“Exactly!” Knap seconds Malvyn’s input. “Professor Sharpbeak was there after we … de-animated the trunk. We were all like ‘pew, pew, bang bang, heeeeya’.” Knap accompanies his sound effects with equally inaccurate martial art gestures. “I thought it was all a part of orientation. But yeah, I don’t know much about about mimic anatomy. I just thought it was a bit strange.” 

Mae sipped her tea again, listening and watching the conversation, raising her eyes slightly at Knaps recounting of the earlier incident. "Is that really what we sound like?" She mused out loud. She had never really thought about it, not with magic anyway. Her performances were always as careful as she could be, but...what was Knap doing?? She was about to protest more but then realized he was probably exaggerating some. "I agree it was strange, but then I suppose strange is just something we'll have to get used to here. Have we still not seen the mysterious roommate?"

Mellori, never one to tell an untruth, was about to share all with Lesviel, but hearing Malvyn share only the bare bones of the story, she hesitated. She was unsure why he didn't share what they knew - but the fact was he didn't. So she kept quiet on the subject and allowed the conversation to flow. 

She feigned another sip of the tea before smiling at Lesviel, nodding at Malvyn's explanation.

Guardok shuts the wardrobe and starts to make his way back out of his room and towards the lounge, but stops just before he reaches the door, turns and goes and retrieves his rapier. He hadn't expected to need to wear it, but recent events had proved otherwise. He straps it on and heads for the lounge.

"I think Piero has been back to the room, but no sign of him now", he says as he marches in, then realises they are all talking to Lesviel. "Oops, sorry for the interruption. Hi Lesviel", he says waving to her as he finds a seat.

"Wow... you make us sound really cool, Knap..." Chara says with a little giggle. "But... I really hope there aren't any more of those... things... on campus..."

She shudders visibly. It's pretty clear that the evil costume chest was quite unnerving to the tiefling. Which is a little bit strange, considering she has almost certainly seen much nastier monsters in her father's lair... maybe... the reason this has gotten to her so much is because she thought that this new place would be safe from such creatures?

An amused smile tugs at the lips of the purple-skinned tiefling as his roomie reenacts the battle with the toothy trunk. "Well, I didn't get the impression Professor Sharpbeak was about to launch an investigation into what happened." Malvyn says, sitting up on the couch now, looking over the other students of the fourth floor of Dresar Hall who were now all present in the lounge. "But maybe there should be..." He says with a slightly dramatic and suspenseful tone as picks up the small knife with the sample from his the shoulder bag at his feet, putting it on the low table beside the tea tray. "...I at least am curious about what, or who, is behind this incident." He adds, looking around in hope of having the other's attention. "Our sharp-eyed Mellori found a black oily substance rubbed into the wood and leather of the trunk, of which I retrieved a small sample, now on the edge on the knife before you." He explains, taking a brief pause before continuing. "I and Mellori I think agree that this substance has something to do with what happened and that it must have been put there on purpose. Question is by who and why. I understand those who doesn't quite share my curiosity over this but perhaps we could do this investigation together, all of us here, we've certainly proven ourselves both capable and resourceful I think." He finishes, then nervously looking over at Mellori, hoping she approved of what he has said. 

"Well I'm not the best with book smarts, but I'm in Malvyn", Guardok says jovially. "The treasure hunt was fun, and this should be no different".

He looks around and frowns, "I'm just not quite sure how I can help. Maybe I could question some of the students there at the time?".

Mei is surprised at the suggestion of an investigation, she herself trying to take the professor’s words to heart that there was neither foul play nor malicious intent involved, that she interpreted her Dream wrong. She looks to Lesviel to gauge her reaction then at at the knife on the table.

“Maybe also… whoever had access to the trunk to apply the—“ Mei leans closer to inspect the substance on the knife, “gunk?” 

