@SpookySquid

An evil smile spread across Chuck's face as he contemplated the information. "Of course, we don't actually need Smadablarah to side with the Elves, we just need to make it look as though he has. Once that happens his support amongst the goblins would falter and the goblins would lose their 'god' in the process, leaving them scrambling for a new spiritual centre around which to gather." And if he played his cards right, Chuck could easily maneuver his own puppet into the role.

Leaning forwards conspiratorially, his eyes darting over to where Craleeti stood watching him carefully. "I understand the three most powerful Elves in the country right now are considered to be your brother, Kleesh and Seepalaba. Tell me, which of the three would be most likely to be believed to have turned Smadablarah to their side? And what of Tarear, could he be manipulated into believing Smadablarah had sued for peace with the Elves?"

BB pressed the button and... nothing happened. Confused, BB then pressed the power button. Suddenly, the monitor came to life. The word TEMPIRE came onto the screen, and suddenly a blinking line appeared on the screen. It looked like a google search bar.

"Well, that's something at least," CC said happily as she sat down on the floor in the middle of the room and dumped out the contents of her backpack. This seemed a safe enough place for now and she was curious about what use the seemingly random items may be.

First of all she started with the surfboard. It was by far the strangest thing to have been given, considering CC seemed to be nowhere near any waves. Turning it over carefully CC examined every inch of the board, running her hands over it as she glanced up at where BB's perfect posterior was bent over in front of the monitor.

"While you're there," CC called over to her new friend, "can you see if that thing has any information on where we are, or what this place is?"

Nana-

Luke laughed, "Oh, we won't need to fly over to Chile, we're in Panama City! And of course they would be happy to see you!" It seems that Luke did realize that she was a Fae, but didn't really care.

Chuck-

"Yes, they are easily the most powerful. Aaahhhh... personally, I'm not sure if I'm the right person for you to be talking to. I know quite a bit about what's going on, but I prefer not to be involved. Aaahhhh... you have some interesting ideas. Why don't you talk to Macheel? He is normally quite busy, but if you tell his assistants that I sent you and present him this..." Mateel rustled through some papers on his desk and produced a sheet of paper. He grabbed a pen and scribbled down a note. He then signed his name and handed a letter to Chuck.

"Aaahhhh... I have a bodyguard that goes by the name of Breekla, Craleeti will introduce you to him. Feel free to use him to aid you in any way you may need. Finally," Mateel looked at Chuck somewhat pleadingly. "Please do your best to keep my brother safe. I will owe you if you can do that."

CC-

Suddenly, as CC's hand ran along the bottom of the board, a fin on the bottom made a clicking noise. Then it fell off, along with the tail of the surfboard. If CC were to peer inside of the surfboard, she would see a sniper rifle and some ammunition.

@SpookySquid

Reaching across the desk Chuck the piece of paper with a thankful nod, his eyes gazing down to read what had been written as he did. "I give you my word," something which in Chuck's eyes had no value and could be given freely in pretty much any situation, "That I will do my best to ensure your brother comes to no harm."

Backing away from Mateel, once more dipping into a bow, Chuck turned to face Craleeti with a beguiling smile, to be greeted with the guard's usual stony-faced response. "Shall we?" Chuck asked gesturing towards the door.

Chuck-

Craleeti opened the door for Chuck and soundlessly brought him to a corner of the casino to smiling and chubby bearded elf who was scanning the building with his arms crossed. Craleeti said a few words in a elvish and then Craleeti walked off, giving Chuck a nod and a somewhat distrusting look. "Hello! I'm Breekla!" said the elf, extending a hand. He had larger ears and seemed to be a tad shorter than the three elves that Chuck had seen.

Suddenly, as CC's hand ran along the bottom of the board, a fin on the bottom made a clicking noise. Then it fell off, along with the tail of the surfboard. If CC were to peer inside of the surfboard, she would see a sniper rifle and some ammunition.

Quickly snapping the surfboard closed again CC looked ove4r at BB's backside, which seemed to still be bent over the desk as she inspected the monitor. "Have you found anything there?" She called over, trying to sound nonchalant as she slid the surfboard back into her backpack out of sight and reached for the stuffed polar bear.

Holding the toy gently CC began to turn it over and over, examining every detail of the polar bear while her fingers squeezed it carefully, trying to see if there was anything hidden inside the stuffed doll.

Dear God why am I here? The thought flashed through Jojo's brain as it had thousands of times that day, no week, no...hell, ever since she had been accepted into the stupid games. What were they called again? She glanced behind the head of the dude she was supposed to be listening to at a banner on the back wall. The Echo Games. That's right.Why the heck would they call it that anyway... She surveyed the other participants. Only two guys, and one was a kid; the other was robed head to toe. She pouted a little. That's no fun.

