Inside 70: Surprisingly Pleasant

[Rebonack]

[Cormorant House]

Oh hey a lever.

That's definitely for closing the secret door from the inside. Mechanical secret passages always need something like that. Manuel passages are always way less of a hassle. Less likely that something will get stuck in the gears and then you have to smash the door open.

"Yeah, thanks," Mags mutters as she waits someone impatiently for the detective to take the lead.

She doesn't wait long, though.

"Hey, I'm going first. Mostly because I've got this giant enchanted shield to protect myself in case of leaping gribblies."

Mags believes this is good thinking as well.

What does the cop have to protect herself with? A gun?

Pff.

A gun isn't going to protect you it just kills other people. But a shield with spikes on it? That can protect you AND kill other people.

Win win!

But seriously what's this cop even thinking? That she's some kid who needs protecting? (Flower) that noise! She's got the Heart of the Forest's sap slithering through her veins. She can eat a hit that would kill a normie outright. SHE'S the one who should be in the front and the cop can shoot stuff from behind her. Easy.

[5a Violista]

Arkham Street's [Philip Memorial Library]

Now that June is all situated, he decides to go through stage 2 of his master plan!

...
Namely, find a library to learn about all sorts of things.
Spirits, demons, vampires, mind control, dreams, dream selves, etc.
There's too much stuff and he's not entirely confident he can find it all the first time through.

Wearing that long sleeve shirt and athleticwear, he asked around for libraries. The most prominent one that came up was the Philip Memorial Library.
So,
obviously, he heads there.

[Purple Eagle]

[Near a Net Cafe]

"Martial arts help one to be able to defend themselves in the face of danger, plus it strengthens the body and soul." Svetlana says, explaining her fondness for martial arts. "Of course it was. It is so fascinating to read about how different parts work together to make the whole, is it not?" She's enjoying this line of conversation with Marin.

"One thing a manual won't teach, however, are the underlying systems from a scientific point of view..." Svetlana adds, as they get to the net cafe. "We have arrived, Marin-chan! Let's go in!"

[Aimless Shenanigans ==> Outside Tutorial!]

Well, the seraphs might be able to see exactly what he does, at least Zabb expects them to. "I wanted us to do it together, it'd go even faster then!" He simply replies, and follows his friend Outside.

He moves close to Eao and asks her a question, though. "When you get all the power you want, what'll you use it for?" Assuming she's thought that far ahead.

[Hodgepodge Street - Rainy Gardens]

Rosie solemnly nods at the other woman's words. "Forward ever, backwards never, eh?" She can understand Billie's feelings, being more of a forward-thinking person herself.

She's silent, choosing to listen further and letting the older woman explain herself. She's silent for about a minute after Billie's finished speaking on that topic, pondering and ruminating on the words. "I understand." She finally says. "Personally, I prefer to look to the future rather than the past. The past is there to learn from, after all. You've come this far by looking in front of you, too."

Rosie's glad to see Billie less downcast and nods once, very determined. "Then I'll strive even more to do my very best, plus ultra!" That's something they have in common, then: doing things to the fullest. "That way, I can reach my goal of being a legendary detective. I want people to look up to me and my work ethic the same way I look up to you and yours... even beyond that. I want to make it to the hall of fame! Not for any vain reason such as being made a celebrity, but so that I can inspire others in the force with my actions and achievements." She continues, sharing her big and lofty dreams.

Once again, Rosie pauses to think about Billie's words, in this case a question as to how she copes with being on the force. "You mean, dealing with the stress and trauma of seeing the worst Inside has to offer? I focus on my goal to be the best. It's not easy, especially with the things you see working this job." She sighs and turns to look at the pool, watching the fish swim about without a care in the world. "There are people I started this with that aren't alive today, cases I've worked where some insane maniac ruins the lives of others for either fun or a deranged good cause... and I do the best I can to honour the memories of the fallen. Besides, giving up isn't in my blood."

She stretches out her long arm to feel some raindrops fall against it, enjoying the sensation... then she makes a fist and draws it back. "As for coping mechanisms, I exercise and train. Now that I have a girlfriend, I can talk to her about it, too. Felandria, her name is, she's the mayor of Eastside." She smiles dreamily as she thinks of her redheaded beauty and the time they've spent together, so far. She'd always been too focused on her work to think about romance, and here she is, able to say she's found someone that completes her. "How about you, Billie? I take it your way is to come here and relax?"