Leaning back once more, she tucks her knees up against her chest. “What would it mean if someone did do this on purpose?” she wonders aloud. “M-Maybe it was just a—a prank that got out of hand! Or someone in the club hoped it would make their LERPing more, um, realistic. But got more than they bargained for?” Even as she says the words, she knows, deep down in that same darkness the maw emerged from the night before, that they’re untrue. 

As Malvyn recounts a bit of what happened at the Biblioplex, Lesviel looks surprised. "You all defeated the creature? Oh my! Are you all ok? Nobody hurt?" She looks about the room again to ascertain whether any might have injuries. 

She then turns to hear Knap's depiction. She smile a bit uncertain at the noises he makes. "Well... it certainly sounds like you acquitted yourselves well."

Guardok's comment about Piero then catches Lesviel's attention.  "I have not seen him either. It's very strange. I wonder where he is."

She then is drawn back into the other's conversation. "Investigation? Oily substance?" She seems to hesitate a moment. "What did Professor Sharpbeak say? She didn't want an investigation? Isn't this just some unusual creature wandering on to campus?"

"Aha, yep yep yep, Mae, that's move for move how it went". He tosses a friendly wink at his first Aasimar friend oblivious to the idea that such gestures may not be cross-cultural.

After Knap does some mathing in his head (1+1=3) he blurts "Maybe Piero is behind it! He's the biggest mystery of 'em all. Jokes aside though, I think Malvyn's onto something." The cheeky satyr then turns to Mei without directly addressing her, "plus, maybe there's extra credit in it for us."  He raises his bushy eyebrows up and down dangling a proverbial carrot in front of the studious weave-worker.

"Oh, I'm quite sure we can all contribute Guardok, you for instance would be much better than me talking to people." The purple-skinned tiefling says to the genasi with a nod. 
"And yes, questioning the people who had access to the trunk would certainly be one line of inquiery." He agrees with Mei, giving her a small smile. "I wouldn't assume it was more than a prank but I'm curious to know all the same."

"No, I didn't get the impression Professor Sharpbeak would launch an investigation into this incident." Malvyn then turns and says to Lesviel. "Clearly I'm new here so I wouldn't know what to expect, but the trunk turning into an aberration and then back into an ordinary trunk doesn't seem like a creature wandering campus but rather something someone has temporarily summoned here, possibly by using the substance Mellori found."

"Yes, Piero, another mystery, but I would assume Guardok would notice him as he most likely will be in his bed tonight." The purple-skinned tiefling says, looking over at the genasi as Knap brings up his mysterious room mate.

Lesviel nods. "Did you tell the Professor about this oily stuff you found? And... I thought I heard it was a Mimic. Isn't that a monstrosity? I mean that would be a bit more common than an aberration."

"Yes, I suppose whatever that was, it would not be classified as an aberration, but it certainly seemed like an aberration to me. And no, the Professor isn't informed of the substance yet. I didn't get the impression she would care what we found on that trunk as she didn't even think it was worth examining. If you think it is a good idea I will of course go and report on it myself." Malvyn says, somewhat defensively, seeming a bit unsure now if he had inadvertedly broken any school regulations by not immediately informing Prfessor Sharpbeak about what was found on the trunk.

"Well, Professor Sharpbeak is the counselor for first-years," Lesviel says, "Seems like she would be the right person to talk with." She hesitates a moment before continuing. "Do you all think there's something more to this? It certainly was scary! But it sounded like just one of those things that happen on rare occaison."

The Elf steps over to Malvyn. "I can certainly go along with you." Her eyes flit over the group to indicate they all could go if they wanted.  "I'd go on your behalf, but I'm afraid I don't really have all the information like you all would."

Mei shifts uncomfortably where she sits and quietly admits in reply to Lesviel's question, "I, um... I had a Dream about the attack. You, er... last night when you found me in here, I'd just woken up from it. I thought it was more though now I'm not sure..." Mei wraps her arms around her legs and hugs them closer. 

