Fwomph
Outside Oddity High
"V! Nice to hear from you, and Bentham? That's..."
A deep breath, to settle the nerves.
"Well, I could go looking if you know where little Bentham could be. Or should I stay out of it?"
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
What, me worry?
Mindy's House
After the initial shock over kissing Gill wore off, Mindy couldn't help but smile. What a rush. It too was her first kiss and it was better than she imagined. She giggled over Gill's stammers. But most of off, she felt like she was in heaven. She held both of Gill's hands before looking up at him. Hey, you hungry? I'll make us summin' to eat. She led him into the kitchen. Not only so they can have lunch, but also to give Mindy a chance to talk to him about other things on her mind. Such as her abilities and how she ended up in Little Haven in the first place. She wanted to open up to him. She tried that with Alex, whom she thought could have been a good friend. But that didn't quite work out. But now, she's thinking Gill's someone she can trust. To let down her defenses without being attacked. While leery at best with most people, something about Gill just put her at ease.Cemetery
All right, then. Maybe I'll have better luck at the morgue. Yes, I would like the address, please, Layla said while wrapping the veil back around her head. And please. Don't share this with anyone. It's not something I particularly like showing to anyone. Don't want to cause another alarm in a new town.
For the Horde!
Gill's face was still flushed and his hands were trembling a little as Mindy took them and began to lead him into the kitchen.
"Ah, mm, s-sure, I'd. I'd l-love..." Gill stammered, still tongue-tied from the kiss. He had an incredibly dopey expression on his face, walking with her as she entered the kitchen.
Gill's mind was doing cartwheels and somersaults. His heart was pounding in his chest. He felt amazing, though he was having trouble showing it since he was so caught off guard by the whole situation.
Heidi shook her head.
"Nah, I'm gonna get a smoothie," Heidi explained. "There's this place around here that makes the best fucking smoothie you've ever had. Nothing like that where I'm from. You've gotta try it."
She started power-walking towards one of the restaurants, one she knew made smoothies. She didn't even attempt to wait for Elaine.
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
THE SLORG!
Monday, Little Haven, shopping center, The Slab, after school - Lynn Polyhymnia the quadruplets offended on someone else's behalf.
Carolyn and Linton just had to hope that Val was still following along, since they had no way of knowing for sure until the teen of questionable existence finally spoke up when they arrived. Linton just glanced at them and shrugged, then the two led the way inside.
The two weren't bothered by the employee's sleepy demeanor, but promptly looked miffed once he made the sign of the cross. "Seriously?" Carolyn asked simply, placing her hands on her hips in disappointment.
Linton meanwhile moved to get a booth for them to sit at, and looked out the windows at the other goings on of the shopping center. Now they just had to wait for Lindon and Marilyn to get there with the money their mom gave them at home. It helped that the quadruplets could tell where they all were in relation to each other, so the other two could take almost a straight line shot through town to the shopping center.
You are reading this.
Palencia Family Car
Coralie looked from mother to son and back again, slightly perplexed at them trying to figure out the exact matchups between their world's countries and hers. Surely that was her job, right? She started to wonder if this was how people felt when she babbled about other world's facts and figures.
"Well, they likely were at one point," Coralie conceded. "That's probably what lead to the blending of dialects. I can't pretend to know the WHOLE history. My home town's school didn't consider it a priority. My folks tried to regale me with it, but as soon as they started yammering about the Habsburgs and the Umayyad Caliphate, my eyes started glazing over and my short-term memory packed up, know what I mean?
"What I do know is that my folks came from Taured, a little old nation that takes up where the Pyrenees mountains are in this world, just below Frankland and east of the Iberian Peninsula. It used to be part of a Sultanate called Andalusia, until half of Europe became the seat of the Papal Imperium. My mom was actually from North Africa, until a whole geopolitical cabuzzling in the eighties forced her to move. Then she and Dad moved AGAIN ten years later to New England. Confused yet? I know I sure was!"
THE SLORG!
Monday, Little Haven, on the way to Alex's house, after school - Alex Palencia the werewolf who yes, is confused.
"Uh... Sure," Alex replied, then turned back forward in his seat and leaned closer to his open window. Partially being done trying to follow that conversation, and partially because he was covertly trying to avoid smelling Coralie more.
"Well, that's all interesting, though a little hard to follow," Sandra said, in that tone where someone is being polite but also kinda signaling that they're done having that particular conversation. "Now, soon as we're home, we're getting you in the shower and your clothes in the laundry. I already picked out some old clothes of mine that you should be able to fit into until yours are clean," she then explained, changing the topic.
