Chapter Text
When the night system hours kicked in, they gathered around for a watch party. Apparently, Welt had the ability to make projections and movies out of nothing. For tonight, thankfully, they settled to just projecting the Clockie cartoon series for Pom-Pom.
Bigby hadn't thought much of it until he learned who Clockie was based off and why the cartoon viewing was important for the conductor. It got pretty sentimental from there.
Then, he met the infamous Brother Hanu and was immediately taken aback. Though, not for the reasons you'd expect.
" Isn't he cool?" Stelle asked as they watched the cartoon wolf use a rocket launcher on a crocodile.
" He certainly has a way with one-liners." Bigby said. " Just to assume, since there's no subtitles, you guys do know he's actually saying things, right? Not just random grunts."
The Express Crew stared at him wide eyed. Welt paused the viewing and cleared his throat. " Am I to understand, Mr Wolf, that he isn't speaking gibberish but actual wolf language?"
" ...Yes?"
" We'll save the questions for later. Though," Himeko glanced at the screen. " Perhaps you could give us the translation?"
They continued the viewing this time with Bigby repeating the grunts into coherent sentences for the humans to understand. It's easy to forget that he was an actual wolf. It surprised them all in knowing that the voice of Brother Hanu is actually speaking, especially considering how good his one-liners and phrases were. The credits rolled and Bigby made a motion for Welt to pause.
" The voice actor isn't credited." He pointed out where Brother Hanu's name was not included in the credits.
" I'm certain someone was behind the voice." Stelle said. " There's no way it'd go blank...I would've made sure of that."
" Is that your name on the credits, kid?" Bigby pointed out where her name was next to Director.
" You were the movie director?!" March gasped.
" I'm not even going to ask." Dan Heng sighed.
" Looks like you had fun." Himeko praised.
" Directing isn't an easy job. For a hit movie like this one, you've done phenomenally well considering it is your first time." Welt added.
Stelle shrugged, looking pretty proud of herself through all the praise. " I was just helping out."
Bigby laughed. " Never a dull moment with you."
He sets aside the fact that Brother Hanu's voice actor isn't credited along with the fact that he was actually talking. There was something going on with this Hanu character.
Segugio the Series wasn't just any detective book, for one the focus isn't on hus point of view. On the first chapter the reader actually witnessed the crime and knew the perpetrator. The real kicker is when the detective, Segugio, appears at the crime scene. Aloof, unkept and easily permissible as some lazy bum forced to do his job by the precinct.
He talks to the perpetrator, asks casual questions and actually forms a rather loose bond or connection with them. It's through this that they become careless, noses up high in arrogance as they share jokes and wine.
It's near the end where they see how the investigation would be coming to a close and Segugio would look at the perpetrator in the eyes.
" One more thing..."
From there, it's downhill. He unravels the crime with evidence none of them even noticed he looked through. Traps the perpetrators with clever ruses and extra calls they don't see him make. Most of the killers are highly influential individuals with great arrogance for their own wealth and intelligence and an air which believed they could get away with anything.
The final edition is the oddest.
It presents a series of murders of which you actually follow Segugio through his search of gathering evidence from the crime scenes and investigating each victim's death. There's no body to account for only signs of death and very few eye witnesses that even then couldn't ascertain what the perpetrator looked like.
The detective series without mysteries left with one last one. It's the ending, the last entry ever recorded.
" Fate plays cruel jokes."
The line itself didn't feel like it belonged to this character.
Segugio was the serial killer and after claiming his last victim, he had vanished and was never caught.
" Dear passengers, please prepare for a warp jump."
He hears Pom-Pom's voice through the speakers and prepares for his first trip to Penacony. He feels this shift in the air, it ripples over his skin and shudders in the light. He hasn't quite encountered much memoria bubbles before, much less entire systems pooled with the stuff. He knows they've reached the Asdana System and tucks his pipe into his coat. The train pulls to a stop at the Reverie Hotel.
The entire building screams of grandeur and luxury. Something about the style strikes a chord with him when they get off the Express. There's familiarity, a smidge but somewhat there. Something smells off about this place like a buzz in his ear. It doesn't fade even as they walked towards the reception.
" Bigby, we'll be doing some networking while the young ones check in first." Himeko's voice brings him from his thoughts. " Do you want to go with them or stay with us?"
" I think I'll check in. I'm not familiar with anyone here so I might as well get touring as soon as possible."
" Alright then, be safe." Welt says with a nod.
Induced by habit from whenever Feixiao says this, he replied, " You too."
He finds the young ones at the receptionist and overhears that not six, but seven VIP rooms had already been prepared for their arrival. Apparently, Pom-Pom was checking in as well.
" ...I see. We thank The Family for their gracious hospitality. Please help us with the check-in." Dan Heng definitely knew what was going on and leaned in to apologise to March once they were a bit further from the front desk.
