[Lore Mingle] Singing Songs to the Secrets Behind My Eye, Oh My

[thethirteenthchild]

Who: Dahlia Leeds & the former members of the Ocularum
What: Q&A
When: Post-Kadath
Where: The Oak & Iron
Warning(s): None

code

An Invitation from Dahlia

Those who aligned themselves with Neil West will find his house empty when next they go. All his furniture is gone, leaving a barren building, with the door to his basement locked. The meeting space, where all his esoterica and research were kept. Those who are stubborn enough to see what remains of his work can break down the door, but all that remains are cleared out shelves and a single table in the dark. A note sits on top of it, written in red ink.

However, a few days after all the dreamers have awakened, former Ocularum members will find that they've received a letter. Though it is anonymous on the outside, the contents will reveal the sender.

Hello,

I'm sure that you have questions. Now that Nyarlathotep has revealed himself, the magic preventing me from speaking on this is lifted. I am at liberty to give you answers now.

Meet me at the Oak and Iron at 2pm. A neutral space, during the day. I have rented out the private room in the bar so that we can speak.

For what it's worth, I am so, so sorry.

Regards,
D.A. Leeds

You'll find her sitting in the back of the bar, drinks and food already set out, her treat. She looks... stiff, and grim. But not afraid. Just sad.

Comments

[not_a_traitor]

"Fun," he echoes, and by contrast, it is blank and empty: the dazed calm of the walking wounded after a car crash. "That's all it was. Is. A game. There's not even..."

It would almost be better if there was real malice behind Nyarlathotep's havoc. Hell, any strong emotion would be better than this. All their lives and pain are just a passing diversion, too insignificant to be worth any care at all.

It's a bad idea when he's already this nauseous, but Gaeta grabs one of the whiskey bottles, the movement almost convulsive, and fills the closest glass nearly to the top. "Gods," he whispers brokenly before pushing the bottle back toward Dahlia.

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia gladly accepts it, doing the same.

"...I'm sorry," she says softly. "Truly. I... He had a good story, for being wary of me. My familial connections didn't improve the optics even a little bit. I just had to hope people would take a chance on me, and I couldn't exactly reach out across enemy lines without the information I was forced to keep silent. So I just had to... hope I could do some kind of damage control when it all blew over."

[not_a_traitor]

Gaeta nods -- mostly because that seems like the thing to do, rather than any serious agreement with what Dahlia's saying. He tosses back almost half of his drink in one go and grimaces at the burn.

"I never questioned it." The bleakness is back. "Maybe I should have. But I know how hard it is to let go when someone fraks you over. I always figured that's what it was, and then when he told us what you really were -- " He gestures absently. "That seemed like a good enough reason on its own."

He felt a bit sorry for Dahlia, when more of the details came out, but -- unlike other people in town -- Gaeta could never get over the fact that she was eating people, no matter how obligate it might've been. Neil's attitude toward the whole situation only reinforced his feelings.

(Not Neil. Nyarlathotep. Gods, why can he still not -- )

"Maybe if you'd gotten to me first, it would've been different." He turns the glass between his hands, eyes on the liquor as it swirls gently. "...Do you have any idea how the magic worked? That he used to silence all of you?"

Now that it's broken, Gaeta can't exactly go examining the threads.