Deerington Inbox

[onerthes]

[A tinny man's voice gives what is clearly a default answer machine message. Vira-Lorr is still figuring the phone out it seems.]
"Hello, we are not available now. Please leave your name and phone number after the beep. We will return your call."
*Beep*

Comments

[onerthes]

I wish I could say that I didn't expect that, but I did. I am glad that you didn't get killed hopefully for that information, but it is good to confirm it.

Still, at least the Rosary works. Perhaps we could, what is the word, triangulate?

Max and I have figured out the purpose of the glowing coins, by the by. I figured you would be interested to learn about that.

[no_reload]

I expected as much as well. There were no traps or barriers that brought me any harm, so you can rest your nerves until I try again.

Points to the mountain more often than not.

Do they buy you something worthwhile or just some sad joke of this place?

[onerthes]

I'll make a note of that all the same. It's good to know. As for Mother Superior, I'm not surprised. She is probably in the lab itself, which we cannot enter.

They give access to Sodder's heart. There are memories trapped inside, memories of Sodder herself assuming we're not being lied to. I saw what I believe was the origin of the Authority and a moment of her early life, with her mother.

[no_reload]

Indeed. Tormenting little girls or something. No doubt that lab will open up eventually.

Literal or figurative? Interesting. How do the coins give such access? I doubt it's as easy as heads or tails.

[onerthes]

Eventually. But until then, we prepare.

Both. The crystal we see from afar was gone and there was a great pulsing heart. When we threw two glowing coins into the moat that surrounds the lab it rushed up and pulled us in. We found ourselves in the heart, her memories accessible.

Two fully charged, each. I've returned since, and the same memory is there.

[no_reload]

Are you certain it's not a trick of this place and actually Sodder's memories? That close to the crystal and the lab puts you close to the Mother Superior.

Anything that gives a lead on freeing Sodder?

[onerthes]

No more certain than ever. All things are to be taken with a healthy grain of salt. But, the way that these memories felt like, and considering that the coins were something that we searched for in the sleep, it seems logical to assume that they are supposed to be real.

What it said about the authority, at least, fit what I had guessed, though not entirely.

[no_reload]

It does appear that people have to work harder than usual to access these memories in the first place. I expect that's supposed to mean they are better hidden from certain entities trying to control Sodder.

And that was?

[onerthes]

Or tied to memories more closely. It is charged by our memories, and accesses hers. Maybe that is both a link and the key that unlocks the seals and guards she has. The Mayor claimed to want into the great sleep after all.

I believe that she felt betrayed and unprotected from monsters by the police, and caused an alley cat to become a far more powerful creature. It was to teach the police their error and to take their place.

One authority for every policeman on the force that had failed her.

[no_reload]

Ah, yes, the paths that the dream-catcher takes us on. I haven't bothered to return there if I can manage it.

[As in, he wasn't risking someone else seeing his memories in case it was his turn to choose. Too many situations that wouldn't end well for him or anyone else.]

Such a childish manner of dealing with a situation where adults have failed. And I suppose the police force either didn't exist here or are dead now by the Authority?

[onerthes]

There have been other ways to get the drachma. The roller derby had some if you won, so I suspect we may find other routes, or barring that we might be able to just ask Sodder.

Well, she is a child. The memory, however, stopped short of answering your question. Perhaps they merged, perhaps replaced the humans and they died, or became wastes. That I am not entirely sure of, but that is their origin at least.

her magic, when she used it so directly, was a terrifying thing to behold.

[no_reload]

I was busy not winning on the roller derby. It was an interesting game and very destructive.

It would be nice to alter them so they weren't quite so nosy and extreme. There are plenty of illegal activities I could be doing if they weren't around to make this vacation in Deerington a lot shorter.

Was it? Coming from you who knows all about magic?

[onerthes]

Oh, you and that demon man both. He was tearing it apart all too happily. Pity I haven't seen him around lately.

I know much about magic, but if I've learned one thing in this place, it is that I do not know its full limits and I do not know everything. There are far more forms and powers than I ever thought possible.

[no_reload]

Are you talking about Lucifer? Or some other demon?

That's rather modest of you, especially since this place keeps getting the upper hand on you. Are you still thinking that Sodder will require elimination, or has the new memories changed your opinion?

[onerthes]

Hellboy actually. The one with the stone arm. I believe he is gone at this time, however.

I'm keeping all options open. She may need rescuing, or she may need to be putout of her misery, but I think we need to be certain of our method first.

My mistake this last time, Reaper, was trusting someone that I had every reason to trust, but who was brain addled at the time and being clever with me. Rather than smear their name, I'll spare them. They caught me by surprise.

[no_reload]

They do come and go so often these days. Hard to keep track.

We need more information before we go storming the lab. Who knows what we will find when we finally infiltrate.

You're too trusting then. Stop putting your back to anyone, and you might survive better. One might say that being friendly makes one open for higher death count here.

[onerthes]

At times.

Agreed. I'm not unwilling if she requires that mercy, but I also don't want to 'jump the gun' as it were.

