✎ eternity:that_shady_guy [Work In Progress]

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====== That Shady Guy ======

===== The Most Practical Action There Ever Was =====

Some eighty Muses crowd the small immigration office behind you. You shift shadily in your seat. You were always worried something like this might happen. 

“Alright,” you say, “Just be cool and follow my lead. Is everyone here? Wait, where's Morgana?”

“She’s not here. Apparently they didn’t call her in,” says Tek. 

Hmm. Did she… did she rat you out? She always was kind of suspicious.

Eventually the door opens and a bespectacled, middle aged woman enters the room and takes a seat at the desk before you.

“Sorry about the delay,” she apologises. She puts her papers in order then turns to the assembled Muses: “So, I have to say that we have some concerns. Now, all of the //paperwork// seems in order, but the irregularity of your names tripped some alarms, so we just thought we’d bring you in for a chat.”

//Oh//. Morgana is the only one of you with a normal human name. That explains it.

You clear your throat. “I think I can explain things,” You begin, “Well, we’re paranormal investigators, y’see. Having unusual names adds a sort of mystique that our customers appreciate.”

She doesn’t look massively convinced. “//She's onto us//,” Shawl hisses in your ear.

“It's… uh… part of our brand?”

She nods slowly and scribbles something down in her notes. “And you’re all employees of… what is the company called?”

“Shady and Guy: Paranormal Solutions.” You fill in.

“Alright, that all seems… believable. I guess.”

You turn around and give a thumbs up to the assembled Muses.

“Oh, just one thing: we don’t seem to have a reference on file for any of you. I don’t suppose you have a friend who could give us one?”

Oh darn. What to do? What to do?

There is grunting from the crowd as Jo elbows their way through: “Yes they do.”

You’re sure glad you kept in touch.

===== Muses Anonymous =====

That Shady Guy sits in the corner of the room, bundled up in their trench coat. Somehow they just aren’t quite as… shady as they once were. The light rarely ever falls just so as to conceal their face here. Adapting to the Mundane has been a journey.

Around the room sit Muses. Most of them are from Jo, though a few came here from other minds. There is a small table with biscuits and juice for those Muses who have completed their adaption, and a Juice Transfer pump hooked up to a car battery for those who are still new. There is a list of names next to them saying who should partake in each: there were… incidents. New Muses trying to chew cables is messy, but old Muses mainlining forty-eight lamps has caused… problems.

There are a lot of names on those lists. In the past, Muses would often Fade before they adapted to the Mundane. However thanks to the Juice Transfer pumps the Muses you find can be safely weaned off their dependence on their host as the Mundane normalises them. The discovery that electricity could be converted to Juice (or perhaps, always was Juice, it's still somewhat metaphysically unclear) was fortunate, as the supplies you brought from Jo ran out years ago.

There are some familiar faces at the gathering: Tek Tempest, Shawl, the squirrels. Morgana Shadestalker has even made an appearance once or twice, although she prefers to keep to herself, and is not here today.

Eventually, people begin taking their seats. It's been good to have a group like this. Everyone has had a different experience transitioning to the Mundane. For some it was easy. For most it was difficult. Separated from everyone they’ve ever known, living by the strange, impersonal rules of this world. It has been good to have a space to talk to those who have been there, who understand, who can help.

Finally, when everyone has their seat, That Shady Guy clears his throat.

“Hi everyone. I’m That Shady Guy, and I’m a Muse.”

===== I ain’t afraid of no Impression =====

> **Shady and Guy: Paranormal Solutions Case File**
> **Case Number**: 00000003
> **Case Name**: Sister Act
> **Case handler**: That “Shady” Guy
> 
> **Report**:
> 
> **12/01/20xx**
> 
> Someone came into the agency. They had a strange story to tell. Told us they were looking for their sister. Only thing was, she died five years ago. Alright, I thought, we’re here to find the bones.
> 
> Thing was, they swore blind they saw her the other day.
> 
> Said they’d run up to her, but she’d spooked, ran, and now they couldn’t find her.
> 
> I don’t know if I believe them. People see what they want to.
> 
> But, the money is good. And maybe we get to help them find some closure. I wouldn't have taken the case if I didn't think we could. I'm not him.
> 
> Or maybe… Well, stranger things...
> 
> **13/01/20xx**
> 
> So we started the investigation with a little digging, and here things only get stranger. See, we found some cctv footage, and the person there looks very real, very alive, and //very// like the photo. We’re going to try a little stake out.
> 
> **15/01/20xx**
> 
> Well I found out something new today. Muses aren’t the only ones who can slip out into the Mundane. Turns out our client had been writing a short story, and an Impression of their sister got out of it, their head, and into the Mundane. 
> 
> When we found them they were so confused. Guess Impressions in our client's head didn’t have quite the same relationship with the rest of their Dream as Jo’s did. They really thought they were that character. They were a bit upset, and I think it's going to take some time for them to adjust, but it's a good thing we found them before anyone else did.
> 
> We introduced them to the client. Goodness were they surprised. They had a lot of assumptions about the world that were… incorrect. It's tough. I know they were hoping for something else, having their metaphysics upturned probably isn’t what they paid for, but it seemed less cruel than letting them believe she was alive and out there. 
> 
> I think they want to stay in contact. They both know it's not the real thing, but well, their feelings are pretty real and maybe that's enough.
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