The Manager

annnnnd up next , staringgggg - ! // pfp : @geckoneco //

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

=> I don't care if it hurts . I want to have control . I want a perfect body . and a matching soul

OOC POST

helllllo folks ! this is the current ooc / introductory post for this blog ! dedicated to the manager from malevolent , yours truly decided to venture out into the wide world of rp tumblr ! ( . . . and tumblr in general . you'll have to forgive my youth . )

that being said , let's dive into it !

mod / mun

first and foremost , mun is legally an adult ! however please refrain from any nsfw interactions , I'm uncomfortable with them :) . call me zizi ! or a karen the way I love the manager . he's my son

the manager - characterisation and interactions

I will try my best to portray the manager as canonically as I can - no . that's a lie . this is my manager and I have free will . he's a off brand kayne who loves his daughter and hates the fact he's kayne .

I will decline interactions that make me uncomfortable , even outside the realm of nsfw . however I'm pretty open other than that ! it may take a while to respond to lore - heavy accounts or just depending on my schedule ( student here ! ) so as always bear with me 🤍

tags :

[ will be input on seperate occasion . don't really know how to do them as of now ]

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

EVENT

but host ! you can't do an event ! you've only just started !

hush now my darling patrons , and listen close ! for tonight there's a show - stopping - no , a - a jaw dropping - rats !

ok . do - over people !

MEMORY KA - BOINK MANAGER

that's right , you've heard me correctly people ! our dearest , most responsible nyarlanthotep has gone and lost his memory ! oh , who's arthur ? why's the king in yellow so eager to help him ? where is his precious daughter lilith ? all these exciting interactions on a limited time offer ! line up , line up !

ts and cs apply .

mod's note -

since I'm only just reeling from the aftermath of 60 , I thought pulling manny from the past would be fun . and I get to flesh out his character ! no better exercise to know your muse than to have them confused , scared and helpless ! though he will act a bit more like kayne considering his goals lilith mentioned before the death of his lilith

( ignore the typo you didn't see it )

god I sound like kayne . . .

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

mods note vol . two

WOOH ! that's so many people in so little time ! I think I'll leave a mark here - any interactions started after this will not be under the event , excluding of course those currently underway ! ( even the newest ask I just answered [ 22 / 02 ] since I know my fickass would want clarification on that ) . after all interactions under the event have concluded , I will delete the above post of it however will keep it up for now to avoid confusion !

here comes the actual manny ! !

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

*There’s a few light, uneven footsteps, then a couple cheery taps on the Manager’s door. A voice calls out, similar to his but a little softer.*

“Hello? I heard you could find another Manager here!”

-Nova (@starry-eyed-nyarl)

(Ooc: so sorry this took a while to get to, i got sick T^T)

the manager looks over at the door , then at the mantelpiece on the mahogany desk - though he didn't need to , he'd been staring at it for the past few hours - proclaiming him to be , in fact , " the manager " and called out

you've heard correctly ! is that another nyarlathotep I sense ? no need to be shy ! come inside , whattdoya need ?

// nooo it's fine lmao , hope you had a good recovery ! have a lil event going on so enjoyyy :)

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*The door opens and a blue suited figure steps inside. They’re walking with a limp, their right leg clearly favoured but no injury visible. The copious amount of jewellery they’re wearing jingles quietly with each step.*

*The most noticeable thing about them is their hair; it’s speckled with stars, as if a galaxy was imprinted in their hair.*

“I wanted to meet you! I know another Manager, and recently I’ve found myself safer than before, so I’m using my newfound freedom to meet someone new!

Sooo, I’m Nova! Nice to meet you!”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager leans a hand on the desk and smiles at the last part .

certainly nice to meet you too ! not many that would say that to me in this . well . existence . nova , was it ? how inspired ! and what a nice look you've chosen too ! say , what brings you to my little corner of the universe ?

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“I’m branching out!”

*They say cheerily, rocking back and forth on their feet. Once again the movement is somewhat uneven.*

“I’ve been ah-”

*They chuckle quietly, the sound intentionally light and not a cackle. As they laugh, their hand drifts to a thin chain around their neck. Their fidgeting shows that the pendant is some kind of locket in the shape of a candy.*

“Cooped up for a while, now. You’re my first stop in the big wide world in some time! And well, curiosity brought me to another Waylay first and foremost.”

*They pause for a moment, a small smile on their face.*

“Familiar but different. A bit like us Nyarlathoteps in a way.”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager notices the fidgeting but decides not to comment . he's not going to just ask why one would tug at an obviously sentimental piece of jewellery ! goodness no , he has manners ! and a peaceful space god of chaos and horror is allowed to fidget !

what an honour to be your first stop ! anything you'd like to drink ? bourbon ? mimosa ? wine ? we've got quite the bunch ! though I doubt your place would be any less efficiently stocked . speaking of all of us nyarlathoteps , I must say I prefer this company far better than the usual screaming and violence - no manners at all , those lot - you must visit again after your travels !

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“And an honour for me to be a pleasant guest! I try my best to be civil- hostility gets boring, after all.”

*They reply cheerfully, letting go of their necklace to tap their fingers against their side. They do it in a rhythm, like they’re tapping to a tune in their head.*

“As for a drink, do you happen to have any teas? I’m ah- not much of an alcohol drinker, to be honest.”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

oh doesn't it just ? really , after a while all the ' you cannot kill me I am the incomprehensible destroyer of the vortexes between galaxies a and c ' gets so dull .

the manager heaves and a dramatic sigh then leisurely makes his way to some cupboards that weren't there before .

which type do ya want , starry ? and how much milk do you drink it with . if any , of course ! I'm not here to judge any fruity or herbal freaks

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“Hmm…”

*They tap their chin thoughtfully, that rhythm in their fingers still going, only now in a different location.*

*They’re treating this decision as a bit more important than it actually is.*

“Do you have rose and vanilla? Oh and a bit of milk if you could! Please and thank you!”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the rhythm catches the manager's attention . a vague image of a piano flashes into his mind before he opens the cupboard to find the exact ingredients required and nothing more . with a snap of his fingers he lets the ingredients do their thing while he sat down at his desk .

take a seat if you want . or don't . you seem awful mobile . I don't mind either way , I'll get the same result looking in a mirror .

the manager lets out a laugh - unrestrained - and it lasts just a touch too long before he chokes and rubs his throat with an ahem .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*Nova hesitates for a second, then gratefully takes a seat. They hide it fairly well, but there’s a bit of relief in their expression at the chance to get off their feet.*

*There’s… something to the look that they give the Manager when he laughs. It’s not exactly negative, just… knowing.*

“I’d say I’m a rather sparkly reflection, but I see your point.”

*Evidently they’re not going to linger on whatever that was. It probably wasn’t important.*

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

sparkly indeed ! what a complete 180 from the sprawling creature of darkness we were forged as ! I suppose defying nature is simply , haha , natural . it's quite beautiful actually . all the horrifying , sticky messes and the purest most self righteous always have the same - ah , there I am going off on a tangent again ! tell me about yourself starry . I'm all ears . and very curious .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*They chew on the side of their cheek for a few seconds, a considering look on their face. Debating where to start and what to tell, most likely.*

“Weeell, as you can probably tell, I took a liking to space! I usually travel around, looking for fun planets and stars to check out!

Though I’ve had to… lay low for a while. Things were rough for a while. But! That’s no longer the case, so I can run around to my heart’s content.”

*They hum quietly, then jolt a little. Like they just remembered something.*

“Oh also, I make jewellery! It’s a more… normal habit of mine.”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the only part of what nova said that the manager seemed wholly interested in was the last part . his gaze snagged somewhat , like fabric on a doorknob .

jewellery ? manually ? and I'm assuming all the jinglies you've got on you are made by your own hand . great fashion choices by the way ! ah , but I've already mentioned that haven't I ? you certainly live up to your name though . call it . . . a legacy

the manager laughed as if he made an incredible joke at the end . maybe it was an inside thing .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*Nova giggles quietly, covering their mouth with their hand while they laugh. Even after they finish laughing there’s a small smile on their face.*

“Why thank you! I’m happy you like what I’ve done with my look.”

*They hum quietly, pausing for a moment.*

“Ah- is the tea done?”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager gives a bright smile at nova's laughter , like a tv host or stand up comedian . it's a tad bit deranged , but more toned down than earlier . he seems genuinely pleased .

should be . things work strangely in this place . always slipping out of expectations . it's frustrating - but here you go ! drink up . now I know about you , you must be dying to know about your generous host . so hit me with the questions !

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*Nova tilts their head thoughtfully, pulling their cup of tea closer. They blow on the tea as they think over what to say.*

“Hmm… well, I know a bit about the other Manager…”

*They click their tongue quietly, an idea coming to them after a moment.*

“Do you have a daughter? If so, what’s she like?”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's eyes lit up the minute ' daughter ' left nova's mouth . as if a flip had been switched , he straighted his posture and his grew bigger .

ah , lillith , nasty little thing . and so brilliant ! did you know she went out and gutted 143 blue whales just last week ? what a mess she made , leaving her old man to clean everything up too , the little brat ! she's ran off somewhere like the tiny demon she is but she'll be back soon .

there's absolutely no malice or contempt in his words , no matter how many names he calls lillith . in fact it sounds as though he's incredibly proud of her , like she's the only thing he carries any sentiment about

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“Sounds like a real menace.”

