Magical (A Quest of Vacations, or Starsigns, or Something Else)

[SeekerofDreams]

You lean back and relax against the wall to see the sort of things your classmates can do. The ones called immediately after you are not particularly impressive, and you find yourself zoning out a little, mostly waiting for your friends' names to be called.

---

"Nutmeg Boulderfall," Is the first name to be called that you recognize. Your black-furred vox friend trudges out onto the field, looking less-than-enthused about the whole thing.

"Stand aside," She instructs the teacher, who dutifully steps out of the way. As soon as Sir Mustard is a decent distance away from her, the ground beneath you starts to shake.

Cracks split open, between herself and the class, between her and Sir Mustard, the shape of a circle being etched into the dirt. As soon as the circle is complete, it rises, stopping at about Raspberry-height.

Satisfied with her work, Nutmeg hops off of the platform she made and rejoins the class. Sir Mustard sighs.

"I suppose Biscotti knew the risks, when he gave me permission to use the grounds..." Somehow, you don't think he meant to be loud enough for the class to hear him. With another sigh, he speaks the next name. "...Bel Pepper."

Somehow, this doesn't surprise you at all. Bel leaps up onto the raised platform without a second thought, possibly just for the sake of proving that he can. Not that it's all that impressive. The only one of your classmates that you're friends with who is taller is Caramel.

Like Nutmeg, he turns to address your teacher. "I don't suppose you have any magic dolls lying around?"

"We don't keep combat equipment in the classroom." The reply is deadpan. This conversation has most likely happened before. "And it was always Ketchup's job to program them, anyway..." You file that away as a possible hint to the twins' magical talents, though you're pretty sure you aren't going to get anywhere. From what you can tell, people have been guessing about those two for centuries.

Bel sighs, having clearly expected this answer, but apparently unable to resist the temptation to ask. "I guess I'll do this, then."

He reaches down with his claws, cleanly snips away a blade of grass, which stands out a bit against the reddish-brown of his fur. He holds it out in front of him, lets go, and the blade swirls upwards, trapped in some kind of blustery vortex.

Sir Mustard looks unimpressed. You don't blame him. You're sure that, if he tried, the felin could do something a lot more impressive than this, this is just what he felt like dedicating effort to. But he still reaches over for the list, to keep going down it. Or up it. You aren't sure.

You don't recognize the next person to take the stage, but they seem to share Bel's opinion that Nutmeg's platform is the best place to do a display from. You suppose that's just going to be a thing now.

---

"Caramel Highpitch." You've been sort of waiting for this. Well, not sort of. You'd just plain wanted to see what he'll do. Or hear. Whatever. Sound magic is weird that way.

Your classmate stands on the raised platform, now covered in blooming flowers of all kinds, and he reaches into a large cloth bag, pulling out a lyre as white as his hair.

"What do you think we should play?" He asks the instrument, his mouth forming the impression of another word. A name, most likely, that he would not have received lightly, even if it matters little when he is already the owner of the spirit's home. "...All right, fine, if it'll get you to just shut up about it..." And he plucks at the strings.

It's not a very complicated tune, you think, though you don't know enough about music to be sure. But something about it feels... oddly familiar. Right, in some way, that you'd be hearing this song, now, in this place. There's an odd power to it, almost, but you can't quite say for sure.

Caramel has no sheet music in front of him. This song, that he's playing in tones that maybe don't quite fit his instrument, is something that he can play from memory, even if his words earlier imply that he wasn't all that enthused about it. If this song has no passion behind it... what else could he do?

You guess that, sharing a classroom with him, you're bound to eventually find out.

Even after he stops playing, the song hangs in the air, refusing to fade away just yet, but echoing through the world around you.

---

"Raspberry Dazemirror." As soon as her name is called she's out in front of the platform, scampering forward with her light-blue braid flying behind her. Sadly, she is too small to actually climb up onto the platform.

