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[mnt_mike]

Splinter:

Out by the Lake, on a hillside that overlooks the island where the Loompas continue to construct their beer bottle temple, sits a man in a maroon kimono. While he appears to be in a deeply meditative state the extra blanket to his left , along with the extra blanket to his right indicates that he could be expecting someone.

You, perhaps.

-----------------

Bumi:

There's a table by the Observation Window mostly covered by various maps of The World. Or...at very least The World as Commander Bumi knows it. He's leaning on one elbow as he pours over the maps, a cup of very strong tea in his free hand. The bright red overcoat of Bumi's United Forces uniform is draped on the chair back behind him.

He will figure this out. He will.

-----------------

Mike:

The Staff Hallway door swings open and a severely sleep deprived looking Mike emerges in pajama pants, a bathrobe, and bunny slippers. He yawns as he shuffles towards Bar and occupies a stool towards her middle.

The moment he settles an English muffin with strawberry jam appears along side a large glass of water and a couple of Advil Liquigels. Mike smiles, and is just about to partake of them when something catches his eye.

Something in her finish that...either he never noticed before, or is entirely new.

He moves his plate to get a better look, his eyes widening as he does so.

There.
In the center of Bar's top.
Inlaid among the grain.

A symbol which almost resembles an X'd out circle.


[For the sake of clarity, please specify who you're tagging...if anyone, in the subject line. My inbox thanks you in advance.]

Comments

Splinter

[balancingminds]

Charles has been trying to meditate and sleep, but neither has been working. Outside he's staring at the lake and notices Splinter who looks calm, he shivers as he watches and extends his mind to find some peace.

Re: Splinter

[mnr_splinter]

What Charles is greeted with isn't so much peace, as it is potential. Splinter's mind has the feel of a blank piece of paper just waiting for the right idea to fill it.

Re: Splinter

[balancingminds]

It's calmer than his own mind that's full of worries and shields which feel as if they're fraying.

He takes a deep breath and tries to match his own mind to that blankness. It's difficult as he keeps thinking there's something on the edge of his thoughts and vision.

Re: Splinter

[mnr_splinter]

It's not a feeling he's unfamiliar with, this...paranoia. Hardwired into every rat's brain is the background fear of The Predator.

It's so strong, in fact, that when Charles attempts to mimic the resonance, all that happens is the paranoia resonates.

It breaks Splinter's calm, and his eyes open wide.

BUMI!

[thenewblack]

[Also drive by tagging, because work hates kittens and free time.]

Artemis, like so many people in either her family's line of work or her current one, is drawn to bright colors.

"That's either a different world than I'm used to,' she says, "Or you have the best D&D game running ever."

Best props anyway.

Re: BUMI!

[abitofawildman]

[booooo! slowtime works for me, if it works for you.]

"Different world," he says absentmindedly without looking up from his notes.

Beat.
Wait.

He turns, his brow furrowed.

"What's D&D?"

Re: BUMI!

[thenewblack]

[Slowtime is where my game happens.]
"Possibly the nerdiest game ever," she says, "You mostly get groups of pimply faced teenagers in basements pretending to be epic adventurers or wizards. Everything gets sorted out by rolling dice."

Re: BUMI!

[abitofawildman]

[I totally mentally heard that in the voice of Ralph Wiggum]

"Sounds appealing," he says in a way that clearly shows he means the opposite of that.

Mike

[cutting_edgex23]

Is it the scent of strawberry jam that draws X's attention?

The scent of exhaustion?

The scent of alarm?

An unholy combination of all three?

Regardless, X slips across the room to stand several feet behind and to the left of her pupil -- and the Head Barman.

"Mike."

Beat.

"You are okay?"

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

Mike reaches for the Advil, which he then swallows without the aid of the water.

"Me?" he pulls a face as the pills don't go down as smoothly as he'd hoped. "I'm fine."

It's Bar he's worried about, only he doesn't want to say that out loud.

Re: Mike

[cutting_edgex23]

X's nostrils flare, just slightly.

Then she's wearing her patented dubious expression.

"Your scent changed. Just now. I -- "

It's then, of course, that she catches sight of the symbol that started all this. (For a given value of 'this'.)






"Oh."

Beat.

"That is problematic."

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

"You think? I was kind of hoping it was...an opportunity in disguise."

Or something.

Mike

[a1enzo]

Enzo's face falls as he spots Mike's reaction. He brings out his spellchecker and puts it on to make sure.

"Oh, no. Not her too..."

He'd hoped the Bar was safe from that, at least.

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

"This wasn't here before, was it..."

Re: Mike

[a1enzo]

"No. They keep appearing. Not on her before, though."

He scans up and down the rest of her length to see if there are any more.

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

There are not.
Just the big one, front and center on her top.

"Keep appearing?"

Mike

[hadyougoing]

Ava did not sleep in the bar last night. She went straight to Arashmaharr, put on her tiny horns, and allocated vengeance. The screams and wails were vaguely comforting-- or at least they kept her awake.

She comes to the bar with her silvery headband on, looking startlingly disheveled for someone in a button-down.

"Coffee?" she begs. "Please?"

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

Her coffee appears on Bar's top, same as it usually does.
Only this time it comes with a complimentary Mike Looking Dubious.

Re: Mike

[hadyougoing]

Ava looks dubiously back, coffee in hand.

"What?"

Mike

[guppy_sandhu]

"Oh shit." Guppy comments, looking at the symbol on Bar.

Then looking at Mike. "Hey Mike. We got a problem, have you heard?"

He looks decidedly rough, like someone who didn't sleep for three days.

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

"When don't we?" Mike says not taking his eyes off Bar's top.

You know it's funny people keep mentioning getting little sleep....

Re: Mike

[guppy_sandhu]

"Someone or something is messing with people's heads." Guppy says. "That symbol's the same one as appeared in the infirmary when we, er, broke the plumbing. Which is still frozen in that one spot."

He coughs.

"Is Bar okay? Did that hurt her?"

Mike

[dont_turn_around]

See you.

Re: Mike

[mnt_mike]

He feels it.
For the first time since he's been out of the box, he feels it.
The eyes.

He can feel them burning.
They're on him from somewhere.

Mike swallows hard.

Re: Mike

[dont_turn_around]

Found you.