Back at Number 6 Cheeseman Street, Tris lays the book on her desk, draws a circle around it in ink, and looks more closely at the book.

Not the standard protection spells. Not any warding that I can see, actually. Something more complicated than a student losing a diary is going on here.

Mind made up, Tris calls out to the other three. Daja, can you look at this?

A mental motion, and Daja was looking through Tris’s eyes. Sure thing.

Tris rolled her eyes. In person. I want a second pair of eyes on this. 

A moment of curiosity. Alright. The connection closes off.

Daja walks into Tris’s room and moves over to the desk that Tris is standing over, circle drawn in ink around it.

Tris looks over to Daja, moving towards the book.

I don’t see anything that you don’t, but you’ve always been better at seeing magic. But Frostpine mentioned an ambient mage once, who worked with paintings. It’s possible that someone works with books and ink.

Let me take another look.

Tris closes her eyes from a moment, and works a spell over her eyes, opening them as they begin to sting. The notebook is strange at best, not harmful to look at, but extremely odd. It looks foreign, but not any sort of magic she’s seen traveling.

It’s one piece of magic rather than several, which gives Daja’s theory a bit of support, but it’s honestly too strange to have a good idea of the origin.

It’s also purple. Not in a way that connects to anything in an obvious manner. Just. Purple.

It’s also a person. Daja-and-Tris look over the book, finding similarities between it, Chime, living metal, and a dozen other creations that the two of them have seen.

Here. And here. It’s alive, at least like Chime. That’s what the power here is doing, and there. It’s incredible, actually. I can’t tell what this is doing..I can. There, it’s…

“I think that means we should try communicating with it. It isn’t enchanted to hurt anyone who opens it, it hasn’t done anything hostile.”

I’ll talk to the others first. 

Hey, Sandry. There’s something I need to tell you.

Briar. A mental poke. Look at this.

Is everything all right?

Yes. Tris found this. Daja shows the last few minutes to Sandry, letting the memory move through their connection.

Huh. Is it particularly worrying? We don’t usually grab each other for our projects.

This is stranger than usual. Are you busy.

No, not in particular. I’ll finish up soon, and be there.

Thank you.

Can’t it wait, Daj’? I’m busy.

No.

Okay, fine, I’ll…is the book alive?

Yes.

And you want me too….

Tris wants to try talking to it. Any ideas?

…she’s the one who deals with Chime. Ask her.

….

Fine. I can finish up here in a few hours. Need to finish up a few sales. If you lost me this one….

You can manage it.

After a few hours, all four of them meet in a workroom, Tris moving the book to somewhere better warded then her personal space.

Sandry draws a circle around the area, spooling a thread around the area.

“My wards are better then yours, anyway,” Briar complained.

”Even, even, if I accept that is true, which I don’t, mine are easier to clean up.”

Briar rolls his eyes, but sits down on the chair nearest to him as Tris looks over the notebook a final time.

”Can you understand me?”

“I’ll try writing, I think. If that doesn’t work, we can ask someone else.”

And so, Tris flips open the book, looks over the first few pages, sees no obvious writing, and picks up a pen.

Can you understand this?

Yes! Hello!

Can I ask what might be a very strange question?

“Okay. We can talk to each other, and it understands our language.”

Sandry looks through Tris’s vision, while Daja and Briar both move other a bit to look at the book themselves.

“Huh. Seems like this was easier than we thought.”

“Yes. Be careful, though.”

Like you are. Briar snarked.

Shush.

Tris writes again. Hello. And yes, you can.

Are you by any chance one person who is also four people, or four people who are also one person, or something along those lines?

"I..don't think so," Sandry responds, reading the question from Briar's view.

Tris frowns. Considers, takes in the jumble of thoughts that the other three contribute, and tunes out the sniping between Sandry and Briar.

There are four people here. I am Tris, and the four of us aren't the same person. 

Considers an additional moment, and contacts the others.

How much do you want to share? The connection isn't a secret, but...

But this is very strange and could be hostile. 

Yes. 

Sandry chimes in. I'm fine with what you decide.

Briar considers for a minute. It isn't a secret. Share what you want, Coppercurls.

We can speak to each other mentally, if that could be what you mean?

Normally I'm sent to talk to one person at a time, but this time I'm supposed to talk to four people, I think? It's very unusual.

You were sent to talk to us?

I'm an avatar of the Spirit of Femininity Unleashed! I'm here to offer you—each of you—part of its power.

This seems..suspicious. Obviously. Also, the Spirit of Femininity Unleashed? Seriously?

It seems so, Briar. Should we get Niko, maybe? He's an expert in this.

He isn't, actually, an expert in strange magical objects who are also people. And we are qualified for this.

I guess. Be careful.

And so Tris writes.

Who is the Spirit of Femininity Unleashed? And what does it mean, exactly, to be granted the Spirit's power?