Hitchhiker's Guide to Adventure [Time Turtle&Roose

[Turtle of Doom]

The orange blades of grass folded stiffly under Shreya's feet as she moved toward the designated area, a crisp breeze blowing her short lavender hair across her face. She was done with this place. Nothing fun to do. The government was super strict and their tourist laws had prevented her from doing anything that she might have enjoyed. All the natural landmarks had been "off limits" to her, and the penalties were ridiculous.

Reaching the hitch-pad, she pulled the transmitter from her pant pocket and fired a signal, the device beeped in her hand; the confirmation that it was working. With any luck she'd be off this boring planet within the next hour. Gently, she pulled the travel pack off her back and unhooked the collapsible stool from the bottom of it. With a swift flick, the legs locked into place and Shreya lowered herself into the seat to wait.

So far, this trip had been nothing like she'd expected. The adventure she was hoping for just hadn't happened, and if she was to be honest with herself she was just about ready to give up. Nothing was going as planned. Hitching sucked. She had no say about where she ended up next... and so far the places she managed to get to sucked. Two out the three rides she'd managed so far had expected her to act like their slave. Supposed to bend at their every beck and call. The other one was cool. She just cleaned a bit in exchange for the ride. Something needed to give. Something to make this whole trip worthwhile...

Shreya pushed her hand through her hair and leaned forward, staring absently into the distance too lost in her thoughts to see that her signal had been answered.

@Roose Hurro

 

[Roose Hurro]

Getting A Ride...




Yes, indeed, her signal had been answered. Perhaps not in a way she was used to. No teleportation. No magnificent (or not so magnificent) starship dropping out of the local skies. Just... a bus. Yes, a bus. A bus that hadn't actually received her signal. Just happened to be passing through. Total coincidence. Serendipity. Or maybe not? It wasn't a new bus. It wasn't a clean bus. It wasn't a quiet bus. It was just a plain, old, ordinary yellow school bus, converted. Diesel clatter. Diesel stink. Nothing to recommend it as a fine choice of ride, except.......

....... Beev Frinn, a young male Tirril. Looks like a rabbit, a squirrel and assorted, unclassified small furry critters... what you might get after a drunken night of passion in a zoo's small mammal house. Wears loud Hawaiian shirts and kaki shorts. Drives a converted school bus. Lives in said school bus. Drives said school bus all over the galaxy, looking for that perfect wave. Because he's a surfer. Loves oceans and waves and conquering such while his furry carcass is perched on a fragile board of foam and fiberglass, just an instant away from wipeout.

Though, actually, he's quite good, and has the trophies to prove it.

His bus? Not what it appears to be. Though Shreya, at present innocent of all this knowledge, perhaps wondered if her "hitcher" device actually was broken. Or maybe not. Still.......

Beev's bus arrived with a clatter and a belch of diesel fumes. Potato-scented, strangely enough. Door creaked and slapped open, then...

... "Hellooo, dudette! Need a ride?"

Yes, he leaned towards the open door, grin on his furry, flop-eared rabbity face. Even gave a cute wiggle of his nose, to accent his question.


-------

 

[Turtle of Doom]

Eyes wide, and jaw dropped, Shreya watched as a bus plopped out of the sky and onto the hitcher pad. She had seen buses before. But only in junkyards back home. They weren't supposed to fly... It didn't look safe. It didn't look reliable. Nor did the creature that showed up in the doorway. Nothing about the scene in front of her inspired confidence, but something about it made her all but flutter with excitement.

This was it. The bus basically reeked of adventure and fun. A slow smile spread across her face as she rose to her feet and took a few small steps toward the vehicle. "Woah," she whispered as she continued to stare. Unsure if she should accept this particular ride, but knowing she was going to regardless, Shreya kicked the legs out from under the stool and swooped it up in one movement. Stool in hand one hand, she bent and picked up her pack with the other and tossed it over the other shoulder taking another step towards the bus. "Absolutely. Where we heading?"

 

[Roose Hurro]

Catching Waves...



Beev hadn't needed a signal to know what this "dudette" was looking for. He also hadn't failed to notice her wide eyes and dropped jaw. Truth to tell, he hadn't expected to arrive on a hitcher pad. He'd expected to arrive elsewhere. A place with more sand... and ocean. But this wasn't the first time his hyper-nav had dropped him in strange places. Nature of the beast. Beev knew quite a bit about this particular animal, but it still wasn't quite tamed. However, Beev hadn't lost his confidence. Took every moment of life he could with a Zen calm. Centered. Comfortable in his own skin. Not afraid to be bitten.

