when all of your wishes are granted

[darkart]

CHARACTERS: anybody ⸜₍๑•⌔•๑ ₎⸝
LOCATION: various!
WARNINGS: creepy stuff + other warnings in thread titles.
SUMMARY: couple location starters + open!
NOTES: catch-all for after the network goes down. i don't mind other people using this/starting their own threads for different locations/tagging into this even if you don't intend to rp with severus. go for whatever!


TBA

Comments

[mindtricks]

[ even if he doesn't have a scientific opinion, he's thought about it: that much is clear from his answer, whether or not accompanied by an almost-laugh. she listens, and doesn't know more than he does.

in fact, his answer adds to what she'd considered so far. (the closest association she has is graffiti. no muties comes to mind, but the words never did more than hurt, and then only in as far as she'd let them.) ]

A warning of what?

[ he doesn't pause, and so neither does she. one hand is always near her gun. ]

[forgodssake]

That is the question, isn't it. But I always considered the murals as a sign of us inhabiting a space that we didn't belong. The unlit corridors. The bridge.

[ And thus, territory lines are being redrawn, or something is getting in. The thought remains unresolved, however, as the entry to the science labs draws up.

No minds are detectable past them, which doesn't always mean there's no one there. It just means they'd have one less defense if someone was.

Charles takes point, lowering flashlight without turning it off. ]

Behind me. Keep an eye out. I'll head for the back, and once I'm there, see if you can clear the level.

[mindtricks]

[ instead of answering with words or continuing to debate the murals, anderson falls in behind him, gun out of its holster now.

roger that is the reply, the barest hint of amusement accompanying it because he's picked up a thing or two about strategy since the beach. most of her mind is simply focused, careful.

cautious, but not scared. ]

[forgodssake]

[ They'd left the labs alone by the time things started changing and acting oddly -- the old genetics labs, the blasted remains of them, had vanished mid-cycle, and this memory is touched on only fleetingly. It would explain, anyway, why the team of xenobiology and genetics had relocated to the medical bay for the time being, and why the science department is so dark and empty now.

Her thought in his direction only gets a flicker of warm acknowledgement, his own focus probably less streamlined -- he guides them matter of factly through the department, flashlight kept low, but his attention darts to each too-dark corner, wary.

But he makes it to Severus' corner of the floor without incident, turning back to nod at her, before he enters.

The mural itself, if she opts to stay and look, covers a whole wall. Black paint, mostly, before Charles runs his flashlight over towards the figure. He's also taken his comms device out of his pocket, switching it on, pointing it in the direction of what he's doing. The damage is only obvious by the time he squares the light on the 'face' of the figure -- deeply carved knife marks concentrate on the eyes but also make large, deliberate incisions all over. ]

Looks like substantial damage is scratched into the face, physically.

[ He is not necessarily talking to Cassandra, his voice quiet. It's for the recording. ]

I'm going to see if--

[ And he trails off, watching as the knife marks seal back up, restoring the shapes he remembers. Then, the entire image begins to shrink, black paint pulling in from where it reaches the limits of the wall. ]

[mindtricks]

[ she spares the mural a brief look, barely more than a cursory glance, before turning to survey the rest of the room again. someone carved those lines into the mural, someone with a knife.

anderson already knows her telepathy doesn't work on everyone; she would rather not be surprised by anyone wielding a knife. she'd rather charles isn't surprised by anyone wielding a knife, but then that's why he asked her along.

so she watches his back, and it isn't until he breaks off mid-sentence, surprise registering, that she turns back again only to see the mural shrinking and turning black. ]

How is that happening?

[ she doesn't reach out to touch, but the instinct is there. ]

[forgodssake]

I'm not sure. It's just-- I'm changing it.

[ Charles keeps the comms device level, until the mural is about the size of a dinner plate. ]

I've restored the mural back to the way it was, for the record, and diminished it in size for easy moving. Going to find a new home for it, I think.

[ He lowers the comms device, switching off the recording. ]

We're alone?

[mindtricks]

[ anderson doesn't answer immediately. instead, she makes sure that they are: a quick mental sweep of the room followed by a more thorough visual one. ]

We are.

[ as far as she can tell, which is pretty far but not with 100% certainty. ]