Chapter Two
MEMO
FROM: Sarah Miller [.org]
TO: All Dept.
RE: Wardrobe Reimbursement and Maintenance
Dear Select Salix Employees,
In light of recent events all departments will be allotted yearly funds to reimburse employees for undo loss of clothing. In other words if you're not responsible for dealing with things with slime, teeth, claws, etc. you'll get reimbursed for damaged clothing. In order to keep cost down to both the Industry and individuals who work in these departments we've sent this information to hopefully save your clothing.
Due to the recent infestation and outbreak of the Gmora Demons in the building, the section will start with slime. ANY and ALL captured Gmora Demons should be turned over to Edith "Edie" Springs and members of her team. You can find their contact information in the attachment and on your department bulletin boards.
Please note: Gmora Demons are not dangerous nor is their slime but please do not try to tame one or keep it as a pet no matter how cute they are. If you do keep one as a pet please be aware they're deathly allergic to goat cheese even though I said you shouldn't keep one. All information pertaining to their care can be found in the second attachment or in the library on the third, not fifth, floor. You're not really supposed to keep one so please give them to the proper department. This is a longer note than I intended to write. Sorry!
Also please stop referring to them as the 'blue-green mice' or anything like that in the reports! You have no idea how many complaints I'm getting from the archives and library about having to cross-reference so many names. I'm not the one they're even supposed to complain to! Achieves you need to contact Bill in Human Resources not me!
Thank you,
S. Miller
Attached:
Clothing Maintenance and Care
Sample of Contents:
-Slime Removal
a. Materials that cannot be saved no matter how much magic or elbow grease you use...
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Approximately Three-and-a-half Weeks in the Future
Sarah looked at her reflection. Today was her birthday and she didn't feel any happier about it. She hated her birthday. It had been at least 18 years since she could use her real name without fear of the taboo associated with it. The last time she had tried to say the name Willow in reference two men had been killed by the demons and backlash coming to hunt her down. Her full name had killed so many people before they had realized what had been going onn.
Sarah studied her reflection for a moment. Her face was younger than she actual age and made her feel so much older than she really was. She could still remember getting use to her younger face and much of a suprise she had felt at discovering how much more easily her younger body moved. Then there had been the thrill and excitement. It had had so many advantages. Now though, she wished her reflection showed her age no matter how much more grey hair, wrinkles, and scars there'd be. To stare at the reflection and utter the name "Willow Rosenberg," with ease instead of "Sarah Miller".
Sarah Miller. No matter how many times she said it never really felt like her. Sarah Miller was respected here if she pulled out Willow Rosenberg people would have no idea who she was. Sarah Fucking Miller! That's who she was now.
She closed her eyes. She didn't have time for this she needed to go out to that meeting, the party, and do whatever it was Sarah Miller did. Today there were going to be reporters, a show of good will to the public that she wasn't a snob and out of touch with life.
Sarah Miller: such a deceiving name. She wasn't even a single person any more. The world knew her as the CEO of the world's largest and most powerful technological company. Her staffs knew her by different occupations: witch, computer genius, whatever titles she held in the company. There were more than she knew how to keep track of and some would vanish and be added on as the years passed and departments changed and re-organized.
She missed sometimes just being Willow: Scooby and witch.
A knock at the door interrupted her musings and self-analysis.
"Ms. Miller?" A soft Welsh voice called through it. She smiled.
"Yes, Carys?" She knew what she wanted but felt the need to drag it out by however many seconds she could. It was stupid but she would do it anyways.
"The car is waiting for you. Minister Powell wants you to look sharp. One of the Japanese companies has been boasting it will rival us in three or so years, the stocks are dipping." She sounded annoyed.
"As if." She said feeling childish and opened the door. Carys stood dressed in a wine-red gown that hugged her in all the right places.
"That's what I've been telling everyone but no one believes me." Carys said and sighed. The dark skinned woman led the way toward their rather expensive ride. Willow follwed trying not to trip over the bright red dress that she was certain clashed with her hair color.
They entered and were quiet for a few moments. "I think," Sarah said trying to reaffirm that she was Sarah and not Willow that evening. "I think we need to crush them. What are they saying? What do we know?" She said feeling a rush of excitement. She would never have thought that business could be so much fun. She had never ruined anyone but she doubted anyone would have believed that 'Microsoft', now a branch of their very strong software branch, should have risen as the dominating every-day computer software.
Carys looked excited. "We can release the GMR, ma'am."
"I thought that wasn't scheduled to be released until two years from now."
"It's been ready for two ma'am. We've been trying to keep it 'up to date' with what we have released to the public. A few modifications should make it compatible but if we want it marketable we need to cut the price." Carys said sounding rather professional.
"I say we do it but I'll have to speak with the board." She replied.
"That sounds good." Carys replied looking jittery. "I heard you used the latest version of the scanner this month, ma'am." She said abruptly.
"Yep," She replied grinning. "Worked great. We couldn't have done it without you." She said smiling charmingly and looked at her reflection on the windows. "We can talk about that later though. How're my glamours? I don't want to be hounded or kidnapped or anything because they don't hold up."
Carys pulled her wand and did a quick motion that she found fascinating and almost began thinking of herself as Willow again. "So far so good," She said with a smile. Then proceeded to do somethign that she was very familiary with. "Those should hold and the auxiliary glamours with your brand of magic will keep your appearance even if you're hit with a counter charm." She finished.
"Thanks," Sarah said and the car began to slow. "Ready?"
"Not really," Carys replied. "I've never been to one of these."
"They've been getting bigger every year. After the boom I was shocked at the size and extravagance of them! I was like…I was feeling like what Cordelia would have felt if she was dressed in what I was normally wearing in high school!"