However, he did feel his own flutter of excitement. Because this unexpected "detour" had landed him this...

... "Dudette! We are heading to catch the most awesome of waves." He gave his jury-rigged hyper-nav console a friendly yet vigorous pat.

Yes, if Shreya wanted adventure, she couldn't have done better than Beev. Or worse, depending on just what "adventure" meant in her dictionary. Just remember the warning: "Be careful what you wish for."

 

[Turtle of Doom]

"Waves?"

Shreya shrugged and strolled up to the door of the bus, peering past Beev for a moment. Truth be told, the whole thing make her a little nervous, but it was a good kind of nervous. Her skin tingled with the possibilities of fun. She wasn't a surfer, and had never even attempted to be one, but this whole trip was about new experiences. And this was definitely one of those.

"Sounds like a good time to me," she exclaimed with a grin as she moved further into the bus; giving the inside a more than just a cursory glance. It was different than anything else that had swooped out of the sky and picked her up. Which was what she was looking for, after all.

Before setting her bag down though, negotiations were proper at this stage. Even though this particular dude didn't seem too caught up in proper, she needed to make sure that he understood what she was willing to do to compensate him for this ride. "I can do any cleaning around the ship," she told him, her voice suddenly clipped and tense. "That's about all I can offer for the ride, if that's cool with you."

Shreya's fingers tightened on the straps of her pack as she waited for his response...

 

[Roose Hurro]

Pick Up Line...



It was different than anything else that had swooped out of the sky...

Except for the fact, being a bus, it had "driven" out of hyperspace. Which, yes, made it different. On the inside, less like a bus, more like a motorhome. A few extra seats up front left behind from its "bus" days, but the rest, cleaned out and totally converted. Bedroom way in the back. Tiny kitchen in the middle. Bathroom, hidden behind a door near the bedroom. Lots of storage space, including a rack with surfboards, trophies and other surfing gear. Very tight. Very cozy. Not very private, with two now aboard. And not much in the way of excess space. Lots of windows, though.

And Beev.

Who grinned, with a wiggle of nose...

... "Chill, dudette... having your company is payment enough."

He waved right hand and bushy tail towards the other seats...

... "Let the Beev drive. Just sit and enjoy the view."

With that, he resettled in his driver's seat, closed the door, and shifted into gear.......

 

[Turtle of Doom]

Nodding, Shreya loosened her grip on her back and dropped it off her shoulder, pushing it out of the way and under a seat before sitting in it herself. The seat she chose was close to the driver's and on the opposite side of the bus. "Sounds good to me," she said, relieved that she had managed a ride with a laid back driver. "I'm Shreya, by the way."

Her introduction happened just as the bus shifted into gear. Immediately she shut her eyes. Take-off was her least favorite part of travel. Once in the air she was fine, landing didn't bother her much either. But the feeling of leaving the ground still unsettled her. Her heart jumped into her throat and her hands clawed at the seat. She knew that it was irrational to act like that, but she just couldn't help it. After a minute or so and several deep breaths, Shreya opened her eyes and focused her attention out of the window. It took her a little less time to get control of herself every time.

Her heart back in its proper place, and relaxing back into the seat, Shreya's gaze shifted from the window to Beev. "So, which planets have the best waves, anyway?"

 

[Roose Hurro]

Catching Air...



Take off.......

Perhaps Beev's bus did feel like it was taking off, what with its suspension's rise and fall as tires bit the road. Beev's bus didn't fly through hyperspace. It drove. As in, hit the road, spool up the drive caps, discharge...POOF!... all that inconvenient distance, gone. Usually hit the right planet, though not always the right location on the right planet. Sometimes the wrong planet in the right location. Sometimes.......

Hyperdrives could be fussy, activated so deep in a planet's gravity well. All part of the adventure! Beev had stopped wearing underpants, just to save on laundry. And because underpants really.......

Oh, yes, Shreya...

... "Planets with the most moons, fo' sho! No moons, no waves... very bogus..."

They hit a bump, and the bus felt like it was flying again. Beev grinned...

... "Know a place for awesome grindage and brew?"

Hopefully, Shreya would be able to translate.......

 

[Turtle of Doom]

"Grindage and brew?" Shreya raised an eyebrow and tilted her head curiously. She'd never met anybody that spoke like this guy did and it took her a minute to process what he was asking.

