE: Sleep Over Time!
* Trucy bounces anxiously in her seat the entire train ride to Kurain. She's used to moving about on her own, but it's her first train ride by herself. Once the train stops, she checks with the attendant to be sure it's the right place, and finally hops out onto the platform.
Trucy: I hope they remember me... *She wore her magician outfit to be sure she'd be easy to spot
* Pearl spots Trucy immediately
Pearl: Trucy!! *she waves*
Pearl: *She tugs on Maya's sleeve* Mystic Maya, there she is!
Maya: Huh? *She snaps out of her thoughs and looks up.* Oh, hey Trucy! *She waves, walking up to where she stands, smiling.*
* Trucy perks immediately, and weaves through the other deboarding passengers (which there only a few)
Trucy: Hi Pearl! Hi Maya! *She beams* I made it!
* Pearl grins, her eyes shining
Pearl: You get to come see my house!! I cleaned up my room and everything!
Trucy: You didn't have to! I don't mind if it's messy. Mine's kinda messy...
Pearl: I wanted to! I like it when my room is clean! Besides it makes it easier to show you all the stuff I want to show you!
* Pearl hops up and down
Pearl: Let's go!!
* Maya is surprised by Pearly's excitement, she hasn't seen Pearly like this in a long time and she's quiet relieved to see it.
Maya: *She has the look of enthusiasim on her face.* Yes, let's go! *She poses, doing her best Phoenix objection impression, pointing towards the village nearby.*
* Trucy giggles, and checks her bag for probably the tenth time to make sure she still has everything
Trucy: I'm ready! Let's go!
* Pearl leads the way to Kurain village, beaming the entire time.
Pearl: That big house is my house! *She says, pointing to the manor*
Maya: Hey that's my place too, Pearly! *She catches up, and smiles looking at Trucy.* So, um, Truce, we haven't seen you in awhile! How've you and Nick been? Any new ca--*She stops herself as she remembers Nick's predicament.*
* Pearl blinks up at Maya quizzically
* Maya waves her hands, shaking her head.
Maya: Forget that last part...
Trucy: *Trucy shrugs* I dunno, Daddy's work is kinda boring. I think he should do something more exciting, like magic! But he doesn't even try!
Pearl: Being a lawyer is kind of exciting! *Pearl nods* Lots of exciting things happened when I helped Mister Nick! Lots of scary things and sad things too... *She looks a bit more subdued now.*
* Maya looks surprised..and at that instant she remembers she hasn't told Pearly..no she promised not to tell Pearly.
Maya: *She quickly changes the subject..* Hey..you haven't been to Kurain have you Truce? Hah hah...*She sounds kind of nervous.*
Trucy: Nope! It's bigger than I thought! *She glances around at all the strange buildings. Suddenly she points.* Why is that rock wearing a belt?
* Maya scratches her head.
Maya: I never..noticed that. We had a sacred rock?
Pearl: *Pearl blinks* Uh huh! Did you forget?
Pearl: It's so big I didn't even know it was there until I got bigger!
* Trucy has already lost interest in the rock and is moving towards the largest building.
Trucy: Why is the roof so funny? Everything is so...woody. How come you don't have glass windows?
* Pearl looks a little deflated
Pearl: Um, gee... *She looks at Maya*
Maya: H-Hey..don't look at me! *She sighs.*
Maya: W-well, this village is pretty old...
Trucy: Do you eat raw fish heads and rice all the time? I like rice, especially if I can put a pickle in it. But I don't know about fish heads. Maybe if there was gravy...
* Trucy finally stops and looks at the two girls expectantly
Pearl: *She bites her thumb.* Um, we eat fish but not usually fish heads... And sometimes we have gravy too... But um, we eat a lot of instant food too.
Maya: *She joins in.* Yeah...there's a lot of instant noodles around here. *She pouts slightly..* I wish we had a burger joint nearby...
Trucy: Oh! Well we eat lots of instant stuff at home, too. I'll eat almost anything. Daddy says I'm still growing, after all. *she winks*
* Pearl relaxes a little
Pearl: Okay! We'll make something really good for dinner I promise!