Still, this does not dampen her enthusiasm one bit as she pulls a small paintbrush and packet of paints out of her pocket. She dips her brush in the red paint and reaches forward into the air, wiggling her brush around and staining the air. Without a canvas, she paints a picture of a red gummy worm, which falls to the ground as soon as the last bit of detailing is complete. She whispers something, and the worm picks itself up, peering at you all from the safety of the grass.

"It's a construct controlled by a Beauty Spirit- more specifically, the spirit of my brush," She explains, as the creature glances around. "It's inedible, will dissolve into water, is very flammable, and will collapse into two dimensions when the spirit leaves it, but I'm sure it will be useful someday! It doesn't even have to be a living creature- the spirit has inhabited a painted car before."

Raspberry sounds very pleased with herself. You suspect that this is the culmination of a great deal of time and effort on her part. It's not like you hadn't known she was dedicated to her art. The very circumstances of your becoming friends has taught you that.

Somehow, you don't think anyone in the class could do anything more impressive than that.

---

You're not sure you can call what happened today a class. Mostly, you just stood around or talked to people. But that's the morning gone, and now you need to figure out what to do with your afternoon.



[ ] Spend time with Raspberry and the others. You think Paprika might be getting dragged in, as well.

[ ] Go to the library. See what there is to find.

[ ] The meditation room could be nice and relaxing...

 

[SeekerofDreams]

You aren't entirely sure how you found yourself and Paprika being absorbed into Raspberry's group of friends, but apparently that's a thing that happened. The six of you are enjoying one of the lounges in the student housing area, this one having all the furniture in shades of light red or tan.

Given how the lounge closest to both your own room and Sir Mustard's classroom is in shades of deep green and gold, you aren't entirely certain how you ended up here, but it's very comfortable. And unlikely to hurt your eyes.

Bel and Nutmeg are sitting on opposite sofas. It comes to mind that spending time with the both of them at once might not be the best idea.

"So, what made the two of you decide to join the madhouse?" Caramel asks, his violet gaze attempting to focus on both you and the rabbit girl, but not doing very well because Paprika's on Bel's sofa while you've sunken into a very cushy armchair. He eventually decides to focus his gaze on you, probably to make up for how you can almost blend into the back of your chair.

Paprika blinks. "Madhouse?" You can't tell where Zulian is right now, but she's not panicking, so you assume he's behaving.

"The classroom," Raspberry clarifies. "I still don't know why he describes it like that. I enjoy the atmosphere."

"You would."

"Well, yes. That is, in fact, the reason I am part of Sir Mustard's class. There is always something there that can act as an inspiration."

Bel rolls his eyes. "Before the three of us showed up, she had lots of pictures of windows, desks, and paper airplanes. Also the occasional classroom mishap, but those are more... you don't get them anywhere else." You aren't sure if he's talking about the class in particular, or Will-o-Wisp Academy in general.

"It's a very encouraging environment!" Raspberry insists. "And if we're talking about my reasons, the rest of you may as well join in. See if your reasons are better or worse than mine."

You don't see any problem with this. Neither does anyone else. "Rasp was the only other student I really knew at the time," Caramel admits, gesturing to Bel with one hand, and Nutmeg with the other. "The two of them weren't quite so infamous yet. And it can be... overwhelming, being in a new place, especially when you've never had anything like it before. So I stuck to what I knew."

After this, he glances at Bel, who steadfastly looks away. Nutmeg sighs. "I joined because I was interested in this class' emphasis on teamwork and group projects." At this point, she, too, turns her gaze to the red-furred felin. "He just signed the first piece of paper that he saw, not caring if anyone else was in the way."

You aren't sure if this explains anything. It easily could, but you don't know if you want it to.

Still, Bel doesn't deny anything. Just looks away from everyone and refuses to say a word.

Paprika doesn't seem to notice the awkwardness. "Actually, this class wasn't my first choice," She admits, attracting everyone else's gaze to herself instead of Bel. "I wanted to sign up for Miss Madeleine's, but a human girl with the Starsign of Day got to the last spot before I did. Dunno what her name was, just that it started with a C. But I heard this class has a similar environment, and there was still one spot left, so..." She shrugs, leaning back in her seat. "What about you, Rye?"



