Valda sends back, Didn't send anyone else, but a few people might show up anyway. I can reach out, see who I know is there if you want?
You hear behind you the woman asking which exhibit they'd recommend, and the guard replying, "I'd suggest looking at the newly re-opened Founding of Fever exhibit. If your friend is still interested in the thefts, he might want to look there too."
Once in the gallery, Salim takes a quick look around to be sure he isn't being observed too closely, then with a flamboyant flick of his wrist whips out an ornate silver monocle and declares "See the unseen!".
Zaoth's voice echoes in Ross's head.
It was useless to go against what Zaoth wanted. Ross steps out of his car, walking hesitantly towards the museum. An astute observer would notice two impressions lift themselves from the back seat of the worn-out prius, stalking after Ross with invisible feet.
Ross waits a moment until Nurai finishes speaking with the guard before approaching her.
His voice is soft and timid as he says slowly, carefully selecting his words, "Ah, hello there. It's hard to explain exactly, but a...a friend suggested I speak with you. Said we may have, ahm, interests in common relating to the museum. To the Twilight."
You hear behind you the woman asking which exhibit they'd recommend, and the guard replying, "I'd suggest looking at the newly re-opened Founding of Fever exhibit. If your friend is still interested in the thefts, he might want to look there too."
Joseph's head turns back over to the front door, making eye contact with the exotic black woman. The tall man tilts his head over to the Fever exhibit.
Joe walks toward the exhibit unless someone stops him about admission.
From behind her reflective sunglasses, Nurai briefly followed the guard's gaze to see the tall man again, before returning her attention and smile to the guard "He's not one I'm familiar with actually, nor what he was talking about yet, but V has a lot of interests and friends. Founding of Fever exhibit, sounds interesting, any other recommendations for those with... spatial and dimensional interests?"
There was likely a better, clearer way of asking about interdimensional weirdness, especially with someone familiar with Valda, but Nurai tried to continue the playful energy she was enjoying with the guard. It could be so hard to find some days.
While nice to feel their summoner less tense and more her cheery self that the last time they'd had to deal with anything related to her friendship with Valda or her technically official capacities, her shadows were not enjoying any of the energy from anyone else. Nothing yet beyond the odd acrid sense coming from somewhere in here that was most likely not from any individual person, but in the shadows' experiences most likely involved more than a few of them.
Median overhears someone talking about "Ms Simmons" and looks up at Nurai, dismissing her as a suspect.
Interesting. Heard one person mention your name already. If you know someone with access to the employee areas, let me know. I'd like to pursue the curator and find out more.
Since it looks like Nurai is engaged in conversation already, Median just sends telepathically to her
<I'm here working for Valda as well.>
She studies the security guard's uniform, waiting for any reply, then returns to the gift store and checks it out.
If she doesn't find anything unusual, she buys a souvenir , but also studies what the gift store clerk is wearing.
She re-enters the museum, going over to where she saw the curator last, and examines the area. Is the employee area blocked with a locked door (key or keycard access?)
The fact that Nurai is here tells Jennifer, that she wasn't the only person to receive a note. The other interesting people showing up could mean other potential help, or they could be the person or people she's been asked to stop. She stops casing the joint and starts noting what these other museum patrons seem to be interested in.
Her warm smile turned at the soft voice, her eyes obscured by her large reflective sunglasses. She considered his words for a moment, and said - just as cheery as she had been to the guard, "More a familial interest than a personal one, but maybe she can give us a recommendation on that as well, if you wouldn't mind? she turned towards the guard.
Nurai's eyebrows raised as a voice popped into her head - she was normally the one to initiate such things. It was an interested assumption. Many people seem to be discussing V and friends with her today.
<We'll be through in a moment.> as warm as a mental voice could get, though a low hum was behind it -- and also starting to be very slightly audible at her feet.
Her shadows were getting impatient. If they had to investigate this, did it have to involve so much standing around talking and so little action?
Nurai did her best to ignore them for the moment, much as she might ignore a phone on low going off that she didn't want to answer.
The gift shop clerk's name tag reads Caleb, a younger man just out of the teens with hair too short to be easily identifiable as a colour, more like a fuzz. He keeps peeking below the desk - most likely at a phone or the like stashed there to amuse himself while guests are in, you would guess.
The Founding of Fever exhibit is one of the larger ones, a maze of passageways, physical displays and cabinets with artifacts from the town's past. There's even a section going through a 'mine' and several replication cabins. The whole gallery is spread over two floors, although the second is more of a balcony over the ground floor.
