HANDYSPLOSION [open to multiple]

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew is snooping, but he's not getting very far with it. The trouble with absurdly powerful, government-sanctioned entities is that getting inside the base of such an organization tends to be a bit more complicated than showing up with a forged Health and Safety ID card. Of course, he could probably get inside very easily if he simply went up to the front doors and announced himself, but somehow he doubts he'd be likely to come back out without making a grand production of escaping, and he doesn't want to be too late coming home and make James worry.

The other trouble with Romac is that they're too smart to have anything interesting going on outside. After quite a bit of loitering -- more loitering than is probably wise -- all Andrew's seen is fairly ordinary people going in and out of the building. Disgruntled at their failure to be even the least bit interesting, Andrew finally gives up in disgust and decides to walk to the rebel base in order to say hello to a few people and use their private library.

He makes it less than halfway to the park before disaster strikes. Later, Handrew will be mortally embarrassed that the crisis didn't come about because some Romac agent spotted him and decided to make trouble, or because he had to run to intercept an alien, or even because someone got it in their head to mug him. No, this disaster occurs simply because neither Andrew nor a certain speeding taxi driver happens to be looking in the right direction at the right time. As the meta-crisis steps out into the intersection of Lexington and 59th (against right of way, if he'd bothered to notice), there's a deafening screech, an impact, and Andrew quite unexpectedly shatters.

The reflex to use his power when surprised likely saves his life. Twelve tiny Andrews are scattered across the road a moment later, all of them stunned to one degree or another. As they recover and realize what's happened -- and hear the yells of a few people who saw -- they all take the same course of action:

Run.

Unfortunately, very few of them run in the same direction. There's no plan or pattern to it, and very quickly the Andrews scatter to the four winds -- or at least to the four corners of the intersection. There are a few shouts (even New Yorkers tend to notice when someone explodes next to them) and one person even stoops and tries to grab one of the four-inch-tall Andrews, but he has quite a bit of experience in running for cover.


[OOC: Let me know where you want to encounter one or more Andrews, and I will write up an explanation of how he got there. The accident occurred at E. 59th St. and Lexington Ave. (the game map might help you here), and the Andrews have gone in every direction. Some Andrews will take advantage of the nearby subway entrances; depending where he enters he could do as he intends and go northwest, or he could get on the wrong train and go northeast, which would take him past Romac housing. Really, anything is possible -- though he's trying to get to either the Rebels or the TARDIS, he could get lost in any direction, or stay stranded near the intersection. Just write a tag indicating where your character encounters an Andrew and I'll work it out (or you can PM me or ping me on AIM if you want to hammer it out together). He'll be staying in twelfths, since merging into sixths would make him a foot and a half high, meaning he'd be still too small to get around without trouble but too big to go unnoticed. There might be multiple Andrews traveling together, so let me know if you want two of them.]

UPDATE, November 14: Nine Andrews are accounted for so far. One Andrew each currently reserved for Lucy, Spike, and Topher, meaning no more Andrews are available.

Comments

AWWW YISS

[wildmage_daine]

Daine is perched above Park Avenue in crow shape when she spots an unusually tiny but still familiar figure darting beneath a mailbox. She lets out a squawk of surprise. What's such a little Andrew doing out here? More to the point, where's the rest of him?

She flaps down to a bin beside the mail box, then hops down to the sidewalk so she can get a closer look at him. She has to duck her head a bit to peer beneath the box, and once she spots the little Andrew, she lets out a low croak by way of a 'hello.'

It probably should have occurred to her that he might not know it's her as opposed to a random crow, but she was in this shape when they first met, after all.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew never knew just how long a city block could be. He's trying not to think about how much farther he has to go before he reaches the rebel base...or about how he's going to cross all the streets between him and the park. The other Andrews were nowhere to be seen by the time he took shelter under a water spout; even now he keeps glancing around for them, but they've apparently all gone other ways. Bloody typical.

The thought does occur to him when he reaches Park Avenue that maybe, just maybe, he ought to have gone back to the intersection to try to find the others. How he's going to get across he doesn't know, but then again, the fact that he immediately ran off means they probably all did as well. He surveys the area from under a mailbox as he tries to make up his mind what to do, only to be interrupted by a sudden croak behind him.

Giving a little jump of surprise, Andrew spins on the spot, ready to bolt. When he sees the bird his fears are not exactly allayed. "Shoo!" he hisses. Awkwardly, he takes a tentative step forward and raises his arms, trying to make himself look big and spook it away. He can hardly come out from under the box with it there, after all. "Go away!"

