San Francisco was anything but normal. But Asriel felt he ought to have been used to that by now. Even without all the strange and odd things happening, the city was a haven for everything under the sun and that kind of chaotic environment was just the sort that Asriel thrived in. And at least the latest bit of mischief wasn't too terrible.
He'd spoken with Cassie before. She seemed unordinarily bright for a young woman her age. In many ways, she reminded him of his own daughter. Lyra, he hoped, was safe back in her own timeline. Though he imagined she would love San Francisco for the same reasons he did.
One of the parts of the city that he particularly enjoyed was its love for all things art. He wouldn't admit it to Marisa but she had inspired him to try his hand at a few things. Painting his room was an interesting start but leave it to Asriel to go the unconventional way. He'd told Cassie about his plans to paint the walls of his bedroom first. Since the two of them seemed to be inseparable the last couple of days thanks to some unknown magic, it proved useful to ask for her help.
He'd cleared everything out of his room, of course, leaving nothing but paint and brushes. All the doors and windows were left open. But before they could start, Asriel started up a pot of coffee for them both.