entrancelogs | [closed to sign-ups] + Their gallivanting must be put to an end +

[This venture for the Queen is getting more complicated and messy than Alphys' mirror thought at the beginning; before one could track down a traitor, it became necessary to figure out who, exactly, the Queen was asking for, and then what side they were on. She had been swapping back and forth all week- after taking a day or two earlier to handle a little personal problem- but she couldn't risk her Real poking around too heavily in her own work. As the final day dawned, however, she got the real lead she needed.

Fitz' mirror was also entirely more guilty than she had previously believed.

A smile crosses her face as she slides out of her own lab chair, doing a quick circle around the room in survey. She wouldn't go unarmed. That would be objectively stupid, considering no one goes to the Queen willingly. That being said, immolating him is likely out. She opts for some of the prototypes Ford's mirror has put before her in the past- energy guns with powerful blasters. She openly carries a bigger one, more akin to the size of a shotgun, and tucks a smaller pistol of her own design into her coat. He won't get the jump on her.

She heads directly to his lab on the mirror side and lets herself in. He's got to be here. He doesn't know she's coming.]

Fitz? I have to speak with you.

[He can't fix it.

There's been nothing to give him a sense of what's gone wrong, or what the mirrors are even looking for. They're hunting for someone, he thinks, but the details are something the mirrors are keeping close to their vests. He's sure he can find an answer to this and send them all back. That's what brought him to the library. He's surrounded by stacks of books in several different languages. Some of the key components came from that space station event, which meant that he might be able to find some of the technology texts from that world if he tries hard enough.

Something will open up if he keeps working. He's sure of it. All this bloodshed can't be sustained for much longer.]

[They've already dragged Cisco back. They'll have Mick soon. And though he's heard his name thrown about in conjunction with theirs, Dr. Fitz is almost sure he can make it out of this unscathed. The Queen is mercurial and flighty. She'll be handed the idiots that went across and forget all about his part in their transgression. She'll calm down and forget all about him. For now, there's just the waiting game.

It's annoying when she enters. He's seated in front of his pet deathray project, with his other pet Darcy leashed properly beside him. His eyes roll up to meet the introder, expression blank. She can't know that she's worried him. Only guilty people look worried.]

Doctor Fitz. And yes, what about?

[HE IS SO INNOCENT HERE, DOING NOTHING UNTOWARD.]

[Dorian's Mirror could have sworn he was on the right trail. He was positive he had carefully prepared for his quest, down to the anonymity of a mask and gloves. He thought he was going to be successful!]

[However, even he had humility in hindsight when he realized he couldn't plan for things like, oh, deep holes randomly appearing on the real side in the chaos. That wouldn't have been too much of a problem if the ground near the edge of said hole didn't cave in under his feet, or if he wasn't trapped in the body of an old crone with hands that were perpetually dripping with red paint.]

[At least there's a good chance someone might notice the trouble. A lone black glove with a trail of fresh red paint spilling out of the opening and leading to the hole shouldn't be too hard to miss.]

The rumor mill is running strong at this point, and he knows that there are certain of his Mirror brethren that are out for blood. They're hunting him down, whether they realize it's him they're looking for or not-- Cisco has treated it like they know, because if he let his guard down too much or got too cocky, he could easily ruin his own game before he was ready to.

He isn't even anywhere spectacular when it happens. Just in the hallway, on his way to the littlest Wells' lab to tinker with some of his Real's gadgets. He wants to leave him fun presents when he gets back. Maybe rig one of his prototypes to explode when he tries to test it. The options are endless and his mind is spinning with ideas.

He isn't even aware he's being followed.

Mm, yes. Anyway.

[She brushes him off effortlessly, not interested in pleasantries. She's the head doctor around here. No one to lead if there's no competition.

And soon, there won't be.]

What a w-week we've been having, hm? Your Real getting up to some rather interesting flights of fancy. Traitors, crossing without permission. A full on witch hunt!

[She steps further into the lab, shutting the door behind her. Purposefully standing before it.]

You wouldn't know anything about what happened with the s-start of that, now would you?

[He regards her coolly, refusing to give away the slightest hint of his guilt even though it's increasingly apparently that she knows.]

I don't pay attention to the nonsense my real thing gets himself into. They're a meaningless distraction.

[He rolls his eyes, and reaches down to run his fingers through his pet's hair.]

Focus on your work. You'll find it more satisfying than the gossip.

The information was blasted across the network thanks to the Nosy News Twins and his hiding space with Jane had been found out. He's on the run, except the problem is he can't really run too far. There's only so much space in Wonderland and the mansion is even more limited.

Which is why he was outside, hiding out in the maze because it seemed less likely that he would be found here. At the very least, it would be more complicated to find him and he might be alerted before they could figure out which way to go. All he knows is he has to keep avoiding and evading or he's probably going home to be unmade. That's the thing that's driving him now. Fear. Fear of the Queen, of the consequence, he just has to stay out of sight and it'll be fine.

...right?

[Of course he doesn't 'pay attention'. Hah. She can nearly smell the fear on him.]

Oh, but I am. And it seems s-someone else has, too!

