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[street_sparrow]

When they step through from the bar, they're standing in a huge white room, the walls lined with pictures.

"Welcome to the House of Arch. This is the entrance hall, we can get to the other rooms from here."

Comments

[a_mad_hope]

"It would be a poor entrance hall if we couldn't," Karou laughs.

There's no audible pop to signal their transition from the end of the universe to London Below, but Karou is used to the subtle changes in the air when she moves between places that logically don't connect. She breathes in, taking in the scents as she looks around.

[street_sparrow]

"Not everyone could, mind", he says with a grin. "If somebody managed to get this far without permission, we could leave them standing in a sealed room for as long as we felt like."

[a_mad_hope]

"That's handy."

Amused, Karou stops to look at him.

"Issa just wraps snakes around visitors and warns them against bites."

[street_sparrow]

"Another good way to go about it", he says with a grin. "But do her snakes know who's a wanted visitor and who's not?"

[a_mad_hope]

"As long as Issa does," Karou answers cheerfully. "There are some visitors she likes more than others."

The ones who remember that the teeth they deal in belonged in someone's mouth once.

"Have you ever... left someone walled in?"

[street_sparrow]

"Not while I've been living here", he assures her. "Really, it's not likely anybody could even get into the hall uninvited - except maybe from the bar, if they slipped through on our heels, and then we could just toss them back out. The only time it's happened in living memory, they weren't human and it wouldn't have held them."

[a_mad_hope]

Karou nods.

It's interesting, but she wants to see more.

"What's through here?" she asks, motioning to a door further along the hall.

[street_sparrow]

"That is... the study. It was Door's father's, and now it's my father's."

[a_mad_hope]

Karou gestures: May I?

"I imagine it is nothing like Brimstone's."

[street_sparrow]

"Probably not", he agrees, and reaches out to activate the door. "Come on in."

[a_mad_hope]

Paying attention to details so she can draw this later, Karou steps inside.

"Not at all," she agrees, quietly. "No snails or puppy dog tails."

[street_sparrow]

There is still, for reasons of sentimentality, a stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling - and because they're useful, all manner of steampunky devices on the desk.

"What does Brimstone do?"

[a_mad_hope]

"Collects teeth."

Her answer is faint, distracted, bemused, her fingers dancing over what looks like a steampunk style remote control.

She looks up, flashing a smile.

"Well, buys them in exchange for wishes. He's the wishmonger." She points up at the alligator. "Why?"

[street_sparrow]

"It was Lord Portico's", he says with a grin. "Door says he got it at the market, a long time ago, I think he just liked it. What does he do with the teeth?"

[a_mad_hope]

"What's not to like?" she says honestly, grinning at the alligator.

A long pause follows. Karou continues to explore the room, touching things gently as she goes.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll wish to find out."

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche watches her move around, knowing that anything dangerous to touch is locked safely away, and looks at her curiously at the last words.

"Can you wish for anything?"

[a_mad_hope]

"If I can afford it," she answers immediately, even if it's not entirely true. There are wishes Brimstone won't allow, however much she has to pay. "Or if I'm creative enough."

She sends him a sly smile and stops.

"Right now I'd wish to see more."

[street_sparrow]

"That's easily enough granted", he says with a grin. "I could show you my rooms, or move on to the rest of the Underside."

[a_mad_hope]

His rooms, huh?

Karou has to bite her lower lip to keep from grinning, filing the moment away to tell Zuzana later.

Well, to tell her some version, anyway. A version that would make sense to her best friend.

"I was promised a Market," Karou says, eyes dancing with amusement.

[street_sparrow]

"Then to the Market!" he proclaims grandly. "It's easy to get to this time."

[a_mad_hope]

"Yes. This time?"

She dances forward and rests a hand on his arm, smiling happily.

[street_sparrow]

"It moves around. Different place every time."

He smiles back and begins to escort her out.

[a_mad_hope]

"What's the weirdest place its been?" Karou asks, clutching his arm like a movie heroine waiting to be led from the room.

[street_sparrow]

"There's a big fancy department store, on the other side of Night's Bridge. Once or twice it's been there, and it really doesn't look like it belongs."

[a_mad_hope]

"Harrods? Karou asks, smiling wider.

Her fingers tap his arm in a seemingly random pattern.

"I used to get purposefully lost in Harrods when I was younger. Once I found an entire bin of riding hats. I'd never thought about riding, but I looked at all those crisp, smart helmets and suddenly wanted a pony. It felt like magic," she laughs.