Loose Ends: The Royal Mugen Institute

[Halbarad]

It's Monday, the 29th of March. Having spent the day before with her family, Rowan decides to head over to the institute, to see how things are progressing there - as well as to deliver a few goodbyes. Nothing impedes her progress as she heads up to the magical research department, but the main office is empty when she arrives - very unusual for a Monday morning.

[Ebiris]

That's odd... Rowan thinks for a moment, before shrugging it off - she has been out of the loop with things here over the past few months.

Still, wondering just why no one is in the main office today, she goes to take a look at the calender to see if any interesting experiments were scheduled that might explain people's absences from the administrative area. Either that or if today is meant to be a holiday. It's easy to lose track of these things...

[Halbarad]

The calendar has a rather large note scribbled on it for tomorrow - 'Launch!!!' Looks like Margie's handwriting - she's been your advisor in the MR department ever since you enrolled at Mugen.

[Ebiris]

But nothing for today... Rowan thinks, disappointed. Exiting the office, she heads downstairs to see if anyone she knows is working in the labs at the moment.

[Halbarad]

Even the labs are empty, although you do see that there are a few experiments set up - looks like someone's trying to work on shaping a magical field, using magically non-reactive materials. Not the kind of stuff you'd just leave laying around for the weekend.

[Ebiris]

Now feeling a little bit annoyed - after all, if she wanted to spend time by herself, she could do that at home, Rowan makes her way to reception so she can just ask where everyone is.

[Halbarad]

On the way down to reception, you pass by the department's main conference room - and you think you hear someone shuffling around inside, although you can't see anyone from the door.

[Ebiris]

Pausing, Rowan briefly pokes her head in the door - she doesn't want to interrupt if there's a meeting or anything like that going on, but it'd be nice to assuage her curiousity over just where everyone has gotten to.

[Halbarad]

There's... still no one visible from the doorway as you peek your head in. But after a few moments of looking around, several people appear with a flash. "Congratulations!" comes the cheer - almost the entire department looks like it's in here, the table covered with snacks and drinks of various types.

[Ebiris]

"Aah!" Rowan jumps, startled, putting a hand over her chest as she looks around. "You guys..."

Wow... good thing I didn't just decide to go straight home after not finding anyone in the office... she thinks, blushing.

[Halbarad]

Margie comes up to you, grinning. "Congratulations, Rowan," she says with a grin. "We're all really proud of you - even if you got here too early!" She gives you a mock scolding look. "We were going to get set up in the main office, but there was a mixup on the memo about the party and everyone had already brought their food down here." She shakes her head and grins. "We're all really glad you decided to stop in before you left, though."

[Ebiris]

"Thanks," Rowan grins, rubbing the back of her head. "I was just going to ask at reception after I'd checked out the labs. I was starting to think I'd missed something important that everyone had been called away for or something..." Looking around, she adds, "You guys really didn't have to go to this trouble for me, though."

[Halbarad]

"Hey, you know us," she responds with a grin. "Any excuse we can find to have a party."

One of the other researchers comes up and hands you a plate with a slice of cake and a glass of some sort of punch, giving you a smile - you think his name is Hiro. "What's it been like so far?" he asks. "What's the Queen really like - you met her, didn't you?"

[Ebiris]

"I did," Rowan nods, taking a sip of the punch. "And she really is as nice as everyone says."

Again, she decides not to tell anyone about the rabbits. She's taking that one to her grave.

"Not only that, the woman is a genius. I spent an afternoon discussing the current state of magical research with her and the heads of the government research department. I suppose it's not surprising with as long as she's lived, but she's probably forgotten more about magic than I've ever learned..."

[Halbarad]

"So she really DOES know that much about magic?" Hiro goes on. "I almost thought half of that was a screen to keep people from trying to do anything to her - I wouldn't think she'd care about magic other than what it takes to keep the Kingdom going."

One of your professors - Dr. Alexander - comes up, munching on a piece of cake himself. "I think the entire department's turned out for this, Rowan," he says with a smile.

"Almost," Margie corrects him. "Someone called in sick earlier this morning, and Helena said she was taking the next few days off - something about a big project she needed to research."