"Oh, and a word of warning: Our water heater isn't very good, and the warm water in the shower only lasts for about ten minutes before going cold," Sandra then told Coralie, before glancing over at Alex. "And Alex, <you're not going to try to peek on her in the shower, right?>" she asked her son, switching to Spanish.
"Mom! No, I'm not!" Alex exclaimed, turning his head towards his mom. His tone was as if he was offended at the insinuation, but his face was blushing red again.
"Good," Sandra replied simply with a little smile, and covertly glancing at Coralie in the rear view mirror again for the scientist's reaction.
You are reading this.
The Slab
Having no other ideas at the time, Vivian nodded.
"Kind of a weird name, yeah. And sure, ice cream sounds good."
When she's greeted by the fearful employee, she tries to just play it off.
"...Never seen a goth before, I guess?"
Outside Oddity High
"You're our operative in Little Haven, so if anyone's going to take care of it, it'll have to be you," V explained. "But it should go without saying you'll need to be extremely careful."
V took an even deeper breath. "The activity we noticed was centered around 1400 Northhold Avenue."
Northhold Avenue was on the far north outskirts of Little Haven, far away from anything else and definitely nowhere near the Smith residence.
"I trust you remember the training scenarios, so you know why I can't tell you anything else. Good luck. You'll need it." And with that, V promptly hung up.
The Slab
The fact that Vivian tried to play it off in a strong Romanian accent didn't help. The employee just looked more freaked out.
"...look, she's not really a vampire...she's a cosplayer..." Val lied, sounding relatively composed, surprisingly. "...I don't think denying someone service because of what they're wearing would go over very well with your boss..."
The employee nodded, although he still looked freaked out. It was hard to tell whether he accepted Val's lie and saw their point or if he felt a bit threatened by them also being dressed weird. (There could be anything under there!)
"Okay, what...what would you like...sir?" said the employee, sounding very unsure. "...me?...oh, um, I'm not getting anything..." Val responded, stepping off to the side and letting their friends order.
Smoothie Shop
"Ah, right, right," said Elaine, who started walking toward the smoothie shop about when Heidi did and managed to only lag behind her a little bit.
The smoothie shop was exactly as Heidi remembered it: there were various fruits on display, and a pleasant-enough looking young woman at the counter standing next to a blender, who greeted the two of them as they walked in.
"I've never been here before, but the smoothies do look good," Elaine commented as she walked up to the counter. "What do you want?"
Little Haven Cemetery
The weird kid gave a thumbs up at Layla's request. "Secret's safe with me," he said. "In return, can you not tell anyone that fact about the graveyard I told you? Oh, and the folks would probably get mad if they found out I sent someone to the morgue. Speaking of which..."
Turns out, the morgue was on Terminal Drive, way closer to Oddity High than the cemetery was.
The Morgue
Apparently, that nondescript windowless grey building next to the electronics store was a morgue. Who knew?
The door was locked, but shortly after Layla tried it, someone opened the door a bit and stuck their head out, and by "someone" I mean a girl about the same age as the weird guy at the cemetery, who had black hair in pigtails, what looked like a funeral dress, and a creepy thousand-yard stare. She didn't say anything, just sort of stared at Layla.
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
What, me worry?
The Kitchen of Mindy's House, where the food isn't the only thing that's hot
Mindy cooked up some spaghetti for herself and Gill, all made with a sauce that's a Walsh family recipe. Walsh being her mother's maiden name. The sauce itself being a slightly spicy, but tangy tasting. One that definitely brought out the pasta. Mindy hummed to herself why preparing the meal. She wasn't one who sung out-loud typically. In fact, she didn't really like to sing at all. But now, with the events of a few minutes ago, she was on top of the world. She didn't care. Blessed to share the kitchen of a new boyfriend who's kind-hearted, one who's willing to put up with her worst traits. And one who's quite a looker. One who made her say the flames on her hands weren't the only things that made her hot. Alongside a chunk of French bread and glasses of milk, Mindy presented the meal for the two of them. She shook Gill out of his trance. All right, don't make me hose ya down, she said with a light chuckle before she started dining on the meal. After eating a quarter of her meal and sipping on milk, Mindy was dying to know how Gill pieced together her interest in him. So glad you came home with me, Gill. Ain't gonna lie to ya. I didn't really know what to expect here. Like I said, never done this before. But I'm glad I told you everything. You mean a lot to me, ya know? But that's not the only reason. I got lots I wanted to talk to ya about ever since all we talked about on Saturday. But first things first, I'm kinda curious. How'd you figure out... she couldn't decipher the last sentence. ...you know.From the weird cemetery to the morgue, which might not be much better
I understand. I won't speak a word of this to anyone. And thank you for your help, Layla saw off the cemetery worked and appreciated his help, in spite of how overenthusiastic he was. She left for the morgue. The building she noticed while heading to school, but assumed was vacant for quite sometime. Though that was probably because nothing really indicated there was activity there. She attempted to open the door, but gasped upon seeing the girl pop her head out. Her stare made Layla bulk. Did this girl sense there was something off about her? Or was she just overthinking it? She was used to being stared at. She dealt with it quite a bit back when she bounced around from town to town. But this one, something about this girl unsettled her. Uh, hello, she finally forced out after what felt like several minutes, although it was just a few seconds in reality. May I come on in? I have some questions and I prefer to keep this discreet. As daunting as she found the girl, Layla prayed she could do something to make her whole again.
