[PRP] Temporary Library Card (???/Chester)

[shibrogane]

"No," said the young man. "That's... that's not how they're enchanted to work."

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

He glanced down at the photo of the burned visitor, back at the young man, then carefully flipped to page 55, looking for pictures to touch.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

The text on the page said that the cause of the Purge was unknown to all, and that its perpetrator was unknown as well. Several sentences had been completely removed from the text, like they'd been redacted by a powerful source. After those redactions, it said that the purge had been ordered by a higher source--the name of which is redacted as well--on the chance that the persistence of those who had lived through many cycles were part of the reason why no new magic seemed to make a dent in the sigil.

There is one picture. It's a crime scene of some sort. It glimmers faintly about the edges.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Chester sighed. Of course there was no known cause. The library that he thought would hold all the answers was just as censored as the modern news.

Although he was curious about the photo of the burned up Beaumont, he didn't see how learning more about that murder in particular would help, especially since he was a different person here. Better to witness the scrap of a memory that might shed some light on things in hindsight.

He touched the crime scene photo.

shibrogane

last request <3

 

[shibrogane]

And overlaid on the space around Chester (where had Asian Harry Potter gone?) was a dimly lit space of some kind. He could still see the anteroom around him; it was like he was standing inside a projection, with odd shadows cast by the real-life furniture. "I can't do it," said someone nearby. The speaker had dark hair. "You can't ******** make me do it."

"Then you'll fail again," said a soft, accented voice. "And you'll all be pitched back into the cycles for generations. You'll have to watch everyone you love die."

"I don't love any of them," said the speaker. Chester recognized him, faintly. The other voice, the softer, more effeminate one, belong to a face that was just as familiar.

"You don't want to be stuck," said the smaller man. Both of the speakers were dark haired, Asian of some sort, though the taller one was paler than his swarthier companion. "You're the only one with the ability to get to every one of them."

"I should kill the three of you, too. If the persistence is the problem..."

The smaller man nodded. His eyes were a strange, pale green. "Yes. That's your prerogative. But it must be done, and you know it."

"I know it."

It all snapped off. Chester was alone again.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Chester looked around a little guiltily, like he had been caught spying on something, which he kind of had been. He wasn't particularly surprised to find his companion gone, but he was still concerned he might overstay his welcome, especially since he wanted to come back someday. This was enough to go on for now, plenty to share with the people who knew more than he did and who might be able to identify those he had seen.

After taking a few more notes, he gently closed the book and put it back in its place.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

The library door swung open behind him, a quiet invitation to head out and think on what he had learned.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Chester took the invitation with a nod, looking around the library one last time before approaching the door.

"Thank you," he said as he ducked through, hoping that the one who had helped him could hear.

shibrogane

thank your face <3