[Hattish Thing]

[Scitech Labs > Naomi's Flat]

That's probably for the best, as Naomi likely would have simply crumbled apart out of embarrassment had it been mentioned. She nods before stepping back and glancing around the rooftop. Without wings, it must be really annoying to get up here. That's probably why she calls it a cache. "Oh, um. Okay! Take your time!" She didn't want to rush her. That would be rude.

When she starts to hear armor clatter about, she raises a brow. "You alright in there? Need help?"

Having worn armor in the past, Naomi knows how difficult it is to put on or take off.

---

[Cormorant House]

Once she's confident that the door won't slam shut behind her, Detective Bansford moves forward, straight past Magdalene. She pauses only to address the teenager over her shoulder, flashlight raised forward. "No, you're not. You will trust me on this." Her tone is as cold as ice, making it quite clear that this was not up for debate. The older woman does not appear angry, however - rather her expression is painfully neutral. "You're a civilian, and a minor." She starts to carefully traverse the staircase, continuing to explain herself. "If anything happened to you, I would be held responsible."

Furthermore, she was simply uncomfortable with propping a child up as a barrier.

It was unlikely that an ethical stance would go particularly far with the teenager, however.
"You'll be just as important in the back, in case anyone sneaks up on us."

Hopefully that would sedate her.

---

[Philip Memorial Library]

It is a frightening structure, as imperious as any forgotten cathedral.

Though its sagging floors are burdened with hundreds of thousands of tomes, it is an empty place.
Even the bookkeepers are nowhere to be found.

--

June's intellectual curiosity takes him to the farthest reaches of the strangest sections, where wiser men dare not tread.

One such section seems to beckon to him.

--

Spoiler: Section

Show

[5a Violista]

[Net Cafe]

"...Yeah, I suppose it is. Following the engine line and all the tubing there was also kind-of interesting."

She goes into the net cafe.

It's dark. Long and skinny, too, with one offshoot room. Tons of computers in rows. Purplish lighting, and ads for video games along the walls in poster form. Plus, someone sitting at a desk with a computer, looking like they run the place. Prices are written on a paper next to them.

"You're right, they don't really teach that," Marin says. Which is why she's always wanted to go to a college or something. She's sure it'd help with a lot of things she doesn't know.



[Philip Memorial Library]

Really? No librarians or bookkeepers?
June sighs.
So, what, he'll just have to wander around trying to figure out how their ordering system works?

It's fine.
There's too much stuff to find, anyway, that he bets he could literally just look anywhere and find what he wants.

So, June is incredibly susceptible to finding the farther reaches and the stranger sections. Especially if they seem to stand out.
On the way, he makes note of what kinds of books are found in each section. He says things under his breath as he goes on, since saying them aloud is helpful for keeping them in memory.

So, he reaches a back section.
"This reminds me of a couple of stories I've read before," he says to himself.
He looks over the book titles.
And grabs the one that feels the most interesting, so that he can flip through it and see what it's about.

[Earl of Purple]

Sunlight Gardens

"Don't be sorry, Sekhmet. Not for this. You're probably doing things better than I am, at least as far as planning goes. It's just, well, um, I've got something important to do before any of that becomes relevant and I want it to be perfect and suit you and be... well, really memorable." It's going to be anyway, Prumathe knows all that, but he still wants it to be special. He could do it right now; there's nothing stopping him except the fact he wants the event to be really special, and the first meeting of his family... kinda isn't that.

[Hattish Thing]

[Hodgepodge Street - Rainy Gardens]

It seems that the younger woman had misunderstood her. Ms. Bansford rubs her hands together as she considers how best she might provide further clarification. "That's perhaps a bit reductive." She adds onto her statement while all the while watching raindrops trickle down the glass shielding to her right. "Never lose sight of what is, over what may be." That's perhaps a little cryptic. The detective watches one particularly fat drop dribble onto the bench. Her tone softens, becoming gentler. "It's all about balance, you know? Nothing else matters, really." At this, she'll reach over to tap at Rosie's hand.