Palencia Family Car
Coralie perked right up at this. "Yes! Oh, yes to all of that! In all my life I've never been so excited for a hot shower, fresh clothes and a nice comfy bed."
With a bit of concentration, focusing on the most familiar words and working backwards, plus Alex's flustered reaction Coralie tried piecing together what was said. A second or two later, she glanced at Alex and gave an impish giggle. "Not to worry, Miss Palencia, I'll try not to blitz through ALL the hot water. ...Oh, fizzwit, I completely forgot!"
Coralie hoisted her bag over and fished around in the top. "I need to call my family and tell them I'll be staying over for the night. They probably still think I'm bunking in that shed overnight- bear with me a few ticks!" She retrieved her parallelegram from inside and waited for it to boot up.
For the Horde!
Gill chuckled, smiling with his cheeks burning red. When she placed down the food, Gill looked at the dish with wonder. Picking up the fork, he took a delicate bite. He grinned and started eating more heartily. When she started speaking again, he looked over to her, looking at her tenderly.
"How did I figure out? Well..." He looked down at his plate, a little sheepishly. "I noticed how Heidi was kinda flouncing around me, I could tell she was trying to flirt," Gill explained. "And then you were getting really mad and touching my arm all protectively. I guess I kinda put two and two together at that point." He smiled at her. "But I'm glad for it. You make me happy."
Heidi grinned, walking up towards the counter.
"Sup! Get me a mango-and-pineapple smoothie, would ya?" Heidi exclaimed. She looked at Elaine, gesturing up to the menu. "See anything you like there?" she asked.
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
THE SLORG!
Monday, Little Haven, shopping center, The Slab, after school - Lynn Polyhymnia the quadruplets who need money to buy things.
"And we're waiting for our brother and sister to get here; they have our money," Carolyn said as an addendum to Val not ordering yet. "They'll be here in just a minute," the red dressed quadruplet added, before turning her attention to Vivian.
"Oh, and we can pay for you too," Carolyn offered to the vampire.
Monday, Little Haven, on the way to Alex's house, after school - Alex Palencia the werewolf with a cheeky mom.
Alex had turned his head back towards the window, not noticing Coralie's reaction to what had been said. Sandra sure noticed though, and smirked, though raised an eyebrow after Coralie mentioned calling her parents.
"You have a phone that can call them in the other dimension?" Sandra wondered briefly, before realizing something else. "Wait, are you sure you don't want to wait until after you're cleaned up? Or at least until we actually get home? It should be just another minute," she then suggested, knowing it wasn't a long drive. It was a small town, after all.
You are reading this.
Fwomph
Outside Oddity High
Hung up on, Blake's mom sat there for a few moments undertaking the last preparation she needed for what was about to happen. She rolled down the window.
"Blake? You can get in now. I do have a small errand I need your help with on the way home."
"Oh, okay..?"
Blake got up, looked around to confirm that basically noone was left out in front of the school and got into the car. With buckling up confirmed the vehicle took off towards Northhold Avenue.
"So, did you have a good day at school?"
"Mixed. Mindy and Coraline pulled a stupid prank but then I did a cool history assignment with Coraline later."
"She's the smart girl, yes?"
"She's a genius from another universe!"
"Right, right. Still, sounds like you learned a lot with her helping."
"It was a history thing, I think I did most of teaching her how our world goes."
"Still, good to hear you're getting along!"
Outside 1440 Northhold
Northhold Avenue was the cutoff point between paved roads and dirt trails, the place where Little Haven stopped and the nebulous "country" began...or at least it would have been, were it not for 1440.
