#Eldritch Excursions (IC)

[jackalopegirlteeth]

He Who Gazes

Some notes before we begin: Parts 1 and 2 can be found here (part 1) and here (part 2). I would recommend checking them out first. Secondly. Some content warnings for you all. There is quite a bit of violence near the end. Which contains some descriptions that some viewers might find upsetting. Depictions of some pretty graphic injuries and also eldritch body horror. But with that out of the way. Lets begin.

The question of what exists beyond the physical world has been one that has captivated humanity throughout the ages. Gods, demons, spirits, angels. Giving animus and soul to the mundane in the hopes of learning something valuable about the world we inhabit. An indescribable craving to not feel alone, to be noticed, even if said notice brings malign intent. For humans are driven to find an external source for the cruel and wicked. Demons that corrupted the once pure, curses laid down by the capricious fey and the eldritch machinations of beings both alien and ancient beyond measure. We are so preoccupied with our attempts at fantastical vindication we so rarely notice the evil staring us in the face. We crave the ignorant bliss that Cthulhu, Lucifer or the Titans are the cause of our ills. Blinding ourselves to what lies in front of us.

A lesson that a young elf is just about to learn. Something that will stick with her for the rest of her life, as long and eventful as it will be.

As a simple act of respect. Elana had for the longest of times operated a no portals rule when it came to her mother's home. She had no desire to startle her and even less to desire to be admonished for ‘letting the cold in’ as Gwen would say. Noting an extra car next to her mother's, a black sedan. She would knock twice before entering. A little habit the pair of them had picked up to let each other know that whoever was coming in was a friendly face. She wasn't expecting her mother to come and greet her and she certainly wasn't expecting what came next while halfway through removing her shoes.

“Elana, Escher. We're in the sitting room. We have a guest, an old friend of your father's he says.” The voice was definitely her mother's. But a guest? Was that who the car belonged to?

Her world crystalizes, freezing in place for a moment. A sudden anxious spike, there and then gone within the blink of an eye that leaves the pair of them swimming in a stew of conflicting signals. Elana knew where they were coming from. And she couldn’t exactly blame her symbiotic twin either. Things had been strange the past few months and she had a feeling they were merely at the tip of the iceberg so to speak. People had noticed the pair of them. And attention being brought to bear upon them was something neither truly relished in.

When the courage once more finds her, she finally follows the voices and opens the door into the room before her. As expected, her mother in her usual chair is the first thing she notices. The wheelchair at her side should she need to rise. The family resemblance is clear, save for the strange skin or eyes. Perhaps a glimpse of what Elana might have been like in the absence of interference of the cosmic sort. And of course we could hardly forget the smile.

But what is unexpected is the man sitting opposite her. Shaved bald head, dark skin, expensive suit and a cane sitting at his side. Almost a complete opposite to what she’d expect from a friend of her father’s in many respects. She only knew him as the well meaning house husband. A kind and gentle man, down to earth. Already little niggling sensations of doubt were beginning to form in the elf’s mind. There was something odd going on. She just had no way of measuring what just now.

“Elana, Escher. This is Dr Joshua King.” Gwen indicates towards her guest and then back to the duo who had just entered. “Joshua. These are my daughters, Elana and Escher. The latter of whom is usually rather shy.”

Pushing himself to his feet with some apparent effort and the help of the cane, Joshua takes a step towards Elana. Offering a hand to shake. “Please, just Joshua. It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss.”

It takes a second to break through the barrier of hesitation before she takes his hand. Some people like to claim you can tell a lot about a person from just a handshake, and in this moment Elana might be inclined to agree. The impression she was getting was much more gentle than she had been expecting. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Elana, his cufflinks.

Not a second passes before she realises what Escher is talking about. Her gaze snapping to them in an instant. It was as if the sound of people dropping from helicopters had once more resurfaced. A small shield like sign. The insignia on the man’s cuffs and even tie clip were the same ones she had noticed that day with the Void Spawn. A heartbeat later and her hand pulled away from his in a flash.

He notices the recoil from her, the hand that had once held hers doesn’t go for her. Instead of becoming a pair of upheld palms. He clearly knows how jumpy she can be, his first instinct to attempt to accommodate for that. An effort to show he didn’t mean any harm. “Elana, it’s okay. We don’t mean you any harm.”

The will to just portal out was strong, the power at the very tip of her fingers demanding to be used. It would be so easy to flee, but could she risk leaving her mother with this stranger. Phenomenal cosmic power and yet, not much use in this situation. “Who are you really?” The situation was clear, the demands of the world around her fresh in mind. A touch of confidence returns to her voice and posture. Fighting back the urge give into fear.

“I haven’t lied to you. I am Dr Joshua King. And I did know your father. The only detail I have concealed is this.” Slowly, his right hand reaches to the cuff of his left sleeve. Undoing the cufflink and slowly rolling the shirt back up his arm. Though not of the same contrast as it would have been on someone like Elana or Gwen, the black streak up his forearm was unmistakable. The Voidling opens single yellow eye, lazily rolling its focus around the room. “I’m with a very particular group. We study The Void, we hope to better understand people like myself, like Gwen and most importantly. You too. I know I have precious little to offer and I ask much. But I need you to trust me.”

He was right, there was a lot to take in. In the blink of an eye the world seem to fold inwards and a sharp bang rings out. She was no longer in front of Joshua, but now between both him and her mother. A joint surprised exhalation was shared between them. Gwen reacting the least due to familiarity with her daughter’s capabilities. Joshua on the other hand utterly dumbfounded, unaware something like that was even possible. It was clear he expected her to be different, but not this different. Was there a mild touch of fear in his eyes too?

“What is it you want?” The hackles were raised, Escher’s tendrils sliding out from sleeves and collar of her shirt. She may not be the most formidable of opponents. But she had the home turf advantage and was fairly certain she had the upper hand. The truth is she didn’t want to fight. She wasn’t even sure she could fight. But as far as she knew, he didn’t know that.

“We saw your goons descend on a Spawn.” The disembodied voice of Escher calls out. It was time to put the chips down, at least tip her hand and see what would come of it.

Shifting forward in her chair, Gwen makes an attempt at standing, but doesn’t get very far. 

“Is someone going to explain what in the sweet hells is going on here? All of you.” Her attempt to stand is once more renewed, this time being much more successful. If only for the few steps to get into her wheelchair. Landing heavily on the chair padding.

“You’re right, they approached it. But not to cause harm or anything like that.” With careful and precise movements, he sets his cuff right again. “Reality is a strange and confusing place for such a being. We only intended to do as you did. Open a Void Tear and allow it free passage beyond. That's all.”

