Working With Phantoms

Lesser Cognitions

August 10th

Madran arrived in the Velvet Room to find only Rosana, Maya, and Philemon there.

"Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing much, we're just early. Or, everyone else is late. I dunno."

Rosana chuckled.

"Also, we were talking about Elia's palace while you, well, weren't here."

"I mean, aren't we normally doing that?"

Madran sat down as Rosana continued talking.

"So, we've seen four tapes pretty much per infiltration, and we were simply discussing a common ground between them."

"I see. Well, from what I remember, the first tape just had an invisible Elia voicing her regrets, then the next introduced what I think were my grandparents, and the one after that showed her graduating amidst jeers from said grandparents, and then the most recent one showed what appeared to be her getting bullied in high school."

"Well, yes, we all know of that. However, this palace, once again, due to how you and whoever you are involved with, is special in the way that either Elia has bottled up these desires or they simply don't show as much as other ones. Normally, when one's desires have twisted to the point of no return, these are shown somehow in the real world."

"Well, whenever I'd ask mom about her high school, she'd just say that she was glad that Shujin isn't as bad as her school and leave it at that. Maybe, mom's distorted desire or desires is that she doesn't want anyone to know about her past?"

"That would make sense. However, I had the same issue, and-"

"Ok, Philemon, you were the one with the identity crisis over whether you were just like Nyarlathotep or not and how his lies managed to convince you that you were just as bad as him. From what I saw, your palace formed out of guilt due to the mark you had left on the world."

"Exactly. Elia, while she is very well known in her circles, isn't a deity, much like you. She, as are we, is a normal, everyday human living in the world."

"Could this be a similar issue as to what Sheila's shadow in my palace tackled, with how Sheila wasn't anything special?"

"No. From what I can see, as her daughter and as someone who's known her for sixteen years, she enjoys her job."

"Well, the presence of some Lovecraftian imagery in her palace does make me think: maybe, her desires are things much like the knowledge conveyed in the Necronomicon; unknowable and unthinkable, and that people are better off remaining ignorant of the truth?"

"Exactly. All the shadows that Maya or I have tried to recruit have either told of them being trapped due to knowing the truth and fleeing, or agreeing to come with due to how they wish to be free from those burdening secrets."

"Um, what shadows have you recruited?"

"I've gained Volvo and Biyarky, while Maya has obtained Nidhoggr."

"Have you been able to get any info from them?"

"No, they've forgotten everything since we got them. They are very useful, though. Volvo has access to Mediarahan, and Nidhoggr has some incredibly potent physical skills."

"Well, that's cool. Hey, let's wait for everyone else to arrive and get going."

Once Suga, Sheila, and Rosana made their way to the Velvet Room, Madran led everyone back into the Metaverse, where they arrived back in the ruined courtyard. The cognitive child Elia then looked up at them.