Resting her chin atop her knee, her expression turns thoughtful as she thinks back to some of her favorite romance novels--specifically the ones with shapeshifters and lycanthropic love interests. "But...  aren't mimics shapeshifters? Wouldn't they revert to their true form when they die? I don't think their, um, true form would be a chest, right?" Also unlikely that its true form would be a handsome, muscular man like the werewolf protagonist, Jacoby, from the Moonlight Saga. "Though Professor Sharpbeak surely knows that already..."

She looks over her shoulder to Malvyn as their defacto leader of this mystery and investigation and adds, "But I'll go with you too. If you'd like to talk to her again."

Lesviel, seeing Mei's reaction, comes over to her. "A dream? Is it common for you to have dreams like that? I wish you would have said something to me last night if it was bothering you. I'm always happy to talk if you need to." She looks around the room. "That goes for all of you, not just Mei."

She seems to be thinking over Mei's words before she responds further. "I believe you're right, a shapeshifter would revert to their natural form, which is not a chest. I'm not sure I know what their natural form is - probably some tentacled blob."

Her attention then turns back to Mei. "You seem worried. Are you sure you're ok?"

Mae set her now empty cup of tea down on a table. "If you're going back out to talk to the professor, I can go with you as well, although I think I agree that she didn't seem to be particularly interested in the event. I'm not sure just what a visit with her will accomplish at this time, but if you are all going then I'm happy to follow along."

"Oh! I'm okay! Dreams like that just tend to linger is all. And they're, um, common yes," she says, mustering a smile she hopes will alleviate some of the worry she's causing. "But you're right that I should have said something. I'm sorry I didn't. I just... people don't tend to, um, think of you the same when you tell them you dream of death. N-Not that I thought you would--t-that any of you would! O-or that you're judgmental--you're wonderful! It's just--" Words she's heard for the past year--said outside the general store, whispered by grandmothers over tea, chanted by children who ran past their home--they flock to her like vultures, circling darkly overhead. Cursed. An ill-omen. Punishment. 

She shakes her head and repeats with a smile, "But I'm okay." Her gaze falls to the knife and a moment later she says more honestly, "I'll be okay." 

At Mae's mention of Professor Sharpbeak's interest, Mei nods in agreement then starts to get up to collect the cups. "Maybe the Professor would know more about Piero? If she's in charge of the first years? Even if she doesn't take much interest in the incident itself. It would be nice to know he's okay."

Guardok looks wholly unimpressed with the idea of going right back to see Professor Sharpbeak as he starts to zone out a little with talk of monstrosities versus aberrations, and is about to decline the implied offer that they should all go, when Mei speaks up.

"You really think she might know about Piero?", he replies sitting up from his slouched position on the couch. "It would certainly be good to get any information about him".

He thinks for a moment, "Yes, I think I will come as well, if you are all going back out. Perhaps we can grab some lunch on the way. Or is it brunch. Or afternoon tea. You know, I have completely lost track of time. I do know I am hungry though", he adds, looking about for a clock.

The purple-skinned tiefling's expression eases somewhat as he realizes Lesviel was not about to scold him for not immediately informing the Professor of what they had found out. He then glances over at Mei, understanding it must be uncomfortable for the purple-haired girl speaking of her dream, looking between Lesviel and Mei with a mix of worry and curiosity in his fiery red eyes as Mei mentions Lesviel finding her in the lounge last night. He nods in agreement with Mei over the conclusion that a shapeshifter would typically not revert into an inorganic object but rather it's true organic form and adds a small smile as she offers to come with him to the Professor. 

With a nod and a small grateful smile to Mae as she too offers to come along to report to Professor Sharpbeak, Malvyn stands up. "Better see the Professor then..." He says with a nod to Lesviel. "...maybe she can explain more about this and also hopefully can tell us what has become of Piero." He adds, steeling himself to stand in the Professor's office for a possible reprimand, something that he was quite used to even though he was trying his best to avoid it. He glances over at Mei again, knowing all too much about people being judgemental over things they did not understand.