Slowly Joshua removes a card from his shirt pocket. Setting it down on the table with a kind of care not usually see used on such an innocuous item. “You have no reason to trust me. But if you wish to talk about all this. My number is here for you. I will see my way out.”

After what felt like an age, he begins to leave. Backing away from the pair of them as calmly as he could. “Good day to you ladies. I am sorry for any inconvenience I have caused.” And with that he was gone.

“Elana what ha-” The beginning of a question cut short by the bang of air rushing to fill a void. The young elf vanishing in a heartbeat without a word of explanation where she was going. “And she's off… Great. You and I were never this rebellious were we Dali?”

There isn't a comprehendable response. Merely an eldritch gurgle from the Voidling bonded to Elana's mother. It's meaning lost to all those who might hear it, except for Gwen. Or at least she was fairly certain she could get a rough idea.

________________________________

Some time later, a soft pop is all that announces her arrival. The location was… Well she had been teleporting in blind against the better judgement of her conjoined friend. For all she knew it could have lead her anywhere. Into any sort of danger or  And the where? An office seemingly. Rich dark hardwood, brass lighting fixtures, bookshelves with leather bound books and even an ornate writing desk. Behind which a familiar face sat, opposite the chair that Elana had appeared in.

Joshua is startled almost immediately. Stumbling to his feet with the support of his desk. “Miss Symwright! What is th- How did you- This shouldn't be possible. We have fields and-” His face seems to scrunch up, the gears of his mind working over all the possible explanations for this fingers pressed into his brow. Finally sighing and shrinking back into his chair once more.

For a heartbeat he his eye seems to catch something. Lingering on the edge of his desk, contemplating whether or not to overreact. How effective would that be against someone who can apparently appear and disappear on a whim. “So why have you come here?”

Elana's strange eyes fix upon him. Not an angry or mean stare, but unusually focused. An intensity seldom seen in one like her. “You knew my father. I want to know everything.” The determination in her voice so clear, it would take an army to dissuade her from this course of questioning.

A heavy exasperated exhalation follows. Pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright. I'll give you answers. But. I expect some from you too.” His statement hangs in the air for a moment before he continues.  “It all started as we were going through University-”

________________________________

“Joran! We're almost ready to begin. We can't hold off too much longer.” The young man calls out, hands cupped around his mouth. A rudimentary bit of amplifying. He was certainly the Joshua Elana knew, albeit much younger and still in possession of a full head of hair. “The other two are setting up. We'll have the gate opened in just under half an hour.”

The sound of shuffling is heard. As if some wild animal had managed to wander and taken up residence inside the storage closet. Wandering around in some confused daze. The sounds get steadily louder. It was of course just his imagination providing such scenes, beyond was nothing more than a very tired and overworked graduate student wrapped in a blanket. In his current state, you'd almost never recognise him. The usual charismatic handsome rogue looked a little worse for wear. Shaving had been abandoned about a week ago resulting in the beginnings of a patchy beard. And the dark circles around his eyes evidence to how little sleep he was getting. Unusually lethargic, that is until a quick peck on the cheek has him perking up.

"Today's the big day." He says, leaving the side of his lover. "Make yourself presentable. This may not be the demonstration. But might as well make the practise as close to the real thing, right?" With a sly little wink he's gone once more.

Leaving the awakening Joran time to consider the exact implications of what was about to be undertaken. So many years spent picking apart the threads underlying the seemingly impenetrable conundrum before him and his team of three. "Yeah, big day today. Should shower."

Every fibre of his being had been telling him not to get out of the shower once he had managed to convince himself to get in. A problem that stacked itself on top of the desire to delay shaving and even worse the hurdle of picking out presentable clothing. Even the post waking coffee was something his body seemed determined to put off. But this was far too important to set aside now.

By the time an hour had passed he was finally making his appearance. Looking significantly better than he had been having just awoken from what had intended to be a power nap in a supply closet that ended up being longer than anticipated. The half finished second coffee of the day currently in hand as he surveyed the room before him.

All in all, it was the culmination of several years worth of calculations and attempts at wooing the wallets of both investors and the university itself. The amount of kit that was on display was staggering, a significant quantity of it a complex blend of the most sophisticated arcane workings and some of the finest technology produced since the great war. And at the centre of it all. The Gate. What they were all there for. Officially it was Project Egress, a name he hadn’t been especially in favour of. But Malcolm insisted on it. Not that it really matters, the results would speak for themselves. The first attempt to create a tear in reality, to enter the nebulously defined Void beyond the boundaries of this universe and into another. A scary prospect, but one that may end up providing valuable insights into the world. At least that was what Malcolm seemed to believe.

Speaking of, the man in question is standing front and centre. Gazing up at the culmination of the work he had both collaborated on and so fervently encouraged. Compared to the man Elana had met that day on that fateful intersection. He was significantly younger and this time in possession of both his arms. The left that should have been missing currently occupying the shoulder of the woman beside him. Against all logic, the pair of them seemed to be faring significantly better than their other colleagues.

“The wonder couple observes the work of the tired masses I see.” A playful barb, enough to announce Joran’s presence to the rest of the room, even if that was just three other people. An attempt at witticism was about all he could do to mask the apprehension gnawing at the back of his mind. There was much that could go wrong, and he knew enough of them to ensure unease.

The woman, to Malcolm’s left peels herself away from the centre of attention. Closing the gap and embracing her eleven friend. She was about on an equal footing to Joran, making them the joint tallest of the group. Long silky smooth auburn hair, a detail he’d been meaning to ask her about, his own could certainly use the same treatments. She was hardly a soft featured woman by any stretch of the imagination. “Was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t be joining us sleepy head.”

Joran smiles, exchanging brief friendly kisses on the cheek. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Turning to face them, a devil’s smile across his face. Malcolm has the look of a man watching every detail of his carefully orchestrated plan falling into place without the tiniest hint of friction. “We’re all here, time to get this show on the road.” An excited clap follows a dramatic inhale. “We’re at the edge of the map here, time to trespass in god’s domain.”

“Or create a black hole.” The response is kept low. Only Katherine, the woman beside Joran, would have heard it. Something evident as she follows after him as he approaches the protective suits that had been designed specifically for this endeavour. A minor tremble of the hand breaking through the mask as he goes to reach for the one that had been fit for him.

A tremble that is calmed as her hand rests upon his. “Is something the matter?” Her voice kept low so as to not alert the other two this conversation was going on. For all her fervour towards the machinations of her husband, a certain concern was unmistakable.

“Just lack of sleep.” His other hand lands upon her’s. “Been…” A hushed exhale that had been a suppressed chuckle. “I think everyone’s just a little stressed. Been so many all nighters this month. I don’t know how we’ve made it through this. But we’ll see it to the end.” He pulls away from her, getting ready to suit up. “You got to admit, there’s a certain… electricity to it? The ultimate edge to the unknown. The poet says let the edge be mysterious and beautiful. The scientist demands the answers. And here I am playing a balancing act between them.”