Maya: Yep! *She nods..then she whispers to Pearly.* We are?
Pearl: *She whispers back.* Well, um, she's a guest!
Maya: *She smiles, awkwardly.* I guess so, we have food to make right?
Pearl: I think so.
* Pearl runs up to Trucy.
Pearl: I wanna show you my room!
Trucy: Okay! *Trucy grabs hold of her hand* Is that where I'm going to sleep? I can't wait to see it!
Pearl: Yep! *She starts to lead Trucy to her room.* Only, it might be a little different than you're used to, I hope that's okay...
Maya: *She interjects for a moment.* Well, while you two have fun in your room. I'll finish setting up the sleep over stuff!
* Maya marches off, singing a song about sleep overs!
Trucy: Okay, Maya! Seeya later! *Trucy turns to Pearl.* Let's go!
Pearl: Thank you Mystic Maya! *Pearl calls.* Okay! *She runs with Trucy into the Winding Way.*
Maya: *She suddenly remembers something.* Oh yeah, be careful alright? Don't go breaking anything!
* Trucy follows, very excited. She's very fascinated with the different structure of the building and almost gets distracted away from Pearl's side a few times because there's just so much to see!
* Pearl leads Trucy into the more homey part of the manor, where the bedrooms are. She opens the sliding doors of her room, a tidy little affair with a small bookcase, some toys, and a child-size desk, looking at Trucy for her approval.
* Trucy hops inside, and has to get down on her hands and knees to check out the tatami floor. But she quickly springs back up
Trucy: Wow! It's so cute! And a lot tidier than mine...
Pearl: Oh! It's usually not quite this clean! I picked up all the books but I always leave them on the floor when I fall asleep.
Pearl: This is where I draw things, *She points to her desk,* and this is where I put my books, and this is my favorite ball! *She picks up the Steel Samurai ball and throws it up in the air.*
* Trucy catches it away from her and takes a look at the logo
Trucy: Oh, Steel Samurai. Everyone likes this guy, I guess. *She tosses it lightly back to Pearl*
Pearl: *She tilts her head.* Yeah, Mystic Maya really likes him and I kinda do too but mostly I watch stuff like Children's Masterpiece Theater when I watch TV at all.
Trucy: Theatre? *Trucy tilts her head to the side* Is that like plays and stuff?
Pearl: Mostly! Sometimes books too. I like to read the book and then watch it on the TV too!
Pearl: But when Mystic Maya gets excited about Steel Samurai it makes me happy that she's happy, so I like to watch it with her.
Trucy: Daddy kind of makes a funny face when it comes up, so I dunno if I'm supposed to like it or not. *Trucy wanders around the room, and suddenly frowns.* Where's your bed? Is this just a play room?
Pearl: Oh! My bed is in the closet, see. *She walks over and opens the closet, revealing a neatly folded futon.* I put it out at bedtime so I can have space to play in during the day.
Trucy: But...that's not a bed! *Trucy pokes at it* It looks like a sleeping bag. Don't you have a mattress?
Pearl: It's a futon! A futon is a mattress... I think.
Trucy: A futton? Sounds funny. Will I get to sleep in one, too?
Pearl: Yes, um, if that's all right.
Trucy: Cool! Then it really will be like a sleepover! *She turns to Pearl abruptly* I really like your room, Pearl!
* Pearl smiles shyly
Pearl: Really...? Thank you!
Pearl: I tried my best to make it nice~
Trucy: It's great! I think it's a little bigger than mine. But maybe that's because there's no bed... *She grins* Can you show me the rest of the house?
Pearl: Yes! *She wrings her hands together slightly.* I'm sorry, of course! Here, um, well, there's another bedroom in this part of the house, but that's not being used right now... So let's go back out into the courtyard and I can show you the garden, okay?
Trucy: Okay! You'll have to show me the bathroom eventually, but not right now, I'm okay. *Trucy takes Pearl's hand again, expecting her to lead them out*
* Pearl leads Trucy back into the courtyard.
