Stephanie's Heart: The Archive

[reading_rainstorm]

In your dreams you are in a thick and foggy forest. It could be mistaken for the woods around Tributary if you don’t know your plants. You are on a trail leading into a clearing, in the center of which is a simple, concrete structure with a single door. A chaos star has been spray painted on it with a stencil.

You approach the structure. Looking over your shoulder you see a large shape lurking in the fog, obscured by the foliage. Two shining Feline eyes peer at you from the brush. You feel your heart rate spike as you turn the knob and find an old fashioned elevator tucked neatly inside with an accordion grate standing between you and the ornate, gilded interior. It creaks open as the presence behind you steps into the clearing. It is a sphinx, an eight foot tall lioness with the face of a woman and the large brown wings of an eagle on her back . The feminine face and olive skin tone of a Greek woman from antiquity smiles as she readies herself to to pounce, the wings on her back stretching and give a few readying flaps.You back into the elevator and close the gate with shaking hands as the sphinx leaps at the elevator. Her claws twisting and shearing the metal of the grate slowly, but she is too late. The elevator springs to life and you descend.

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A small light above flickers on as it illuminates your view outside the exposed elevator as you sink into the concrete structure. You descend for a few moments before an opening in the concrete gives you the view of an observation deck on a hill, looking down on the sprawling suburbs and campus of a college town. The elevator continues downward. The concrete gives way to old, dusty marble as you continue sinking. You see a vast maze stretch far and away that gets nearer and nearer. This has to be it, right? Your destination? No. You plunge further down, past the walls of the maze and the marble is replaced again by well polished wood. Beautiful stained mahogany rises past you as your descent finally starts to slow. You are greeted by another grate that creaks open for you. Entreating you to enter.

Comments

[reading_rainstorm]

The contracts are promises of time in the mortal world in equivalent to the time it would take to learn a language, for the knowledge of said language.

The pages on the altar appear to be entreaties for help from a "Lady of Pages" in their studies as well as odes to her in thanks. It seems possible they have ran afoul of this figure somehow.

[whatpossessedyou]

[she goes over to put a hand on the shoulder of one of the mossy students]

Can you hear me?

[reading_rainstorm]

There is no response.

You recognize the student from Stephanie's descriptions though. It's Florence.

[whatpossessedyou]

Florence...

This must be the ritual she used to save you.

[reading_rainstorm]

"Jealous?"

Stephanie's voice comes from the window.

It's the sphinx.

[whatpossessedyou]

[jumps]

...er, no.

[reading_rainstorm]

She smiles at that reaction.

"I should have figured. I'm the jealous one aren't I?

It's not an unfamiliar situation though is it?

Stephanie and a girl stuck in place."

[whatpossessedyou]

You think it's a pattern?

[reading_rainstorm]

"No, just an odd coincidence.

You are very different from Florence. And Ava. And Maeby. And Harriet. If anything you are against type."

[whatpossessedyou]

In what sense...?

[reading_rainstorm]

"They were loud. Brash. Strong. Knew how to put Stephanie in her place, one way or another.

With you...she just folds...wraps herself around your little finger. I wonder why that is."

The sphinx stares at you like trying to solve a puzzle.

[whatpossessedyou]

...

[a bit arch]

Jealous?

[reading_rainstorm]

Big toothy grin.

"What's there to be jealous of? She will be me. Surely you see it already~"

[whatpossessedyou]

By the way, do you know what you are?

[reading_rainstorm]

Narrowing her eyes like she should have a better answer for this.

"...a sphinx."

[whatpossessedyou]

Beyond that.

[reading_rainstorm]

Frowning.

"I only have the memories Stephanie has.

I have a feeling the answer is near though...I have been searching for it. Proof that she should stop struggling and accept me."

[whatpossessedyou]

Is that what you're looking for here?

[reading_rainstorm]

Growling lowly.

"It is..."

[whatpossessedyou]

Well, it isn't as if I can stop you.

[reading_rainstorm]

"You can't!
...
But I've been looking since she retook this memory and have found nothing."

Bitter. She looks at you expectantly, like you have something she lacks that might change something.

[whatpossessedyou]

...

I don't see what you expect me to do about it.

[reading_rainstorm]

The sphinx growls and her tail thrashes.

"I expect you to finish the memory. Maybe something will change if someone from outside does it..."

[whatpossessedyou]

You must know perfectly well that I don't want to help you.

[reading_rainstorm]

"I am aware.

However. The only thing I want here is knowledge. Certainly knowledge is something you and she want on this matter as well."