Median replies to Nurai from the other side of the gift shop
<No worries. Whenever you are free.>
When Nurai indicates she is ready (or, if there is an extended pause because they are too far apart, when they are again within the 100 foot range), Median gives her the little information that she has.
<The curator is waiting for something to happen with a significant amount of dread... that's all I was able to pick up so far that seemed noteworthy, and haven't been able to follow him to the employee area so far. Security Guard is Amanda, Gift Shop Clerk, Caleb... I'm Median by the way.>
The tall man walks the exhibit and carefully examines which exhibits are positioned where, observing if a pattern emerges. He also looks at any exposed wall or floor to see if signs of any renovation can be easily seen.
Ross shrugs, "Well, thanks though." He turns to Nurai, "A bit of a wander couldn't hurt. Besides, I'm new to Fever, haven't seen much aside from my flat and the orc dive bar that's under it. Always been partial to history."
Salim will go to have a closer look at the hole at the end of the gallery. He pulls out an old wooden box of tarot cards, and begins shuffling them absently in an array of fairly impressive card tricks.
He wondered who else might be on this one, but quickly dismissed the thought. "It doesn't matter." He pretended as he pulled on a smooth silk button-up shirt and reached for his jacket. He remote-started his BMW and wandered down the steps. He breathed deeply, standing on the stoop outside. The morning air here was always so stimulating.
Walking into the museum, Solomon simply nods at the security guard and proceeds inside. He keeps a pass to the museum here, as well as several others around the world, but this one in particular has enjoyed his family's patronage for years. As such it's not unusual to find him here, yet the circumstances of today's visit are hardly common.
The guard seemed busy anyway as a few people seemed to congregate around her, one of which he recognized. Not wanting to interrupt their business, he had continued on without saying hello. Yet further inside he spots a familiar face among the drifting tourists.
<Good to see you again, Jennifer.>
He has questions, but he decides to save them for actual words. People don't always like to have long conversations in their heads. Well, other people.
She considered the guard's words with a smile, "Some things are illusive, sometimes that's part of the fun. Thank you for your time, I hope the rest of your shift goes well.
Watching Doctor Solomon go past caught her attention. Two familiar faces plus two other people who know Valda, plus this gentleman who referred to the Twilight. This was going to get interesting. Hopefully the good kind, though any involvement of the Twilight made that less likely.
Turning to Ross as she started to head through, "I've been visiting here a few months...maybe longer now - between all the trips, it's hard to keep track. There is a lot of history and other interesting things around here - most of it doesn't hurt. I'm Nurai, shall we check out the Founding of Fever first together?"
She started to head that way with a welcoming smile - the invitation was there, she seemed to sincerely want him to visit with her but gave no sign that it would count against him if Ross chose to view it without her at this time. As she walked away, a dark almost circle slid along the floor around her boots - a humming circle that got quieter as she started to walk.
As she passed the gift shop on her way, she received the message. Considering it for a few moments, she attempted to casually point at Medina, Jennifer, and Doctor Solomon as she caught sight of them, before whispering under her breath with Message
<Nurai here, I'm heading to the Founding of Fever exhibit if you'd like to join me.>, her warm voice accompanied by a background low hum.
Spying some joker staring at nothing while doing tricks with a deck tarot cards seemed like exactly the sort of thing that needed to be looked into. Jennifer starts to head to Salim to harass him, but she stops when she hears a familiar voice in her head.
<Good to see you again, Jennifer.>
Her head whips around until she sees Doctor Solomon. She stares at him as the black of her pupils grow large and threaten to overwhelm her eyeballs before she gets herself under control and her eyes return to normal.
<Where have you been?> she demands.
Despite her effort in trying to figure out how to get into the employee area, she seemed to be blocked, so Median proceeded to the Founding of Fever exhibit.
Solomon just catches himself from taking a step back as Jennifer returns the greeting, after a fashion. The ability to read others' emotions is not always a positive. He subconsciously glances around, as though to make sure no one else is listening to their conversation. Of course even in Fever that's highly improbable.
<Well, aside from a brief endeavor into the arctic, I was visiting the family estate. I have... responsibilities there.>
He'd been visiting his goddaughter Lindsey for her 9th birthday. But she's not someone he talks about. Certainly not in this town. Best not to mix such a young girl with such a dangerous world.
<I meant to call.>
"I'm sorry" would be the natural follow to that, but Solomon is a proud man. It's hard to remember the last time he let those words escape. Instead he changes the subject. His work is always a more comfortable topic.
