05

[takethat]

[What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been! And now, suddenly having this shiny new journal ready and waiting to be chickenscratched in, it doesn't really look like things are planning to slow down any time soon. After all, this place doesn't ever do anything without a reason, so Phoenix is coming to understand--even if that reason is "to mess with you."

He opens the new journal slowly (having always sort of savored the sound of cracking a book's spine for the first time), thinks a moment, and then writes the first thing that comes to mind in huge letters that take up the whole first page.]

I GOT MY BIKE BACK!

Comments

[heloise]

[ She has no idea what a bike is, but hey. ] Congratulations!

written forever

[takethat]

Thank you! I used to get around everywhere with this bike back home, so I feel kind of... free, or something.

[thetrudger]

Good for you! ...What is a bike?

written forevs

[takethat]

Oh! It's... it's a kind of vehicle, sort of. It has two wheels on it, and a person can sit on it and move it forward or sometimes backward with pedals. ...does that help...?

[heloise]

This bike, is it similar to a carriage?

[modernholmes]

That's useful. What kind of bike do you have?

[flailingfelt]

You did? Neat! I got mine, too. I didn't know this place gave out Christmas presents.

written always

[takethat]

[Long pause.









He doesn't know a thing about bikes, except that he's really attached to his.]

Well I don't... really know... it's just a well-loved bike!

[takethat]

Um, well, they're similar in that they both have wheels! Bikes have two wheels, and people can sit on them and make them go forward by moving pedals with their feet.

written forever

[takethat]

Me, either! But I'm glad, because really, I didn't realize how much I missed my bike...

Or maybe it's just nice to have something from home here!

[billiardsplz]

Congrats...?

[modernholmes]

It must be, if the castle brought it for you! I just found my skateboard.

written always

[takethat]

Why thank you.

I'm kind of very happy to see my bike again.

[takethat]

That's great! Are you good at skateboarding?

[modernholmes]

I've practiced a lot.

[takethat]

I get the impression you're saying that in a "you don't know the half of it" kind of way.

Would I be right on that, hm?

[Hoping he hasn't lost all of his dumb luck brilliant powers of deduction here!]

[modernholmes]

Maybe. I guess you'll just have to see sometime.

he's been dictacting, too lazy to write

[billiardsplz]

What, were you married to it in another life or something?

[takethat]

[asdgfd way to ruin a guy's happy]

It's just good to see something from home again!

[takethat]

Ha! I'll look forward to that.

[modernholmes]

I's been a while since we talked. How have you been doing?

[billiardsplz]

It's just a bike.

[takethat]

Didn't you get something from home, too? A bunch of others said they have.

[takethat]

Pretty good! The holidays were kind of nuts, though... how've you been?

[modernholmes]

I've been okay. [It hadn't been a great few weeks, but it wasn't like hw could talk about turning back to his true age and all the other things that had happened.]

[heloise]

Pedals and wheels. May I come and see this contraption?

[takethat]

I guess okay is better than awful, huh?

[takethat]

Oh--sure, if you want! You can ride on it too if you like.

[heloise]

Can I? You must show me how to operate it.

[optimystic]

We should build a snow plow thing fro the front of it!

[modernholmes]

Usually.

[billiardsplz]

Sure did. I got some incense for the Pokemon.

written for always~

[takethat]

....should I bother to ask why?

[takethat]

Sure! Any time. But-- [A pause.]

Well, when I came here, the castle took away my voice. So I can show you how to ride a bike, but I won't be much good at explaining it.

[heloise]

Your voice? [ What a horrible thing to take away. ]

Well then, I shall try and mimic what you do.

[optimystic]

It's still snowing, duh. Come on Nick, don't get soft on me now!

[flailingfelt]

It's too bad we have to wait for the snow to go away to use them, though.

[someone doesn't know about the Seasons Room yet]

[takethat]

I think I'll just save it for sunnier weather...

Or ride through the hallways?

[takethat]

[THIS SOMEONE DOES]

No! There's a room here in the castle where it's summer sometimes and winter sometimes. I was there once before when it was winter--I mean, before it was winter outside.







Okay, just trust me on this. There's a room where it'll be summer and you can ride your bike there if you want to.

[takethat]

Sounds like a plan. I'll try to be a good teacher.

[flailingfelt]

... Huh! And that's ... more castle magic? This place is just full of surprises.

[optimystic]

You would think there's a rule against that.