Replay!

[Cracked View]

Rhy'Din: The inner thoughts of some pretty creative minds, as well some sick ones, depending on your point of view. We were sent here to find my counterpart's boyfriend, who is *not* her boyfriend if you ask her. She's been to Egypt way too many times because she's in *denial.* I should know, because I *am* her on so many levels, sans the inhibitions, and sharing my body with a Daemonic entity that after a come-to-Jesus meeting is seeing things in a totally different light. Which is a good thing, because I was feeling several cards short of a full deck to begin with, before the whole glass/mirror shattered on me.

Anyhoo, we were checking out some of the *many* taverns, inns, pubs and such for any clues of where the elusive Mr. Steele may be. All I have to say is this: They *really need* to put signs out front warning what those places are! 'Anthro Herm Inn?' I'm going to have nightmares for weeks! Lilith, on the other hand. was having a ball with it all. Brehnic was still playing the dark and brooding role, which I couldn't blame him for, while Eve had that look like she was hoping this was all some bad B-movie dream she'd soon wake up from.

Eww. I didn't even know guys could be that ... flexible.

Eve ... just wanted to get out. Trying to find Steele was proving to be more difficult than she might have thought, and the things they were coming across along the way were ... well ... bizarre. She realized that she was a bit more on the prudent side than Eve X was, but she generally tried to keep an open mind - to a point, at least. More than once, they'd come across something that inspired a sudden interest in the wall or floor, or a disgusting kind of fascination before shaking it off and turning away. "I'm really gonna need therapy after all this is over." It was hard to tell if she was joking or not by her tone.

"I know why you're feeling *off* of late: that stupid Rune Portal you touched. Just go with me on this. When was the last time you used your powers, *not* including Vision?" She paused long enough to see some moron stumble inside the Inn and ask everyone how old they were, and what their sex was. Cringe moment!

And that was when Lilith decided to emerge, and Eve X's features went all pale and veiny. "This is not getting us any closer to Steele, Mr. Kohnar."

Brehnic glanced over his shoulder, not fazed in the least by the shift in Eve X appearance. "That's not why we're here."

-Flashback!-

We had met up again shortly after one of our group had been killed. I was with Jara and Evan, and we had been checking out Eve's old stomping grounds when Jara started freaking out, and dropped to the ground and sobbing out of control. We discovered why moments later: Jared's body had been found inside Eve's former apartment, and words cannot describe what had been done to him, so I won't even try. Apparently, she had Seen his spirit, which spoke to her, and led us to the apartment. The Daemons knew we were in Rhy'Din, which meant it was time for a change of plans. Jarrod suggested I take the Eves and head into the heart of Rhy'Din, because he felt they would be targeted next. He said he'd meet up with us at a certain location there to discuss our next move.

Personally, I think this is crazy. It blows away everything I was raised upon, because places like this just *don't* exist.

The girls are holding it together, barely, and time is becoming a factor. I feel like one of those hamsters running in place in the wheel. How was this going to help us find Steele? *Any* of them? All three brothers were missing, and we we're stuck in some crazy fantasy Realm trying to find them.

-Present Time!-

At the Medieval Tavern: "This must be it. We've already been through *four* of these already. Hey Eve, Jara will be fine ... I hope. At least Evan's with her."

"Yeah." Her agreement was quiet, but that didn't do much to calm her nerves. Jared was already gone, brutally, and she was afraid for Jara and Evan. And the Steeles. And themselves! Talk about pressure!

She'd been managing to keep relatively still, save for the curl and uncurl of her fingers now and then, and more often than not wore that doll-eyed expression. This place was just ... weird. Even for her! Oh, yeah, maybe she'd get used to it in time, but that was something Eve was hoping she wouldn't have to do. More to the point, she was just hoping they'd all come out of this in one piece! Bad enough they'd already lost one ... "Jarrod didn't say *when* he planned on showing up, did he?" ... Not that she had a way to keep track of time, anyway. Something about 'Porting threw her out of whack.

