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.

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[peccatore]

[... He steps back.]

[reading_rainstorm]

"A circle of silver protection against the unholy, just in case I'm off base here. A circle of iron, in case I'm right and she tries to get frisky. Then..."

She burns the contracts and recites a spell in Latin. Does Marco remember enough Latin to understand?

[peccatore]

The unholy...

[Not a chance - he was functionally illiterate when he was alive. He might be able to pick out a few words if there's any overlap with church vocab, though.]

[reading_rainstorm]

Not much overlap unfortunately. As the pages burn and Stephanie speaks the flames turn lavender, their smoke is drawn to the center of the circle and forms a figure. A woman with mint green skin, curvaceous and with mint green skin.

Stephanie bows to her, but you see on her face is barely suppressed terror.

"My Lady of pages, I have summoned you here for a game."

"I do not game with mortals for nothing."

"I would give of myself, as wagers"

"You would? And what am I to wager? What have you to gain?"

"The lives of the mortals here."

she scoffs.

"You would free them."

"I would."

"You think yourself such a catch."

Stephanie smiles widely.

"I value myself quite highly."

The memory fades for you here. In the ash of the pages you see a card.

[peccatore]

[... Well... That's some form of progress, at least. He picks up the card.]

[reading_rainstorm]

Congrats Marco. You've found Death.

[peccatore]

[Heartening.

He glances around. Is the Sphinx still here?]

[reading_rainstorm]

Nope. Just you...oh hey, the students are gone too.

[peccatore]

[...... Welp, he's getting out of here. Back to the Remembered Rooms.]

[reading_rainstorm]

The man shelving things nods solemnly at you.

"How'd it go?"

[peccatore]

I'm not sure, but I got a card.

[He's already glancing at the familiar-looking door...]

[reading_rainstorm]

"Oh, good...Harmony's gonna have my ass for not looking in there ehehe."

He laughs like Stephanie. You Know you've seen that door around Tributary...could it be to Sun House?

[peccatore]

[The laugh makes him smile.]

If you'll excuse me, I think I'll be right now.

[Well, he's trying the potential Sun House door.]

[reading_rainstorm]

Marco hasn't been to the Sun House shrine room, but that's what it is. Someone is tucked comfortably into the four mattress high bed, loom, spinning wheel are all exactly where they ought to be. There's something else here as well though, one of the bookshelves from the reading room is along the wall and there's a chair from the reading room as well. Sitting in the chair is...Stephanie? No, another wooden reproduction of Stephanie sits reading a book, unlike the other wooden people you've seen so far this one isn't self animated though, she seems to be puppeted by a figure made of pitch black smoke eyes with large black pupils. The figure and the puppet look up at you at the same time. She speaks with a soft, whispery voice. “Oh, hello. I wasn't expecting visitors...”

[peccatore]

[... is every room going to be this unsettling. Marco puts on his best smile. It's not very good.]

I, er, I'm just passing by.

[reading_rainstorm]

The Stephanie(?) looks a little sad and looks down at herself.

"I'm quite sorry if I've offended in some way..."

That voice...it seems familiar.

[peccatore]

... [His brow furrows slightly in confusion.] No, you haven't.

[reading_rainstorm]

"That's good... I'd hate for me to have offended one of Stephanie’s friends."

[peccatore]

... So you're not Stephanie.

[reading_rainstorm]

"No Marco, it's me, Rowan."

[peccatore]

... Oh-- oh! I'm so sorry, I should have realised...!

[reading_rainstorm]

"It's alright Marco. I am using her body after all.."

[peccatore]

... [hold on,]

But... Are you the real Rowan? Or are you Stephanie's mental model of Rowan...?

[reading_rainstorm]

"Well...I do live in her heart. If you are here...the real Rowan must be due to visit as well."

[peccatore]

... Ah. I suppose you would. [He smiles warmly.]

Listen... I'm not sure why I'm here. I assume Stephanie needs help, but-- [aand the smile's faltering already.] Frankly, I don't think I've done much good for any of the people whose minds I've visited like this. If you have any pointers...