" Dan Heng, do you know something that we don't? Why did the front desk mention that Pom-Pom is staying at the hotel too?" The sweet conductor was bound to the train and couldn't leave the premises more than a foot away.
" If my guess is correct, it's probably Boothill checking in under Pom-Pom's name." The young man explained.
" The Galaxy Ranger?" Bigby hadn't expected to hear his name so soon.
" You know him, Mr Wolf?" Stelle asked.
" I met him during the Wardance. Interesting guy."
" What do you think he's doing here?" March asked.
" I don't know. Galaxy Rangers always work alone, but I don't think Boothill will do anything that is detrimental to the Express." Dan Heng said.
" He checked in three days ago, yeah? We might meet him sometime so you kids could probably ask him then." Bigby assured them.
March helps guide him to his room as the others go into theirs. She leaves him with a cheerful wave and wishes him a good tour.
" The tour's started since I got to this place." He murmurs to himself. After all, one of the most prominent victims in the final book perished right within an unspecified VIP hotel room.
He takes a look around the room. Circular sectional couches and lounge chairs surround a round coffee table. Refreshments were placed on a black and gold tray. There's a phonograph in the corner, a few music discs in the holding cabinet as well. The fireplace was lit with a low light, providing a comforting warmth to the otherwise cool room.
The tub at the end is shaped like an oyster, supposedly some kind of memoria immersion device. There's a flier on the table, he gives it a look and finds some rules regarding the immersion. The instructions only stated that simply needed to lie down in the tub and the memoria will take him to the dreamscape.
He eyes the tub suspiciously, feeling a bit uncertain over the process but decides to trust his instincts. He wades into the pool and lies down until the water reaches his neck. He relaxed his breaths and closed his eyes.
When he opens them again, he's in the snowy plains of his own mind. Familiar as it were, this wasn't what he was looking for.
" Well, someone's lost." A smooth, sultry voice cuts through the cold wind. A woman with pale skin and long lavender hair stands there. Beneath her veil purple to gold eyes looks at him with a soft smile." Chilly, isn't it?"
" You don't belong here."
" Easy now, Great Wolf." She says gently, bowing her head slightly. " I'm only here to show you the way. I'm Black Swan."
" Bigby Wolf."
" If you could follow me, Mr Wolf. I will take you to the dreamscape." The Wolf tilts his head, yellow eyes sharp and still.
" I think I can make my own way there, pen."
" If you insist, Mr Wolf. I apologise for intruding upon your mindscape and," She leans in closer, pressing something into his hand. " I do think this may be of use to you. Farewell."
She walks past him into the fog of the cold and he, himself carries on into the treeline. He looks down at his hand to see what she handed him.
The Thirteenth tarot card with the image of a doberman hound with bright red eyes.
He puts the card into his pocket.
He smells a whiff of confusion, hopes, despair and a distinct flavour of something sweet but he couldn't quite put a finger on it, following the scent leads him to a small clearing with two bare trees. Between the two trees is a door, reminiscent of the ones he saw at the hotel but more vibrant. With a glow beneath it that invited a sense of warmth.
He takes the handle, feels the metal under his grip and pushes the door open.
The dim night sky of Golden Hour greeted him with city lights and a beautiful starry sky that shouldn't be possible with the amount of light pollution. He glances behind him where the hotel stood taller than it did in reality.
" Excuse me, sir?" Someone calls him.
His yellow eyes looked down at a young girl in a black pinafore and blue shirt, somehow that alone causes the girl to flinch. He averts his gaze, taking out his smoking pipe and busying himself with filling it up.
" Can I help you?" He asked, trying to keep his low but not intimidating.
" Uh, you're standing in front of the hotel, dear guest." The girl said, the small puffball on her head leaning back.
" Oh, sorry." He moved forward, stepping away from the door but doesn't miss how the smaller figure shrunk at his movements. " Are you alright?"
" I'm fine!" She said, her voice cracks. " Um, I just, I'm Auslotte. Are you new here in Penacony?"
" That I am." He responded calmly as he finished filling his pipe and set it alight. He huffs a puff of smoke into the air, letting the blend's effects kick in before the smells get to him. " My friends told me Penacony was a good place for tourists so here I am."
" And where are these friends of yours?" He smiled at the bravery the little one was showing.
" Paperfold University. They were invited for a lecture." He explained.
" I see." She nods, something shining in her eyes. " Then, on behalf of the Bloodhound Family, I wish you a pleasant time in Penacony."
He thinks of the tarot card he'd been given, the smile he wore unwavering and nods at her before leaving. He revised his mental checklist of places to visit from the book. There are eleven locations described in the last entry of the Segugio series. Two of them could be found in Golden Hour and two more within the Reverie but going back feels like a hassle.
Besides, the first murder sight is in the Dreammerse Shopping Street, Golden Hour.