Lilith was somewhat amused by their surroundings, more than the rest of them, and was watching Eve pretty closely. "You never answered this one's question, other Eve. You have lost your Gift, no? Mayhap stolen from you by Lord Cromwell? We be inside your dream world? No mirrors, no reflections. Perfect Rhy'Din, not so. Push you over the edge, finally? It was also about *you,* remember? Stonebridge? Quit playing. Find him. Go home. Tired now."

And with that enigmatic exchange, Eve X was back, murmuring "I hate when she does that, but it does make sense. A little. Ohh! This is almost Medieval-like. Gawd, how'd they get all those people to fit on that small ass porch?"

She'd blinked at Lilith, just before raising a brow slightly. A shrug, and she quietly admitted, "I don't know. I haven't tried using any of it - I mean, I didn't have *reason* to, and I don't usually make Telekinesis part of my everyday life. But ... um ... I don't really understand what else she's saying." Bits and pieces made sense - sort of. Perfect Rhy'Din? Also about her? What? Eve shook her head, and had glanced at the porch in passing, mostly ignoring it as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Good. Maybe
there wouldn't be too many people inside, then.

Eve X waited until they were inside and Brehnic had gone to find them a table, before leaning over to have a personal chat with Eve. "Having Lilith inside me - Okay, that did *not* sound right Being possessed by Lilith, allows me to see things on another scale. I think I've got this nailed down. Steele ... still has his Realm mojo, because they never took it from him. Cromwell and his brood try to nab him from that falling endless Black Hole Sun, won't you come, to wash away the pain, Black Hole Sun ... Sorry. Love that song. Where was I? Oh, yeah. The whole Glitch Effect freed him, right about the time we ... *you* had your first mirror moment. Steele locked onto that somehow, and was in our ... *your* Reality, only his presence started causing ours .. *yours* to Glitch up as well. That much we knew already. Thus the whole Reboot concept. I don't think Cromwell has the brothers - more like they're 'misplaced.' That was why we weren't captured: they wanted to use us as bait to find them. The problem is, the Glitches are getting worse, and if we don't do something soon ... You've seen the signs all along. Everyone around us keeps changing. Subtly at times, really blatant other times, only the blatant is happening more and more often. How many times have you seen Evan in different settings? Even Brehnic is not the same. He died, you know. Came back, and he's having a little trouble taking that all in. Lilith said he's an Immortal, like Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, but wasn't he just human when you met him?"

"Honestly? I don't know. It's not like he had a big stamp on his forehead before that said 'human.'" Eve shrugged and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose momentarily. "But yeah, I get the point. I got it before, it's just ... Jeeze, in this place, I don't even know where to *start* looking, nor am I really sure what do when we find them." Yeah, she was trying to keep positive - not 'if,' but 'when.' "I mean, the places we might expect him to be were checked, right? So what are we supposed to do? Put out a call or something?" ....Not that she thought that could happen, and she wasn't totally confident that it wouldn't be 'heard' by the wrong ears, anyway.

Eve X leaned over to whisper, "Screw this. I say we look for Steele on our own. Playing by everyone else's rules is getting us nowhere! We try the Coffee Shop, and then his place. You still have your cell, so clue Jara in. Sounds like a plan?"

Quietly, "Yeah. Almost anything is better than cooling my heels here." At least then she *felt* like she was doing something, making a real effort to find him. She shot a glance Brehnic's way, then headed for the door again, pulling the cell out of her jacket pocket to make the call as she moved.

Brehnic had finally caught the tender's attention and ordered their drinks, but when he glanced around for the two, he saw that they were no longer there. He didn't seem too caught off guard about it. Instead, he sat on a stool, sipping his beer, and pulled out his cell phone. "Yeah, it's me. The rabbits have left the hole. Hmm? I'm shocked it took them this long." Only then did he smile like the Brehnic of old.

Meanwhile, Eve X allowed Lilith to take control again. The Daemonic girl led them into a more secluded part of Rhy'Din, where she began to cast a spell. "Stay close. Noticed not. Go now."