[ ] It's like Nutmeg said- you like the idea of group work.

[ ] You enjoy the idea of a relaxed classroom environment.

[ ] There's a theory that Sir Mustard's magical talent involves the Water Spirits, in which case you are perfectly suited to learn from him.

[ ] You like being friends with Raspberry and everyone.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

"Well, I heard that Sir Mustard might be able to talk to the Water Spirits." You have no idea if it's true or not, of course, the man has yet to say anything about his talent when you're in earshot, but that doesn't mean it should be discarded. "If it's true, he could be very helpful to me."

"If." Caramel doesn't sound entirely convinced, but then, maybe he's just always like that. He doesn't seem to be very easily impressed. "People have been trying to figure out what his powers are for centuries. Him and Miss Ketchup."

"It could still be worth considering," Raspberry points out. "Our teachers tend not to use magic unless they have to, in order to set a good example for the students."

Caramel blinks. "Then explain Miss Madeleine."

"...Most of our teachers. And we don't really know how Miss Madeleine keeps showing up to places. It might not be magic-related."

"Warp magic drives are still magic," Bel states. He then glances at Paprika. "Oh, speaking of her, had you wanted to be in her class for any reason in particular? I know people like the relaxed attitude and stuff." You get the suspicion that, had he put that much thought into where he wanted to learn, he might have chosen to join her class.

She shrugs, leaning back on the sofa a bit. "Well, it just... it seemed like the thing to do at the time. She was the first person to be hired onto the school staff, at least according to the history books. She would have been present for... just about every important... event... in the school's history. And that's slightly interesting, but... You shouldn't look too deeply into it. It was just a whim."

You find yourself agreeing with that last statement. Why should anyone's reasons for wanting something matter, compared to where they are now? Just being somewhere is the most important thing, you're pretty sure.

Everyone else nods in agreement, and Paprika's decision making process is something that isn't really brought up again. In fact, the conversation is mostly about trivial things, during which Bel and Nutmeg are surprisingly civil to one another.

You guess not even they can fight all the time.

---

It's dark when you wake up. You can't tell if that means the sun has gone out, or if the planet's just not facing it at the moment. Or both. It could be both.

It mostly matters because things run more on a schedule of Starsigns than on the planet's rotation, you have no clock, and you don't see Cocoa or Miss Madeleine around to clarify things for you.

A few moments later, you realize that what woke you up was someone tapping quietly on your door. When you open the door, you see Nutmeg, a light orange glow emanating from beneath her fur.

"What is it?" You ask. It can't be daytime right now, otherwise there'd be people out and about, instead of a single vox standing in the hallway.

Nutmeg shifts in place for a moment, clearly uncomfortable, before looking up at you. "Come on. We need to meet with the others."

"Why?" This doesn't seem like a good time to be out and about, particularly if the cafeteria hasn't started serving breakfast yet.

"I can't say it here." She keeps fidgeting. This is probably a bad sign. "I can't tell you unless you want to come along. But it's about... Something you might want to know." You get the feeling that she wants to explain, but this just isn't the place for it.

What will you do?



[ ] Accompany Nutmeg.

[ ] Go back to sleep.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

Well, you've already gotten up, not reason not to follow along. "All... right, then." You let yourself be led through the hall, wondering if you should be treading quietly or not. The carpeting muffles both of your pawsteps pretty well, enabling you to move almost silently through the deserted halls. "Where are we going?"

"The art room. This is one of the nights Mokka takes off for maintenance, so we don't have to worry about him finding us there." Honestly, you don't think Mokka should be your only worry about being up later than you should be, particularly when one of you is glowing. "Though, with the Starsign of Erd active, the others would be able to see him coming."

And the two of you wouldn't, because Nutmeg stands out just as much, even when the dark color of her fur works to obscure the light coming from within.

Besides Nutmeg's Starsign, there is no light in this hallway. She guides you to a nearby staircase, showing no signs of apprehension whatsoever.