"Oh! You mean like food and whatnot? I, um, don't really know of any place personally. But I have a guidebook!"

Shreya lifted her bag into the seat next to her and started digging though it; talking the entire time.

"I've never actually traveled much before. This is my first time off my home planet, but I've been planning this trip for what seems like forever now. I have no place in mind, exactly, just trying to see as much of the system as possible. I've always wanted to see-- Oh! Here it is!" She grinned as she held up the book. The cover was torn and dirty. It had obviously seen some better days. The lettering was faded and the binding was coming undone, but she smiled proudly at the book, nonetheless. Flipping through the pages she mumbled quietly to herself, continually pushing her hair out of her face as she was trying to read.

 

[Roose Hurro]

Books Tell Tails...



As focused as he could be on his driving, what with Shreya talking, Beev simply nodded his furry little head. Content to just listen. Until she announced "Here it is!" At that, he glanced her way, a flick of bushy tail with grin, before glancing back at the road...

... "Sooo awesome, dudette!" His tail flicked again as he glanced back.......

....... BA DUMP BUMP! PUMPHhhhhh!.......

Beev's bus lurched, then started to wobble... flappa-flappa-flappa... before Beev himself hit the brakes, bringing their progress to a halt...

... "Bummer! Sounds like we have a flat......."

With that declaration, he activated the parking brake, shut down the engine, and got out of his seat. Stepped over, patted Shreya on the shoulder, then...

... "Sorry, dudette. Gotta fix this." But he grinned... "Come with, and you can read your cool book to me while I work."

With that declaration, he stepped back the way he'd come, hit the door release, then headed out the door.

 

[Turtle of Doom]

A startled shriek interrupted her reading as the bus lurched. The book went flying out of her hands and after a short trip through the air it bounced off a seat and clattered onto the floor. But Shreya wasn't watching the book at this point. No. Shreya was focused on her lap, her hands clutching the seat so tightly her knuckles were white. She was trying to calm herself down while simultaneously cursing herself for thinking that a trip across the system was a good plan. Transports always stressed her, but her appetite for adventure had demanded to be sated! So here she was, clawing at the seats of a bus and trying to talk herself down. Beev didn't seem to be that perturbed by the whole ordeal.

"Bummer! Sounds like we have a flat......."

"H-how?!" Shreya managed to squeak out in response as he activated the brakes and shut the engine down. The fact that the bus was turned off did wonders for her elevated heart rate. She was going to have to learn to chill. Slowly she pried her fingers away from the seat and rose onto shaky legs to follow him off the bus. The book forgotten in her rush to have her feet on solid ground once again. She inhaled deeply and bounced a few times, partially testing the gravity and partially just to reassure herself that the ground beneath her feet was, in fact, solid.

She paced a little bit, stretching her legs out, and enjoying the air all the while trying not to stray too far away from the bus. She didn't want to have to get another ride, and so far, she'd really enjoyed Beev's laid back attitude. It helped her feel more mellow. And that was a nice change of pace. Leaning over him she watched him change the tire... She was getting hungry...

"How much longer?"

 

[Roose Hurro]

Foreign Object...



Yes, old school busses did tend to lurch quite a bit when they hit "bumps". But old school busses, hyperspace converted or not, didn't travel across solar systems while being driven down the road. So, yes, Beev wasn't all that perturbed. He'd had flats before, what with all the various road surfaces he'd driven over in his life with his bus. Everything from nails to whatever this "bump" happened to be.

"H-how?!"

Well, the bus's tires weren't new. Not completely worn, but... heh... they had lots of miles on them!

Beev always tackled life full on, so he got to work, glad he had a good spare, not afraid to get down and dirty. Too busy to answer Shreya's question. Not an easy job jacking up a bus, pulling off a heavy wheel and tire, but he had the tools and an athletic bod under fur, so he managed to get the job done, also glad the weather was nice... sunny but cool. Still, he now looked a sight, as he finally took the time to see just what he'd run over... what foreign object had punctured his tire.

Wasn't hard to find, but as he held it... held it out to Shreya... he looked clearly puzzled...

... "This is so bogus! Who'd drop such a thing...?"

His "Surfer Dude" lingo also dropped on that last line, as he looked about. As if looking for whoever had dropped this odd object onto the road. A sudden breeze ruffled his fur as his bushy tail flicked.......