"...any questions?" The final words broke her from her thoughts. I have a question- how do I get out of this crazy train? Jojo held her tongue, however, when she glanced at her little brother whose eyes shone with excitement. The Games were his obsession, as they were centered on strategy and intelligence. Jojo on the other hand couldn't care less, and applied to be in the Games as a joke. She had wanted to back out, but her brother had been so excited... He was the one person who could convince her to do anything.

And this is a big anything. Jojo had to admit that the facility was starting to creep her out. She had played it cool with her friends, saying how the simulation would be fun, that she'd just mess around. But really, there was nothing to tell her what she'd find in the Games, and it scared her.

Finally it was time for the helmets. Quelling her nerves, she dove in, giving her brother one last goodbye kiss. She had barely enough time to survey the simulation or even get her bearings inside it before people were pushing towards the backpacks, jostling one another. Hmmm... Already having made up her mind to play the game based on whims and to have as much fun as possible, Jojo made her choice based ascetic. Gold...obviously. She grabbed it, giving a wicked little grin.

CC-

CC didn't find anything unusual about the stuffed bear until she heard a strange voice emitting from it. Oh, uhh, what? Ah! I knew someone would come back for me! Release me from this prison! The blonde didn't seem to notice that the stuffed polar bear was talking.

@SpookySquid

Puzzled CC held the bear up to her ear and squeezed it a little harder, trying to see if the voice was coming from something hidden inside the toy, like a small pre-recorded voice box, of if the inanimate object had just spoken to her. God, I hope it wasn't the voice in my head again, it's not like I'll be able to get meds in here.

"Did you just hear that?" she called over to BB's bum, which was now wiggling from side-to-side as the woman tried reaching down the back of the desk to see if there were any wires and where they might lead to.

Jojo-

Jojo found her self in a particularly stereotypical dumpster. This dumpster had your average banana peels, unidentifiable objects, old socks, and... well... we'll leave the rest up to the imagination. Suddenly, something large started moving around underneath of Jojo.

CC-

BB shrugged in response to CC's question. CC couldn't find any sort of recorder box. "And I see your in my Tempire... ah... the memories," said the bear.

@SpookySquid

Taking Breekla's hand firmly Chuck gave it a couple of good shakes as way of greeting before letting go and making his way towards the casino entrance. "I understand you've been assigned to assist me while I take care of a little business in the city?" Chuck asked over his shoulder, glancing back to make sure the new Elf was following him.

"There are a few things I'll be needing right away, as well as some errands to run." Chuck continued, picking up his pace slightly as he stepped out onto the street and looked around for any sign of the goblin who'd attacked him earlier. While it was unlikely the goblin was connected to anything it would be a bad idea to leave any loose ends hanging around which could possibly tie Chuck to the Elves, at least until he had a few more pieces of the puzzle in hand. "There was a goblin here earlier who tried to mug me, and likely got a good look at my... face." Chuck chuckled to himself as he waved his hand up at the mask he was wearing. It would make life a lot easier for him if anything did go wrong, after all he could always get a different mask to hide himself behind. "I'll need the creature found and... dealt with."

Glancing off down the street Chuck tried to see what other buildings were open, as well as looking for road signs or directions which would lead him to the central palace, or whatever building it was Macheel would hang out in. "I need somewhere to do a little research, an internet cafe, library or anywhere I can get online. I'll also need rooms or an apartment to serve as my base of operations, it would be best of course if both these things came together, as privacy will be important for my work." He said, listing off his requirements swiftly and clearly to his new assistant.

Reaching into his backpack Chuck pulled out a couple of the ICP notes along with the sealed envelope. "I need to know the current local exchange rate for these," He said to Breekla weaving the notes at him before stuffing them into the inner pocket of his robes. "And finally I need to know when and where would be best for an interview with Macheel." While waiting for the Elf to answer Chuck carefully pried open the envelope from his backpack and peered in at the contents, hoping to find something to help with his schemes.

Overall things seemed to have gone well for Chuck. He had managed to establish himself in the city with a connection to one of the most powerful individuals in the country as well as gaining a manservant of sorts to help him coordinate his affairs, and all it had taken was a few well chosen words and the glimpse of a shiny bauble. Thinking things over for a moment Chuck reached his hand back into his robe and produced the glass eye, examining it for a moment before dropping it back into his backpack.

@SpookySquid

Nana nodded, and realized maybe being Fae wasn't so bad in the midst of so many different races. The big mossy one was especially interesting to her, and she found herself wanting to know more about him in the future. "Al-alright, yeah... Um, can I use the rest room before we... we take off to Chile?" She nearly gulped the last part out in between her stuttering and mumbling, casting her eyes to the green turf beneath her feet as she held her backpack tightly to her chest. She was nervous about leaving the area without really getting a good feel for her companions, but she realized being with people, no matter if they were strangers, was preferable over being alone in this strange new land. She had never been this far south before, and was beginning to notice her uniform sticking to the short grey fur that covered her body from sweat. A bathroom visit to freshen up would be most welcome, but she didn't want Luke and the others to run off before she could finish doing that... plus she wanted to look through her backpack more closely. The envelope intrigued her.