The donning of suits was about as awkward as one might imagine. They may have access to some of the most sophisticated technology, but in the early 30s that didn’t really amount to a hell of a lot. Mostly repurposed diving equipment reinforced in whatever additional methods they could realistically think of. At the end of the day, they performed their function even if they were a little clumsy to operate. And as students that was all they could really hope for. Well it was all they could manage to squeeze out of their funding, which was close enough.

Standing before the inactive gate, Joran couldn’t help but feel a little foolish. A little voice in the back of his head telling him that in spite of all the theory work, math and preparation. There was always the chance this wouldn’t actually work and that when the switch was eventually flipped the three of them would be standing before a very fancy looking metal ring for absolutely no reason.

His breath misting up the cold glass as Joran looks ahead. Only breaking his gaze to catch the eye of Joshua sitting by control consoles. A gauntleted hand raising give the thumbs up. “Alright people. Comms check, are sending stones functioning?” “Loud and clear.” Is the response, one after another.

“Oxygen is steady, starting up primary generators.” With a roar generators rev up. Power now flowing steadily through the network of sensors and fail safe devices and most importantly. “Beginning primary puncture drive charging in three. Two. One. Engage.” An electric whine as the centrepiece to this entire show comes to life. The kind of device one might expect in a period science fiction movie. All coils and wires, lights coming to life across panels with safety warnings.

“I guess it’s now or never huh. Mr King, the honour is yours my friend.” Malcolm, being the one to take charge, seemingly unaffected by the mounting tension.

Unlocking the safety cover on the big red button. Joshua sets his hand upon it. “Firing puncture drive in. Three. Two. And one.” With a click, history was made.

All the arcane and electric energy they could muster focused on a singular task. A tortured whine as the drive capacitors prepared to discharge. The thunderous boom echoes, shaking the walls with such magnitude as a thin line of high intensity thaumic radiation that hurts the eyes to look at tears. Impacting the point within the designated ring. An event over in the blink of an eye, leaving the ears of those present and indeed most of the building ringing.

Knocked to their knees, the scientists present take their time to get to their feet. Hearing and sight gone for a brief few moments. What they see as the dust settles is what they hoped for above all else. A single point hovering in the centrepoint of the ring contraption. Not simply black, but a true absolute absence of colour. The three of them knew at once what it truly was. The hole in reality they had been chasing, the Void Between Worlds.

As sense comes back to him, Joshua is quick to slam the containment switch. An electric crackle running through the ring as static arcs between electrodes set at equal intervals across its circumference. Unseen forces pulling at the tiny point, stretching it’s resisting form wider till at last before them stood a yawning portal to the beyond. A sickening hole in reality that demands the beholder to look away as it strains at the mind to comprehend it. And yet it commanded the most focused attention any single thing had gained in it’s brief existence.

The first to react to their shared success. Malcolm is rushing the portal with barely  contained glee, expression hidden from direct view by his suit but all too easy to read. Stopping only inches from stepping out beyond the boundaries. “We did it.” His open palm coming to rest a millimeter away from the portal itself, feeling the cold radiating from the empty expanses beyond.

The second to react is Joran, not as quick as his comrade. Only managing to cross half the distance by the time Malcolm was nearly crossing the threshold. “Careful, we don’t know what’s out there.”

Shaking his head at the readings before him. "We're getting no radiation emissions, nothing on the thaumic spectrum either. As far as I can see it looks about as safe as we can determine."

Looking back at Joran, the vindicated young man gave him a smile before pushing off. "To boldly go." The last words that can be heard before he leaves this world. Now adrift in the endless cosmic nothing beyond the stars.

Although the last to react. Katherine is the second to make the intentional trip out into the Void. Passing Joran as quickly as the bulky suit would allow her to move.

Realising he's being left behind, the apprehension he feels eased as he catches a glance at the smile on Joshua's face. A very brief pause to give a thumbs up before bounding onwards. "Wish me luck."

Space was a place far out of the reach of men at this time. But if he had to guess, this would be how it felt. The cold hitting almost immediately. A constant freefall rendered alien by the lack of rushing air. Although it felt livable now, he knew that removing his helmet would mean death. Likewise lingering here too long would more than likely erode the mind beyond repair. He could already feel a sense of unease creeping over him.

"A whole lot of nothing huh." Joran remarks, gazing into the endless black around them.

"Damn, and here I was expecting endless riches." The first man to enter the Void intentionally, the lack of anything to see hadn't blunted his enthusiasm. On the contrary it had ignited it further.

“Peaceful, in a kind of everything’s dead sort of way.” A playful punch on the shoulder from the elf to his human friend before pushing off deeper into the abyss. The weightlessness a unique feeling for a world in which humans hadn’t left their own planet yet and wouldn’t do so for close to another thirty or so years.

But several minutes in, their silence would be interrupted by Katherine. Who has drifted out ahead of the other two. An adventurous soul more so than the boys. "Guys, we were meant to be alone put here right?"

Hearing that over the sending stones, attention was gained. "What is it?"

The world has returned to tense. A complication arising as new was thrown into the mix, Joshua at the overseer seat of this fateful mission. Faithfully monitoring both vital signs, oxygen and potential threats in the way of radiation or wayward magic. A collection of gauges and dials that for the most part were sitting in amongst the safe zones, twitching only occasionally. It started with the subtle crackle of the geiger counters on suits that escalated into needles swinging wildly.

Somewhere out there, a headlamp flickers on. For the first time in an age, something is illuminated. Shape indeterminate, shifting in ways that the human eye cannot follow. Titanic on a scale hitherto unseen by mortal eyes and likely would never be fully comprehended. The owner of the light floating out far beyond the others, Katherine reaching out to lay a hand on this leviathan entity before her. Curiosity of the unknown overriding the instinct towards caution that she had attempted to drum into herself when preparing for such a mission.

A wave rippling out through The Void around them, something deep and primal beyond understanding, a tongue that predated all creation and would in time outlast it. The world on the opposite side of the gate shaking violently, cracks in the solid concrete tearing through the laboratory floor. Lights flickering as the whole building and beyond felt the overwhelming reverberations of a single colossal utterance.

Finding his balance and upon seeing the gate containment failing, the only response that made any sense to him was to hit the recall. The whir of the winch attached to each of the explorers hidden under the deafening ring in the wake of such a sound. The cracks above him unnoticed before a fateful chunk of ceiling drops.

The hiss of one of the safety cables meets an end to the encroaching lip of the portal. A mere two of the three brave explorers landed heavily on the hard stone floor. The arm of Joran’s suit charred and the arm underneath scorched where it had grazed the edge of the gate.

