The shopkeeper barely glanced at them when they walked in, as if teenagers walking in was a normal occurrence, even pink ones. He didn't even give Mabel a second look, even though she'd been here before and was definitely hard to forgot.

"That time already, huh?" he grunted. He tilted his head to the side. "Winter clothes are over there. Suit up or you'll regret it."

"Oh, thank... you," Kipo said, startled. "How did you-?"

"You're not the first to come looking for jobs here," he snorted irritably. "Just take you jobs and get going already. It seems your already pretty late."

"Oh..." Kipo said. That did technically make sense with what she had seen before. "Thank you. How much-?"

"Nothing, they're for the job."

"Oh," Kipo said, beginning to feel like a broken record. She started to move to the coat rack, where the rest of her friends had gathered, before she paused, thinking better of it.

"Um... do you know Father Arlen?" Kipo asked him, as politely as she could, because he really didn't seem to be in the mood to talk. The shopkeeper glanced up at her, pausing his reading. Kipo would have liked to know what he was reading, but it was hidden under the counter, and Kipo assumed peering over would be rude.

"What do you mean 'do I know Father Arlen', everyone here knows that guy," the shopkeeper replied gruffly. "He practically runs this town."

"So he's my... boss now?" Kipo wondered. "Isn't he a pastor? Because he's a 'Father'."

"Well..." the shopkeeper paused, drumming his fingers on the counter. He seemed to be trying to wonder what to say next. "No, he doesn't. The Church is only the second highest authority in this town, and Mayor Darden Tawnie is the one in charge. Tawnie is technically the one writing your paychecks, but he can't run his own house, let alone a town. For all intents and purposes, Father Arlen is the big guy here. Has been for generations."

Kipo frowned. "One guy for generations?"

"Well, no," the shopkeeper replied. "'Father Arlen' is like a title, passed from father to son, every couple decades or so, even though the guy won't admit it. He seems to like to say that he's the only Arlen, but no one really believes that."

Kipo nodded, not really understanding. "That's... interesting."

"No, no, you can say it," the shopkeeper told her, almost kindly. He glanced out the window. "At least down here. Best not to repeat this up there; last I heard; he's got spies now."

"Spies?" Kipo repeated. "Does Father Arlen have enemies?"

"All Arlen has are employees but don't bother telling him that," the shopkeeper snorted. "No, that guys gone off the deep end. The most he's supposed to be running is a diamond mine, but now it's like he's a dictator, running a cult no one is volunteering for."

Kipo hummed, curious. "So you don't believe what he's saying? About demons and monsters? I thought everyone here did."

The shopkeeper barked at a laugh. "No, not everyone. At least not those of us who aren't listening to that rhetoric twenty-four seven. "

"You know they're killing people, right?" Kipo asked him. The shopkeeper nodded.

"Like I said: a cult," the shopkeeper muttered.

"Has it always been like this?" Kipo asked him.

The shopkeeper shrugged. "Hm. Honestly? I dunno. I only go up there at the end of my shift, and I don't talk to a lot of them, but... hm. Maybe it's always been like that. Though they have gotten a little weirder recently. I was surprised to go up one day and they had security."

Kipo schooled her face to keep her alarm out of it. "Security? Why?"

"Got a bunch of different accounts when I asked around, but it seems that one of Arlen's trials went wrong," the shopkeeper told her, sounding like he was wondering himself.

Oh. Well, there's that mystery solved. Kipo gulped. "So... what kind of security. Uh... I kind of do still want a job here..."

The shopkeeper waved her worries off, or that's what he seemed to be trying to do. "Just simple still. They pull you in for questioning about where you're from and why you want to work here... Dunno what they're looking for, but you'll be fine. Think of it like an interview."

For the sake of her 'disguise', Kipo tried to look reassured. "Oh, that's-That's good. Um... do you know where I can talk to Father Arlen? I need to ask him something for the job, it's urgent."

The shopkeeper looked intrigued, but thankfully, he didn't say anything, because Kipo had nothing. "Right now, he's probably in the Church, getting ready to pack up for the day, but if you don't get there in time, he's probably in his house behind it."

"Oh, great!" Kipo said, smiling at him. To her surprise, he seemed to smile back, and Kipo wondered if their chat cheered him up a bit. Maybe he had been lonely?