"There'll be lights on the lower levels," She whispers to you. "But not a lot of them. Stick to where you can see- it's safer that way."

You actually think that'd be a good way to get caught by any staff member who's out late, but maybe she means physical danger. In which case, that's really something the school should advertise beforehand, even if it only comes out at night.

Still, you've let yourself go along with it, so maybe this isn't the best time to be asking questions.

---

You don't recognize most of the hallways between the stairwell and the art room. Raspberry and Caramel are standing in the torchlight just outside the room, Raspberry holding a glittering key.

"You're here!" Even with a hushed voice, you can hear her excitement. She hands the key to Caramel. "Cara, could you please get the door for me?" It comes to mind that the heights of the doors in the school are, for the most part, not sized to the tiny Envoys of Love.

"Nice to see you remembered I'm here..." He grumbles, but he does as he's told regardless.

Like the hallways, the room is dark, and nobody bothers to provide any sort of light. Still, Nutmeg's Starsign glows bright enough for you to see around the area. The room has four large tables surrounded by chairs, each one set at one of the room's corners. There are shelves covered in all sorts of art supplies, and canvasses set up just about everywhere, though you can't properly judge any of the work in progress when it's all dyed Erd-orange.

There are various posters hung up as well, with various quotes written on them, though you can only make out the wording on the one closest to the door.

It was neither the powerful hands of warriors,
nor the adept hands of artisans,
that opened the doors of heaven.
It was the petite hands of children.
-Cider Rainbow​

The door swings shut behind the four of you, closing with only a soft click despite how quickly it returned to place. You're going to assume that had something to do with Caramel glaring at it. Without saying much of anything, you move to take seats at the southwest corner of the northeast table.

"We could have used a lounge for this..." Caramel mutters. "If Mokka's not about, who could find and stop us?"

"Anyone who would have noticed Nutmeg?" Raspberry suggests. "And I didn't see you volunteering the music room."

"I can't get a key to the music room! I don't even know why you have a key to here."

"My inspiration is not something to be denied." This still explains nothing.



[ ] ...Was there a reason you were asked to be here?

[ ] Seriously, how did she get a key?

[ ] What's with all the quotes, anyway?

 

[SeekerofDreams]

"You... haven't answered the question. Why do you have a key?" You know there's probably a reason that she brought you all here, but this is a bit more interesting.

Raspberry holds up the object in question, and it dissolves into a nearby blank canvas, leaving nothing but a painting. "What key?"

"...You... do realize we should probably lock the door behind us, right?" Caramel ventures, sounding a lot more nervous than he did less than a minute ago. "People will notice we were here."

"Or they'll think the staff member that was here last forgot to lock it." You think she sounds a bit too sure of that, particularly when standing in front of a painting that is probably the actual key's perfect match. "They don't know every single thing that I can do."

You'd be a lot more reassured by that if she hadn't displayed her ability to paint actual objects to your entire classroom.

"I'm... pretty sure we were meant to be discussing something else," Nutmeg points out, apparently unperturbed by the risk of somebody finding out you were here. "Something about personal research?"

"Oh! Right!" Raspberry sits down on the table. "So, I was looking into things, and it turns out there's very little recorded history about the summer of XOXEO, as well as the years XOXOX, and XOXOL apart from records of students and the academy's construction. It hasn't been officially banned- it just doesn't exist."

If you were discussing magicless history, this wouldn't be as much of a concern. If it doesn't involve wizards, the magicless don't always take care to leave traces of what they were doing at a given point in time, never mind that those gifted with magic do not exist as their personal historians. But to wizards, this wasn't all that long ago, comparatively speaking. That entire years could be just... missing from the histories.

"That sounds a lot like the fall of the Espresso civilization," Nutmeg comments. "That came up last year in my history class. Everything up until that point was well documented, and then an entire fifteen years of Erd history is just... blank."

This gives you pause. "Really? And the robots haven't said anything?"

