Jack's Room, London, Wednesday Morning

[bitten_notshy]

Jack didn't even have a particular reason for calling Emma. It was just one of those things he did every so often when he was lonely and at loose ends. The first time he'd tried and gotten a bad connection, he didn't even think about it.

But when texts didn't go through either and the problem persisted on a few more dials over more than a day, he started calling other numbers. Karla's line wasn't working; neither was Alex's. A few other people only went to voice mail. Finally, he shrugged and tried someone he hadn't spoken to much since the summer. Dinah was usually good at knowing what was going on.

[OOC: NFB due to distance. For the blondest of the canaries, please.]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

After a day of trying to get people and not getting them, this was a huge relief, to have someone calling her.

"Jack! Hi. How are you and have you heard from anyone on the island?"

[bitten_notshy]

"I'm fine and that's why I was calling you," Jack answered. "I haven't heard from anyone in a week or so, and my calls aren't going through. You're having the same problem?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I talked to Momoko on Sunday night," Dinah said, sounding worried. "And she said that Radio said some people had been kidnapped by goblins. Including Karla. I've been trying to get a portal there since then, and no joy."

[bitten_notshy]

"Dinah, did you just say kidnapped by goblins?"

There were certain phrases that just begged for repetition. Besides, Jack hadn't been anything like worried enough to try to get a portal.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I know," Dinah said, having had several moments of are you serious? about it herself on Sunday night. "And some freaky maze has appeared, and I talked to Momoko on Monday night but she promised to call yesterday, and I called half a dozen other people, and nothing."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack closed his eyes desperately. "It almost sounds like the island's being taken over by folk tales," he muttered. "What did you say happens when you try to book a portal?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Ever since yesterday, they say they can't make a connection. They can't find the other end in Fandom, to make it work." Dinah was grateful to have someone to explain her upset to at this point, who wouldn't be offering her ten free coupons for Milliways instead of getting her to Fandom. "I'm at the point of maybe driving down to Maryland and seeing if I can't make it across the Causeway."

[bitten_notshy]

"Not alone," Jack said, biting a thumbnail. If he were on the right continent, he'd be threatening the same. "Bring one of your sisters, at the very least. I'd offer myself, but you don't want to know how much of this semester Fandom trauma has already eaten. I can't miss classes if it's just a downed power line somewhere."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Point," Dinah admitted. "I can probably talk Helena into it. And yeah? More than just the mess in Kaeleer?" She sighed. "Honestly, I'll be so happy when everyone I know has graduated and is somewhere -- well. Hopefully safer?"

[bitten_notshy]

"We should just try to get them to move the whole bloody school," Jack groused, letting the first question pass him by. "Leave a portal on the island, keep the children someplace safe. But I doubt we're the first to say that."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Yeeeah. Somebody probably found a reason why it wouldn't work." Dinah sighed. "I'm going to keep calling and I'll probably leave for Baltimore tomorrow, since I don't have any classes then... Raven texted me too, and she was pretty frantic about Karla on Monday. Said she saw her in a dream, and they were going to get her back, as well as some other people." She blew out a breath. "So. Not everyone's in the same boat, at least." Hopefully.

[bitten_notshy]

"Does it sound like more are missing, or more have been taken?" Jack wondered. "And I don't suppose anyone mentioned Emma Frost."

Like that could sound casual, much as Jack wanted to make it seem so.

"Thank you for making the trip," he added.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"No," Dinah said, regretfully. She would have liked to have been able to give Jack a definitive answer. "Only that it was more than just Karla-- Momoko said 'a bunch' of people got taken. Raven was ... terse. I didn't think to call her, and I should have; if Karla were taken, she'd be doing everything to get her back... I don't know." She smiled a little. "And you're welcome. I'll call as soon as I've reached the Causeway, and found out whatever there is to find there."

[bitten_notshy]

"If they're fine and it's just a problem with the phones and a few incidents being blown out of proportion, I'll laugh really hard," Jack told her.

He could hope.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Me too! I will chortle. Loudly enough to be heard across the Atlantic." Dinah mustered a smile. "Keep your fingers crossed. If it isn't... Well. I guess we can always invade Portalocity or something."

Yeah, 'cause that would work.

[bitten_notshy]

"Don't attack the nice people at their desks, Dinah," Jack suggested. "I suspect that would get you banned for life. But we'll find something."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"We will," Dinah said, determined. And relieved; a potential crisis without someone to double-check with it about-- was a lot worse. Having Jack to check in with it on made it seem possible to deal with it. "Okay. Get rest, good luck with your classes, and I'll call tomorrow. Same time, same Dinah-channel."

[bitten_notshy]

"The same to you, and I'll talk to you later," Jack said, and closed the connection.

And then he tried calling Emma again, just to see if anything had changed in the last ten minutes.