"Recent events have led me to distrust those walls, and perhaps many others."
Though, she can't be certain that even Crichton is safe, luckily that's easy enough to check. She's so in tune with his soul that he couldn't lie to her, even if he was bound by a demon. Well, he could still lie, she would just know it to be false.
"Come with me, I know a place we won't be overheard or looked for."
Valdis leads Crichton to the Velvet, asking Magne for a private room where they will have privacy and waiting until the door is shut before even considering what she might say next.
Valdis takes a seat on one of the many cushions, gesturing to Crichton to take a seat.
"You aren't bound by any deals that might come back to bite us, are you?"
Even if he lies she can sense it, but she has to be sure before she drags Elsie into this. The girl's father probably wouldn't be happy if his daughter was put in danger by her friend so soon after getting his letter.
His eyes squint in concentration as he moves to take his seat. He's actually thinking about that question before answering just to make sure he isn't forgetting anything.
"No. Not that I'm aware of. I've been staying far away from those demons, trust me." It's the truth. He's been keeping his nose cleaner than ever before since he got here.
"Whatever it is you're about to tell me, it won't leave my confidence. I promise you."
She sits for a moment, just watching him, trying to find the correct words for what she wants to convey.
"I don't know if you've met Elsie. She's a young lady who lives out in the woods. She recently showed me a letter from her father, I mentally filed the information within away because I was busy, but I...have found that the demons might be a little more difficult to handle than I previously believed."
She takes a breath.
"I need to pick your brain a little on the contents, I'm hoping that you can confirm my suspicions, or perhaps have some ideas of your own."
"Never met her in person but I've heard about her." Half of what he heard sounded like rumors but with the way things go around here, who knows?
He doesn't comment about her finding the demons difficult to deal with but it does cause a frown of concern. If Valdis is saying that, they really might be in some trouble.
"I'm happy to give you my thoughts on it. But, you're going to have to tell me what that letter said to do it."
"Elsie's father is a King of the Fae named Olwylder. She learned this in a letter he recently sent her. He claims to not be worried about the demons and that he has been keeping a low profile to avoid Nyarlathotep. I don't think we need to discuss how powerful the demons are after the Gala."
She's still reeling from it and sometimes it takes everything she has to keep going as she did before.
"The goddesses cannot help much as they tend to naturally repel each other, but Olwylder and the fae don't have the same limitations. They may be able to help us against the demons."
She knows it's a lot to take in, but she needed to get him as much information in a short period as possible.
"King? Well, shit. Doesn't that make her a princess?" Not like any princess he's ever heard of but it's the fey so sky's is the limit.
That hesitation he senses in Valdis, talking about the demons, compels him to move a little closer. He wants to offer his hand, offer some comfort, but she's struggling to keep going and he doesn't want to throw her off, either.
He hums quietly to himself while he takes it all in, turning these new pieces over in his mind. Something seems to...click.
"So this Olwylder is strong enough to do what the goddesses can't, but he's afraid of doing anything too visible because of Nyarlathotep, right?" One can almost physically see the dots connecting. "Remember when I asked about who might be sending us into those dreams of the past? What if Olwylder is our guy?" That's why it didn't make sense before. They were missing a player in the game.
Valdis inclines her head, uncertain what it would truly make Elsie. Fairy Princess seems a little too much to describe her and she thinks that Elsie would just rather be herself. Crichton may be right though, Olwylder might be meddling in his own way.
"It's possible. The Fey do have that kind of power in the myths."
Which would meant that Olwylder is getting bolder, perhaps he's confident that those chosen by Mortanne could be valuable to him, or could defeat his enemy.
"Nyarly might have a harder time standing against us if we all work together. The demons are now killing each other, perhaps Elsie's father might be willing to help us."
"If this conflict is standing in the way of him being able to meet his own daughter, then, yeah, he might be."
Crichton could be reading too much into it, still, but his gut tells him that if the fey king was interested enough to send a letter to Elsie explaining her heritage, then he must desire to see her at least a little. The barrier might be in the way of that.
"How likely do you think it is that we could get a message back through to him to ask? Do you think Elsie would help us?"
"I know Elsie would help us, but I don't want to make her a target. I'm sure you understand that."
Valdis is certain that Elsie has more power than either of them realize, but the last thing they need is her father angry at them for putting her in the crosshairs of a chaos god and his tentative allies.
"She wants to help, and has promised me she will."