-------

 

[Turtle of Doom]

Shreya tilted her head to the side as she reached out and grabbed the object out of Beev's hand. She stayed quiet as she turned it over in her hands. Inspecting the edges and corners looking for some indication of what it was. It was a weird shape, designs swirled delicately along each side creating bigger designs. As she turned rotated it the sun glimmered and glinted off the object giving it an iridescent glow.

"It's pretty," she announced after a while. Not giving any other descriptors. "Finder's keepers. I know I'm not going to be the next person to drop it."

With a grin, she gave it a little toss up into the air and caught it before hopping back onto the bus and stuffing it in her bag. When she returned she had her book back in her hand, and more relaxed look on her face.

"Where can we get some grub? I'm famished." She turned and looked off the road, toward the horizon; squinting off into the distance before finally pointing down the road in a single direction. "Could be wrong but I think the closest town is that way."

Making her way back to the bus she poked the replacement tire with her foot (just to be sure it was good to go) and then hopped up the steps turning only briefly to stick her head out the door and call back to Beev, "Are you coming or what?"

 

[Roose Hurro]

Or What...



Beev would've considered "The Object" more like something stuck on top of a Christmas tree. It was the right size. The shape was close enough... if you squinted hard. And that was another thing about it, reason for his "Bogus!" comment. Because "The Object" didn't have a scratch on it, even after being run over by a very heavy bus. After tearing up a very sturdy steel-belted radial. Yes, in a way, he felt glad Shreya grabbed it out of his hand... it was making his skin itch.

Of course, that may have been more due to him looking like he'd rolled in the dirt. Then rubbed himself on the underside of his bus. He really, really, really needed a shower.......

Yes, Shreya came out after having gone in, now with book in hand. Beev stopped trying to wipe dirt off his fur and clothes when she asked her question, then pointed "That Way". Then went back into the bus, again. After kicking his just-replaced tire...

... "I'm coming to or what, dudette!" His grin almost split his head in two.

So yes again, he also hopped up the steps. Now, to be brief, Beev's bus had all the comforts of home. Bedroom. Kitchen. Living room. Pantry. Laundry room. And most important, a bathroom. With shower...

... "Look and feel like I just ate it... give me five minutes, yah?"

With that said, Beev headed back, deeper into his bus. Stripped off his dirty clothes, threw them towards the hamper, then popped open the door to his bathroom/shower...

... "If you need anything, knock..." said with grin over shoulder.

 

[Turtle of Doom]

Shreya slumped into a seat as Beev disappeared into the bathroom; her feet sprawled out in front of her and her head was turned lazily toward the window... watching nothing in particular. This planet wasn't especially exciting. It wasn't especially anything actually. It definitely wouldn't have been one of her choices to stop at. It just kind of was. It was there. It did exist. Nothing spectacular beyond that.

She could hear the water from the shower running and she stood up. Moving through the bus and looking at all the little things. A lot of work had been done to this. She opened cabinets, and drawers. Just being nosy. And trying to learn as much about the furry Beev as she could. After all, they'd only just met. She didn't find anything too interesting in the bus either and she returned to her seat with a sigh; crossing her arms across her chest and scrunching her face.

Bored, she thought. What to do. What to do.

As her head fell forward, lavender hair dropping in front her eyes, she caught sight of her bag. Blowing her hair out of her face she leaned forward and pulled it open once again. Rummaging through it until she found it; she pulled the strange item out of the bag and held up in the window, letting the light from this planet's star hit it and reflect off the strange markings...

 

[Roose Hurro]

The Furry and the Strange...



Being covered in fur, it took a while for Beev to lather, rinse and repeat. Also, given the lack of room, he had just enough to shake, but not enough to dry. So he exited the bathroom/shower still quite damp, pulled a towel from a drawer, and started to dry himself from head to toe to tail. Of course, no privacy, what with no walls from driver's seat to bedroom, bathroom/shower the only "private" space on the whole bus. But Beev didn't mind.......

....... so, yes. Damp. Looking like a partially drowned rat-thing. Yes, Beev caught sight of Shreya playing with that odd, tire-flattening artifact. Walked over, towel drying chest-fur, so he could have a look, himself.

Grin...

... "Dudette! You find anything new about that thing?"

Without any apparent self-awareness, Beev's towel worked its way from chest to belly to his not so private... privates. And Shreya could probably smell the fresh-apple scent of his freshly shampooed fur.......

