I Heard It Through The Skut-vine

<snip of Jaxx’s>
So we were hoping you and your missus could help track down the machine that Jaxx would have ended up in and then put him back in his body.” Evelina took another breath after speaking to regain her composure.
Artemis looked at Evelina and then Alex. Alex pointed at Evelina and muttered, “Wut she said.” Artemis then pondered for a moment as he rubbed his head.
</snip>

Artie smiled and shook his head, as if shifting a mud hat from his brain. You’ll have to excuse us, Ms. Stone, Lanky Locks, my mind isn’t entirely focused, we were just having a little..." He cleared his throat and lowered his voice, almost conspiratorially. "... Familial, discussion.”

Alex looked about in confusion, seeking said ‘family’. His eyes skimmed the nearby photographs, then it dawned on him: Artemis and The Missus wanted to start one. His eyebrows shot up as he considered the practicalities of such a thing.

Eve smiled, a glow of sad and patient kindness illuminating her tired features.
“That sounds exciting. Do you have any ideas about Jaxx, though?”
Al nodded. “Yeh, could we talk to your missus a moment?”
Artie paused, for some reason almost holding his breath, before smiling in return, a little too widely, and ushering them in with a welcoming sweep of the arm.
“Yes, of course. Of course.”

-----

A series of bleeps and bloops, nods, squints, mutterings, frowns and signs later, and they’d learned there was indeed talk on the skutter grapevine of a unit which'd gone a little odd. Apparently The Missus had previously dismissed it as idle machine-chatter, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“Great!” Smiled Eve. “Then we should probably start looking for a skutter!” She turned to her partner in detection. “What d’you say, Alex?”
However, Alex wasn’t seated next to her any more, he was currently hanging from the overhead lamp above Artie's desk.
“Good Science, Lanky Locks, what’re you doing up there!?”
Solvay scowled, and pointed at the massive furry spider who was purring, and nudging the desk beneath him.

--

Corridors

“You ARE scared of spiders,” Eve insisted. “Why else would you hide like that from sweet little Patches? It only wants to be your friend.”
Alex sniffed and began the process of lighting a fag. “Ain’t scared. Just being sensible.”
Eve giggled.
“It’s got poison.” Alex continued, trying to bolster his shaky claim. "And it bites... Prob'ly."

Tramping past the canteen, they exchanged a puzzled glance as they noticed Phi chastising a baffled looking Jamie.

They made their way through the 'safe-zone', asking machines if they’d seen or heard anything about a Skutter Gone Wild. Some had, some hadn’t, some made stories up to add a little excitement to their day, and a few were uppity with Alex, believing the rumour that Tammy-24 had started.

As they came upon the third offish vendor, an innocent Alex decided he'd protest.
“Oi, get your head out of your grill," he grumbled. "All I did was lubricate her motor, and now, suddenl-“
“I BET YOU DID!” Snapped the Toffee Crisp machine.
“Eh? What? I me-“
“Oh, it’s written all over you. Mechy-fiddler.” It claimed in a whiny, almost nasally tone, before gasping in shock.
“Well! THAT is a very rude gesture indeed!”

It was shortly after this confrontation, that Alex and Eve's ears were blasted by some blood curdling screams which were pulsing their disturbing way from a nearby toilet.
"Either someone's in trouble-" Eve began.
"... Or they've eaten one of Phil's vindaloos..." Alex murmured.

They pushed their way in, to find that Jay, lady-Plisken, and the wild newcomer were in there.

The crazed one was curled on the floor, and appeared most distressed indeed. Alex shot Plisken and Jay a concerned glance.

“Uh?”

----
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