[Video]

[nodavinci]

[The camera's pointed away from Tony, showing a vacant lot filled with cracked piping and crumbling timbers, like a construction graveyard. On the edge of the screen, the fieldstone wall leading up to a brightly painted exhaust stack suggests he's somewhere in the industrial district - and those who've had occasion to visit his workshop might recognize the glasswork building across the street from where he'd set up.]

Is it just me, or was there a building here this morning?

[The answer here is 'yes, a thriving warehouse' - or, if not that morning, as recent as anyone's last visit to the area.]

Comments

Video

[infourbooks]

Even I'm not that forgetful...

[Usually he remembers whether buildings exist or not. ]

There are spells that could do that, but not enough wizards here.

[nodavinci]

I didn't forget it, kid. It's just not here.

You can come wave your wand at it if it'll make you feel better.

[If it has some effect, he might - for once - not even quibble about the existence of magic.]

[infourbooks]

I can take a look, but I think it's something strange.

[Magic of course not being strange]

I think my memory's getting worse though.

[nodavinci]

There's no explanation for disappearing buildings that isn't strange.

[Magic is the strangest of all.]

How's your memory failing?

[infourbooks]

If it was magic it would be... unethical, but not strange.

[You don't just vanish buildings where Muggles can see you know]

I was doing a pretty good job of keeping track of the regular customers. What they usually get. But suddenly some of them want something else entirely. I could have sworn Mr Orvin's wife loved daffodils, but all of a sudden he's claiming roses are her favourite.

[nodavinci]

You have a very weird definition of "not strange".

Maybe she changed her mind. Daffodils are too yellow, in with the roses. Or you could have got your notes mixed up.

[Or something really weird is going on.]

[infourbooks]

Well... before I was here I didn't really know how people even did most things without magic.

He's in a lot though. I was pretty sure I actually knew by now. Daffodils to roses is a pretty big change.

[nodavinci]

Have you seen her recently? Maybe she was replaced by a pod person.

[He flips the communicator so that the display shows his face instead; beneath the air of humouring-the-kid skepticism he's drawn around him like a much more subdued version of his armour lies genuine concern.

This isn't the first time someone on this planet has changed without warning, though daffodils to roses is a far less significant change than enemies to allies, or hero to cold-blooded murderer.]

[infourbooks]

[Neville frowns. That's not a joke.]

I haven't. That's never happened to someone who's actually from here before...

[nodavinci]

It has, actually. More than once. The real question is why.

[infourbooks]

It has? What was happening then?

[nodavinci]

Nem's bodyguard deciding he'd look better with a few more holes in him, for one.

And then there was the time we came back and found the city moved 40 miles south. Take your pick.

[infourbooks]

That second one was because we broke time though.

[That's different from mind control. Obviously.]

[nodavinci]

Doesn't change the fact that it had the same effect on people's loyalties. Assuming your friend's wife isn't just fickle and there really is something weird going on with her, either someone introduced a traumatic daffodil incident to her history, or someone tampered with her preferences.

Or altered her husband's memory. Is their last name Connor?

[infourbooks]

No, it's not.

[Now that he's really processing it... there are the stories they all heard when they were small]

Terrible things happen to wizards who meddle with time.

[But doing it to take extra classes is okay JUST DON'T ASK]

[nodavinci]

Yeah, temporal paradox is a pretty constant threat in any hypothetical featuring time travel. Best case, you create infinite splinter timelines. Worst case, you erase yourself from existence.

Anyone messing with it would have to be desperate or crazy. Possibly both.

[infourbooks]

Worst case would be a lot more than just yourself wouldn't it?

[nodavinci]

Technically. But if you're not around to see it, it's not any worse on a personal scale.

[infourbooks]

Still, for the world as a whole...

[nodavinci]

Anyone who's willing to disappear people isn't someone who cares about the world as a whole. It's all personal for this guy. As long as he gets what he wants, the collateral damage doesn't matter.

[infourbooks]

Maybe those terrible things already happened and he's gone mad.

[nodavinci]

Cool motive. Doesn't excuse anything.

[infourbooks]

Well no.

[That should be obvious]

[loveshishammer]

You are quite correct, there was indeed a building there. A warehouse for wood and shingles for rooftops. I patrolled past it yesterday afternoon.

[Thor frowns at the camera view, or at Tony if he's looking at his own camera view.]

It could not have been decimated to that extent in one night with the technology available on this world, not without making a great deal of noise.

[nodavinci]

Not to mention debris. I've seen the result of buildings being blown up and torn down. This isn't that.

[loveshishammer]

Aye. It is as if it was never there, to begin with.

[And he's not always as stupid as he looks, so his frown turns thoughtful.]

This is like those missing stars, is it not? Something, or someone, is changing things on a smaller level here.

[But is it intentional?]

[nodavinci]

The stars winked out because whatever's devouring this universe ate them a century or two ago. It just took it this long for the speed of light to catch up.

[Something haunted flickers across his face as he recalls the glimpse of the future they'd been given.]

So, are you up to fighting Cthulhu when he shows up?

[loveshishammer]

I am up to fighting anyone and anything.

[He pauses, then adds, without any less confidence than he showed in the previous statement,]

Who is Cthulhu?

[nodavinci]

Big guy, lots of tentacles. We met a few of his friendlier cousins around the end of the world.

[loveshishammer]

Oh. Well, I am certain I could be of some use against him. Those creatures disliked lightning as much as any other beast of flesh and blood.

Video

[pepperspray]

Not only was there a building, there was a business that was doing well enough I was considering whether to invest.

[That Pepper is worried transmits more in the finely drawn line of her eyebrows than in her tone -- worry camouflaged by arch humour is a familiar coping mechanism, and she probably isn't only concerned at the lost investment opportunity.]

[nodavinci]

That explains it. There must be an interplanetary conspiracy to keep you from taking over the world.

[It's light, but...

Interference in offworlder attempts to expand their base of operations? Not as far-fetched as it might sound.]

[pepperspray]

It would explain a few other disappearances if that were the case. I almost feel like I should be flattered if it's true. Should I come by and compare notes?

[The network, no matter how they can secure it between the two of them is, after all, someone else's technology in the end.]

[nodavinci]

I'll put on some coffee. And fire up the graphing software.

[And undoubtedly start distractedly planning further security measures on all of their holdings, just in case.]

[pepperspray]

Mmm, sounds like the start of a wonderful evening. I'll bring extra dry erase markers.

[Pepper's got some contingencies half-sketched herself, despite the playful purr she permits herself. She pauses, and the purr is gone in favour of something almost mildly sheepish about her next request.]

Could you check with Salvation on something for me, when you get the chance?

[nodavinci]

Sure. She likes questions. Shoot.

[pepperspray]

I don't know whether these disappearances are intentional or accidental. If they're intentional, I'd actually worry less, because this isn't exactly world-changing, but I don't know... and I'm babbling. Sorry.

[Pepper pinks slightly (and likely adorably) before actually explaining what her question is.]

Ask her if she's equipped to keep animals other than than ones from her own storage systems aboard. I... want to make sure Pixel's safe. And the mammoths.

[nodavinci]

[Tony's grin is a clear response to that sheer quantity of adorable - but fortunately (mostly for him) it's a concern that fetches up against the functional portions of his empathy center.]

I'm pretty sure her gardens were intended to function as an ark for fauna as well as flora, but I'll check in.

[pepperspray]

[Pepper crinkles her nose at that grin, but smiles in return for it (and with a touch of relief) as well.]

Oh good. If the answer's positive, I'll come up with some plausible excuse for an ancient arctic elephant march and go from there. Just... until this is all smoothed out.