"Yeah, what's up?" Jara sounded really motivated even not considering what happened, but she also thought it was cool to hear from her bud. "We're at where the PSD *should* be, but it's some warehouse instead. Fuckin' weird if you ask me. You did *what?*

"We've left to look on our own. Brehnic just...I don't know. He doesn't feel that motivated, to me." Granted, it's not like it was his maybe-maybe not significant other out there, either. "We're gonna try his place and the coffee shop. Are you guys okay?" She'd behaved and got still and quiet long enough for Lilith to work her mojo, then the two got moving again. "I think we're gonna try the shop first." She glanced at Eve X, more or less to see if she was in agreement.

Quietly, Jara said, "Luckily, ye caught me in th' ladies room, so I can talk freely fer a minute. This place does not Feel right. Evan Feels it too. It Feels ... Wrong. Be careful, 'kay? I'm ... okay. Tryin' not to think about it much. Gotta be focused. You ever seen an Anthro herm before? Spooky! Uh-oh, they're checking on me, so I gotta bail. I'll call later!"

And while Eve was conversing with Jara, she suddenly found herself near the Coffee Shop. Lilith was looking more pale than before, and was hunched over, collecting herself. "Side Shift. Reality tampered. Cromwell. "

The name alone was enough to make her blood run cold momentarily. Eve shook off a shudder and glanced around, brows rising. "Come on." She reached for Lilith, hesitantly. "We're closer. Let's see if we have any luck." The cell phone had been returned to her pocket, but she'd touched it for a second longer, idly. Had Steele had his phone on him? It was probably a stupid idea, but she pulled the phone out once more and glanced at Eve X/Lilith, then hit his number on speed dial. "...Yeah, this probably really bright." Don't mind the note of sarcasm in her voice.

The ringtone sounded from somewhere nearby, and a glance would let them see Steele pause from getting out of his SUV, which was parked right across from the Coffee Shop! Tiliting his head to one side, he looked at the number and frowned slightly before slamming his door shut, then continued to cross the street. It was early still, so there wasn't much traffic. "Steele here. Speak your piece."

Eve X had returned, allowing her other half to recover just in time to see Eve press the call button, and hear the faint sound from somwhere near. Her eyes went wide, but she wasn't looking at Steele, but instead through the window of the Coffee Shop at herself!

A look back at Steele. "This was when he ... But how ... Oops!" She pulled Eve into the alley by the Shop, just as Steele looked in that direction.

Eve had just enough time to yelp as Eve X pulled her into the alley, and not having a clue what to say or do, she snapped the phone shut. She stood there with her 'twin,' wide eyed, and glanced back the way they'd come. "What was that? I mean ... I thought I saw ..." She snapped her mouth shut, feeling momentarily as if her head might explode from the confusion this all inspired.

"I think Lilith took us through time. Maybe we can pull Steele aside and tell him what's up? He *is* in the PSD, so it shouldn't freak him out too much ... right? Better decide quick, because if memory serves me right, the goth couple are enroute, and I'm bettin' they're Daemon!"

Steele stared at his phone again, having no response, then muttered to himself about upgrading his phone to track down hackers. Stopping at the door, he spotted who he was looking for, and preparing to step inside.

"I wonder if this is the first or second time?" Eve shook her head, trying to figure out how to find that out for certain. "The second time, I'm not so sure that they were." She weighed the phone in her hand, staring at his number, trying to figure out what she'd even say when she hit the number again. 'Hi, you may not remember me, but you're a Glitch in Reality and we really need to Reboot you. Except I don't exactly know how to do that.' "Oh my God." Huffing a sigh at herself, Eve hit the number again and shrugged, looking at Eve X and putting it on speaker, to boot.

Annoyed: That was the best way to describe the man in black, as he reached for the door only to have his phone to go off once again. This time, Eve would get his voice mail instead, as he walked inside the Shop. "Crap. He's quick, that's for sure. Now what?"