[wildmage_daine]

Odd's bobs. So much for being recognized. Daine cants her head to favor him with a disapproving look out of one eye, then gives her surroundings a quick check. There's a truck parked along the curb, blocking her off from anyone on the street, and she's sandwiched in the little space between the bin and the mailbox. There's really only one direction from which she could be seen, so she hops around to check for passersby. Once there's a sizable gap in the foot traffic, she shifts.

She's still quite fresh in the magic department, so it only takes a moment for fur to replace feathers and paws to take the place of wings and feet. After a beat in which no one screams, Daine turns back to Andrew and gives him a rather pointed blink.

[traken_master]

The Master is plotting. Well, the Master is always plotting, but this is plotting with intent. He walks around Central Park, scheming. He has been quite upset by the limitations this world has managed to put on him, especially grounding his TARDIS. Nevertheless, he is the Master. It is his destiny and right to conquer and rule! When he has accomplished that, he can see about making the changes necessary for his liberation.

[bluesuit_handy]

Handy has had a long and difficult journey. Just getting down into the subway station was an ordeal that nearly got him trampled or sucked down an escalator, and that was before he even had to jump the gap to get on the train -- and then change trains partway through the trip. It's been over an hour since he was split into his component parts, and he's near exhausted from his ordeals. Still, he's near his goal. Exiting the subway at the Natural History Museum, he strikes off into the park, trying to remember where exactly the TARDIS is parked. She's in the Ramble, he knows, but to start with he sticks close to the paths, scuttling from shrub to shrub and wastebasket to wastebasket. He's on the lookout for people, of course, not wanting to be stepped on, but he's not exactly craning his neck to look at faces -- it's feet he's worried about. Thus far New Yorkers seem to be living up to their reputation for being unobservant, but it'll still take someone with a good awareness of his surroundings to spot the little figure as he darts from one hiding place to the next.

[traken_master]

Fortunately, the Master's paranoia ensures he is always aware of what happens around him. He spots the tiny figure and grins. Oh, he recognizes that form, shrunken as it is. Oh, this is too delicious! Rarely did the universe present him with such perfect opportunities for revenge. The Master had not forgotten the events on Sarn. He still remembered, too vividly, the Doctor allowing him to burn.

In this state, the Doctor must be returning to his TARDIS. The Master fully intended to catch him, when he got there.

[bluesuit_handy]

Meanwhile, one of the Andrews gets so lost that he ends up in a different thread entirely. True facts.

[jennifer_strange]

Thank god for canine couture. It's warming up enough that the outrageous winter garb she'd found for the Beast is getting to be a bit much, and she'd been worried about finding something lighter that concealed him as well. Fortunately for her - if not the canine denizens of New York - there really is no shortage of silly clothes for dogs, regardless of the weather. The Quarkbeast might still get an odd look or two, but it's probably because the clothes she's gotten him are intentionally ill-fitting. They do their job, though, and no one seems to look too closely because they think he's not a real dog.

They're just wrapping up a walk around the reservoir when the Beast evidently spies something interesting. "Quark," he says quietly, pointing a little ways down the path. Jennifer follows his claw, and her eyebrows shoot up as she spies... is that another Borrower? Brow furrowing, she cautiously makes her way toward the shrub the little person just darted behind. If it is another Borrower, there's no question of leaving it out here. Whatever Aglet's said, she's certain a tiny person wouldn't last long out here.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew's odyssey has been perilous, to say the least. Unfamiliar with the area, he'd mistaken one side of the subway platform for the other and got on the train going in the opposite direction of where he wanted to be. In a panic he'd got off again as soon as he'd realized and as soon as he could, only to think much later that he might have been just as well off going around the north end of the park to get to the TARDIS as going south to the rebel base.

It was with the TARDIS in mind that he'd made the foolhardy decision to traverse at street level and get to the Ramble. How he made it across three streets without becoming a sticky patch on someone's tire he'll never know, and the greenery of the park is a very welcome sight despite how far he has yet to go. He's too tired to be as careful about concealing himself as he was at the start, and the fact that no one's paid any mind to him so far has made him inclined to be a little careless.

Crossing the path (what's a mere path to a mighty crosser of streets like himself?), Andrew darts behind the first shrub he sees and all but collapses underneath it. Just a minute or two, and then he'll get back up and be on his way.

