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*Meanwhile, at Pen City International.....*
*Erik, Natasha, and Ivan are walking through the heavily outdated airport terminal with their luggage.*
Ivan: "Where are the cars?"
Erik: "They're getting taken back by ship."
Ivan: "Oh, okay."
Female Employee: "Mornin'. Where are y'all a-headin?"
Erik: *pulls out his ticket*
Employee: *takes the ticket and looks at it* "Helpinky-Undergrad in FinRussland, eh?" *hands the ticket back* "Let's just check y'all's luggage right quick." *walks over to a conveyer belt* "Just set them right there for now."
*A guard brings over a bloodhound that has been trained to sniff out bombs and drugs.*
Guard: "I hate to do this, but it's mandatory nowadays with what's a goin' on in some other nations. Gotta do what everybody else is a-doin, I reckon."
*Their luggage comes out clean.*
Employee: "Alrighty. Just set it on the conveyer belt. And then just walk on through this metal detector."
*They set their bags on the belt and watch as it slowly takes their luggage down through an X-ray machine."
Guard: *lights up a cigarette* *looking at the screen*
Employee: *walks over and looks at the screen also*
Guard: *points at something on the screen*
Employee: *walks back over to the family* "Is it alright if I open this up?" *points to Ivan's suitcase*
Erik: *nods*
Employee: "Alrighty. I always like to ask. Never wanna upset nobody if I can help it."
*opens up the suitcase and pulls out a shiny, polished 22LR single action revolver and three 500 round boxes of .22 ammunition* "Oh, my husband has one a these for takin care a rats and snakes and stuff round our place... This'd be fine comin' in, but ya cain't have it a-goin' out. Not to FinRussland especially. We'd all be a-gettin' in mighty big trouble." *opens the loading gate, pulls the hammer to half-cock, and spins the cylinder to make sure it's unloaded*
Natasha: *turns around* "Ivan? Where did you get that?"
Ivan: "Mr McCracken gave it to me as a gift."
Natasha: *rolls her eyes* "You know we can't have that back in Helpinky-Undergrad."
Employee: "Is there some friends or relay-tivs you might could leave it here with?"
Erik: "Uh... you can leave that with Marvin McCracken on Deer Creek Rd."
Employee: *pulls out a Sharpie and a small cardboard box* *sticks the gun and the ammo into the box, closes the lid, and starts writing on the side* "You said Marvin McCracken at..."
Erik: "212 Deer Creek Rd."
Employee: "212 Deer Creek Road in Pen City.... Alrighty. We'll make sure to get that to him."
Ivan: "Can we leave a note for him?"
Erik: *looks back at the employee*
Employee: "For sure." *hands Erik a piece of paper*
Erik: *takes the paper and grabs a pen off the counter* *starts writing* "Dear Marvin, I hope all is well with you and your family. Ivan appreciates the gift. However, real guns are not allowed back where we're from, especially not in the hands of a child as young as Ivan. You have been a wonderful neighbor for the short time we've been here in Pensyltuckee Island. I won't lie. I had my doubts when we first moved in and within the 1st few hours, Natasha told me she had already called the police on you guys. However, over the past few months, you guys have proven to be extraordinarily generous and helpful people..."
*He continues writing for a few minutes while Natasha and Ivan pitch in with ideas.*
"......Sincerely, Erik." *folds up the letter and hands it to the employee*
Employee: *takes the letter* "Alrighty, we will get that to him right quick." *sticks the letter in the box, closes the lid, and tapes it up*
Erik: "Thank you."
*The family grabs their luggage off the belt and walks over to the seating area, where they sit down right next to the window.*
Natasha: "I can't wait to be back in FinRussland. It'll be good to be back home and see all our family and friends."
Erik: "Same. I'll miss this nation though. This nation is decades behind most of the world, but underneath the rough exterior, the people here really are quite friendly."
Natasha: *nods in agreement* "We might have to come back and visit again sometime." *looks at one of the TVs, which is playing a soap opera from TPSA* "I wonder how Anna is. I haven't heard from her in a while."
Erik: "I'm sure your sister's fine. She's probably just busy with that new job."
Natasha: "You're probably right..... I haven't told her yet about how we got stuck in the woods by Springfield for a day and had to eat a poisonous snake. She'll enjoy hearing about that."
Erik: "She might look at you a little differently after hearing about all the different wildlife you've eaten now." *laughs*
Natasha: *laughs* *looks at Ivan, who is playing a game on his phone* "Ivan, since your phone's already out, could you check really fast to see what the weather is like back home?"
Ivan: *continues playing the game* "There's no Wifi here."
Erik: "No Wifi in the international airport... I can't say I'm too surprised." *chuckles*