Celebrity

[touchedinthehead]

Aldaras lets the university have hold of the necklace again so they can finish learning everything about it. He'll start molding it when the Dean's learned all of its quirks - trying it now could accidentally make some aspect of it worse. Besides, it takes time, it's not like he can manage any progress in the time that it'll take for the Dean to identify anyway. Best to know where he's going when he starts going there.

News spreads pretty quickly about the knife's new location at the bottom of the ocean. Aldaras and Sintre become celebrities, along with being rich. Sintre is nigh-impossible to find in his hermithood. Aldaras - is not. The necklace is his. The mission to go encase the knife in concrete was organized by him. He's now deemed to be an important person, and as bewildering as that is, he works to roll with it.

He ends up invited to a party. It's the type of party with lots of important, famous people attending. He can bring one guest with him.

Right, he knows who he wants to bring, but first he has to ask her. Time to go find Annie.

Comments

[touchedinthehead]

"It's not stupid to never want your mind read," he assures, gently.

[keep_busy]

"I know, I mean it's stupid to expend that many resources on it when probably to the thieves I'm just some random person."

[touchedinthehead]

"Well. I'd help you anyway, because it's important to you."

[keep_busy]

"I know you would, but - I'm not asking you to. I might stay home from classes for a few days in case it blows over quickly. There's probably fewer things the thieves might want in my neighborhood than at school."

[touchedinthehead]

"Okay. I can pick up your homework for you before I go searching?"

[keep_busy]

"I'd appreciate that."

[touchedinthehead]

"I'll drop them off in a little while. I'll call you later if there are any updates, okay?"

[keep_busy]

"Of course. Be careful?"

[touchedinthehead]

"I will," he promises.

[keep_busy]

And the call is concluded and Annie goes to sit in the exact center of the top floor of her house.

[touchedinthehead]

Aldaras retrieves Annie's homework with minimal explanation, drops it off at her house, and goes to retrieve his sister to start looking for the artifact-stealing thief. Zevaia comes along without fuss.

[alicornucopia]

When he gets home after a fruitless day's search, there is a note under their door from the administration - Called, but you didn't pick up. Necklace found. It did not leave the premises; it's been glued to the inside of the vase. Will not help in finding the thimble.

[touchedinthehead]

Well, that's - great. Better than what it was before, at least.

To the phone, to call Annie.

[keep_busy]

"Salutations?"

[touchedinthehead]

"Salutations. They found the necklace, but not the thimble."

[keep_busy]

"Where's the necklace?"

[touchedinthehead]

"Glued to the inside of the vase," he sighs.

[keep_busy]

"Oh dear. I guess they didn't want it being - shared around as a defense."

[touchedinthehead]

"Apparently."

[keep_busy]

"Pour some kind of solvent into the vase, let it sit, have someone with gloves on dump it out?"

[touchedinthehead]

"I haven't asked how they're getting it out, that might be it, I just got a note about them finding it. I'll give them that advice, though. It's clever."

[keep_busy]

"Well, it's unlikely to harm the artifacts - they're sure the thimble's not in the same place, making this a prank more than a theft?"

[touchedinthehead]

"I can go ask," he offers.

[keep_busy]

"I'd like to know, if you find out - but it seems a bit much to hope for."

[touchedinthehead]

"You'll be the first person I tell. Maybe we'll get lucky and find out it hasn't left the building at all."