<Someone's been robbing the museum.>
Ross nods to Nurai’s invitation, ”I’m Ross. Good to meet you.”
He pauses for a moment as Zaoth’s voice grates in his head,
He grits his teeth before saying to Nurai, ”Yes, yes. Let’s see the history. There’s, ah, quite a bit on my mind at the moment. Best to keep myself occupied.”
<I meant to call.>
One half of Jennifer's lips raise into a smile that doesn't touch her eyes. Eyes that continue to try and drill two holes through Doctor Solomon's glasses and into his skull.
<It's fine. You're here now.>
<Someone's been robbing the museum.>
<Makes sense. What did they-->
<Nurai here, I'm heading to the Founding of Fever exhibit if you'd like to join me.>
Not as annoyed as she normally would be for being interrupted, Jennifer continues to address Doctor Solomon.
<I'll be along. I need to check someone out, first.>
With that, Jennifer storms over to stand in front of Salim. She doesn't say anything; she just flicks her eyes once to look him up and down and then waits expectantly.
[spoilers=Median]The uniforms are pretty generic - black pants and dress shoes, blue shirts for security and red shirts with a black vest for the regular staff. They all wear brass name tags.
The curator vanished through a simple 'staff only' door. Probably some offices, given there location - you know most of the labs are in the back of the building and in the basement, whereas this was close to the reception area.
[/spoiler]
Going back through time into the early morning, you 're-wind' the time until something pops up - the portal on the far end of the gallery is torn open and a figure walks out. They are glad in...opalescence is the only word, a swirling mass of colours clearly being used to his there appearance. It stops, sniffing. "What is this? I sense..."
A shadow looms over Salim. In his time. Probably not a good thing.
The Past of Warm Springs Gallery
Jennifer moves into the hall to find Salim standing, staring at something she can't see while flicking through an interesting looking pack of cards. On the other hand he can almost certainly see her. While not exactly the most physical imposing woman in existence, it's hard to not notice someone standing right over you.
_______________________________________
The Founding of Fever Exhibit
Nurai, Media and Ross headed to the Found of Fever exhibit, one of the larger and easier to locate halls. The exhibition hall is long and impressive, with an open gallery surrounding the exhibit and allowing an overlook of the area with more cases up above.
The ground floor includes exhibits such as a series of cabins that replicate what the founding members of the town likely lived in, and a fiberglass representation of a section of mines. Nurai could attest to them capturing the look.
Solomon nods to Jennifer. "Try not to kill anyone in public." He thinks, though he decides to keep that one to himself.
Taking off his jacket and tossing it over one arm he casually follows Nurai's little party. As he catches up he moves beside her and speaks softly, as if with an old friend. Yet his voice is ever rigid and professional.
"Jennifer will be with us shortly. I presume some exhibit has caught her attention." She'd said "someone", but that could be a person living or displayed. No need to ponder such details just now.
"Friends of yours?" He inquires with a sharp glance over his glasses as he slips a hand into his pocket and rests the other atop his cane.
<I'll be along. I need to check someone out, first.>
With that, Jennifer storms over to stand in front of Salim. She doesn't say anything; she just flicks her eyes once to look him up and down and then waits expectantly.
Salim comes back from the past to find someone staring at him as if waiting for something. He files away what he saw for later.
He has...no idea what this person would want, so defaults to a safe option.
"Ah, yes, of course!" Salim says, taking out one of his business cards and a pen with a flourish that would be dazzling to the untrained eye.
With a smooth, practiced motion Salim signs the card with a flamboyant signature reading "FANTASMO!" on the back and hands it to the woman.
The card reads: Sanctum Obscuri: Purveyor of occult items, rituals, and knowledge. Tarot and palm readings available. We do parties!
Salim Lafayette Agrippa, proprietor.
Plus an address, phone number, and website.
Jennifer slowly takes the card, and holds it in front of her. Her eyes drop down to briefly read the card before returning to Salim.
"What are you doing... Fantasmo?"
She puts the card in her leather overcoat's inside pocket.
"Taking in the sights of this brand new exhibit...and practicing my card tricks. It's a nervous tic, you see."
"Did you need my expertise for something else? I do parties...but I'm always looking to entertain larger venues. You don't seem like a fan, but perhaps I can make you one!"
Median examines the exhibit more closely.
Joe examines the battle-ready sword further, looking for any historical inaccuracies.
Ross takes a deep breath as he thinks, Alright Zaoth. Do your thing. Tell me about this, please.
He had little choice in the matter.
He lets the invisible forces rush towards the exhibit, their many-fingered, intangible hands gathering impressions of the past as Zaoth glutted itself on the lingering knowledge.
