Issue 1 Downtime

Melpomene is lounging in an armchair, holding a glass of wine. The room is dark, lately that seems to make her feel more at ease. Harder for them to see her. Ting-ting-ting. Her nail taps against the glass. Something skitters in the corner of the ceiling. Something huge.

"It's not here."

Something flickers in the darkness like a giant eye blinking and when it opens a white mask is staring down at the woman.

"It was only borrowed..." a cold voice hisses. "I want back what's ours..."

"I still need it to be my eyes." she answers, very much not looking at the creature.

"You let her take it! You gave one of my faces away!" the thing hisses and the darkness blinks again, the mask replaced by the expressionless face of an old man.

"And you will have it back in time."

"You are the one who owes us, muse! Do not forget that." The face blinks to a young red-haired girl. "Or one day you will be the one to pay the price for once."

"Norma. How quaint." she seems to recognize the face. "I stand by my promise. It will return to you in time. Don't be so pathetically impatient."

The thing hisses and returns to the white mask.

"Just don't forget to hold up your end of the bargain. And none of your useless puppets!"

And with that the creature slithers back into the shadows in the corner.

Mel frowns and lets out a tense breath. "Bloody thing..." she mutters before trying to calm her head and cast her mind out towards the weak little mind trapped behind a stolen mask.