It's a reassuring gesture, one meant to assure her that, although her tone has been somewhat cold, she means no ill will. She's quite pleased at her mention of 'doing her best'. "Your best is all you'll ever need." Her slight smile fades once she goes on referring to the concept of a 'legendary detective'. This was exactly the sort of thing she despised. "It's not about fame. I'd expect you to know that." Though her statement is somewhat sharp, she tries to be soft about it. With a shrug, she continues. "It shouldn't factor in at all. The job is its own reward." With a sigh, she continues to brush at the bench with her thumb.

"I appreciate it, though. You're very kind." In response to Rosie's last question, she receives a surprising response! "Sometimes."

"Other times... I box. Down at the Dragon's Den."

---

[Philip Memorial Library]

Within a small alcove, a grimoire can be found.

It's an eerie looking thing, bound in dark purple leather and draped in chains. There's a title of some sort at its front.

Whatever language its in, its hard to read. It looks pretty demonic, though.

Spoiler: Grimoire

Show

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

[Plaza Park]

Beth looks over Hector's shoulder to the relevant passage. It looks like they were looking for some good set pieces for ambiance, and excitedly noted it in the journal because the seller paid the park to take the rocks off their hands.

"Center of the park. Shouldn't be a problem; we just need to not die of misery or something. Let's go!"

[5a Violista]

[Philip Memorial Library]

Ha, demonic? What does that even mean? The only 'demon' that June has met so far was actually pretty nice.
...
...
Having never seen a text that looks demonic before, and thinking that something can only be demonic based on what it says instead of what it looks like, June just comes to the conclusion that it's poor handwriting written in some random language he can't read.

Te be honest, there's little point in reading a book that you can't read, he thinks. But it looks like there's some figures, and maybe it'll have some translation key later, he thinks, or just maybe he'll get a feel for what language this is so that he can look it up later to see how easy it is to learn and how common it shows up. Maybe even the diagrams will give him a sense of what types of books are on this shelf, so that he can know if he should continue looking in this section or not.

He leans against the bookshelf and flips through the pages.
The pages that are purely text seem pretty pointless to him, so he keeps on going until there's diagrams, and then looks at the writing to get a feel for what it looks like.
And then flips through father.
And so on.

[bc56]

Aimless Shenanigans

"Aaasher! We can't do that!" Also it'd be sooooo boooooring. But Eao's really excited about the tutorial and about getting stronger. "I'm going to be the strongest! And then I'll keep getting stronger so no one can beat me!"
And then they're off to the tutorial.

Scitech Labs > Naomi's Flat

Jade's armor is plastic, not metal, and she's designed it to come off easily when necessary. "No, I'm fine!" A few moments later, the sounds stop, and Jade emerges from the invisible space. She's wearing a pair of leggings and a yellow, v-neck shirt. "I'm ready. We can go now."

Cormorant House

The stairs do indeed lead up, ending in a trapdoor at their top. Hopefully the pair can decide who should lead before they reach it.

Sunlight Gardens

"Aww, that's sweet of you." Sekhmet hugs Prumathe. "When you do it, I know it will be perfect, no matter what you do." Hopefully that reassures him a little. "I love you, Prumathe."

[Rebonack]

[Cormorant House]

Mags makes an impetuous teenager noise.

Anyone who has ever interacted with teens to any extent would recognize it.

"Whatever," she huffs.

What is this cop's PROBLEM?

She is absolutely treating Mags like a kid. She was literally beating the crap out of a huge chthonian just yesterday on the off chance that it had an artifact she really wanted. It did not, in fact, have the artifact she really wanted and she's still kind of sore about going to all the trouble of plodding through the Ashen Wastes and the Obsidian Fields to get to the Sanguine Bogs and then slogging around for like five hours hunting for the stupid demon.

And it didn't even have the artifact!

What a waste of time.

"I've literally been shot with a cannon before," Mags points out helpfully. Maybe the cop is just a bit dense and isn't getting it? Maybe she doesn't really have any context for just how tough pactbound can be? That's probably it. She doesn't SEEM stupid.


[Plaza Park]

It's possible the more nefarious pokemon moved in once things started getting really bad.

Regardless!

On toward the center of the park!

Our heroes make their way back up into the chapel and off toward the dancing lights. Thankfully there isn't any tall grass to wade through this time around which means no pokemon ambushes. Instead? They find some standing stones!

Just.

Not... standing?

