A Full Circle, Or At Least A Full Stomach

You ever get that sixth sense that something is about to go horribly wrong? Like those times when your kids wake up early and while you can hear them rummaging around downstairs, you let them go realizing they are at least being quiet. Only then do you wake up a few minutes later in horror when you realize they are quiet. That's when you run downstairs and realize how much effort those five minutes of peace will cost you in terms of natural disaster damage and cleanup energy.

Well, as it turns out Teleiotís, those cute little murder bots from the Legrand ware, are also like kids. Little destructive kids, who sleep during classes only to awaken when you are away. You see them up, and about but are sort of busy with your own disasters that have arisen, so you hope they can find something to entertain themselves with while you are gone, trying to prevent the exploding zombie apocalypse, improving one time use Extra Trait Slot recipes, or you know just trying to have an otherwise slow and uneventful day. Then to your surprise and excitement, you realize they decided to stay indoors, in your safe and protected classroom.

Again, there are parallels that run through my mind about how kids first find out that there are doors to the house. Then they realize if they wake up before mom, and move around the house, they can sneak out the front door and explore the wide-open world on the one Saturday morning that I had off. Next thing you know, you are doing your best 40-yard dash time down the stairs, over the Lego landmines that of course needed to both be played with that morning and played with right in front of said door to freedom. All so you can run outside scan the entire neighborhood quickly then run to grab your son from the middle of the road, in your bathrobe before an oncoming vehicle comes to play tag with your child, with the vehicle clearly being it.

In this current scenario, having a Teleiotís residing in your classroom is apparently much like having a little kid. You fear what could happen if they leave the classroom, even though logically in this scenario the Teleiotís would more closely resemble the vehicle, than the child. Also, like every new parent, you assume that your house is safe, that there is not a single thing you haven't accounted for. And for those items that you have accounted for, you are sure that there is nothing that can be broken that can't be replaced by your students wishing to suck up for better grades.

This is when Teleiotís, like your own children, prove you to be oh so limited in your view of the world as they destroy things that you thought were indestructible. Worse, you know kids, you know kids put everything into their mouths, so you know that this could be a thing. Not that you should expect fully grown adult-sized murder bots to put things into their mouths, but it is still there, in the back of your mind as a possibility.

"Wait mom, is everything okay?" Gwen asks, a note of concern coming to her as she apparently sees me finally paying attention to things happening kilometers away.

"No, not at all," I confess as I am still straining my consciousness to focus on the world far beyond my immediate presence and try to understand what exactly the little murder bot is doing at my work bench at the back of my classroom.

"What's happening?" Penelope asks, getting closer, closer than almost anyone else would, but oddly, her presence is not disconcerting. I pause to look at her directly for a moment, realizing that she is easily within reaching distance, but not overly close. There is something to this proximity that I think I should register or at least acknowledge but soon discard that thought.

"Apparently Raygunnr has finally awoken and has decided to make my Tier III metal workshop area the equivalent of an all you can eat buffet," I reply.

"A what now?" Gwen asked. Meanwhile, Zero feeling my growing anticipation, seemed to use this moment to not so subtly hide himself, shrinking down to his miniature state, and then posing as a tribal tattoo that warped around my arm and most of my torso. The only difference now was that there was a clear and dare I say pulsing bulge just behind his jaw line? Anyways, while he was trying to hide away, everyone seemed to turn their attention away from me and my suddenly sharp focus for a moment. Seeing the chance for what it was, I took it.

"Nothing," I responded as I decided to try to wrap this up as quickly as possible. Focusing my mind I quickly cast Teleportation to my classroom, along with my Cosmic Anchor and I was off.

Poof.

Honestly, I was slightly distracted by how seamless the combined double casting of those two symbiotic but ultimately divergent spells were that I almost missed the fact that I was now in my classroom, staring down a murder bot that was gorging himself.

Munch, munch, munch.

Despite my appearance, Raygunnr seemingly has no situational awareness. That or maybe a lack of Danger Sense as I stare daggers into his back, but he just continues to munch away at my reserves of parts and pieces. My loose gears, nothing more than metallic cookies. My piston shafts, the equivalent of bread rolls. Nothing is safe from the gluttonous acts of Raygunnr who seems Hell bent on eating so much that he will have dire constipation.

"You better be compressing that into the equivalent of giant bricks of gold," I press finally speaking and showing that I am here.

WHAA!

With a startled yelp, Raygunnr throws up the metal sprocket in his hand, which then quickly drops down to the metal table from which it once rested.

Clatter, clang, pop.

The roundish sprocket begins to bounce around the table. Raygunnr has the wherewithal to look visibly scared, his odd muscular plats scrunched up and overlapping each other as he clearly knows he did something wrong here.

Rolling sound.