1440 Northhold Avenue was a mansion. It wasn't one of those supermassive billionare mansions the size of counties, but it was still easily the biggest building in Little Haven, and there was a garden surrounding it that made the property even more huge.
This garden, incidentally, was fenced in with sturdy fencing, including a sturdy gate that was sturdily locked.
Depending on how attentive either member of the Smith family were, one of them might notice a trail in the dirt leading away from the gate, as if someone had biked away from the house, but even if they were that attentive they'd obviously have to get out of the car first.
Smoothie Shop
"And I'll—oh, whoops!" Elaine had started giving her order at about the same time Heidi asked her if she saw anything. She let Heidi finish first, and then ordered "a large pina colada flavor, please! Oh, and hers is a large too. You're okay with getting a large, right?"
It's worth noting the pina colada flavor was the most expensive on the menu, and the large size in general was a bit on the pricey side.
The Morgue
At Layla's request to head inside, the strange girl wordlessly stepped into the building. She didn't even make sure Layla was following her.
Once they were both fully inside, the strange girl cut right to the chase...by asking "Why are you wearing that? Is something wrong with your head?" in the creepiest monotone possible.
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
The Slab
Vivian wasn't really sure what to say next until Val diffused the situation.
"Uh... Strawberry," she said, just sort of wanting to quickly head to the table now.
She then turns to Carolyn.
"Oh, well thank you. I'd appreciate it."
THE SLORG!
Monday, Little Haven, shopping center, The Slab, after school - Lynn Polyhymnia the quadruplets who are regrouping.
Carolyn gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's no big deal," the red dressed quadruplet said, then turned towards where she last knew Val to be and added, "Val, are you sure you don't want any?
About that time, the other two quadruplets walked in. Marilyn went straight for the booth where Linton was already seated, while Lindon moved towards the counter to order. "I'll also take a strawberry, plus a cookies and cream, a daiquiri ice, and a caramel swirl," the blue dressed quadruplet ordered, while getting a small bundle of cash from his pocket and starting to count out bills.
You are reading this.
What, me worry?
Kitchen of Mindy's House
Mindy chuckled upon Gill's response. Yeah, I guess you can say I can be pretty dominant. She laughed a little bit more before she gathered her thoughts. I was curious. Like I said, you're a lot more aware of things than I had pegged you for. And I wanna talk to ya about me, about everything. She looked down at her plate of food, finished it up, then continued on. You know, that thing you told me. About the dolphins, the whales, the sharks. Not gonna lie, you blew me away when you said all that. Mindy certainly didn't expect him to be quite aware of everything. She was already speechless after Coralie had deconstructed her right before he said that. I gotta be honest with ya. Where I'm from, there were a lotta sharks.She wrapped her hand over Gill's. When I had first started goin' to school, I was bullied. Sure, I was eager to make friends, kinda like you are now. But all these kids.... they were pushin' me around, sayin' how much I looked like a dog. How I needed to go back to the doghouse or how I should drink outta the toilet. It went on and on. The teachers, the principals, they didn't do much to stop it. It got to the point I knew I had to do somethin' about it. So one day, I came to my uncle. He's a trained boxer. Fought professionally for a little bit, too. He's the one who taught me how to stick up for myself. Taught me to fight. And then after that, anyone tried to make fun of me, I'd just beat their faces in. People stopped makin' fun of me after that. But I still had to keep on guard though. Because up there, there were lots of sharks lookin' to sink their teeth into ya. I still had my friends of course. Loved 'em dearly.
She paused for a moment to think about those she had left behind in New York. Still couldn't help but wonder how they felt about her after the events that led her here. And I know, maybe I jump to conclusions. Maybe I shouldn't automatically think the worst in people. But that's where I come from. When you got lots of people just wantin' a piece of ya, you really gotta watch your back.
The Morgue
Layla followed the girl inside and immediately, she went right to the point and asked about her veil. Layla froze up as if the girl just shot her in the heart. People asking about her covering early on wasn't so uncommon for her. It was something she got used to. But most people had enough manners to not dive right into it. But this girl didn't waste anytime. But she knew it was a matter of time before someone finally asked.She looked around before asking Before I go into that, will you please tell me of it's just the two of us? It's not really something I really care to speak openly about.
Edited by MatthewLMayfield on Feb 9th 2024 at 2:12:46 PM
For the Horde!