Eve sighed, clicked the phone off, then tried one more time. "I don't know, short of bulling right into it, which would probably just serve to drive the me here and now batty, or they'd assume I'm a Nora." Not good prospects, either. "But if we're not exactly in the right time, how is this gonna help?" He'd forget ... wouldn't he?

"Because he's a Glitch? Didn't he remember the other times?" A shrug of the shoulders, while playing with the zipper of her jacket. Peeking through the glass once again, she cringed. "Wow, I looked so ... you know." Peeking again, she nodded to herself. "Let's go with what we know. You have to tell him. I'll stay out here, and play decoy with the goth couple. I have Lilith as backup. Use that phone to try calling Jara and the others. That's what I'd do, if .... I were you." A sheepish grin, along with a less than gentle shove that pushed Eve out in front of the Shop. Eve X looked down at her watch, waiting.

Meanwhile, on the inside, Steele had used the drive down to mentally rehearse several possible ways to approach the girl without:

A) Spooking her
B) Having the Police called on him
C) Being sprayed with mace
D) All the above.

This time, it was all about being subtle. At least it was a Coffee Shop, so he should be able to blend right in.

Finding a stool towards the center of the Shop, Steele allowed his glasses to slide slightly down the bridge of his nose to offer a full view of his eyes. He ordered a large Colombian blend. The one who he was looking for wasn't hard to find, and he flashed her his best friendly smile.

"What?! I don't - " But it was too late. Eve X had already shoved her out of the alleyway, and Eve had absolutely no idea how to approach this. Why was *she* nominated for this?! Drawing a deep breath, Eve wished she had a hat or something ... but wait. She *did* have her sunglasses. "Better than nothing." Slipping them on, Eve straightened herself up a tad and strutted right into the Coffee Shop, looking much like Steele himself - clad in black, with dark sunglasses on.

The one *she* was looking for wasn't hard to spot. Eve stepped up and had a seat next to him, close, but not crowding him.

Looking at herself was an incredibly strange feeling, even weirder than when she'd been presented with the Noras or Eve X. She ordered a mocha cappuccino, which she - well, Eve 2 - went about filling.

Eve 2 couldn't shake the feeling that something bizarre was going on; the black clad man was a bit out of the ordinary enough, but now the woman topped it off. And the woman looked so *familiar,* but with the glasses on, it was hard to place her. Was she a regular? She shot the pair more than one lingering glance as she went about her duties, but she had a strange Feeling of her own - nothing that was actually malevolent, but more akin to ... deja vu.

The first time Eve 2 turned away, Eve turned to Steele and pulled her glasses down just enough to peer at him over the rims. "You're an investigator, right? Any chance I might get a word with you outside?" Yeeeah ... this was definitely interesting.

[Cracked View]

An arch of the eyebrow - the right one, to be exact. That was Steele's reaction to the woman that had spoke to him. A fleeting glance at the one whom he sought, then back at the one next to him again. Without another word, he was already off his stool and heading towards the door with a less than amused look on his face. Why? Those files mentioned *nothing* about a twin!

Eve X had done her job as well, for the Goth couple that should have been arriving at any second was nowhere to be seen.

Steele? He'd folded his arms across his chest and had quite the annoyed look on his face. He wasn't talking just yet.

Well, didn't he look happy? Eve couldn't blame him though, given that he was there for a specific purpose and there she was, interrupting it. She'd been quick to push the glasses back up her nose to cover her eyes, and threw a glance at Eve 2 before proceeding to the door. She'd noticed that her 'twin' kept throwing her odd looks, weighing, considering, as if she were trying to figure out where she might have known her from. Too bad; if Eve had thought her mind could have handled it at this point, she might have told herself as well!

Once outside, Eve stopped with her back to the window, and pulled her sunglasses off. Oh. Great. Where did she even start? "Okay, um, I know you're a man with an open mind, Steele, and that's pretty much what I'm depending on here. I'm Eve Nora Lizt, and no, I'm not her twin. I'm *her* -" Here Eve made a gesture behind her, indicating the woman still visible through the window." - but from a different time." Deep breath, which she let hiss out quietly, then broke her own tension with a grin and little laugh. "Oh, but that sounds so B-movie corny, but it's the truth. I'm here because ... well ... basically? A Daemon Lord did some whacked-out mojo and we've ... um ... lost you." Why did *she* have to try and explain things? She sucked at it! She half-expected him to laugh at her and walk away, or call the cops, or worse.