She waited for their consent before finding a nearby restroom, and then entering an empty stall so she could open and inspect the envelope addressed to her in privacy.

BB shrugged in response to CC's question. CC couldn't find any sort of recorder box. "And I see your in my Tempire... ah... the memories," said the bear.

Great, the one who should speak doesn't, and the one who shouldn't won't shut up. CC thought with a sigh as she watched BB's beautiful butt for a long, wistful moment before turning her attention back to the stuffed toy.

Holding it up in front of her face with both hands CC studied the polar bear carefully. She was sure it was the source of the voice she kept hearing, but it clearly didn't have an actual mouth or any moving parts and the voice seemed not so much to be something she was hearing, more the memory of the words arriving in her head without having passed through her ears to get there.

"If this is your memory, your 'Tempire', do you know how to work things here?" CC asked the bear, trying to ignore the strange look BB gave her while peering back over her shapely rear. Fishing in her pocket CC pulled out the small brass key which had been packaged up for her. "Does it have anything to do with this?" She asked turning the key around between her fingers as she looked at it closely.

Chuck-

Chuck examined the street. The signs had pictures and elvish words, but someone had gone through and spray painted a translation to the goblin language underneath of each one. "There is an excellent hotel around the corner. It doesn't have the best internet, but then again, most places don't. I recommend going to the library. Yes, the internet is just as bad, but the collection of books is phenomenal," said Breekla in flawless English. "As for the ICPs..." Breekla thought for a moment..."Well... don't say this to any other elves, but you probably shouldn't exchange them. The goblins use one form of currency, the elves use a different form. It gets very confusing. They will both accept ICPs."

"As for the goblin, I recommend waiting until tomorrow night. It's getting rather late- you see, it's very dangerous at this time," said Breekla as he peered at the moon in the sky and pointed at his watch which read 1:32 AM. "Same goes for the interview with Macheel," finished Breekla.

Chuck tried to open the envelope, but it wouldn't budge open.

Nana-

Nana was greeted with high-fives, hand shakes, and even slaps on the back. They thanked her over and over again, but when she requested to go to the bathroom, they let her go. Nana sat down and opened her envelope and found:

30 ICPs
A slip of paper that had the words "SPAIN AIRPORT" written sloppily on them.
A business card for... Millard Fillmore? The thirteenth president of the united states?
A sticker book
Five tickets to see "The Incredible Hulk V- Lost in Britain: DELUXE VIP"
A letter covered in tears which read:

Nana

Why did you have to go? You can come back and visit us right? You promised. You have to come back and see us in Phoenix! Me and Tim miss you already.

Jenny

CC-

"I have no idea what that key is for," said the bear. "But yes, I can help you operate the Tempire. It may be one of the only things that will help me get out of here."

BB gave up and stopped working on the contraption.

"By the way, I'm afraid she can't hear me unless she touches me. It's sort of a telepathic thing, hard to explain. I never could figure out all those magical things. That was Rockefeller's job. But I've forgotten my manners. I'm Carnegie, one of the creators of the Tempire... erm... you do know what the Tempire is, right?" Said the bear.

"There is an excellent hotel around the corner. It doesn't have the best internet, but then again, most places don't... ... ...As for the goblin, I recommend waiting until tomorrow night. It's getting rather late- you see, it's very dangerous at this time, Same goes for the interview with Macheel,"

Stuffing the envelope into his robes for now Chuck turned on Breekla, his eyes glowing dimly in the fading evening light, and glared at him for a moment to make sure he had the elf's unwavering attention. "I don't think you understood me correctly, dangerous is what we want and time is most important. Go, find the goblin with whatever men you can gather and take care of him, before he can tell anyone of the stranger he met outside Mateel's casino. If we wait until tomorrow he may already have spread word of my arrival, and that could... complicate things. If you need me at all I'll be at the hotel for now, once you're finished with our business come and find me there."

Spinning away from the foolish elf Chuck quickly made his way down the street in the indication Breekla had given him and turning the corner caught sight of the hotel which had been mentioned. Moving to the entrance Chuck took a moment to examine the restaurant menu on display beside the door, trying to see how much an average meal would cost in ICUs as his eyes gazing at the passing guests casually to see what sort of impression the place made on him.

@SpookySquid

Moving up behind BB as the woman lay bent over the desk, staring at the screen in bafflement, CC placed a hand on her divine derrière before leaning down and whispering in her exquisite ear, "Don't move. This may feel a little funny." With that CC carefully placed the polar bear on BB back, shifting it around so it was facing towards the monitor. "I really hope I'm not hearing things again..." CC muttered to herself before giving BB's rump a quick stroke for luck and moving up to the control knob.