"If they still have knowledge of that time, they aren't telling anyone. And a majority of the surviving models that old were salvaged and repaired after the fact. We decided it would be in poor taste to ask Mokka about it." Yes, it probably would be.

"Still, I'm not sure you've made the right comparison," Caramel says. "There's still some stuff documented from these years, and a new school isn't exactly the disappearance of an entire civilization."

"It does get her point across, though," Raspberry replies. "Something important happens, nobody knows about it, and we don't even have the excuse of the information being illegal to explain why. And when it's a point well within living memory..."

"...There's clearly something wrong," He finishes, seeming to have well and truly gotten the point. "I just don't know what'll happen if we start looking into it."

---

Nothing interesting happens for the next few days, and then Sir Mustard announces a group assignment. ...Well, sort of.

"I'm not going to tell you what it is yet. I'll wait for you to pick out your groups first. Bel Pepper and Nutmeg Boulderfall are still assigned to the same group as each other until they can prove that they are capable of coexistence. Other than that, you are all free to join whatever group you would like. Groups of four this time."

There is some scrambling around the classroom, but not all that much. You have to give it a bit of thought, but eventually you make a decision.


[ ] Work with Paprika, Caramel, and Raspberry.

[ ] Work with Bel, Nutmeg, and whoever else ends up with you.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

While there are some people shuffling around to different desks, it doesn't take much thinking for you to decide that you'd really rather not move at the moment. Among other things, you only know five of your classmates, and two of them are... a lot, particularly when taken as a unit. And the other three are sitting around you.

Raspberry turns around. "So, does anyone else want to just... not move?" You nod along.

"I think it'd be nice to work together." You glance back at the two other people you know. "Caramel, Paprika? Do you want to work with us?"

"That sounds nice," Paprika agrees, turning to face Caramel. "You're Caramel, right? It's good to finally be talking to you."

"...Likewise." He sounds sort of confused about this whole thing, but then, he was sort of roped into this without any sort of second thought.

Decision made, you settle down in your seat and wait for the rest of the classroom to do the same.

---

The classroom's final layout isn't drastically different from how it was previously, which is probably explained by how a majority of the class is made up of returning students who already know who they work well with. There's still a number of shifts, but you don't think it looks all that different, from where you're sitting.

...Then again, you haven't had all that long to take in what the place used to look like, so there might be a few things you've missed.

Now that everyone's settled down, Sir Mustard prepares to speak again.

"Okay, so I'm going to assume that none of you have done anything to knowingly create any disasters that I haven't already planned for. Our first group task for the year is going to involve interactions between different types of magic. While there are many well-known magical interactions, such as Earth magic soaking up Water, different kinds of magic can all complement each other well... or maybe explode. Magical combinations are dangerous and the more volatile arrangements should not be experimented with without proper safety gear."

You think you've figured out what the closet in the back of the room is for... even if you can't imagine it holding that much safety gear.

"Still, smaller interactions should be safe for you to observe, so long as you don't leap straight into mixing fire and lightning, or anything along those capacities. Even then, I think this was only approved because none of you can use Machinery magic..." This project is sounding more and more ominous by the second, and you haven't even received a due date. Or proper instructions. "...Anyway, I'm getting off-topic. Your goal, for this project, should be to explore how your powers interact with those of three others, write a short essay about it, and to present one of those interactions with a groupmate of your choice. For safety reasons, I would recommend reading about potential interactions first, or at least doing your practical work around someone capable of casting healing spells. Let's not overload the infirmary at the start of the year this time."

You are not at all assured that this thing is going to be safe. Then again, maybe that's the whole point.

"...Suddenly, I'm really glad I'm not with Bel and Nutmeg..." Caramel sighs. "They'll blow something up for sure. At least our talents are all non-volatile." Okay, yes, nothing is going to explode in your face unless you do something really stupid.

Paprika nods. "We could probably go right into this, even!" She sounds incredibly excited at the thought, even as Zulian tries to wriggle away from the desk.

...Really, you should probably help her try to get a tank for him, or something.


[ ] Jump straight into work.