Pearl: There's the garden and that's the Winding Way, it's kind of like a porch!
Trucy: Wow...a real garden! *Trucy gapes* I've never had a garden or a back yard before. Do you play out here all the time?
Pearl: Yeah, that's what I do during the day when I don't go to the library or have to train. Sometimes I play with my ball and sometimes I play tag with Mystic Maya. *She smiles contentedly.*
Trucy: That sounds nice. The only time I can play outside is during recess at school, but... *She frowns* The other kids don't always let me play.
* Pearl cocks her head
Pearl: Why not? You're so cool!
* Trucy beams
Trucy: Really? You think so?
Pearl: Of course! Mister Wockster says so too, he called you fly! Which is good I think!
Trucy: Really? He says the funniest things! *Trucy blushes a little* Hey! Let's play tag right now!
Pearl: Okay!
* Trucy tags Pearl on the shoulder and takes off running across the garden
Trucy: You're it!
* Pearl laughs and chases after her, gaining on her pretty easily given she has two years of growth on Trucy
* Pearl taps her on the shoulder and takes off running the other way
Trucy: Hey! No fair!
* Trucy laughs and takes off after her, not caring when her top hat tumbles off
* Pearl runs up onto the Winding Way, smiling broadly.
* Trucy follows, but once she's up on the walkway she pauses to catch her breath
Trucy: You sure are fast, Pearl!
Pearl: Sorry!
Pearl: I walk a lot because the library is far away! Sometimes I want to get there so bad I just run the whole way. *She smiles*
Trucy: I guess I should run more, too! A magician has to stay in shape! *Her eyes give a little sparkle* Do you wanna see some magic?
* Pearl claps
Pearl: Yes! I'd love to!
Trucy: Okay! Watch closely!
* Trucy reaches for hat, only to notice that it's gone. She glances around and notices it in the garden.
Trucy: Oh, oops. Um....hold on, I'll do a different one. *She thinks for a moment*
* Pearl watches intently
* Trucy decides to go for the gusto and reaches into her hip pouch, triggering Mr. Hat. He pops out with a flourish, but since there's not hat for him to grab his arm swings a little too far, knocking into a small pedastool behind Trucy.
* Trucy doesn't notice until a loud crashing sound is heard behind her, and she jumps in surprise
* Pearl gasps loudly, her hands over her mouth
Pearl: Oh NO!
* Trucy turns quickly, and the extra weight of Mr. Hat almost tips her over
Trucy: Uh oh....
* Maya is happily carrying some popcorn and drinks as she walks towards the Winding Way. She stops in her tracks as she hears a crashing noise coming from the hallway and she drops everything and runs. When she gets on the scene to see a shocked Pearly and Truce.
Maya: W-What happened? *She tells them scanning the scene of the 'crime'.*
* Trucy turns, and in a panic she smacks Mr. Hat so that he falls over, obscuring Maya's view of the broken urn, not sure if she's seen it yet
Trucy: N-Nothing!
* Pearl is wide-eyed, frozen stiff
Pearl: N-nothing happened, Mystic Maya!
* Maya scratches her head, noticing that where an urn should be...there's nothing.
Maya: T-Then, would one of you like to explain where the Sacred urn went...?
* Pearl glances at Trucy, nervous
* Trucy reaches for her hat to try and pull it over her face, but remembers she's not wearing it. She ducks her head.
Trucy: I dunno...
Pearl: *Pearl walks up to Maya, waving her hands.* I-it's OK, Mystic Maya!
Pearl: It was- uh!!
* Pearl trails off, biting her thumb
* Maya perks her head in confusion. It seems the only way to get them to talk is deceisive evidence and she had a pretty good idea on what happened.
* Maya she notices a shard of some sort from the corner of her eye and she slinks back while both Pearly and Trucy are watching...but can't tell exactly what she's doing. Her eyes start to light up as she suddenly gets an idea that she always wanted to do since she saw Nick do it during investigation.
* Maya turns to Pearly.
Maya: Hey Pearly...*She clears her throat slightly*.....