*There’s no contempt in the way Nova talks either. Their tone is a little hard to read, somewhere between calm and wistful.*

*Like they had a daughter they were thinking of too.*

“Sometimes I miss being a parent- though I doubt I’m equipped for all that right now… heh…”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

Ehh , who cares about being equipped ? children get independent fast ! one millennia they're clinging to your coattails and the next they're off tormenting universes .

he cocks his head to the side , curious

but whaddoyamean ' miss being a parent ? ' have a nasty fallout with your kid or something ?

his tone is a touch smug , he'd never had such a big argument lillith flat - out refused to speak to him .

[in-voids-depths]

*Nova freezes, staring at the Manager with a startled expression. Their smile warps into a grimace and they swallow thickly, glancing away.*

"I... no."

*They let out a slow breath. It comes out rather shaky.*

"My home was... attacked, a while ago. My Lillith... didn't make it."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

it was the manager's turn to completely switch up on tone . his smugness faded and left a bleak sort of shock

oh.

there was something in his head , nagging him that something was off , missing , but when he tries to focus it vanished

I'm sorry . condolences . whatever people say . that - that must've been . . . hell .

he knew objectively , with infinite universes , there was always the possibility of a timeline like this , but it simply never occurred to him to consider.

that nagging feeling was getting worse .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*They laugh uncomfortably, rubbing at the back of their neck and staring at the floor like it’s the most important thing in the world.*

“That… that it was.”

*Nova sighs and waves their hand loosely. From the look on their face, this topic isn’t one they like to linger on.*

“But, I’m doing my best to keep going. Even if I wish I could do it with her, doing it at all is something.

Ahem! Anyway! How about we move on to cheerier things, then?”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager metaphysically lunges on the topic change , not wanting to linger

any favourite universes , human or human - adjacent things ?

he offered as an ice breaker

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

For a moment, the Manager could think he was hallucinating someone saying a 'pssst!'. If he looked around, there would simply be nobody there. And yet, the feeling of being watched was still present, nagging on his mind.

It was only after a few minutes he'd hear a whispered 'hey!' again, and this time it was almost solid, there was definitely someone behind him.

@fromcanvastolife 🖌️

the manager frowned , wondering if the figure was whispering for secrecy . as such , he didn't turn his head , only said back politely

yes ?

[fromcanvastolife]

"Oh my god, I thought I'd never be able to DO IT." He'd feel something grab his shoulder. Delicate - though excited - human hands. "Hi! It's me!" Rosa called, a huge grin on her face. Now actually looking at her, the Manager could see her overall features physically existing near him, though the artist didn't seem to be all there, in the Waylay. It was as if she was a ghost or an apparition of some sort, even though she could very well touch things.

Which she promptly started doing, releasing the god's shoulder and trying to grab one of his pens. "HA! oh my GODS, look at THIS!" Rosa showed him his own pen, now between her fingers.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager instantly straightened himself , pretending he wasn't at all worried for a moment . he raised an eyebrow at the same time his lips quirked in a half smile and he acted like the bubbling joy wasn't infectious

so you did . impressive . and here I was thinking you'd be stuck to staying in the paintings when you wanted to pop in here for a moment . now I can't even threaten to throw water at them when you bug me

he gave a theatrical sigh

[fromcanvastolife]

She placed one hand on her hip, "It wounds me you'd even consider doing that; my paintings are too beautiful to get wasted that way!" Rosa scolded him, though it clearly was in jest.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

as if water would even damage them . the waylay likes you too much

the manager rolled his eyes affectionately before he finally stopped fighting the smile forming on his face

how'd you do it , then ? what stroke of genius reached you in the middle of the night ?

[fromcanvastolife]

Rosa couldn't contain the big smile on her face. The Waylay liked her!

"I needed to speak to you. And I didn't know what to do, because I feel like I'd tried everything already and nothing worked. My sister was able to show up and we chat briefly. I asked her how our mother used to do it, and while she didn't have much in terms of practical instructions to offer me..." Rosa's smile turned slightly awkward, as she continue, scratching her nape, "we spent some time talking about family and... stuff, and when she had to go, I tried again and it worked."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

The manager hmmed , again looking impressed

what , only over a chat ? you must be an exceptionally quick learner then . it took far more time for me to figure out the abilities I wasn't born Knowing .

he sheepishly turned away , wandering if it maybe has something to do with class of godhood but not wanting to speak his theories out loud , in case it may be interpreted as him downplaying rosa's achievements

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

my daughter may be in mortal peril I am not panicking

[fromcanvastolife]

She clearly knows something.

"Uhhh...."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

care to share your expertise ? look kid I ain't one to beg but I'm getting desperate here

[fromcanvastolife]

The woman seems nervous; her green eyes keep glancing around.

"Uhm, your daughter like. Lillith. And you're... the Manager?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the mana - I think . . . ? ah , I take up a lot of names ! eons of existence does that to a guy ! well , a genderless entity but a guy for now - do you know lilith ? I'm certainly quite glad she's branching out on her own and keeping friends instead of eating them ! ahahaha , teenagers , what can I say ?

[fromcanvastolife]

"Yes, indeed. I... know a Lillith, but I'm afraid she's not your Lillith. Uhm..." Rosa scratches her head and then stops, as if she'd just had an idea. She walks to a chair and pulls it, offering its seat to the Manager. "Why don't you sit down a little bit? So we can talk more comfortably?"

She's smiling, trying to sound as friendly and calm as possible. It is difficult, though. Rosa wasn't there when he found his daughter the first time, and she doesn't think it'll be pretty to go through it a second time.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager tilts his head with an amused and intrigued smirk . it's uncanny how kayne he is when he's not trying his hardest to be the exact opposite in every way .

finally , someone with manners ! do you know how rare that is ? but why don't cha sit down yourself ? unless you've got another one coming . can't be a ' gracious host ' while leaving my guests hanging , ahahha - ack ! ahem .

his face wrinkles at the end ever so slightly , as if laughing makes him choke .

[fromcanvastolife]

Indeed it is chilling in the worst of ways. The godling thinks she has had enough of Kayne for a lifetime - and oh boy, her life will be very long, Rosa keeps reminding herself.

"Ah- Thank you, really. It's nothing." She smiles, almost sadly so. "But I really think you should be the one sitting, Manager. Please. I can stay on my feet a bit longer, I promise."

Her insistense for him to sit down is almost suspicious, though there is no trace of any ill intent towards the god.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager certainly seems to find it suspicious . his eyes don't even narrow , but something shiftes in them imperceptibly . but , well , lesser being attempted to trick him like this and it was always fun to see the horror in their faces that the power simply wasn't enough even when he decided to humor them

sure thing , marigold ! and don't mind and old man's pleasantries ! taking care of your elders after all that . . . painting . how inspiring ! maybe my lilith could learn a thing or . . . right , right , my darling precious daughter ! get talking , buttercup . and seriously , have a chair yourself ! you look tired .

the manager finally manages to make a dent in the place's stubborn insistence in not bending to his will and summoning . . . a normal chair . how . odd . he'd ment to summon a fleshy mass to sit on to try and spook rosa , half - convinced she had something to do with lilith's disappearance and the nauseating impossible headache .

maybe he is a little bit worried

[fromcanvastolife]

He looks suspicious. Of her. Just what she needed...

The artist sighs, seemingly pleased he decided at least to listen to her; and then, Rosa sits, too. Now comes the most difficult part.

"Yes, your kid. Uhm. I-" she starts to massage her hand, clearly trying to summon the will to say something not so good. "Okay, do you know a guy called Kayne? It seems like it has nothing to do with her but it has. Do you know him?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

kayne . . . rings a bell .

he doesn't . he's testing the name on his tongue , seeing if he can jog any memory of a mention of a name so ridiculous as kayne . but he is not one to be caught lacking in information in a situation such as this .

what about him ? friend of yours ? ahahhaa , that face ! no , I take it ?

[fromcanvastolife]

Holy shit he doesn't remember anything. Rosa wants to scream, but instead she takes a deep breath before continuing, shaking her hands in a 'no' motion.