[She walks closer, leaning her hand on a nearby lab table and drumming her fingers, the claws making a satisfying sharp clack against the smooth top.]

You've been doing quite an amount of talking too! Settling a few debts, as it w-were? Hoping because you didn't cross, the Queen wouldn't take issue?

[ Sam's Mirror notices. He's only half-trying to find the culprits, peeking into others' traps to see if there are any easy captures to be made... and when he comes across Dorian, he's nearly excited. ]

Ah, [ He sighs, easy expression falling into something... disappointed, ] You aren't any of the people I'm looking for.

[ The other guy is trapped, though. Sam's Mirror frowns, crossing his arms. ]

Tell me you didn't just fall in there on your own.

[ Given that Steven's felt the need to split his time between the Real Side and the Mirror Side, not to mention having another task that he needed to carry out for the Queen, it's taken some time to track down the traitors. They'd also been smart enough to stay scattered rather than grouping together.

In retrospect, it shouldn't surprise Steven that one of them has decided to hide out in the woods. The Mirror Side doesn't offer them nearly as much space, after all, and the forest is difficult to navigate. If you don't want to be found, well, it makes the job of someone like him very hard.

But he's had Chronos' scent for days now and he's finally got eyes on him.

In this case, where he absolutely does not want to fail, Steven isn't going to take any chances. So he's brought a handgun with him, something long-range to help pin his target down. When the time is right, he moves from behind the cover of a large tree trunk and points the muzzle of his gun right at Chronos' head. There's still a good twenty feet between them, but Steven knows he can close that gap quickly. ]

Enough hiding.

[ Steven's tone is cold, his eyes colder. He takes another step toward Chronos. ]

The Queen wants you back. You'd be smart to come willingly.

[ If not, Steven will make him regret it, or someone will. Most likely the Queen Herself. ]

[ It's not often that Steven finds himself outclassed, or that he gets in completely over his head, but there's a first for everything, isn't there?

The ice gun had been a level of power he had no way of defending against, and as sturdily as he might be built, he isn't that cold-resistant. So the ice had crept up around him until he was fully encased and left that way, collapsed on the forest floor. With a good two inches of ice covering every inch of his body, eventually he had no choice but to pass out.

Some time passes. How much, Steven has no idea. (Certainly not seventy years.)

Thankfully the weather isn't so cold out in the woods that he remains frozen, and slowly but surely the ice begins to melt. Even then, he's mainly paralyzed by how cold he is, unable to move his limbs or anything else for that matter. Eventually he's able to move his neck slightly and look around him, but the area's abandoned and the searing pain keeps him distracted. This is so cold that it burns. The Mirror can't help but remember that his Real had been through this once before, although he'd never been awake for it, had he? He'd never known this level of pain.

The grass around him becomes soaked in the melted water, but Steven's badly frostbitten with good chunks of his body still encased. Looks like someone might need to come to his rescue, though he'd rather die than endure that. Too bad he has no choice. ]

[Oh, great. Another one of those past traitors. Sam Mirror is marked, is he not?]

No, I'm not who you are looking for.

[He doesn't respond to Sam's snide comments.]

I suppose this sorry trap is yours?

[This is hideous.

This was hideous from the start, except that it allowed them the chance to escape to the other side of the glass for a spell, which is always a treat. Was a treat, up until Chara decided to show up like the rotten little spanner in the works that they are. Ruining everything. That's our Chara.

And now this...thing. He's tolerable, as far as Mirrors go, though they can't help but envy him for his ability to play the long con. It's fine, though, fine, as long as they find who they're looking for.

The dark of the caves seems like a good place to start.

The Mirror's gaze sweeps back and forth, dark eyes darting to and fro, until at last they sigh.]

Don't you have some sort of light-up gadget or anything to make it easier to see?

As soon as the Queen had given her orders, Kay's Mirror had crossed over. His first stop ha been to his Real's room, in order to steal the weapons stored there. Once he had them, he'd started hunting the traitors.

He'd seen one of the traitors enter the hedge maze and followed. He doesn't waste any time when he finally finds the guy. Kay takes on of the flash grenades he's carrying with him (courtesy of his Real) and rolls it towards the traitor. Kay is careful to shield his own eyes, to prevent himself from getting blinded, even as he reaches back into his pocket for a bottle of knockout gas (once again taken from his Real).

He counts down the time. Eight...seven...six...

[She's been busy.

Not busy in the traditional sense, no, but in the sense that the Queen has recruited a number of them for a manhunt and Evelyn's Mirror drew the the longest of straws to track down the primary perpetrator. On any given day she would be grateful for the opportunity to find someone whose talents include being overtly conspicuous, but Fitz's Mirror has been oddly under her radar.

Excitement bleeds into her veins when she sees someone of his likeness in the stacks of the library, but it takes all of three seconds to realise that it isn't him. He wouldn't be that stupid.]

Looking for something?

[Playing the well-meaning librarian can get tiresome after long, but Eve is a dab hand at mimicry in both attitude and attire.]

[Staying under the radar has been the primary objective of Fitz's mirror. He hasn't left the mirror side at all, fixed to going about his daily routine with the secure knowledge that people will be expecting him to deviate from it.

