(( The name is Dolli's fault ))
WHEN: 1943 Oct 13th, morning WHERE: The underground sanctuary
WHO: Niles Roesler and Dinah Windgrace
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[10:54] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently): There was noise in the underground sanctuary that day. It was different from the skittering movements of the underground temple's guardian, something other than the wet plod of his hunting prowl. From the chamber dedicated to Yog-Sothoth there was a violent splashing, as if someone were fighting the waters themselves. The thud of a body was heavy and echoing. Wet hands scrambled at the stones, a hoarse voice hacking up liquid that had filled his lungs. His hair sprawled plastered to his face, drenched brown strands over pale angular features and cold blue eyes with just a hint of green. He looked every bit the man whose body had been given to the pool.
[10:57] Dinah (dollihead) had her knife in her hand as she headed for the temple room, though the sound had given her pause. Something...was there. something in the water? for a moment, she stayed still and listened, frowning, but assuming it would likely be blake, or perhaps hunter trying to make holy soup, she wandered through to the pool and once more she paused but this time, it was in shock.
Someone was outside the pool.
Someone very, very familiar. or at least someone that looked like him.
"...n-niles?" her voice was a hoarse whisper, her knife dangling in her fingers, eyes wide as she approached.
[11:05] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) raised himself up off of the stone on an elbow and stared up at her through the curtain of wet bangs. The stare went to her face, to her eyes before lowering to the knife that dropped from her hand. "My dear Miss Dinah," he said, hoarse as he coughed up water.
But then he moved. He was fast, faster than the Sidhe had ever been- a blur of movement that was coming at her across the wet stones. Niles grabbed at the wrist and pinned her to the cavern wall with strength he should not have had, careful to keep the knife's blade away while the other hand sought her throat. He did not squeeze hard. It was a firm hold, secure around her neck but not strangling. "I hope that knife isn't for me," he whispered.
[11:08] Dinah (dollihead) had been just...staring as he spoke. It was official. she had officially cracked, officially gone completely mad that she was seeing things in such absolute clarity. Unless this was a vision of some kind, a sign like hunter had sai-
And then he was moving, and those cold fingers were pinning her to the equally cold stone of the cavern and she yelped in just as much surprise as he held her in place.
"i-it.. it was for me" she lifted her chin and strained against his grip, her free hand reaching out to prod at his bared chest, making sure he was tangible, making sure she hadn't just snapped, golden eyes wide still.
"...are you going to kill me?"
[11:15] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) was real, tangible and fleshy despite being cold as a corpse. The same slight sprawl of hair covered his chest, the same angle to his nose, the same cut of his jaw. Notably the scar that had been fleshcrafted into the sign of the King in Yellow sat just where it always had been on his wrist, and now that it had recovered some from the trip through whatever lay beyond the pool's surface his voice was much the same - though more of the German affected the lilt. Her answer and the following question were met with a slight narrowing of his eyes before he released her, stepping back but attempting to take the knife from her hand as he did.
"For you," he repeated and paced toward the pool. The blade pointed at it then at Dinah. "A ritual. An offering, no doubt. Suicide is too humbling a thing for the queen of so powerful a family, Miss Dinah. And your patrons if I recall... can be rather hungry." He mounted the steps to the pool and looked down into it, studying his face in the water. "How long has it been since you have seen me last?"
[11:20] Dinah (dollihead) was not at least completely mad, because he was here in front of her....but considering he'd just grabbed her by the throat, it might at least not be the time for a reunion hug
"youre so cold" she whispered, reaching her hand up to her throat as he released her, swallowing as he walked back to the pool.
"Suicide by knife would not work for me" she agreed "...humbling is...suicide is never an option. but yes. it was a ritual. to be an offering..." she trailed off again, watching him and the blade as he watched him.
"...seen you?" she watched him, venturing closer, but somewhat out of his reach. "...september 27th. that...that was the day that you....died."