[ ] Maybe visit the library first...

 

[SeekerofDreams]

"...I think going to the library might be a better idea," You venture, shrinking a little under everyone's gazes. "I mean... I know paint dissolves in water, and stuff, but sound's a lot harder to explain how to mess with it, and I don't even know where to start with Paprika." Besides, while you're really interested in theoretical study of magic, you haven't gotten much chance to put it into practice. It's just less important than knowing all that you can.

Caramel nods. "There's probably some examples of cooperation between Sound and Beauty mages, but I can't recall any off the top of my head. But at least the presentation parts will be easy enough to do, so long as you and Raspberry work together while Paprika and I work out... worm charming, or something."

"That... I think that might work," Paprika muses, not quite catching anyone's eye. "So... that means we'll be going to the library after class, right? ...I've never been there before. I'm not sure where it is."

"I'll show you!" Raspberry volunteers, almost standing up in her seat, before the books beneath her start wobbling and she abruptly sits down again.

Well, you guess you know what you're doing after lunch today.

---

As much as Paprika wanted to hurry to the library right after class, Caramel and Raspberry make the excellent point that it would be a good idea to get lunch first. The four of you sit together, leaving space for if Bel or Nutmeg want to get away from their group, but they appear to be getting along well enough for the time being.

At the very least, there has been no need for adult intervention so far, and you're desperately hoping the trend continues.

"Is there anything in particular I'll need to know when we go to the library?" Paprika asks. You think she's keeping Zulian in her pouch for the moment, though you still aren't sure that's the best idea.

Caramel shrugs. "Couldn't tell you even if there were. The last librarian didn't have anything like that, but I'm sure you've heard we've got a new one. But there wasn't anything when Miss Ketchup was covering for him, so I don't think you need to worry."

"...Well, you might not want to bring in any gummy worms," Raspberry corrects. "With how connected he is to the Beauty Spirits, there might be a few around, and you wouldn't want to offend them."

"Right. No offending spirits." She pauses, before asking. "Do you happen to know why the last librarian left?"

"Well... I have a theory," Caramel finally says, glancing around the room. "Dunno if it's correct, and it's really not detailed, but..."



[ ] Urge Caramel to share his theory.

[ ] Point out that it really doesn't matter.

[ ] ...Maybe you should add the weirdness involving the new librarian as well?

 

[SeekerofDreams]

"It's not like the new librarian is any less strange," You point out. "I mean, I think he's a decently famous artist?"

"He's one of the best artists on all of Kovomaka." Raspberry sounds almost offended, as if she thinks you've underestimated the man's abilities on purpose. As if you know anything about the world of Beauty magic. "He graduated from this school centuries ago, but doesn't talk much about it. Nobody from that time really does."

Of course they don't. If they did, that wouldn't be a lost piece of history, would it?

Paprika nods along, though you aren't sure how much of this she really gets. "So he's come back to his old school in order to take up a profession which doesn't suit his talent?"

"...Well, he's actually published a couple lesser-known books of poetry, but he has always been better associated with more visual media. His sculptures are the best, but most of his work comes in the form of paintings." At this point, Raspberry sounds like she's swallowed an art encyclopedia. "Roses are a common motif, perhaps because that's how his magic expresses itself."

"We didn't exactly ask you for a whole biography," Caramel drily remarks. "You may as well throw in his family history while you're at it."

She shakes her head. "I can't. There's not much known about his family. Given recent events, it's safe to say his parents are wizards, but other than that..."

Paprika still just nods along. You aren't sure how much of what you've been saying is sticking with her, but you wouldn't be surprised if the answer is 'not a lot.' "I suppose that's something we could look up in the library later?"

Well, you're going to be there anyway...

---

Once you're all finished eating, you all go straight to the library. "I'm still not sure how everything's sorted..." You admit. "I mean, I know where certain things are, but not how they got there. And then there's the stickers..." You still aren't sure how the school can afford that many stickers for all the library books, you never see them anywhere else.