Perhaps. I won't even say that you're wrong, Reaper. But I think we both know that it's a risk I'm much more likely than you to take, even if it causes far more mundane problems at times.

[no_reload]

Jumping the gun is a good way to take a bullet. I will look more deeply into these 'valves' that you've spoken of.

You are far more likable and social, yes. I imagine being at your age, the drama is entertaining rather than ridiculous. Besides, weren't you seeking a date? How did that work out for you? No details as I need to remain pure of heart.

[onerthes]

Complicated, awkward and unpleasant, but I think I'm in deep enough that escaping isn't wise until I get through what I'm dealing with right now. It's like walking through a minefield, blindfolded, having first been told to turn left when I should have turned right, and now at least one person is shouting recommendations at me.

I honestly would have cut my losses if both people involved in this morass were not truly worth caring about. But, they are, so here I am. Stuck and a bit confused.

[no_reload]

As all actual dating is from what I can recall all that time ago. It's amazing the human race manages to persist with how legitimately terrible the minefield of interpersonal relationships actually is.

My heart is black and withered. I would be interested in further details, if only to enjoy your suffering of being between a rock and a hard place. Deets or I won't believe you.

[onerthes]

This is worse than average, believe me. I may have grossly misinterpreted the things two people said to me in the past.

I will trust you with these "Details" you so crave on the condition, and the sole condition that our conversation does not leave the two of us. It is already bad enough as is, and while I have suspicions about your advice under the circumstances, I do actually trust you quite a bit, fool that I am. But I do not want you to speak to either of them, or to anyone else on the matter.

Or I will see just how much electrical current it takes to separate every bit of that mist form you so love using. Slowly. Are we clear?

[no_reload]

That is very, very foolish. Didn't we just have a conversation about you trusting people too readily and it earning you more deaths in this place? But fine, I cross my heart and hope to... be happy as punishment if I spill your secrets.

Depending on the people involved, I may speak to them on occasion, but your name will not be brought up. However, if they bring you up naturally in the course of conversation, I will speak of what I know of you but not details you have divulged to me.

Don't flirt with me either.

[onerthes]

I have no intention of stopping flirting with you, Reaper. I just don't mean anything by it, so let's settle on "Don't flirt with me Seriously." And if Maggie tries to set you up with me, be nice to her. She's a silly young thing, and she means well. But, since I haven't heard of her untimely death I assume she hasn't actually done anything foolish in that regard and has forgotten. Her attention span isn't always the finest.

Ahem. Yes. You are off the table. This is not about you. we've crossed that bridge, and I know where we stand.

But you are already well acquainted with Max and Chloe, I assume. This isn't a large city, Reaper, and I know about your past with at least one of them. You had to have run into the other since then.

I've become more than a bit taken with Max, reaper. And not in my little 'romp in the hay' escapades when I first got here. I have been trying to figure out how to ask her out for months, but this madness we're surrounded by doesn't exactly make it easy, and Chloe came banging on my door just the other night, demanding to know why I was flirting with Max.

The conversation was almost predictably horrible on both ends.

[no_reload]

[He's not sure he should be offended or bemused by the response. Vira-Lorr, you old cougar.]

I don't believe that I've had conversations with a Maggie before. She's either avoiding me or you've done well to warn her off of me. Either way, we will continue with our oddly diplomatic relationship.

I have met both of them, shot one, saved both of them on numerous occasions. I'm aware of many of their idiotic pitfalls as well given our conversations. So yes, I'm aware of the quagmire you just threw yourself head first in when it comes to those two.

Let me guess... Chloe is upset you've taken to Max, but she's also not in a place where she can commit herself and thus have Max for herself. Max, being the Queen of Personal Avoidance, has probably not seen the signs as well as she thinks she has and thus makes things worse without meaning to?

[This whole interpersonal drama is so good, he's even reading it out loud to his dog, so she too can revel in it. Look, he has no one else to share this with anymore.]

[onerthes]

Something close to that. But not quite. I think Chloe was under the effects of something, because she was unusually blunt even for her. She said things about me that were not exactly false, but they were definitely the worst construction. I rounded right back at her, and for the moment I don't think we're speaking. I have a few regrets over what I said, but I don't think I was wrong either.

They're not being entirely fair to each other, or to anyone else who might get caught in the mix. Part of Chloe is upset because she doesn't want me to try and sleep with Max casually, which is fair, and because she wants Max for herself, which is only fair if Max wants her in turn. Max may, or Max may want something back with Chloe that she can never ever have, and if it's the latter that's not fair either.

And the gods only know, she's probably shot her mouth off to Max and I should expect an angry phone call one of these days from her as well. The worst part is, for all the idiocy of this situation? I'm still interested in Max, and I still do care about Chloe, whatever she thinks of me right now. If they ended up together, I would probably back off completely for both their sakes, but if Max is pointedly not with Chloe, I don't think I'm wrong in at least offering one day.

I just want to see her smile once, the way I'm sure she can when she's not constantly avoiding her feelings all the time and trying to be stronger than everyone else. And maybe I'm selfish enough to want her to smile about me that way.