Gill leaned on his hand, smiling at her as she spilled her heart out for him. He nodded a few times as she explained her difficult life— what had shaped her to become what she was.
"Mindy. I meant all of that when I said that," he told her. "I knew at the bottom of my heart that humans couldn't be the monsters that my parents had made them out to be... every time I saw them from a rock on the shore or from the depths of a wave, I saw a people who had a love for life. People who were happy to be themselves. Not like me, I wasn't happy to be a merman. I wanted nothing more than to be like you all. To run and play and take in that sweet air."
Gill turned his hand over and caressed her hand.
"You shouldn't just think the worst of everyone, no. You should be open to meeting people and making friends. If you get bit, that's what happens, but more often than not I feel like you're going to meet someone special. Like I have."
He leaned in and nuzzled her cheek with his face.
"Hey, Mindy?" he gently whispered. "Is it okay if... is it okay if I sing you a song?"
"Hell yeah, large for me too," Heidi said. Elaine had ordered some pricey stuff, but there was no way Heidi was going to cover it. She looked out for herself.
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
The Slab
"...oh, uh...I don't eat food..." Val said this in kind of a hushed voice (or lack thereof) so the counter guy wouldn't overhear, because it was a very weird thing to say.
Speaking of weird things to say..."Uhhh...did—is that part of her order?" The counter guy looked at Lindon with suspicion. "How did you know what she wanted? Is she using vampire mind control!?"
Smoothie Shop
"Alright, that'll be $40.35." said the woman at the counter.
Without missing a beat, and without even looking, Elaine pulled a 50-dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to the woman. "Keep the change!" she said brightly. "Alright, Heidi, where do you want to sit?"
The Morgue
"There are others with us," said the girl, gesturing to...the cabinets on the wall. Yeesh.
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
Fwomph
1440 Northhold
Blake was a little confused as the car pulled up to the big gates. This was perhaps the largest single-household abode he had ever seen and it looked... Locked up. Still. Like nothing was going on here. He was halfway out of the car door when his mom was already three steps away examining the track, a purse hastily slung over her shoulder.
"So uh. What kinda errand is this..?"
"Kind of a wellness check."
Blake's mom took a breath and glanced back.
"Do you want to stay with the car, or come help me figure out where these tracks go?"
"Uh... I'm not sure about this..."
"I don't want to leave you alone out here, so I'd rather you come with me."
"... Fine..."
With a sigh, Blake closed the car door behind him and did a little half-jog to catch up to his mom.
"When we're done here and get home, we can get takeout pizza, okay?"
"Okay."
What, me worry?
Mindy's House
Mindy listened to Gill's words and couldn't help but envy the guy. She wished she could have had better experiences with people. Most people she had known back in New York were distant and cynical at best, something which she became herself. While she had seen people more jovial and full-of-life, coming from a rough neighborhood, it was a rare sight for her. And yet, Gill seemed happy to be among the humans. She figured he should be thankful he didn't end up in a more hostile environment. Had he, maybe he would have ended up like his parents. Mindy nodded to Gill's words, still on the fence about opening to others. Where she came from, it was hard to and better to put a wall around her. Then Gill's request to sing to her took her by shock. And this was after she snapped at him for singing earlier. Though she was more mad over not knowing what came over her than the singing. She placed her hand on Gill's where he caressed her face.Just a second, Gilly. I got somethin' else on my mind. She took a breath and gathered her thoughts before continuing. Look, I know I scared away people with these hands. Yeah, I lit up Hughes' infraction book to get her attention. But to tell ya the truth, I really don't like startin' fires. I was lucky to have gotten some kinda control over them right now. But back in New York...
She turned her back from Gill, looking down on the kitchen tiles.
The first fire I caused, I got in an argument with my mom. She told me I couldn't go up to the Bronx to some boxing match because there were too many rough people. We yelled at each other for minutes, and before I knew it, the living room was on fire. We both ran outta there. The investigators didn't know what had happened. Mom didn't tell 'em what happened. She knew it was an accident. And then...
A few tears rolled down her freckled cheeks.
I was at the library in school. Couple of guys approached me after I had beat one of 'em up the other day. They were makin' fun of one of my friends. So they wanted to try and settle the score. So I managed to give 'em this and that, she said, throwing punches into the air without enthusiasm. They were fightin' back though, and I got even madder. And again, before I knew it, the bookshelves were on fire. We all ran outta there and the school burned all the way down. No one got hurt, thankfully. But those two bullies, they ratted me out for startin' the fire and so I got arrested. My mom bailed me out, but just about everyone in New York acted like I was a monster. Had to close all my social media accounts, change my number, could never leave the house. Then my mom got a hold of Oddity High, and that's how I ended up here.
