Salutations

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:24 am

A US army corporal, in dress blues, marched through the Dower House building, heading for Ms. Minamida's office. He carried with him a small parcel.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:26 am

The door to Ms. Minamida's office is open and she is standing at the window, looking out over the grounds with her arms folded in the small of her back.

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:31 am

The corporal stood at attention, and cleared his throat subtly.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:36 am

Ms. Minamida blinks her eyes as if refocusing her attention from somewhere else entirely and turns around.

"Ah, Corporal. I understand there is a matter I can be of assistance with?"

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:46 am

"Yes, ma'am. I'm here to deliver the 70-N, as you arranged with Major Briggs."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:49 am

"Of course. If you would go ahead and place it on my desk, please." she says, holding out her palm towards the table that, oddly, seems to be lacking the computer monitor one would expect.

"I understand it has chosen a less technical name?"

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:53 am

"Informally, ma'am, I understand it goes by 'Will'. I understand you'll be enrolling it as a student here?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:58 am

"That was the agreement we came to. It shares many of the challenges our students face and we are well equipped to teach them the skills necessary to overcome them."

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:01 am

"That's your prerogative, ma'am, under the terms of the deal you negotiated with the Major.

You're aware of the care instructions?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:03 am

"Yes, I received the Material Safety Data Sheet and all the declassified information."

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:05 am

"Alright, then, if you'll sign here, I'll be off. It's possessions, such as they are, have been delivered to the room you indicated."

He gave Ashlie a salute, and then turned and left the parcel sitting on her desk, untouched.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:08 am

Ashlie responds to the salute with a curt nod before signing the Corporal's papers and turning her attention to the parcel, opening it up.

by **Narrator** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:09 am

Inside was a perfectly square block of clay, about one foot on each side.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:10 am

She takes the package and turns it upside down to let the block of clay slide out and onto the desk.

"Mister Stanton?"

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:15 am

The cube hit the desk with a splat, and then twisted and re-formed itself, limbs and a shock of green hair emerging, and something approximating a humanoid form, significantly larger than the block of clay, sat there, smiling at her.

"Hello! This is the office?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:17 am

"Yes, this is my office and you are sitting on my desk." Somehow she manages to make that sound purely as if she was informing him of the fact and not like she is asking him to move. "My name is Ashlie Minamida."

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:21 am

"Hi Ashlie. You're the one who talked to the Major, right? This is a nice office. Mahogany?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:23 am

"Yes I am and yes it is. Very observant. How much have they told you about this place?"

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:27 am

"I knew it. Mahogany's warm and soothing. It relaxes people," Will said, running his hand along the corners smiling.

"They've told me a little, and I read the internet," he said, still looking at the desk.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:32 am

"The internet is a very helpful resource though for security reasons we only have so much information on the campus publicly available. Do you have any questions in particular I might be able to answer?"

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:36 am

"What's in charge here? Is there a chain of command?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:39 am

Ashlie allows herself the hint of an amused smile.

"I am the head-mistress of the school and thus have a certain amount of authority over the faculty and students. But compared to what you are used to, no, we do not have a military command structure."

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:41 am

"And you are stored in here when needed?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:46 am

"My office hours are from 3 to 6 on weekdays and will be here during that time. I understand you might need additional counsel at times so I encourage you to seek me out when you need help. I spend most of my time either here, at the Point or teaching class. Please do not interrupt the later."

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:49 am

"I don't think I'll need counsel. There are plenty of things around to talk to, from what I am told."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:52 am

"There are, but your situation is unique even to them. Still, you should find enough common ground. If you find you do have questions that your fellow students cannot answer don't hesitate to contact me. Oh and Mister Stanton? It is customary to wear clothes when around others." she says with a slight tilt of her head towards his featureless, but naked body.

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:53 am

Will pouted a little, but nodded. "There are some I use. They told me they were sending them here in a box. Do you know if that box has come yet?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:55 am

"Yes, it has been delivered to your dorm room. I can show you where they are if necessary."

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:57 am

"That would be nice! You can show me where everything goes!"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 6:00 am

"Certainly. Follow me." she says, walking over to the door and indicating Will to follow her.

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 6:02 am

Will got off of the desk, frowned for a second, and then picked up the box he came in, quickly buffing out a small mark left.

"Sorry about that," he apologized.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 6:05 am

"That's quite alright. The table is cleaned regularly."

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 6:06 am

"Hmm?" Will said, seeming surprised that Ashlie was speaking to him. "No, I was apologizing to the desk. It's not nice to scuff it."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:05 am

"Curious. Do you consider the table to be sentient?" she asks, sounding surprised herself.

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:07 am

"I'm not sure I understand the question," he said, cocking his head oddly to one side.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:09 am

"Sentient. Capable of independent thought. It is just a table. It's unable to appreciate or even recognize your thoughtfulness."

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:10 am

"Oh, no no. That's where you're wrong," he nodded. "It recognizes thoughtfulness, in it's own way."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:15 am

"How so?" she asks, genuinely curios. If not about the table then about Will's reasoning.

by **Will Stanton** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:18 am

"It gets...disgruntled," Will tried to explain. "The drawers might stick. Papers might get moved around. It might develop a wobble.

Use a coaster."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:21 am

"I'm afraid I don't understand." she says, furrowing her brow in confusion.

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