Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

[Altamira Vazquez]

Mira was sitting at a table in the back of the XUB, looking over the crowd, and watching as it grew.

She had kept herself entertained, at first, by counting the various versions of people, laughing whenever two duplicates met each other for the first time. But that had quickly grown boring.

She had a couple pencils, and she was seeing if she could throw them all up into the ceiling in a pattern without using here telekensis. She wasn't having a lot of success.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

((open))

[Sean Hall]

Sean walked into the XUB and stopped upon seeing Mira. He would say he was watching, but really he was well, staring at Mira. Sean was feeling a strange sense of familiarity? Déjà vu maybe? Maybe it was in a dream or a nightmare?

[Altamira Vazquez]

Mira saw Sean, and smiled for a brief moment. "See anything you'd like today, or are you just browsing?"

[Sean Hall]

Sean blinked and refocused on actual words being spoken.

"Uh, what if I wasn't looking, but found something I might like unexpectedly?" Sean asked trying to buy himself a moment.

[Altamira Vazquez]

"Flirting with the Phoenix is playing with fire.

But I suppose you already knew that, Sean Hall."

[Sean Hall]

And that would be why she glows as brightly as the lighthouse.

"Wizards live dangerously and some risks are worth it," Sean smiled. "We've met before haven't we? It feels like we have."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"I don't believe we have, no, though this dimensional disturbance can have odd effects at times.

But I know my Sean Hall very well. It's a shame he doesn't seem to have made it over here."

[Sean Hall]

"I'm not sure if the multiverse really wants two Sean Hall's in one place," Sean said dryly. "Especially if being good at flirting with danger is a constant of sorts."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"I can think of several things I could do with two Sean Halls, though you're right -- I'm not sure the fabric of reality could ultimately handle it."

[Sean Hall]

Sean paused for a moment.

"Terrible shame he didn't make it then. Over here to whatever dimensional overlap event this is," Sean said, "Is he a mage then? Messing with powers beyond the mortal ken."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"Messing with things far over his head, more often than not."

[Sean Hall]

"One of those being you I take it," Sean smiled. "Isn't this something you could fix? All of this I mean."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"Mmm.

The Phoenix force is one of creation and destruction. I think most people here are still hoping to patch up what already exists, rather than melting it down and starting over."

[Sean Hall]

"I don't want to speak for everybody else, but I do rather like my current existence most of the time. When it lets me sleep regularly," Sean said, "Though I suppose there might be another me after the reset- I need a pint before we starting talking about the mechanics of the multiverse, constants, and the like. Always helped when reading about it in... you know, you probably don't want to know the titles of occult books from this universe."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"Have you been reading dirty books, Sean? Tsk, tsk tsk." she tsked.

[Sean Hall]

"I mean some of them were when I found. Sometimes things don't translate properly. It's not even like I drew the pictures from some of the rituals. And that's really besides the," Sean said as he went through various stages before finally reaching acceptance. "Well, yes and now I really need a pint or three."

[Altamira Vazquez]

""Get me something sparkly with an umbrella in it, there's a good boy."

[Sean Hall]

Sean wanders away to get the drink while a different figure walks into the bar.

"Was I really that young once?" the masked figure asked approaching the Phoenix.

[Altamira Vazquez]

"I'm not sure. Somehow, I doubt it."

[Sean Hall]

The figure removed his mask and moved to sit with the Phoenix. He looked not that different from Sean, just more worn around the edges. He was tense.

"Seems to lack common sense like I did. Or do," the Wizard said to Altamira. "I didn't expect to see you here."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"I didn't expect to be here myself -- there's a gravity to this campus."

[Sean Hall]

"Can't say I expected to be here either I suppose," Sean admitted, "There is a certain pull. I always seem to end up coming back or finding myself nearby wondering why. Maybe it's just the memories?"

[Altamira Vazquez]

"How sentimental of you," Mira smiled. "It's probably more some kind of fundamental attachment on an adjacent plane of reality, but I like your explanation better."

[Sean Hall]

"I just knew you didn't need the explanation of multi-dimensional dynamics," Sean smiled, "You know more than me after all being our resident radiant cosmic force."

[Altamira Vazquez]

"That's radiant cosmic force emeritus," Mira corrected with a smile. "I flit from place to place now."

[Sean Hall]

"Living the nomadic life then?," Sean asked.

[Altamira Vazquez]

"Living the nomadic life then?," Sean asked.

"It's a big universe. There's so much to do, so much to see."

[Sean Hall]

"And immeasurable cosmic power you can use to see it all," Sean said, "Don't forget several dimensions more filled with wondrous things. Some of them I promise are not filled with eldritch horrors. The hills of Elysium at least are quite nice.

[Altamira Vazquez]

"I worry, there, that 'the hills are alive' are a bit too...literal."

[Sean Hall]

"Hmmm, well I was going to say-" the older Sean said started as the younger Sean returned with drinks and was a bit stunned by seeing himself.

"You-"


"Bit presumptuous to think you can interrupt me. It's been a minute since I saw our wandering emeritus cosmic force," the wizard said a hint of bitterness in his tone.

[Altamira Vazquez]

"Down, boy," Mira smirked at Sean. "Let him ask his questions."