Guardok quickly puts away the things he found as he hears the door.

"Hey, Piero. Yeah, just got back with Mal and Mae", he answers Piero. "It was a favour for Mae, so best I say no more", he adds, seeming to remember she hadn't want to tell Piero where they were going earlier.

"Where have you been? Not that I really need to ask", he asks with a chuckle.

Mae agreed and gave Larine a quick rundown, specifically mentioning the bone dress with a shiver, then left her to go to bed. As soon as she could the next morning, she left for the professor's office to return the book.

Piero shares Guardok's chuckle. "Yep, getting back a little late. Probably should get to sleep." He starts to quickly get himself ready and heads to sleep.

Mae is up early and heads out to try to deliver the book before classes begin. Knocking on the door of Professor Hopplefepple's office, there is no response. Fearing you now may be stuck carrying the book until after all your classes, you turn to go. But as you do, you see the gnome approaching. "Ah, Mae! What brings you here so early?"

Mae felt the panic rise for a minute, and nearly jumped when the professor called to her. She quickly turned and held the book out, "Here, we got it. I don't think anyone saw us." As soon as he takes the book, she'll add, "I didn't look in it, but my floor mate, Malvyn, was quite interested in it. I-I didn't let him look either, but I know he would really appreciate the opportunity to do so. I-If that's okay of course." She went back to clutching her back some, with her hand diving back inside again to feel the familiar texture of her small hand drum.

The professor takes the tome from Mae, its large size emphasized in comparison to his small stature.  "Excellent! You have done fantastic! And nobody saw you? Good. We can speak more this afternoon. I'm sure you must need to get to your classes soon?"

Guardok heads to bed as well, thinking about the glass ball and if it could really be magical.

The following day, he is up early to train with his rapier as usual. It seems a bit different this time though, more effortless. He feels lighter on his feet and more certain with his lunges.

Beyond that, it is the usual routine for him. Ablutions, breakfast then classes.

(OOC: Is there any way for Guardok to find out what the glass ball does without identify? Can he attempt to attune to it, perhaps?)

Having spent time in contact with the glass ball to try to understand any magical properties, Guardok identifies it as a Driftglobe.  

By the time Guardok has finished his routines, Malvyn is about ready to head to his first class (which is earlier than Guardok's class).  There was no sign of Mae (though her first class is with Guardok).  The two of you though do notice Mei seems to have fallen asleep at some point in the lounge. She startles awake, kind of staring towards Guardok and Malvyn a moment before seeming to come into focus. "Oh! You are here, safe. I had the oddest dream. You were attacked by... a floating angel made out of bones?" She shakes her head. "I'm sure it was just a vision. I'll have to think about it. Ah! But class! Do I still have time to get there?"  She starts to rush off to her room to get ready. 

"An odd dream indeed." The purple-skinned tiefling says to Guardok as Mei hurries off to class. "Or do you think it was a dream about something that has yet to happen?" He asks Guardok after a moment.

Malvyn would proceed with his classes, his work at the Biblioplex and for the Strixhaven Star while making time to hang out with Aurora in the evenings when she's free. At night he would be unable to resist the urges to pour through the pages of his dark tome that fills him with new insights, not all of them pleasant, but he craves them all the same. He starts noticing that he can now not only send thoughts but also hear others' thoughts. Also he almost instinctively starts to telekinetically move objects around him, something he somewhat struggles to have full control over.

Guardok shares a look with Mal when Mei mentions her dream, but does not reply whilst they are still with Mei. He assumes their nocturnal activity should remain secret from everyone not present.

When Mal asks his opinion, he says, "It sounds very similar to what happened in the attic with that dress. She must have dreamt of our excursion. That's impressive, do you think she is getting more powerful without Disyn on the scene?".

Mae feels a twinge of irritation but then looks out and nods. "Yes, I suppose I better get on. See you after classes then." She'll head off to classes and inform Mal she is trying to get the professor's approval to look at the book. 

Classes proceed and soon the day is done. Mae heads to see Professor Hopplefepple for tutoring, while everyone else proceeds about their other activities.  Malvyn's work at the Strixhaven Star continues. With elections for the student council coming up in the not-too-distant future, so there are many articles that can be written about that.  Guardok has a new play performance coming up soon and has started to hear about the upcoming Rose Stage Festival which the Playactors Drama Guild puts on.  Plus, the Gymnastics Club remains active, though another competition is not scheduled until after your last exams. 

Speaking of exams, the last one will be coming up at the end of the following week. This will mark the end of the standard schedule of classes for the year and so will be held on the final Friday.  Your exam for Magical Physiologies will cover Otyughs. 

Mei seems distracted when you see her, and Guardok and Malvyn manage to catch up with her back at Dresar Hall not long after classes. It's not been unusual lately for her sleep patterns had been all over the place of late. You rarely could rarely guess whether she would be napping or awake at any point of the day.  But today she is still up, seeming a bit worried. "Hey, I need to talk to you two.  The dream I had last night... I really think I was seeing something. Usually a premonition. I don't know if you have any plans to visit an old mansion or something, but I saw you two getting attacked. And Mae. And...  you even run into Piero. I'm not sure what it all means though. But you should be careful." 

Guardok finds it incredibly difficult to keep the secret from Mei. In fact he finds it impossible.

