[Plot] Where Everybody Knows Your Name

[Miriam Bell]

With Sam taking the brunt of wrangling Will the corners of the frame find each other much easier and as they do the decorative swirls intertwine and hold, growing over each other until they solidify into one seamless piece. Vaguely gothic but - of course - tinged green.

[Will Stanton]

There's some cracking and some popping, as the astral frame collided with real, physical clay, the boundary between the two levels of reality grinding up against one another, testing the limits of Miriam's power and Sam's resolve -- but, with a bit of a click sound, everything finally locked into place; the stresses and tension of trying to hold Will steady taken over by the frame, releasing the two telepaths from their burdens.

As telepaths, the first thing Sam and Miriam would notice was the quiet. Will's mind had been everywhere, all around them, and it had been like standing in the middle of a crowded street when dealing with him earlier. That was mostly gone -- mostly. Replacing it was a sort of background radiation, for lack of a better word, of calm, warmth and contentment. Sort of like having a scented candle or some calm background music playing, only for the telepathic senses. If they concentrated, or came into contact with the mirror itself, they could bring Will back into 'focus', but at least they wouldn't have a brass band playing in their heads 24/7. The feeling of contentment was probably a good sign, as well -- if Will had been panicking or in pain, that would have indicated something had gone wrong.

The first thing most people would notice was the reflections in the mirror itself. Miriam being reflected in any way, shape or form was odd for a vampire, but she was there, as was Sam, as was everything else in the room. It was just that both Miriam and Sam's reflections had green hair and green eyes, like someone had selected the 'Will' alternate costumes. Everything else seemed to be accurate, down to the details on Sam's new back tattoo, but it was evidence that this wasn't really a reflection, more of an aping of what was going on outside the mirror. One might assume that the reflections of the other objects in the room were Willified as well, though a) the room was empty now, other than the three of them, and b) there were less obvious Will-esque details on, say, a light bulb. At least not everything in the mirror would be tinted green, which may or may not come as a relief.

The surface of the mirror was still clay, as opposed to glass -- just smooth, reflective clay. It was only really noticeable if someone walked up and touched it; even from a close distance, it would pass inspection. But it was still semi-permeable, so someone could reach their hand inside the clay -- and far further back than 'should' be possible, in terms of just raw physical space. Will just never would obey the laws of physics, would he?

But, at least for now, the room was quiet, Sam and Miriam's reflections staring back at them as they looked over their handiwork.

[Samantha McManus]

"I think we did it? How do you feel, Will?"

[Will Stanton]

The answer came back in crashes and waves -- a chorus of the same voice, in different tones.

FunnyNewWarmSafeDifferentFuzzyLovedDelicatePleasantGood

[Miriam Bell]

"I think that's a 'good'." Miriam says as she lets herself slump a little.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm glad, because I'm not sure we have another try in us today."

[Miriam Bell]

"Someone else has to move this thing to my room, I need to lie down for a couple days."

[Will Stanton]

There was a sense of...bemusement?..as the voices tried to collect themselves, to become more coherent -- a clear effort on their part.

Too complicated?Exhausting?Draining?Intricate?

Never made a mirrordecorationcontainerportalframe before?

[Miriam Bell]

"I never made a frame to hold a thousand people in equilibrium, no. I'm as shocked as you are." With the exhaustion, some of the sarcasm creeps back into her general demeanor.

[Will Stanton]

There was a brief pause, for a moment.

And then the clay of the mirror rippled, a hand emerging, groping around for a moment, and gripping the top of the frame, for support and balance.

Pulling himself out, with a little bit of effort, came Will, dressed in dark blue coveralls with his name written on the breast. He came free of the mirror with a slight pop, and shook his head, as if clearing it of cobwebs.

"Call it 999, then, give or take an order of magnitude," he smiled, and then shook his head.

"Woah, blood rush. Give me a second...

Give...me a second. OK, the quiet is definitely going to need some getting used to."

[Samantha McManus]

"Now that's a feeling I can understand."

[Will Stanton]

"I don't think I do, yet, but I will muddle through, somehow.


This is very strange. I'm not sure I've ever been this...focused? Maybe the wrong word. Single-minded, literally. When I...when we, I guess...were out here, disassociating, we were being pulled in every which direction at once. We couldn't decide what we wanted, or what to do next.

And I remember what that was like, but...it's all gone, now. Back in here," Will said, placing one hand onto, and then with a push, into, the mirror. "I'm still in there. We're still in there. I'm just also...here.

I've been a raven surrounded by her Flock before, Sam, but is this what it feels like to be the Flock?"

He continued looking around, a little wide-eyed, trying to make sense of the world around him.

[Miriam Bell]

"I can't speak for Sam, but her presence has never felt as scatter-brained as you did..." Miriam says.

"Did you just... pop out because I asked for furniture movers?"

[Will Stanton]

"Yyyyyyessssish?" Will said, scratching his head with his free arm.

"I mean, it's not like you cast a magic spell and summoned me from the abyss or anything here. I just like helping out, and it sounded like you needed some help. I mean, those other guys in there can be pretty damn lazy, if you ask me."

[Samantha McManus]

"Your mindscape was kind of all over the place a bit ago. We can try and work on making it... more comfortable in there?"

[Will Stanton]

Will looked back and forth between Sam and Miriam.

"I know the two of you said you were exhausted. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you're always welcome, and you know I appreciate help. And if you think you can help, yes, I'd love that.

I just want you to know your own limits, too."

[Miriam Bell]

"I need a break. You want to go back in you're on your own, Sam."

[Samantha McManus]

"Well, it doesn't have to be now, but it still might be a good idea."

[Will Stanton]

"I think you're right. I think it is a good idea. And if you want to give it a shot now, I'm OK with that.

If not, I'm gonna go ahead and lug this thing back to your room and get it all put into place. Either/or; I'm just the mover guy," Will joked.

"But I find it very sweet. Even after the trauma of seeing me stabbed, after encountering...whatever it was in the depths of the astral, after the strain of getting me into a mirror frame, you still want to help more. You're a good egg, Sam; no matter which universe you're from."

Will leaned up and gave Sam a quick peck on the cheek.

[Samantha McManus]

"If you feel like lugging that back to the dorms, I won't stop you," she chuckles.

[Will Stanton]

"You know, strangely enough, I do want to do that," Will said, walking over to the frame, and judging it's weight. "I like things being in the right place -- and this isn't the right place at all, is it?"

"An hour ago, that urge would have been blocked out by thousands of other ones. But now I can focus on just the one thing," he said, hefting the mirror on his back. "And that is an amazing feeling."


"Anytime you need something, I'm just a mirror away."