[11:26] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) tapped the tip of that blade to his palm, then to the scar that ran along his wrist. "Well yes," he began but paused as he turned to look at her. She could see the process playing out on his features - gears turning, thoughts moving but there was no telegraphed line of conversation, no monologue to which she was made privvy. At least, not unless she delved on her own. Instead he said, "I imagine I was much warmer before I died," as if he were musing about something entirely more banal. Niles seated himself on the edge of the pool and set the knife down on the stone beside him, opening his hands as he met her gaze. "How did I die?"
[11:31] Dinah (dollihead) studied him intently as he almost visibly thought, and she ventured another half-step closer. He still had the knife, he was so much faster than her, but...
"...you were" she murmured. "...i suppose that's what happens when you die. have i gone completely mad? you seem real enough" she said quietly, but when he asked about how he died, she reached up to twist her fingers around her necklace.
"...you don't remember?" she whispered, her voice mournful. "I....was studying a pendant. With a demon in it. And... you offered to help me. but... it didn't go well. it... influenced me and I killed you" she said softly. lowering her hands, her chin dropping to her chest.
"...and ate you. i.. i put you in the pool. Most of you. uhm. I.. I kept your skull though."
[11:40] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) did not blink as she explained nor did he edge away from her as she approached. The details of his death lifted the heavy brows under the fringe of his bangs but there was no judgment or horror on his face; on the contrary when she was finished he smiled, getting to his feet and crossing the distance. Each hand grasped a shoulder and he beamed down at her, more relieved than concerned with the details of his apparent demise. "My dear Dinah... if what you say is true then I am in your debt. And being terribly inappropriate besides," he said with a laugh. "I apologize. I've not been afforded much in the way of ah, appropriate clothing lately. I hope you can forgive the indecency. Though if you insist on calling me a cad, I'll not argue."
[11:46] Dinah (dollihead) surprisingly didn't relax as he smiled and approached, looking more and more baffled at his words. "...my debt? did you... not hear what I said? I killed you" she whispered, her voice wobbling a little. When he apologized for his clothes, when he referred to himself as a cad, her lower lip trembled.
"i...it is you, isnt it? but how could you forget... i...don't understand what's going on, niles" she whispered "if... how are you even here? I... i am pleased you are back... if i've not gone...utterly crackers but... I just want to know...what the hell is going on. what do you remember?"
[11:58] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) let his hands fall to her arms, then her own hands. His eyes were on the tremble of her lower lip, ears keen on the quiver of her voice. "I heard. You killed me, ate me - kept some part of that facsimile of myself. You and your family are... unique in many ways Dinah but crackers is certainly not a word I would use." He looked down at their hands and brushed a thumb across her knuckles. "And yes. Debt. At the very least, it seems I owe it to you to remember some of what was lost."
Niles glanced back at the pool with its now-placid surface and the soft glow of unearthly light. "You, of all people should know that dealing with the shard is not so straightforward as one might like. He was a Fae, wasn't he? I- I was a Fae. When you killed me on September 27th."
[12:05] Dinah (dollihead) curled her fingers around his as he held them, his own skin so much cooler than her own. though she echoed "...facsimile?" to herself, but she lowered her gaze to their joined hands.
"nothing is ever straightforward with him" she agreed in a whisper, but she frowned as she looked up towards his face again.
"...he?" she withdrew her hands back, but she nodded slowly. Hesitantly. "...a sidhe." she said quietly, though she was still... uncertain. something was strange here. more than strange.
[12:11] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) seemed distracted, lost in thoughts even as he kept up with their conversation. He tilted his head, looked past her at the cavern walls, as if imagining things that had been. "Fae are such tricksy little things. I was lost for a while because of him. Tangled up in spaces between the more fluid streams of Time while he traipsed about taking advantage of the nows and thens that would have been mine." He sighed, squeezing her hands gently. "Memories that I intend to retrieve, mind you. Unless you object. It's only polite to ask. After all in killing him I've no doubt you very directly released me. And I have something of a hunch that wasn't at all what you intended to do."
