October 30th

Alastar

Alastar walked through the museum. It was quiet, though the exhibits were not cold and lifeless anymore. They moved, they sometimes spoke, and to Alastar it felt like he was in a fantasy of his childhood. Something out of a mid 2000s family comedy. It was all he’d ever wanted as a kid, and he had access to everything that he could possibly want in this way. All he had to do was work for it, and he had. He had claimed the museum, and whatever that meant it was important, he was sure of that.

The person at the door, I think she looks impatient? Vajra said. Your human emotions are exaggerated. I know what they are but it always feels like I’m staring at a caricature.

“Oh shut up Vajra, it’s not like we want to be exaggerated. Just go sit on your fluff.” He said as he opened the door and walked through to the second set of doors, opening the second set without opening the gate behind it. “Hello, can I help you?” He asked the lady there.

“Yes, I need to get inside. It’s for a quest.” She said, angrily pointing at him.

“Why should I let you inside, only authorized personnel can be allowed to perform experiments with the materials inside the museum, and at the moment they dropped the ball. I’m picking up the pieces.” He tried to hide the mess that the museum had become, knowing that it would just make him look incompetent.

“Well I am an authorized personnel, I’m a Paleontologist student from Columbia and I need to get in.” She slammed her hand against the wheelchair arm. “Won’t you just listen to m-” She squinted her eyes. “Hold on, don’t I know you? You were in there when I was last here. You gave me the materials I was studying. Great, you can help me!”

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“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” He tried to remember the few days back that he could. It was hard because it was a few days of pure chaos. “Miss Alba?”

“Yup, that’s me.” She said in a cheery tone. “Listen can I come in? There are monsters out here and a wheelchair isn’t the best combat platform. You won’t believe how many close calls I had getting here.”

“Oh, fine…” He said, opening the gate. “But be careful.” He guided her into the museum. Inside she was clearly taken aback by the new… decor. The entire area had changed, thanks in no small part to the dungification of the museum itself.

“Well this is a… Mess?” She said in a questioning tone.

“Yup. The museum started to attack me. I solved the problem but I’d be… careful.” He said as he gestured around. “Don’t attack any of the exhibits, they might… you know, attack back?”

“Well I wasn’t planning on it, but are there any fossils that haven't been… animated.” She asked, gesturing at the large dinosaurs in the opening hall. They were all three looking at the pair. “I mean, I suppose that’s good, I know I’m on the right track.” She grinned. “I knew it was possible, and all I have to do is make it my own.” Her eyes seemed to glint with fervor as she moved. “Come on, kid, bring me to an open lab. I need a few fossil samples.”

“We’re the same age.” He said in frustration as he followed her. “And what do you need fossils for?”

“It’s simple really. You know how Necromancy in stories doesn’t work with fossils because it’s not actually bone?” She asked as she gestured around. “Well, I figure that I can make use of that.”

“I suppose that’s possible. Fine just… come this way.” He said, running ahead of her and starting to guide her in another direction. “I’ll get a small room for you to look at things in for a moment. But you’ll need to be careful. I don’t want you harming any of the materials!”

“Their already harmed.” She said, gesturing at the museum’s now animated state. “You can’t stop these things from happening.” She opened the door to the elevator and got inside. “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

Hold on, Alastar, you forgot to lock the front door.

“Oh shit, uh, I’ll be with you in a minute.” He said as he started to stumble and walk back as fast as he could without startling the monsters. “Hold tight!” He said, as he began to run.