Main Event Answer the Call

[Gummi Bunnies]

❝ ... ❞ Penelope took a quick sip from her tea using a straw. She wasn't sure how this would go, and while it didn't look like it... she felt scared in a way. Without them... She clutched at her necklace's blue gem and took a deep breath, calming herself for now.

Glancing around to find something to distract herself from her terrible thoughts, the young woman spotted a few looking through the books.

❝ U-Um... may I help too? With the books... I mean. ❞ She walked up to Li-Ming, Serenity, and Alter, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs as she offered to assist.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Takumi @Alex Azure ​

 

[Minerva]

Alter stood by Li-Ming and Serenity, looking at the books. With a cup of tea from Dear Lois and a barely eaten slice of pizza in the other, she couldn't very well look at any of the books. She offered her half-eaten slice to Serenity, who appeared to enjoy the savory taste more than she did. If the Assassin didn't take the slice, Alter would just put the slice back in the (now probably empty) box.

Addressing Li-Ming, she asked, "Master, should I help you search these books for information?" She knew that Li-Ming was not her true Master, but it felt more natural for her to refer to someone as Master. Her nature as a Servant was to only exist alongside a Master, as otherwise the will of the earth rejected her existence.

She pulled her scarf down enough to take a sip of her tea then returned it to covering her mouth.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Takumi

❝ ... ❞ Penelope took a quick sip from her tea using a straw. She wasn't sure how this would go, and while it didn't look like it... she felt scared in a way. Without them... She clutched at her necklace's blue gem and took a deep breath, calming herself for now.

Glancing around to find something to distract herself from her terrible thoughts, the young woman spotted a few looking through the books.

❝ U-Um... may I help too? With the books... I mean. ❞ She walked up to Li-Ming, Serenity, and Alter, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs as she offered to assist.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Takumi @Alex Azure

“Hmm?” Li-Ming vocalized as she looked up from her book. She looked at Penelope and MHX Alter. “Oh, sure. I was just seeing what magical tomes they held here.” She said with a smirk and proceeded to put the one she was reading on the shelf.

@Jeremi @Takumi @Alex Azure @anyone​

 

[Takumi]

Alter stood by Li-Ming and Serenity, looking at the books. With a cup of tea from Dear Lois and a barely eaten slice of pizza in the other, she couldn't very well look at any of the books. She offered her half-eaten slice to Serenity, who appeared to enjoy the savory taste more than she did. If the Assassin didn't take the slice, Alter would just put the slice back in the (now probably empty) box.

Addressing Li-Ming, she asked, "Master, should I help you search these books for information?" She knew that Li-Ming was not her true Master, but it felt more natural for her to refer to someone as Master. Her nature as a Servant was to only exist alongside a Master, as otherwise the will of the earth rejected her existence.

She pulled her scarf down enough to take a sip of her tea then returned it to covering her mouth.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Takumi​

Serenity wordlessly took the slice of pizza, making sure not to touch Alter while she did so. With a brief nod of thanks she ate it while trying to read what Li-Ming held without getting too close. That was before Li-Ming moved to put the book away, causing Serenity to move out of her way quickly.

"....Did you see anything on a cult potentially tied to this situation?" She asked, finishing Alter's offered slice of pizza and readjusting her mask as she addressed Li-Ming specifically.

@Alex Azure @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @All y'all

 

[Jeremi]

Kylie appreciated more help looking through the books that she had dragged with her from Ray's Occult book store as well as the Ghostbusters private collection.

There was one passage that caught Li-Ming's attention in one of the books she had been reading.

Before all was, It was.
Before time was, It waited.
It fed on the screaming souls of the universes.
It drank the spoiled milk of dead stars.
It was the emptiness outside all understanding.
Its arrival will be beckoned by a crimson sky.

The illustration attached to it was a chipper picture of naked people being boiled alive in the sea as a looming black hole swirled in the crimson red sky. Wait was it actually swirling right now? Before Li-Ming could react the pages of the book suddenly burst into flames before quickly engulfing it and causing it to fall on the floor.

"Fire!" Janine reacted quickly grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall and trying to smother the flame. Once the final flames died there wasn't much left of the book but a darkened husk.

"What did you do?" Kylie asked Li-Ming surprised as she looked at the now former book on the floor.

