The Third Interlude (or TSTMBCUW, Part III)
:: Still in the examining room, but after some explaining has gone on. Among other things Cris has so far learned that she is no longer on Earth, but rather in a different realm. Just what it's called exactly, they won't say, but from the sound of things it appears that this is the place from which inspiration springs. ::
Cris: So...let me get this straight. You guys... (Points to Gerard and the others.) You aren't really the guys I think you are. (They nod.) You're just mirroring people I currently think about the most. (Again they nod.) I see. Now why am I here again?
Gerard: You were brought here by Them.
Cris: And (Doing air quotes.) "They" are..?
Mikey: Even we don't know exactly what They are, and we're pretty powerful in our own right.
Gerard: (Elaborating before Cris can ask.) We're like Muses, but on the structure level, Muses are a step above us.
Cris: (Nods slowly.) Right. So...They bring me here...for what?
Frank: Fangirlism. (He flips through the papers in a file folder.) It was noted that your level of Fangirlism has been unusually high lately, without going overboard. After some careful surveillance--
Cris: Whoa, whoa, whoa. You guys were spying on me?
Frank: To a degree. Your Muse is, by nature, inclined to report findings to the rest of us for recordkeeping purposes. All we did was keep a closer eye on your dreams and writings and waited until we had enough information to authorize a transfer.
:: Cristina takes a minute to realize what this means. ::
Cris: Dreams. So...you guys know about the dream about--? (They nod.) And you know about the-- (Again they nod. Cris frowns, fighting a blush. For a while she keeps from meeting Gerard's eyes.) I see.
Gerard: Don't worry; all that information is kept confidential. But it was necessary to be sure.
Frank: After all, a transfer is serious business. We can't just bring someone over for a casual check-up. I can only think of the chaos that would cause around this place. All the artists gathered together here...
:: They all pause to think of it. Cris just looks at them in mild confusion. ::
Frank: But of course everything here is kept in enough order that we never have more artists from your realm than we can handle. Still, if it was just your Fangirlism level we would have just had your Muse handle it. But we had to make sure you could help us out.
Cris: (Raises an eyebrow.) "Help" you? How, exactly, could I "help" you?
:: The doctors hesitate slightly, but Mikey steps up to explain. ::
Mikey: See, there are two legitimate ways--aside from Them doing it--to bring a person over here. A Muse can bring their charge over for a limited amount of time, or the artist himself could even accidentally find some way to wind up here--although that second one is thankfully rare enough that it's not a problem. There are certain rules governing bringing a person over, and breaking them causes some unnecessary chaos. The imbalance is usually minor enough that it doesn't affect your world, but when it's big enough to cause problems...
Gerard: Any time you've had writer's block has probably been the result of major imbalance in this realm.
Cris: Interesting... But where do I come in?
Mikey: Well, there's currently trouble here that could prove to be a major imbalance. The biggest upheaval we've had since Highlander 2: The Awakening was made.
Gerard: And it wouldn't just be here; your own world will be strongly affected once news gets out that he's missing.
Cris: (Raises an eyebrow.) "He"? Who is missing?
:: Mikey pulls out a picture from the file folder and holds it up for her to see. Cris's eyes go wide with disbelief. ::
Cris: Oh my god. No way!
Gerard: Now do you see the mess we're in? (Mikey puts the picture away.) But we might just have a solution to our problem.
Cris: What do you mean?
Gerard: (Smiles.) Feel like going on an adventure?
To Be Continued
Cris: So...let me get this straight. You guys... (Points to Gerard and the others.) You aren't really the guys I think you are. (They nod.) You're just mirroring people I currently think about the most. (Again they nod.) I see. Now why am I here again?
Gerard: You were brought here by Them.
Cris: And (Doing air quotes.) "They" are..?
Mikey: Even we don't know exactly what They are, and we're pretty powerful in our own right.
Gerard: (Elaborating before Cris can ask.) We're like Muses, but on the structure level, Muses are a step above us.
Cris: (Nods slowly.) Right. So...They bring me here...for what?
Frank: Fangirlism. (He flips through the papers in a file folder.) It was noted that your level of Fangirlism has been unusually high lately, without going overboard. After some careful surveillance--
Cris: Whoa, whoa, whoa. You guys were spying on me?
Frank: To a degree. Your Muse is, by nature, inclined to report findings to the rest of us for recordkeeping purposes. All we did was keep a closer eye on your dreams and writings and waited until we had enough information to authorize a transfer.
:: Cristina takes a minute to realize what this means. ::
Cris: Dreams. So...you guys know about the dream about--? (They nod.) And you know about the-- (Again they nod. Cris frowns, fighting a blush. For a while she keeps from meeting Gerard's eyes.) I see.
Gerard: Don't worry; all that information is kept confidential. But it was necessary to be sure.
Frank: After all, a transfer is serious business. We can't just bring someone over for a casual check-up. I can only think of the chaos that would cause around this place. All the artists gathered together here...
:: They all pause to think of it. Cris just looks at them in mild confusion. ::
Frank: But of course everything here is kept in enough order that we never have more artists from your realm than we can handle. Still, if it was just your Fangirlism level we would have just had your Muse handle it. But we had to make sure you could help us out.
Cris: (Raises an eyebrow.) "Help" you? How, exactly, could I "help" you?
:: The doctors hesitate slightly, but Mikey steps up to explain. ::
Mikey: See, there are two legitimate ways--aside from Them doing it--to bring a person over here. A Muse can bring their charge over for a limited amount of time, or the artist himself could even accidentally find some way to wind up here--although that second one is thankfully rare enough that it's not a problem. There are certain rules governing bringing a person over, and breaking them causes some unnecessary chaos. The imbalance is usually minor enough that it doesn't affect your world, but when it's big enough to cause problems...
Gerard: Any time you've had writer's block has probably been the result of major imbalance in this realm.
Cris: Interesting... But where do I come in?
Mikey: Well, there's currently trouble here that could prove to be a major imbalance. The biggest upheaval we've had since Highlander 2: The Awakening was made.
Gerard: And it wouldn't just be here; your own world will be strongly affected once news gets out that he's missing.
Cris: (Raises an eyebrow.) "He"? Who is missing?
:: Mikey pulls out a picture from the file folder and holds it up for her to see. Cris's eyes go wide with disbelief. ::
Cris: Oh my god. No way!
Gerard: Now do you see the mess we're in? (Mikey puts the picture away.) But we might just have a solution to our problem.
Cris: What do you mean?
Gerard: (Smiles.) Feel like going on an adventure?
To Be Continued