Inbox

[itsjustabaddream]

INBOX OF NEIL WEST

Neil would be happy to hear from you. Leave a comment below to reach out. You can pay him a visit at home, or send him a letter any time.

GAME NAV ✦ THE OCULARUM

Comments

[somebodychildofanyone]

"I'm not sure 'aloud' is the problem, but let me speak my peace here and if the perspective changes your desire or advice, like...great." DEEP breath. "Angel and I found the book in a cave warded by a curse, some kind of pocket labyrinth only the dead could move through. I tried forge fire to destroy it - no dramatic reactions please - and it did nothing. Angel used holy fire and wounded something, causing the earthquake."

Deep, deep breath again.

"Had the chance to talk to Celestine about it, and she was able to say some interesting things. She mentioned that the book can't be used for greater mischief while it's here, and said very plainly that no attempt should be made to destroy it or read from it, by anyone. Now, what I'm thinking is it's bound something here and that killing that thing might have destructive fallout." In very respectful tones: "But you're the expert, what can you theorize?"

[itsjustabaddream]

"Fascinating," Neil mutters. "Ah, well--- As I'm sure is your experience, it's tricky to theorize with such scant information, however. Based on the reports I've received so far, I can gather that the book is both the sacred text and the magical grimoire of the people who worshipped this god, and it is apparently quite powerful as well as overtly and exclusively evil. In many similar cases, such texts are enchanted to be indestructible for the preservation of knowledge. By belief is that you were advised not to attempt to destroy it because it is both pointless and triggering some dangerous side effects when attempted, and that you should not read it because of its corrupting influence. My personal opinion is that I have some degree of resistance to such corruption and could keep someone around who I could trust to kill me should that resistance fail, such as Agent Jean, and in doing so I feel I might be able to reverse some of its workings. However, if you would feel more comfortable following the advice you received to the letter, I will respect your decision."

[somebodychildofanyone]

There is a long, long pause. When River talks again, her tone is carefully respectful, yet oddly unsure. Perhaps Neil may recognize it as the voice of someone a little intimidated to speak to someone else they see as a professional superior.

"How certain are you that death will cleanse any hypothetical corruption? A lot of my job is dealing in cases where it really, truly doesn't. Bad, hard deaths that leave a soul scarred, curses that chase people away from the Sunless Lands, all that. We might be stuck here, but the island is concentrating harm, keeping it here. What gets let out...it doesn't have elsewhere to go."

[itsjustabaddream]

"That is a decent point, yes. I can't prove that it will reset me. However, the likelihood of a mind-controlling influence like that persisting after death is, historically, quite low. Unless it is something that fundamentally alters who I am as a person, which is certainly worthy of consideration, but I feel there would be warning signs if that were the case," Neil prattles. He seems receptive to her criticism, likely because it doesn't sound like an accusation for once in his life, and considers her points carefully.

"Unfortunately there are some things that cannot be proven until attempted which require a leap of faith, but if we're going off of precedents, I feel fairly confident."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"...Celestine's gonna slap me for even considering this and it's not gonna be the sexy slapping." Silence.

...Silence...

"Three days and three nights and then it goes back in lockup. I hope you understand when I say that I'm going to have to go scorched earth if those terms aren't met; among other things I'd need to consider the possibility that the book was way worse than either of us expected, and at the end of the day I was trained as a war-mage. I'd like your word that no other soul is going to read the book. Not Mister Sims, not Jean, certainly not Annabel. You swear it on your name and you can come pick up the book."

[itsjustabaddream]

"You have my word," Neil agrees, refraining from mentioning that his relationship with Annabel Lee is now notably strained. That's Annabel Lee's problem. "I sincerely appreciate your flexibility in this matter."

Wrap?

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Alright. I want to reiterate that if you need a scorched earth solution to the Larkin Estate...well, curses can burn too, if a body knows how. Come by the forge this evening, just after dinner, and I'll have the book retrieved for you."