full of emotions, unfortunately

- > do nothing

- > add [VIAL of FOUL LIQUID]

- > drink the contents of the flask

[you pace around the room]

you pace as the candle's flame sputters beneath the flask.

nothing much happens, yet your anxiety grows.

time, like the wick, grows short.

- > do nothing

- > add [VIAL of FOUL LIQUID]

you pour the oily [FOUL LIQUID] to the addition funnel and it seeps down to form a bubbling [MIXTURE]. a thick, orange fume starts pouring out of the [MIXTURE], thankfully mostly contained within the flask.

the odor is terrible.

an [ANIMATED STATUE] in the corner of the room perks up at your error, the movement of its head tearing cobwebs as it turns to you. "Ah, I see you've concocted the Fool's Emulsion, " they sneer.

- > retort

- > take the [MIXTURE]

- > inspect surroundings

you look around the room.

it's filled with piles of alchemical glassware and unidentifiable reagents. the floor is strewn with crumpled notes written in languages you don't know.

several pieces of of the glassware appear to be arranged for some kind of experiment--this is what you just poured the [FOUL LIQUID] into to produce the [MIXTURE].

the [ANIMATED STATUE] sits in a chair in a dimly lit corner, watching you judgementally.

on one table lies a tome with several long strips of paper haphazardly stacked on top of it. the papers have intricately painted images of birds made of fire.

a breeze suddenly stirs the papers and one falls to the floor where it explodes into a small but brief fire.

you're not sure where the breeze came from.

there are no windows here.

- > retort

- > take the [MIXTURE]

- > take the [PHOENIX PAPER]

- > inspect surroundings

you think up a nasty reply to the statue's rude comment about your [MIXTURE].

the [ANIMATED STATUE] just laughs. "I think you'll find there's not much in here that can cut stone, especially not some oaf's attempt at witticisms."

with a grating, cracking sound the [ANIMATED STATUE] rises from its seat.

"You know what? I think I'll go with you. I want to see it when you inevitably die. Or worse."

you have gained a [COMPANION]

- > take the [MIXTURE]

- > take the [PHOENIX PAPER]

- > inspect surroundings

mindful of how easily the [PHOENIX PAPER] combusted when it fell, you very carefully pack the strips that remain into your [SATCHEL]. you notice as you pack them that they smell faintly of sulfur.

you have gained [PHOENIX PAPER]

- > take the [MIXTURE]

- > inspect surroundings

you look around the room.

the [PHOENIX PAPER] is no longer stacked on top of the book where you found it, and the [ANIMATED STATUE] is now sneering at you from a standing position.

otherwise, the [LABORATORY] looks the same as before--alchemical supplies and crumpled papers are chaotically strewn about.

- > take the [MIXTURE]

you blow out the candle and wait for the [MIXTURE] to cool. once it's cool enough to touch, you remove the addition funnel and quickly replace it with a nearby stopper. the stench coming from the [MIXTURE] starts to fade.

the flask is fairly small, but you're worried about putting it in your satchel with the [PHOENIX PAPER]. what if it got crushed in there? that would be very bad, you think.

you decide to just carry the [MIXTURE].

while you're thinking about this, the [ANIMATED STATUE] starts tapping its foot loudly. "Are you intending to loaf around the place all day?"

you shoot the [ANIMATED STATUE] a withering look.

it doesn't seem to care.

you decide it might be worth trying to seduce the [ANIMATED STATUE]. maybe it has some kind of useful information or can punch through a wall or something. or maybe it just fucks good. who knows.

you start batting your eyes and flexing, not quite sure what qualities a statue finds sexy.

unfortunately, the [ANIMATED STATUE] seems not only unimpressed but downright offended. "What's your fucking problem?"

you awkwardly apologize and end the seduction attempt.

i am officially in wet sanding/filling print lines hell (yes there’s a fingerprint on my shoulder, fingerprints in paint are canon ok boba fett has one. leabe me alone)

is the word "Polizei" in german considered singular, not plural? i would have expected "Die Polizei haben" rather than "habe"

update: googled it and yup! whereas in english we would treat the word police as plural ("the police are..."), in german, they would conjugate it as a singular noun (die Polizei ist...")