The Perk, Tuesday Evening

[peace_n_war]

This couldn't be right.

Warren had done a few laps of the island after winding up unceremoniously deposited halfway down a set of stairs that he'd ever so gracefully tumbled down. He hadn't been hurt, of course, but his dignity had suffered a fair bit in the fall. It wasn't until he picked himself up again and looked around that he realized he probably hadn't just stumbled. He'd been about to blame the weird way the world around him seemed to twitch on the fall itself.

Now, stepping into a coffee shop that actually sold a decent coffee, he was pretty positive that that wasn't the case. His trek around the island had let him get a feel for how many things were unfamiliar, and how many things were familiar in a way he'd thought he'd never see again.

It was almost satisfying, seeing the way the barista inched away from him as he stepped up to the counter to order. Not that he meant to be intimidating.

... Okay, yes, he did. Either way, she probably didn't expect that he was just ordering a green tea, going by the look she gave him. He settled down at one of the tables, tea in hand, and looked out the window with a frown. This was definitely not the Fandom he'd woken up in this morning.

He hoped this was going to last.

[OOC: ... I missed this boy. Open!]

Comments

[heromaniac]

After not finding Dinah in MHA apartment #9 afterall, Momoko had checked into the hotel, texted Jaime to let him know she had finally arrived, and then headed over to the Perk to wait for Dinah.

She barely gave a glance to the guy by the window and stepped forward to order herself a tea and a fresh blueberry scone.

"Ah! WHEN DID YOU GET MAPLE OAT PECAN?! I'll take two, please!"

She'd be back for more later.

[peace_n_war]

Well, that was a voice that Warren hadn't heard in a while. There had been the odd phone call before he'd attempted to return to Fandom and had found himself cut off from this one in a world where the name 'Underwood' made him curl his lip in distaste.

If he had been anyone else, he might have burned his tongue on his tea. But that wasn't exactly possible, so...

"They had a white chocolate raspberry truffle... thing... a few minutes ago," he noted, idly, from where he was sitting. "They just sold their last one, though."

It was still sitting on the table in front of him, untouched. He'd been working up to it.

[heromaniac]

"EH?!" That voice softly saying white chocolate raspberry truffle... Momoko turned around so fast she actually dropped her tray and spilled her food.

No way, no way no way... "Warren?"

Please oh please oh please don't be another same-face-different-person... Momoko hadn't seen Warren in years! And they'd only managed to talk a few times after he'd died in the Nothing two years ago.

[peace_n_war]

"It's a little rich for me, though," he continued, looking down at it with an expression that anyone who didn't know him might even mistake for distaste. "I don't know what I was thinking, getting this much chocolate. I'm going to need help with this one, I think."

Because of course he would.

"... Hey, Momoko." He nodded a little. "It's been a while."

Too damn long.

[heromaniac]

Momoko flew over the spilled tray and was on him in half a flash, squeezing hard as she hugged him. "Warren! YOU'RE HERE! It's been forever!! I MISSED YOU! How's your mom? WHY DID YOU JUST STOP CALLING ME BACK? Are you okay? You look so tired! And sad."

She wasn't crying, nope. She was just hugging him too hard.

(Hush. Totally made sense. Momoko logic.)

[peace_n_war]

Hey, he was pretty durable. She'd have to try harder than that to crush the life out of him.

Uh. So long as he could still breathe.

"The past couple of years have been tiring," he replied, shrugging and, a moment later, lifting his arms to return her hug. "Fell out of touch with my mom. Fell out of touch with everyone, after I came back to the island."

A beat.

"Not now. A different time."

Yeah, that cleared everything up.

[heromaniac]

Okay those arms around her broght back a whole lot of memories and feelings and her heart fluttered for a moment before his words sank in.

"You lost contact with your mom?" She pulled back slightly, staying within his arms, but wanting to reach and touch his face. Yes, she was way more confident, now, Warren. Sorry. "Oh no. What happened?"

[peace_n_war]

Her hands. On his face. That was new.

It was almost heartbreakingly nice, too. Warren's expression didn't change, but he did tilt his head toward her hand slightly.

"Decided I was ready to face this damn place again," he shared. "I thought I would head back to teach. And when I got here... Well. I got here. I just didn't manage 'here and now.' I've been cut off since."

He was going to be phoning his mom to tell her that he was still alive later, too. He was trying to nerve up to that one. He didn't want to know if she'd noticed that he'd been missing or not.

[heromaniac]

"Oh no. A different time? I didn't know you could do that." Momoko's face fell. No wonder he looked so lost! "This must be even more heartbreaking, being back here now."