Turning towards the stuffed toy she smiled sweetly as her hands lay ready for commands. "Well Carnegie, before we begin let's pretend I'm an alien from another world who knows absolutely nothing about this planet. With that in mind, explain to me in the simplest terms possible exactly what the 'Tempire' is, if you can."

Chuck-

Brakeel obediently walked off in search of the goblin. Chuck noticed a few suspicious looking goblins looking at him as he walked to his destination, however none approached him. When he arrived he noticed that all of the staff and people staying at the hotel were elves, yet not all of them looked the same. Most looked like Mateel, but some looked more like Breekla. Their heights, ears, and skin color varied. Chuck even saw one elf that had completely black skin and red eyes. He looked at the menu, but it was written in elvish.

CC-

BB looked strangely at the polar bear and then pointed at it. "Do you hear?" said BB. "Alright, let's see... the Tempire..." struggled Carnegie, seemingly ignoring BB's question. "My colleagues and I created twenty six different Tempires. They are designed using the latest in magic and technology... or what was the latest in magic and technology. Anyways, their are special rooms within the Tempire, however, fearing that our invention would become too powerful for the one who controlled the Tempire, we made a few adjustments. The rooms couldn't all be opened at once and were each very specific. That means that there is a room for everything in the Tempire. The flamingo room, the waffle room, the president room. In order to operate it, you turn the knob to the desired letter, and then press the knob down. That will enter a letter into the search bar. To delete a letter, shake the knob. To search, spin the wheel around five times without shaking or pressing down. Then, you can tap on the screen to select a search result."

@SpookySquid

After spending several moments gazing at the indecipherable curves and swirls scribbled in what seemed like a random pattern on the menu Chuck turned away, his eyes lingering for a moment on a black-skinned female elf who seemed to be paying him some attention before a well-dressed eld stepped close to her and whispered something in her ear. As he watched carefully Chuck notice some money changing hands before the dark elf smiled happily and slipped her hand around the other elf's offered arm and proceeded into the hotel with him.

Smiling to himself Chuck moved away from the hotel, shaking his head at how obvious the exchange had been, all the while noting how none of the other elves seemed at all put out by having a whore in their midst. Gazing over the crowd Chuck was certain just what kind of establishment this 'hotel' really was, given the mixture of male and female, high-class and low-class elves frequenting it.

Heading over to the suspicious looking goblins lurking nearby Chuck called out to them, "Bloody stuck up prigs!" His tone was comically drunk, words slurred slightly as he moved closer to them, certain they'd seen him talking to Brakeel and maybe even seen him leaving the casino. "Just because you start to win, they have you escorted out of the building."

Stopping just far enough away not to make himself an easy target, but at the same time close enough to appear to be friendly, Chuck pulled out a few of his ICP and waved them in the air. "Night's too early to stop now though, wouldn't you agree boys?" He said, jovially before jerking his thumb back over his shoulder towards the elf-infested hotel. "How'd you all like to join me for a little drink in their posh bar? I'm sure they'#d just love to have us showing them how to really have a good time."

BB: "Do you hear?"

Carnegie: "Anyways, their are special rooms within the Tempire, however, fearing that our invention would become too powerful for the one who controlled the Tempire, we made a few adjustments."

Looking over at BB in surprise CC smiled broadly, throwing her hands in the air with excitement. "You do speak!" She called out, before grabbing BB's face with both hands and placing a big sloppy kiss right on the puzzled woman's mouth before pulling away and turning her attention to what the stuffed bear was saying, still perched on the graceful curve of BB's perfect spine.

Most of what the glass-eyed toy was saying didn't really make sense to CC at all. Special rooms which couldn't be opened, flamingo rooms, waffle rooms, president rooms, and all of ity controlled by the knob on the desk ijn front of her. I suppose there always has to be a knob in charge of things wherever you go, CC thought with a chuckle before pointing down at the one set into the desk.

"We need to do something about the Queen of Hearts, and her treatment of the people of Wonderland. Is there anything in here which could help with that?" She asked, keeping things as straight forward as she could while her spare hand rested itself on BB's beautiful butt, her fingers giving it a playful squeeze.

Jac-

Jac could see her feet were dangling above a small room. The floor was covered in a thin layer of sand, and there were a few crates and boxes littering the floor and a rusty pitchfork on the side of the wall. The stone walls were cracked with age.

Jac looks below her and sees a small, sandy room with stone walls. What choice do I have? I might as well drop in. She falls to the floor, wipes the sand off of her hands, and looks around again. She can see a few crates and a pitchfork over in the corner. Is there a door in here? Any way I culd get out? Maybe I could just break out... Jac walks over to a crate to see if there was anything helpful in there - anything that could tell her where (or even when) she was.