Let's hunt a monster (of the week)!

Mike arrives to the study room Phuong's picked out, in the basement of the university's library, just past 10:30. It feels early to him, but Phuong's clearly been there for a while: there are several maps spread open on the room's table and a laptop open beside them.

"You're late," Phuong snaps.

"Dude, it's like 10:33," Mike groans. "I didn't sleep well. Maybe go easy?"

She purses her lips. "...Yeah, me neither. That photo got me worried. And the Beloved are worried, too."

"Oh shit, you told them?"

"Of course I told them! This is exactly what we do!" Phuong sighs and sits down next to him, chewing her lip anxiously. "This seems bigger than the things you've dealt with before, though. We need to be careful. Your training's not done yet..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But I'll be careful. Besides, I've got you to protect me, right? Plus, you know. Magic." Mike grins. "Hey - I'm Magic Mike!"

Phuong snorts. "You wish."

"Hey guys!" Daisy breezes into the room, clad in a red tank top and yoga pants, and followed by a much more haggard-looking Ali, who just lifts a hand in exhausted greeting. "That thing Ali found was so gross. What is it, Phuong?"

Phuong waits until the door clicks shut behind them before speaking. "I don't know. And, what's worse, when I called it in to the Beloved, they didn't know, either."

"Your weird cult thing turned out to be unhelpful? Shocker," Ali says dryly, sitting down and taking out her phone.

Phuong glares at her. "The Beloved are not a cult. We are an ancient order of defenders against the darkness."

"Potato, po-tah-toe." Ali slides her phone across the table. "The point is, whatever did this is nasty. Now, ordinarily I'd just try to stay out of its way, but you guys told me you want to deal with this and make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else. So..." She gestures. "How are we gonna find and kill whatever this is?"

"Hmmm." Phuong frowns down at her phone. "I wish we could examine the body. Those mushrooms...I mean, beyond gross, they can't be natural. The monster must be related somehow." She glances at Ali. "I don't suppose you managed to grab any...?"