Heroes and thieves at my door. I can’t seem to tell them apart anymore.

[theshameofcain]

On 1854 W North Ave, a street address mentioned in a very specific journal entry there is a small bookstore. Fairly innocuous, really, and more than a little worthy of being completely overlooked, but if you happen to be a wanderer, intrigued by the words in the journal entry, it might be worth poking around inside

Comments

[casanovapoptart]

"..but really, I think Tiny Toons is a classic and was very much under-appreciated."

Who knows what the hell they're talking about, but Syd and Will have strange conversations. So that's okay.

They're nearing Bambi's shop, and when Will notices that, he grabs Sydney's arm and slows to a stop. "Hey, um... I just wanted to suggest something," he says, a little reluctantly. "Just... I don't want to sound insensitive or bring up painful memories or anything, I just think it's worth considering. Okay?"

Way to get to the point, Will.

[mademeaweapon]

Sydney stops and pivots to face him, frowning a little. Well, that was an abrupt change of subject, and yeah, the question is really encouraging. "Okay... What is it?" Because clearly Will's going to need some prompting to get to the actual point.

[casanovapoptart]

"Um." Calm. He's not actually proposing, that would be silly, because they're just friends. She's his best friend ever, but they're not like that. And she's still in love with Danny, he knows that, and he'd never try to dishonour his friend like that even if he did feel that way, which he doesn't. But this is a good idea and he knows it, so it needs saying.

"Well, I was thinking... a lot of shit happens around here, right? And you've already been in the hospital once, and either one of us could end up in the hospital later, so... I was thinking maybe we should get a marriage certificate from this lady. So we could be guaranteed access to each other in hospitals and so forth."

He's really hoping she doesn't get upset by this. He's really not trying to be insensitive.

[mademeaweapon]

Sydney just stares at him for a moment. Of all the things he could have said... that wasn't one she was expecting. But... it makes sense, and the way her life seems to be going, he's probably right about the hospital thing. She sighs and rubs at her forehead, trying to ignore the vague, distant ache in her chest somewhere around her heart.

"I... Sure. Just in case I get stabbed again... not that I'm planning on it." She smiles faintly, mostly as a reassurance that she's okay, really. Just the same old ache, and she'll get over it, eventually. She can deal with it.

[nowinprint]

Who the hell knows, at this point, where Dmitri got whatever identification she's been using. It's probably a combination of stuff she had in her Chicago, stuff she fast-talked people into providing for her, and stuff her contacts with other Angels of Knowledge provided for her. But she's not really stopping by for new identification.

No no. This is more interest than a lot of people ever showed in Wanderers, and it's being offered for free so far as she can tell, and so this Bambi kid is either one great philanthropist or running one hell of an angle, and that's the sort of thing Dmitri can't help but poke at.

So she wanders into the bookstore, starts picking her way along the shelves, poking at the books they've stocked. Well, hey, the place has a nice atmosphere, at least. None of this crummy office-cum-press-room crap some forgers run out of. Makes it a pleasant place to investigate, anyway.

[theshameofcain]

Bambi's on her phone in the basement when the bell goes off with a cigarette, dangling between her fingers, listening to one of her bosses- one of the sane ones and not Maggie to boot, because no one knows where the fuck Maggie has gone off to. "Look, I gotta run. They've been swarming like flies ever since I got the word out. Yeah, I'm keeping track- what kind of fucked-up Angel of Knowledge do you take me for?" She slams the phone shut, because goodbyes are for other people, and takes off up the staircase, parting a beaded curtain just behind the register.

"I've worked here twelve years and I don't think anyone ever expressed an interest in the books," she notes with rather wry amusement. Actual greetings are also for other people.

[nowinprint]

Dmitri turns, quirking her head at Bambi. "That's a shame," she says, "because I'm sure I saw a first English edition of Sartre's Nausea somewhere back there." She waves a hand vaguely in the direction of the... books. "Not the best condition, but I bet you could make something off of it." She steps forward, extends her hand. "Dmitri Lang. Angel of Knowledge, wanderer from the next Chicago over. Thought I'd stop by. Natural curiosity."