"Nooo, no. Definitely not, he... he's the far opposite of a friend, actually," she chuckles humorlessly before adding; her tone is slow, as if Rosa wants to make sure he can follow: "He kind of murdered my wife. And it's funny I'm telling you this because technically speaking, you are her. Aaaand him. At the same time..."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ahhh , nyarlathotep logic ? competitive days , my girl ! oh , right , this is the part the condolences are offered , no ?

again with that creepy head tilt . he has no value of life outside of lilith it seemed . or , at the very least was very very bad at expressing care for it . who knew ? even from the beginning the manager had more compassion than kayne

question , though , tulip . why're ya helping me ? I'm certainly no wife of yours ! do I remind you of her ? or is it revenge ? I'm not free from a couple of self erasures , for lack of better word , oh , but it sounds awful ! , myself . maybe I'm more reminiscent of the killer ? the mind works in interesting ways ~ ! especially for such an itty bitty godling like you !

his eyes were narrow . yep . definitely suspicious . and also intrigued . the manager looked at rosa how one would at a surprisingly fleshed out protagonist from a collection of short stories

[fromcanvastolife]

She heard his guesses and musings in silence, but her brows were joint and raised in the middle of her forehead. Worry. The similarities between him and Kayne were definitely showing, and now she understood why he always tried his hardest to cover them up. To say the Manager needed to pay active attention to not sound and behave like Kayne was an understatement. They were each others' spitting image.

That was bad, bad for the plan, and bad for her, Rosa, who was having to put up with this bullshit. She decided to settle in taking in a deep breath, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand. She was bracing herself for what was to come.

"Right. Why I'm helping you," Rosa smiled sadly at the god. Suddenly her eyes looked greener, more intense. They had sympathy in them, they weren't sharp. But somehow they looked less harmless now, even to someone like him. "Well, I'm helping you because Kayne wants to basically destroy the world. First and foremost. Also because of revange, because that fucking asshole will NOT succeed in his dreams after destroying my life. And also because... well. I sympathize with you and your situation. I know how it feels to lose someone.

I... I'm sorry, Manager. I'm really sorry for your daughter."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager picked up on the sudden intensity with intrigue . oh , how fun ! it didn't seem like she was trying to intimidate him though . that was interesting . maybe just a natural reaction to topics she felt strongly about ? aesthetically pleasing if anything , as the kids say !

as long as it isn't revenge on me , daffodil , though how helping me with this benefits your bloody vengeance -

he adopts a faux hero voice at the last part and let out a manic giggle

- I don't know . though all of creation gone forever certainly is . yeah . meh . not ideal for everyone else , no ? so I'll believe you . doesn't affect me if I don't buuuut , you lucky duck , you've caught me in a good mood ! though sympathy . . . how mortal . and what was that part about lilith ?

he says it causally , but it's obvious that's the part he's most interested in

[fromcanvastolife]

Rosa stayed silent for a few seconds. Yeah, there would be no way she wouldn't have to say it, the artist thought with resignation. She uncrossed her legs and slowly leaned forward.

"I'm sorry, Manager. Kayne killed your Lillith. I... didn't see it happening - you told me that, some time ago. When we met. I really think something must've happened with your memory, because... well, many things have happened since then."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager pauses . not in a human what - did - you - just - say way , but as if he'd physically been paused , like a video . even the atmosphere seemed to stop , as if the waylay itself froze . then the manager burst out laughing

OH ! OH , YOU had me for a second there - ! I really thought for a fraction of a second - ahahahhhaaha - oh goodness , what is this , are you trying to do , motivate me to kill this kayne ? look buttercup , I was going after him the minute you pointed out another nyarla , but please , you think I wouldn't be able to tell if my daughter was dead ? oh , she needs better friends ! or enemies ! or whatever you are !

he shakes his head and sighs , still giggling and wiping fake tears of mirth from his eyes .

now , I'll give you one chance to explain why you're lying to me . you're interesting , petal ! orrrrr if you're so stubborn on your claim . prove it . either way I'm not quite sure I want you dead yetttt but that little lie is going to cost you dearly if you can't come up with something .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I-! But I'm not lying!," She stuttered, clearly nervous by his threat. That he was capable of being a horrible bastard and retaliating, Rosa was sure of it. But she was hoping hearing the truth would make him remember somehow. It clearly wasn't working. "I don't know your daughter, I can't prove anything, you're the one who told me she was dead!"

The artist hid her face with her hand, making noises of frustration. When she looked at the Manager again, she looked almost pleading. Please believe me.

"Okay. We met some time ago, right? I was after Kayne, dimension hopping, and bumped into this place by chance. I... I found you and thought you were Kayne, because... well, you look just like him, I'm sorry. You guys are each others' spitting image. But you told me about your plan! You told me you wanted to stop him, that he was after the blackstone, that he had killed your Lillith! You gave up on killing Azathoth! I told you about my wife. You teamed up with another Lillith - Kayne's own daughter! Then- Then I said I wanted to help, too, so now I'm keeping an eye on Kayne for you. I lied to him and said I was on board with his crazy plan, and he bought it. It was your idea! It was all your idea. You- You can ask the other Lillith if you want!"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

rosa seemed so . . . sincere . it bugged the manager to no end . he knew her type , of course , and knew that people - well . beings like her did help people out of the goodness of their poor bleeding hearts . and the revenge gig was believable too . she could be acting but . . . it took a really good actor to fool him . but if he chose to believe any part of her story , it meant he accepted that his darling girl was -

dead . I told you that ? about this - this plan I have to stop kayne . blackstone and all . me ? sorry sugar cakes but . . . wooh . you aren't exactly confident material , you catch my drift ? especially not for me . so unless you can get lilith - kayne's lilith - here and nowwwwww . I'll let you take your guesses at what'll happen . and doesn't that seem too convenient ? the old switcha-roo ! nyarlathotep's daughter betrays her dad for the other nyarlathotep ? ahahaha - hem .

he rubs his throat but stands up at the last part , leaning causally against the chair .

[fromcanvastolife]

She closed her fist at the provocation. Rosa wasn't unfamiliar with bellittling from other gods - in fact, it was just too common of an occurence. Not human enough for humans, neither godly enough for the gods. She couldn't fit in any category and was an alien to both. Still, being teased by him in particular touched a nerve Rosa didn't think would hurt as much. For the first time she frowned.

"Yeah? Well, I'm sorry, but I can't really get Kayne's Lillith right now. She's kind of busy with your poor, chosen one, Arthur Lester. I have no idea where she is. And I don't really need to prove anything, actually. If you don't believe me, you can always go and take your own conclusions. Or rather, I'll go. It's your office after all." Rosa raised to her feet. "I'm not afraid of dying, Manager. I wouldn't serve as a distraction and a double agent with Kayne if I were, after all. Have a good day."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's smile increased as rosa talked on . his intention hadn't been to rile her up , but it was certainly a bonus . he was all for letting her get angry at him , it was always soothing in a sense to make people fly off on emotion , especially those morally righteous ones , but . . . she also presented new information . information that snagged at some unconscious part of him . arthur lester ? why did the name sound so . . . and the double agent part as well . why would that other version of him trust someone like her ? stupid to think cooperation would work after being the cause of one's wife's demise . it nagged , nagged , nagged at his brain like insects .

oh that's too bad , cupcake . and who said you can leave ? no , what I think is going to happen is I'm going to kill you . and then I'm going to pick apart your brain and see every single memory in that little teeny noggin of yours and have a chat with kayne ! not afraid to die ? then say hello to the dark world for me , will ya ? and I'll even keep you in mind as I gut that piece of shit - with my daughter mind you ! so you can have your glorious revenge or whathavesyou . sweet dreams , tulip

the manager snapped his fingers , cackling and prepared to watch the godling crumple to the floor with rage still burning in her eyes and -

and nothing .

the manager snapped his fingers again .

oh , come on ! is it these gloves - snap - are you kidding me ? ?

..

this is a joke . it's a joke , right ? oh this . this is embarrassing . work you stupid - what good is an office of mine if I can't do anything in it ?

[fromcanvastolife]

She watched with a raised brow and crossed arms as the other god attempted to kill her several times - and failed. It was kind of funny, in a way; refreshing to see someone so mighty feel frustrated and powerless. Rosa smirked, amused, but soon remembered the situation they both were in. They didn't have the luxury of losing too much time.

"Are you done yet, Manager? Goodness, just erase some bits here and there and you suddenly turn into an off brand Kayne again. This is leading nowhere," she huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not the gloves. You made this place to stop him from finding you. You made it specifically to block this kind of mad bloodlust your kind has. It doesn't work by your own design, because you don't want it to work. Did you bump your head somewhere? How much do you remember? Sit down, please; I wanna see if you're injured on the head."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's embarrassment grows steadily into frustration and then bleeds into irritation . he bristles at the ' off brand Kayne ' comment , granting to the image of an angry cat . how adorable !

I'm not sitting down ! any damage wouldn't show on my head anyways , that not how - ahem .

his eyes flick to the ground for a second , his mouth feeling the eldritch equivalent of dry

so you are telling the truth . if this place - which is . . . mine , this place acts as if - hmm . and you're seriously going to answer my questions ? after I tried to kill you ? azathoth , kid , I -

he sits down unconsciously , - shaking his head and giggling before choking - despite his protests earlier . he looks so small . oh how the turn tables .

and lillith is . . .

he seems to be searching for something witty to say , but what comes out next is -

why does it hurt to laugh then ? if , if you know so much .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I have no choice but to coorperate with you," she hissed back, "Not if I want existence to keep happening."

