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Shun spent several moments staring at his phone after he had received that text. Mercer wished to speak with him. And he wanted to speak with him in Other Ashdown. There was a sense of dread, as he had absolutely no idea why he was being summoned.

It could spell trouble. Actually, it mostly was trouble. Perhaps Mercer had more that he wished to berate him about.

While he was weak, worthless, and without purpose, he wasn't a coward. He'd face him. But it didn't mean he was looking forward to speaking with him again. Not after the last time.

It took him a little while, but he did eventually manage to find a way to cross over. He unfortunately didn't have much of a reliable way of going about it. When he stepped over, he found himself a little disoriented. Where it had once been raining, it was now dry. In his confusion, he looked around, uncertain if he had really stepped foot in Other Ashdown just now. This was weird.

The line between the two worlds really was blurring now. Once Heliodora died... what exactly was going to happen?

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Turning towards the voice, Shun paused and regarded Jeremiah warily. There was something different in his tone, and it did not reassure him all that much. It put him on the edge.

Apart from being wet thanks to the constant rain in regular Ashdown, the sergeant wasn't looking too good in general. The past few weeks had been taking their toll in him, as he was practically running himself ragged now. He probably should start looking into some sort of sleep medication in the very least.

"Chief Mercer," he greeted lowly in turn; a hard edge could be heard in his voice. There was no warmth. Now that Jeremiah had been promoted to be the head, he could really make his life hell if he wanted to.

"The lack of rain is indeed concerning, but the only thing I want to know right now is why you have called me here."

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Shun was observing Jeremiah very carefully. The addition of warmer clothing was noted, which was odd considering it was actually warmer over here than in regular Ashdown. The way he was carrying himself was also different, but perhaps that was just the promotion getting to his head. He was going to comment on the clothes, once Jeremiah stated what his business was, but the answer given caused Shun to pause.

"Since a few days after the ball?"

His brow furrowed in thought. Pieces began to fall into place. If that was true, then this meant that between then and now, it was not truly Jeremiah who he had seen and worked under. The way Mercer had changed his mind about him and the difference in their apparent resistance to the constant chill he was afflicted with.

"Who took you?" he asked, still very much guarded. As with the older man, he stood at the ready, should anything go down. This could still be some sort of trick, as far as he was concerned. Or if not, then it was entirely possible that Mercer shared the views of the fetch that impersonated him. If he had been taken after all, there was also something else unsettling about it. They all knew it was possible now, and it meant that once more, someone (possibly more) had been taken right under their noses.

There was a pause as he watched Jeremiah begin to walk off. A brief moment of hesitation before he moved to keep up with the older man. While they began to move through the town, his eyes shifted here and there as he remained on the lookout for anything potentially harmful. He still wasn't entirely certain what Mercer wanted, besides informing him about where he had been. It might not change all that much in the end.

And unfortunately for Shun, Mercer was one of the few people who could read him.

"Tsk... Of course. Melany was taken out of commission for the time being, but there are still others who can pull that s**t," he grumbled under his breath.

There was another pause.

"Are you one of them now, as well?" he asked lowly. The original group that had been taken were all apart of the court now, after all.

"Or is this some sort of trap you are leading me into? Or both, perhaps?"

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It was a little weird. The streets seemed almost too quiet now. It seemed like nothing as lurking out of view, but that didn't make him feel any better. It was like it was trying to lure him into a false sense of security.

The fact that Melany had returned to this side bothered him. It was bound to happen sooner or later. It was just another step she was able to take because he had failed to finish her off. And there was still the fact that Jeremiah had been taken. Was he bitter that no one came for him?

When he stopped and stared at him, Shun lifted his head and met his gaze, locking eyes.

"Some people like to toy with their food," he stated. As for why he came under the idea that this could be a trap... he didn't exactly have a whole lot to lose. Death wasn't the worst fate to endure. It may at least save him from eventually becoming one of the Faceless.

"But yes... you could say we talked. It did not spill any of your secrets or anything like that, unless you truly share its opinion of me."

It was possible.

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Shun continued to lock eyes until Jeremiah began to start walking again. In which, he lifted his head and moved along with. He didn't know how much he had heard, or how. The fetch must have said something, because he hadn't told anyone of what Mercer said to him that night.

"He spoke the truth, though," he stated quietly. He noticed the shift to using his first name. Maybe he did understand what he was going through, but that didn't change a whole lot in the end. As much as he hated the fact... he agreed with what the fetch had said.

"I have not done much that can really be considered worthy. I lack purpose. You already know this."

The real Jeremiah had been there when they went over this the first time around. He was the one who had told him that duty was not enough to keep him going forward. And he was right. It isn't.

"So why are we really here? I would rather not waste your time."

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The police department. What were they doing here? There wasn't really anything here, if he recalled. Unless Mercer did something with the place. He looked up at him questioningly, furrowing his brow. His eyes had gotten brighter, or was he imagining things?

Maybe the fetch did knowingly aim for his weak points, but he still couldn't really blame it. As far as he was concerned, it was on him for even letting those weaknesses be known in the first place. Vulnerabilities were bound to be exploited if one wasn't careful. If it hadn't been exposed, or if he was just not weak in the first place, then he would not be in this position.

"Train how?" he asked lowly, narrowing his eyes, "This is not going to lead me into calling you 'father' is it?"

Shun had taken a step back. He remembered Jeremiah calling Ezra that once at the ball. It was also noted that a number of those who were taken and eventually became nobles referred to him as the same. And now that Mercer had apparently just returned from under him...


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Shun gritted his teeth, glancing down at the flames surrounding Mercer's fist. 'Daddy issues' was a very light way of putting it, but he said no more on that matter. It was an incredibly sore topic for him, just as it apparently was for his boss.

"I have an idea, yes. But it is nothing compared to what I have seen you do. I can augment my physical capabilities, improving them. Not a whole lot beyond that," he lowly replied. He was still very much on edge with Jeremiah, even though he had been fairly forthright with where he stood with Shun. The fetch's words were just burned into him, with Mercer's voice. It was not an easy thing to shake.

Jeremiah expected magic to be readily available in regular Ashdown before long. This was... rather concerning. If this was true, he was going to practically be screwed over with how weak he was. He had to wonder just what that would mean for those who couldn't tap into magic already. It sounded like a storm was coming. Then there was also his wording.

"My side? What has the court done to you for you to consider me to be on the 'other side' of all of this?"

Did he no longer consider him to be an ally? Though, with the way things were now, that term was being incredibly strained, he felt. His fingers twitched as he tried to make sense of all of this.

"You can train me... but I doubt it will save me. That is something I need to do... myself," he added, shaking his head to himself. Having all the power in the world would not matter if he could not find his place. He would just be another faceless entity in the end.