[12:15] Dinah (dollihead) narrowed her eyes again and she took a few sharp steps backwards.
"....what are you?" she asked coldly, reaching her hand out to yank the dagger to herself with the power of her mind, snatching it from her own psychic grip.
"because so help me by all of the gods if you are that...that demon again I will cut you into pieces and feed you right back into that pool, as many times as it takes."
[12:23] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) did not move to follow her as she stepped back. He watched her intently, reading her movements, trying to gauge if and when she might lunge. As she spoke though he raised both hands, palms facing outward. "I suppose you were never told. Fae delight in their shimmering and their adornments - more glamorous to be a thing of color and wild magic than a corpse." He put two fingers on the side of his neck, spreading them a little to make the distance one might find between the canines of a human mouth. "I am dead. Or undead, I suppose. And while some might call the habit of consuming living blood demonic I do not think the Windgraces would share that opinion. After all - you did come to my dinner." He removed the fingers and turned to walk around the pool. "I am a corpse. Once human, but killed and ennervated by ancient magic, maintained by the consumption of blood. There are many words for it but demon is not typically among them."
[12:30] Dinah (dollihead) squeezed her knife tightly in her hands, shifting to hold it between both hands. She narrowed her eyes as she watched him.
"...you were never really... shimmering and adorned" she murmured, bu when he said what he was, when he explained what he was, she just looked even more confused.
"...from a fae...to a vampire. is that... how does that even work? shouldn't you come back as something...faerie? A banshee or something?" she reached her fingers to her head, "...once...human" she lowered the knife, bafflement on her face.
"just...explain. please. Because apparently no, there is something I haven't been told, and i'm beginning to feel like I was left out of some trick and I do not like that feeling at all. Are you even him? Are you niles? do you remember...me? us?"
[12:41] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) turned around sharply, his own eyes narrowed as he pointed at the pool. "Of course I am! I came first! Before him, before IT took my Time and holed me up in some void while it cavorted about with my face!" He sucked in an unecessary breath - one clearly meant to recover some of his faculties before continuing. "...It was some time ago. I had... taken some creature from the Wilds. Something I thought that I could mold into a more resilient corporeal shell for the shard - so he could roam, freely without the maintenance of machines and wards." He flipped a hand toward the pool and scoffed. "I underestimated it. Give of yourself, it said. And you, I'm sure, understand that the Elders ask this often. We give blood, flesh. It sounded reasonable enough. It regrows, regenerates so what matter is that really? I should have known. It didn't only take flesh. It took my life. Locked me away to take my place, took pieces of myself from threads of Time I didn't know were mine."
[12:54] Dinah (dollihead) nearly dropped the blade as he spoke, looking fraught as it sank into her head. That he was the real one and the one she knew and cared for was a fraud. She swallowed, nodding slowly.
"so you were... trapped? somewhere?" she frowned in some concern, worrying her lip with her teeth.
"and now he's... the other one..is dead. and you... are free." she wandered to the edge of the pool and sat down, looking up towards him, resting her blade across her knees.
"...well. I suppose it's nice to meet you, Niles" she smiled thinly "I am glad that.... I managed to help you at least."
[13:00] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) raised his eyes to the cavern, to the shadows that clung to the edges of it where Hunter often sat and observed. "I imagine one of your number was very aware where," he mused, lingering for a moment as if challenging the Eldritch spawn to confirm or deny before sighing at the silence and going to seat himself next to Dinah instead. "We've met. A few times, actually. In your garden, at the Cabaret... I expect there's much more to be recovered, though - you never answered my question about it all." Niles lifted a hand, tilting it to gesture at the blade she kept closeby. "Regaining those memories is not a... partial affair. Every moment. Every sensation, every experience that was taken from me - if the shard imparts them to me it will be all of them. And from your disquiet about the whole affair I imagine some of it may be rather personal. Intimate, I might be so bold as to say. And... even bolder still Dinah, to say such things while having appeared here less than dressed and more a stranger to you than anything - I do have to say while I have wanted such experiences with you, I would not take them without your explicit consent."