[theshameofcain]

It's probably true. The Organization gave her the damn thing and handed off the books to stock it and Lord knows what could be lying in wait if you just looked. If she didn't like her job, she could probably make a killing off the lot of them and move to Barbados, but she likes her job.

"Curiosity is something our kind is good at," Bambi smirks a little, accpting her hand and shaking it. "Bambi Dalton. Is there something I can help you with?"

[clockwork_doc]

Doc saw the journal entry earlier and is now entering the shop, clutching a list of all his pertinent information for the official documents. The place seems very much like an ordinary bookstore to him, but he knows appearances can be deceiving. He wrinkles his nose at the smell and whips up a quick wind to blow it away from him.

Wondering if he's just supposed to wait, he idly browses the books. Most of them look pretty beat-up, from what he can see. He pulls out a couple, waiting a moment to see if they trigger any secret doors (just in case), then flips through them.

[theshameofcain]

Bambi is often quiet when it comes to getting back upstairs and she's standing just behind the curtain, watching and observing for a second (weird mad scientist type- Jesus, the Rift gives you all types) before finally parting the curtain and stepping into the shop.

"I hope you're not here for the books, because I don't think I'd know what to do for something like that." She's smoking and looking coy to boot, but that's pretty much just how she is.

[clockwork_doc]

The Rift actually dumped quite a few weird mad mad scientist types here, Bambi. You'd best get used to it.

Doc turns with a small grin. "Just looking," he says, replacing the volumes he pulled out. "I take it you're Bambi?" He holds out a hand. "Dr. Emmett Brown." Nothing wrong with being friendly, especially when she has the power to give him a small portion of his life back. "I saw your message -- I've got a list here of my vital statistics." He holds it out. "Technically the town I come from doesn't exist here" -- except in the movies "-- so I listed the closest alternate I could find, just in case." (That would be Grass Valley insted of Hill Valley, if you're curious.)

[theshameofcain]

"Bambi's the name, forging's the game." She's very open about it too- people leave her alone because of who she works for and most Wanderers are far too happy with the prospect of getting their lives back in order to really protest much- even the ones that are generally morally decent and would be disgusted by illegal activity.

She takes the list from him, scans it, and shrugs. "Yeah, you'll have to get a proper Chicago ID, so wherever you came from probably doesn't matter at this point unless you intend to go back there someday. Anything in particular, you want, gramps? The basic package is just ID, birth certificate, and I can fake medical records like a pro. All that essential shit. I also do credentials, marriage certificates- anything but money. I don't touch fake currency with a ten foot pole.

[emodebauhaus]

Since the only thing she had in her pockets was her cigarette holder (thank god), lighter, and scarf, E's been taking her new journal around and using it as a combination date book and sketch pad. And oh look, something else to add to her "to do" list!

Excellent.

The walk to the bookstore isn't far, and E wastes no time in shoving the door open and marching up to the counter. Yes, she's wearing a dress meant for an old lady, but there's something to be said for an air of authority.

[theshameofcain]

Bambi's at the counter a moment later, just having finished the finishing touches on someone's faux birth certificate. By this time, she's looking a bit harried and her wings are out for an added boost of... Something. We're not sure what. They're pulled in tight to her back, but, well, wings are hard to hide when they're out like that.

"Can I help you?" She asks, perfectly casual. Hey, an air of authority doesn't even work when it comes to her bosses.

[emodebauhaus]

The counter is about shoulder-height on Edna, so at least she'll be spared the indignity of standing on tip-toe

[theshameofcain]

Bambi is rather impressed by all that. She takes a drag on the cigarette she lit up while waiting for Edna to get all that done and nods. "Anything you want, jellybean. I got you covered. Bit more ambitious than I'm used to, but I can't begrudge someone wanting to get their life back exactly the way it was before."

That's what she's here for, after all... Well, within reason. She's had some creeps come in here before, but she knows how to deal with those people.

"It'll take about a week. Possibly two since we're talkin' detailed shit and I've got orders coming out my ass, but it'll be done. Whole shebang."