[D7LE] What Sleeps Beyond the Looking Glass

[Illiam'iira]

Creeping through the dark, Illiam'iira does her best to not think about pastel pink animals scampering around her in-between following the directions she was given. Don't think about a cute little mouse. Don't think about getting to see a cute cranium rat. Don't think about seeing L'Orr. The girl can't help but smile. Yeah. Keep not thinking. You're getting closer.

She pauses at the door. If things get bad she can call Quev over. He's just a block away getting some street food. That helps. With a little breath in, she straightens her spine, gathering her courage to walk inside.

"Mister L'Orr-hui?"

[L'Orr-hui]

The establishment was calm, cool and dark. Lighted only by a few magical flames, The Extented Tentacle was plunged in the evening's penumbra. It's proprietor was overlooking some documents at the reception desk.

''Lady Illiam'iira'' they stated, turning their gaze towards her ''Come in, take a seat. What is the reason you wished to see me so late?''

[Illiam'iira]

''Lady Illiam'iira'' they stated, turning their gaze towards her ''Come in, take a seat. What is the reason you wished to see me so late?''

"Sir L'Orr-hui." She gives them a curtsy. "Just been a busy day, and, well, I figured it was a busy day for both of us. Thank you for taking the time to see me so soon after my letter. Could we perhaps talk a bit further in? I'd rather not someone accidentally walk in. If that's alright."

[L'Orr-hui]

The illithid turned away, expressionless, and folded the documents into a drawer.

''Very well, we can move to my consultation room.'' The door to the room opened by itself at that moment ''After you''

[Illiam'iira]

"Thank you." She slips inside. Finding a chair, she settles in to curl up, beginning to pull things from her bag. "If it's alright, I brought a little candle I'd like to light. It's not magic -- just for timekeeping. I promised a friend I'd check in with them at a set time. You've got this place warded from prying eyes, yes? How, uh, how sturdy is that, exactly, do you think?"

[L'Orr-hui]

''As strong as can be. Any intrusion here would need to come from within.'' they replied, forming a small grey pearl in their hand with magic. Going to sit in their therapist's chair they moved on to the matter at hand ''Now, what is your trouble.''

[Illiam'iira]

Illiam'iira breathes in as she sets the candle and its holder down, lighting it with a spark of magic before turning her gaze from the tiny flame to look at the wizard.

"When you see it, it sees you," She says simply. "Or something to that effect. I believe I may have -- have stumbled across something that can slip past even the strongest of magics. If it is what I think it is. And it saw me."

Don't think of little lavender sprites dancing around you. Don't think of faerie circles.

"I imagine -- this is just a guess, but the logic does follow -- the more you know of and understand the thing, the better it knows you. Catches its attention and all that. So. Uh. I will understand if you do not want to be involved -- oh!" Illi claps her hands together. "It did say Black Marian was -- was eating our fortunes. Selling them. Something like that."

[L'Orr-hui]

The flayer was silent for barely a second

"Lady Illiam'iira, I have seen far worse then you can imagine so whatever troubles you will not phase me.

A notepad floated to their hand

"Now...tell me everything. Slowly and in order."

[Illiam'iira]

"That's why I turned to you. It's my hope you might have a greater understanding of what occurred."

With her ethical obligation to warn him seen to, Illiam'iira clasps her hands together, eyes closing as she focuses on her memories of the morning.

"I'd wanted to take a second listen to the Singing Fountain. On my way there I saw mister Ikkit -- I do believe you've met -- and as I was walking over to greet him, a pile of rags rose from the ground to take on the form of a humanoid. It began to speak to him. Said that Black Marion ate futures. Ikkit had thought she sold them, but it said that she just sells the information. Seemed to regard her work poorly -- though I think it's because they're in the same, uh, trade. Just blood and guts instead of water and song."

"Ikkit noticed me then so I joined him while the begin read him his fortune. And then it introduced itself. Ignaeus. But the way it -- he -- said the name..." Her brow furrows. "And the way it reacted... I can't tell what was real and what was a lure. But it hurt. That it made me look closer."

"When I did, it spoke again. If you wish to truly see, then you will be seen... that nothing could stop it from happening. And that it saw me."

She suddenly breaks the quiet with a loud CLAP.

"And then it was gone. Just me and mister Ikkit. Now, Ikkit's got enough sense to leave well enough alone, but I don't. I can't tell if that was an old man being possessed by something, a greater power puppeting a dead body as a lure, a weird cultist, all three or something else... but it really shook me. I don't know if it intended on manipulating my feelings or it was simply trying to scare me and hit a nerve."

[L'Orr-hui]

As she spoke, the tracing of the pen on parchment could be heard as the illithid noted down the account.

''Haruspicy. Primitive form of divination but not one without power in the proper hands'' they noted ''Divination is an interesting philosophical matter, independently of the accuracy of those predictions. I do not search for them myself unless warranted. As for the haruspex's words...''

They pondered

''...it could be either a warning or a statement of fact. My first guess is that this Ignaeus is a dweller of the abyss or one tied to it. As the saying goes: When you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back''

They made another note

''And what did the haruspex see?''