Quoted By:
No time to think here, you reason as you leap off the edge towards the nearest skiff! Though you land like a cat in the boat, your sudden appearance causes the whole thing to bob and drift against its moorings–almost as if it’s <span class="mu-i">TRYING</span> to shake you off! The nerve!
“<span class="mu-s">STAN, WAIT, DAMN IT!</span>”
By the time you hear Art’s plaintive cries, you’re already halfway across your ad hoc bridge! Skipping from skiff to skiff like they were stepping stones, you’re nearly shaken off a few times, but you hold it together! Hopping back onto the docks with one last leap, your rubber boots land on the pavement with a muffled ‘<span class="mu-i">squeak</span>’ as you shout for Art to shut the hell up and get everyone to the van! You’re on a <span class="mu-i">MISSION!</span>
“<span class="mu-s">YEA, BU-</span>”
Man, one of these days these dingbats are gonna have to learn to <span class="mu-i">listen</span>, you snarl! Sprinting towards where you last saw the outline of the van, you take the opportunity to ask Stripes just what the hell kind of emergency he’s talking about! If they’re all out of booze already-
“Nah, the booze is fine!” He replies with relief in his slightly-staticy voice, “But the party… the party’s already <span class="mu-s">STARTED!</span>”
Turning the corner and faceplanting against the derelict ice cream truck you mistook for your <span class="mu-b">VAN,</span> you shrug off the dull <span class="mu-s">’TONG!’</span> of the impact and take a moment to send an incredulous look into the radio’s speaker.
<span class="mu-i">HUH!?</span>
“And… and you’re not <span class="mu-s">HERE!</span>” Stripes concludes before bursting into raucous and <span class="mu-i">EXTREMELY ANNOYING</span> laughter! Sliding down the side of the truck into a sitting position, you try and fail to blink away your growing irritation as you sputter a response:
Is… is he <span class="mu-i">retarded</span>?
“Hey, it’s a real emergency, alright?” Stripes wheezes over the sound of fellow skeletons hooting and laughing behind him! “You went through all that trouble puttin' this whole bash together–just wouldn’t be right if ya’ didn’t make it!”
As you barely resist the urge to huck the radio into the sea, you tell your old pal through clenched teeth that you were BUSY!
“... wait, you mean… it’s <span class="mu-i">done?</span>” He asks with genuine surprise in his voice. “No kiddin’, sis?”
No kiddin’, you nod as you spot Sybil, Art, and Gus rushing over to where you’re sitting–the former blinking in and out of existence, the later practically carrying Art over his shoulder.
“... Yea, now you <span class="mu-i">REALLY</span> gotta come over!” Stripes adds in an awestruck tone. “Can’t talk about it over the uh… the <span class="mu-s">line</span>, dig?”
He’s the idiot who called <span class="mu-i">you</span>, you snap! You don’t need a lecture on privacy here!
“Didja’ tell him I said ‘hi’ yet?”
<span class="mu-i">NO</span>, Ly, you <span class="mu-i">DIDN’T!</span>
“Is dat’ Ly? Hey, tell him I said ‘hi!’”
“<span class="mu-r">Can you tell him I said ‘hi’ too?</span>”
<span class="mu-s">NO!</span>
“<span class="mu-r">... so you DON’T mind, or-</span>”
<span class="mu-s">SHH!</span>
>CONTD.