Ross waited for whatever Zaoth would tell him.
"Taking in the sights of this brand new exhibit...and practicing my card tricks. It's a nervous tic, you see."
"Did you need my expertise for something else? I do parties...but I'm always looking to entertain larger venues. You don't seem like a fan, but perhaps I can make you one!"
Jennifer's eye narrowed in confusion and annoyance as she watched Salim's hands expecting some sort of sleight-of-hand.
She looks back up at the magician's face and snaps, "You weren't staring at the exhibit, you were staring off into space! Don't b$@&@$*@ me!"
She steps into Salimm's personal space and aggressively lowers her voice. "Things have gone missing from the museum, Fantasmo. What do you know about that?"
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Salim considers, briefly, using some harmless mind magic to make the angry lady go away, but her aggressive stance gives him pause; he's not in the mood to get smacked in the face today.
Instead, he strokes his beard and looks at her knowingly.
"So, it is knowledge you seek? Well, the great Fantasmo knows much...and what he does not know, he can learn." he says, then hesitates and continues a little less haughtily.
"But in this case...he doesn't know very much just yet. But there's no need or us to be at cross purposes: maybe I can help you find this mysterious thief of yours. Who is not me, if it wasn't clear. The Astounding Fantasmo is many things, but never a thief!"
Nurai walked with Ross before she paused a moment at the mining replica. Great fiberglass craftmanship, though it wasn't a place she'd like to return to in person - much more comfortable here with nice people even if that did make a good story.
The familiar austere voice turned her smile towards Doctor Solomon. She matches him in volume, though not his tone as she answered softly in her high-spirited, friendly manner, "Nice to see you back in Fever, Doctor. I look forward to Jennifer catching up with us."
Though she wasn't particularly trying to hide what she had said, she now spoke up as she made introductions. With brief gentle hand on Ross's shoulder to catch his attention, "And yes he is. Ross - this is Doctor Daniel Solomon, he's a biology professor at Reed College. We met during my first trip here in Fever - hopefully yours will be a bit more relaxed. Doctor Solomon, this is Ross, we met in the lobby - had a nice chat with the security guard there, Amanda, & now looking around this exhibit together."
She took a step away as she looked around for a moment Nurai before turned back to the gentlemen and asked them both, "Anything caught your interest yet?
Jennifer relents a bit when Salim emphasizes that he hasn't stolen anything from the museum.
"Well, before I give you anything, you need to answer my first question. What were you doing? No lies!"
Joe notices the acid etching on the battle-ready blade and examines the etching for any meaning or symbolism.
"Ah." Is all Solomon replies save a curt nod towards Ross. His expression remains mostly neutral, though the beginnings of a polite smile do at least touch the corners of his mouth before he returns his attention to the exhibit before them. "Learning about our history?" He asks generally by way of small talk.
Speaking telepathically, he addresses Nurai more subtly.
<I'm not just here to visit. There's trouble at the museum.>
He presumed she was here for the same reason, but decided to make it explicitly clear. He isn't sure about this "Ross" character. To that point, he focuses his thoughts and reaches out with his mind to that of the man with her, listening for whatever is crossing his mind.
Ross nods at Solomon, "Yes. A...friend of mine suggested I come here. I've got talents that don't quite fit in elsewhere. It's hard to explain, exactly."
The edges of Ross's mind seem fairly normal, or at least normal for Fever. Thoughts of the Twilight, of an unknown task, of holes in reality.
Deeper recesses are...stranger. An inhuman force roils within him, thinking thoughts that don't fit with anything resembling mortal patterns.
The two portions seem in conflict somehow, though the inhuman force seems vastly stronger.
Jennifer relents a bit when Salim emphasizes that he hasn't stolen anything from the museum.
"Well, before I give you anything, you need to answer my first question. What were you doing? No lies!"
She sure is persistent. What a pain.
"Investigating, of course. Same as you. I was...mulling things over, trying to put together some clues."
Jennifer gives Salim one more once-over with a flick of her eyes.
"Well, if you discover anything useful you should come and tell us." She tilts her head in the direction of the History of Fever exhibit. "If not, stay out of our way."
She walks towards the History of Fever exhibit.
"Us?"
Median examines the cup:
Not being too knowledgeable herself she comments to the man standing beside her (Joseph)
That sword certainly looks impressively sharp for a display piece. ... Have you also noticed this Kylix cup? It seems to have been broken and mended with gold at some point, which seems a little off to me, especially in this particular exhibit... but not sure if I am imagining things. Do you know much of the time period?