@Alex Azure @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Everyone

 

[Ver]

"Sorry to say, but there's no drinks here, at least that kind. I checked," Ethan said toward the woman as she introduced herself. Rangiku Matsumoto? Rolled right off the tongue as well as Numahime or whatever that weird girl in the dream from before was called. "Just coffee and tea. I'm more privy to the coffee myself."

From there, Ethan silently listened to what Grell had to say, her own two cents, her own insight. It seemed that she had quite the illustrious history herself as well, even if she couldn't directly relate, not having heard of Dracula herself. He probably shouldn't have been so surprised. Different times? Probably different worlds entirely, all things considered. The variables were endless; what was different and what might have been the same.

Wrinkling his nose slightly, the man put his hands on his hips with a long breath. "... He's never really gone. Even when he's dead, he's in here, lurking, waiting, like a nightmare, a monster, a phantom," Ethan shook his head, tapping his temple briefly, "Hector knew it too. He says he killed him, but he knows that man -- that devil -- will come back. I've the same experience..."

"But... I'm sorry. That was... unbecoming of me," he sighed again, "It won't happen again. I... I'll work with him for as long as I'll have to. And when we get to the end of it all... Well, we'll see."

@Yun Lee @Josh​

 

[Minerva]

Serenity wordlessly took the slice of pizza, making sure not to touch Alter while she did so. With a brief nod of thanks she ate it while trying to read what Li-Ming held without getting too close. That was before Li-Ming moved to put the book away, causing Serenity to move out of her way quickly.

"....Did you see anything on a cult potentially tied to this situation?" She asked, finishing Alter's offered slice of pizza and readjusting her mask as she addressed Li-Ming specifically.

@Alex Azure @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @All y'all

Kylie appreciated more help looking through the books that she had dragged with her from Ray's Occult book store as well as the Ghostbusters private collection.

There was one passage that caught Li-Ming's attention in one of the books she had been reading.

Before all was, It was.
Before time was, It waited.
It fed on the screaming souls of the universes.
It drank the spoiled milk of dead stars.
It was the emptiness outside all understanding.
Its arrival will be beckoned by a crimson sky.

The illustration attached to it was a chipper picture of naked people being boiled alive in the sea as a looming black hole swirled in the crimson red sky. Wait was it actually swirling right now? Before Li-Ming could react the pages of the book suddenly burst into flames before quickly engulfing it and causing it to fall on the floor.

"Fire!" Janine reacted quickly grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall and trying to smother the flame. Once the final flames died there wasn't much left of the book but a darkened husk.

"What did you do?" Kylie asked Li-Ming surprised as she looked at the now former book on the floor.

@Alex Azure @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Everyone

Li-Ming looked up. Anything regarding a cult? No, she hadn't yet. She shook her head. "Not that I've seen." She said to Serenity. "Though, I'll look for them." When she looked back down and read the passage, the book had caught on fire. She stood back and took a deep breath.

"That's a shame. I was enjoying that one..." She thought, watching as Janine put the fire out. She turned towards Kylie.

"The book started moving and then ignited." She said with a slight chuckle. "It's not often that something like that has greater power than I."

@Alex Azure @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Hmph! Well, isn't that annoying? Try to get rid of someone, and they keep coming back and causing trouble! I can only imagine how annoying that must be!"

How annoying indeed.

"But I'm glad to see we'll all be getting along now. This group does seem far more reasonable than the last, so there shouldn't be any problems!" She took Ethan's arm suddenly, smiling at him. "In fact, why not go on and rejoin them now? You heard the woman in there, no wandering off..." She sent Rangiku a very pointed look as she said this. She didn't know this woman, but one glance at those assets on display made it clear she couldn't let her guard down!

@Ver @Josh​

 

[Josh]

"Really? You sure?"

Stomping her foot into the ground, Rangiku turned back to Ethan, visibly annoyed at first, than fading away.

"Great. I guess I make due with tea. Still, won't mind spicing it up, if we find anything."

The woman however froze as she listened to Ethan's words. Whatever or whoever Ethan was talking about, it remind her of her own history with her own types monsters. Rangiku's turned to Ethan, melancholy and stoic.

"Don't Apologize. If it seemed like I was mocking or prying, I should be the one apologizing. It's this whole situation is extraordinary."

Smirking, the soul reaper looked right into Ethan's eye.

