Mooby Land, Sunday Early Afternoon

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

Ulrik III, Prince of Denmark, future High King of the Union of Kalmar, blah blah blah, had spent most of yesterday exploring the island and seeing the differences both small and large since his last visit up-time. Today, however, he'd decided it was time to indulge in the kind of food it was a little harder to find in 1630s Europe, despite the American influence. And also possibly avoid any sort of encounter with creatures intent on gnawing on him. So he'd ordered a burger, fries, and milkshake, and was people (and zombie-gremlin) watching as he ate his lunch.

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[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

Under most circumstances, Sholeh never would have come into a Mooby Land. She liked her food recognizably food, thank you. But most circumstances did not include being chased by zombie gremlins and in need of a place to hide.

She flung herself in through the door and dove into a nearby booth, hoping to hide. A few moments later, a pair of gremlins shambled in after her, looking for tasty, tasty people to bite.

Oh, hello Ulrik.

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

Was that- "Sholeh?"

The gremlins he was far less pleased to see.

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

Sholeh popped her head up, her curiosity overcoming her good sense.

"Ulrik?!" Normally, Sholeh would be thrilled to see him, but right now, the gremlins took precedence. "Watch out!"

The gremlins were making their move. Royal lunch was tasty!

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"Ugh," Ulrik grimaced at them. "Could you, perhaps, not?" he tried. Asking politely was unlikely to get one too far when it came to gremlins, though. "Is it just me or are there... more of them, than usual?" While a gremlin or two wandering about had been a fairly regular sight, the roving packs that had been out all day was definitely not something he'd ever encountered before.

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"Something's gone wrong," Sholeh affirmed, grabbing onto something to defend herself with.

It was a plastic menu. Look, there was kind of a dearth of options in this booth.

"Normally, they bite you and go crazy, but these ones--they bite and then they make people act the same way; groaning and shambling and trying to bite people, too!"

One of the gremlins turned at the sound of Sholeh's voice and moaned in her direction. Sholeh squealed and tried to get closer to the wall.

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"Like, those creatures from up-time fiction, what was the word, zombies?" Ulrik mused. He threw the remains of his half-eaten hamburger at the gremlins, and it was apparently flesh-like enough to distract them briefly. "Come on," he said, tugging on Sholeh's sleeve. "Let's make ourselves scarce."

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

Sholeh was only too happy to follow Ulrik's lead. Both to get away from the gremlins and also because Ulrik. As soon as they got to safety, however, she was turning to him and throwing her arms out for a hug.

"You're here!" she said, delighted. "I'm so happy to see you!"

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"I am," he confirmed, hugging her tightly. "I'm not quite sure how an invitation managed to get to me, since no other correspondence has, but whoever sent it arranged a portal and everything, so how could I say no?"

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"How are you?" Sholeh asked, giving him her sunniest, happiest smile. "How's Denmark? How's Kristina? Did she believe all your stories about the island?"

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"Things have been... about the usual. An assassination attempt or two, but we both survived. Kristina remains enchanted by this place- you have to remember, our world as it is only exists because an entire American town was transported through time and space. It makes it a bit easier to believe the fantastical."

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"Assassination attempts?!" Sholeh looked horrified. "Was anyone hurt? Were you hurt? Did you find out who was behind them?"

Did she have to march to Denmark to give someone a thorough piece of her mind? Because she would, Ulrik! For you!

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"It's part and parcel of being any sort of political figure, in my time," Ulrik said matter-of-factly. "Especially one aligned with a radical group such as the Americans. Everyone is fine- well, the would be assassins are not, but the rest of us are. There's never really any way to be sure if we've rounded up everyone involved in such things, but," he shrugged. "That is just how it is. But enough of me, how are you?"

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"Not facing assassins!" Sholeh said. Though that would not hold true for very long back home, little did the Tryad know. "We're in another city now, acting as an anchor again. This time we're not alone, though we don't know who any of the other anchors are."

What they didn't know, they couldn't betray if they were found.

"I'm enrolled in university, though! And Zhahar has a job! Umm, I don't get to go to most of my classes because they're at the same time as Zhahar's work, but I'm very diligent about getting notes and making up the work."