[Event] Wetland Warps to Weird Worlds

[Ashlie Minamida]

The day after the reassembly of Will, Ashlie finds Samantha during lunch in the sparsely populated cafeteria. Enough students stayed behind for the summer to warrant keeping facilities running in a diminished capacity, but the room is still pretty empty. She's carrying a cup of coffee as well as a fresh croissant she picked up from a certain bakery in Mutant Town as she sits down at Sam's table.

"Good day, Samantha. Would you mind if I sit?" she asks and puts her drink down. "I have a not so small favor to ask."

[Samantha McManus]

"Make yourself comfortable."

"I suppose it would be serious business if you're strapping in for my brand of nonsense."

[Ashlie Minamida]

Ashlie lets out a polite chuckle. "I suppose; though in this case I believe I shall keep my distance. The simple matter of fact is that the inexplicable portal in the estuary continues to show no signs of closing. It's not causing any inherent issues, but I can't ignore the fact that someone who claimed to simply investigate not only returned to attack someone right here on campus but somehow evaded numerous detection methods I put in place."

"So either we need to find a way to close it or determine what is actually on the other side. I would like you to take some autonomous survey drones to the other side and have a look around. Find out if those people are who they claimed to be, what they actually want. You're better suited for this kind of thing than some of the other team members and if they agree I think it would be beneficial to take Will as well as Miss Bell along. With two shapeshifters and two telepaths between the three of you, you should be able to move unnoticed and gather information without rousing too much suspicion."

[Samantha McManus]

"If I'm honest, I rather wanted to go anyway, if only for the fact that I'd trusted her after I thought we'd sorted misunderstandings out."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Even better. I would ask not to start any unneeded hostilities but all things considered... try to avoid anything that might escalate beyond personal grievances."

[Samantha McManus]

"Okay, I brought that on myself by sparring with her in the woods, didn't I?"

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I don't even want to know which one of you is responsible for the new clearing in the woods. If that was sparring then an actual fight might well look like a declaration of war." she jokes, but with a flat enough affect that there's at least a little bit genuine concern hidden beneath the surface.

[Samantha McManus]

"She's... not much for words," she says, as if that explains anything.

"Still, I think I can be on my best behavior."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I trust you. Despite your wilder inclinations I've never known you to be irresponsible."

[Samantha McManus]

"There's no way I'm getting out of this without Miriam making me dress up, though."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Bit hard to blend in otherwise." she nods.

[Samantha McManus]

"I just had to end up with a girlfriend with a passion for fashion."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Unless she's very into retro styles I can't imagine she'll be very happy about this assignment." she says with thinly veiled amusement.

[Samantha McManus]

"Oh, I think you're greatly underestimating Miriam's buy-in if sharing misery is involved."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"In that case you should have little trouble convincing her of this excursion."