.


Despite what Gabby had gotten herself to believe was beyond those doors, she was very, very unimpressed. Rather than finding a room full of pamphlets and information and people to answer her questions and a bathroom (she was still shimmying), she found herself faced with another entrance that would apparently lead her down to a cave. Or cove.

What the heck was the difference?

There was a person there though! They looked entirely uninterested in the world all around them and the clueless people that happened to pass through those doors that had questions and bodily organs that needed to be emptied. Still, they were kind of enough to give her a brief summary of where "here" was and what she was supposed to do--walk down the stairs and "find her weapon," which was about as vague as instructions could get as far as she was concerned.

"And will I get to go to a bathroom when I'm done? Is there an exit down there?"

There was a murmur that sounded like a "yes" so Gabby took it as one and went off to find this weapon of hers or...whatever.

Her trek down the stairs was slow as she saw that it descended straight down into what looked like a black pit with a teeny little light down at the bottom. It made her a little antsy but she went because she really had no other choice if it meant the exit was down there. She expected shelves and shelves of weapons that she could just randomly pick, too, but that expectation was dashed pretty badly once she finally made it to the bottom.

Instead she found herself in a small, dark room. There was a torch along one wall that looked like it didn't really do its job very well, but luckily that same wall kind of had a glow all its own. It was about the only other thing in the room that caught and kept her attention, so she approached with more of an open mind than she had when she first started down the stairs.

She ran her hand along the carvings on the stones closest to the torch first, looking a little impressed at the tiny detail and its proud little glow. It was around that point she started to hear the faintest sound, a quiet hum. It didn't really bother her though, and she assumed it was just an after effect of having been out for as long as she had. There was so many and it looked like they actually made up this "wall," which made her even more impressed as she ran her hand along a few more stones. The longer she stood there, observing in silent aw (which was a very, very rare thing for her), the louder the hum got until it was a rather beautiful, sorrowful tune in the back of her mind. The melody went on, louder still, as she ran her hand along a single stone, tracing its rune and marveling at its glow that was oddly unique in her eyes.

"I...think I've got it..." she murmured to herself as she took hold of the stone. She expected a lot more resistance but it gave way very easily, and to her surprise it came away from a wall as something else entirely.

    ‹ At last, you heard my song. ›

"Hard not to hear it," she said, marveling at the deep black katana that she now held in her hand. Its runes were a bright red, the glow faint yet still dancing along the blade with each movement. It was heavier than she imagined katanas to be, but it felt comfortable in her hand and she somehow got the feeling that it was exactly what the welcoming committee said it would be: her weapon. "You were humming pretty loud. Good thing it was a nice tune."

    ‹ I've known it all my life. ›

"From where?"

    ‹ I can't say. ›

"Use your words, then. You're doing fine right now.

    ‹ That is, I can't remember. ›

"Oh." Her tone was more disappointed than anything, but she could prod whoever this was later. She'd gotten completely caught up in the whole "sword materializing from a stone" thing that she completely forgot that she could probably exit now. Glancing around, sure enough she saw an exit sign glowing overhead not too far away.

    ‹ Places to be, I take it? ›

"Yep. A bathroom. But," and she paused and looked at the sword, squinting a bit out of confusion. "I don't think I should leave this sword just anywhere and I've never taken one into the bathroom before..."

    ‹ That's rude. I am "this sword" you're talking about and my name is Sen. ›

"Oh! Well, Sen, you sound like a guy and I don't think it's appropriate for a guy to go into the ladies' room, even if you're in my head and stuff."

    ‹ I'm not sure that you have a choice. ›

Before she knew it the sword was gone and on her finger was a rather elegant looking ring. It had a rose design and didn't look like something she ought to own considering all of her stuff was the cheap, gimmicky looking kind. Not that she had any of that with her now, but still. It was the kind of thing that was hard to forget. Gabby inspected it for a while, her mind more or less reeling now with all the magic type things happening, and the need to go to the bathroom temporarily forgotten.

    ‹ Impressed? ›

"Uh-huh..." He seemed to chuckle at that.

    ‹ Didn't you need to go use the facilities? ›

"Hm? Oh!" Gabby looked up and saw the exit sign again, and the urge to use the bathroom came rushing back. "Yeah, I did. Do. But taking you with me..."

    ‹ You don't seem like you have a whole lot of time left to argue about this. ›

She shimmied for a good five seconds before running for the door.