But hey! You should feel lucky right now! You have two cute girls spending time with you! S0how about you get me a glass of tea, and we all just relax?"

@Ver @Yun Lee

​

 

[Yun Lee]

Cute? Hm. Maybe this girl wasn't so bad...but she still needed to keep her distance! Grell did soften a bit though, definitely pleased with the compliment. "Oh, right! I had wanted some tea earlier...ugh, why did I give that up? All that talkimg has made me positively parched!"

@Ver @Josh​

 

[Macy Moretti]

Spoiler: REPLIES

❝ ... ❞ Penelope took a quick sip from her tea using a straw. She wasn't sure how this would go, and while it didn't look like it... she felt scared in a way. Without them... She clutched at her necklace's blue gem and took a deep breath, calming herself for now.

Glancing around to find something to distract herself from her terrible thoughts, the young woman spotted a few looking through the books.

❝ U-Um... may I help too? With the books... I mean. ❞ She walked up to Li-Ming, Serenity, and Alter, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs as she offered to assist.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Takumi @Alex Azure ​

“Hmm?” Li-Ming vocalized as she looked up from her book. She looked at Penelope and MHX Alter. “Oh, sure. I was just seeing what magical tomes they held here.” She said with a smirk and proceeded to put the one she was reading on the shelf.

@Jeremi @Takumi @Alex Azure @anyone​

Serenity wordlessly took the slice of pizza, making sure not to touch Alter while she did so. With a brief nod of thanks she ate it while trying to read what Li-Ming held without getting too close. That was before Li-Ming moved to put the book away, causing Serenity to move out of her way quickly.

"....Did you see anything on a cult potentially tied to this situation?" She asked, finishing Alter's offered slice of pizza and readjusting her mask as she addressed Li-Ming specifically.

@Alex Azure @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @All y'all

Kylie appreciated more help looking through the books that she had dragged with her from Ray's Occult book store as well as the Ghostbusters private collection.

There was one passage that caught Li-Ming's attention in one of the books she had been reading.

Before all was, It was.
Before time was, It waited.
It fed on the screaming souls of the universes.
It drank the spoiled milk of dead stars.
It was the emptiness outside all understanding.
Its arrival will be beckoned by a crimson sky.

The illustration attached to it was a chipper picture of naked people being boiled alive in the sea as a looming black hole swirled in the crimson red sky. Wait was it actually swirling right now? Before Li-Ming could react the pages of the book suddenly burst into flames before quickly engulfing it and causing it to fall on the floor.

"Fire!" Janine reacted quickly grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall and trying to smother the flame. Once the final flames died there wasn't much left of the book but a darkened husk.

"What did you do?" Kylie asked Li-Ming surprised as she looked at the now former book on the floor.

@Alex Azure @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Everyone

Li-Ming looked up. Anything regarding a cult? No, she hadn't yet. She shook her head. "Not that I've seen." She said to Serenity. "Though, I'll look for them." When she looked back down and read the passage, the book had caught on fire. She stood back and took a deep breath.

"That's a shame. I was enjoying that one..." She thought, watching as Janine put the fire out. She turned towards Kylie.

"The book started moving and then ignited." She said with a slight chuckle. "It's not often that something like that has greater power than I."

@Alex Azure @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi​

Alter carefully grabbed another book from the shelf and read it, keeping it at arms length. She squinted through the lens of her glasses to read at such a distance. She'd be ready to put this book out if it decided to burst into flame as well.

"Perhaps there are greater magical forces at work trying to cause our downfall."

@Minerva @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi​

 

[Ver]

"Uhh... Err, hmm..." Ethan furrowed his brow uneasily as Grell and Rangiku unexpectedly seemed to crowd around him. Playful as the redhead tended to be, Ethan did find that she was a bit more assertive than she ever was before when she wrapped her arm around his. Looking at Rangiku, he let out a lightly exasperated breath.

"Lucky, huh?" He repeated, "I suppose... it would be impertinent for me to not appreciate the company of two women. You don't mind, do you, Grell?" Ethan inquired in a slightly more gracious tone than usual, "I've had my fill from the coffee from earlier, but... Well, maybe some tea on top of all of it will help calm me down in turn..."

@Josh @Yun Lee​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Oh, of course I don't mind! I did say we all need to enjoy each other's company, after all..." Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why did she even say that? She hadn't meant for it to backfire on her like this... "Let's hurry back, shall we? I want to try making tea on that electric stove before going back to the olden days!"