[jennifer_strange]

"Hang back a little," Jennifer tells the Quarkbeast. Unlike the normal-sized people wandering the park, the Borrower will have a pretty good view of what's under the jacket, and she doesn't want to panic him (her?) any more than she has to. It doesn't help that if they're anything like Aglet, simply saying hello will be enough to about give them a heart attack.

Dropping into a crouch next to the shrub, she carefully leans over until she can see the little fellow sprawled beneath it. He looks exhausted, but maybe it's just as well - if he tries to bolt, he won't get too far too quickly. Now that she's found him, she definitely doesn't want to lose him.

"Excuse me," she ventures, keeping her voice low, "but you look like you could use some help."

[wildmage_daine]

Daine steps out of the TARDIS in her robe and slippers, her mood not much improved. She doesn't blame Andrew for assuming the TARDIS could be of more help, but it was still fair stupid of him to not mention how scattered he was before. Goddess only knows where the rest of him have got to now that they've had an hour's head start.

First things, first. Daine picks her way a little distance from the ship, then sits down with her back against a tree and tries to get comfortable. Shutting her eyes, she sends her magic out to the animals in and around the park, calling for their attention. It's a busy time of year for the People, so she's brief: This is Andrew, she tells them, giving them a sense of who he is: what he looks and smells like, how he moves, and how titchy he currently is. He's a friend to me, and he needs my help. If you see him anywhere, please tell me right away. There's more than one of him out there, too, so he could be anywhere and everywhere.

There's some confusion from the People on that last point, unsurprisingly, but they know Daine wouldn't bother them if it wasn't important. Quickbeak and her crows are particularly concerned, since they've met Andrew before, and they spread out to search the southern half of the park.

Feeling a bit better, Daine blinks her eyes open. "Secret?" She holds out her hands as the darking flows down one arm to pool in her palms. "I need to talk to Aly. Can you get in touch with Trick for me, please?"

Once she's spoken with her niece, Daine lets out a sigh. Whatever shape she picks, it'll have to last her. Hawk is the obvious choice, though any Andrew she nabs will doubtless be terrified. She won't have the magic to spare to change her head and reassure every single one of them. Then again... now that he knows about Secret, there's no reason that the darking couldn't talk to him.

"All right," she says, lifting her hands so she can look the darking in the equivalent of where its eyes would be as it raises a blobby head to peer back at her. "I'm going to take hawk shape to find Andrew."

"Fun!" squeaks the darking, who always has enjoyed flying with her.

"Yes, but it won't be much fun for him, and I won't be able to talk to him and let him know it's me. D'you think you could do that?" Daine raises her eyebrows at the darking, who nods its little head vigorously. "Perfect."

No sooner has that been settled, but she gets word from a squirrel near the Pond that an Andrew's been spotted. Daine gets to her feet and picks her way back to the TARDIS before taking hawk shape, the robe and slippers left in a heap by the door. Then she takes to the air, flapping heavily to get above the trees, and then banking toward the Pond.

[bluesuit_handy]

Andrew is in the home stretch! Or at least he would be, if he could remember how to get to the TARDIS. He's fa-a-airly sure he's going the right direction, and soon he hopes he'll be close enough that she might pick up on his presence and help. Maybe that's a vain hope, considering she'll have no idea what's going on, but it helps to have hope.

He picks his way through the shrubberies, mindful to stay out of sight of the path and listen for any dogs. He's not so mindful of the other animals around the park, but none have approached him and he doubts most would have much interest in him. He's tired, but at least this last leg of the journey is less terrifying stressful than dodging foot traffic out on the sidewalks.

[wildmage_daine]

Daine really will need to have a talk with him later, as it hasn't yet occurred to him that all the animals in the park know her. She might not be smartening them up on purpose, but most are canny enough by now that if Andrew just said her name to one of them, they'd try to reach her.

But for now, having the animals on the lookout is enough. The squirrel who called her isn't thrilled to see her arrive in such a predatory shape, but he obligingly points out the little Andrew sneaking through the shrubs. Daine watches him for a minute from her perch, noting that at least he has the sense to avoid the path and stick to the undergrowth. He doesn't seem to be watching out for an attack from above, though. At least that'll make her job easier.

She waits until he's left one shrub and is darting for another before dropping off of the branch. A shadow falling over him is the only warning he gets before he's hit by a whack of wind from her wingbeats as she slows her drop. One taloned foot hits the ground beside him, and the other wraps snugly around his middle. Then, she launches herself back into the air, climbing quickly in the hopes that he'll struggle less.

