His neighbor had been the first person he’d met in the city, and what a warm welcome it was. Norman had wondered when all this began what her take on these unusual fragments would be; they must’ve had some type of unusual characteristic, for them to be of such value in repairing the “firewall”. He had his speculation, but his knowledge of magical things lacked sorely. It didn’t take much thought to conclude that he ought to get her opinion on the matter.
The question merely remained: at what price?
She had repeatedly expressed her interest in winning. And while this particular scavenger hunt might have been beneath her, it surely would serve as a stepping stone to an ultimate victory. He couldn’t imagine her passing on the opportunity to gain an advantage; he would stake his shards on it.
Or he would have, if he could find her. Actively searching for a brief time immediately after the announcement had been a fruitless effort. He could only really hope to run across her inadvertently as he worked.
He went through many rather unique, if exhausting, encounters before he did find her. She appeared to be doing something with one of the spikes that he’d watched her carve, in one of the quieter, more isolated areas he’d found, not twenty feet from him. Norman observed from behind for a moment, surprised to find her here and unsure if she’d seen him or not. He felt...relief, though. Considering everything that had ensued since the Terminal was compromised, it had become a relief to discover that anyone he’d met before these events unfolded was still reasonably unharmed.
It would’ve been an opportune moment to keep quiet and see if he could confirm that her extended vision did not simply work anywhere, on any form of unprepared stone, but...if he could startle her, that would be just as well.
“I’m glad to see you’re alive, ma’am!” He didn’t raise his voice much -- no sense in drawing more attention than necessary -- but it was likely abrupt enough in the relative quiet to take most people by surprise. Not that he expects much. It was a point of interest, that’s all. “I was hoping to find you somewhere. Have you had much luck gathering fragments? They do seem like the sort of thing you’d have an affinity toward.”
@leylinemage