Then Rosa fell silent for a few seconds. Part of her wanted to be petty and let the Manager sink into his doubts for longer, just to see him suffer after he had mocked her. But it was a short lived feeling and soon her narrowed eyes softened again, almost in pity. If she had any solace in the whole situation, was that she was nothing alike to Kayne.

"I think it's because it reminds you of him. I can't mean this enough, you two are really similar," Rosa took a step closer, standing in front of the god with a serious countenance. "Even the laughter is."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ahhaa , that , that makes sense .

the words seemed to be glitching , but closer to a person stuttering than computer . but the manager seemed calmer . still a swirl of denial in his eyes but that could be dealt with later .

well , swee - rosa . ahem . from what you describe , the manager , me , seems to be . . . developed from the variants nyarlathotep wanting a perfect world . kayne seems the same . I'd say whatever diverged between us two happened after -

he looked down and made a horrible , choking , grinding noise . like gagging overlayed with a meat grinder and heavy old metal gates closing . truly pathetic . he seems to recollect himself , but not before crushing one of the chairs legs which impossibly stays standing . waylay logic .

how do we kill him ? what was the - plan ?

[fromcanvastolife]

There it was, empathy in her vivid green eyes again.

"The plan was basically your idea. I entered later on as a plus. Kayne's Lillith would choose a poor human to be her father's bait. Basically would keep him distracted, 'cause he can't seem to leave his Lillith alone. Someone favoured by her would call Kayne's attention, as it indeed has happened and Kayne's obsessed with Arthur now. This Arthur has a piece of the King in Yellow inside his mind too, by the way.

"They fought, you erased their memories, and then... a bunch of things happened. Now Kayne's sent Arthur to England I think, he has your lighter, but I think Lillith has NOT explained shit to him. Which she should do, because otherwise he will fumble the plan. He needs to put your lighter inside Kayne's pocket so we can kill him for good."

Rosa bent down slight to look at the Manager more directly. She hoped that was enough to make his memory come back, but judging by the god's reaction so far, they weren't having any luck yet.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager truly was drawing a blank . what ? who ? there was arthur mentioned again , that cleared some things up but -

arthur , this chosen one has who - not important . hasty probably isn't taking that too well though . . .

his tone was flat and agitated , which would've been a good sign if it weren't for outbursts earlier . he also steered very heavily away from the topic of lillith in his questions .

how would a lighter work ? undetectable , I assume , otherwise it's as simple as tossing it out . is it more of a weapon or a . . . target , for lack of better terms ?drat , here I go asking about the world and it's mother . just give it to me straight , k kid ? don't wanna be caught lacking when the bell tolls

[fromcanvastolife]

"I heard Lillith mentioning they are all lovey-dovey now, inseparable," her lips almost formed a smirk, but the Manager's agitation and cluelessness made her serious again. "I... I'm not sure, to be honest. The specifics, I mean. It's like a target, you mentioned to me. Undetectable, Kayne can't see it. Something something he's a being of pure darkness and the lighter is light, so he can't see it. I think? That's what Lillith said. After I pressured her for explanations. You two could've explained it better to me, but I guess I was too human to deserve big explanations?" she huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Lillith's supposed to make the final blow. I guess she asked for it? Because also if you showed up before Kayne he'd murder you, and if there's gonna be a last Nyarlathotep here standing, I'd rather it isn't him. So it's a good thing she offered to do it."

I'm glad I don't have to, Rosa thought to herself.

"I already spend a lot of the time with the fucker, so I really don't want to be there to see this shit happening. We need to do something about your memory, though," she bent a little lower, face inching closer, hands gently touching the god's shoulders to turn him towards herself. "We can't have you not knowing this kind of thing. You gotta remember..."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

he bristled slightly at being touched but seemed to want to cooperate for the most part so let it go . if he got too uncomfortable he could always shift his atoms and let rosa phase through him for giggles . the manager's eyebrow raised at the ' being of pure darkness ' part but he elected not to comment outwardly . right then he didn't feel any different from that description - he was a being that thrived off of chaos after all ! - and while the manager imagined he had a nice get - up in the future he didn't exactly think that changed what could graciously be called his physical form . then again . . .

can't feel it myself so it must work . the stone , I mean . hah , to think there's that little nyarlathoteps left . . . and it would make sense for you lot to prefer this version of me with my . . . memory .

his eyes flick to the mantelpiece with the transcription of ' the manager ' , looking so mundane and human . he huffs out a sigh and anxiously though miserably trying to hide it adds .

lillith will be fine , correct ? if there's some sort of safety net I should be keeping an eye on - though she's not reckless , it is another nyarlathotep .

[fromcanvastolife]

His discomfort didn't go unnoticed and Rosa quickly let go of him, though she lingered close to inspect his head since the god was sat below her. She couldn't find any indicators he'd been hit or anything like that.

"I'd prefer any of your versions to Kayne, it's not because you're having amnesia. He murdered my wife. He brings it up sometimes, for no reason. Just for the kick of it, he just likes seeing my reaction to it."

Rosa sighed, shaking her head and retreating to her chair.

"Yeah, I... I don't know. As I mentioned, you didn't enter too much on the specifics with me. All I know is that the idea was to kill him using the lighter. You should talk to Lillith. And then you should explain it to me thoroughly, in case this happens again. It'd be good if I knew the whole plan, since we are on the same side."

Her gaze wandered off from the god. Suddenly Rosa looked tired. "I think she'll be alright. She knows her dad. I have faith Lillith will be fine."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

there was that head tilt again , atleast rosa could take comfort in the fact the manager wasn't doing kayne's mannerisms to deliberately provoke her .

and I'm practically the same as him right now , so you're eager to get the version of me you're familiar with back . hmm . that will pose a problem because I certainly don't know how to get my memory fixed . or if I even want - not relevant ! ahem . I don't even know how I ended up like . . . this .

he waves a hand to indicate to himself

you're taking this remarkably well , you know . quick recovery rate from my prodding ! you won't have to worry about that now , since I don't exactly appreciate being toyed with and it's evident that you weren't . . . do I always talk this fancy ? maybe it's already fixing itself , ahahaa - ack . right .

the manager sighs and runs a hand through the mass that wasn't doing the best job pretending to be hair as of late

noted about the telling you more thing . this is annoying . and you seem reliable or at the very least competent for what it's worth . shockingly rare in and infinite amount of universes

I . . . trust lillith knows her limits well but . she gets reckless sometimes . teens , you know ? no longer a teen anymore though , I suppose . or the lillith I know .

[fromcanvastolife]

She shurgged and smirked to him. Years of marriage with an eldritch horror, even though she used to be nicer than Kayne, had indeed strengthened especially her mind to cosmic influences.

"Well, maybe your memory will come back spontaneously. It could happen, and you even remembered my name yourself. Though it gives me anxiety, the thought of depending on chance... But I don't think, for now, we have any other option."

His compliment and commitment to telling her more made her smirk soften. One of the only deities that used to treat her with full, genuine respect was her wife. For the first time, she smiled at him sweetly, though Rosa didn't directly comment on it.

"Oh, yes; but I think she's reasonably old, actually." Rosa fell silent for a moment, eyes averting from the Manager's. When she spoke again, she still didn't look at him, lost in thought and in painful memories of her own Lillith. She caught herself thinking about her for the first time in a while, and for her own surprise, Rosa felt empathy for the woman. It was a rare occurrence. "You know, I think... I think she could use a real father, when all of this is done . . . "

Maybe her own Lillith could use a more attentive parent as well, she thought. But the ressentment towards her wife's daughter was too big to suggest so yet. With Kayne's Lillith it was easier to empathize.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

you sure I can't see her ?

the manager asked quickly .

I mean , to see my girl all grown up , even if she's not my . . . too soon , too soon . dammit . if her father is as bad as you say , I'd like to have her around at the very least .

he looked at her and frowned , then smiled too wide . then corrected himself .

at least I'm not the only one stuck in my thoughts , hah . what's on your mind , tulip ? can I call you that ? first name correspondence is boringly normal

[fromcanvastolife]

"I know you didn't want to leave the Waylay because... well, Kayne reasons. But occasionally she shows up here and you could... try and talk to her. She could use company, and a father figure that doesn't suck."

Rosa observed as he smiled. She knew he wasn't trying to ressemble Kayne, but he did anyway.

"Ah, hah, well. You may," she smiled at the Manager, a small smile that soon turned sad. "I'm just... thinking about my... family. I guess you could call her that. She's my wife's Lillith. Not my child, she's actually older than me, and we didn't have a good relationship, 'cuz... well, anyway. But now I'm wondering how she's doing. I haven't talked to her since Nilah's... departure."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

urg , please don't tell me future me spends his days wallowing away in this tiny place . I love it but it's small . and plain . if the other lillith lets me get close enough I'll be sure to take care of the kid . but she's always been flighty and I doubt a piss poor dad would change that .

he sighs and fidgets with his sleeve . that was a manager habit .