[wildmage_daine]

All right, that's two Andrews safe in the TARDIS. Deciding that the People have the park covered well enough without her, Daine heads towards the accident site, riding thermals above the city and looking for any remaining Andrews down below. Most, she imagines, have probably made fair progress away from the accident site, but she starts above that intersection anyway and starts to work her way out in a slow spiral.

After a good hour in which no Andrews are spotted, she works her way back in towards Lexington and 59th. Maybe they've made it to the park or the base - or gone underground - but she wants to be certain she hasn't missed any. Her hopes aren't particularly high, though, so it's a surprise when she spots one. He's only made it over to 60th and halfway to Park, which explains why she didn't spot him earlier; she'd assumed any Andrew would have made it at least two blocks in the time she's already spent searching.

It only takes her a few moments to realize why this one is making such slow progress: he seems to be hurt. She catches him just as he finishes crossing a paved, semicircular drive and ducks into a little strip of landscaping beside an ivy-draped wall, but she still gets a distressingly long look at him as he covers those last few inches of open ground. Oh, dear. This is going to be tricky.

Fortunately, there's a tree quite close to him that will hold her. Daine drops with a screech, hoping to get his attention (and not particularly caring at the moment if she ends up getting everyone's attention). Then she lands in one of the lower branches and folds her wings so she won't completely panic him like last time

[bluesuit_handy]

Later, the Andrews will all have a good think (and round of self-congratulations) over how, on the whole, he has hardly been hurt at all. Sure, a shower of tiny meta-crises went flying at the initial impact, but most of them had jumped up and run away with only bumps and bruises to show for it. So had this one, at first. Funny that it shouldn't be the collision with an automobile that had done him in.

No, he'd been hit by something much worse: a jogging stroller. In his haste to cross the sidewalk from one piece of cover to the next, he'd miscalculated and actually been run over by one of its gargantuan wheels as he tried to dodge underneath and use it to conceal his movement. That he'd still gone unnoticed was a mixed blessing and curse; while he hadn't wanted to be scooped up, there were several moments in which being stepped on was a significantly greater concern. He'd half limped, half dragged himself to shelter under a parked car, and spent some time there gingerly examining the leg that had taken the worst of the impact and wishing fervently that James were there to pick him up and carry him home.

But no. No, he'd gone out and got himself lost and hurt, and there weren't even other Andrews to help him, let alone someone big enough to do any good. Finally, he'd come to grips with the fact that rescue wasn't going to come no matter how long he waited, and gathered himself up to continue his journey to the park. His side where the wheel had grazed him ached with every movement, and his leg burned whenever he touched foot to the ground, but by keeping his knee locked and putting his weight on it as briefly as possible on each stride, he was able to shuffle along for a little while before he had to stop and rest. Each time he went on the move again, the period in which he could stand to keep moving grew shorter, and the rests grew longer. It wasn't safe to stay under a car or behind a rubbish bin, though. He had to at least find a better place to hide, though what he'd do beyond that he didn't know. Crossing a street in this condition was out of the question.

He's just finished the last treacherous run to the welcoming embrace of a green space when a sound above him gives him a whole new problem to occupy his overtaxed mind. What's a hawk doing here?! Andrew starts, stumbles, and falls to the ground under the shrub he's claimed as cover with a yelp of pain. Yes, wonderful, that sound will surely soothe away its predatory instincts. Gritting his teeth, he crawls/drags himself deeper under cover.

[wildmage_daine]

For the most part, the tree conceals her from the two-leggers on the street. It shouldn't be long before any that noticed her drop lose interest, and anyone else passing by will have no reason to look her way. But in the interest of not catching the attention of any more humans - or panicking Andrew - she decides to stay put for the moment and wait.

Secret stirs from around her neck. She can't talk to the darking any more than she can talk to Andrew, but fortunately, Secret's a clever little thing... not to mention eager to please. "Talk to Andrew?" it suggests. Daine nods her head, and the darking drops to the branch with a little plop. Daine lifts a foot uneasily, wondering how it's going to climb down, but Secret simply slides off the branch and stretches itself into a little parachute shape, drifting to the ground below.

"Andrew?" it calls in its little voice, staying low to the ground and blending with the shadows the other shrubs are casting.

[edgar_sawtelle]

Edgar squints against the sunlight as he exits the New York Public Library, eyes slow to adjust to the sudden brightness after - he checks his watch - a little over two hours inside. He tugs at the strap of his bag, heavy with borrowed books, and makes another mental note to thank Daine for helping him get a library card. While the rebel base has a small collection of books, it can't compare to this library. No library Edgar has ever seen comes close.

