2872/Swarm the Museum Curator Take 3

Swarm the Museum Curator Take 3
Date of Scene:	13 December 2025
Location:	Magic in the Making Exhibit
Synopsis:	A third batch of Mahou have arrived to explore the exhibit and meet the curator. This group is more suspicious - but that's only fair, when trust can be earned.
Cast of Characters:	NPC Maryam Siddig, Nephrite, Koji Silvia, Ami Mizuno, Chiyo Sakai, Zoisite, Molly Skyline
Tinyplot:	Kill the Fade

---

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
It's Friday evening at Penguin Park, the sounds of animals at the neighboring zoo and children at the playground having largely died down. The sky overhead is dark, and the Art Museum at Penguin Park, would normally be closed.

Nothing has been normal about the last two weeks, however, and Maryam Siddig has nothing against that change. The curator for the Magic in the Making Exhibit has spent much of the year hoping to finally encounter the magical warriors flocking to and being born within the city, and now she has. She stands at the entrance, waiting - Mamoru had contacted her ahead of time, stating that a few more of his friends would be arriving, and thus, she'd waved off Takeda-san the security guard with a promise of ensuring everyone was careful herself.

Normally, that wouldn't be allowed, but there were perks to being well connected.

Maryam is a tall woman, her long dark hair presently pulled back into a thick plait to stay out of her face. She's forty, and there are faint smile lines at her eyes and beginning around her mouth to show her age. Her darker complexion is unusual in Japan, and her Japanese, when she speaks, is accented - her native tongue is Arabic, and her second English, so her Japanese is interesting, to say the least.

"Hello, everyone," she says, as people arrive. "I am Curator Maryam, here to organize your tour."

That was what Mamoru would have told them would be the cover for their arrival - anyone who seemed confused about the idea of a tour might not be a friend.

Nephrite has posed:
Museums were actually quite good, when things weren't coming to life with dark energy and attacking you. Masato enjoyed the occasional perusal of art and history, and took time aside every so often to indulge. Preferably before the most interesting things were stolen-- not that he'd name the thieves.

But, as far as the chatter in Mamoru's apartment went, this 'tour' perked his ears keenly.

Having emerged from the jewel-like red of the Testarossa, tugging at silk shirt to preen and hair set in perfect waves, Masato even dared to be optimistic about the night. Sapphire eyes met Maryam, curiosity clear within them, as the group gathered to.

"It's so nice to have a quiet evening out with friends," He said, almost pointedly, to the universe. The Stars were listening. Let them heed.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Since Koji had heard about this woman and the offer to meet with Chiyo, it only felt right with him to go to the museum and this meeting with her.

After a brief stop to get a nice meal at a little chinese food place on the way over, and the leftovers stashed nicely away by Koji's magic, the pair meet up, just in time for the greeting.

However, Koji's response here seems a little on the cold side, as he just gives the curator a small nod of greeting, his own features making him stand out just a little with the group. He does look back towards Chiyo for a moment, and then lets the expression soften just a bit, trying to at least give this a chance on the surface, he says, "Thank you for having us."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Evening was a perfect time for a tour, Ami thought. It had given her plenty enough time to return home, change out of her school uniform, and even swing through the cafe for a drink before she'd made her way over. She sported a fairly simple brown jacket and skirt, and a paler beige sweater beneath. And leggings. It wasn't bitterly cold, but it was certainly taking a walk in that direction, and Ami didn't quite want to spend the whole night shivering.

"So long as we steer clear of the dinosaur exhibits, I think we're okay." Ami responded to Masato as she stepped up beside him.

It had been long enough that she wasn't overtly concerned, but Ami did share some of the Shitennou's hidden anxiety.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai had been curious about learning more about this exhibit of course, and once she'd learned about the woman that *knew things* in spite of her age, she was most certainly interested. Chiyo wasn't getting any younger and having lost her magic once already had fostered in her a bit of unease about what the future might hold.

If the past had any answers... She wanted to know them.

Having met with Koji and already filled their bellies to better pay attention to what was going on, she's there with the others freshly arriving. A grin is flashed toward Koji in quiet thanks at his apparent softening. Good. She wouldn't have to elbow him into being polite.

"Thank you for the tour! I'm looking forward to it," she assures with the general bubbly friendliness she often showed to customers that might show up in her grandfather's shop.