@Ver @Josh​

 

[Sleepwalker]

Well...that was something. Hazel wasn't really sure what she was doing just before, asides from giving Joker an astonished look and a loud gaspy "A Million!?", a brief thought of how the hell they can fit seven zeros worth of people, and then she noticed the in fighting. Placing down her cup noodles in an instant, Hazel took out her notebook instantly, jolting down whatever she heard, and not to mention, pressing the secret record button for reference. Although that wasn't much help, because now, the fight was all over, and what Hazel had written were barely legible, much like the spat itself.

Disappointed, Hazel plopped away her pen, stopping the recording, and put her notebook back into her pocket. Oh well, she could just check it later, and she had an audio recording, surely she could decipher that. Of course, that was about as easy as trying to put two and two together with all this chaos and crowds...

Ignoring her cold, barely eaten chinese food on the counter, Hazel decided she had enough of lounging around eating bad food, and wanted to do something....but what should she do.....Ah, right! She could help with deciphering the weird books, or...tomes. That might help curry favour with the people here once she decided to check out the basement later (if she got caught, so just in case.)

Walking towards Kylie, Hazel looked little, but she put on a face of determination. She was no detective, sure, but she was pretty dang good at picking up stuff. Surely, a few books couldn't absolutely befuzzle her?

"Excuse me, misss? Is there anything thing I could help out with? That guy said something about deciphering...tomes just before he left, I think? I would love to help with that!
@Jeremi @Archmage Jeremiah (?) @Open kinda​

 

[Archmage Jeremiah]

Giving Kylie's flat response a chuckle, Joker shrugged. "Guess it really is that simple in your line of work," he humbly admitted. As everyone cycled around the room, Joker followed close behind to listen in on the latest commotion. Watching one of the tomes spontaneously combust in someone's hands, the Phantom Thief breathed a quiet thanks it wasn't his.

Alter carefully grabbed another book from the shelf and read it, keeping it at arms length. She squinted through the lens of her glasses to read at such a distance. She'd be ready to put this book out if it decided to burst into flame as well.

"Perhaps there are greater magical forces at work trying to cause our downfall."

@Minerva @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi

"What else could've brought all of us here?" Joker bluntly threw his two cents in, "I'm willing to bet whatever or whoever did is heading this attack on New York, too," he added, "If it led to the whole city's evacuation there's no way the events unfolding are uncoordinated,"

@Jeremi @Alex Azure @MelodyMeister @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva
​

 

[Josh]

"Uhh... Err, hmm..." Ethan furrowed his brow uneasily as Grell and Rangiku unexpectedly seemed to crowd around him. Playful as the redhead tended to be, Ethan did find that she was a bit more assertive than she ever was before when she wrapped her arm around his. Looking at Rangiku, he let out a lightly exasperated breath.

"Lucky, huh?" He repeated, "I suppose... it would be impertinent for me to not appreciate the company of two women. You don't mind, do you, Grell?" Ethan inquired in a slightly more gracious tone than usual, "I've had my fill from the coffee from earlier, but... Well, maybe some tea on top of all of it will help calm me down in turn..."

@Josh @Yun Lee​

"Oh, of course I don't mind! I did say we all need to enjoy each other's company, after all..." Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why did she even say that? She hadn't meant for it to backfire on her like this... "Let's hurry back, shall we? I want to try making tea on that electric stove before going back to the olden days!"

@Ver @Josh​

Watching the two friends, Rangiku smiled.

"So, by the way you two are acting, you both know each other? You two from the same place?"

Pausing slightly, the soul reaper would turn to Grell.

"If you need any help with the stove, I have been here in the human world before. I've seen a it been done before. So you'll have some help."

@Ver @Yun Lee ​

 

[Jeremi]

Li-Ming looked up. Anything regarding a cult? No, she hadn't yet. She shook her head. "Not that I've seen." She said to Serenity. "Though, I'll look for them." When she looked back down and read the passage, the book had caught on fire. She stood back and took a deep breath.

"That's a shame. I was enjoying that one..." She thought, watching as Janine put the fire out. She turned towards Kylie.

"The book started moving and then ignited." She said with a slight chuckle. "It's not often that something like that has greater power than I."