Valdis sighs.
"The old me wouldn't have hesitated to use everything at my disposal to defeat my enemy, sacrifices are necessary and all that."
She takes another breath.
"I underestimated my enemies once, I'm not going to do it again. Unfortunately that means that there are some things I want to keep close, this is one of them. Olwylder may be a valuable ally for us to bring forth at the proper time."
Not that the demons are unware of him, damned things seem to know everything."
"They do seem to know everything," Crichton agrees in a tone of voice that signals he's just realized how literal that might be. That's a scary scary thought...
"I'll leave it to you. I trust you to know what you're doing with her."
He chews on his lip, thinking a moment, hesitating really, before he finally decides to offer, "Hey, are you okay? I mean, emotionally. If you need a listening ear I'm here. This doesn't have to be a one way street."
She stiffens. For a moment, she's disgusted by the fact that Crichton thinks he might be able to help. He's just a human and they are dealing with demons and gods, surely a human can't even begin to help with that. And yet, he is also her friend, her family and what he is doesn't really matter to her. He's been dealing with things bigger than himself long before she ever met him.
"I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling, but if I figure it out I promise I will talk to someone. I know I'm not in this alone."
"There's a lot of things," he admits. "I'm still trying to get my thoughts in order. But... maybe the biggest concern I have right now is about the guy I gotta go ask to see if he'll help translate that text."
He looks her anxiously in the eyes, "It's John, a...version of him. Arthur's John. I ran into him at the ball..."
He snorts, and covers his mouth while shaking his head. "I shouldn't be laughing at that." And yet he still is.
"As far as I can tell, this is a new one who doesn't have any memory of us or the ship. I don't have a clue what to do about it but, unfortunately, he's very good friends with Sally already. I'll have to find a way to put up with him."
Valdis hasn't spent any time with Sally, but she knows of the woman and knows she is well respected...and that Crichton has been spending time with her. But she won't pry.
"I have nothing against John, though I suppose you would, so just be careful."
"I'm doing my best. Tring to, uh, keep my head about it. As much shit as the other one gave me he's... not this one. Blank slate. So. I keep reminding myself that." But it's hard. His feelings about it are, in a word, complicated.
"I really like Sally. I'm taking that slow, too, but... there could be something there for us. I just... I don't want to blow it again."
"Sounds complicated, if you need me, I'm here for you."
Though she's not sure she has advice about Sally, but she's irritated that he's still hurting over past events where he was so clearly not in the wrong.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
After the Ocularum meeting
Date: 2024-10-08 03:50 am (UTC)"Crichton," she says touching his arm. "We need to talk, privately."
After the Ocularum meeting
Date: 2024-10-08 05:24 pm (UTC)Considering everything that's come to light in the last few days, that seems like a pertinent question.
"We can go grab one of the rooms at the office?"
no subject
Date: 2024-10-10 03:16 am (UTC)"Recent events have led me to distrust those walls, and perhaps many others."
Though, she can't be certain that even Crichton is safe, luckily that's easy enough to check. She's so in tune with his soul that he couldn't lie to her, even if he was bound by a demon. Well, he could still lie, she would just know it to be false.
"Come with me, I know a place we won't be overheard or looked for."
Valdis leads Crichton to the Velvet, asking Magne for a private room where they will have privacy and waiting until the door is shut before even considering what she might say next.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-10 09:49 pm (UTC)"Well, guess this is as good a cover as any," he comments once they make it to the room.
"What's going on?"
no subject
Date: 2024-10-11 03:23 am (UTC)"You aren't bound by any deals that might come back to bite us, are you?"
Even if he lies she can sense it, but she has to be sure before she drags Elsie into this. The girl's father probably wouldn't be happy if his daughter was put in danger by her friend so soon after getting his letter.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-11 01:28 pm (UTC)"No. Not that I'm aware of. I've been staying far away from those demons, trust me." It's the truth. He's been keeping his nose cleaner than ever before since he got here.
"Whatever it is you're about to tell me, it won't leave my confidence. I promise you."
no subject
Date: 2024-10-12 03:17 am (UTC)She sits for a moment, just watching him, trying to find the correct words for what she wants to convey.
"I don't know if you've met Elsie. She's a young lady who lives out in the woods. She recently showed me a letter from her father, I mentally filed the information within away because I was busy, but I...have found that the demons might be a little more difficult to handle than I previously believed."
She takes a breath.