Waitaminute. She knew his name? No, let her finish first. Not a twin? Different time? What the fuck? He was a Paranormal Investigator, not some Sci-Fi expert! What next? The guy in the suit from the Twilight Zone comes walking out of nowhere?

... Wait, she said Daemon Lord. *That* was classified information! During all of this, Eve was getting a strong dose of her own trademark empty doll eyed expression right then, as Steele processed what was said to him before responding. It came down to either/or. Either she was telling the truth, or she was one of them, and he followed her out like a first day rookie. Another turn of his head, so that he looked back inside the shop at ... her, then back at ... her. "I think they just did something like this on 'The Chronicles of Sarah Conner.' Tell you what: I'm going back inside to mull this over and drink my coffee, because if you *really* know me, you won't ask why." And with that, the man in black simply walked right back inside the shop, sat himself right back down, and reordered his coffee. Oh yeah, those wheels were turning.

Yeah, she was kind of afraid of getting that look, too. She was hoping to get something else out before he walked back inside, but anything that tried to come out was so jumbled and disorganized it wouldn't have made any sense. Her fingers curled and uncurled, then she slid the glasses back on and glanced back to the area she'd left Eve X in. "This is so seriously screwed up." Murmured to herself as she debated for a moment whether or not to follow him in. She
*did* know how he was - he gave things some thought before seriously buying into it, and what she'd said was hard to believe. Folding her arms to stop the nervous movements, she leaned against a section of the brick wall to wait, eye her watch, give the countdown of five minutes; that was about all the patience she could muster, at this point.

Steele just couldn't shake the vibe that her story was on the up and up. He was so distracted about what just happened that he accidentally spilled his coffee on the server, Eve. "Dammit! You alright? Sorry about that. Early morn' butter fingers." Curious. The other Eve had not come back inside after dropping that less than subtle bombshell. That, he could take several ways. Of course this just blew all to Hell what he was going to say to the server version now.

"That's okay. I've got it." Eve 2 flashed him a smile, though there was something a tad uneasy in it. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on under the surface here that she was missing, but it was something *important.* She went about the short process of getting him another cup of coffee, shooting an idle glance at the regulars that exchanged money, someone having won the 'coffee spill' pool already.

Eve had all she could take; as soon as the last minute ticked away, she returned to the inside of the shop, shooting herself a brief look before stepping up beside Steele. Near enough to talk quietly, but not crowding him. "You were right about your reason for coming here today, you know." She spoke quietly, and declined the order of another coffee for herself, though she noticed the lingering look Eve 2 was giving her.

"I'm sorry ... have we met before?"

Eve smiled serenely and gave her head a little shake. "Nah. I just have one of those faces."

Doubt flashed across Eve 2's features, but she walked off, returning to her usual little morning duties. Eve returned to speaking to Steele, tilting her head and sliding her sunglasses down enough for him to see her eyes. "She - I - was in danger, and legit, and it's not really over yet, either. But that's not really what I
have to talk to you about. I need you to remember something - how, I don't care. I don't care if you write it down and keep it in your pocket, tattoo it on, whatever. But when we're separated, I need you to meet me - meet *us* either here, or at your place. This is *extremely important." Dropping her voice to a whisper, she gave a little glance around, looking for prying ears and eyes. "*They're* looking for you, Steele, and I - *we* - need to find you first." She was a tad annoyed at how it kept changing from 'we' to 'I.' Yeah, she was worried about finding him, but it was about a lot more than just herself and her own worries. "Look, I know this sounds more than whacked, but I need you to believe me. Me, the Ricos, Kohnar ... all of us." She'd returned to the quiet voice tone, just above the whisper.

