Thirty Three Truffula Trees

[whichwayyoulean]

[Later tonight, one may find the peace of their evening disturbed by a horrible screeching sound permeating the journals. As if metal is meeting metal in a horrible, scraping doom. Accompanying the terrible screeching is a low thudum-thudum-thudum. This continues for about a minute before the Once-ler manages to grab hold of his journal, laughing nervously into the pages]

Sooo hey. Quick FYI. You guys might want to avoid the Laundry Room until tomorrow. Not that there's anything to worry about. Mostly.

Whoaaaah just stay in that corner of the room. Oh jeez you're getting Tide everywhere.

I might have experimentally given one of he tumble dryers legs. And then I was tinkering about in the back of it, just fooling around and I miiiiight have given it a teeny tiny slither of self awareness. Like the teeniest. Hardly anything, really.

[Screeeech. Thudum-thudum-thudum]

I think it's mad.

Comments

[the_effect_she_has]

[Reason five hundred and twelve why she doesn't live in the castle ...]

Do you need assistance killing the ... washing ...machine?

[whichwayyoulean]

The washing machines aren't doing anything...yet.

Unless the tumble dryer convinces them to join its new pack or something.

Man, I really have to start thinking these things through.

[the_effect_she_has]

[Oh good grief - a pack of appliances coming for all of them. She shakes her head.]

Either way, yes you need to start thinking these things through and you still need help down there?

[whichwayyoulean]

I think I should be okay so long a I have a good supply of socks to feed it and maybe a long stick.

[the_effect_she_has]

Once-ler, seriously, why?

[whichwayyoulean]

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

[the_effect_she_has]

Creating a machine with legs but no brain seemed like a good idea at the time.

...I might just come down there to smack you upside your gigantic melon.

[whichwayyoulean]

I'll have you know my head is not melon shaped.

And I'm an inventor, it's what we do.

[the_effect_she_has]

Yeah, but it's filled with mush. Fruit-flavored mush, no less.

Don't inventors invent things that don't try to kill them?

[whichwayyoulean]

And on top of the list of answers to questions I've never wanted to ask...

Naw, it goes a bit screwy all the time. It's part of our charm.

[the_effect_she_has]

Just ... yeah, don't. [Why share tracker-jack nightmares?]

Well, you do have that. The screwy part, at least.

[whichwayyoulean]

Awwww, that's the nicest thing you'e ever said to me!

[the_effect_she_has]

Considering that it wasn't that nice - I'm not sure what that says about either one of us. You still need help?

[whichwayyoulean]

I already know what it says about me.

Sure, help would be good.

[the_effect_she_has]

I'm on my way. Can you hold it off for ... eh, fifteen minutes?

[whichwayyoulean]

I think I can manage that much, sure.

[the_effect_she_has]

Good. No more inventing until I get there, Once.

[whichwayyoulean]

I'll try to resist the urge.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She got herself up and traveling to the Castle - and in about fourteen minutes hit the last step to the laundry. She eyed the room, then eyed Once.]

... You really like to get creative with chaos, don't you?

[whichwayyoulean]

[He gives her an awkward wave from his washing machine perch]

I like to think it keeps everyone entertained.

[the_effect_she_has]

Certainly broke up my day ...

[Katniss crouched, eying the dryer.] All right, on a scale from us to dumb cat, where is this thing?

[whichwayyoulean]

Let's go for 'brick' and if it turns out smarter than that we can be happily surprised.

[the_effect_she_has]

Good enough. [She eyed the machine, and saw that it ran off of power - and the plug was in the wall.]

Okay, two options. I can shoot the plug, which will shut it off, or I can try to get over to it, and unplug it.

[whichwayyoulean]

I'd prefer we unplug it than just...you know, shoot it.

[the_effect_she_has]

All right then. Hold on.

[She stripped off her bow and her quiver, and looked at the ceiling for the bannisters. Then she took a deep breath, ran and jumped on top of a washer. She used that, to jump into the bannisters, and start traveling across to the other side of the room.]