The Universe's Mixer

While much of the City struggled to adjust to the sudden normalcy of the place, Beauty found returning to a simpler life downright refreshing. It was made easier, of course, by the fact that she was wealthier than she'd been since... since her father's failing business sent them into the countryside to make a more rustic living, she realized. Beauty had hardly cared for the money she was earning from her job at the bookstore. The City, she had to admit, did a very fine job of taking care of her needs, which were few. The bookstore... She'd been there for love, nothing more. Even now, she would prefer being curled up in the back room, examining the newest shipment of books before she shelved them.

But with the City no longer providing for her daily meals, the supply of food in her cottage diminishing, she was very grateful to have the time to go shopping for the necessities. That's what led her out onto Market Street on this sunny, brisk mid-morning, all bundled in a wool coat and scarf and mittens, basket looped around one arm. The wind was a little sharp, but as she hurried toward the closest fruit stand, she wrapped the length of her hair twice around her palm, then tucked the twist under the collar of her coat. There -- that was much better!

And she had to say, as she examined the loads of fresh fruit in crates before her, the City certainly sourced from fine orchards! Picking out a couple gleaming red apples and setting them in her basket, she turned toward a crate of pears. These looked nice, too! But what were these yellow, strangely shaped fruits? She picked one up gingerly and turned it in her hand. When one looked down the back of it, it looked like a starburst. How... strange... What was it?

A RUN IN- LITERALLY (Thomas)

Brennan was settling in alright. It wasn't the same this time around, not with what had been happening lately. The city going still and all. It had taken her relatively no time to find her apartment, the same one she'd had before (or at least it appeared to be the same- it was difficult to tell considering it was an exact replica of her apartment in DC), and her lab. The lab even had a couple of files she'd been working on when she left. Bones didn't disintegrate, though, and she was grateful she still had some puzzles to figure out. The last thing she wanted was too much time to herself to think.

Perhaps because she was so used to taking care of herself, she didn't resent the change in the City as much as others. But that didn't mean she didn't have questions. Mainly, what had happened to cause the change?

She put down the skull she was working on and pulled her gloves off. Trashing them, she left the platform and walked toward the exit. She wanted some coffee and a breath of fresh air. She was pretty sure she had enough change for a cup of joe and was rummaging in her pocket, not paying attention to what was in front of her, when she ran right into a solid being.

She took a step back, slightly flustered and embarrassed, "I apologize, I should have been watching where I was going."