I think I knew . subconsciously or whatever human terms come to mind in this limited language . I don't . . . the news of my lilith's death feels dull . it hurts , but . I shouldn't , I'm not that heartless , lillith is my everything . I shouldn't have recovered that quickly . ah , here's little old me making you play therapist . pay no heed . but good in terms of memory , no ? and I don't feel so . . . constantly angry and in pain . oh , that's awkward to say aloud . don't mind me

the manager waves a hand .

and the lillith you knew . well , she's probably playing cat - and - mouse with some civilisation off yonder . she's . . . independent . and smart . doubt she'd be in much trouble . I would advise paying her a visit but , hah , I'm no professional . and self - conscious enough to know I'm biased .

[fromcanvastolife]

"Not wallowing, I think. From what I know, you have your fun here. You said you enjoy the gambling and the music and the drinks," she smiled with compassion.

His comment about Lillith made her shrug, "Probably, she probably is. I hope she is, because the alternative is her going after Kayne, and this would be a bad idea."

Rosa thought about all her interactions with Kayne so far. The guy was a disturbed bastard. She shuddered.

"I'll try researching some causes of amnesia. For gods. I doubt this is common, though."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

pfft . as if that's going to keep me busy . shallow human activities that are notorious even smoking them for solely being for passing time ? I know I'm different with my memory but I'm still an eldritch horror . I'll stretch my legs and walk after this situation though .

he winced at rosa's speculation . lillith was smart but she did tend to be . petty . and besides , this wasn't his variant of lillith . maybe she was reckless . he did hum in speculation to the amnesia portion however .

can't be common , I haven't heard of it . especially not something of my status . it's not with malicious intent , I'll give you that much . or even done to me by someone . if a being was that desperate to get at me that the somehow erased my memory , I'd know . and I'm fairly sure you know that too .

[fromcanvastolife]

She smirked at his statement about his nature, but didn't comment on it. It was sure funny to see the Manager like that, kind of lost. Very uncommon for someone like him.

To his next statement Rosa did reply, though.

"I mean, yeah, I can't argue with that. Still, I wonder what happened. Do you think it could be a reaction to trauma, somehow? A late reaction to it... Sometimes it happens to humans."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

I'd like to think my trauma would choose a more convenient time to go into effect . if that is the case . which I doubt . you do bring up a good point about the cause being internal though . I could try poking around and seeing if there's any blocks . I'd also like to travel my domain for clues but evidently this room is hell - bent on keeping me in here . I'll just have to trust it knows best and hasn't gained sentience and is trying to revolt .

the manager said the last sentence with a completely straight face . it was hard to tell whether he was joking or not .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I do think the Waylay has its own... will. That to a great extent, is your will as well. I don't think it's trying to revolt. I think it's trying to protect. You."

A sigh and Rosa shrugged.

"Well, I should be going, I think. I can't really stay here for long, Kayne's often... watching," she said ruefully. That was the face of experience. "I know he's busy right now with Arthur, which is a huge blessing, gods bless that man's heart, but who knows for how long that will last. At some point he'll be looking for me again, and I need to be outta here for that. Last thing I need is for him to get suspicious."

Rosa had fooled him once. She didn't think she could do it twice. She hoped she didn't have to.

"I should be back at some point, when I know he's not looking. I could try to project here in a dream too, I don't know. Could be safer..." Rosa pouted, pondering to herself before looking at the Manager again with a raised brow. "Do you know how to do that?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager hummed at the first part , thinking about it while rosa talked of leaving . it was entirely possible , yes , and did seem the type of realm he'd make for himself .

mmkay kid . do make sure to inconvenience the guy for me , yeah ? kayne , not arthur . as for the dreaming . . . I'd say feel for it . it's one of those abilities you either have or you don't . if not try and get someone familiar with the realm of dreams .

he was very specifically Not Thinking of lillith as he said the last part . nope .

[fromcanvastolife]

"He's the type of guy it's difficult to inconvenience too effectively, but I sure will do my best," shrugging, she sighed, though there was a smirk now on her face.

"And well, my mom could do it. And my sister, according to her. Maybe if I try hard enough I can pull it off," the artist pondered, and then muttered to herself, "ᴳᵒᵒᵈⁿᵉˢˢ, ⁿᵒʷ'ˢ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵗᶦᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᴮᵉˡ ᵗᵒ ˢʰᵒʷ ᵘᵖ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗᵉᵃᶜʰ ᵐᵉ, ᵇᵘᵗ ˢʰᵉ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ˢʰᵒʷˢ ᵘᵖ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᴵ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ʰᵉʳ…"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ooh , it's genetic !

the managers face showed kayne - like fascination , but this didn't feel nearly as threatening as the begining . in fact it didn't feel threatening at all . he clapped his hands together once before placing them under his chin , elbows on the desk

well , may be . but that does point in a good direction ! you can try here if you want . I've never seen someone actively discover abilities before .

[fromcanvastolife]

"Here?" she asked, eyes widening a little as she looked at him and tilted her head. "But then I'd have to sleep, I guess..."

Rosa thought about her other abilities. About the ability she had even from before her wife had made her a goddess, too. It had started manifesting by itself, she didn't have to do anything. Actually, a lot of the time, the painter wished she didn't have it. It was there though, regardless, and it made Rosa wonder if after more than eight decades, she could still discover new abiltiies that came from her human side.

It scared her a little.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

would you like me to manifest you a bed? I think I could do that, considering I've stopped... fighting the waylay, for lack of better term.

[fromcanvastolife]

She pondered, then smiled a little. "Uhm, sure! Why not, might as well try to practice it in a safe environment while I can."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager leaned back, relaxed, and made a hand gesture of ' the floor is yours now ' , but the curious glint never left his eye, even as he snapped his fingers to summon a very comfortable looking bed .

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

(WARNING: Descriptions of gore and vomiting. I intentionally toned it down greatly, but viewer discretion is still advised.)

(Set after part 60!)

Faroe can still hear the cacophony—her father's piano playing happy birthday, manic laughter bubbling up and escaping into the air uncontrollably, the horrid squelches that came from her loved one's viscera as it was pulled from their bodies, cake hitting the floor like a running shower in messy orange chunks, the thunks the knife made each time it made its cut, the restrained gasps, the sizzling of human meat, the explosions of blood, the screams, the desperate pleas to at least keep her alive—and she can pluck out each discordant note, and turn up the decibels until they clip. She can't handle it, she promises, swears she can't, but she's forced to relive that horrible day whenever her mind wants to. No details missed. Over and over.

Of course she can do that. Faroe's still here.

Nobody has come to help.

She has been spawled out, still, her body pressed against the only empty space in the house; one her dad once occupied for however long—her clothes soaked with blood that is not hers, because god forbid she spill any, she's still so young—trapped inside this tragedy. Left replaying the same question in her head in vain: Why? Why? Why?

There's no real answer, and there will never be one. She lost the one and only chance to extract it. The only thing she can do is just create the most likely answer: It just had to happen.

Faroe curls in on herself. She can feel the blood again but she doesn't have the energy to care. She doesn't care anymore. She's aware, her dad must be alive somewhere, he was the only one who disappeared—but finding out where is such an impossible task she might as well die instead.

... She wants someone, anyone to help her.

the manager only meant to peek his head in . Check in like Arthur requested . There was a… Faroe Kayne left behind, on her birthday, her 18th birthday, and she was alone. How could he deny such a request ? He himself wasn't immune to the Lester Effect .

he didn't mean to linger , that much was intended . But he hesitated at the sights , sighing to himself . kayne really wrecked the place , hadn't he ? poor girl- what a shitty birthday present .

he hadn't meant for his sigh to be heard , but Faroe seemed to have heard it . too awkward to back out now , he simply said

you've probably had better birthdays than this , I imagine

[faroesong]

The moment she heard a breath that wasn't hers, she scrambled to her feet. She wildly looked around the room, until her eyes eventually landed on—

him.

Her throat burns. Her eyes sting. She blinks several times, but she can't make it stop. That's so unfair. She wants to speak, she tries to—but every word she wants to scream comes out as incoherent sobbing. She feels so small and powerless and embarassed; her immediate reaction is to uncontrollably break down in front of an entity who wants to see her suffer. She is giving him what he wants and she can't stop it.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager looked on , beyond confused before something clicked . ah , right . he swallowed and tried to take on a comforting tone . 18 , despite popular belief , really wasn't that old . and child or not this wasn't exactly the ideal situation to be stuck in .

I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else , dear .

he tried to adopt the same tone he used for the younger residents at the waylay and his own little girl long ago .

I'm - well , call me the manager . I'm a different version of kayne . the one who . . . ahem . think of me as his good twin brother . unnus ann- is that a thing yet ? no , I don't think so . you get the point . your father , a different version of your father , in the same fashion I'm a different version of kayne , asked me to check in on you . I think it'd be better if we had this conversation somewhere else , no ?

because they'd definitely be having a conversation now . the manager winced internally at his horrible sentence structures . he was trying Very Hard not to think of liliths face that night , when his own family was ripped to shreds and maniacal laughter ringed throughout every inch of existence . he really wished faroe would look at him with any other emotion than that stark terror , trying desperately not to show her radiating fear . even making his words a little condescending to get the typical teenage irritated response

[faroesong]

"I—" she swallows. Faroe's still crying, but she's trying even harder now to get herself under control—with more success knowing that, in this moment, she's fine. Faroe trusts what he's saying, but she doesn't trust that he won't try to hurt her in a different way.