* Pearl blinks
Maya: Take that! *Maya yells, presenting the broken shard she found on the ground.*
* Pearl claps her hands over her face
Pearl: I'm sorry! It was an accident!!
Pearl: It can be put back together, right!? *Her eyes fill with tears.* We did it before! And this time I know how it's spelled!!
Maya: Pearly...*There's a calm to her voice.* Do you know how many time that thing's broken? I'm surprised that thing is still around. *She laughs.*
* Trucy tears up a little, clasping her hands together
Trucy: I'm really sorry... My Mr. Hat hit it...
* Pearl rushes over to her.
Pearl: No don't be sad! It's OK! I broke it too!
Maya: M-Mr. Hat? Is someone else here? *She looks worried for a second.* I don't recognize a Mr. Hat...
Trucy: Oh, it's, um... *Trucy nudges Mr. Hat with her toe* I'm still getting used to him...a little.
* Pearl reaches down and props Mr. Hat back up
Pearl: He seems nice.... *She says, a tad shakily.*
Maya: Mr. Hat's a puppet? *She's down right confused now.* So you're saying he broke the urn..?
Trucy: Well he...um... *Trucy wrings her hands a little* He kinda pops out. He's on a spring, and...he's really nice, really! *she fiddles with her hip pouch to make Mr. Hat's mouth work*
Pearl: Oh does he talk? *Pearl has stepped back a little bit.*
Maya: You mean it's alive!? *She jumps in closer, to inspect Mr. Hat.*
Trucy: N-No, it's just...a doll, but... *Trucy looks a little baffled, but hits the little playback device in her pouch, which gives Mr. Hat the illusion of speaking.* "Hello! Hello!"
* Pearl gasps
Pearl: That's amazing!!!
* Maya jumps back at the puppet's talking, her eyes start lighting up again.
Maya: Wow! How does it work? It looks so awesome!
Trucy: Oh, um... It's a secret! A magic secret! *realizing that their fascination with Mr. Hat just might be saving her from punishment, Trucy plays it up. She makes him talk some more.* "I'm Mr. Hat. Nice to meet you!"
Pearl: *laughing* Nice to meet you too, Mister Hat.
Maya: Oh...*She tilts her head down sadly. She had completely forgotten about the broken urn..until her foot knocked a large shard around.*
Pearl: Mystic Maya... you're not mad, are you...? *Pearl looks up at her.*
Maya: N-no! How could I be? That thing's been broken left and right..it's like family tradition. *She smiles.*
* Trucy quickly sobers again, and starts to tuck Mr. Hat back.
Pearl: Okay!
Pearl: *She claps her hands* I'll go get the glue!
* Trucy glances between them hopefully
Trucy: It'll really be okay... won't it? It's not broken for good?
* Pearl smiles
Pearl: It's never been broken for good yet!
Maya: Nope! That things..stronger than the Steel Samurai! And that's pretty strong! *She says as she gathers shards of the urn together, thankfully they are rather big.*
Trucy: Oh, okay! I'm glad. *Trucy perks up* Can I help fix it?
Pearl: Yeah! You can help me!
* Pearl goes to get the glue and comes back
Pearl: It's supposed to say "Ami," okay?
Maya: Oh, I almost forgot. Here you go! *She pulls out the shard she 'presented to Pearly'.*
* Pearl takes it
Pearl: Okaaay~ We'll do this and then we can have snacks, all right Trucy?
* Trucy squats down next to the collection of shards and starts trying to piece them together
Trucy: Okay!
Pearl: This time I'll do it right! *Pearl squats and starts arranging the pieces.*
Pearl: *After some time, the urn is reassembled - the pieces easy enough to put together, since it broke along the same fault-lines as all the other times. Pearl steps back, wiping away a bit of sweat and sucking on one finger that was slightly cut by an edge.* It looks perfect. *She says triumphantly.*
Trucy: Good as new! It's almost like magic! *Trucy grins too, and hurries into the garden to retrieve her hat*
Pearl: Yeah! It's just like a magic trick! *Pearl smiles at Trucy.*