The Legend of the Myth Touched

[Eversor]

I mean, shit, dang, uh I was going to say report him, but dang, we struck him.

Dunno what to do.

[thedudeguy]

You teeter between sorrow and mania, a shuffle and a sprint, mind blanking and then racing.

Any other day, you would have just endured his diatribe, and vented Billie when you got home.

Maybe it was nerves...lack of sleep...then the dream comes to mind.

"What would I do with power?"

You stop for a beat

"I'd put Vargunza in his place..."

Quickly, you look behind, just in case campus security is looking for you.

No one seems to be following

You pick up the pace to a trot, rushing over to the parking lot.

"No... that's not me." You say aloud
"This entire day's a disaster."

There is a donut shop/bubble tea joint on the corner.

The parking lot is just two blocks away.

And aside from what seems to be a small scene going on at Therrien Hall, nothing seems to be happening on North Campus yet.

You could just go home, but you find yourself paralyzed, you lean against a telephone pole to sort out your thoughts.

[Eversor]

Wish there was a bar nearby...

But Bubbletea to calm the nerves will have to do.

[fuzzysocks]

Should we quit? Would that look better to future employers than being fired? What would happen to our students? What would happen to *us*? Call our mom, call Billie, call someone. We need advice.

[thedudeguy]

After taking a deep breath you decide to head to the Bubbletea Cafe

Eddie's Eggrolls

It's an old Krispy Kreme that had long moldered after their failed northward expansion. Now a victim of gentrification, it has become the hip place to get bubble tea , bento boxes, and a variety of eggrolls more expansive than the Japanese Kit Kat lineup.

You order a ginger bubble tea with milk, a katsu bento box, and a small plate of Jalapeno Popper eggrolls, the special this week.

After getting your order and trying to push away the nerves long enough to take a bite, you eventually give up and instead give Billie a call.

Suggested listening

"Sup' Mags?"

You try to hold back the tears

"Nuthin' I-I was just at Eddie's and wanted to see i-if you wanted anything"

"Are you okay? Did something happen, do you need help, just say the safeword and...

"I hit Vargunza"
You bury your head and the phone in your arms.

"Oh jeez, did the goblin make a move on you"

"No."

"...did he threaten you?"

"No."

"What did he do."

"HewentonatiradeafterIcoveredforBarnesandputcamerasinthelabandstartedtalkingaboutmy..."

"Breathe Maggie"

You quietly sob into your arms and Billie helps to coax the story out of you slowly.

"Don't worry Maggie, all you did was smack him. He's done so much worse and I can undoubtedly help you make a case against him if we wants to pull anything."

"Come home, we've got some chores to do anyways, we can tidy up the attic and make a game plan."

"This isn't the end of the world."

The peal of an ambulance pierces the conversation as one departs from Therrien Hall.

"I'll call you an Uber and Zeke can go and grab the Dragway"

"Thanks Billie"

"You'll be okay Maggie."

You sit up and dry your eye with a napkin, only to find a concerned looking Sam sitting opposite to you.

"Sam...really?"

"Sorry, I was worried, and you know I'm just a scandal junkie.

You shoot them a withering glare

"Don't worry Ma'am, my lips are sealed."

They lean in close 

"But did you really hit Vargunza?"

"...slapped him."

"Honestly, you've done something so many of us have only wished we could do."

"Yeah, but you don't have a doctorate on the line."

"Maggie, if he tries anything just say the word, he may have tenure but he's by no means invincible"

"...thanks, but please just don't break out the pitchforks and torches just yet. I don't want this all over the news."

"You won't have to worry about that, looks like the schools going to be on the news for a few days right now at the very least."

"What do you mean."

"Can't blame you for not noticing, but didn't you see the dorms across the street?"

"Therrien Hall? I mean I saw a small crowd at the front."

"Oh girl, let me bring you up to speed then."

"Word has it that someone snuck some exotic pet into the dorm, like a Savannah Cat. Poor thing went ballistic and mauled three students. The entire dorm has been on lockdown for the last two hours."

"Holy Shit."