He only barely manages to get to his feet in time to see the man who had orchestrated this all rushing the slowly closing gate. With little time on his side, the only path before he could stand to entertain was clear. With the only good arm left grabbing Malcom’s line and one foot anchored onto cracked floor, a herculean effort to save a cherished comrade. Pulling him back into reality as the portal closed. At first he thought in time, only for his heart to sink as he beheld the sight of Malcolm laying on the ground clutching at the stump of an arm.

________________________________

There was no denying that this was all a lot to take in. The baited breath look of shock and surprised the only thing she could manage, the effort to change that all tied up with comprehending what any of this new information could mean. Escher herself silent to the point Elana herself might come close to forgetting that her Voidling even existed at all.

With a nervous swallow, she mentally prepared herself before asking. “...How can I know you’re telling the truth.”

Rising from his chair seems especially painful for the old man, the memories coming with a mix of nostalgia and bitterness. The cane at his side a small comfort to the man who has evidently lost much. “The truth.” He sighs. “The truth is that you can’t. If you want a second opinion you can ask Malcolm himself. I have some things I need to discuss with him too.”

Deciding on whether or not to catch up with joshua was hardly a difficult feat, but it takes Elana a minute or two. The pause as she debates on what to do giving him a decent head start. Leaving his office was a hell of a reveal. The office had seemed to imply some kind of older office building, but the outside was almost the polar opposite. Light and airy, metal, plastics and glass. As if stepping out of an elderly victorian gentleman’s study out onto the deck of the starship Enterprise. The great cavern of a room was likely on the scale she thought she’d only see with the biggest football stadiums. The catwalk she was making her way across several dozen feet above the floor of such an enormous room. This Aegis group certainly had money on their side. Government or private would be the big question on her own mind.

Catching him just at the lift that operated on this floor, she doesn’t have to wait long before it arrives. Allowing her host in first before following. “So… Government?” A weak attempt at conversation. Hoping to start something up to fill the void that is a trip in the lift.

Though it would soon turn out to be almost entirely unnecessary as the sound of quick heavy footsteps make their approach. A pair of fingers only just managing to slip in and stop the door from completely closing.

What steps in definitely changes up the atmosphere. Elana was often used to being the odd one out. The strange person among the more normal seeming folks. And yet now it would seem that she’s the norm and Joshua the outlier. From the waist up they seemed perfectly human, barring a pair of small antlers and an odd nose. But the waist down, well that really wasn’t human. More accurately deer of some description. Their clothing, lab coat, shirt and shorts, suggested scientist. But the slight disorder to it all screamed applied thaumic sciences. Hair was messy too, but in a way that suggested it had been purposefully styled to be so, a little faded green dye yet remained at the tips.

“Ah boss, ben lookin fer de aul day. Got t’ bills fer the waas that came doon last night. Yer prob’bly gonnae cringe as ye see ‘em but hey. Progress an a’ that right? Solid ten minutes the gate held, lik a fuckin’ record or summit. Gotta be. Shid be. Just need yer scribble an’ we’re gold.” The clipboard under their arm is rather enthusiastically handed over, or is partially handed over. Only getting halfway before they stop, only in this moment noticing that Elana was there, and importantly that they didn’t know who she was. The realisation was slow, probably the only thing slow that had come from them in the few seconds since they’d intruded. “Oh.” The clipboard is forgotten in a flash, dropped without a care as the target sights have been moved. A rather enthusiastic and energetic handshake given. “Put ‘em there newbie. Am Robin, the auld fella’s geen ye the lay o’ the land, engineerin’s me own wee country aal me ain. Come doon some time, bangin’ place tae be. In a the right places a’course. So who’re ye and where’s he aud codger sentenced ye?”

Arm hanging practically limp in this strangers grasp, Elana could do little but nod along. Maybe only understanding one word in twelve that had been said.

Thankfully for Elana, she’s saved from the awkwardness of having to answer a question she never fully comprehended. The clipboard that had been dropped is now being handed back. “Please, Mx Finlay, some space would be appreciated. This is Elana, she’s a guest. Anything more is classified.” The button for the next floor is pressed.

Handshaking begins to slowly fade till once more Elana is free from the binds of Robin’s handshake. The faun staring confused at their boss. Accepting the clipboard and pen. “Riiiiight… Toodles.” As the lift doors open, they make a quick dash exit. Vanishing from sight with all the speed one can muster post realisation they had just blundered into something important.

Silence reigning once more as it is now just Elana, Escher and Joshua. A cough as their downward journey continues. "Former government actually. Convinced parliament to fund a Void defence department in the sixties. Lasted till the eighties before we were defunded. Picked up a private investor and managed to keep much of our equipment in the swap over."

Another minute or so passes. The floor of the cavern cone and gone and they continue to descend to levels even deeper. "So what happened between you and… Well my dad?"

The silence made Elana think she had struck a nerve. As if the split had been something that still was healing nearly a century onwards. It's only just as she's about to apologise that he speaks up. "Things were a little strained after Katherine's death. Malcolm was kicked out not long afterwards. Joran refocused, became a nurse. We tried to keep in touch but it never worked. Last I'd heard he'd taken a position in a military hospital after the war started. Until Malcolm informed me, I had no idea he had passed away. You have my condolences. He was a good man."

The silence once more reigned. Elana had come for answers and she had got them, but wasn't sure if they were the answers she had been hoping for. Part of her was unsure he was telling the truth. But her mother seemed to buy into what he was saying. Her father really was the good person she had always been, but how many secrets had he kept from her. How much had he kept from mother? She would have to ask.

The sudden shudder as the lift comes to a stop at the bottom of the shaft. A small pause and then the opening of doors. The reveal of an expansive room. It certainly didn’t hold a candle to the massive atrium that Elana had seen on the way down from her guide’s office. It was just open space, two doors either side with fortified emplacements at the far side. But all this for a single person?

With heart threatening to escape the clutches of her body, the walk across the room felt an eternity. The looks of those sitting by the door, weapons at the ready. A gun was something she had never been comfortable around. And that wasn’t going to be changing anytime soon if this encounter was going to be any indicator.

The hiss of a door sliding out of the way was almost too much for her. Jumping though feeling stupid for doing so a moment later. As far as cells go it wasn’t the most flush, but comfortable in it’s own little way. He certainly wasn’t being mistreated. The man seated at the opposite side of a small table Elana almost instantly recognised. The one she had saved from that Void Spawn. 

Now getting a better look at him. There wasn’t anything that suggested a need to imprison him. Well aside from the arm composed of writhing black tentacles where there had once been nothing. He didn’t look old enough to fit Joshua’s story, maybe 40 at a push, not nearing a hundred. But then again Joshua looked a similar age, so who could really say.