The real Fitz glances up at Evelyn. She's someone he's seen frequently but never approached, the silent curator in a space that welcomes and respects a collection of introverts. She's probably read that piece on the network and wants to discuss it. He'd cringe, but perhaps she just wants to help him solve it.]

Ah -- yes, actually. Do you remember the interstellar station we visited a few weeks ago? I've been trying to find other texts from that world. Are you familiar with it?

[ Joel's participating in this more for the sport of it than out of any particular loyalty to the Queen. As far as he's concerned, if someone wants to turn traitor, that's their decision. Still, kissing a little ass never hurts when it comes to their beloved monarch. And he does enjoy hunting.

But as it turns out, he's fated never to find the traitors themselves. He slows as he approaches the body lying in the woods, eyebrows shooting up with intrigued interest when it feebly moves. ]

Well, shit.

[ He doesn't move to help, just stands over Steven, looking down at him curiously. Another Mirror, someone he can recognize by sight but has never encountered personally.

This should be interesting. ]

[Ugh. It's one thing needing to ignore his Real to do his duty for the Queen, but it's another thing entirely to end up teamed with one of the mirrors that has actively done his darling harm. Getting out what, exactly, happened between Mirror Frisk and Mettaton all those months ago had been like slowly unscrewing rusted bolts and he had raged for an hour afterwards. There had been another emotion as well, something unidentifiable in the small way it had lodged itself into his soul.

It didn't matter in the end, of course. His real had convinced him not to immediately seek recompense for their crimes against him, so the mirror had settled for a sort of sullen silence whenever he saw the child. Well, except for the times he brags about talking to his Real but really, who can blame him for that?

He will admit, however grudgingly, that having Mirror Frisk's abilities on his side to help catch the traitors is advantageous if they get into a fight and therefore traveling through the caves with them is not ideal but it is a safe bet. He thinks.

He raises an eyebrow at Frisk's question, just stopping himself from rolling his eyes.]

Do I look like a flashlight to you? Anything I could do to light things up would be through an attack and there's no point in wasting energy on that when we haven't found our targets yet.

[The tunnels are long and deep however and Mirrorton purses his lips irritably.]

Why didn't you bring anything yourself?

I didn't expect to need it. It's broad daylight out there.

[They manage to match his haughty tone decibel for decibel, right down to the prim, poisonous twist to the words. He's far from their favorite Mirror, single-minded as he is, and his fixation on his Real borders on what one can only consider the pathological.

But they are, functionally, on the same side. For now.

So they keep their judgments where his interests are concerned firmly set to the side.]

They already know we're coming for them. You certainly aren't quiet, either, clanking around like a bucket of bolts.

I remember it.

[She does not.

Having not actually been there she is left with context clues and inference based upon the Mansion's residents, and what little Evelyn spoke of after the fact. The woman had been dreadfully preoccupied with the disappearance of her oldest friend.]

And...while I'm not actually from the time in question, I don't think it would be too difficult to locate some original texts provided they are not copies belonging to particular people. [Christ, what a mouthful, is this how she has to talk all the time?] Can you be more specific?

[At that, he grimaces and runs a hand down his face.]

Wish I could. I think I can use the portal in reverse to develop a means to force mirrors back to their own side, but there are pieces from that event that I'm not entirely comfortable with. I'd like to avoid another incident like this one... So I'm looking for any kind of engineering data that might come from there.

I've got to try something to keep them from staying out indefinitely.

Mine? [ There's an easy laugh and he sticks his hands in his pockets. ] I wouldn't come up with something this stupid.

[ He wouldn't fall in one, either, he thinks.

Sam studies the figure, wincing theatrically. ]

Did the trap also mess up your face?

Someone is on his heels in what seems like seconds and Cisco isn't sure that he has enough time to dip out, the person sounds too close for that.

And what's he get for being right? An eye-and-earful of the FLASH.BANG! of a stun grenade. His hands immediately fly up to cover his ears in a futile attempt to stop the ringing in them, eyes squinted shut against the light that had blinded him. Great. Now what?

He squints against the pain from all of the light of the grenade, but his eyes just aren't ready to work yet, he can barely make out anything in the surrounding area. In a last ditch effort to catch his attacker off guard, he blindly sends off a blast of vibrations in what he thinks is the right direction.

[Dorian would agree, this trap must have been created by a child.]

[He managed to lose his mask in the fall, so Sam can see him frown at the remark.]

No, and the explanation's not important right now. If you would kindly get me out of here...

[This one's marked. He comes with an incentive.]

I could put a good word in for you when we return to the mirror side.

[closed to sign-ups] + Their gallivanting must be put to an end +

mirror alphys and mirror fitz, 5/20

Mirror!Evelyn and Real!Fitz, 5/19

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Mirror! Dorian and Mirror! Sam, 5/18

{Can't catch me, if you get too close, I'm gone like a cool breeze | m!Mae + m!Napstablook

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{Game Over | m!Kay

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mirror!steve & chronos

mirror!steve & mirror!joel

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mirror frisk and mirror mettaton, 5/20

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