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[claudiometer]

Claudia's beginning to suspect that the Lego fortress she's been working on for the last couple days isn't a fortress so much as not-exactly-her-subconscious homesickness. Which does make sense, in a way.

Doesn't exactly make it any less weird, though. She'll be glad to have her mind to herself again after today.

(And she may never admit that this is actually kinda cool.)

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[damncompass]

The front door opens, and Joshua comes in, wearing a light-colored suit, loosened tie, and a boater-hat with his Regent pin on his lapel, and bag on his shoulder.

When he notices where he is, he turns, saying something in an ancient language to someone outside of the bar, and shutting the door behind him.

He then wanders over to Bar, shaking sand off of his jacket.

[claudiometer]

"Oh, is that where you disappeared to?"

She knew he wasn't in the Warehouse, but she hadn't been paying attention to exactly where Joshua was. Clearly that visit to Warehouse 2 (which she's sure she only knows that much because of her current circumstances) went a little more smoothly than the last trip out there.

[damncompass]

He looks over at her for a moment, rummaging in his bag and stashing the Artifact in the static bag that was hanging out beside it.

"Uhm. Where was I and who are you?"

[claudiometer]

"Think for a second, brother dear. I accidentally Cubefall." That should be enough for him to answer the second question himself.

She'll tackle the first one after that.

[damncompass]

"... well, shit." Joshua makes a few faces. "This is... interesting."

[claudiometer]

"Oh, you don't know the half of it yet. I think I figured out who the hell this is supposed to be."

Claudia picks up the tiny, dark-haired minifig that baffled them last year - and does currently look a hell of a lot like her, as much as Lego people ever resemble flesh-and-blood people.

[damncompass]

"Ok, so who are you, then, other than somewhat awkwardly hot?"

[claudiometer]

"The Warehouse, apparently. Your boss took you to Egypt. And I understood what you said when you came in."

[damncompass]

"... well, shit." Joshua blinks. "I didn't know she could do that."

He pauses. "Warehouse 2 was so damn awesome. Ok, so it's mostly a big old fire-light now and some ancient shelves, but with this thing..." He pulls out the bagged Artifact. "I could read the things on the shelves."

[ostro_goth]

There's a curious fox cub coming over to inspect the fortress.

As a human toddler, Egil already knows about Lego, but he only gets Duplo bricks yet.

[claudiometer]

"Hi. Don't eat them, they probably don't taste very good."

And they wouldn't be good for digestion, she's sure.

[ostro_goth]

The fox cub just sits, and then gently nudges the fortress with a paw.

It seems a very good fortress!

From a bit further away, a maned wolf is watching the cub.

[claudiometer]

Well, of course it's a good fortress. It was originally designed by experts, after all, and Claudia does know what she's doing with Legos.

She glances in the wolf's direction but doesn't worry about it. It's Cubefall, that's probably a patron.

[ostro_goth]

It is -- and it's making sure that the cub isn't causing any trouble.

At the moment, the little animal is getting bold and stalking around the fortress, as if looking for its strengths and weaknesses.

[claudiometer]

"I don't think you're gonna fit in there, buddy."

The couple of doors it does have are very, very small, since this is a Lego construction and all.

[ostro_goth]

The little fox is still circling the fortress, peering at it.

It is a very good fortress, meaning to say, there is no way in for him!

[claudiometer]

"I didn't design it with animals in mind. That'd require bigger blocks, for a start."

[fairy_fixit]

Does the fortress have a helicopter landing pad yet?

Oh, heck, it isn't a helicopter coming in for a landing anyhow. It is more of a very complex quadcopter built from Capsela, piloted by 1'8" tinyperson via a daunting array of switched.

When the quadcopter lands outside the fortress, the pilot emerges and exercises her own wings for a bit.

"Well, that was way more complicated than using my own wings. It was fun though," the fairy says. "That is an impressive looking building, ma'am."

[claudiometer]

Helicopter pads weren't exactly standard in ancient Macedonia, no. (Also known as the last thing Alexander the great needed.)

"Thanks. Nice ride."

[fairy_fixit]

"Thanks. I am not a mechanical engineer but I think I have done a decent enough job figuring out the appropriate gear ratios. I probably could have come up with simpler controls if I was," she jokes.

"Hello, I am Fairy Fixit, Teleportation Systems Engineer for the Zanaris division of the Abyssal Services Department," she greets as she waves up to Claudia

[claudiometer]

"Claudia Donovan, don't usually look like this. Good to meetcha. If you wanted to keep that thing past Cubefall, I could probably work something out for you."

But if she doesn't, no pressure.

[fairy_fixit]

"That could be handy. It would be good to have something to lift the things I can't which I bet this can do, with a bit more power," she muses. "I already modified the batteries to that end."

"So you agreed to one of those odd reconfiguration offers that popped up?"

[claudiometer]

"What me to have a look?"

Claudia shrugs. "Not 'agreed to' so much as got startled and hit a button before I could dismiss the options. But it won't stick around past today."

[fairy_fixit]

"Sure! I didn't know that the reconfigurations reverted. I must have missed that part. What do you look like normally?"

[claudiometer]

"They always have before. At least one of Alyx's robots usually modifies itself during Cubefall and it reverts back." And then there's the chair she worked on herself over the last few. She never made it over there this time around - too distracted by all the input she's getting.

"Red hair, whatever color stripe I feel like clipping in, dressed like a thrift store fell on me."

So what if Artie meant that disparagingly. Claudia embraces it.