insertmeathere | PODPOPPING IS A GO

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PODPOPPING IS A GO

Now this wasn't something Matthew expected. To slip out of a greasy pod, naked and covered in slime, standing in what looked like a giant intestine was definitely not on his list of expected happenings. Still, he adjust quickly, brushing some of the glop off himself and standing tall. "What the fuck is going on here?" he wondered aloud, taking in the sight around him. Millions of pods covered the walls, and he found the eerie sensation that he was somewhere ... familiar plaguing him more and more.

"Where the hell am I?" he asked, his voice echoing amongst the empty silence. This was easily the strangest shit he knew of.

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"Well, I'm a decent shot with most any firearm, and I throw a wicked left hook, but other than that, I don't see why she'd take me. I'm more inclined to believe, if I were more genre savvy, that we were being roleplayed by each other in the community. Wouldn't that be a hoot?"

"Hey, that's more than I have to offer. I can scream loudly. And have a knack for clumsiness. That's about it."

Zoki would totally facepalm if her hands weren't practically glued to her body. "You're still on that theory? I know you fantasize about roleplaying all of us into kinky scenarios of doom like a puppetmaster with too much time on his hands, but I didn't think you'd actually go through with it. Unless there's a 'me' in the real world in on the joke too. I would be that cruel to myself, wouldn't I? Damn."

She looks past and intently studies the eerie glowing blurs spiraling upward. "If I remember right, the clothing room should be...this way. Thanks for the silence, Stacy! I hope your tentacles are awake---oh geez, did I just say that?" Visibly creeped out, she starts to shuffle off. At least she can't see the shadowy forms in the pods up the walkway. That's a bit creepier of a sight than she wants to deal with right now.

Matthew really didn't like thinking about the pods, or the potential people in them. Despite his cavalier attitude, the jokes were the only thing keeping his mind from being overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. Being played by someone on a community ... it was entirely too meta and Matrix-y for the man's tastes. If they were being awakened for some great purpose, though, who else sat in those pods? His father? Sisters?

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts before they started consuming him, and replied to Zoki. "If you think I'm going to get in one of those meaty plant-suits, you're crazy," he said.

"I'd rather walk around naked, sporting an erection and an embarrassing Dwight Yoakam tattoo than put those things on."

Zoki's not about to admit it, of course, but she's worried about the identities of the pod people too. The people she loved could sit in stasis for years, and then---oh god, she'd have to explain this to them. Not a pleasant conversation.

But back to her current priority : clothing. "Suit yourself---or don't, I guess, is your point. The way I see it, one's not really any better than the other. Yeah, getting dressed will probably be the most uncomfortable experience of my life so far, but it'll be over fast. At least it had better be. And the pulsing will feel normal eventually."

Oh god why is she talking about this. WHY IS SHE TALKING ABOUT THIS. She just won't stop. "I guess going around naked would stop being so uncomfortable after a while too, but I like the whole toughness and first aid thing. And not feeling so...exposed. But you'd be okay. There's nothing more threatening than a naked guy with mad weapon skills and the balls to prove it. Like in the horror movies when the psycho walks in naked with the chainsaw and everyone runs away because they know he means business."

Now she's all worked up, rushing to get the dreaded tentacle tango over with. Naturally, jokes are in order. "That's actually not a bad tattoo idea. Should I go for Bill Nye the Science Guy, if there's an alien tattoo parlor up in here?"

Matthew got in on the jokes, too, enjoying the distraction. "Nah, I'd say go for a Beakman's World tattoo. Much more obscure nerd cred in that. And really, in a place like this, you're worrying about modesty of all things?" He laughed at the picture of her standing there, her arms moving to conceal herself from view.

"I'm not some Mongol horde out to rape and pillage, Zoki. You want to put on the plantsuit, that's fine. It's not the tentacles I distrust, it's just the suit itself I have issues with. No one knows what else that suit could be doing, or how it survives while being alive ... it's a mystery I'd rather not have touching my skin."

"Right, right. Or maybe Beaker. Meep meep!" Man did she wish she had something soft and cuddly right now to calm her nerves. "And that's not all I'm worried about, just the first thing. It can be easily solved, so I'm focusing on that before I turn to the whole 'we're lost in space possibly forever' aspect of this trip. One challenge at a time, Matt."