It looks like they got shoved over. Which is a shame. They could have been the centerpiece for the spooky fake graveyard! The light appears to be pinpricks of glamour conjured up by the little termite winged pixies gathered around one of the fallen stones. Odd little creatures with disproportionately large heads and insectile wings, but otherwise quite human looking. There are two of them here, and they appear to be having an argument with each other in high, reedy voices.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

[Plaza Park]

Beth tries to stay ahead of Hector as she steps up to get within earshot of the suspects. Despite how capable he's proven himself, Beth still considers him under her protection. Her sort-of-weapons are again stowed in her bag at her back. She doesn't really do stealth, but she doesn't want to interrupt the fairies' conversation yet either. Anything she overhears could be crucial.

[Hattish Thing]

[Philip Memorial Library]

It is difficult to open the book, for it is quite a heavy thing.

When June finally manages to crack the thing open, he'll find that every page is packed with dense text in some strange, spiky looking language.

The illustrations within the grimoire range from grotesque anatomical displays of horned creatures to disturbingly imagery of some alien landscape. There are numerous symbols which stand out in particular, not for any specific reason, but merely because they catch the eye when viewed. This continues for some time until, finally...

A blank page. Wait, no. Something is being written down, in real time.

"Hey there, buddy. Whatcha looking for?"

---

[Cormorant House]

Unfortunately, she has. This was not Ms. Bansford's first time around teenagers.

She'll ignore Magdalene before continuing forward, choosing to ignore her complaints until she's ahead of the young woman.

It was likely the best possible option, as it had become quite apparent that there was no reasoning with her. No, she would have to interact with this woman as she did with her nieces and nephews. Billie will quietly start to navigate the staircase, carefully scanning about for anything that appeared somewhat out of the ordinary. Once the trapdoor comes into view, she'll kneel down and inspect it.

As she's working, she'll glance over her shoulder. Better address the cannon comment. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Now, can you give me a hand?" Her expression is deadpan.

---

[Scitech Labs > Naomi's Flat]

Naomi positively beams once Jade returns. Wow, she looked so nice in yellow! "Good. Now she is vulnerable." She'll continue to ignore the terrible voice in her head and instead speak up a little in order to properly compliment the other woman. "Hey, wow. You look really... nice." She offers a small smile there.

It sounded awkward, how she phrased it, but her intentions were pure. "So, um. Ready to go?"

[5a Violista]

[Philip Memorial Library]

Okay, so anatomy of creatures, pictures of...places, random things...

June almost flips right past the blank page.
After all, it is a blank page.
Since when did you ever have to read a blank page? But he spots it starting writing.

Leaning against the bookcase, he raises one leg and crosses it across his knee in a not-quite-standing position, so that the book can be supported across his leg.

June watches the writing happen.
He looks around: is this some sort of cursed book situation? Or is it more of a magic help guide? If computers can do this, there's got to be a way to make magic have magic do it too, right? If he answers it, he bets he'll get forwarded to some sort of other thing where he has to wait for a live answerer or something. Or maybe it's some kind of ad.

So, he considers just ignoring it.
Besides, is he supposed to just write something in response? But he hasn't got anything to write with!
...
But, wait, if it's magic, it might also have some speech-to-text thing too. So, after some deliberating, he responds, "Hi. Not really looking for anything in particular; just seeing if I can figure out what this book's about."

[bc56]

Cormorant House

The trapdoor is sturdy wood and opens upwards. It's latched with a steel bolt which is a little rusty, but should still work. Other than that, there's not much else of interest here...

Was that the sound of a footstep on the stairs below? No, it couldn't be. Must've been the building settling.

Naomi's Flat

"Yes, I'm ready!" Flying was fun, so of course Jade is ready to keep going. It seems to be helping Naomi get over her troubles regarding the supervillain she defeated.

[Hattish Thing]

[Philip Memorial Library]

For several seconds it seems as if no response would come.

What a weird book, its features didn't even work properly, or something! Best move on to something else.

Wait, no. There's something there. It turns to the next page on its own. This page is empty as well, at least, it was. More words continue to fill the page. It should be noted that each word is written in fine cursive, as such it takes some time for every word to reach its end. Still, there's something fascinating in watching it happen.

"Why, this book's about demons, buddy. Lots and lots of demons."

"The cover's even made of 'em, you know."

" ;) "

---

[Naomi's Flat]

There, a real smile! Naomi was already feeling better.

She takes a shaky breath before reaching for Jade's hand, pulling her closer so as to properly secure her.