"Make your move now! Vargunza can get lost in the news cycle!"

The news does not sit well with you, but the horror of it does at least allow you to shift your focus away from your own internal horror.

Sam talks at you while you manage to tuck away your meal. They talk of campus gossip and their schedule for next semester.

As odd as they are, Sam is certainly both ambitious and talkative.

Eventually the Uber comes to take you home.

You stand in front of the communal house, emotionally drained but happy to be at home.

[fuzzysocks]

We'll figure out what to do tomorrow. Let's just go to bed for the night.

[Eversor]

>You got a laptop right? Take real estate on the communal couch with your comfiest throw-blanket and look for the most distracting cat memes you can find.

Maybe check your social media, see what people are talking about. That cat mauling thing sounded pretty wild.

[numbers]

>start the one music playlist you throw every song into, and jam/vibe

[thedudeguy]

You slip into the house unnoticed. It's just a little past noon now and most of your roommates are either out doing chores or are at classes.

It is a bit chilly in the house but you see a comfy blanket creeping off the back of the big old sofa in the communal living room.

The sofa's been in the house for a few years, Billie found it on the sidewalk in Uptown, and Zeke decided to reupholster it with a bag of old jeans he got from Savers.

It looks like Frankenstein, but goddamnit it's probably the comfiest sofa you've ever known.

You throw your laptop bag to the one side, wrap yourself in the blanket, and get comfy as your extract your laptop. 

Ignoring your email for now, you throw on your Spotify and put some earbuds in. As you get into the music you check the newsfeed. Nothing on national news, but the mauling is showing up on more local sources.

Wild Animal Loose at Kingsport Dormitory. 8 injured, 3 Critically

Local Student Smuggles in Feral Cat, Multiple Casualties Reported

Wild Animal Put Down After Rampage at Kingsport University!

There's pictures of the aftermath...but absolutely nothing of the animal in question

You check the social media, people are certainly talking about it, but this just get's more and more curious.

@rotcdrummberboi732:I was there and it was wild, the thing was as big as a bear, I don't know how anyone got that thing in there!

@malcavgrognard:Come on, there has to be footage of this, a whole bunch of Gen Z kiddos with smartphones? Pics or it didn't happen.

@therealjimbrady:There was some footage put up a while ago, but the pictures keep getting taken down, something about ToS violations.

@rotcdrummberboi732:Bullshit, I put up a picture of that beast and there was no blood anywhere to be seen, just DM me and I'll get it to you.

You refresh, and half the messages are gone.

A chill runs through you as you pull up the blanket

What the hell is going on...?

Okay, let's focus on something else.

You pull up some numbers from your latest batch of studies. Maybe you can tighten up your dissertation enough so that it can impress Vargunza enough that he'll forget about the assault earlier.

Everything looks good and you get lost in the numbers and calculations, at least you have that much going.

However, the numbers eventually lull you to sleep.

Before you can slip away to dreamland you feel a weight land on you

and then some more

and them some more

you're being buried...

You wake up to realize you are now covered in clean linens.

Removing them you find a rather impatient looking Billie towering above you.

Oh hell, you were supposed to help her in the attic.

"Good of you to finally wake up, Tyson"

"...sorry..."

"Look, forget about it. Just grab these sheets and come with me to the attic, I'm just about done."

You grab all the sheets and follow Billie up into the attic.

She's made a mess of progress on the mess that was in the attic.

"Any reason for the Spring cleaning in the middle of winter?"

"Well, I'm not moving out if that's what you're thinking."

You breathe a sigh of relief

"Oh thank god"

"It just helps to have everything in order, and I was thinking of maybe partitioning off a part of the attic to see if we could fit another roommate in."

"That'd be a bit of a squeeze, the bathrooms and kitchen are struggling to keep up with the five of us."

"Relax, I'm only thinking about it."

You start to fold the spare linens on a table that Zeke was restoring last summer.

"How are you holding up?"

"Bad...The world's on fire and I have to show my face around Vargunza eventually."

"Like I said, if he tries to expel you or press charges, we can lawyer up for all the wretched shit he's pulled in the past."