After getting his fresh cup, he left Eve a tip, "Okay." Removing his glasses, he set them down in front of him. Those dark brown eyes looked right through her. "Ten minutes. I don't see you, frail, I'm gone." Picking up his glasses, Steele paused long enough to glance down at his coat pocket. Shaking his head, he tosses the paperback book on the counter by the tip he left for her. On the way to his house, he was going to make a certain call. Or two.

Oh, but Eve only hoped she hadn't screwed things up somehow. Glancing at the paperback, she then eyed herself, then idly checked the inside cover to see if there was a number inside. If not, she'd happily pen Steele's in there before ducking back outside herself. " 'X?" A glance both ways, looking for the familiar figure before moving back the way she'd left her.

The chill that ran up and down her spine would tell her all she needed to know. Lilith stepped out from the shadows, no worse for wear. "The ones that followed last time will not." Was that blood on her hands? Did she ...?

That's about the time Steele's vehicle went racing past her, not in the direction of his house, but deeper into the downtown district. Lilith quietly watched the car, with a tiny smile.

Her brows drew together as she watched the car, then shot Lilith a look. The Daemon aspect in Eve X unsettled her, as always. There was just no trusting it! "Where's he going?" She suppressed a shiver as she stared off in that direction.

Inside the Coffee Shop... "What? You've got to be kidding me!" This from Eve 2, who was currently on the phone with her landlord. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in just a few minutes." She had the book in hand the black-clad man had put down, and had actually been about to run outside to try and catch him, find out if he meant to leave it when the call had come. She gave Linny a brief rundown about the call, then was out the door, pulling on her jacket as she went.

Eve happened to see her just in time to push Lilith back into the alleyway, and quickly followed herself. But wait ... things were seriously screwed up now, weren't they? "Dammit ... where's she going?" Murmured under her breath, before she shot Lilith a glance, and moved as if to follow her - well, so long as she wasn't pulled back.

And pulled back she was; Lilith's grip was like a vice, and she did not move an inch. "Disrupted the flow of events, you did. Put it right, I did." Then she let go of Eve's arm, and followed her.

Meanwhile ... "So let me get this straight: Nothing was taken, but there are two dead bodies? See, this is why I got out of the force to begin with. Crazy shit like this. The irony? I deal with it more now. Do we know who lives here?"

Steele knew the moment he pulled up: It was Eve Lizt's place. Okay, this was too weird for words. "So why'd you call me in on this?" He was still friends with many on the Police Department, and some of those kept him in the loop as far as crimes that went beyond the normal scope to explain.

"The bodies? Total Gothic. They have the same tatts that were on the walls at that house we were called to last month. Damned occult thing is getting crazier!" Steele got the green light to go inside, being careful not to touch anything, or to throw up.

"Yeah, I got you. But tell me this, Lilith: Shouldn't we be getting back to our own time to see if he remembers so we can *find* him?" This was just getting to be ... insanity. She understood that things had to be put right, but couldn't Eve 2 and Steele do that on their own? She remembered her mindset about this time - she was still uneasy with herself, curious about the things she Saw and still horrified by them at the same time. She'd gotten out of Stonebridge, but still saw it as fifty-fifty odds as to whether she really should have still been locked up or not.

Eve 2 made it back to her building in record time, and the fact that she didn't live too far away and had sprinted most of the way didn't hurt, either. She was nearly about of breath when she'd gotten there, and a chill was clinging to her skin that she couldn't quite shake, despite the heat from running. She introduced herself to one of the officers present, got the chance to say a word or two to her landlord, and then was lost in the swirl of activity. Funny, she'd never been so close to a crime scene before, even if she hadn't been let in the building yet.

They weren't letting anyone inside until the crime scene was bagged, tagged, and cleaned up away from prying eyes. Steele let them do their jobs, as he walked back to his vehicle, jotting a few things down. That was when he noticed Coffee Shop Eve. Poor kid did *not* want to see what was in there, so Steele made his way over there to steer the girl clear of the scene. "Trust me, frail, you don't want to go in there. Let's walk."