Carys laughed even though she had no clue what she was talking about. "It can't have been that bad."
"Oh it was, it was. I hope you brought comfortable shoes or charmed them well because it's going to be a long night." The door opened.
Two weeks ago and 6 days before the previous scene
Willow strolled through the offices trying to navigate herself through the lower levels of the research facility. She was rarely at this location. She doubted anyone knew the true extent and reach of the company except maybe M.H. but he worked for government and Willow didn't quite trust him. She paused at one of the doors. She saw a man playing with what looked like too cute a mouse even if it was grey. She knocked on the doorframe. The man jumped, his glasses sliding down his nose as he quickly pocketed the mouse in his overly large lab coat that was stained in a mixture of chemicals.
"Can I help you?" He asked quickly, his voice a bit too high.
"Yeah, do you know where Vera Black is?"
"Rooms thirty-four D." He answered quickly.
"Thirty-four?" She waved her map. "This only goes to seven underground and two up!"
"Ah, sorry. I meant three and four D." He pulled out a quick and began marking her map as soon as he snatched it from her. "You are here." He said pointing to a rather blotted X. "Ms. Black is in either rooms 3 or 4 D. She will either be with her husband or her own office." Willow looked at the map in confusion.
"I thought it was 5 C." She argued.
"That was before renovations and that unfortunate explosion last month." He replied. "We don't deal with weapons and whatever it is they keep a secret up there." He said waving vaguely to the ceiling.
"We're integration of magic and technology." He looked rather proud for a moment. "I helped develop the newest scanners." Then deflated at her look, "I said helped." Willow smiled at him.
"Well thanks." She said laughing. "By the way, you might want to put a stronger glamour on the Gmora. Doesn't quite look like a normal mouse." The man flushed as she left.
It took her another five minutes to find Vera Black (no relation to the Black family, whatever that meant). Willow needed to speak to her. She had contacts she needed to reach in the so called 'wizarding world'. Willow had plans except she needed a bit of help first.
"Can I help you?" The woman demanded getting off her husband's desk. Vera Black was a pretty woman. Standing at least six-feet tall, she had short dark hair and dark eyes. Something about her face made it clear she wasn't happy that she was here nor that she wouldn't do something should Willow be a bother.
"Yeah actually, you can." Willow said.
"Sarah?" Willow turned and smiled at the man walking toward her. It'd been a while since he'd seen him.
"Reggie!" She said as she hugged him. "How've you been doing these last few years? You didn't tell me you were married. I thought you died when you stopped coming to the gathering."
"Reggie?" Vera demanded.
"Vera, this is Sarah Miller. She's one of the people from my home-native reality."
"Oh, I'll close the door then." Vera said.
"You do that." Willow agreed. She refused to show that she felt it was extremely odd that she and Vera had never met before in person although they had communicated extensively in the past through e-mail and telephone. Then again, Willow didn't know how she failed to connect Vera and Reggie as husband and wife.
"Now, what is this about?" Doctor Reginald Black demanded looking all of his 62 years despite his younger body at that moment.
"I need your help." She said. "There's been an increase in energy through out the world, more so here in the UK. I think it has to do with something the government isn't telling us about the wizards."
"You'd be right about that." Vera said. "My contacts have been declining as of late and things aren't getting any better." She rubbed her eyes. "They say that You-Know-Who is back."
"Who?"
"She means to say Voldemort that wizard." Reginald said before looking tired. "Quite frankly Sarah, this world has been getting less than stable since we've arrived. I think that despite their ignorance, that wizards are starting to become more isolated to protect themselves from whatever's about to come."
"That is?" She asked not quite understanding what Reginald was referring to.
"I don't know. No one knows. All I know is that it could mean the end of this world or nothing at all." He looked uncomfortable. "We've messed with this world's balance enough that I'm not even certain about anything any more. I'm getting too old to be of any use to be honest." He shrugged. "Out with the old and in with the new, I always say." To his left Vera shook her head in a way that only an intimate pair could.
"I don't think the world's ending anytime soon." said Willow. She really didn't think it was, there were none of the usually end of the world signs she was use to. She was out of pratice though... "I just want to be prepared if anything does happen. If the wizards on going to go out into war again then we need to be there to try and help." She hesitated. "If they've found out about the demons that had never been here before then we need to be there. I refuse to let them be slaughtered or do something stupid because of me."
"What does she mean by that?" Vera demanded.
"It means we need something alcoholic." Reggie replied as he reached into his desk. Willow nodded.
-----
Willow groaned as a small hand poked her. She buried her head under her pillow and scooted away. She didn't hear the huff from the small voice but she did feel the bed sag and the even harder poke to her side. She pulled her pillow away with a groan and opened her eyes. A small child was glaring at her. She groaned.
"Go away, Sammy," The child huffed and poked her again. "WHAT?" She moaned.
"Food."
"Get your mom or dad or even Graham."
"Food!" He yelled loudly.
"Fine!" She snapped. The boy was unaffected. As she got up her head swarmed. "Way too much to drink last night." Sammy laughed. She winced at the sound. "You're just evil."
"Nope, good." He replied, a slight English tilt to his words. "I'm gonna be good and smart and an alien like the Doctor." He grinned. "Then I'm going to fight Darth Vader and marry mummy."
"Too much TV." She muttered as she reached looked for anything to sooth her headache. She'd take a potion with armadillo bile if it helped and she stayed away from potions with bile, armadillo or other. Still she downed whatever she thought would help and went to take care of Sammy and his older brother, once again cursing Sam and Riley for having children. As the little boy kept talking about shows and how he'd be when he was older, Willow cursed the fact that pop cultured had hardly progressed to that of 2007 even with their interference of technology and even if she'd had almost two decades to get use to it 1995 still was 12 years too far from what she felt was home.