There was something about the way he sat that unsettled the elf. Amidst all this effort to keep him in place, he still had an irritating arrogance to him. As if he ruled the roost, not lay in some cell hidden away from the world. His first reaction to lean forward, hands resting upon his knees as a smile appears to greet his new visitors. “Oh Josh, spoiling me today aren’t you. Not just my bested of buddies, but a new friend. You are too kind.” His focus laser precise on the man leading Elana. He seems for a split second to want to rise from his chair as he looks to Elana, a moment that doesn’t last before he decides against it. “You two, you must be Elana and Escher. I’m so sorry we didn’t get acquainted the last time we met.” The look on his face says apologetic, but Elana had doubts. “I’d rise to shake your hand, but I’m under strict watch. I’m Malcolm. My partner, is Mobius. He and Escher have a fair amount in common. But as much as I adore him and the team we make. I must say we’re barely a spluttering match to a radiant star like yourself. What you did, simply breathtaking. Your daddy would be proud of you.”

As Joshua takes a seat. Elana tries to follow, body seizing up. Another attempt and fail before she finally follows seat. A pregnant pause that seems to swallow all descents, broken by Escher of all people. “What do you know?”

“I had suspicions. But…” The grin of a man who has finally had that one troublesome piece that had confounded him for an age dropping into place washes over him. Hands under the table. She couldn’t see but would have guessed fidgeting to some degree. “Well I know a hell of a lot more than I did ten minutes ago. That’s for certain.”

“And that would be?” A question that has Joshua practically on the edge of his seat.

Shaking his head, Malcolm chuckles. “Can I get a raincheck on answering that?”

Anticipation becomes confusion in elf, man and Voidlings. Joshua the one to ask again. “Why? You’re not exactly going anywhere.”

“I only really stopped by to pick up something of mine- THAT YOU STOLE!” The flash of anger like a lightning bolt, there and gone. “Really do need to make my exit about now. I hope you’ve been treating Kat well. For yo-”

Were Elana not already oddly pale, she would be white as a sheet. Stuck to the chair like a deer in the headlights. Not a single thing she had seen in this world or any other had frightened her quite like this. Demons, gods, elder things. She’d fraternized with them all. Nothing could come close.

“She’s dead Malcolm!” Forcing himself to his feet through no small effort of his own, he towered above the other two. “When will you realise this. We made a mistake and she’s dead now. Nothing we say or do can change that.” His shoulders sagging visibly, the weight of years hanging heavy on him.

“Katherine and I. Are leaving now.” Malcolm raises his one remaining good had. Showing off a thin trail of red blood across his palm. Intricate lines and circles painted with the help of a tentacle finger. “Just try to stop us.” A single word more and a tentacle pressed into the centre. The invisible wave of power cascading outwards.

Eyes widening she realises now too late what he has just done. A circle of unbinding. Dispelling an enchantment previously placed from a distance. Had she realised just a few moments later, a counterspell might have been possible. But she hadn’t. He’d let something loose, and as the sirens began blaring. The earth shook and Elana knew it wasn’t something good.

Outside the soldiers could be heard frantically in their radios, or at least trying to use them. Panic, pure and simple. Malcolm had all but been forgotten, Joshua having given up attempting to get through using his own communications equipment. Opening the door and only seeing men ready to defend him. An eerie stillness that is threatened by the door to the lift buckling outwards before a gout of flame tears it open sending shrapnel flying.

Reacting quickly, Elana is at the door with her palm against the scanner. A harsh error tone blares before the door slams shut. Great dents smashed into the steel coming a hair’s breadth from Joshua’s face.

Gunfire and screams, sounds neither Elana or Escher would ever forget. In short, hell. Then silence.

The screams of tortured metal and then a crash. Smoke pouring in from where the door had once been. Blood pooling on the floor and other things Elana wished she could unseen. A dark shape looming in the doorway. Human, a woman covered head to toe in blood, concealing most of her features. Her posture unnatural, as if she were somehow only vaguely acquainted to how a human should stand upright. Huge foot long claws slowly retract as she locks eyes with Malcolm. A moment of recognition before a colossal clay fist seizes her, wrenching the woman from where she stood like a ragdoll.

Hitting the far wall, the steel plating cracks and crumples. The gore soaked woman sliding off and landing heavily on the floor. Motionless, limbs jutting at odd angles and half a face reduced to a red ruin.

The perpetrator of such violence standing in the middle of the killing room. Sweat and soot staining her face. Her head topped with messy black hair and a pair of curved horns. In place of arms were two large clay prosthetics, one stretched long but quickly retracting. The sleeveless leather jacket she wore currently showing signs of damage, she’d been fighting this thing probably since it had escaped. And wasn’t about to let it get away. “DON’T YOU KNOW IT’S RUDE TO WALK AWAY WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO YOU?!” Cracking her knuckles, she approaches the downed combatant. Glyphs appearing around her wrists as her hair catches ablaze. The formerly clay arms superheating and transmuting to become molten rock. “Now you’ll see why they call me the all consuming flame!”

Although initially still, the woman begins violently twitching. Limbs flailing and bones cracking as joints are reset and breaks repaired. Her journey to her feet disturbing, like a spider with many of its legs fused together. A messy sprawl of limbs that in time finds its feet. A reforming head lolling to one side before snapping back into place. Slowly advancing on the door once again, as it nothing had happened.

Rushing her opponent, the tiefling opens with a right hook. Catching the intruder in the chest, staggering her backwards. Heat scorching flesh that knits itself back together again. Each hammer like blow gaining less and less ground.

Till at last a fist is caught. Comparatively tiny human hand holding back a molten fist near three times its size. Flesh sizzling and repairing at near equal rates. Seemingly blank black and yellow eyes locking with the tiefling’s own green ones. A moment of contemplation before the strange woman’s chest erupts into a mass of repulsive black fleshy tendrils, strands of exposed muscle and tendon. An eldritch strength that overwhelms her opponent.

Amidst crushing flesh, the tiefling is finding breathing difficult. A tentacle forced down her throat and cutting off her air. Vision slowly blurring, her mind racing as she begins looking for a way out that wasn’t presenting itself. Till instinct took over, jaws clamping shut. Tearing flesh between jagged fangs. The taste of eldritch flesh nearly gag worthy but she swallows. A primal scream and she ignites, white hot flame engulfing her for a few seconds. Tentacles whipping furiously as they crumble into ash.

Collapsing to one knee, smoke pours off the exhausted quasi-demon. Each breath a labour in its own right. Even as green blood dripped from her nose and a gash above one eyebrow, she forced herself to stand once more.