Caramel nods. "The sticker system does seem pretty pointless, doesn't it? All those tools to channel magic better... reduced to labels that take months to fully understand, to the point where it may as well be another language. I think there might be a sheet that explains it somewhere, though..."

"If there is, it's probably gotten lost by now," Raspberry sighs. "And I don't think you can get ancient or cultural language credit for mastering the library sorting system. I'm not even sure Will-O-Wisp teaches those subjects."

"I mean, they definitely don't teach the sorting system..."

You should probably just ignore them.


[ ] You'll find possible reactions in books about those magic types, right?
-[ ] Look for books about Water magic.
-[ ] Look for books about Beauty magic.
-[ ] Look for books about Beast magic.
-[ ] Look for books about Sound magic.

[ ] You are genuinely curious if there's a sheet that explains the sticker filing system hidden around here. It'll be like an adventure, but much lower stakes.

[ ] ...Or, you know, you could try and get those two back on track.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

After giving it some thought, you decide to look for some sort of clue as to how the sticker filing system works. You could probably go up and ask if there's some sort of translation paper lying around, but... it'd probably be more fun to go look for yourself.

As you walk, you notice that some books have several more stickers than others. You pass one that has just a simple Poison Sticker, while another has stickers for Love, Light, and the Starsign of Day. You can't see any sort of pattern to this, but you suppose that's what you're meant to be looking for.

Your first step, of course, is to look around the main desk area. The librarian appears to be out at the moment, most likely not having finished his lunch break yet. That, or he's trying to sort through things, in which case there may not be a translation sheet to find. Miss Ketchup seemed to know the filing system pretty well, but then, she's worked here for centuries.

Compared to that, someone who probably hasn't been here since he was a student is much less likely to know where everything goes, unless he does a lot of things with sticker code. You'll have to ask Raspberry about that later.

There's a number of papers scattered around the area. Old newspapers, art magazines, the kind of stuff you'd see by the counter of the shop in Green Tea Village whenever you were taken there. At least one magazine for conspiracy theorists- the front page talks about the possibility of there being planets hidden inside the sun itself, and you know that can't actually be a thing.

There's also the obligatory article about Gran Degree still being alive somewhere, but just about every magazine has come with one of those at some point in time, and you're still not sure he ever existed, so that doesn't say as much as you'd think it would.

There's a nearby shelf for returning books that were checked out, a few books about mythical creatures, and, for some reason, a sketchbook and an assortment of drawing pencils.

There's also a large amount of paper with things written on them. You don't see any stickers, but there's a lot of piles of paper, and maybe it was all written out without stickers, anyway. You can't imagine this sort of thing would be simple to put together.


[ ] ...Okay, maybe you should ask a staff member about this. Make things go faster.

[ ] Search through the papers on the desk. Maybe you'll find something!

[ ] You're vaguely interested in the newspapers...

[ ] ...Why does he have a conspiracy theorist magazine?

 

[SeekerofDreams]

...You have no idea where to even start with this. If you try sorting through it, you'll just be distracted by magazine articles about brush size and whether or not Will-o-Wisp Academy was originally created solely to churn out soldiers in a war against powerful monsters. Which would probably be good for the entertainment value, if not the information.

Still, you think you might need an adult for this. Or at least someone who has some sort of idea what's going on. And you can't find that just sticking around here.

You guess this means you'll be seeking out the librarian.

---

Despite being, apparently, a famous artist, the man is surprisingly easy to approach. "The sorting system?" He pauses to think about it. "I know it's typed up somewhere, so if there's nothing there already, I can just print out more copies. Or ask Ketchup to do it..." You aren't entirely sure why he'd be asking her in particular, but you suppose it would be helpful to have someone around who has experience with how the computer system works. "Come along, it shouldn't take more than a moment."

That... was surprisingly easy. Particularly when there are so many mysteries surrounding this man.

You wonder if there are any he'd be willing to answer.


[ ] So, why is he working here, anyway?

[ ] Why ask Miss Ketchup?

[ ] ...Never mind.