01 🔮 video

[sanguinespell]

Is that how--yeah, okay.

[It's close to sunset and Nico is chilling in a graveyard in De Chima. Why? Because she's living her best life, that's why. And it's not that far off her usual route home.]

This thing isn't that different from the WizPhones, but muscle memory-- [She rolls her eyes.]

Whatever. Hi? I'm Nico, I'm new in town, and I've got this thing. [She holds up an intricate silver device with a gold ring at the top, hissing slightly as she activates it. Light crackles in the ring, and a four foot pole telescopes from the end of the grip. The extra length seems to be solid piece with no seams, from the looks of it. Weird.]

I had it back home, too, but I didn't know its name. Apparently, it's called the Staff of One. [If the dossier she read when she arrived is to be believed. She turns the Staff over in her hand, idly.]

Anybody handy with magic? I could use a hand figuring out what it can do.

[She's used it for some things, and seen it used for some others, but she hasn't exactly had extensive practice with the thing. Her mom would insist the Staff isn't magic, but whatever. She's kind of past caring what her mom says.]

If you don't have that--please tell me somebody in this world has taste and goth is still a thing. My wardrobe is looking pretty pathetic right now. [She twists her mouth to one side for a moment, thinking, before going on. May as well try it.] One more thing. Karolina, Gert, Alex, Molly, Chase--if you guys are here and seeing this, speak up.

[Yeah that'll work. Probably not.]

Comments

[aboveand]

Honestly not my kind of store, so I'm not exactly sure.

Not judging or anything, just not my taste.

I work at the costume store next door, and I see a lot of goths that go in there. Not the Hot Topic kinds, so I figure it's gotta be legit.

[sanguinespell]

hey, don't knock hot topic that much. they've still got their moments. sometimes.

but that's cool to know. so, what, the fake blood and latex masks more your speed?

[aboveand]

I don't knock the store, just the goths it produces. They tend to be obnoxious.

Nah, just the place they put me when I got here and I didn't hate it.

[That said, that probably hits home closer than he'd like to admit. He's only just now realized why they put him there.]

[sanguinespell]

aren't we a big deal with the locals? there's gotta be something better than retail.

[is it all the rubber bats on strings, terrold.]

[aboveand]

That's why they stick me outside. I'm the draw.

Besides, it's not the worst job. They let me get away with flexible hours, which lets me have a social life outside of school.

[And by "social life" he totally means "Batman time."]

[sanguinespell]

yeah? do they have you spinning a sign or what

[she doesn't know the first thing about vigilantism so she'll just take it as given.]

[aboveand]

I think if they had a sign they would, but no.

They just shove a costume on me and stick me outside instead.

[sanguinespell]

you can't just say that and not say what it is.

[aboveand]

Every day different costume.

[Still, you asked for deets, and deets you shall have. He sends along a picture dressed as a pirate, then another one as a convict, then the devil, then a final picture as a generic superhero.]

That's just from this week. From the shop's Instagram.

[sanguinespell]

i was expecting a weird mascot suit, but this makes more sense.

[yeah she's just gonna....follow that instagram.... costume and party stores have good cheap aesthetic things sometimes. she has to get her space decorated somehow.]

so if i wanted some fake skulls and rubber bats in february...?

[aboveand]

Then Brrrrilliant Bootique would have you covered.

[sanguinespell]

oh my god, fuck off there's no way that's a thing

[nico has been here for the better part of a day, she has no idea]

[aboveand]

[Another photo, this time him dressed as a 1920s gangster. Behind him the strip mall is visible, with the Brrrrilliant Bootique logo lit up above the store. In the window there's a decal: "The year round Halloween store!"]

Trust me, if I was making it up I'd have picked a slightly less punny name.