"I need to pick your brain a little on the contents, I'm hoping that you can confirm my suspicions, or perhaps have some ideas of your own."
no subject
Date: 2024-10-14 09:55 pm (UTC)He doesn't comment about her finding the demons difficult to deal with but it does cause a frown of concern. If Valdis is saying that, they really might be in some trouble.
"I'm happy to give you my thoughts on it. But, you're going to have to tell me what that letter said to do it."
no subject
Date: 2024-10-16 02:55 am (UTC)She's still reeling from it and sometimes it takes everything she has to keep going as she did before.
"The goddesses cannot help much as they tend to naturally repel each other, but Olwylder and the fae don't have the same limitations. They may be able to help us against the demons."
She knows it's a lot to take in, but she needed to get him as much information in a short period as possible.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-17 03:51 pm (UTC)That hesitation he senses in Valdis, talking about the demons, compels him to move a little closer. He wants to offer his hand, offer some comfort, but she's struggling to keep going and he doesn't want to throw her off, either.
He hums quietly to himself while he takes it all in, turning these new pieces over in his mind. Something seems to...click.
"So this Olwylder is strong enough to do what the goddesses can't, but he's afraid of doing anything too visible because of Nyarlathotep, right?" One can almost physically see the dots connecting. "Remember when I asked about who might be sending us into those dreams of the past? What if Olwylder is our guy?" That's why it didn't make sense before. They were missing a player in the game.
"He's got the power and a good reason."
no subject
Date: 2024-10-20 12:43 am (UTC)"It's possible. The Fey do have that kind of power in the myths."
Which would meant that Olwylder is getting bolder, perhaps he's confident that those chosen by Mortanne could be valuable to him, or could defeat his enemy.
"Nyarly might have a harder time standing against us if we all work together. The demons are now killing each other, perhaps Elsie's father might be willing to help us."
no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 04:55 pm (UTC)Crichton could be reading too much into it, still, but his gut tells him that if the fey king was interested enough to send a letter to Elsie explaining her heritage, then he must desire to see her at least a little. The barrier might be in the way of that.
"How likely do you think it is that we could get a message back through to him to ask? Do you think Elsie would help us?"
no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 03:27 am (UTC)Valdis is certain that Elsie has more power than either of them realize, but the last thing they need is her father angry at them for putting her in the crosshairs of a chaos god and his tentative allies.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-25 08:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-26 03:02 am (UTC)Valdis sighs.
"The old me wouldn't have hesitated to use everything at my disposal to defeat my enemy, sacrifices are necessary and all that."
She takes another breath.
"I underestimated my enemies once, I'm not going to do it again. Unfortunately that means that there are some things I want to keep close, this is one of them. Olwylder may be a valuable ally for us to bring forth at the proper time."
Not that the demons are unware of him, damned things seem to know everything."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-01 03:29 pm (UTC)"I'll leave it to you. I trust you to know what you're doing with her."
He chews on his lip, thinking a moment, hesitating really, before he finally decides to offer, "Hey, are you okay? I mean, emotionally. If you need a listening ear I'm here. This doesn't have to be a one way street."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-06 04:16 am (UTC)"I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling, but if I figure it out I promise I will talk to someone. I know I'm not in this alone."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-08 08:41 pm (UTC)"Okay. I'm really glad to hear that. I care about you, and I want us all to get through this in one piece. You included."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 04:13 am (UTC)She knows he cares, and she knows he's on her side, it's just still hard to admit that she needs them...her friends.
"Is there anything on your mind after the meeting?"
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 01:58 am (UTC)He looks her anxiously in the eyes, "It's John, a...version of him. Arthur's John. I ran into him at the ball..."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 02:44 am (UTC)"As long as it's not Arthur, the lamps here don't repair themselves."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 10:53 pm (UTC)"As far as I can tell, this is a new one who doesn't have any memory of us or the ship. I don't have a clue what to do about it but, unfortunately, he's very good friends with Sally already. I'll have to find a way to put up with him."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 04:11 am (UTC)"I have nothing against John, though I suppose you would, so just be careful."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 04:00 pm (UTC)"I really like Sally. I'm taking that slow, too, but... there could be something there for us. I just... I don't want to blow it again."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-17 03:24 am (UTC)Though she's not sure she has advice about Sally, but she's irritated that he's still hurting over past events where he was so clearly not in the wrong.
"Arthur is the one who blew it, not you."
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