Much like Ami she'd dressed for the weather. Winter leggings beneath a comfortable to move in skirt, a long sleeved pinstripe blouse, and a Winter jacket that covered over it all for now. Instead of hiding her odango beneath a hat she opted for one of those knit wrap-around headbands that would allow her ears to be covered comfortably while not trying to keep the mass of curls the rest of her hair was pressed down.

A quick grin is flashed to the familiar Testarosa as well, and she remarks, "Hi Masato-kun! Ami-chan!" So far she hadn't seen anyone else she recognized. YET.

Zoisite has posed:
No, he wasn't ready. The chilly air was biting and too dry for his liking, and the last thing he wanted was the weather affecting his skin. Thankfully he had stuffed some lotion and lip balm into his jacket just in case.

With both hands and cheeks sufficiently rubbed, and one last look to the passenger mirror to make sure his fiery hair was still silky smooth and tied into its usual ponytail, Izou finally steps out of the Testarossa, being the last one to approach the group.

Black slacks and a green buttoned shirt to match his ribbon, and a grey jacket on top of it that kept him sufficiently bundled up for the tour.

"Good evening Maryan. I heard a bit about this tour recently. Hopefully it'll be enlightening."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
Five young people, each of them seeming well-acquainted with one another, and none of them seeming confused about the purpose of this trip. With greetings ranging from polite nods to stares to greetings, Maryam decided that this was going to be an interesting time indeed.

"Five of you today, then," she confirms, more to herself than anyone, once it seems no one else will be arriving. "I'm not sure how many of you have been to the exhibit before, if any. Before we enter, I'll express that every item is precious - while not all are entirely relevant to your interests, they represent important qualities of our shared human history. I can gather that some of you may want to touch, scan, or otherwise handle some of the items that are present - if you have an interest that might require touching, I only request that you ask first and accept my instruction on how to handle these artifacts. Some of them are thousands of years old."

With that warning, she guides them all through the museum - up the stairs to the third floor, where the exhibit is. There are hundreds - three hundred and fifty-one to be exact - of exhibits on display, ranging from statues to tapestries to paintings to photographs of graffiti.

"Now that we're here," she says smiling wryly, "I'm still more than willing to give a tour, but I understand you may prefer to ask questions about the organization I represent, or the impact these items may have on our collective understanding of the Phenonemon - ah, that is, the Fade - or, indeed, about the history on display here. As I said earlier, my name is Maryam Siddig, and I am here to be a resource to you all."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Some of them are thousands of years old, Maryam had said.

"So is my computer," Ami replied absently as the suggestion that she might want to scan them prompted her retrieve the Mercury Computer from her bag.

She pressed the device to her chest and tapped fingers against the side of it with a curious hum, sapphirine gaze now settling properly on the curator as they followed.

"You do represent an organisation, then?" The senshi asked curiously. "That part was left a little bit vague, outside of Not Obsidian and that you're working to preserve our history, at least."

Her attention drifted slowly, eyes drawn off toward the exhibits. "May I scan some of these?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
The fact that Koji is skeptical about this is not unexpected, as his eyes pan around the available exhibits in front of them and down along the rows of displays, past the paintings and the pottery, and all the way back to Ms. Siddig herself.

Adjusting his glasses some, he takes a breath and seems to be centering himself just a little before he looks directly at the older woman, and says, "Of course it was vague. But we've dealt with vague since most of us either gained, regained, or were gifted..."

Oh hell...

    "After all... we're not the first ones caught in this particular game that both sides seem to be playing, intentional or not."

    here's a beat before he goes on.

    "I don't blame you directly, Doctor... but we don't know you yet. We don't know your motivations in this. Revealing yourself, especially now. Displaying these things with the intimation of their being connected to a world that we've been told you are aware of, but chose to not interact with... until now."

Not wanting to back down now, he adds a bit more sternly, but calmly, "Dangling the Fade in front of us is easy bait for anyone here. Trying to get hopes up... just when some of us really might need it. And I know I sound cynical, but the fact of the matter is... where we come from, when something is a little too good to be true?"

    "It's almost always a trap."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I admit I haven't been before," Chiyo admits a little guilty over it. She had heard about it of course! Of course she had. There just hadn't seemed any reason to go or perhaps she was avoiding it for other reasons. As more is explained about the handling of objects though she can only nod in apparent understanding.

Once inside she clasps her hands in front of her chest idly worrying at her fingernails while her gaze sweeps around. Some of these objects did look familiar. The eggs, and paintings of them. The little charas in various depictions. A ladybug--Okay that one wasn't familiar but she could still see it being a thing.