"I am so sorry…" he begins, but is quickly cut off by the fact that the sprocket that he had dropped was now doing that odd rolling effect that objects do sometimes. Each roll is further highlighted by the way unmatched gear segments are forced to strike a flat metal table, and continue on its merry way as it rolls away. Hearing the sound Raygunnr looks even more sheepish as he reaches out to grab the object, only for the object to roll just out of his reach. I shake my head knowing that he aimed where the sprocket was, not where it was going to be, a rookie mistake, but now I just stare at him while I watch this awkward master drama unfold.

Raygunnr recovers, lunges again, misses again as the sprocket then hits a divot in the table and pivots right. There is a moment, and finally the sprocket mercifully rolls off the table, hits the grassy ground and uses the last of its momentum to hide underneath the table that it just jumped from. I'd swear the sprocket would almost be human, or at least sentient with that level of trickery.

Of course, Raygunnr still visibly nervous moves around the large workbench and then looks at the ground, only to not be able to find the piece at all.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"One second," Raygunnr states sheepishly in his Mana Language, as he holds up one long metallic finger before looking far off the table trying to see how far away that rolling sprocket could have gone away. Then back to the area by the table, not realizing that this one rolled back under the table. Oddly enough, I think that items that roll back under the table are the hardest to find. Mentally, I wonder if someone has done a mathematical formula to determine what items are the hardest to find, but then you would have to factor in different elements. I'm guessing time would be the ultimate factor, that is items that take the most time to find are the hardest, while those that were found nearly instantly were the easiest, but that seems to be biased based on the person searching as well.

I always check under the desks first, knowing that this is the hardest spot to find anything and the most annoying to search for, then after that I expand outwards. But I wonder if others have similar search patterns. Clearly Raygunnr is not of the mindset of the most annoying rolls should be checked for first, as he is out in the area between the desk and the wall searching for this illusive sprocket.

For a moment I am tempted to have him waste more of his time looking for this object that is clearly lost to him, when I decide to end his misery.

"Just stop," I declare.

Raygunnr confused, turns to look at me, and that is when I Telekinetically grab the item from under the desk, and point to it at the same time. Then pulling the item up from under the desk I bring it up long enough to show said item to Raygunnr, before placing it down gently on the table, where I attempt to keep it from moving.

Silence.

There is a moment of absolute quiet that passes between the two of us, as he looks at me, then to the still sprocket, then back at me. All while I just stare at him, wondering what exactly he is doing. Finally, I decided to end this sham of a waiting game and ask the question that is first and foremost on my mind.

"Does this look like a pantry?" I ask, speaking both in standard and Mana Language to the Teleiotís.

"Wha, what?" Raygunnr asks in response.

For a moment, I think about going full Mr. Jackson on him, repeating my comment. Then finally I do, but this time I make sure to add more intensity to my words.

"I said, does this look like a pantry to you?"

"Wh, what?" Raygunnr again asks and like that I can't help but smile as the line almost comes to me.

"Say what again," I begin, but then quickly fix myself as this is a guest that is why I don't finish the line correctly. "Seriously though, who does that? Who comes in pilfers the professor's desk, eats all of her valuable components and doesn't even ask for permission?"

"Wait, those were expensive?" Raygunnr asks, looking down at the metallic pieces that still glow with residual energy to my sight. I don't know how they look to a mostly metallic killing machine, but I assume not as shiny? I don't know.

"Yes, those are tier three metals, the hardest and most durable grade of metal known. The only ones capable of withstanding me and not rusting in my presence," I commented.

Hearing my response Raygunnr visibly paled, his mana spark that had been so vibrant and healthy a moment ago visibly seemed to dim, casting his body in a paler light. The process was odd, and very interesting. I was certain that if I continued to monitor for these types of effects, I could learn more about Teleiotís culture and mannerisms.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just woke up, and then this smelled so good, like home," Raygunnr began.

"Like home?" I pressed.

"Yes, like home. I don't know how else to describe the sensation, but it felt like warmth, sunshine, and being completely safe."

At that admission I paused, trying to think about this development, only to mentally make the mental connection of how this entire thing seemed to have gone full circle. It started with me bringing the Teleiotís to life in the deep mines that searched for these very Tier III metals. In fact, from my understanding, most of my supply likely came from the Legrand Empire, which likely harvested it from the same mines where the Teleiotís were processed and assembled.

There is an odd sort of symmetry to this mental revelation that I can't help but feel is part forced by the system, and part was always destined to have happened. After making that mental connection, I give the only reply I could.

"Well, I hope you got one heck of a quest for eating all of my rare parts," I state half-jokingly, as I reference my worktable that once was filled with various tools and assorted parts in their own place and position.

Tingle.

Of course, after I make that comment, I am mentally given a question by the system.

Assignable Quest Available: Would you like to assign Teleiotís Raygunnr the quest: I Love You Gearly: Where you offer Raygunnr a unique quest for eating all of your highly saturated gears and components to produce something truly wonderful? Current completion rate (58 / 60). Yes or No?

GROAN!