"Alright, well. Here goes nothing." At that, she launches into the air once more. The view is even better than before, and yet Naomi cannot fully enjoy it. This felt even weirder, holding this stranger close. Their proximity felt even stranger now that Jade was out of her hero outfit, it humanized her in a way. Oh, christ - she was literally taking this random person home! She hadn't had anyone over in years.

What would her roommate think? Hm, with any luck, she simply wouldn't be home.

--

After several minutes, the pair arrive in front of a large apartment building. Naomi will glide close to an open window before willing it open. "Okay, um. You'll have to hop in, I can't be seen like this."

"Oh. That invisibility thing was really cool, by the way?"

[Rebonack]

[Cormorant House]

Sorry.

She's sorry that Mags got shot by a cannon once?

What is that even supposed to mean?

Ugh.

This dumb cop isn't going to acknowledge how amazing and competent Mags is. Ever, probably. She could probably smash a bunch of eldritch horrors right in front of the cop and she would STILL treat Mags like a kid. Whatever. She doesn't need this idiot normie's respect. But SHE will still do her job with the whole back-watching thing.

At the request of help Mags smacks the lip of her shield into the rusty metal latch, popping it loose with a ping. Not enough to explode the hatch this time. There was only muscle behind that strike, not magic.

"There. Done. Flip it open and let's see what's in there," Mags says, glancing back down the stairs toward the sound of footsteps.

Hmm.

Maybe someone to watch HER back, too.

So.

You know that feeling you get when you're out in the forest in the middle of the night and it's pitch black beyond the meager ring of light from the campfire? And you hear something? And you get that horrible, terrifying feeling that maybe you're being hunted?

When Mags makes a gesture with her left hand at the base of the stairs along with a guttural, inhuman animal noise that's exactly the sort of feeling that settles over the stairwell.

Something grows out of the floor. Twisted, gnarled vines all coiled around each other. A rich, woody brown with papery bark and speckled with moss. The top of the three foot long pole warps and contorts until it vaguely resembles some kind of animal skull with branches for antlers. A single, glaring ruby point of light hovers between the branches, beating like a living heart. Skeletal mouth gaping open, Bobbie will get the unshakable impression of ravenous hunger from the malformed totem.

"If anything hostile starts coming up the stairs behind us it'll wish it hadn't."

[Deathkeeper]

Plaza Park

So they know that all this started when someone disturbed the stones. Maybe they just have to convince the faeries to let them put them back? That would be somewhat straightforward. As much as you can expect with pixies.
Hector walks forward with that in mind. They’ll probably maybe be able to tell that his boogie Other is there. But that’s just another bargaining chip.
”Hello. Did someone knock over your stones?” he asks the pixies. He knows that he can’t thank them, give his name, or anything like that. These are things Hector knew when he first existed as his Other’s shadow. That and that deer and fear taste good which is convenient because they rhyme.

[5a Violista]

[Philip Memorial Library]

Wow, why does this book go so slow?
The reason why June writes in cursive is to write fast, so slow-cursive-writers are kind-of infuriating.

While waiting for the book to finish its sentence, he sighs and looks up at the ceiling. But then closes his eyes. And slides down so he's now sitting on the floor instead of crouched. All so he can concentrate better.
Once he felt like it has had enough time, he looks back down at it.

...
And it's still writing. Okay.
He watches it...and ... it. . . finishes . . . so . . . s l o w l y . . .
It's fine.
Not needing to pay attention to anything is actually pretty helpful.

Once it finishes, he reads it all.
Oh!
Demons! That's...kind-of one of the topics he wanted to read about. Too bad the whole book is in some language he can't read, besides this help section. "So what do you mean by demons?" he asks. "And how do you make a cover out of one?

[Hattish Thing]

[Cormorant House]

Billie will glance back towards the teenager once she's done snapping the trapdoor open.

As she steps forward, preparing to clamber through, she'll speak up. "Thanks. Appreciate it." Although she's curt, its a genuine expression of gratitude.

She's about to say more, but then? She hears something from down the stairs. Before she can even fully react, Magdalene is performing her strange magic tricks once again. Ms. Bansford was no stranger to magic, but this was a particularly dark strain, was it not? It certainly didn't feel good to be near. No wonder the teenager was so erratic.

