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Finn was running out of ideas. The mysterious watch that had appeared in his apartment had eluded all attempts to identify it; researching the symbol etched in it only got him information on astrology and the planet Pluto, while investigating pocket watches and trying to identify the model lead nowhere productive at all. And nothing explained why it had showed up in the first place, why he could apparently make it disappear and reappear at will, and why an unfamiliar outfit appeared on him whenever he was holding it. When one was having trouble finding information, it was usually advisable to consult an expert. But who would he even ask about something like this?

He had been pondering this problem when he heard a classmate mention a store nearby that appraised jewelry. Curious, he asked for more information, then directions to the place. It seemed like a bit of a long shot to think they might be able to tell him anything new about the watch, but what did he have to lose?

Well...aside from a bit of dignity, perhaps. Wearing the strange outfit at home where nobody could see it was one thing. The prospect of walking around like that made him feel very self-conscious.

He was still trying to muster up the nerve when he left class and headed for the store. As he approached the place, he considered just making note of the address and coming back another day. Surely there was some other angle he could investigate on his own, and after all, the store would still be there later. But when he peered in the window, he noted that all of the staff were wearing costumes, clearly dressing up for the impending holiday. Well...perhaps he would not feel quite so out of place, then.

Not that he was going to walk around like that any longer than he had to, or let anyone see him suddenly change outfits. He turned into the first alley he found, then ducked behind a dumpster for good measure. After looking around to make absolutely sure nobody was watching, he held out one hand palm-up and willed the watch to appear. It did, along with the accompanying outfit that reminded him somewhat of a train conductor. He took a moment more to steel himself against the potential embarrassment, then took a deep breath and headed for the shop.

Once inside, he headed directly for the counter that displayed an assortment of jewelry. Resisting the urge to clear his throat, he said, "Pardon me, I was hoping you might be able to help me identify something." He held out the watch and continued, "I recently came across this pocket watch, but have had no luck finding any information about it. Would you perhaps be able to tell me anything regarding it?"

By chance Finn had offered the watch face-up, not thinking it would make any difference which way it was facing. It turned out to make a great deal of difference, judging by the way the other man's expression changed once he saw the symbol on it. He couldn't say what the expression was exactly - perhaps recognition, perhaps there was more to it - but it had certainly caught his attention, and he seemed to look at Finn more closely after seeing it.

The assurance that he could offer information on the watch was welcome, but was also a bit suspect, considering as the symbol seemed more the source of reaction than the watch itself. The man had barely looked at the watch before he made his claim. When he added the comment about the outfit, Finn's eyes narrowed slightly. That certainly sounded like an implication that the watch and clothes were related, something he would not have expected someone to mention. Unless, perhaps, he genuinely had answers to the questions Finn actually sought. The prospect was welcome, though did seem terribly convenient.

When he was invited to discuss the watch in the office, he considered the offer for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Very well," he said. "I would welcome an explanation." The situation certainly seemed strange, but everything about the watch did, and he really wanted to know what was going on. So he followed along behind the counter, wondering what he was going to find.

Finn sat in one of the indicated chairs, paying little attention to the variety of objects in the room. He doubted any of them had any answers to his questions, so he kept his focus on the room's owner. He folded his hands and listened patiently while the man began his preamble. The warning made him want to take whatever followed with a grain of salt, but considering the unusual situation, he decided to reserve judgement until the explanation was through.

He did admit to himself that the man's guess about how he'd come across the watch and clothes were accurate. That actually gave him hope for the information to follow, but he decided for now not to confirm or deny the sequence of events. Instead he continued to sit silently, idly tapping his thumbs together as he waited for more.

And the rest of the explanation did strain credulity. Oh, he could certainly believe that the maker of the watch was not a well-known watchmaker, seeing as his own investigation in that vein had proven fruitless. And he was not surprised that the man could identify the symbol was for Pluto, given his reaction to it earlier. But what he instead proposed as the watch's origin was harder to believe. How was a planet supposed to have crafted a watch? Unless he meant the Roman deity who the planet was named after, an idea that was only slightly less ridiculous. After a moment's consideration he supposed there might have been some other individual called Pluto, who perhaps named themself after the planet or the god. But if so, that person had not come up in the course of his research.

He offered the man only a flat stare as he contemplated the explanation for a long moment. Finally he asked, "Might you have any evidence to corroborate this claim?" If he expected an unlikely tale like that to be believed, he ought to be able to offer some form of proof.

Finn accepted the pad of paper and read the text written there. He considered tearing off the paper to hold on to, but decided it was unnecessary. The pledge seemed firmly stuck in his mind already, as if he'd already known it and only needed a review. Furthermore, his mind had automatically slotted the name Kithairon in the blank spot. The name had popped into his head shortly after he'd found the watch, but he didn't know what a mountain in Grece had to do with any of this. He supposed he would have to try reciting this pledge later, probably when he was safely at home, and see if that helped explain things. For now, he hummed noncommittally and slid the pad of paper back across the desk.

But it seemed that was not all he would get. After the more roundabout tidbits that had been doled out previously, the rapid-fire revelations regarding visiting planets, space artifacts and long-dead civilizations were as surprising as they were hard to swallow. A quirk of the eyebrows betrayed his skepticism as he considered this new information. It was abundantly clear by now that something was going on that defied all known laws of nature. And it was true that some of what this man had said matched what Finn had experienced and discovered for himself. But taking the rest on blind faith seemed inadvisable, especially if the man was offering further proof.

So he nodded and stood up as well. "Yes, let us continue elsewhere," he said. He wondered where this somewhere else might be; another planet, as the man had claimed they could visit? And how would that be safer than here? Was there something dangerous about this information, or location? If any of this information was accurate, it was becoming increasingly evident that there was a lot about this situation that he had yet to learn.

The other man's change in appearance prompted a look of mild surprise from Finn; a raising of the eyebrows, a slight widening of the eyes. Not because the transformation itself was startling. With the way the conversation had been going, it was not unexpected. Rather, it was the design of the new outfit that he found particularly unusual. The dark coat adorned with bones was far more macabre than his own clothing, and he suddenly found himself glad to be dressed like a steampunk train conductor.

The expression lasted only a moment though, and quickly disappeared. He had more pressing matters to concern himself with than fashion choices, magically-induced or otherwise. He only nodded at the preemptive apology, though a fleeting thought wondered what the apology was for as he reached out to take the offered hand.