"Hey, Kipo, let's go!" Coraline called, and Kipo turned to find them all crowded by the door, their coats already on.

"Just a minute!" Kipo called back, motioning to the coat rack. "I just need to-oh."

Coraline held up a jacket in response. Kipo nodded.

"Okay, thank you," Kipo corrected. She turned back to the shopkeeper. "Thank you, for all your help."

The shopkeeper shrugged. "Whatever. Maybe if you have enough time, you could come back to chat sometime. Just don't let Arlen brainwash you completely."

Kipo's stomach fell guiltily at that, but she tried to ignore it, smiling at the shopkeeper. "That'd be nice! Um, when should I...?"

"I'm open anytime," the shopkeeper told her. "But... oh, maybe not. Arlen likes to work people to the bone, so don't worry about me. Use your break to rest."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I mean..." the shopkeeper seemed to struggle for a minute. "Well, we'll see. You'll see."

Kipo gave him a smile. "I'll do my best. What's your name?"

"Dwight Winthrop," the shopkeeper told her. He held out a hand and Kipo shook it.

"Thanks for all your help, Dwight," she said. "See you later...?"

Dwight nodded, looking much happier now than he had been when they first walked in. Kipo gave one last smile and waved, before hurrying out to follow her friends.

Coraline handed her the coat they had picked out for her. Luckily, it fit, and was warm and comfortable. Perhaps a little too warm and comfortable, so Kipo shrugged it off as soon as she realized it was good.

"So, what did you learn?" Coraline asked her.

"Um, his name was Dwight Winthrop and I think he was lonely." Kipo replied. Coraline gave her a strange look.

"No, about Arlen!"

"...Oh," Kipo realized, feeling embarrassed. "Right. Um..."

She looked to each of her friends, all gathered around her. They seemed intent to hear what she had just learned, and Kipo realized that they looked nervous.

"...I'll explain on the way," Kipo said. "Mabel, you absolutely can not be seen, because I think they're looking for you, but don't worry. I have... a bit of a plan. Listen to this."

They got up to the familiar town in the dead of night, well after Arlen should have left his church. From the way they came up the mountain, they couldn't see behind it to where Arlen's house supposedly was, but Kipo had no reason to doubt Dwight. They'd just have to get around the church, that's all.

But to do that, they'd have to avoid the little pinpricks of lantern lights wondering around the town, ducking in and out of buildings and the people holding them walked around. Security, Kipo assumed, and there was a lot of them, always traveling in pairs under one lantern, and Kipo counted at least a dozen lanterns.

Dwight wasn't lying about how much security there was, and Kipo thought that if they were caught, they'd have something a lot worse than an 'interview', especially Mabel.

They'd have to be careful.

"Remember: follow me closely," Kipo whispered to her friends. "And don't get caught!"

"We know, we know!" Coraline whisper-shouted back at her. "Let's just get moving already."

Kipo gave her a look, but turned away, starting into the town. There still was a nervous weight in her stomach, but Coraline was right, and Kipo reluctantly started moving forward. The snow crunched under her feet, but the nearest two guards were in the middle of a heated conversation, so Kipo doubted they were listening. The small group ducked behind the first building as the two walked past, none the wiser.

Kipo stepped out carefully again, keeping her back to the building as she snuck around it, feeling the rock wall behind her drag on her coat. Kipo glanced up at one of the windows as they passed: a stained-glass window that portrayed a red bird flying around a big, yellow ball. Hurricane's supposed fight with the sun, she realized, shown eerily similar to the one he himself had shown her on his screen.

Suddenly, she heard a noise. Just the slightest tip tap of footsteps that almost certainly didn't come from them. Kipo scowled to herself; these guards didn't seem to care to talk amongst themselves, and with the way Kipo and her friends were situated right now, they'd be spotted almost immediately. There was no where to hide, no where to run...

Kipo leaned back Coraline behind her, looking Luz in the eye even though Luz couldn't meet it in the dark.

"Luz!" she hissed urgently. "They're coming! Don't let them see us!"

Luz's eyebrows drew together in confusion a split second before light spilled out across the bend. Luz's eyes widened, and in the split second before they were seen, she lifted her hand. What she did wasn't immediately obvious, but when Kipo looked closely, it looked like the darkness in front of them was a little thicker than it was before.