The orc almost whispers a response. "What did you see?"

[bc56]

Naomi's Flat

"Thanks. I can't do it now though. It needs some setup to get running." Jade jumps out of Naomi's grasp and through the window easily. Clearly she's not worried about falling.

Cormorant House

The trapdoor pops open. But the instant the totem is summoned, everything starts to go crazy. The oil lamps in the passage all burst into flame as the temperature rises into a scorching desert heat. The trapdoor begins swinging up and down wildly, perhaps striking someone's head. A furious wind blows up the passage, bringing with it a storm of abrasive particles of sand which cut into the heroes like tiny knives and pile up on the edges of the stairs, and finally, swarming vultures begin appearing from thin air, pecking and clawing. The primary target of these effects is the totem, but of course, the two adventurers are still in the area affected.

[Rebonack]

[Cormorant House]

Mags is about to say something in response but then the house goes crazy.

Given that Mags is already near the hatch when it begins flailing violently she has plenty of time to raise her shield arm when it comes swinging toward her. Shield up, stance wide, brace for impact. She doesn't just passively accept the attack, she thrusts her shield into the trap door and very possibly shatters it in the process. Then comes the sand. And the heat. And the... birds?

Honestly with how many birds there are and how cramped the stair well is Mags really isn't totally sure what she's even being attacked by. She just knows that all of a sudden she's surrounding by meat and violence.

And of course she does exactly what she always does when she finds herself surrounding by meat and violence.

The embossed mouth on her shield begins salivating as she brandishes it moments before a pulse of ruby hued eldritch power explodes from her. The hostile creatures around her may suddenly find their essence violently ripped from their bodies as their flesh decays from the inside out and blood vessels burst. That stolen vitality is, of course, fed into Mags while the Hart of the Forest takes its tithe. Given that this fell magic is designed to contend with the horrors of Mags' home world it... uh... may do some really bad things to normal birds.

The totem of course isn't taking this assault sitting down, either. It is, after all, hungry. Tendrils of ruby light begin lancing through the flock of birds, ravaging and rotting flesh. It doesn't share, though. It keeps all the flesh for itself. The wood is living and sturdy. Destroying it is certainly possible but the scouring sand probably has a better chance of abrading it away than the pecking vultures do.

"Out! Go!" Mags shouts, practically pushing Billie out of the stair well.


[Plaza Park]

Beth decides to play it safe and listen.

"No that's a dumb idea."
"No it's a great idea!"
"Stupid!"
"Brilliant!"
"AAAGH I hate you you're such an idiot!"

One pixie leaps on the other and they begin tussling around on the ground right as Hector walks over.

When he speaks up they freeze mid-battle, one pulling the other's hair and the other biting the one on the arm.

"Huh? No, that's just a wardstone," the one says.
"Yeah it was keeping fae outta here," the other confirms, their battle apparently forgotten.

[Hattish Thing]

[Philip Memorial Library]

The book's response is relatively straightforward.

It seems to be writing somewhat faster now as well, a good sign - all things considered.

That wait was pretty hellish, after all. "Its leather, buddy. I'm sure you get it - you're a smart guy, I can tell. ;) " There's a pause as the words vanish once more, only for a new phrase to appear. "I'd love to tell you all about demons, buddy. There's just one prob. I'm sure you can help. Just gotta write your name down there somewhere. Just to sign in, you know."

"Here, have a pen. On me, pal."

" ;) "

Sure enough, a quill will materialize suddenly.

---

[Naomi's Flat]

Naomi nods thoughtfully. Was it some kind of gadget, then?

She's quite impressed at Jade's successful jump, stating as much as she glides after her. "Hey, you're pretty quick, aren't you?"

Her room is a wonderland of pastel colors. The walls are a light mauve shade that pulses in the light, sprinkled with various posters, mostly of strange cartoon shows and horror movies. Twinkling string lights hang from the walls, and a small heart shaped neon lamp lights up one corner of the room. Various potted plants hang from the ceiling, or rest atop the windowsill. Her space-themed comforter is pulled over her bed, thought its clear she hasn't cleaned it. The result is a spread of lumps of varying sizes and shapes. A white cat lounges atop the lumpy bedspread, basking in the heat generated by an adjacent laptop.

