A Mirrored Crime

“It was the spider itself I grabbed, Knobby.” Says Hitch, walking next to Knobby.“I reached into this very mirror when it was halfway through, had those visions and when I pulled my hand out, the spider turned into the figurine.”

“Well, I’ve tried reaching my hand through it several times, but every time the surface remained solid, and It’s only been cracked since yesterday. No I haven’t really had the time to properly examine it.” He says scratching his head and slightly frowning

&quotSounds like a trip to the university then. I and Koldun have some friends there that could help. Though the Mahogany Hall is another possibility, though I’m not trusting of my alliances there. But it would be nice to see the princess again. . .&quot Evensong gives the hulking figure at her side a sharp look.
&quotIf we are going to the hall, it will probably be best if Knobby guides,&quot Evensong firmly adds.
OOC: Choose the shroud for hopes of finding something real behind the illusions but no luck. Might switch to the glass if it ever updates. Also, it’s been years, so I actually don’t remember too much of the Illusion wars.

“I think the university would be our best option. Surely they have the information on mirrors that we need to continue our investigation. There is one small problem, though. I’m not entirely welcome there anymore.” He says, looking embarrassed.

“Well, I’m allowed back in - though not on the best of terms - but it should be sufficient for the task at hand.” Dirae Erinyes starts off towards the university.

“Wait,” Evensong interject. “Just how unwelcome are you? Are you going to need a new mask?”

Follows behind him “I am also somewhat allowed in, but not completely welcome. I cannot teach there, for example, but am still allowed to use some of their resources.”

"I need not a different mask, for I am most likely unrecognizable to the University. These masks are issued to all watchers, aren’t they?"he says donning his mask once more.

“Never been a Watcher. I’m currently a Correspondent. Nice gig as long as you don’t accidentally eat too much ink.” Dirae Erinyes weaves their way through the busy streets of London and to the gates of The University. The attitude from the faculty is notably icy when they aren’t dodging students with questions or overeager cricket players. Dirae Erinyes heads straight to the Benthic side of the campus, into one of the more unkempt halls, up several flights of stairs and ending in a drafty hallway in front of large mirror in place of an office door. They pause before knocking.

“Are you two familiar with Professor Zant?”

"No, what papers did he write? I might recognize one."he says, with a thoughtful look on his face.

&quotParallel Geography, Locations of the Parabola and their Corresponding London Locations is his most famous work. You would remember it, all the words were backward so you had to use a mirror to read it.&quot

"I remember! There was an excerpt of it in a scientific journal I read. That reminds me. Have you heard of Professor Reflector?"he ask his associates.

“Wasn’t he the one who went Jack on people’s reflection for awhile? Don’t think he killed anyway, but sure gave a lot of people a scare and broke a lot of mirrors.”

“I thought he was the one who wrote in newspapers as an expert on mirrors. I was thinking he could help us.” Says Hitch looking at the mirror before him

“Probably be wise to consult him in order to figure out what Professor Zant is talking about.” Evensong knocks on the door in a complicated spatial and aural pattern. She jumps back as the mirror opens, showing a room covered in mirrors. A spider council sits in the professor’s chair – but a closer inspection of its immobile legs and unseeing eyes is that it is just stuffed.
“A gift from Mr. Inch” a voice says from somewhere in the room. They must be somewhere close – the room must be small no matter who many mirrors are up – but currently no reflection gives him away.

“Welcome fellow scholars and your friend? Have we met before?”

Occ: At first I wanted him to speak in reverse like his paper, but I figured that might cause the rest of you no end of grief.

“Who knows who we have met before we inhabited these animated sculptures of flesh known as bodies? Perhaps we resided in the same realm, or inhabited the same object. That spider, for example, is just like the one I slew for Mr.Inch. Maybe it’s the one, maybe someone else entirely. Our world is full of the unknown, and mine and your professions is to illuminate them, to pull back the veil of conspiracy, to see the unseen, to be the unbelievable. Our job is to explore the neath and all it’s wonderful secrets.” he proclaims with great gusto, shaking the Professor’s hand heartily.

“And when the boatman takes us, what then? Butterflies some claim. Butterflies stretching the wings across the sea, through the mind of gods before the jungle welcomes us. Parabola, reality at its epoch. The darkness of these flesh bodies. . .Ah, but there is nothing we can do about that now. Illumination is at hand. Are you here on the behalf of mysteries or did one of my students recruit to beg for an extension? Such blinded sort, the students these days.”

“Of course, they do not know that failures are mere rips in the fabric of life of life that we must fix ourselves in order to prosper. Yet it is on the behalf of mysteries that we have arrived. From this here mirror, a spider did crawl, and when it tried to escape, my attempts to capture it led to it becoming a mirrored artifact, that I had lost. While reaching in, I also experienced vision of a London blanketed by web and a strange large ornate mirror.” he says handing the shattered hand mirror to the Professor.

“Transformation of the basest sort. But for every action, there is a reaction. Every reaction, another action. Your spider sleeps but another awakes. What do you think spiders dream of? Though all roads lead to London, their dreams do not end there. London is but merely the threshold of spider dreams. But what awoke? This spider clearly sleeps in stone, so stone awoke into something else. Stone is just transitional period of being. That’s why I prefer to live in wood houses. Their dreams are less violent.”
He takes the mirror and holds it up to another mirror behind him. The mirror behind him cracks, and a spider falls through the crack. Mr. Zant catches it with one hand and drops it into a jar on his desk.
“Interesting coloration on that one . . .”

“Is the surface of the spider mirrored? If it is, try imagining yourself on the other side of the room.” proclaims Koldun, eagerly looking at the professor.

There is a pop of humidity and the faint smell of green as he disappears and reappears on the other side of the room. He shakes to small spiders out of his pocket.
“Stange, I only started with one.”