Zoki pauses for a minute. She'd never even considered that the suits might be dangerous. "I know you're not, dude. Kidding. And you could be right about the plantsuits. It's just...man, I don't know. I'm cold. I want this sticky goop off me. And I'm not about to schlep down to the city to get some curtains. Plus, there's no showers. I'm going."

By now, Zoki's reached the entrance to the clothing room, the blurry metal ring gleaming up at her from the floor. She turns back to look over his head, not quite at him but close enough. "Well, this is it. Do you think there's a route around the room you could take, or they'd leave you alone if you stuck to the wall like a fly?"

"I'm fine as is," Matt replied. "Sure, I've got goop on me, but that'll come off. And there's got to be showers or something around here somewhere, otherwise how do people keep clean? The suit doesn't cover the head or face." He shook his head.

"If you're embarrassed to be walking around naked, that's one thing. But ask yourself: Is modesty really worth the potential risk?"

"I think we're supposed to stick our heads in these mushroom lamp things in the bathrooms to clean them. But no showers that I know of."

Zoki considers that again for a moment. "You know...man. I'm not sure anymore. Are you sure you aren't just making up excuses to keep me naked?" It's said in an unconvincing teasing voice. She knows he's not. Things can't ever be simple here, can they?

"I'm asking for glasses at least. I don't think they'll be in the lockers since she makes her own." With that, she leans her head in and gestures up at one of the vines.

"Hey Stacy, sorry I kept you waiting but do you think---HEY!" Stacy, apparently, is not fond of waiting. A tentacle lashes around Zoki's wrist and roughly yanks her inside in a blink, followed by three more grabbing her other limbs and lifting her into the air. The writhing girl is restrained by countless other tentacles swirling around, wiping her skin, and secreting the plantsuit. Once she's set back on the ground and the last one retreats from installing her organic glasses, she curses at it liberally.

||That aggressive anatomical suggestion is noted, but will be physically impossible to complete. Is there anything else I can assist you with?|| responded Stacy calmly.

"Yeah, well I love you too Stacy. And no. No thanks. I've had enough of your help today."

||Your sentiments are noted, Zoki.|| No one asked you, Stacy.

Facepalm. There's definitely an unsettled look on Zoki's face as she retreats and tugs at the suit. "I think it'll come off should I change my mind. And if it eats me or gives me horns or something, you get to say 'I told you so' forever and ever. Promise."

"Glasses are fine, I could use them myself before I--HEY!" Before Matt could respond, the tentacles had him as well, cleaning and dressing him. Matthew fought back as he could, screaming obscenities and voicing his desire to not have some living wall of meat wrapped about him like a combination rose/steak unitard, but it was wholly ignored.

Matthew did get a few good hits in, however, as the two twitching tentacles in his hands proved. "Heh. Think she gave me some Violations for that?" Matthew asked, tossing the severed chunks of meatship aside. "Not that I care." He found himself breathing heavily. Despite having been in the air less than a minute or so, Matthew'd fought the damned things with every ounce of spirit he had.

Stacy'd still beaten him. That more than anything pissed him off. "This thing is coming off first chance I get."

"You'd at least get a warning first, I think? Yeah, she dragged us up here against our will, but I think she'd be understanding of her pod-children having a hostile reaction to being forcibly handled like that. Right, Stacy? I know you're not exactly a human and all but you knew he didn't want one."

Predictably, there's no response. "Figures. Very impressive fight, by the way," Zoki adds to Matt. "I'm sorry about this. I shouldn't have provoked her. But hey, at least we're clean and able to see, yeah? Not that the skittery goop-cleaners feel very clean."

She starts to lead the way up to the tubes that would carry them out. "Come on. Let's head up to the Living Area. Maybe you can get rid of that and hang with Chaucer or something, if he's up there. Or some of our other friends might be waiting."

"It's not your fault. I probably didn't please her too much either. Let's see what we can find out, then. But first, let's stop by those lockers. I'm pretty sure I'll have something in there, at least."

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PODPOPPING IS A GO

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