Kipo breathed a sigh of relief as the light of the lantern passed over them... and then continued. She's have to thank Luz later, but for now, Kipo took Coraline's arm, pulling her along. Thankfully, Coraline caught on just in time, dragging the rest of them along as well.

Kipo was never more grateful to a lady luck as they rounded the end of the church without running into anymore patrols. Now, the end goal was in sight: a smallish cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney, and a soft light coming out from a window, behind a curtain.

"...Alright," Kipo whispered. "We all remember what to do, right?"

"Obviously," Coraline muttered. Mabel answered by hitting the palm of her hand with her fist.

Kipo took that as a good thing, and she nodded. "Perfect," she said, but butterflies still fluttered around in her stomach. She ran a hand through her hair nervously, procrastinating what she had to do as much as possible.

Kipo knew she shouldn't feel guilty, especially not for a monster like that... but she couldn't help but feel there was another way.

Kipo glanced around at her friends, and the darkness around them, the silent town other than the low drum of voices and the constant moving lights. Then, her eyes focused on the cabin in front of them.

This was Kipo's plan, and it was technically already in motion. It didn't have to go badly, as long as they were careful. Kipo took a steadying breath, and got to her feet.

"Let's do this, then," she said, feeling the slightest waver in her voice and hoping no one else noticed. "Watch out for patrols. Be smart."

"We know already," Coraline huffed, shoving at her grouchily. "Just go already."

Kipo looked around, still nervous, at her friends faces: Mabel's steady determination, Coraline's stern grimness, Tulip's apprehension, Luz's rage, Fei Fei's steadiness, and Kai's... extreme reluctance.

Kipo... trusted them. She hated how much she had to remind herself of that, but she found that, despite her nerves, she had a feeling they would be okay. They'd make sure of it.

Finally, Kipo gave them a silent nod, and slipped into the night, getting into position.

Silently, Mabel, Luz, Tulip and Coraline crept up to the house, with Kai and Fei Fei keeping watch for patrols coming up to the cabin. Mabel couldn't stop moving, shaking in apprehension and drawing quite a few different looks from everyone. From Coraline, who thought she must be scared, she got an eyeroll. From Luz, who figured she was cold, she got a pitying look. From Tulip, who didn't realize it was Mabel at first, she received a jump and a near scream, and then a withering look of reprimand. Mabel shrugged sheepishly. In truth, she was excited.

She revelled at the thought of seeing this unfair jerk again, and maybe even getting the chance to punch the smug bastard in the face. Kipo had given her plenty of chances to in the plan she outlined, and, boy, was Mabel ready to take all of them and then some.

Slowly, Coraline got up on her tiptoes and peeked in through the window. Mabel saw her eyes widen, before she shot back down again.

"Uh oh," Mabel heard her mutter.

Luz and Tulip exchanged glances of alarm.

"'Uh oh'?" Tulip asked her. "What do you mean by 'uh oh'?"

"Change of plans," Coraline told him. "He's coming out here."

"Oh," Luz said, before she realized what that meant. "OH!"

"Okay, just-," Tulip started, but before she could finish her thought, the door to the cabin swung open, and Father Arlen stepped through.

At first, all anyway could do was stare, everyone too confused to do anything. Father Arlen's eyes were wide in confusion as he stared at them.

"Wh-What-?" he started, but before he could get any further, Mabel leapt into action. Literally. She leapt at Father Arlen, headbutting him in the stomach.

Father Arlen let out a gasp of pain, falling to his knees.

"Wha-Mabel!" Tulip cried. "What was that for?"

"Nice thinking!" Coraline cried.

"What are you-?!" Father Arlen cried indignantly. But before he could finish, Mabel brought up her hands up, hitting him on the back of his head. Father Arlen fell face first into the snow, and he didn't get up again.

Everyone stared at him for a second.

"I... how old is he again?" Tulip asked.

"He's probably fine," Coraline said, not checking. "Well, we got him."

"Uh, all according to plan?" Luz agreed, somewhat reluctantly.

Mabel turned. "I'll go get Kai and Fei Fei."

"...Alright!" Tulip eventually called out, waving to Mabel's retreating back. She gave Coraline and Luz worried looks. "I really hope we're not murderers."