Lilith gave Eve a look, as the pair were close enough to witness, but far enough away to not be noticed. "You don't belong here." That voice came from behind the two girls, and sounded very much like Eve herself - it was Nora!

Eve 2 had been leaning against his vehicle without even knowing whom it belonged to. The book he'd left was in her hands, being kneaded slowly back and forth, and her wide-eyed gaze was fixed at some point on the ground. No one had been giving her any answers ... The voice startled her, and she blinked to realize it was the man from the Coffee Shop. "What? Oh, um ..." She glanced from him to the building, then back again, straightening. Maybe he'd at least tell
her something; he looked official, anyway. "Okay. What's going on?"

Eve had been careful to stay out of sight - not just of herself, but pretty much everyone else. It would have looked pretty weird if Steele had noticed her at the scene of the crime, too. The voice made her stiffen her shoulders, then look over her shoulder. Oh, great. And she'd noticed that Lilith hadn't answered her question, either. "... What took you so long?" About time for something to go wrong, wasn't it?

Nora was looking quite perplexed, looking at all three Eves, not counting herself, but her stare was longer on Lilith. "Explain time, no. " And with that, Lilith reached out and grabbed Nora's wrist.

-*Contact!*-

Nora's eyes rolled back in her head before she fell to the ground from being overloaded. "Yes, it makes sense now. Yeah, I can do that. Might be fun, even." Nora had a small, devious smile on her face as she sat on the ground, her eyes locked in on Coffee Shop Eve. "Sort of ironic, when you think about it." Dusting herself off, Nora nodded at Lilith, and blew Eve a kiss before she Shifted away.

Steele wasn't sure what caused him to look, but there they were - all *three!* But a blink later, there were only, and scant seconds after that, only one. Looking back down at Eve, he shook his head several times. "Sorry, need more coffee. Seems that you had a pair of robbers inside your place, who turned on each other, by the looks of it." Bemused look when he said that? Yup.

Eve was giving Nora an empty-eyed stare, and after it was all said and done, she gave Lilith much the same. "What did you do?" 'Might be fun?' What was she talking about? Lilith was giving Eve the creeps more and more every second ..

Eve 2 was still feeling uneasy, and more than once her eyes had happened to fall on the figures of the three women - triplets? They were all the exact same height and build, but one looked ... odd. Sickly, to say the least, but she more or less reminded her of the things she so often Saw. And was one of them the same that had come into the Shop? She shuddered, and tried to push the thought away, focus on his voice. "They ... they what? How could they ... why ... ?" It came out disorganized, muddled, and she finally stopped and shook her head. "Why would someone break into *my* apartment? I don't even have anything worth stealing!" This was just ... off the wall.

Making herself stop, she drew a deep breath, then offered the book to him. "You left this at the Coffee Shop."

"Frail, after how my day has started, I don't need that book any more. " Okay, he'd have to explain what he meant by that of course.

Lilith, seeing all she needed to see, began walking away from the crime scene, her dark thoughts turning elsewhere. Her stride had a purpose, and she seemed to have a destination in mind. If Eve was talking to her, there was no response as Lilith stopped, her body becoming out of focus for several moments, before reappearing once again. "Find now the others." She whispered, blood dark eyes staring through Eve's very soul, bleeding away as Eve X reemerged.

"Sorry about her, she gets in those weird moods sometimes to the point where I can't figure her out." Looking around, Eve X nodded to herself before smiling at her counterpart. "Call Jara." With all the constant weirdness going on, it might have escaped Eve that they were right across the street from a certain bookstore!

Naturally, Eve 2 gave him a curious stare, and finally raised a brow. "That bad, eh?" Oh, but she had no idea!

Eve shook her head in annoyance at Lilith, but was glad to see Eve X reemerge. "Yeah, tell me about it." Pulling her cell phone back out, she blinked away a second or two of disorientation, and hit Jara's number on the speed dial. Of course, it *did* dawn on her where they were ... "The Dragon's Lair." Yeah, she remembered the bookstore. Wasn't fun.