"You have a funny way of celebrating it," Even's voice said, coming from the hallway that lead to his laboratory with almost as much screechy impatience piled into it as the alarm had.

He was fully dressed, if a little rumpled. He had obviously not been to bed, though he had obviously been working late, for his hair had been dragged into a blonde ponytail at the nape of his neck, his tie had been removed and a few buttons of his shirt had been left undone.

He looked unhappy. The noise was aggravating and didn't seem to be letting up.