It had been some time since Shun managed to stumble into Other Ashdown for the first time, though not quite as long since the events at the theater. It was rather hard to try and find a way into it, considering it was more or less random chance as far as he was concerned. He just hoped that when he finally did manage to cross over again, it wouldn’t be at an incredibly inconvenient time. Since he didn’t know when it’d happen, he did keep the random book he picked up for Heliodora.

That said, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to find her sanctuary even when he went over. Still, it was good to try and be prepared.

If his last trip to Other Ashdown went was any indicator, though… There really was not a good way to be prepared for what might happen. It did make him more determined to find his way, however. He really didn’t like how utterly powerless he felt during that. He needed to know more. He needed to be able to do more.

He had been on his way back to his apartment from work tonight. It had been a fairly long day at the office, so he was looking forward to having some time to relax if possible. He had been about to take a bite of a protein bar as he crossed the threshold into his little area of the building, but immediately saw that something was wrong. Papers were scattered about the floor, and his first thought was that someone had broken in. But he saw the large webs up in the corners. This place seemed like it hadn’t been inhabited for awhile.

With a furrowed brow, he stepped out and looked around. Subtle differences were in the corridor he stood in. That wasn’t enough for confirmation, however. He hurried on down the stairs, and made his way back outside. Sure enough, a light rain fell from the skies.

He made it.

Letting out a breath, the detective pulled up his hood, and began to walk off.

Some time passed while he was making his way through the gloomy streets, and not a single creature or person crossed his path. Though he listened carefully, the only sounds around that he could pick up on currently was just the rain pattering onto the ground. It was quiet. Empty. If it weren’t for the potential dangers of this place, he might actually enjoy this sort of solitude. There was no way he could ever really relax here, unfortunately. He knew better than to lower his guard.

Not everything was harmful, but it was hard to tell what was friend or foe just at a glance. Things that seem innocent could very well be nasty little destructive forces. So far, his instincts had been… relatively accurate. But he still didn’t have that much experience with the things that called this realm home over all. Most likely, he wasn’t going to be trusting any small talking animals anytime soon, however.

Speaking of animals, as he walked along the street, he saw something solitary flying above further away. Seagull… except black. He glanced away for a split second, then realized there were more. Shun could have sworn there had just been one a moment ago. One blink later, and they seemed to multiply even further. What was worse, was that they seemed to be flying towards him. Taking a few cautious steps back, he soon broke off into a run as the ever growing flock began to dive down at him. He could hear their calls now, spewing simple obscenities as they swarmed.

A quick glance down at the half-eaten protein bar, he realized what they might want from him. The detective quickly tossed it back as far as possible before nimbly hopping over one fence and continuing to flee into an alley. The sounds of the gulls didn’t grow too distant as he ran. It seemed like they were getting further away for a moment, but he could hear them beginning to draw near once more.

More. They wanted more. More. More. More.

Never feed wildlife.

It became quite clear that he really needed a place to hide. Shun made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder once. There seemed to be hundreds of shadowy seagulls behind him, looking like a dark ravenous cloud. Cursing under his breath, he turned one corner and spotted a door that held slightly ajar. Without any hesitation, he ducked away inside the building, slamming the door closed once within. He heard and felt several thuds against the wood as multiple gulls slammed into it. Whether that was intentional or not, he couldn’t tell. Nor did he care, really. While he caught his breath, he leaned against the door, holding it in place as he looked around his surroundings. Just an abandoned looking house, from what he could tell.

A few moments had gone by, and the cacophony of greedy voices did not cease from the outside. The thuds on the door did stop, however. He soon realized why. They had stopped slamming against the door, and were now going after a weaker point of entry. The window. Shun could see several cracks in the glass begin to appear. It wouldn’t hold for much longer. And so he began to search for a place to hide. He found a door leading into the basement of the household, and slipped into there just as he heard the shattering of glass.

There, he remained for what felt like a long time.

Once he thought it might be clear, he quietly and carefully began to ascend the stairs to leave the basement. And just as he stepped through the door, he found himself outside once more, under a clear night sky. He was back in Ashdown.

And the next morning, he’d hear of a report at the police station about what was either a breaking and entering or vandalism case. Someone had apparently smashed the window of a household, though nothing seemed to have been stolen.