"You should speak to Mae, Mei. We visited an old manor last night, and we did get attacked by a dress with bone wings. We are fine though, so no need to worry. She should be the one to explain, if she wants to", he explains, after making sure no-one was listening in.

"Since Disyn has been distant, your powers have been growing. Have you had any vision of what happened to Disyn?", he wonders. They went all that way and then just came back with nothing to show for it. It seemed very much a waste of time if they don't follow up on it at some point. And the business with the kidnapping and murder on the path too, will they ever hear about that again?

Once they have spoken to Mei, he asks Mal to speak alone. Assuming he agrees, he will own up to what he did at the manor.

"Sorry Mal, I know I shouldn't have done it, but I kind of borrowed something from the manor", he says and shows the driftglobe. He looks a little more guilty and then adds, "And I took a doll purse for that Sassy Sally Jane doll, and it turned out to have coins in it. I am happy to share with you and Mae. Not sure it is a good idea to take them back. Mei's vision might have been of us trying. So what should we do with that doll and things? I mean, the coins will be useful, and I doubt anyone will miss them. And the globe was covered in a decade's worth of dust so no-one will miss that".

He looks at his friend, hoping not to see a judgemental look without holding out much hope.

Mei blinks at Guardok, then nods. She resolves to talk to Mae as soon as she sees her. Probably later today. If she hasn't fallen asleep. "But you already went? And were attacked by a dress with bone wings? Maybe... I mean, sometimes I can see visions of things that have happened." 

She sighs when you ask of Disyn. "No. Nothing about that. My dreams have returned with a vengeance - always some random thing. Always waking me."  

Earlier

"Not sure how much Disyn ever affected her dreams, I seem to recall she had them before we even visited Silkmeadow the first time, I hope she will understand her dreams in time, and perhaps more importantly, find a way to not make them affect her sleep too much." Malvyn answers Guardok with a concerned look after the petite oracle.

Present

"I'm sorry to hear that Mei, we should perhaps make an effort into understanding your dreaming and finding some remedy for your sleep deprivation?" The purple-skinned tiefling answers the dreamer with a concerned smile.

Later as Guardok shares about what he borrowed from the manor, Malvyn seems a bit awkward, scratching his neck. "Well, I don't mind that you shared what you did with Mei, but I agree that Mae should perhaps be the one to share more details. You are also probably right about that no one will be missing the doll, the globe and the coins, and I don't mind that you took them. Not sure what we should do with the doll now though. As I recall it the doll would have been our excuse for being there if we were caught, and now that we weren't it has already served it's dubious purpose. Anyway, I think you should keep those things and perhaps try to use them in the interest of Strixhaven if possible." He finally suggests.

"Yes, that is exactly what happened, but don't worry, I am not intending to go back to that manor. And I think it is good you are dreaming again. There must be a reason for your powers, and trying to suppress them seems wrong. Understand them, as Mal suggests, is good", Guardok replies to Mei as the three talk.

Guardok resolves to keep the items he found after Mal seemed to think it was ok. With all the strange goings on, perhaps if he is better equipped he would be able to the defend the people of Strixhaven better.

He decides to see if Larine has any idea what to with doll, after all she was the one who brought it up in the first place.

When Mae comes back to the dorms later, she is carrying a brightly colored dress and will find her floormates when she can. "It seems the professor was interested in...testing me, perhaps, to see if I would be up for more...lucrative jobs, perhaps. I declined, but it seems that book, Malvyn, was a book of magical items, such that if you tear a page from the book, that magic item appears. Like this dress." She held up the dress a bit. "I told him that I didn't care to do any more of those kinds of jobs, but that you two seemed quite keen, so perhaps he will find you and you will find some more jobs like what we did that may prove to be further rewarded. What kind of reward I couldn't say, but that was the implication."

As Mae is talking with Guardok and Malvyn a bit later, Mei comes out of her room. "Hi Maeleve, I thought I heard your voice. These guys thought I ought to talk with you about the dream I had last night. I saw the three of you inside some old manor. And a ghost... or maybe a dress with bone wings?  It was attacking you.  Oh, and then outside you met up with Piero. He was out by some old tree."  She shakes her head though, 'But you know, dreams are hard to understand sometimes." 

Mae's color completely drains from her face as Mei appears and mentions the dreams. "Oh...oh hi Mei, umm yes, sort of. There was a dress with bone wings. I don't think I'd call it an angel. But...I don't remember seeing Piero. Larine was with us last night though?" Her heart suddenly wildly as a sudden fear gripped her.

Mei looks perplexed. "I definitely saw Piero. And there was no sign of Larine. He was standing near a tree by the entrance to the manor. You guys came over there and it seemed like you were talking to someone." She sees Mae's reaction though and steps forward, speaking with concern. "What's wrong? You know... it's a dream... I mean... I could have been confused. You know dreams are... umm... unreliable."  The last part she does not say with much conviction; her dreams are usually not unreliable. 

Mae was absolutely going into panic mode. "B-but we walked over with her! S-she stood there w-while we went inside! D-does she n-not exist!? T-the one f-friend I made and it-it's PIERO IN DISGUISE!? I-I can't! I can't!!!" She bolts for her room and slams the door behind her.