The plum-haired girl wanders away from Koji's side to further study the exhibit and it's contents while still staying within sight, and earshot, of the others. She turns around and around with a pensive expression as she searches out many of the exhibits seeking something elusive. Something she doesn't find as she finally halts with a soft sigh.

"I guess I really was the only one of them then," is murmered to herself quietly.

Almost as soon as she began her exploration it's over, and she returns to the group wearing a pensive expression as she listens to the conversation more. "What is this... group... exactly? And why are you only making yourselves known now?"

Nephrite has posed:
Masato has a hand at his hip as he follows along, a good long moment taken simply to observe the sheer size of the collection itself. Surrounded as they now find themselves with scattered evidence of magical record and the weight of its terrible limit, he simply stands for the moment to bask in personal awe. From the grandest statue and the most dutifully painted oils, there is a wealth of variety. He sees his peers reflected all around him, in small ways, and it is as fascinating as it is disquieting.

"Depends on your definition of 'good', I'd say," He muses after Koji's concerns, "This is a bittersweet collection, to be sure."

Only now does he start towards a glass display to peer into it more closely, squinting at its contents. "You're subject to the Veil, despite your connection to the school, correct?" He adds to the queries, and straightens to glance the Curator's way, "Is it true that Radiant Heart has kept you at a distance from us, personally?"

Zoisite has posed:
"Oh, don't you know?" A sharp brow lifted as he heard Koji interrogate the Curator. "Everything is a trap unless proven otherwise. You won't be earning some of our trusts until then."

To this, he crosses his arms and awaits to see if Ami's request would be granted, simply due to the fact that he knew that little super computer would be able to deeply analyze.

"Which would be your oldest pieces? And are all of these items from Earth only? Or is there anything that seems alien to our planet?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly has been following along queitly in the back of the group, so when Maryam earlier that there were five of them this time, there were in fact six -- but she didn't say anything, for the moment being perfectly alright with being uncounted. But she is here, and has been quietly mooching amongst the displays. She's got her phone held in her hand -- her only hand at the moment, since her left arm is gone mid-bicep, and the jacket sleeve she's wearing is tied in a knot under that -- though she hasn't considered herself brave enough to take a picture of anything yet. But, her wandering inevitably carries her back to where the converesation is happening, and she finally pockets her phone so she can push her round spectacles up her nose.

"So uhm," she murmurs. "I've kinda been... out of the loop for a while. So like. What organization do you represent, and, yeah, what is your interest in us?"

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"Your computer?" It's a question expressed accidentally, a measure of utter surprise - a computer? That's thousands of years old? Is this going to be the start of another revelation that leaves her in need of a drink, as Chiba-san's many casual revelations had? Probably.

"If it was vague, I can only assume it was at the discretion of your friends," Maryam answers calmly, because truly, suspicion is more than half of what she expected. "I told them as readily as I tell you now - I am a member of an organization, known as Candidus Cordis, which has, throughout many generations, gathered, protected, and when necessary, concealed, knowledge of magic in hopes of preserving it for the future. I'm not a most senior member, by any means, but I was raised within the group... and I'm not the first that you've met."

"Headmistress Hanasaki, the principal of Radiant Heart, is one of us, and Radiant Heart itself... is one of our greatest achievements."

These are answers, and explanations, but not excuses.

"Your suspicions are reasonable - more than, truly. The reality is that coming forward was a decision I made - with some support, and some controversy - because your generation is so unusual it seemed unforgivably careless not to reach out, to make ourselves available."

"And while I would not say that Hanasaki-san wanted us at a distance, she did wish to protect your privacy - just as I wished to protect my artifacts. My preference was to make contact with you directly, but as I am subject to the Veil in some ways," she nods at Masato, "I had little to no hope of finding you without her direction. And she felt your privacy and the protection of your identities was of greater importance than any effort to meet you directly. Her offer was to bring the exhibit to Radiant Heart, but as that would have guaranteed Obsidian's attention fall on these items, when they inevitably left the protection of the school."

As Molly speaks up, she looks about to take her measure, and then nods, "Another fair question. My interest in you is in providing your history - and in learning from you all what I can. This is a portion of the history of magic on this planet, an incomplete representation of magic across more than three thousand years. The oldest piece in our collection would be the papyrus here, originating circa 1335 BCE. And I would have said that all of our items were from Earth, but a young lady among your allies informed me that the sculpture there, "Leaena Effrenata", may actually represent a 'Device' that fell from a space-time explosion."