She turned back to Gill, tears dried against her face. She got on her knees while holding Gill's hand. You gotta believe me, Gill. I know I can be a little rough to hang around. But the last thing I wanna do is kill someone.
The morgue
Layla froze up upon the strange girl pointing to the cabinets. What was she supposed to say. All instincts told her to run out of there right away. But she had a lead. She forced herself to persist. Okay... this might sound like a weird thing to ask... And why did she need to add that part, considering who she's talking to? But do you by any chance have any human heads about in this place?
THE SLORG!
Monday, Little Haven, shopping center, The Slab, after school - Lynn Polyhymnia the quadruplets who are trying to say that it's not like that.
"You don't even want to taste any, Val? Um, if you can?" Marilyn said, looking over towards them from the booth.
Carolyn turned towards the counter with a slightly irritated sigh. "Yeah, it's part of her order; she just said it out loud," the red dressed quadruplet added. There was of course the fact that Vivian had said that before Lindon actually walked in, but the quadruplets were kind of hoping that the cashier would just drop it already. "There's no mind control or anything fancy going on here, jeez," she added.
You are reading this.
Little Haven, The Slab
Vivian rolls her eyes.
"I'm not mind controlling anyone. Come on, dude, stop being ridiculous."
For the Horde!
Gill frowned, listening to her explain her tragic life experiences. He didn't fully understand what she was talking about, but he let her spill her emotions out.
"Oh... oh, Mindy..." Gill said, pulling her in for a tight hug. "I know. I know you wouldn't do that. Oh..." He sniffled a little bit himself. "I'm so sorry..."
Heidi's eyes bugged out of her head a little bit once Elaine pulled a ton of cash casually out of her pocket.
"...Shit, you're loaded!" Heidi exclaimed. "Uh, wherever you want!"
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
Outside Oddity High
"...how did you two just—" Val's quiet suspicion was interrupted by the half of the Lynns leaving. "...oh, uh, okay..." Val followed behind them. (Vivian presumably would as well.)
The Slab
"...weird name..." The Lynns and Vivian would probably agree that "The Slab" was a weird name for an ice cream place if they weren't likely too busy being shocked by being reminded that Val was there.
The inside looked just like any other marble slab (oh, right) creamery, save the guy at the counter, who looked way, way too tired. He muttered something that was probably supposed to be "Hi, welcome to the Slab" but sounded more like "hieggumdaslab" Then he looked up, saw Vivian, got a shocked expression on his face, and did the sign of the cross. Rude.
Outside Oddity High, Again
The voice on the other end of Ms. Smith's phone started talking almost immediately. "This is Vertigo from Home Office. Sorry for calling you while you're in public, but this is urgent. There's a possible Bentham Scenario in Little Haven."
Wherever Heidi Is, Which Is The Shopping Center Now
Soon, Elaine and Heidi would arrive at the shopping center. It wasn't the biggest, but it had a decent variety of stores: among other things, a bookstore, a clothing store, a sporting goods store, a handful of restaurants, and an ice cream shop that some other Oddity High students were currently patronizing (not that Heidi would know that).
"Where were you thinking of going? Clothing store?" Elaine asked.
Little Haven Cemetery
The kid reacted pretty much exactly how you'd expect him to, but recovered surprisingly quickly. "Wow. Yeah, uh, I can see why you're desperate."
Then, he leaned in closer to Layla, and spoke in a whisper. "...Okay, I'm not really supposed to tell people this, but you showed me a secret of yours, so I guess it's only fair...This place is, uh..." He clearly wasn't sure how to phrase whatever he was about to say. "When you bury something in the dirt here, it's gone. Forever. You try to dig it up and you just get more dirt. So when I say we don't dig things up here, it's not just because that goes against our beliefs, although it does. We can't."
He returned to his normal pose and speaking volume. "Now, thankfully, we do actually check if things are dead before we bury them, so if your head did end up here...well, given how Pop-Pop feels about that kind of thing, it'd probably be branded heretical, he'd try and fail to burn it, then he'd put it back wherever he found it," he said quickly. Then he paused. "...I should have led with that, shouldn't I? Sorry."
"Best I can do to help you find it is give you a guess as to where it might be, which is, as I said twice already, the morgue. If they heard about a severed body part that was still alive, they'd eat that up. Figuratively. Not literally, they don't eat body parts. I can give you their address if you want."
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.