 

[Turtle of Doom]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"No," Shreya shook her head. "It's just really interesting to look at. I think it'll make a nice souvenir from my trip. Put it as a display piece or something, you--"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Shreya had turned her head, and was now looking at Beev toweling off in all his furry glory. Her eyes had widened to the size of saucers and her jaw dropped. "You're naked!" She managed to squeak as her cheeks turned pink and she turned her back on him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"M-maybe you should put some clothes on." Shreya was typically a very modest person, and this was a lot more of Beev than she had expected to see.. Even if he was covered in fur. She cleared her throat, her gaze still focused on anything but him, and continued. "I'm still hoping there's something nearby where we can grab a bite to eat…" [/BCOLOR]

 

[Roose Hurro]

Getting Dressed...



Even with Shreya's reaction staring him in the face, Beev didn't see what all the fuss was about. Not to mention, he still hadn't finished drying off, yet. So, in a delayed-reaction move, towel to tail, a smile quirked his face...

... "Chyeah, dudette... Shreya... everybody's naked, underneath." Indeed, a bit of surfer wisdom, given tight shorts and painted-on bikinis, when wet, left little to the imagination.

However.......

Beev draped towel over shoulders and headed back the way he'd come, voice tossed over shoulder...

... "If you don't mind hangin' out here longer, I have everything we need in the fridge..." Towel thrown over the drying rack, Beev dug up some fresh clothes. Normally, he put more time into grooming after a shower... and yes, Shreya was cute for a human, when she blushed... so, yes, he followed her advice. Then...

... "Awesome to be in a new place. Bummer I just got here." Beev returned, fresh shorts, loud, unbuttoned shirt. Tail, not as bushy as before. And with adventurous grin... "Could just hit the road, find what we find......."

Yes, he left the choice to Shreya: Eat here and now, or take a chance on finding something close.

 

[Turtle of Doom]

Taking Chances

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I guess…" she responded, acknowledging the fact that yes everybody was naked underneath, but still hesitant to agree with that sentiment. She'd been raised rather conservatively. Naughty bits should always remained covered in mixed company, at least that was what she'd always thought… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]But this whole trip was about rediscovering and relearning things. It was then that she made the decision to loosen up from here on out. She was going to go with the flow. With a sigh and a slight, but firm nod. It was decided.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She moved her stuff out of her lap and stood, giving Beev the biggest smile she could manage. Which was not actually a very big smile. Regardless of the little mental pact she'd just made with herself she was still a bit embarrassed at having seen him in the nude. The blush unwittingly crept back into her cheeks and she tried her best to ignore it. Clearing her throat Shreya gestured at the fridge. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Maybe I can make us something to eat while we continue on?" She shrugged before continuing. "Then we can maybe find a lush planet or something and eat there. Like a picnic?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Truth be told, she wasn't all too impressed with this planet, it didn't look like much. It didn't seem like somewhere they'd enjoy exploring. No water as far as the eye could see. The plant life looked dry, and close to death. Shreya just wasn't feeling it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"If not.. Then let's get out of here and we can find food somewhere else."[/BCOLOR]

 

[Roose Hurro]

On The Road Again...



To be honest, Beev hadn't been "feeling it", either. Especially after stepping off his bus and getting "personal" with its surface. Dry. Dusty. Its "vibes" just didn't bode well. He'd only just washed the "evidence" out of his fur, with more still on his previous clothing, in the hamper. Right next to his surfboard rack. And it had indeed felt like The Glitch had struck. Again. Yes, Beev might have appeared none too bright, on the surface, what with his "surfer dude" outlook on life, but... yes, he was quite an intelligent "dude". Intelligent enough to hear that "catch" in Shreya's voice. Intelligent enough to.......

Beev planted his furry butt in the driver's seat, the whole "lush planet" image clear in his mind. This particular planet, not lush. Couldn't really get more obvious than that. So Beev grinned, rapped furry knuckles on the nav panel, punched in co-ords, and hoped for the best. Sure, he'd been chasing The Glitch for years. In a way, he'd grown used to it, part of his vehicle's character, a flaw. Everyone had flaws. He could adjust this and tweak that, but, just like most people, his bus refused to give up its personality...

... "Really like the picnic idea, dudette! Better sit and hang till we reach our new road... don't want you to hurl!"

With those "ominous" words, Beev turned the key, brought engine to life, started charging the hyperdrive caps... shifted into gear, hit the accelerator, and started building up speed on their present road, with a hail of diesel clatter and potato-scented exhaust, all in preparation for their jump.......

....... which, when said jump finally occurred, brought alive a signal-matrix deep within The Artifact.