She brings a hand to her cheek, and feeling more blood stick to her skin—absolutely disgusting—causes her to pull away immediately. She needs to do something with her hands though, so she opts for wrapping them around her body like a hug.

...Faroe probably looks like a mess. This is a more humorous thought to her than anyone else. Why has she allowed herself to sink this low? Her hair is unkempt, there's definitely eyebags that perfectly depict the heavy exhaustion she feels on her body, her crying is making her eyes sting like hell but it's taking too long to stop, she's malnourished, she's bloody all over—and there's other things she might be forgetting, but she's made her point.

Her tears finally come to a stop, but her breathing is still loud and sputtering but god it's probably already been a few minutes now so she tries her best to sound composed—a vain attempt, she knows it'll fail—when she asks "W-Where."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

where ? oh , I'm not too fussy either way . somewhere familiar for comfort , or somewhere not to get away from the memories ?

the manager tilted his head at the blood that got on faroe's clothes from her hands, again remembering someone else with blood stained clothes . but she wasn't at all like him . no , she was a victim too . perhaps he could use the mutual tragedy to help her trust him ? all matters for later , of course . oh ! and the girl would need new clothes no matter where they were going , it would draw looks . and he was pretty sure she wanted to avoid being perceived right now . he went through a list of all the things to check - he'd considered the question , her appearance and . ah . he should say something about the tears , no ?

do you . . . want a tissue , by the way ?

[faroesong]

She tries looking at him in the eyes but she can't—that's still the face of her tormentor. Her eyes avert to the side, and she stares straight at lifeless eyes and the terror comes back like a heavy weight was suddenly dropped on her shoulders—

—and then Faroe inhales. Slowly, shakily.

She expels all the air in her lungs, then breathes in again. "The latter." She doesn't sound like she's crying anymore. "I'm fine," and that is a fact. She's strong. She's smart. She'll get through this. Maybe.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager nodded and smiled before quickly dropping the expression and looking away. probably the best to avoid anything kayne like , even more so than usual . he hesitated for a moment and decided now was the best time to give the girl a private moment and told her to ' neaten up ' if she wished , while he explored outside . of course , she could just jump out a window and set off running during that time , but then he'd simply catch up with her after waiting a couple of months and chat then . he had a half idea of what he was going to offer her now , after all

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

(If this is a repeat just ignore it)

*unfortunately, she was too far gone. She collapsed to the ground, hands on her head.*

“No no noo! Wee weree soo close!e! I was finally happy! I finally did something good!”

*as she spoke, what looked to be a ghost floated out of her. A doppelgänger. Her pink hair turned red and fell to the ground, not floating anymore. Meanwhile, the others, floating slightly above her, was purple and flowing freely through the air. The other’s eyes were red and when The Manager looked at her, they had a distinct sense they were looking at something both fundamentally inhuman and distinctly part of humanity. They wore the same thing, but the others clothing was dark purple, unlike the light blue puffer jacket worn by the woman now on the floor.*

“Madeline, breathe.”

*the other floated down and tried to put a hand on Madaline’s shoulder.*

“No! I was finally happy! We could’ve made it!”

“You were exhausted—“

“Can you just shut up for once?!”

— 🍓

the manager is properly started now, standing up and plenty of questions bubbling at the tip of his tongue, eventually he tried calming the woman down .

excuse me, darling - please sit down and think for a bit . I assure you if we talk this through I can make sure none of your efforts go to waste -

the looks questioningly at the calmer of the two , silently asking for context or some form of help

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

*There’s a few light, uneven footsteps, then a couple cheery taps on the Manager’s door. A voice calls out, similar to his but a little softer.*

“Hello? I heard you could find another Manager here!”

-Nova (@starry-eyed-nyarl)

(Ooc: so sorry this took a while to get to, i got sick T^T)

the manager looks over at the door , then at the mantelpiece on the mahogany desk - though he didn't need to , he'd been staring at it for the past few hours - proclaiming him to be , in fact , " the manager " and called out

you've heard correctly ! is that another nyarlathotep I sense ? no need to be shy ! come inside , whattdoya need ?

// nooo it's fine lmao , hope you had a good recovery ! have a lil event going on so enjoyyy :)

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*The door opens and a blue suited figure steps inside. They’re walking with a limp, their right leg clearly favoured but no injury visible. The copious amount of jewellery they’re wearing jingles quietly with each step.*

*The most noticeable thing about them is their hair; it’s speckled with stars, as if a galaxy was imprinted in their hair.*

“I wanted to meet you! I know another Manager, and recently I’ve found myself safer than before, so I’m using my newfound freedom to meet someone new!

Sooo, I’m Nova! Nice to meet you!”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager leans a hand on the desk and smiles at the last part .

certainly nice to meet you too ! not many that would say that to me in this . well . existence . nova , was it ? how inspired ! and what a nice look you've chosen too ! say , what brings you to my little corner of the universe ?

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“I’m branching out!”

*They say cheerily, rocking back and forth on their feet. Once again the movement is somewhat uneven.*

“I’ve been ah-”

*They chuckle quietly, the sound intentionally light and not a cackle. As they laugh, their hand drifts to a thin chain around their neck. Their fidgeting shows that the pendant is some kind of locket in the shape of a candy.*

“Cooped up for a while, now. You’re my first stop in the big wide world in some time! And well, curiosity brought me to another Waylay first and foremost.”

*They pause for a moment, a small smile on their face.*

“Familiar but different. A bit like us Nyarlathoteps in a way.”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager notices the fidgeting but decides not to comment . he's not going to just ask why one would tug at an obviously sentimental piece of jewellery ! goodness no , he has manners ! and a peaceful space god of chaos and horror is allowed to fidget !

what an honour to be your first stop ! anything you'd like to drink ? bourbon ? mimosa ? wine ? we've got quite the bunch ! though I doubt your place would be any less efficiently stocked . speaking of all of us nyarlathoteps , I must say I prefer this company far better than the usual screaming and violence - no manners at all , those lot - you must visit again after your travels !

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“And an honour for me to be a pleasant guest! I try my best to be civil- hostility gets boring, after all.”

*They reply cheerfully, letting go of their necklace to tap their fingers against their side. They do it in a rhythm, like they’re tapping to a tune in their head.*

“As for a drink, do you happen to have any teas? I’m ah- not much of an alcohol drinker, to be honest.”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

oh doesn't it just ? really , after a while all the ' you cannot kill me I am the incomprehensible destroyer of the vortexes between galaxies a and c ' gets so dull .

the manager heaves and a dramatic sigh then leisurely makes his way to some cupboards that weren't there before .

which type do ya want , starry ? and how much milk do you drink it with . if any , of course ! I'm not here to judge any fruity or herbal freaks

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“Hmm…”

*They tap their chin thoughtfully, that rhythm in their fingers still going, only now in a different location.*

*They’re treating this decision as a bit more important than it actually is.*

“Do you have rose and vanilla? Oh and a bit of milk if you could! Please and thank you!”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the rhythm catches the manager's attention . a vague image of a piano flashes into his mind before he opens the cupboard to find the exact ingredients required and nothing more . with a snap of his fingers he lets the ingredients do their thing while he sat down at his desk .

take a seat if you want . or don't . you seem awful mobile . I don't mind either way , I'll get the same result looking in a mirror .

the manager lets out a laugh - unrestrained - and it lasts just a touch too long before he chokes and rubs his throat with an ahem .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*Nova hesitates for a second, then gratefully takes a seat. They hide it fairly well, but there’s a bit of relief in their expression at the chance to get off their feet.*

*There’s… something to the look that they give the Manager when he laughs. It’s not exactly negative, just… knowing.*

“I’d say I’m a rather sparkly reflection, but I see your point.”

*Evidently they’re not going to linger on whatever that was. It probably wasn’t important.*

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

sparkly indeed ! what a complete 180 from the sprawling creature of darkness we were forged as ! I suppose defying nature is simply , haha , natural . it's quite beautiful actually . all the horrifying , sticky messes and the purest most self righteous always have the same - ah , there I am going off on a tangent again ! tell me about yourself starry . I'm all ears . and very curious .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*They chew on the side of their cheek for a few seconds, a considering look on their face. Debating where to start and what to tell, most likely.*

“Weeell, as you can probably tell, I took a liking to space! I usually travel around, looking for fun planets and stars to check out!

Though I’ve had to… lay low for a while. Things were rough for a while. But! That’s no longer the case, so I can run around to my heart’s content.”