In spite of her efforts, her opponent once more regenerates. Looking no more worse for wear than she had to begin with. For her efforts, the tiefling merely gets a backhand blow from her assailant. Crashing into the wall, landing heavily on the ground and out cold.

Entering Malcolm’s cell finally. The mystery woman takes survey of her surroundings.

Elana and Joshua scattering at the sight of her. The latter finding his leg caught on his chair and landing heavily on the ground. The former making it to the far corner. Nigh inconsolable at this point. Tears streaming from her eyes.

Looking as if beholding the most beautiful thing imaginable. Dr Richardson is in motion near instantly, embracing the blood soaked woman. Seemingly either unaware or uncaring of her lack reaction to being hugged. “Come my love, lets be out of this dreadful place.”

“Thank you my dear, you’ve given this world hope. Hope for a better future.” His eyes locked on Elana. A smile she would never forget. Still with one arm around his supposed wife, a series of gestures and words sees the pair of them vanish in a brilliant light.

“No… Why this…” A thunderous clap rings out as air rushes to fill the empty space left by a terrified elf. Leaving Joshua alone amidst smoke and ruin.

________________________________

Bleak and cold, at least to all but Elana and Escher. The lights of far off universes filling the sky, glittering through great dust clouds filling the Void. And the song of Titans. She knew what to listen for now. A month by their reckoning had passed. Neither had spoken in that time. What was there to say? That people could be the most terrifying monsters of all. It was all she could really think about of late. Staring out into the Void with little else on her mind. And she knew Escher was the same. The bleedthrough of their minds enough that even her mightiest attempts were like blocking the light of a bonfire with a scrap of tissue paper.

“What can we do Esch.” The first words she had spoken in what seemed like forever. She didn’t expect an answer. She knew Escher didn’t have one.

The sky split as the Titan looked down upon the child. Her heart swelling in her chest as the world around her became almost electric. Charged by the presence of a being vast beyond limitation.

“Be you.”

[jameschurn]

Hive Mind

From July 6th, 2018

Now that my skull is largely healed, its precious organic cargo secured once more, I feel it is my responsibility to once again warn you all of the ever present dangers that lurk in the shadows of our world. Lurking in the dark, these eldritch horrors seek to usurp the balance of our world, teetering it ever closer to the brink of existence. I am, of course, talking about mosquitos, My tale begins humbly enough. On my last day of vacation, I was sitting in the outside darkness, the air heavy and damp from the rain, enjoying the sweet release from the sun's cruel rays. However, hungry for the chance at my rarely vulnerable flesh, a veritable horde of mosquitoes descended upon my right leg, eagerly devouring the crimson nectar that slowly flowed within. Soon my leg swelled, gaping wounds serving as hives for the mosquito swarms that feasted on my body. Naturally, this lead to my leg itching quite fiercely, and I sought relief from this torment. I tried a few over the counter products at first; creams, salves, pressurized coworkers... but nothing seem to ease the incessant itching that haunted my waking moments. At work, coworkers quarantined me, forcing me to work in a glass office where many highly paid scientists worked day in and day out, studying the parasitic creatures that lay claim to me. Soon, a massive hive of coagulated pus and blood began to form around me, hardened by the freezing air conditioning of the office. Growing ever-fearful of me, the work populace soon sought to end my wretched life. One of them shattered the glass, throwing a Molotov inside to burn out the rot that had infested this once ordinary structure. This was a mistake. Furious, the swarms of mosquitoes poured out of the office, a living tsunami of blood sucking monstrosities and buzzing wings. Crashing like a wave upon sand, the mosquitoes tore the office workers to pieces, leaving nothing but dried out skin and bone in their wake, as the few survivors ran screaming into the dark hallways. Seeing my chance for escape, I tore myself free from the grotesque nest built from my flesh, and stumbled blindly down the emergency exit stairs. Starting my long abandoned car, I watched in horror as a storm of insects grew overhead, desperate to find their original food source. I sped off maddeningly through the twisting roads of Pennsylvania. I arrived back to my apartment, a withered husk of a man, exhausted and drained from my excursion. I wrapped my festering wounds in ice, and went to lay upon my futon, knowing that only the comforting embrace of unconsciousness could soothe me. However, I slipped into that sweet darkness too quickly, and as I fell to my rest the back of my skull collided with the metal and archaic armrests that adorned my futon. Screaming in pain, I felt something tear at the bloodied crack, as an all too familiar buzzing seem to echo from within my own skull. Soon flesh and hair was cast aside, as a massive mosquito queen birthed herself from cranium, blood splattering the walls as her wings stretched freely into open air. As I lay half-dead, I could hear her thoughts reach out to mine, an un-voice.... that of a creature imitating man speech reverberated through my body, renewing my cries of anguish. "THIS ONE THANKS THE WARM FLESH FOR ITS HOSPITALITY" it sputtered, in a voice cold and mocking. "WHEN OUR BROOD RETURNS, THE FLESH AND ITS KIN SHALL HAVE THE HONOR OF INCUBATING THE GENERATIONS TO COME, UNTIL OUR EMPIRE CAN DRAIN THE STARS THEMSELVES OF THE CURSED LIGHT". And with that, it burst through the ceiling of my apartment, disappearing into the black tapestry of the night sky. Needless to say, I took the next day off from work.

[jackalopegirlteeth]

Let Go Your Earthly Tether

Months later and little had come to her about the revelations of that fateful night, a meeting with something beyond the scope of mortal comprehension. Something that shook the very foundations of her understanding about reality and even her own place among the cosmos. Why had it chosen now of all times to speak to her and Escher. And furthermore, how did she both understand its meaning and be left so hopelessly lost that the world seemed a completely different place. It had long been a fear of her’s, losing grip on reality and slipping into the unknown never to return and now it felt closer than ever before.

Escher of course could sense this internal conflict, it was as much part of her as it was Elana. The connection between the two of them to such a point where oftentimes finding a line to seperate the two was a tall order. New things didn’t come easy to Escher, and this was no exception to that rule, in spite of the eldritch nature of both this revelation and her own being.

Life among other people felt, strange, wrong in a way that was hard to pin down exactly. She felt like something that didn’t truly belong here, a feeling that wasn’t new to her but amplified with what had happened. With headphones in, wandering through the streets of her hometown in her own homeworld, it felt like navigating an alien landscape. Not quite people passing her on either side. There was no destination in mind. Just walking and trying to get things off her mind. Not that it was really working all that well.

The world feels different doesn’t it. Nothing has changed about them, but us…

We haven’t changed either. We just…

Perspective I know. It’s a hell of a thing to realise. I wonder if this is why people used to believe eldritch knowledge drove you insane. Everything is just so small, so fragile. But what can we do about that?

Nothing I guess.