@Alex Azure @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi​

"Do you remember the name?" Kylie knelt down to try and see if there was something to salvage. The book seemed all about destroyed except for something on the end of the spine. "Is that..." It was metal and surprisingly cool to the touch. "It's a one. This was part of a set! Man...what series did we have that came in a set?!" Kylie dove down in the trove of books to try and find any that could have been a continuation of the book. "What was on the page when it caught fire?" Kylie asked as she looked through the other books.

@Alex Azure @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva

"Really? You sure?"

Stomping her foot into the ground, Rangiku turned back to Ethan, visibly annoyed at first, than fading away.

"Great. I guess I make due with tea. Still, won't mind spicing it up, if we find anything."

The woman however froze as she listened to Ethan's words. Whatever or whoever Ethan was talking about, it remind her of her own history with her own types monsters. Rangiku's turned to Ethan, melancholy and stoic.

"Don't Apologize. If it seemed like I was mocking or prying, I should be the one apologizing. It's this whole situation is extraordinary."

Smirking, the soul reaper looked right into Ethan's eye.

But hey! You should feel lucky right now! You have two cute girls spending time with you! S0how about you get me a glass of tea, and we all just relax?"

@Ver @Yun Lee

​

"Aren't you a bit too old to be calling yourself a girl?" Hector asked the red haired woman.

@Yun Lee @Ver @Josh

Well...that was something. Hazel wasn't really sure what she was doing just before, asides from giving Joker an astonished look and a loud gaspy "A Million!?", a brief thought of how the hell they can fit seven zeros worth of people, and then she noticed the in fighting. Placing down her cup noodles in an instant, Hazel took out her notebook instantly, jolting down whatever she heard, and not to mention, pressing the secret record button for reference. Although that wasn't much help, because now, the fight was all over, and what Hazel had written were barely legible, much like the spat itself.

Disappointed, Hazel plopped away her pen, stopping the recording, and put her notebook back into her pocket. Oh well, she could just check it later, and she had an audio recording, surely she could decipher that. Of course, that was about as easy as trying to put two and two together with all this chaos and crowds...

Ignoring her cold, barely eaten chinese food on the counter, Hazel decided she had enough of lounging around eating bad food, and wanted to do something....but what should she do.....Ah, right! She could help with deciphering the weird books, or...tomes. That might help curry favour with the people here once she decided to check out the basement later (if she got caught, so just in case.)

Walking towards Kylie, Hazel looked little, but she put on a face of determination. She was no detective, sure, but she was pretty dang good at picking up stuff. Surely, a few books couldn't absolutely befuzzle her?

"Excuse me, misss? Is there anything thing I could help out with? That guy said something about deciphering...tomes just before he left, I think? I would love to help with that!
@Jeremi @Archmage Jeremiah (?) @Open kinda​

Kylie again looked up from the pile of books. "You can help me try and find the book or books that burnt one belonged to. Look for a number on the lower end of the spine." Before Kylie could dive back into them though the books floated up into the air in a neat row.

"I figure you'd have it easier to find what you're looking for if they were a bit more organized," Lois replied keeping them a float with her powers.

"Uhh, it would yeah, thanks."
​

"Don't mention it." The books were now floating like in a invisible bookshelf stacked on one another with the spines clearly visible.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Alex Azure @MelodyMeister @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva

 

[Yun Lee]

"Well...not exactly. You see, we both met only once before!" Grell continued to speak as she navigated the electric stove. "It was a horrible experience, really, but I think it was made better by each other's company. Though I never thought I'd see him again...say, how does this work, exactly? Dear Lois made it look so easy but it's nothing I've ever seen before!"

@Ver @Josh​

 

[Josh]

"Do you remember the name?" Kylie knelt down to try and see if there was something to salvage. The book seemed all about destroyed except for something on the end of the spine. "Is that..." It was metal and surprisingly cool to the touch. "It's a one. This was part of a set! Man...what series did we have that came in a set?!" Kylie dove down in the trove of books to try and find any that could have been a continuation of the book. "What was on the page when it caught fire?" Kylie asked as she looked through the other books.

@Alex Azure @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva



"Aren't you a bit too old to be calling yourself a girl?" Hector asked the red haired woman.

@Yun Lee @Ver @Josh

Kylie again looked up from the pile of books. "You can help me try and find the book or books that burnt one belonged to. Look for a number on the lower end of the spine." Before Kylie could dive back into them though the books floated up into the air in a neat row.