It's clear that some of this is very new to her - there's a hint of wonder at the words 'space-time' explosion.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"White Heart?" Ami was already opening the Mercury Computer when she looked up.

There were times when it would be very easy to conclude that the blue-haired senshi wasn't paying a great deal of attention. Sometimes she really was distracted by something but, most of the time, Ami was still listening to what was happening around her. What was being said.

Enough to follow Maryam's indication of both papyrus and sculpture. Ami hummed curiously to herself and made her way over to it, computer lifted to tap away.

Was she planning to systematically work her way through every object here and catalogue it? Probably. That was definitely the sort of thing she'd do prior to sifting through all of that information later on in quiet.

"Do you have any historical knowledge of things before the middle of the second millennium BCE?" Which for her, and perhaps her Shitennou friends, was a fairly pertinent question with a fairly pertinent adjacent idea--just how far back does your knowledge go? "I mean, aside from the standard bits and pieces. The magic bits, clearly."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly Skyline shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I guess it is sort of hard for us to keep our own history, since when we get to old we forget everything," she muses. "And honestly it's not like teenagers are the best record keepers. ...I was keeping a diary, but..." But Seriss disintigrated it in a moment of pettiness. "But uhh, I, lost it. I don't have it anymore."

Which. Sucks. Her plot ideas for Dungeons and Dragons and RIFTS were in there too. Sigh.

Molly meanders a little more, looking at things and stuff and nothing really in particular, before making her way back to Maryam once more, and thrusting her hand in her pocket. "Do you have..." She trails off, biting her bottom lip, as she decides on what exactly she should ask. Her first impulse is rejected, and she just shrugs her shoulders.

"Got anything from around the world here? Like... British stuff? Or Mainland Europe?"

Zoisite has posed:
Oh good, Ami got to the question before he did about anything pertinent of Silver Millennium's existence. Artifacts or the such. The possibilities were low to none, but one could hope.

He approaches the papyrus, taking a closer look and not recognizing much besides reading the available blurb presented along with the item's name. Not a mahou that he had any recognition of feelings about. Similar to the urn.

A click of his tongue, discreet. "I'm not entirely sure if anything from here is supposed to catch my interest." Mutters. It wasn't due to him not being impressed by the age of such pieces, or even the quality of the art. In fact, some of the painting had him curious in taking a much closer look. But to Izou, nothing felt like he assumed it should feel. Something that clicked in his mind like a missing piece, a spec that would bring him some recognition.

And if it was anything from the time of his past self... Well... Maybe it was time to consider it a lost cause.

"You mentioned that we're unusual. How so? Could you elaborate on what makes this generation so special for you to come out of the shadows?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"There's more of us. Right? More than usual at least. I remember that being mentioned more than once." It's a guess on Chiyo's part, but she does bring it up right after the question about how this generation differed. A little glance is cast over toward where Izou was before she continues. "More of us than prior generations, and some 'new' mahou too." Her attention shifts back to flit over and around the room. "I was one of the 'new' ones. The god that gave me my powers originally, before I died and came back, it was his first time trying to make Mahou. I was part of the 'first batch' and from what I've found in general, as well as this exhibit, I think that part is true."

"I don't know why there's more of us though." Just that there were more. Way more than in the past. It was one of the few things she had been told more than once, by both Obsidian and others she'd met in her time as a magical girl.

Nephrite has posed:
Candida Cordis. Distantly, that rang a bell, but he had absolutely no recollection as to why. Some distant dream or precognition, perhaps, or something the Stars whispered above his head while he was too deep in his own delieriums to understand or keep hold of.

The nature of the caution satisfied him, however. The concerns of both Headmistress and Curator were understandable. He nodded, returning his attention to the displays as he moved along slowly. Drawn, first, to the great Macedonian. A distant and nostalgic pang, though it did not dwell upon the man or his Chara-- Alexandros. Iskandar. Masato thought upon that region he hailed from, and the path of his journey East. Deeply familiar.

He moved on.

Koji Silvia has posed:
While the others are speaking, Koji's focus seems to be over on the graffiti art piece from a time when his parents were young and lived in another place, his eyes catching the words from the note that was included with the complex and almost ephemeral street art, the year it was made, and then he has to look away, his expression becoming a touch more neutral before he adds, "So you're the people I worked with doing escort duty earlier this year. I never got to thank the guy driving... or get his name."

Shaking it off, he moves over to look up and into Maryam's eyes, "I'm about to give you some trust. Actually... give everyone here some trust... so..."