It’s not fair. We have sight to understand but no strength to do anything with it. Caught between two but never quite at home with-

Can you feel that?

What?

It’s familiar, but not. Smaller. Moving. Moving fast.

The headphones are removed as Elana refocuses. The world around her suddenly a very real and immediate thing as her reflective demeanour is suddenly pulled back. Escher was right, something was going on somewhere close and it wasn’t good either. She could hear shouting and a lot of it. The press of people turning from mere foot traffic to what was near a wall as the world around her ground to a halt. All the while at the edge of her senses, something was wrong. Not like before, smaller like Escher had mentioned. But it had stopped. There was no way she’d reach it in this sort of crowd.

“Ladies and gentlefolk, I’d kindly ask to move your asses.” There’s little warning to the tentacles making their appearance. Pouring from the bottom of her shirt and practically throwing Elana above the crowd, it wasn’t subtle but it was going to get her through the press. Those immediately around her scattering at the sudden manifestation of Escher’s physical form. Keeping a low profile was no longer a priority in Elana's world now.

Elana let's be reasonable we really don’t need to-

Weird Void shit is going down Esch, who else could take care of something like this?

The police?

Oh yeah, because they totally have a division dedicated to squiggly Void things.

If Escher had any further complains about the situation she certainly didn’t make them heard in their shared mind. An extended arm sees yet more of their additional eldritch appendages loose into the world. Pulling them onto the side of a nearby building, a vantage point from which she could look out above the sea of people, trying to get a better idea of what was going on.

About a block away, an intersection to be specific. Traffic had stopped and she could see why, it looked like quite a wreck. Smoke rising over the sea of people, obscuring details. From this distance it was hard to tell exactly what had gone down but it was clearly nothing good, and it was this that moved something inside her to act. Coming to the aid of others, showing compassion. Things moments ago that seemed pointless now flared in her mind. Deep ingrained instincts driving her to good that needed doing, and needed doing now. Was it a coincidence then, that falling deep into the Void had resurfaced that memory. Her mind felt a confusing stew of emotions, body on more or less autopilot.

Like some bizarre giant octopus, those tendrils that held the pair of them aloft walked them across the walls of these stores and businesses. Elana could feel the eyes of the crowd on her, but pushed that our of her mind. How bizarre she looked wasn't lost on her, to them she may have well been some knockoff cephalopod based super villain swinging above them. But she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted by things like that. As far as she know time could be of the essence. People could be very seriously injured.

Smoke from the wreckage. It send a chill down her spine now that she was up close. Close enough to catch the smothering acrid scent of it. Memories threatened to flood forth, but they're banished quickly. The present was more important. She could focus on that, there were things she could still control.

Even up closer there wasn’t much she could actually make out. There was a large shape in there somewhere and what could have possibly been two smaller ones too. Being the impulsive one, she’s already made her mind up on what to do within seconds of reaching the corner.

Elana no…

But it was already too late, the verdict had come in and the majority vote had come in. Elana yes. Tentacles coiling and pulling her closer to the wall before launching both her and Escher like a spring into the middle of whatever mess this was. Those black limbs serving only as cushioning as she touches down on the asphalt. Her eyes stinging from the smoke that she had been forced to rocket through in order to get here.

And where was here exactly? Right in the middle of what looked like the biggest of kerfuffles she had personally witnessed to date. Two people were kneeling to her right. A one armed man in his mid to late forties shielding a younger woman from. Well a kind of beast that Elana had never encountered before, and yet instinctively knew what it was.

Void Spawn.

Standing clear head and shoulders above your average man, it was an intimidating sight to behold. It’s frame clearly resembled a werewolf, on the very surface at least. But up close she could see things that were off. Wrong in some way. Limbs that seemed too long, even for a werewolf, it’s torso misshapen. And the way it seemed to flicker hurt the eyes to even look at, as it were straining, barely contained by the reality it had found itself in now.

Eyes like gates into the Void itself, that had once been locked on the cowering man before it now settled on Elana. Its posture hunched, teeth bared. All suggesting violence was all but inevitable, this was a cornered beast and it had few options left but to snarl and bite should it’s warnings be ignored. And yet, had it's demeanour changed since she arrived? It was a subtle change but she could feel the information flowing to her from her eldritch other half.

If was times like these that she wished the world was a simpler place. As if her options would be presented to her, consequences and all, for her to choose from and know what she was getting. Because now, without that, she was left with only her instincts. And those. Well those had a tendency to come packaged with complimentary shenanigans and more of those than anyone realistically could deal with.

While she was considering her options. The Spawn acts. Having lost interest in Elana, she apparently wasn't enough to hold its attention for long. What it had decided was the cowering man was a much more interesting target of its ire. Crouching in preparation. It pounced in what seemed like a heartbeat. Hurtling towards the innocent bystanders like a missile set to deliver an eldritch payload of claws, muscle and fur.

She had mere moments to react, barely enough to form a plan. But tentacles had worked well up until now and she didn't have many more apparent options. Black tendrils billowing forth from her sleeves. Wrapping around the Spawn's limbs and snatching it out of the air but a foot away from its intended target. “Bad dog, stay.” Her voice echoing with eldritch hollowness. Eyes shrinking to become star filled pools of darkness.

With a flick of her arm she dumps the snarling beast well out of range of the pair it had attempted to attack.

It was then that seeming inexplicable happened. Elana was ready to dive out of the way. Anticipating a charge that she knew was coming and yet… she's left waiting. The beast just standing there hunched over after picking itself up again. A low but steady growl being its only indicator of mood. Clearly still angry and a little scared, but also confused. As if it itself didn't know why it was listening to Elana's commands.

What the hell is going on? Is it obeying us? Of all the people it could choose to listen to. Maybe because we're also void creatures?

She didn't answer for she didn't have one. A mad plan already formulating in her mind, one that Escher was sure to be sensing already. The fear of such a creature bringing a natural hesitation to her actions. It seeming like an age before she takes her first step towards the wolf beast.

Elana… Can we be reasonable about this?

It's dangerous you know, it would have killed these two without us.

Think what it could do to us.

Again there's no answer from Elana. Trepidation turning to a shaky confidence in her intentions in walking forth. A hand outstretched but held low, fingers loosely curled inwards. The way one might approach an unfamiliar animal, attempting to appear as non-threatening as possible. Giving it a chance to realise she means it no harm.

Elana…

A pause in her advance is brought upon by a low growl from the wolf. At least until she is fairly confident that it's not a precursor to an attack. In her heart she could feel this being meant her or anyone else no harm, that it was simply frightened and confused. Empathy, it  was so much like her, but robbed of any means to communicate with this strange unfamiliar world.

The anxiety radiating out from Escher wasn't helping, but at least it wasn't hindering either.