"I figure you'd have it easier to find what you're looking for if they were a bit more organized," Lois replied keeping them a float with her powers.

"Uhh, it would yeah, thanks."
​

"Don't mention it." The books were now floating like in a invisible bookshelf stacked on one another with the spines clearly visible.

@Archmage Jeremiah @Alex Azure @MelodyMeister @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva

Rangiku's eye narrowed at Hector, noticeably annoyed. Most women don't like it when they're applied being old.

"I'm 0bvously am not."
​

"Well...not exactly. You see, we both met only once before!" Grell continued to speak as she navigated the electric stove. "It was a horrible experience, really, but I think it was made better by each other's company. Though I never thought I'd see him again...say, how does this work, exactly? Dear Lois made it look so easy but it's nothing I've ever seen before!"

@Ver @Josh​

Moving over towards Grell, Rangiku peered over Grell's shoulder, turning on the stovetop as Grell worked.

"Here you go! So, you two have been through this before? Huh? Makes you think how many of times this kind of stuff happen. And the odds of you both meeting back up at one? Small world, I guess."

Pausing , Rangiku turned to Grell. pulling her away from the stovetop.

"Let's just hope we don't cause a fire. You jacket is really cute, Grell, Right?"


@Yun Lee @Ver
​

 

[Yazzie]

Giving Kylie's flat response a chuckle, Joker shrugged. "Guess it really is that simple in your line of work," he humbly admitted. As everyone cycled around the room, Joker followed close behind to listen in on the latest commotion. Watching one of the tomes spontaneously combust in someone's hands, the Phantom Thief breathed a quiet thanks it wasn't his.



"What else could've brought all of us here?" Joker bluntly threw his two cents in, "I'm willing to bet whatever or whoever did is heading this attack on New York, too," he added, "If it led to the whole city's evacuation there's no way the events unfolding are uncoordinated,"

@Jeremi @Alex Azure @MelodyMeister @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva
​

Monika had been quietly observing the scene for sometime now, more than a little surprised when a book seemingly burst into flames almost at complete random. Yep, she definitely wasn't in the literature club anymore. When Joker mentioned he thought their arrival and the attack on New York was more than just coincidence, Monika turned to him.

"You think our arrival and the attack on New York are related......interesting." Monika replied, lost in deep thought for a moment. If what Joker said was true, why did whomever was behind this choose them of all people?

"Do you think,whomever is behind this, are planning to try and use us to advance their agenda in someway? because that seems to make the most sense."

@MelodyMeister
@Bark
@Jeremi
@reallyanyone

 

[Sleepwalker]

"...Right, Miss, I've got it!"

Like a soldier reporting to duty, Hazel put on a determined face and gave a quick salute, then chuckiling to herself at her (over)enthusiasm.

"A number on the lower sign...how big is it exactl-GAHHH, Holy crap!...Uh....thanks."

Now, asides from the (probably) fake 'magic' that Hazel's flamboyant friend constantly put on during one of his 'magic' shows, Hazel had never seen true magic until she came here. And sure, some people arguing about goodness knows what, and a book turning to ashes was extremely strange, but at least she knew SOME kind of explanation that stopped her from going insane. Like, nutjobs and matches existed after all...but this? Some abomination floating up some books, and talking to her as well? Nuh uh, that was too much strangeness for her. Putting her hand between the gaps of the books, where the wood would be, Hazel looked in amazement.

After a brief while of dopey staring and a wild thought train of wishing she had the power to lift up objects like that, Hazel refocused, and began carefully searching for a number at the bottom of the book spines. This was definitely something that she could do, given her keen eyes for detail.

"Maybe they are connected...but in this case, I would like to see something concrete, and not just conjecture. And Monika, that may be a good suggestion, since uh...some of these people are certainly skilled perhaps, and may help whoever's agenda. But what about you and me? As far as I can see, you're not skilled or anything, and not in a conscending way, no! But you look like a normal school girl, and I'm mostly normal as well. Why can't they have taken a more older, more skilled journalist, jeez, I hate staying other places for long..."

"Maybe, whoever brought us here, thinks it's all a game and is playing with us....or my own theory, the 'paranormal activity' here may have spirited us away to here."

@Jeremi @Yazzie @Others I guess​