He's never been able to take Almondine into a library before, either. He'll have to thank Daine for that, too. He grins down at Almondine, who blinks owlishly back up at him. Her new "service dog" vest is askew, and Edgar kneels to adjust it, but decides to just take it off; she probably won't need it again today. He folds it neatly and tucks it into his bag.

The weather is nice, and it feels good to be outside after so long indoors, so Edgar decides to head over to the fountain he spotted in the park and sit for a while before heading back to the base. Maybe he'll start on one of the books.

His mind is filled with stories, which is why he doesn't notice when Almondine stops walking, her ears perking up. He doesn't notice that she glances off to her left, and cocks her head curiously. He isn't paying attention, so when she suddenly darts off toward a small clump of bushes just off the pathway, it takes Edgar longer than it should to realize what's happening. By the time he does and pulls back on her leash, she's almost to the bushes.

Edgar immediately sees what drew her attention: a large tabby cat - a stray by the looks of it - crouched by the biggest bush and sweeping a paw under its lowest branches. The cat zooms away in a furry blur the minute it catches sight of Almondine. Edgar relaxes at it's quick retreat, thankful Almondine isn't about to get in a fight with another animal in the middle of a park. But chasing after animals while on leash is very unlike her, and Edgar frowns. He claps his hand to his leg to call her, his frown deepening when Almondine merely glances back at him and sits right in front of the clump of bushes.

Intrigued and a little concerned, he walks over to join her. She looks up at him again and whines softly. Then she sinks to the ground, lowering her head onto her front legs, eyes fixed on a point somewhere in the undergrowth. Her tail is fanning the air behind her, though, so Edgar assumes she must have found something good.

/What is it?/ he signs to her, dropping to his knees. He runs one hand down her back, feeling her huff beneath his touch, then bends almost double to peer under the bush.

What he sees almost makes him fall over in surprise.

Under the bush is a man - a very small man - who appears to be hurt. And terrified. Edgar blinks at him.

[bluesuit_handy]

This Andrew made it all the way to the park without any major incident -- there were close scrapes, to be sure, and more than a few moments that got his adrenaline going (particularly the bits with the subway and the escalators), but once he got to the greenery he'd thought he was more or less home free. Unfortunately, making his way through the park was harder than anticipated, and that was before some jogging oaf came up the path unexpectedly just as he was crossing and caught him hard enough with the toe of his running shoe to send Andrew flying. Whether or not it was fortunate that he landed in a shrub is debatable; while it saved him from the jogger discovering just what he hit, a good deal of the lacerations on his body were gained in the process of leaving an Andrew-shaped hole in the foliage. His clothes are torn, and there's a little cut on his scalp that has bled beyond all proportion, leaving him looking like someone's tried to bash his head in.

Come to that, he feels like someone's tried to bash his head in. Prior to the cat's arrival, he'd lain there in torpid confusion for some minutes, trying to understand what was going on only for his mind to go in wobbly little circles. How had he ended up here? The cat hadn't helped his cognitive processes in the slightest, though he'd felt a bit proud of himself for the way he dragged himself out of reach. Now the cat is gone -- gone? -- only to be replaced by a dog and a human boy.

Andrew stares blearily at the pair of them, still not over the cat scare. His mouth opens and shuts wordlessly as he struggles to find something clever to say, some way to fix this situation. The effort fizzes out in his concussed brain, and all he manages is, "Don't? Please."

[edgar_sawtelle]

Edgar feels a surge of pity at the man's words. Whatever landed him in his current state, the man is clearly scared. Eager to assuage at least one of the man's concerns, Edgar lays a hand on Almondine's head. When she looks his way, he signs for her to move back. She hesitates for a moment but does as he asks, scooting back about five feet and lying down again to stare under the bush.

Edgar flattens himself to the ground beside her, the better to see under the bush himself. Then he ponders the best way to attempt to communicate. The man is obviously from the rift - no "normal" person would ever be so small - and clearly needs help, so Edgar decides to try a direct approach.

Carefully, he extends one hand under the bush so that his fingertips are just a few millimeters away from the man, and then rests it, palm down, on the ground there. He holds the man's eyes and smiles, hoping that will keep him calm for what comes next.

Then, very slowly and gently, Edgar reaches forward so that the tip of one finger makes contact with the man's hand. With the contact, he thinks at the man.