[13:06] Dinah (dollihead) sighed at his words and she glanced around as if she'd see the squiddle somewhere close to hand. Not seeing him, she nodded again "...im not surprised if he did, but.. i dont know if.." she paused, then frowned. "...he would act..somewhat protectively around you...him. sometimes. in here, once, he warned me about...how if i tripped..." she sighed gently, cradling her brow in her fingers and looking up towards him when he said they'd met before.
"...well at least you aren't a stranger" she murmured, but she sighed at his remark about the question, about his memories, and she looked up towards him from the edge of the pool.
"What do I need to do? I've never given someone their memories back before. I could share ours easily enough but the rest?" she trailed off. "...with...everyone else..? if you know what i would need to do... I would do it."
[13:14] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently): Somewhere in the underground sanctuary there was a pitter-patter of retreating furry feet. Hunter was perhaps retreating from the conversation, a sentiment of apology drifting to Dinah's mind - though not for his lack of guidance or interference, more for her upset in general. Niles stared in the direction of the sound and sighed, patting his knees and getting to his feet. "I hope never to be a stranger," he said, moving for the doorway. When he approached the paths that led to the other chambers he paused, shuddering for a moment before leaning against the stone. "Parts of it... come to me. Here in this place. Likely because you offered him parts of the body. But no - for... for all of it, I need the shard. To speak with him... directly." He put a hand to his forehead, massaging the pale skin a bit. "...the ship. He is on a damned airship, isn't he?"
[13:21] Dinah (dollihead) tapped her knife against her knees, though she smiled wanly at Hunter's retreated apology. She sent a sentiment back towards him of reassurance; that she wasn't mad. just terribly terribly confused.
"...i also...don't want you to be a stranger" she agreed, though when he mentioned the shard, she tilted her head.
"he is directly connected to the pool, if that helps. he can receive offerings through there...connects with blood, at least." she offered, but she smiled a little. "..yes. he's on an airship. in the Chirugie. Will you be able to go out there? It's...daylight out there." she gestured with her fingertips towards the glowing stones at the ceiling "Hell knows I don't know half as much about half as much as I really want to about the various other people that live in this world beside me" she kicked her legs, bringing her knife to her palm and making a slice, pouring the trickle of blood from her already healed palm into the surface of the placid font beside her.
[13:28] Niles Roesler (ohsoincoherently) frowned as she mentioned the ship. "That will be problematic," he remarked with a shake of his head. "Lovely for a thing with wings. Less so for me." He fell silent when she brought the knife to her palm, eyes focused with rapt attention on the blossom of red that bloomed from her flesh. He inhaled, that breath taking nothing of use but the scent of fresh blood in the air. "...you ought to be more careful about spilling blood in certain company, Miss Dinah," he cautioned, reaching out to take her hand with a carefully gentle grip. "...some of us really can't help ourselves." He bent to press his lips to the cut - slowly enough that she could stop him if she really wanted to.
[13:32] Dinah (dollihead) huffed softly and she shook her head "I can take you. If the sunlight isn't a problem. Or did you forget that I have wings? I...suppose if it's not 'forgotten' if you didn't know..." she trailed off. "..but I can take you. or I can call for the pilot. If..they haven't all deserted." she paused at his reaction to the blood, and she watched him as he came to reach for her hand, a faint smile touching her lips.
"the wound will already heal. If you need blood, you only need ask. one of Their gifts to me. I heal incredibly quickly. I don't mind" she murmured softly, watching his lips come to touch her skin.
"...if you want..." she added again with a near-whisper.
-To Be Continued-