[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 1448 (+3 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 171/90
[b]Location:[/b] Edinburgh MagicaPolis[/color]
[sub]ft. [@Majoras End][@Lugubrious][/sub][/center]
The Ace Cadet couldn't say he got much out of Wicke's answer other than trivia, but he nodded at the woman all the same. She gave them their checks (which turned out to be small paper rectangles, basically "IOU"s the Cadet figured) and swept out of the cafe after that, leaving the small group to themselves. Naturally, talk turned to their plans for the immediate future. The Cadet had no qualms about visiting the Aether Foundation, and he had no real suggestions about how to go about the skeletons either besides what Band already mentioned. Before they got much further, Frisk brought something vital to their attention.

The information that Frisk gave them about the Consul was important, but there was something else she said that only the Ace Cadet could pick up on. A name, one that must have belonged to the friend Frisk has mentioned that disappeared. The one that was struggling, that was connected to the Skullgirl. 

[i]Linkle.[/i] 

The monster hunter was stunned into silence as the dinner conversation from days ago suddenly came back to his mind. Nadia and Bowser had told him the story of Linkle's disappearance in the Deadzone and her encounter with some kind of cursed skull heart, and Band had already deduced that the reason for the reanimated bones may be the Skullgirl. Though he'd never expected to find any clues to her whereabouts quite like this, why hadn't he put two and two together before? 

[color=salmon]"Frisk!"[/color] The Cadet exclaimed, leaning over the table toward her with wide, hopeful eyes. [color=salmon]"You said Linkle? That was your friend's name? Was she about this tall, with two sets of ears, and uses crossbows?"[/color] He quickly mimed with his hands as he spoke, his best estimate of the Linkle he remembered. [color=salmon]"Was it her?"[/color]

Frisk's eyes widened in turn. [color=67a4e0]"Rabbit ears, uses ice magic?"[/color] She asked back.

The Cadet nodded, electric with excitement. 

[color=salmon]"Yes? Yes! That's gotta be her! That's..."[/color] he leaned back in his chair, pressing one hand to his face as he laughed with relief. [color=salmon]"[i]Radalos.[/i] Man, it's good to hear that she's alive."[/color]

After he sat straighter in his seat again, the Cadet figured he should explain how he knew Frisk and the Prisoner's friend, especially since Wonder Red and Big Band had joined the Seekers' campaign after Linkle had been gone. [color=salmon]"Linkle was- she's one of us! She disappeared a while ago, taken by one of those black coats. We had no idea where she went or how to find her.

"But now we know she's around here, somewhere. Thank you."[/color] It was more information than the Seekers had previously. The Cadet flashed Frisk a grateful smile, though it was dimmer than his usual smiles. Linkle was alive, but she was in trouble, afflicted with some really terrible curse. 

[color=salmon]"Earlier you said she left before she could hurt you. She's a real hero, not the kind of person that would do that. How... I mean how bad was that curse when you last saw her?"[/color]

[color=67a4e0]"I don't exactly know the specifics, but she was idly raising the dead when we finally made it back on land. I was hoping to find some way to help her before whatever it was got any worse..."[/color] The woman solemnly sighed. [color=67a4e0]"Perhaps it was becoming to much to bear?"[/color] She frowned.

That pretty much confirmed for the Cadet that Linkle was still in the area. 

[color=salmon]"We'll find her, and we'll help her,"[/color] he promised. The desire to help his friend was stronger than that unpleasant feeling that crawled through his skin when he thought about getting close to whatever evil magic was going on with her. [color=salmon]"There's no way I'm gonna let her deal with it alone."[/color]

Band kept quiet throughout the exchange, although the expression on his face was one of such severity that the others might have been shocked to see it. His own interpretation of what was happening at night in Edinburgh had been one born of pessimism and conjecture, but this new testimony all but sealed the deal. That made things simple, in a way, but it also complicated matters. As a member of USG, Band had a new priority number-one: his mission was crystal clear. He considered asking his new acquaintances for more details on what could only be a Skullgirl, but therein lay the rub. These people, who hadn't lived through the horrors of untold death and destruction at the hands of the Skullgirls, might not help him if they knew what he needed to do. Worst case scenario, they might turn on them. If this city, and maybe the world itself, were to be spared, they would have to see for themselves--that the Skullgirl wasn't their friend anymore, but a ticking time bomb until the end of days. And if she was already ambiently raising the dead, they didn't have much time at all.
[hr]
The group moved on from the bakery quickly after that, in varying emotional states. Hoping to escape the eyes of the corrupt law, they were headed for a library. A bank was the only stop they made along the way, and the Cadet handed his check over to one of the others to cash for him while he waited outside. There were two reasons for it, firstly because he did not want to see if there was any magic involved in getting the funds, and secondly to call for a Moogle.

He restrained his report to simple facts, though it was hard to when he so wanted to relay to the others that they may be close to getting Linkle back. Once finished he and the Moogle saluted each other and the little messenger disappeared to bring the new information to Alcamoth's database. If any of the other Seekers out there checked in, there would be two simplified pieces of news passed on: [i]more Consul activity, 'Consul L,'[/i] and [i]'Found a lead to Linkle's whereabouts.'[/i]

With business at the bank finished, they hastily continued on. The Noumenon came into view from a while away, but it wasn't obvious that was where they were headed until they were right outside of the massive structure. It was hard to imagine that was a library! It was so grandiose. The inside was even more so with intricate marble tile, elegant chandeliers, and rows upon rows upon rows of books. [color=salmon]"Oh wow,"[/color] he said to himself as he admired the place. When Red mentioned making a note of the place, he agreed. [color=salmon]"Yeah, definitely."[/color] 

The Cadet craned his neck up, hardly able to see the ceiling through the upper floors it was so tall. What kind of knowledge was kept here? It seemed like way too much to just be the history of one place, even with fictional novels factored in. [i]I'm gonna borrow some on the way out,[/i] he decided. There was plenty of space left in his pack.

The Noumenon's rules were what one would expect of a library, that was something universal it seemed. As for the bookworms, the Cadet had no clue how they were supposed to tell the good ones from the bad ones, so figured it best to just avoid them entirely - save for the one giving them the advice. 

Once they had their destination, the Cadet fixed the group with a grin.

[color=salmon]"Looks like we're in for a couple [i]stories[/i],"[/color] he said. Though when he noticed the heavy set on some of their shoulders, his smile turned sheepish. [color=salmon]"You don't all have to take the stairs on my account. I don't mind booking it and meeting you up there."[/color]

Wonder Red made a suggestion, his intention becoming clear when he raised his arm. [i]That thing again![/i] If Red was alright with using it for a situation like this, then the Ace Cadet wouldn't argue. It was a nice gesture. Now that he knew what was about to happen, being encased in light was both more and less weird than it had been the first time. Hard to explain, really. Wonder Red then took to the stairs, climbing them with hardly even a break until he was on the twenty sixth floor. 

Once out of the morph, the Cadet chuckled and patted Red on the back as the shorter man hunched over. [color=salmon]"Thanks buddy."[/color]

Given that Frisk and Prisoner were the ones who knew what Albedo looked like, it was up to them to take the lead in looking for him. It was a large area, even though it was just one floor of many. Of hundreds, even. As they walked the Cadet stuck close to the shelves so he could read some of the book spines, curiosity overtaking him.