Seeing the quest prompt, I groan in annoyance as I realize that I just mentally thought into existence a quest that would at least cause some form of positive result to have occurred based on this act. The only problem was that this quest was still not complete as I still had two pieces left for RayGunnr to eat, one of which was clearly on the floor for over five seconds. Teleiotís don't believe in the five second rule do they?

I also realize that this is likely the system forcing me to either clean up my mess, as that table has been like that gathering dust since I put together the Prankenstein months ago.

"I guess I was due some spring cleaning," I admit to myself as I realize this might be the system's way of forcing me to let go.

"What now?"

I almost want to double down on the Mr. Jackson role, with the say what again, I double dog dare you. But I decide against that.

Instead, I just shake my head and mentally accept the quest with a dubious reward being offered to Raygunnr.

With a take it hand gesture, I gesture for the quest to go to Raygunnr.

"What?" Raygunnr again asks, he might be on repeat right now, that or he wants me to quote some Exodus, I don't know. Either way, he stops asking once I feel our souls link for a second as I pass him a quest to eat the rest of my spare parts. While also gaining credit for destroying the first fifty-eight of them.

"Wait, you mean it? This is for me?" Raygunnr asks, confusion evident in his voice as he turns to look at the last two pieces. Then his face scrunches up in a grimace as he looks at the one sprocket. "Bleh, do I have to eat all of them?"

Apparently, the Teleiotís do believe in the five second rule.

"It's metal, not like you can get a virus from this," I state a bit agitatedly. Then after pausing for a second, I then ask, "wait, can you get sick? Oh, this will be so fascinating."

Before I even realize it, I am floating over to Raygunnr with my third eye open trying to take a very intrusive before scan of his body, so I can see if the Teleiotís are in fact affected by viruses or bacteria as well.

"Don't look so excited about my possible getting sick here," Raygunnr noted.

"Relax, I'm a Doctor," I reply honestly.

"Of healing?" He asks.

"Technically."

"Technically?"

"I mean, no, not just Healing, but Nature magic, Holy magic, and all the good ones." I pose.

"All the good ones?" Raygunnr again repeats my saying and makes me sound like I don't quite believe the words that I am using.

"Look, some people can sell themselves well, others can't." I reply a bit too honestly, but this is devolving quickly at this point.

"You are trying to sell yourself?" Raygunnr asks, more than a bit confused.

I pause, wondering if there is a translation error again between standard and Mana Language, but then just shake my head as this seems to be a thing with Raygunnr.

"You know what, just eat your gears and be done with this part," I press.

Poof.

By now Penelope and Gwen both have once again followed me to my classroom on the back of Mr. Kujo. For his part, Kujo gets here pants happily for a moment as he takes me in, then seems to completely forget about me as he turns away and focuses east.

Is he mad at me? Did I do, or not do something to him to make him avoid me? I wonder for a moment but then turn back to Raygunnr, who has eaten the last sanitary gear, as in the one that didn't fall on the floor.

"Now go on, finish up this last one and be done," I tell Raygunnr as I gesture to the last item on my workbench and the last piece needed for Raygunnr to finish his quest.

"But what reward will I get for doing this quest anyways?" Raygunnr asks.

I pause realizing that even I don't know what the reward would be, likely indicating it is either very good, or something that Raygunnr or I would want, had we known. Realizing it is likely the latter, I go with the tried-and-true method of getting kids to eat their food that fell on the floor.

"What you are suddenly too good to eat the last of my food? Do you think I'm made of money?"

Hearing my words, a brow beaten Raygunnr reluctantly sighs to himself before reaching down and eating the last piece of metal. Or at least he places it in his mouth and decides to apparently try to taste this one.

"Well don't just swish it around like it is a fine wine, eat it," I press trying to see what this super-secret quest would be. At my gentle urging, Raygunnr looks shocked for a moment before gagging and nearly choking on the metal sprocket. I pause, wondering if I need to do the Heimlich maneuver, or would it be more of a Hydraulic maneuver with a Teleiotís? I am contemplating this and more, when Gwen gently comes over to me and whispers in my ear.

"Mom, again you know you aren't poor right?" Gwen asks.

Hearing her, I remember that this was in fact the case and that I apparently had a lot of money in the bank, and even made a note to check on that and to make sure my interest was applied accurately, but then so many other things came up. Hearing Gwen, I made it a note that I would immediately stop by the bank and check on my bank account status.

Until Raygunnr stated what his apparent quest reward would be.

"Wait, I'm somehow <unintelligible>?"

As Raygunnr spoke words that seemed to break the bands of all my understanding of this world, I was suddenly intrigued by the possibilities. Thankfully, Gwen was there to make sure we all heard what I thought I heard originally.

"Wait, can you repeat that?"

Then I was momentarily surprised and excited that Gwen, my daughter, had shown great understanding of Mana Language, and even attempted to speak to Raygunnr in his native tongue. That's why I almost missed the response.

"I said that I am now…"

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