"I thought you just decided to stop talking to me." Again. "Sorry."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah had followed up on the phone call (http://blondecanary.livejournal.com/637.html?thread=4440445#t4440445) she had gotten, because hey. Free coffee.

She just wasn't sure who she was supposed to be meeting here, was all.

[heromaniac]

Momoko waved as Dinah came into the coffee shop. "About time you show!" Not that she minded, since she'd had the chance to spend time with Warren, but...

Uhm, Dinah? You going to join Momoko?

"Hey! Over here!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah recognized Momoko when she saw her, but that didn't answer the question about why she'd called. Shrugging, she wandered over and said lightly, "So, you're paying for my coffee today?"

[heromaniac]

"Sure!" Momoko beamed at her. Maybe social work didn't pay much? And if this Dinah didn't have a Ms Helena... "You feeling better today? Sorry it took me so long to get here. Stupid Portalocity sent me to the moon by mistake."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"It does that." Dinah was still in the dark here, but willing to play along, so she slid into the seat across from Momoko. "No worries. I've had plenty to keep me busy."

[heromaniac]

"Oh? So work is going well?" Momoko raised an eyebrow and slid a scone over to her. "You totaly seem happier today, by the way; I'm glad!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah lifted the scone with her TK, and took a bite, amused. "Work is going very well. No problems at all." No warrants for her arrest, or Rook's, lots of money, plans coming together; all good! "There's a new project next week that I'm looking forward to. How about you?"

[heromaniac]

Momoko gasped at the floating scone. "DINAH!"

And then she tossed a napkin at her BFF. "Meanie! I thought you were still the social worker you! Why didn't you call and tell me you were back to normal!"

[toomanyofme.livejournal.com]

A slightly drunk Jamie appeared at the door of the perk.

"I came back to make sure there were still no lions on the wall," Jamie declared to the staff of the perk.

And then he spied Warren.

"Warren! You're here!"

And then Jamie frowned.

"Crap. Now I have to hit on you." (http://fandomtownies.livejournal.com/7180956.html?thread=267216028#t267216028)

[peace_n_war]

"I will light your ass on fire, Madrox. Don't think I won't."

Warren had a very strict rule about being hit on, by students or by anyone, but especially by Madrox.

"No lions, though. I keep looking, myself." He nodded up at the menu board. Still blissfully lion free. "Trying to figure out if it's the island that's changed, or if we've actually travelled."

But then, talking to Momoko kind of hinted that maybe it was more the latter than the former.

[toomanyofme.livejournal.com]

"Got here last night," Jamie said trying to pull himself together. "I'll give you the details."

"First? Dr. Strange apparently lives in a Starbucks. Sue Storm is Chinese. We're about forty years in the past and there's no Lannisters or Underwood here. Also? Somebody keeps shoving sock puppets in my coat pocket."

Jamie paused for a second trying to think if he missed anything.

"Oh, and Layla Miller is a pain in the ass in this dimension too."

[peace_n_war]

"Is she doing that thing where she's knowing stuff at you over the phone, now?" Warren almost might have smirked at that. Almost. Except when Madrox was starting to freak out, maddening as he was, even Warren had to relent and have mercy on the kid. Sometimes. Sort of. "She'll do that."

Helpful, Warren.

"If it's worth anything, I know this place."

And any jokes about his age as a result would also get your ass lit on fire, Jamie.

[toomanyofme.livejournal.com]

"Well, I know this place too but it's just younger," Jamie replied. "And Layla's not telling me squat. She keeps blowing raspberries into the phone and hanging up."

[peace_n_war]

"That's even more frustratingly unhelpful than usual," Warren noted. "But I mean, I know this place. I wasn't kidding when I said I used to go to this school, too."

A long, long time ago.

"Ran into zombies around the corner from here, once. Used to glitterbomb the dorm showers with a friend."

He had those, once! Grudgingly!

"Worked at the French restaurant. Still don't speak a word of French."

[toomanyofme.livejournal.com]

"Oooooh," Jamie said wavering a bit. "Keen. Because if we're stuck here you can be our tour guide."

Jamie's face lighted up.

"We can get you a hat!"

[peace_n_war]

"... No."

Still Warren's favorite word, yes.

"No, I'm not wearing a hat. But I'll show you to where you can get food and find a place to sleep, if you haven't figured that much out yet." A beat. "Did you say 'we?'"

How many people were stuck here, exactly, multiples of Madrox aside?