A desk sits in one corner, littered with wadded up pieces of paper and pens. A few shelves are pushed against the walls and filled with books, some of which have simply been piled in front of the shelf. A smeared easel gathers dust in yet another corner, and a record player sits upon a fuzzy rug at the room's center. Loose undergarments are strewn about, as are several empty takeout bins.

Naomi is somewhat embarrassed. "Um, sorry about the mess."

--

Spoiler: Bedroom

Show

---

[Cormorant House]

Now, this is where things started to really heat up.

With a grim expression upon her face, the detective will attempt to scurry through the trapdoor!

As she flees, she's careful to grab at the back of Magdalene's shirt if it looks like she's attempting to stay back for whatever reason.

[5a Violista]

[Philip Memorial Library]

Oh, good. It's going faster. At least it's doing that.

June still waits until it's finished.
...
The weird wording about it really makes this feel like one of those Nigerian Prince scams. Or...whatever. Something like that. Give 'em your phone number and then you'll be getting scam calls for a year. There's probably something similar with magical help things.

He looks at the quill. "This is a quill," he says flatly. "Not a pen." There's a big difference: quills need inkwells. There's no inkwell nearby, unless the magic book wants to materialize an inkwell, too. Regardless of whether June wanted to sign or not, there's literally no way to do so. "Come on, you're a book. I thought you would know better."

But that's not the only thing. Sure, the book implied that the 'help' it needs is June's signature, but that's so dumb that June feels like being obstinate. Especially because the book tried to brush off the 'help' as 'just' signing in. "Besides, you didn't say what you need help with," he adds, "so I don't know whether or not I'd be able to do so. What is it?"

[Hattish Thing]

[Philip Memorial Library]

If the book could glare, it would. Alas, it did not have eyes.

Still, its disappoint is immeasurable. This absolute moron was going to be a lot of effort, wouldn't he?

Seconds after June's response, it continues. The writing is somewhat more frantic now, hurried. "Oh, no need for all that! Wasn't sure you knew the word, is all! Look at the vocabulary on you. You must have done well in school. ;) " There's a small pause before it goes on to explain things further. "The quill, buddy - it writes on its own. Just try it."

"It's easy."

"So easy, anyone could do it."

"Just sign your name, so I can tell you all about demons."

[5a Violista]

[Philip Memorial Library]

Unlike the book, June does have eyes.
He rolls them.
"The school of hard knocks," he says.

Well...it was offered to try out the quill, right?
june does a little doodle of a daisy. And then a tiny palm tree. And then KISS in blocky graffiti-esque letters. And then Minerva in half-cursive. And then a little mushroom.
Tapping the quill on the paper, he asks again, "So what was the help you needed, again?"

[Hattish Thing]

[Philip Memorial Library]

The book cannot even fathom a response to that.

Instead, it will merely wait while June familiarizes himself with the magical quill.

It writes quite well, pressing upon the paper a strange, dark purple material. What exactly was that stuff? It certainly smelled metallic. "Hey there, buddy. You enjoying yourself?" A pause, before it goes on. "I just need you to sign your name below."

"Recordkeeping, you see."

[5a Violista]

[Philip Memorial Library]

June considers doodling some spirals or a lighthouse next.
"Yeah, I am," he replies.

But, instead of doodling some more, he dots the i in Minerva with a heart for emphasis, and then sets down the magic quill.
"Well, I already signed it so." He shrugs. "Y'know. Recordkeeping."

[bc56]

Naomi's Flat

Jade shrugs. "No big deal. I've seen worse." She finds a seat somewhere, maybe by the cat, which she'll give a little scratch. "So, Naomi. What made you become a hero?"

Cormorant House

The vultures begin to die in waves. But even as the stairway fills up with dead meat, it begins a disturbing transformation. Fragments of bone, scraps of skin, strands of rotten muscle, all animate and begin writhing their way up the stairs towards the fleeing heroes or glomming onto the totem and digging into it to tear it apart.
But Billie has already escaped up to the attic! It's a dusty room filled with old furniture covered by drapes, large boxes of assorted junk, and... Is that an arbalest hanging on the wall, a quiver of bolts below it? Could be useful.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

[Plaza Park]

"Out of... the graveyard? Is that a problem?"

Beth doesn't know much about fae. She's picked up that they're sentient monsters, but other than that they seem like a pretty diverse bunch. Memorizing cultural stereotypes hasn't been high on Beth's list of priorities these last two years.