1-11 Smoke and Mirrors

Air wasn't supposed to just open up like a wardrobe. Not in Biin's experience. It looked like a mirror was folding in on itself over and over again. The light bounced back into itself, sometimes coming out of itself before it was even emitted.
Biin looked close and blinked. Suddenly, he jerked backwards and nearly tripped over his feet when a young woman suddenly appeared amidst all of the folded mirrors. He watched in astonishment as the mirroring effects subsided as if never there in the first place.
"He-hello?" He finally dared to speak.
She raised her head and her glasses shimmered in the room's light. She looked up at him and then smiled wide.
"Are you an angel?" He blinked. As if coming to his senses, he leapt up and took off his silk top hat and made a tremendous bow to her, throwing in a flourish of the arm that was elaborate and overly complicated. Biin Hejj, at your most humble service, m'lady."
She giggled a little. "That was wonderful!"
Biin's eyebrows raised. "Really? If you think that was an arm flourish, just wait!" At this he was about to launch into another overly-elaborate arm flourish that would have made a hummingbird in a hurricane look tame.
Augusta raised her hands up as if trying to ward off Biin's gale-forse gesture winds. "Whoa, hold on there. Not you. I was talking to Fligbug." She giggled in spite of herself.
Biin stopped, mid-flight—a gesture that probably would have put most in the hospital. He looked gingerly at her, then his expression turned towards disappointment. Maybe even a bit of offense. His eyes darted side-to-side while his body remained frozen in place like an abstract sculpture. "Fligbut, m'lady?"
She giggled again. "Fligbug, Mr. Hejj. He's our five-dimensional banana slug."
Biin remained frozen. "I did not understand one word of that. Except for the 'Mr. Hejj' part."
Augusta held out her hand and showed him Fligbug in their pocket watch-like state.
"You named your watch 'Fligbert'?"
"Fligbug. And they are not a watch." Her eyes glittered with amusement.
Biin relaxed out of his pose and looked more closely. "Looks like a watch to me." His eyes flicked up at her. He arched one eyebrow.
Augusta wiggled her finger over the watch and they unfolded into crimson blossom hues.
Biin jumped back. "Great balls of fashionable late penguins doing pirouettes on the prairie! What is it with all these flippity flip flips in my face?"
"Biin Hejj, meet our five-dimensional banana slug."
He cautiously looked back in Augusta's hand. "Um. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance?" He shrugged a little helplessly. "My sincerest apologies, Mr. Bugs, but...I've ne'er greeted a non-human before. Well, except for Beeper. But he was a sheep."
"Well, I'm Augusta Constantine, and I'm here to rescue you."
Biin nodded a dopey nod. Augusta leaned towards him expectantly. Biin just kept up his goofy smile as if they were enjoying a simple cup of lukewarm tea.
Finally, Augusta rolled her eyes. "This is the part where you say, 'Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?'"
"Why so ever would I say that? And what's a 'stormtrooper'? Is that like a five-dimensional bubble flug?"
She sighed. "Banana slug. Look, nevermind. I guess they didn't have Star Wars where you come from."
"My dear," he sighed back. "Where I came from, they didn't even have stars...although I think they did have a few wars. Anyway, consider not my ignorance a measure of a lack of gratitude upon my part. I am, indeed, most grateful. 'Twas looking like a dull place, this room. I wager whate'er magics thou cast should suffice to transport us anon."
Augusta smiled wryly. "Now it's my turn to not know what you're talking about. But, yes, Fligbug can get us out of here. Are you ready?"
Biin jumped excitedly. "Oh, yes. Please. Although I've not one instrument, but I do seem to have my performance jacket and boots, which is odd as I believe I died in my silk suit. Anywho, what ever shall I do? Stand a certain way?"
Augusta just chuckled and shook her head. "I'm not really sure. Fligbug has a mind of their own. I was simply tickled and amused to have experienced a tesseract first hand."
"My head will be so glad when we finally speak a common language, Miss Constantine," he winced.
"Just call me Augusta." She looked at Fligbug in her hand again. It was joyfully cooing. With the other hand, she arched her finger at Biin. "Come on over next to me, here. I think we should take advantage of them being awake."
Biin bounced over in giddy compliance and joined in her gaze.
"Alright. Hang on." She whispered at the folding figure.
Biin kept staring at the hypnotic undulations. And as he did, he had the sensation that he was getting smaller and the odd little bug was getting bigger, but nobody was changing size. Folds upon folds of folds around them flipped the air in that odd way again, and this time it was the barren room that flipped into nothingness while another took its place. However, much to Biin's disappointment, it was almost just as bare. Except that the mirrors now included a rather dapper looking man in a silk suit and a small but stout man in robes clutching a glowing blue staff and waving his arms around as he chanted in great volume.