*They hum quietly, then jolt a little. Like they just remembered something.*

“Oh also, I make jewellery! It’s a more… normal habit of mine.”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the only part of what nova said that the manager seemed wholly interested in was the last part . his gaze snagged somewhat , like fabric on a doorknob .

jewellery ? manually ? and I'm assuming all the jinglies you've got on you are made by your own hand . great fashion choices by the way ! ah , but I've already mentioned that haven't I ? you certainly live up to your name though . call it . . . a legacy

the manager laughed as if he made an incredible joke at the end . maybe it was an inside thing .

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*Nova giggles quietly, covering their mouth with their hand while they laugh. Even after they finish laughing there’s a small smile on their face.*

“Why thank you! I’m happy you like what I’ve done with my look.”

*They hum quietly, pausing for a moment.*

“Ah- is the tea done?”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager gives a bright smile at nova's laughter , like a tv host or stand up comedian . it's a tad bit deranged , but more toned down than earlier . he seems genuinely pleased .

should be . things work strangely in this place . always slipping out of expectations . it's frustrating - but here you go ! drink up . now I know about you , you must be dying to know about your generous host . so hit me with the questions !

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

*Nova tilts their head thoughtfully, pulling their cup of tea closer. They blow on the tea as they think over what to say.*

“Hmm… well, I know a bit about the other Manager…”

*They click their tongue quietly, an idea coming to them after a moment.*

“Do you have a daughter? If so, what’s she like?”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's eyes lit up the minute ' daughter ' left nova's mouth . as if a flip had been switched , he straighted his posture and his grew bigger .

ah , lillith , nasty little thing . and so brilliant ! did you know she went out and gutted 143 blue whales just last week ? what a mess she made , leaving her old man to clean everything up too , the little brat ! she's ran off somewhere like the tiny demon she is but she'll be back soon .

there's absolutely no malice or contempt in his words , no matter how many names he calls lillith . in fact it sounds as though he's incredibly proud of her , like she's the only thing he carries any sentiment about

[starry-eyed-nyarl]

“Sounds like a real menace.”

*There’s no contempt in the way Nova talks either. Their tone is a little hard to read, somewhere between calm and wistful.*

*Like they had a daughter they were thinking of too.*

“Sometimes I miss being a parent- though I doubt I’m equipped for all that right now… heh…”

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

Ehh , who cares about being equipped ? children get independent fast ! one millennia they're clinging to your coattails and the next they're off tormenting universes .

he cocks his head to the side , curious

but whaddoyamean ' miss being a parent ? ' have a nasty fallout with your kid or something ?

his tone is a touch smug , he'd never had such a big argument lillith flat - out refused to speak to him .

[in-voids-depths]

*Nova freezes, staring at the Manager with a startled expression. Their smile warps into a grimace and they swallow thickly, glancing away.*

"I... no."

*They let out a slow breath. It comes out rather shaky.*

"My home was... attacked, a while ago. My Lillith... didn't make it."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

it was the manager's turn to completely switch up on tone . his smugness faded and left a bleak sort of shock

oh.

there was something in his head , nagging him that something was off , missing , but when he tries to focus it vanished

I'm sorry . condolences . whatever people say . that - that must've been . . . hell .

he knew objectively , with infinite universes , there was always the possibility of a timeline like this , but it simply never occurred to him to consider.

that nagging feeling was getting worse .

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

(WARNING: Descriptions of gore and vomiting. I intentionally toned it down greatly, but viewer discretion is still advised.)

(Set after part 60!)

Faroe can still hear the cacophony—her father's piano playing happy birthday, manic laughter bubbling up and escaping into the air uncontrollably, the horrid squelches that came from her loved one's viscera as it was pulled from their bodies, cake hitting the floor like a running shower in messy orange chunks, the thunks the knife made each time it made its cut, the restrained gasps, the sizzling of human meat, the explosions of blood, the screams, the desperate pleas to at least keep her alive—and she can pluck out each discordant note, and turn up the decibels until they clip. She can't handle it, she promises, swears she can't, but she's forced to relive that horrible day whenever her mind wants to. No details missed. Over and over.

Of course she can do that. Faroe's still here.

Nobody has come to help.

She has been spawled out, still, her body pressed against the only empty space in the house; one her dad once occupied for however long—her clothes soaked with blood that is not hers, because god forbid she spill any, she's still so young—trapped inside this tragedy. Left replaying the same question in her head in vain: Why? Why? Why?

There's no real answer, and there will never be one. She lost the one and only chance to extract it. The only thing she can do is just create the most likely answer: It just had to happen.

Faroe curls in on herself. She can feel the blood again but she doesn't have the energy to care. She doesn't care anymore. She's aware, her dad must be alive somewhere, he was the only one who disappeared—but finding out where is such an impossible task she might as well die instead.

... She wants someone, anyone to help her.

the manager only meant to peek his head in . Check in like Arthur requested . There was a… Faroe Kayne left behind, on her birthday, her 18th birthday, and she was alone. How could he deny such a request ? He himself wasn't immune to the Lester Effect .

he didn't mean to linger , that much was intended . But he hesitated at the sights , sighing to himself . kayne really wrecked the place , hadn't he ? poor girl- what a shitty birthday present .

he hadn't meant for his sigh to be heard , but Faroe seemed to have heard it . too awkward to back out now , he simply said

you've probably had better birthdays than this , I imagine

[faroesong]

The moment she heard a breath that wasn't hers, she scrambled to her feet. She wildly looked around the room, until her eyes eventually landed on—

him.

Her throat burns. Her eyes sting. She blinks several times, but she can't make it stop. That's so unfair. She wants to speak, she tries to—but every word she wants to scream comes out as incoherent sobbing. She feels so small and powerless and embarassed; her immediate reaction is to uncontrollably break down in front of an entity who wants to see her suffer. She is giving him what he wants and she can't stop it.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager looked on , beyond confused before something clicked . ah , right . he swallowed and tried to take on a comforting tone . 18 , despite popular belief , really wasn't that old . and child or not this wasn't exactly the ideal situation to be stuck in .

I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else , dear .

he tried to adopt the same tone he used for the younger residents at the waylay and his own little girl long ago .

I'm - well , call me the manager . I'm a different version of kayne . the one who . . . ahem . think of me as his good twin brother . unnus ann- is that a thing yet ? no , I don't think so . you get the point . your father , a different version of your father , in the same fashion I'm a different version of kayne , asked me to check in on you . I think it'd be better if we had this conversation somewhere else , no ?

because they'd definitely be having a conversation now . the manager winced internally at his horrible sentence structures . he was trying Very Hard not to think of liliths face that night , when his own family was ripped to shreds and maniacal laughter ringed throughout every inch of existence . he really wished faroe would look at him with any other emotion than that stark terror , trying desperately not to show her radiating fear . even making his words a little condescending to get the typical teenage irritated response

[faroesong]

"I—" she swallows. Faroe's still crying, but she's trying even harder now to get herself under control—with more success knowing that, in this moment, she's fine. Faroe trusts what he's saying, but she doesn't trust that he won't try to hurt her in a different way.

She brings a hand to her cheek, and feeling more blood stick to her skin—absolutely disgusting—causes her to pull away immediately. She needs to do something with her hands though, so she opts for wrapping them around her body like a hug.

...Faroe probably looks like a mess. This is a more humorous thought to her than anyone else. Why has she allowed herself to sink this low? Her hair is unkempt, there's definitely eyebags that perfectly depict the heavy exhaustion she feels on her body, her crying is making her eyes sting like hell but it's taking too long to stop, she's malnourished, she's bloody all over—and there's other things she might be forgetting, but she's made her point.

Her tears finally come to a stop, but her breathing is still loud and sputtering but god it's probably already been a few minutes now so she tries her best to sound composed—a vain attempt, she knows it'll fail—when she asks "W-Where."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

where ? oh , I'm not too fussy either way . somewhere familiar for comfort , or somewhere not to get away from the memories ?

the manager tilted his head at the blood that got on faroe's clothes from her hands, again remembering someone else with blood stained clothes . but she wasn't at all like him . no , she was a victim too . perhaps he could use the mutual tragedy to help her trust him ? all matters for later , of course . oh ! and the girl would need new clothes no matter where they were going , it would draw looks . and he was pretty sure she wanted to avoid being perceived right now . he went through a list of all the things to check - he'd considered the question , her appearance and . ah . he should say something about the tears , no ?

do you . . . want a tissue , by the way ?

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

For a moment, the Manager could think he was hallucinating someone saying a 'pssst!'. If he looked around, there would simply be nobody there. And yet, the feeling of being watched was still present, nagging on his mind.

It was only after a few minutes he'd hear a whispered 'hey!' again, and this time it was almost solid, there was definitely someone behind him.

@fromcanvastolife 🖌️

the manager frowned , wondering if the figure was whispering for secrecy . as such , he didn't turn his head , only said back politely

yes ?

[fromcanvastolife]

"Oh my god, I thought I'd never be able to DO IT." He'd feel something grab his shoulder. Delicate - though excited - human hands. "Hi! It's me!" Rosa called, a huge grin on her face. Now actually looking at her, the Manager could see her overall features physically existing near him, though the artist didn't seem to be all there, in the Waylay. It was as if she was a ghost or an apparition of some sort, even though she could very well touch things.

