not-cromancy
"Huh."
Famous turned to his friend. "What's up, Sutton?"
"Be right back."
"Where ya goin?"
"Out."
"What?"
But Sutton was gone.
"Hm," said Famous, "wonder where he's going."
They meant what they said when they said Out. He came up in Boston, which was good. Easy to pass on a message to the team, in Boston. They walked towards where they knew the Flowers would be awaiting election results. Wouldn't you know it, he was an election result. Castillo was already fading - nobody had noticed, yet. Owen was sitting a little ways apart, towards the back. Good. Well, not good , but good for their purposes. He didn't have much time. Jogging up to their brother, they said, "Hey, Owen." Owen shrieked a little, and fell off his chair. Not enough for anyone to turn around. Thank goodness.
"What? Sutton?"
"Yeah, hi, don't have a ton of time, I have to go to Kansas, but uhh..." Where did they put it... ah, there it is. The joys of being too bright to see your own clothes. "Here. Letters, for the magic and former magic, and one for you. I can't stay."
Owen, if you could see his face, would have been tearing up. "Bro..." He launched himself into Sutton's side. "I missed you."
"Missed you too, Owen. It's not so bad, down there. Now, I gotta go. Give the Flowers my regards, and be nice to Lenny, yeah?"
"Of course, uh, wait, Lenny?"
But Sutton was gone.
"Am I in Boston ?" said Lenny Spruce, former batter for The Breath Mints. That got people to turn around. He had a voice befitting his other profession, that was for certain.
"Uh. Yeah," said Owen, "Welcome to the team, I guess. You'll fit right in."
Kansas... Kansas. They had to get to the shadows, somewhere. Where were the shadows? Ah, there they are. "Marq!"
"what?"
"You want to come back out?"
"uh, sure, but doesn't someone else have to come in for that to happen?"
"Typically, yes! But, there is one loophole."
"loophole? what is it?"
"Don't worry about it! Get out here, it'll be fine. Give the Mints my regards, yeah?"
"Alright, then. If you say it's fine then I suppose its fine. Who are you, again?"
"Sutton Picklestein! Was on the Magic, all the way from season 1. Kicked it early last season."
"Wait, kicked it?"
But Sutton was gone.
"...Where even am I? This isn't Missouri."
Now for the hardest part.
Charleston was in Kansas, for now, so that was good. He didn't have to go too far. And the dude they were looking for was... fairly distinctive. He appeared to be trying to steal something from a vending machine. Poorly.
"Hey, Tillman." Said dude banged his head on the vending machine as he stood up.
"What?"
"Uh. I don't actually know what to say about this," they said, then mumbling, "didn't give me a script for this part."
"What are you fuckin saying, dude." Tillman, finally, pulled his head out of the vending machine and looked at Sutton. "Oh. You're uh... that flowers guy, right."
Sutton snorted. "You're probably thinking of my brother. I was on the Flowers for not even a minute."
"So what team are you on then."
"Mints, technically."
"So whatcha doin' out here?"
"Jus vibing."
"Jus- oh. You're, uh, the dead guy."
"Yup! And, I know someone you should meet."
"Huh? Who?"
"Oh, you almost certainly don't know him, but you'll get along. Well, I don't think you'll get along at all, but you've got... some common ground. It'll be fine. He needs more friends."
"Wait, if- wait, where are we going. Hold on. You're dead, right, and taking me to meet someone."
"Yeah."
"Are they dead too?"
"Yup." They popped the p.
"But then..."
"You know the phrase that usually gets called out, yes? 'Tillman Henderson has been permitted to stay,' all that? How Jaylen got so lucky, to stay for as long as she did?"
"Oh no."
"Well I happen to be lucky the Other way. I'm not about debt. So I'm going back, you're coming with me."
"Who says? I don't want to."
"I mean. I don't want to be like, threatening, but time's almost up to go back the nice way, and you'll be returning to the hall anyway."
"..."
"Also. No doubt in my mind that someone will try and bring you back somehow. You're too much of a staple."
"...Fine."
"Great let's gooooo"
And they were gone.
"Faaaaaamous!"
"Hey, Sutton, how was your trip?"
"Excellent! Delivered some letters, said hi to my brother, kidnapped a Tillman, the works."
"Oh, that's nice. Wait what."
"My dear friend, are you acquainted with one Tillman Henderson? I know he was in the Hall for a bit but I also know you avoid everyone."
"I. Not personally. Just through reputation."
"And we all know reputation means practically nothing here!"
"Hey. Dude, Sutton. Put me down."
"Alright!"
"I did not need to be carried."
"But you're perfectly sized! If you tell me not to again, I'll stop."
"...It's fine."