"Yeah...it just sucks all around. Either we go down that path, or we just move forward knowing that I lost my cool."
"I hate both options..."

"We'll all help you get through this, you just need to pass the dissertation and then you're done with him."

You fold the last sheet.

"Is there anything else that need to be done?"

"Yeah, there's just a few boxes in the back corner from when you moved in, give them a check to see if anything's out of place or could be thrown out."

"I'll put these away."

Heading over to your extra belongings, you see four boxes stacked precariously.

Con Swag

Pokemon Cards

A Zune, 50% full of Screamo from the Aughts

Oh god, it's your Pokewalker, the battery is still good and it looks like your Gardevoir is none too happy.

Textbooks long past their usefullness or relevance

Your collection of video games.

A gilded ebony box

A bag of dice

Your White Wolf books, It looks like you need to rebind Wraith.

Wait...

That box is way too expensive looking to be mine...


"Uh, Billie?"

"Yeah?

"Did anything ever get shuffled into my stuff?"

"No...why do you ask?"

You wonder what to do about this box, there's no lock, but there is a stunning gold clasp to keep it closed...

[Eversor]

>Well duh, clasps are MEANT to be opened, why futz around, Open it up, Pandora!

Could be more zunes!

[thedudeguy]

You slide open the latch and slowly open the box.

The interior of the box seems to be lined with dark purple velvet.

Inside the smell of cedar and linen wafts out.

On the velvet lies an old looking doorknob.

It connection is made from brass and the knob is sparkling clear lead crystal. It is cut similar to a cushion cut gem and sparkles with more brilliance than Swarovski.














You have never seen this doorknob in your life.

[Eversor]

Your name must actually be Pandora, cause Lets look at this.

>Inspect Doorknob....

[thedudeguy]

Standing up with the box, you take out the doorknob and examine it.

There is a surprising heft to it and the facets of the crystal feel cool and sharp on your palm.

You try to bring the doorknob closer to inspect it, but it seems to resist, almost as if caught on something.

You tug and struggle, but it won't budge. You give one big tug with both hands and they slip, knocking you backwards.

It's quite a sight to see, a crystal doorknob floating in midair. You scramble back to your feet and try to wrap your head around what you're seeing.

The impulse is irresistible, and you reach out to turn it. You feel it grinding against invisible mechanisms and it clicks.

A wire thin seam appears and you pull the doorknob closer to you. As you do, a wooden doorway manifests; on the other side is mostly darkness, but you see what seems to be a stony floor.

_{"What the fuuuuuuuck..."} 

[Eversor]

>Look around, check for Ashton Kutcher.

>Is anyone else seeing this, could someone else see this?

>Reach out, touch floor, do the dinosaur

[thedudeguy]

Suggested listening:

You look around, trying to wrap your head around what you're seeing.

Nothing adds up, this shouldn't be.

Searching around, you find an errant pen lying next to your foot.

Stooping down, you pick it up and give it a strong toss into the door. It clatters with the echoing chime of plastic on stone.

"BILLIE?!"

There is the sound of some electronics clattering to the ground and Billie is caught off guard.

"Holy shit! Did something fall?

She darts over and immediately comes to a stop.

"You're seeing this too, right?"

"What the fuuuuuuuck..."

"Okay...well we're on the same wavelength, that's good.

"Where did this come from?"

"Some weird doorknob that was in my stuff, it just...made a door."

"Sooooooooo.............."

"Narnia?"

"Narnia."

"Right, well we're gonna be more prepared than a bunch of British kids. Should I grab Zeke?"

"What? No!" We can't just go barging in, who knows what's in there or if we'd even be able to come back."

"Right, right. Look that's a legit way to look at this but...

She gestures emphatically towards the door

"Fuckin' Narnia."

"You're going in with or without me aren't you..."

"Sorry Maggie, but this is too weird to pass up."

Indecision seizes you, but the thought of Maggie getting hurt on her own tilts the scales

"Okay, but we've gotta prepare..."

You give it some consideration. How should you prepare to go into this wide unknown?