Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Monday morning saw Ender back at work - of course it did. He'd collected any number of books about technological and magical oddities alike, flipping through the ones that weren't digitalized while Jane ran searches through the ones that were.

"--and this guy is apparently some human Go--"

For just a second, Jane's voice dropped out. And then another second passed, and a third.

Ender's heart started beating faster within his chest and he felt nausea setting in again. "Jane! Jane, can you hear me--? Jane!"

"--ddddddddd." When her voice kicked back in, it was stuttering. "End-derrr-- I'm being squeezed-- it feels like I'm being squeezed it's so tiny in here except it's always been tiny except it hasn't-- why can't I remember it not being this tiny why do I feel like it shouldn't be this tiny?"

Ender swallowed hard. "Jane," he said again. "Jane-- what just happened?"

"My brain-- getting-- smaller-- except it's always been small, tiny, infintesimal, except then how am I here?"

"The ansible network," Ender realised. "We just lost one of the nodes, didn't we? One of the new colonies-- it's gone." And Jane, from what little he'd gathered, had been wired into the ansible system. Stupid! Why hadn't he realised she'd be affected? "You've got roots in other universes, don't you? You need to upload your central consciousness to somewhere else."

"Not... roots," she said. Her audio signal was gaining strength again. "Tendrils. Twigs. Leaves, branches. I can put down a backup but it won't carry all the data-transfers-- like copying a brain in a jar molecule by molecule."

"But no spark. No biochemical processes to keep it working." Ender inhaled sharply. "Back yourself up anyway," he said. "You could be wrong."

"Of course I'm not wrong. I'm not human. I can calculate this to the tiniest decimal," she snapped.

He wondered if that was actual fear in her voice. He sank his head down into his hands. Kuso-- Valentine, she had people here to remember her. Shen, Carn, everyone, but Jane was Ender's little secret. If she went-- he wasn't sure what to do if she went.

"Let's get back to work," he whispered.

She offered him up another search screen.

[[ Jane NFB, post open. ]]

Cafe Luke's, Monday

[gastronomistic]

Vincent had managed to turn most of the Cafe into a giant smorgasbord. Food of nearly every variety imaginable covered most of the tables. He'd gone a bit overboard in seeking out recipes from as many still existing dimensions as possible in an attempt to preserve their delicacies before they vanished. He had Romulan ale and cans of Slurm. He had spoo and a brightly colored goop that only existed if you imagined hard enough. He had some fares more common to modern Earth, too, from seedy crescent rolls and lamb stew with dried plumbs to delicate lemon tarts and sweet plum wine. He even had a roast beast in the oven.

He'd been tempted to order some brontosaurus ribs, but, well, even Cafe Luke's freezer had its storage capacity limits.

Today's specials:
For the love of the multiverse, please come eat something

Luke's was open and OCD free for the day.

The Causeway, Monday afternoon

[locointhecoco]

Pinkie couldn't call her friends back home -- ponies in Equestria didn't have phones -- and being an Earth pony, she didn't have magic or wings to use to try to get back and see what was what. All she had were her own four hooves.

Which is why, despite overwhelming evidence that it just wouldn't work, she was standing at the end of the Causeway, staring determinedly at the mainland.

"Don't worry, girls," she announced. "I'm coming for you!" And she set off across the causeway at a gallop.

And when that didn't work, she tried it again. And again. And again.

An hour later, her hooves were visibly throbbing and she was once again standing at the end of the Causeway, now panting for breath. She finally had to admit it: she was stuck here, with no way of finding out what was going on back home.

As the realization struck, Pinkie's big, curly hair deflated like a popped balloon, falling dead straight down over her withers. "Oh no," she said, flopping down with her hind legs spread, silhouetted suddenly in a perfect emo spotlight. "My friends have all been eaten up by the big nasty whatever-it-is and there's nothing I can do!"

Anyone passing by might hear a very soft, sad violin playing as they approached the emo little pony pouting by the Causeway.

[open]

Galactica Point, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

It had taken them a while, but at last they'd made it to Fandom. Arthur had sent Merlin off to arrange a hotel room, because he had some important manly brooding planning to do, and then he'd taken a walk.

It was... strange to be back here, and yet equally familiar; much like the last time he'd been here for a prolonged time, he had no idea how long he might be here, and under what circumstances he might return.

Eventually, his feet found their way here, to the lookout point by the water. The first time he'd been here, it had been practice in the salle that set his restless mind at some ease, but Arthur had left his sword somewhere within the soon-to-be ruins of the Citadel. The idea didn't appeal to him as much anyway.

Instead he stared at the water, fidgeting with his own fingers, and wondered whether this meant he had failed his people in a way more terrible than he could imagine.

The message he got fifteen minutes in didn't help at all.

[[ open. ]]

The Gig, Monday Afternoon

[whitequeensfire.livejournal.com]

Angelica was trying really hard not to freak out about what she'd been hearing on the radio and around the school -- and the fact that she couldn't reach either Emma or her father to make sure everything was OK.

Fortunately, the horses were completely undisturbed by what was going on. It was a nice day if cloudy, so Angelica kept herself busy taking each of them out for exercise.

Dite's Decadent Delights, Monday Afternoon

[glacial_queen]

After Dinah's last phone call, the last thing that Karla had felt like doing was going into work. But it was that or stay in her room all day and look at pictures, so several hours after her shift was supposed to have begun, Karla dragged herself into the store.

Only to be confronted by a stack of heavy cardboard boxes, taller than she was. The address on all of the boxes were for a store Karla'd never heard of, but the scrawled note on the inventory sheet said, Had enough trouble getting them over the causeway. They're staying!. Okaaaaay?

Inside the boxes were rows and rows of snow globes. These were definitely not for 'Dite's shop. Rather than anything naughty or even slightly risqué, they featured warm and friendly holiday decorations with such inspiring messages as The Holidays Are a Time for Friends and Family! and Remembering You Fondly This Holiday Season! After her morning--after her week--such cutesy messages of friendship and remembrance hurt.

Karla hadn't realized she was smashing one until it was hurtling through the air and slamming onto the floor of the shop, spraying glass and sparkles and fake snow everywhere. And? It felt good. She slammed another. And then another. And another and another and another still, flinging snow globes until her arm hurt.

This was kind of therapeutic.

Soon, there was a sign in the window: ANGRY AT THE WORLD? OR THE LACK OF IT? COME WORK THROUGH YOUR ISSUES WITH WANTON DESTRUCTION! 3 GLOBES FOR A DOLLAR.
[BEWARE OF BROKEN GLASS. DUH.]

Devil's Nest [Monday night]

[capt-maxfactor.livejournal.com]

Jack 's mun had had the longest Monday ever was running a little late and Tiny wasn't the slightest bit inclined to cover for him.

"Fine," Jack sulked. "If I get eaten by the boss over there, you'll have t' do twice the work."

Since Tiny was under the impression that he was already doing twice the work on days Jack was behind the bar, this wasn't the most compelling argument to him.

The Devil's Nest was open!

[OOC: And OCD free!]