Joe was startled by the sudden appearance (to him) of a small, mousy woman about his age; someone who used to live in the campus library. It took a few moments to absorb what the smart-looking woman said.
"Now that you mention it, the kylix is out of place. Those cups where used mainly in symposiums in ancient Greece, where the guys would chuckle at the sexual scenes when it's wine was drained from it."
Joseph didn't think he's be distracted by anyone on his investigation, but she looked knowledgeable, so he risked some more intellectual discourse. The tall man took out his phone and took a discreet picture of the acid etching on the blade. "I've been trying to determine if there might be any significance to the acid etching on this sword."
Nurai chuckled softly at Doctor Solomon's telepathic message - it was very him, very direct. Nurai could be too, though with others around, she continued to use her preferred kind of subtlety.
As Ross spoke, she nodded and replied "Many find their way to places like Fever that way." She didn't want to put any pressure on him to explain any more than he desired.
"There is a lot going on, a few more people than I was expecting for this time of the week. Even heard a couple of people talking about Valda," she paused to explain to Ross, "Doctor Solomon and I met through her, she's involved in lot around here. I might ask after her if I see them again while we explore. So, which parts interest you most?"
She gestured around before she turned towards some of the cabin replicas. Cabins were more her speed than mines - and replicas of the past seemed a suitable place to check for signs of the Twilight pushing through. That wasn't a place she'd forget anytime soon.
Median examines the sword to see if she can add anything to Joseph's observations.
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"Us?"
"You heard me." Jennifer keeps walking.
Initially Solomon reacts with concern, evidenced only by a slightly raised eyebrow, but Nurai seems comfortable around this Ross and the mention of Valda seems to explain it. After all, Ross isn't the only one in this library hiding something inhuman within. "Hopefully he can control it without... intervention."
Noticing another couple of individuals that seem to be doing a bit more than observing, Solomon inquires, "Are they with you as well?" The woman certainly seems scholarly, or at least bookish, but the man's appearance suggests a greater interest in more physical pursuits. They both strike him as a bit unusual, which might not mean as much outside of Fever. But here he has to wonder if they're here for a similar reason, if perhaps not a similar purpose, as himself.
Well, either she has a split personality or friends. I'm not entirely sure which.
Thinking he's gotten all he can out of the Warm Springs exhibit, Salim waits until Jennifer has walked far enough away that it doesn't seem like he;'s following her, and then heads for the Fever exhibit.
”Cabins seem fine. Never been a fan of underground spaces. They give me the creeps like nothing else.”
The cup is...odd. The usual iconography for such a cup is festive, party-esque. Scene of Dionysus and his host celebrating. Some of them depict scene of a more, ah, adult nature that are revealed as the wine in the cup is drunk.
This one has a crying woman, her visage cracked and soldered back together.
Equally, it's very strange for a cup to be repaired in this fashion. It's certainly not an Ancient Greek one. Typically, it's a West Asian repair method.
It...pulses. Something akin to magic runs through the fragments. But it isn't magic - not one of the schools that you've ever heard of, anyway. It contains something similar, but not. What the hell is that? It's not something you've ever heard of before.
Joe and the book-smart girl are examining the kylix, when his phone chimes in for a text. The tall man hears similar chimes from several people behind him, including the woman he was examining the ancient cup with. 'There are no coincidence', Joseph's Aunt Sandy would always say. This put the tall man on edge. Joseph quickly turns around to face the direction of the phone chimes, as he reaches into his hoodie pocket to grab his phone. His eyes dart the crowd of museum goers in front of him as pulls the phone to eye level and reads,
Hey folks, a friend of mine, Median, mentioned that she saw some strange people at the museum. Do I want to know how many of you happen to be there?
"She could have said I'd have help in this morning's text. Valda. Her and her damn secrets..!" The tall man said to himself.
What if this is some kind of ambush? Joseph thought. My gear is out in the truck. If sh|t goes sour, I'll have to muscle my way out in the open!The tall man stands there, nearly in a defensive pose, waiting for whatever's suppose to happen next.
Median shares her insights with Joseph, enjoying the shared knowledge and trusting his openness, not believing him to be an enemy.
Then she hears him mumbling to himself and smiles.
Ah, I knew she sent other people. She told me she didn't. Just like her. Glad we found each other anyway.
There was another woman at the entrance... Nurai. She also knows Valda.
She smiles, glad that there was backup.
... but anyway, back to the sword. Something like magic, but not quite magic... what could that possibly be?