He stops, and actually takes off his glasses, leaving his eyes naked and unprotected, "My mother was a magical girl. Specifically, she is an alien who came to this world, knowing she could never go home, to chase down something very dangerous. She can't say what it was, and her... partner... can't remember. She used to be able to do magic, but she can't use it anymore. She actually remembered long enough to give me the basics, to tell me how dangerous the world behind what we called the Veil really is. But after that... she started to forget. I went to school, I went home a short time later, and she could not remember teaching me anything magic. She only remembered teaching me martial arts. Is that what it does? Does it just... eat at every memory you have, glutting itself until you're left with nothing? Just half-remembered truths and vague connections?"

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"Close," she confirms to Ami, looking pleased, "It can translate equally to White Heart or Radiant Heart. For many reasons, generations upon generations ago, we opted for the latter."

Ami is scanning things, which she is more than allowed to do - and as she and Izou ask about older objects, Maryam explains, "Our oldest objects date to similar periods as the papyrus. Chiba-san, however, claimed that the items in that piece - the photos of graffiti from Seattle - had an origin in a first life that took place in a time long before 1998. The photos themselves don't illuminate a particular object or item, but they share what their transformed states must have looked quite a bit like..."

She indicates the piece in question, which happens to be the one Koji is studying.

"The United Kingdom is represented here in various forms, and Europe itself is too - the Louvre contributed many pieces, and thus European artists are well represented, including works from the Soviet Union, France, Italy, and the Netherlands among others."

These were easy questions to answer. One of those which is harder is the question of 'what makes this generation so special'. To which Maryam is actually sideswiped on answering, for a moment, and she nods at Chiyo's response.

"That would be correct. This generation is significantly larger than... any on record. The previous generation... most likely had around ten to fifteen, across the entirety of Japan. The one prior would have had no more than five active warriors any given time. This generation... it seems there are more of you every month, and without the others falling away. And there are so many of you, intermixing your types of magic. There is a piece here, 'A Family Luncheon' by Patricia McDowell, which features a large group - but from what we learned of the group, it seems unlikely that they ever fought at all, which may explain their numbers - little magical cost."
R
The hardest question to answer, though, is Koji's. She listens attentively - it's the least she owes in exchange for trust - and frowns thoughtfully as his story goes on.

"In some ways... yes, that's how I understand it works. One thing that I can correct - and which another of your allies gathered - is that magical warriors were not always restricted to teenagers." She casts a glance at the museum. "Very few of these pieces were created by teenagers. These are the works of masters and apprentices, the vast majority adults... and they depict magical adults for a reason. While we cannot explain the Phenomenon, we can say quite decisively that there were many years across the centuries where it was normal for those with magic to carry it into their adulthood. But your mother... your mother would certainly have been too young for that, unless... being an alien extended her life?"

Uncertainty, as she considers that, before shaking her head.

"Those who have given records of the experience described it has losing pieces of themselves. As fragmenting, weakening, until, all at once - it was gone. But they were not amnesiacs, just as your mother is not. The memories exist, in an altered, transfigured state. What once were battles of life and death may become schoolyard fights or back alley brawls or even the vivid memory of a beloved novel that you can no longer find. For your mother to remember, even partially, until you were old enough for schooling... no, something very unusual was occurring..."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
So, that was likely a no on the Silver Millennium front. While that was likely to be something of extraordinary interest to someone like Curator Siddig, they hadn't known her nearly long enough to trust her with that much information. Even in the face of Mamoru's vetting, Ami had grown a little more cautious of things. She wasn't doing a second Agera-san.

Something else caught her interest now, though.

"The Fade is only a relatively recent phenomenon then." Ami stated it fairly conclusively, more-or-less restating what Maryam had just said but accompanied with a little nod as she filed that one away. "That raises a lot more questions for me than the artwork does here, honestly."

Ami straightened back from the graffiti piece, having once again been directed by the curator's indication to scan it into her computer. Now, however, she was turning her attention back to the woman with furrowed brows.

"And the interaction with Silvia-san's mother seems rather pointed as well." Her head tilted a little and she glanced at Izou now. "And our future friends also still had their powers."

The cogs in her head were starting to spin rapidly now.

Zoisite has posed:
"Isamu had his powers, and he was over twenty. Most of everyone from the future were adults by then." Izou agrees with Ami on this. "Either they were able to get rid of the Fade, or it never existed in their specific timeline."