A mere handful of feet away from it and she could now make out details a lot clearer than she could from afar. The skin beneath fur was an unnatural pale, not a million miles away from her own otherworldly tones. Coupled with dark fur, the similarities were hard to miss. The fear she felt before, a coldness that held her heart, was now thawing. She could feel the eyes, the cell phones, the cameras upon her. It wasn't just those three immediately nearby but the crowd standing well back.

It was like trying to move through tar. Adrenaline forcing its through her system, time seeming to slow to a crawl as her instincts told her to flee. But there was more than that. She could feel it on a deep level that defied any attempt in explain it in her mind. Space was being twisted here, distances compressed and stretched in ways the average eye could not see but yet tugged at her body and slowed her movements.

Coming face to face with such a creature. Gazing into those strange and eldritch eyes brought forth memories of the Titan. The growling had stopped, she wasn't sure sure when but it had. A tiny sliver of easy in a turmoil stricken sea.

Reaching up, she places a hand upon its muzzle. A tiny elf standing before a crouching giant. There was no doubt her picture would be across local papers, but that was inconsequential. As soon as her hand touched the beast the world seemed to fall away. A single word echoing in her mind.

“Titan.”

Startled her hand is retracted, a few stumbling steps backward are taken as shaken gasp is forced from her. She has no time to take stock of the world around as a harsh sound invades the scene around her. The bass thrum of helicopter blades as dark shadows cast down upon the wreckage from above. Elana's eyes are cast skyward, seeing the black helicopters hovering above, an unfamiliar insignia emblazoned on doors that are now open, from which ladders spill out followed closely by people in tactical gear.

Just as she was beginning to think the situation was under her control again, things seemed to be slipping from her grip once more. Weapons were being raised at her, at the spawn she stood by. There were words being barked at her. But she couldn't hear them. Breathing grew harder as the panic began to settle in. It was as if an icy shard had pierced her heart.

Elana, what's happening?

She couldn't answer. To calm the spawn had required a toe dipped into the dark sea of the Void. But one wrong move and… She was falling. Light, sound, touch, time. All shed as her being descended deep beyond what she could have ever imagined falling. An eye that dominates the skyline opens, beholding the infinitesimally smaller being that now hurtled through its domain.

Focus.

A mere split second had passed for the world around her. Frantic shouting, rising tempers. And yet Elana knew exactly what she should do.

“N̷̛͜o͡!̢͏”

Like a tidal wave, the Void spills forth. A freezing ripple that surges out and touches all within reach. Lights within the affected zone seeming dimmer. The world peaceful for a brief moment, before the panic sets in.

Attempts to move, to flee or advance all end in the same way. As if pushing off, untethering people from the world. Gravity a fleeting memory within this bubble of Elana's making. Shouts and cries muffled by the Void that infused the air and in the centre of all the chaos sat Elana and the wolf spawn.

The power flowing through her veins yearns to be used. Kept locked away since her creation and only now allowed to flow freely. But there is only one thing she wishes to do. Escape.

Seemingly unaffected by the current lack of gravity, she reaches out towards the centre of the intersection. And like the hundreds of times before, calls upon her Void Gate ability. Overcharged with unimaginable energy, the tear is much larger than anticipated. Several of the armed people floating over its edge, no doubt only saved from falling in by their weightlessness.

She doesn't seem to have to indicate to her new friend to jump through it at all. The beast leaping into the Void of its own free will. Shortly followed by herself. Leaving reality to reassert itself in her absence.

Normality achieved, the crowds are beginning to disperse. “Control, we have a situation. Subject has been driven off. Additional subject was spotted but it got away. We're on route with a plus one. We have Dr Richardson in custody.” One of the armed men barks into his radio.

As he's speaking, the one armed man is being loaded into the transport. The helicopter rising into the sky by the time emergency sirens can be heard homing in on the site of the accident. The world steadily ticking on, the significance of today's events lost on those lucky enough to witness it. The first step in a long chain.

________________________________

A silence thick enough to cut. Up close and without the smoke and chaos, Dr Richardson looked to be in his late forties to early fifties. Once blonde hair now sprinkled with grey and kept a little on the longer end of what one might consider formal. His features refined, handsome in a way. Where there had once been an absence of arm, now a series of tentacles had formed into the shape of one. A kind of eldritch prosthetic, not too dissimilar to Escher's attempts at a false limb though somewhat cruder and lacking the same finesse of Escher. Steel grey eyes locked upon the man opposite him.

That man was dressed all business, an expertly tailored suit. His features softer than the man across the table. Hair neatly shaved. He seemed quite the contrast to the man opposite to him, his darker skin a seeming mirror of Dr Richardson's odd paleness. “Malcolm.” His voice calm measured, in control.

A nasty smile soon reveals itself, the kind as if to feign innocence of an act he was caught doing. “Josh my old friend. How long has it been? Sixty, seventy, eighty years now?” A shake of the head and a subtle little laugh follow. “And in all that time, not even a single Christmas card. Im hurt, really.”

His brow furrows. Setting his elbows upon the table between them and steepling his hands. “Malcolm. What were you doing that drew you towards such an unfortunate accident?”

“Well you see I'm just a concerned citizen who saw a terrible tragedy un-”

“Bullshit. That. Is. Bull. Shit.” The interruption sudden but sharp and hard. “We have evidence that you, Malcom, were responsible for both the creation of and the luring of that Void Spawn.” Pointing at the man opposite him. He pulls a folder out from the briefcase by his side. Setting it down. On the table and opening it for all to see. “Now I will ask you again. What were you up to. And who is the girl.” One particular picture is singled out. An image captured by one of the onlookers. A picture of Elana reaching up to comfort the Void Spawn.

A flicker of disgust crosses the other man's face. He scans the the pictures arranged before him, though avoids looking again once he's sure his bluff has been called. “She's a Symwright.”

Cold, the blood in his veins like ice now. He may as well have been punched in the gut right now with how he felt. Part of him would have preferred that. “N-no… that's not possi-”

Snapping back into the back of his chair, Malcolm laughs as if it were all some joke to him. “Joran, your ex-boyfriend. Well he's been a busy bee. Finally did what we couldn't all those years ago. A true, proper child of The Void. And he did it right under our noses too. The sly old fox. Shame what happened to him really. Car accident, hell of a way to go. Leaving behind a widow and kid.” The arm and tentacle prosthetic cross before him, the grin only intensifying.

“There's no way… that could… how… why now?”

“All those years ago, when we ventured out beyond where men were meant to tread. We saw a being of true beauty. And today, I saw a child taking her first beautiful steps. Impossible, I think that's a word we can safely resign to the history books. Because a Titan walks among us, and she has let go her earthly tether.”