[ As if the way his mind is beginning to race like a rabbit's heart on the brink of giving out from fright isn't distracting enough, as soon as the laughter starts, she returns her gaze to him, brow furrowed. He really is genuinely threatening to lose it, isn't he? Trying to justify it in his struggling little mind, with its elasticity of a brick. Her frown becomes an impatient scowl, which she smooths only slightly before he opens his mouth again, and the scowl becomes a sneer of disgust. ]

[ This is his idea of resuming a normal human conversation? Honestly, how dare you introduce the mental image of Richie Tozier with a hand up his ass into her life. Or mine. I'm reporting you. ]

If you would prefer, then, I shall be just as intimate with my foot, punting you and your tumors out of this place. I am sure the guards will be awed and delighted by your little party trick.

[ No, he's not going anywhere. They're still here to do a job, and that takes precedence no matter the personal issue he takes with magic, and if he can't at least try to be understanding, let alone appreciate that she's just yanked him out of trouble, her sympathy will shrivel right quick. ]

You remember when I said I shall make up the bizarre points with impact? Consider this my belated entry. You will have your answers, [ she raises another finger, slightly (much) more dangerously now as her neck cranes toward the tune of voices overhead that have begun to banter on the topic of their trinkets of the Temple. It's a vague enough discussion at first, but simple to tune into with her own encyclopedic knowledge of talismans... Small talk, but worth focusing on. Richie eventually snatches a sliver of focus back for himself, when her shushing hand flips palm-up, shrugging along with the rest of her arm. ]

This is the Crystal. This is where I stand all day and all night and play puppets with you in the physical world, I would think this would be obvious.