This was the only moment he truly regretted not getting more information on himself, and gods know when, if ever, they would return to that time again.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Right up to the moment that he exhales, and puts his glasses back on, the tension in the young man could be used like a knife. From behind them again, Koji flicks his eyes towards Chiyo, and then back to the graffiti where Ami is, before finally he gives an acknowledging nod, "I never thought to ask... but I did have a clue to that and didn't realize it. So... thank you. That means something for another person here. Someone who comes from the same place my mother does. I know we are being about as vague as your order has been, but some things shouldn't be given without permission. But that means that with work, this person can reconnect to some people they knew before coming here. Oh..."

He looks almost annoyed at himself, "You can add this to your people's knowledge, if they can keep it. Call it a thank you. Adults from other places who can do magic have lost their memories and their ability to use it once they came to our world. More... our present Earth. I assumed it was some sort of backlash effect of whatever this all has been..."

But before he can go further, he reaches into his pocket and checks his phone, "Apologies... I have to be somewhere."

As he turns to depart, he says over his shoulder, in English, which his has a faint Latino accenting to it, "Thanks for the introduction, and tolerating me. Maybe I'll come back and just tour... or let you ask the questions I know you want to ask."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai listens as everyone explains their own thoughts on the matter. The mention of the Fade being recent too however does cause her to frown in thought. "Then... What's causing it?" A simple but very important question. One she rather doubted anyone had the answer to, but maybe...

"Does your organization have any theories on that? There's enough of us we could look into it, and I'm sure plenty of us are smart enough to even figure it out," she adds with a tip of her head toward Ami. She knew of her reputation after all!

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly smiles brightly when she's directed towards the European stuff, and flounces off to have a look at that. And oh boy, is it a marvel to behold -- weapons and armor from all sorts of time periods, jewelry, some stuff that looks like it's absolutely gotta be celtic, a tiara, even... a set of bagpipes? Is that part of the magical display? Well it wouldn't be the weirdest thing she's ever seen. Or, y'know, experienced.

Koji's revelations catch her attention though, and she listens to that, quite closely. And she can definitely work out who Koji is suggesting it relates to, but she's not about to spill the beans -- and Koji himself has to depart before Molly can really say anything, anyway. So, the purplenette resumes looking around, hand thrust in her pocket, listening to people talk to Maryam.

But, maybe there's something else she can ask.

"So... maybe I'm being too trusting too early," she half-mumbles. "But I'm... trying not to let recent experiences negatively cloud my judgement. So, I don't mind giving you my number in case there's anything I can help with..." She trails off, and glances down at her left arm. "Well... preferably of the non-combat variety I mean, I'm not really... combat ready again yet. If you have questions about device users or whatever, though Rashmi-chan is probably better to ask than me anyway."

Nephrite has posed:
Masato heard the name Chiba and drifted over, drawn now for curiosity towards the Grafitti display. He didn't fully know what to expect, listening to the others still. They were right though, "My own future counterpart was hundreds of years old-- though not strictly magical beforehand, his age never prevented his activation when he came into his... object."

Inclining his head, Masato hummed. "So, even the matter of coming into power, in that case, was also unaffected. Though we are subject to something of a cycle of rebirth..."

Now, he stood before the street art, with his arms crossed over his chest. There was, in the shape and colour of such imagery, a great and ghostly echo. Clearer than the earlier bell, ringing in a sepulchral tone. Old griefs, things that stayed deep. People lost to time, both far away and far too close. His eyes closed, and he sighed.

Nineteen-ninty-eight. Fate was cruel. They could still be out there. He wondered if the fade would give anything back, were it to dissipate. That, too, could have been a great cause for sorrow and despair, as much as hope or aid.

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"In the long span of history... yes, it seems likely that the Fade, particularly as we know it, is a recent phenomenon, rather than an incontrovertible fact of how things are. And what can be created, perhaps, can be undone. That's the conclusion your friends seem to hope for, at least, and what I hope, as well. The idea of you children being unable to save yourselves, after saving so many others... it simply doesn't sit well."

It is the nature of the world to be unfair - or rather, to be neutral, rather than preferential. But still - Maryam can only hope. Somethings should be fair, or closer to it.

"I'm afraid whatever future you speak of is yours alone to know, but whatever knowledge I can share... and whatever I can keep, to hold for future generations, I will. Given all that you have done for the world, it truly is the very least I can do."

Molly offers her phone number, and Maryam writes it down for future use.

"Thank you. And if there is anything I can do... please call." And she hands them her business card.

"You're all free to continue perusing the exhibit - I'll be available to answer what I can about the items here."