I'm Edgar. I'm not going to hurt you. My dog is Almondine; she won't hurt you, either. We came through the rift, too. What's your name?

[aly_brighteyes]

When Daine contacts Aly via her darking, Aly can't believe what's happened. She's walked among gods, mages, and men and done her fair share of watching out for toddlers, but this is still quite a surprise. All the same, she's done as her aunt asked and retrieved the dogs in hopes of them catching his scent as well.

With her Sight tuned to anything she can think of that might pinpoint Andrew (high detail, Riftie status), she begins her own search.

After a while, she's not feeling particularly good about her ability to find one of the lost clones when something twinkles in her Sight, sending her forward.

Aly's about to exult when Sarge is the one to grab at the tiny man and cover him in slobbery puppy kisses.

"Sarge! Sarge! Heel!" she commands, bending down to look at the tiny clone. "I'm sorry."

[bluesuit_handy]

If she's watched out for toddlers, at least she ought to already have some of the skills required for this situation.

It probably doesn't help that Andrew is doing his best to stay out of sight as he darts from one bit of cover to the next. Fortunately for Aly, he's not particularly good at stealth when unaided by technology and when dealing with a world so out of scale with himself. Unfortunately for Andrew, he not only fails to keep hidden from Sarge, but never even sees the dog coming.

"Agh!" In the moment, it doesn't even really register that he's in danger of being mouthed. Mostly there's the sensation of suddenly being unpleasantly wet and sticky, coupled with Sarge's overwhelming breath. Andrew is knocked over by the first lick and lays on the ground, flailing at the giant tongue making a mess of his clothes.

"What -- you --" he says, looking up at Aly, then at the dog, who looks suddenly familiar now that Andrew can see more of him than the inside of his mouth. "Sarge!" he exclaims joyfully. Looking at Aly again, he adds, "And...Aly, isn't it?"

Yep, this is all perfectly normal.

[aly_brighteyes]

"Oh bother," Aly says, reaching into her purse for some tissue to dry off with. "Here, yes, I'm Aly. And I am so sorry about Sarge." It's mostly true. She's mostly sorry. Ninety percent. The remaining ten is just amused.

While he dries off, she mutters to Trick to relay a message to Daine that she's found one.

"There's been quite a lot of hullabaloo over you today."

[erratic_hematic]

[ten years later... (sorry)]

Spike is shouldering his way out of a nearby subway entrance when something catches his eye. As first he thinks it's a rat, but it had seemed strange, so he turns back. He bumps into and pushes a man aside as he walks back down, speeding up as he catches sight of the thing again.

It's...human shaped. Tiny and human shaped. "Hey! Little man! Wait up!" The crowd thins out some as he reaches the bottom of the stairs, and he's able to catch up to whoever (or whatever) it is fairly quickly.

[bluesuit_handy]

This part -- the part that necessitates moving about in the open -- is nerve-wracking at this size. Andrew finds himself following the wall, presumably to avoid getting stepped on, in a way that reminds him of the behavior of rodents. Getting down the stairs is an ordeal in itself, but he's found in the past that he can handle further drops (relative to size) when split than when at full size, and he's a lot more confident about his ability to pick his way down a series of small precipices than in his ability to avoid being pulled down into the escalator and crushed.

It isn't surprising, then, that he's easily caught up, though he's been hoping he's gone unnoticed in all the hubbub. Andrew glances back and up when he hears a voice calling, just to verify that it's not him being called to, and is dismayed to find a blond man staring right at him. Glancing quickly in the direction he was going, he makes a split second decision not to immediately bolt, but just to be ready to bolt. "...Ah," he says. "Would it help if I said this isn't what it looks like?"

[erratic_hematic]

"I dunno, looks like a tiny man scrambling around the subway. But feel free to prove me wrong." Spike bends down, balancing on the balls of his feet to get a closer look at the guy. Now that he sees him close up..."Weren't you in that dream? Doctor something?" He's a bit fuzzy on the details, but he definitely remembers the face.

Someone coming down the stairs bumps roughly into Spike, and Spike drops a hand down to the ground. He takes a fraction of a second to lament touching the ground in a New York subway station before he pushes himself back up to get a look at the guy. At the same time, a book manifests in the air and drops onto his shoulder. He yelps in surprise and snatches it before it hits the ground. "We're both getting trampled if we stay here." He offers the book as a platform to step onto. It's Gulliver's Travels. Of course it's Gulliver's Travels. "Come on."