Which she promptly started doing, releasing the god's shoulder and trying to grab one of his pens. "HA! oh my GODS, look at THIS!" Rosa showed him his own pen, now between her fingers.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager instantly straightened himself , pretending he wasn't at all worried for a moment . he raised an eyebrow at the same time his lips quirked in a half smile and he acted like the bubbling joy wasn't infectious

so you did . impressive . and here I was thinking you'd be stuck to staying in the paintings when you wanted to pop in here for a moment . now I can't even threaten to throw water at them when you bug me

he gave a theatrical sigh

[fromcanvastolife]

She placed one hand on her hip, "It wounds me you'd even consider doing that; my paintings are too beautiful to get wasted that way!" Rosa scolded him, though it clearly was in jest.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

as if water would even damage them . the waylay likes you too much

the manager rolled his eyes affectionately before he finally stopped fighting the smile forming on his face

how'd you do it , then ? what stroke of genius reached you in the middle of the night ?

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

my daughter may be in mortal peril I am not panicking

[fromcanvastolife]

She clearly knows something.

"Uhhh...."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

care to share your expertise ? look kid I ain't one to beg but I'm getting desperate here

[fromcanvastolife]

The woman seems nervous; her green eyes keep glancing around.

"Uhm, your daughter like. Lillith. And you're... the Manager?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the mana - I think . . . ? ah , I take up a lot of names ! eons of existence does that to a guy ! well , a genderless entity but a guy for now - do you know lilith ? I'm certainly quite glad she's branching out on her own and keeping friends instead of eating them ! ahahaha , teenagers , what can I say ?

[fromcanvastolife]

"Yes, indeed. I... know a Lillith, but I'm afraid she's not your Lillith. Uhm..." Rosa scratches her head and then stops, as if she'd just had an idea. She walks to a chair and pulls it, offering its seat to the Manager. "Why don't you sit down a little bit? So we can talk more comfortably?"

She's smiling, trying to sound as friendly and calm as possible. It is difficult, though. Rosa wasn't there when he found his daughter the first time, and she doesn't think it'll be pretty to go through it a second time.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager tilts his head with an amused and intrigued smirk . it's uncanny how kayne he is when he's not trying his hardest to be the exact opposite in every way .

finally , someone with manners ! do you know how rare that is ? but why don't cha sit down yourself ? unless you've got another one coming . can't be a ' gracious host ' while leaving my guests hanging , ahahha - ack ! ahem .

his face wrinkles at the end ever so slightly , as if laughing makes him choke .

[fromcanvastolife]

Indeed it is chilling in the worst of ways. The godling thinks she has had enough of Kayne for a lifetime - and oh boy, her life will be very long, Rosa keeps reminding herself.

"Ah- Thank you, really. It's nothing." She smiles, almost sadly so. "But I really think you should be the one sitting, Manager. Please. I can stay on my feet a bit longer, I promise."

Her insistense for him to sit down is almost suspicious, though there is no trace of any ill intent towards the god.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager certainly seems to find it suspicious . his eyes don't even narrow , but something shiftes in them imperceptibly . but , well , lesser being attempted to trick him like this and it was always fun to see the horror in their faces that the power simply wasn't enough even when he decided to humor them

sure thing , marigold ! and don't mind and old man's pleasantries ! taking care of your elders after all that . . . painting . how inspiring ! maybe my lilith could learn a thing or . . . right , right , my darling precious daughter ! get talking , buttercup . and seriously , have a chair yourself ! you look tired .

the manager finally manages to make a dent in the place's stubborn insistence in not bending to his will and summoning . . . a normal chair . how . odd . he'd ment to summon a fleshy mass to sit on to try and spook rosa , half - convinced she had something to do with lilith's disappearance and the nauseating impossible headache .

maybe he is a little bit worried

[fromcanvastolife]

He looks suspicious. Of her. Just what she needed...

The artist sighs, seemingly pleased he decided at least to listen to her; and then, Rosa sits, too. Now comes the most difficult part.

"Yes, your kid. Uhm. I-" she starts to massage her hand, clearly trying to summon the will to say something not so good. "Okay, do you know a guy called Kayne? It seems like it has nothing to do with her but it has. Do you know him?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

kayne . . . rings a bell .

he doesn't . he's testing the name on his tongue , seeing if he can jog any memory of a mention of a name so ridiculous as kayne . but he is not one to be caught lacking in information in a situation such as this .

what about him ? friend of yours ? ahahhaa , that face ! no , I take it ?

[fromcanvastolife]

Holy shit he doesn't remember anything. Rosa wants to scream, but instead she takes a deep breath before continuing, shaking her hands in a 'no' motion.

"Nooo, no. Definitely not, he... he's the far opposite of a friend, actually," she chuckles humorlessly before adding; her tone is slow, as if Rosa wants to make sure he can follow: "He kind of murdered my wife. And it's funny I'm telling you this because technically speaking, you are her. Aaaand him. At the same time..."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ahhh , nyarlathotep logic ? competitive days , my girl ! oh , right , this is the part the condolences are offered , no ?

again with that creepy head tilt . he has no value of life outside of lilith it seemed . or , at the very least was very very bad at expressing care for it . who knew ? even from the beginning the manager had more compassion than kayne

question , though , tulip . why're ya helping me ? I'm certainly no wife of yours ! do I remind you of her ? or is it revenge ? I'm not free from a couple of self erasures , for lack of better word , oh , but it sounds awful ! , myself . maybe I'm more reminiscent of the killer ? the mind works in interesting ways ~ ! especially for such an itty bitty godling like you !

his eyes were narrow . yep . definitely suspicious . and also intrigued . the manager looked at rosa how one would at a surprisingly fleshed out protagonist from a collection of short stories

[fromcanvastolife]

She heard his guesses and musings in silence, but her brows were joint and raised in the middle of her forehead. Worry. The similarities between him and Kayne were definitely showing, and now she understood why he always tried his hardest to cover them up. To say the Manager needed to pay active attention to not sound and behave like Kayne was an understatement. They were each others' spitting image.

That was bad, bad for the plan, and bad for her, Rosa, who was having to put up with this bullshit. She decided to settle in taking in a deep breath, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand. She was bracing herself for what was to come.

"Right. Why I'm helping you," Rosa smiled sadly at the god. Suddenly her eyes looked greener, more intense. They had sympathy in them, they weren't sharp. But somehow they looked less harmless now, even to someone like him. "Well, I'm helping you because Kayne wants to basically destroy the world. First and foremost. Also because of revange, because that fucking asshole will NOT succeed in his dreams after destroying my life. And also because... well. I sympathize with you and your situation. I know how it feels to lose someone.

I... I'm sorry, Manager. I'm really sorry for your daughter."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager picked up on the sudden intensity with intrigue . oh , how fun ! it didn't seem like she was trying to intimidate him though . that was interesting . maybe just a natural reaction to topics she felt strongly about ? aesthetically pleasing if anything , as the kids say !

as long as it isn't revenge on me , daffodil , though how helping me with this benefits your bloody vengeance -

he adopts a faux hero voice at the last part and let out a manic giggle

- I don't know . though all of creation gone forever certainly is . yeah . meh . not ideal for everyone else , no ? so I'll believe you . doesn't affect me if I don't buuuut , you lucky duck , you've caught me in a good mood ! though sympathy . . . how mortal . and what was that part about lilith ?

he says it causally , but it's obvious that's the part he's most interested in

[fromcanvastolife]

Rosa stayed silent for a few seconds. Yeah, there would be no way she wouldn't have to say it, the artist thought with resignation. She uncrossed her legs and slowly leaned forward.

"I'm sorry, Manager. Kayne killed your Lillith. I... didn't see it happening - you told me that, some time ago. When we met. I really think something must've happened with your memory, because... well, many things have happened since then."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager pauses . not in a human what - did - you - just - say way , but as if he'd physically been paused , like a video . even the atmosphere seemed to stop , as if the waylay itself froze . then the manager burst out laughing

OH ! OH , YOU had me for a second there - ! I really thought for a fraction of a second - ahahahhhaaha - oh goodness , what is this , are you trying to do , motivate me to kill this kayne ? look buttercup , I was going after him the minute you pointed out another nyarla , but please , you think I wouldn't be able to tell if my daughter was dead ? oh , she needs better friends ! or enemies ! or whatever you are !

he shakes his head and sighs , still giggling and wiping fake tears of mirth from his eyes .

now , I'll give you one chance to explain why you're lying to me . you're interesting , petal ! orrrrr if you're so stubborn on your claim . prove it . either way I'm not quite sure I want you dead yetttt but that little lie is going to cost you dearly if you can't come up with something .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I-! But I'm not lying!," She stuttered, clearly nervous by his threat. That he was capable of being a horrible bastard and retaliating, Rosa was sure of it. But she was hoping hearing the truth would make him remember somehow. It clearly wasn't working. "I don't know your daughter, I can't prove anything, you're the one who told me she was dead!"

The artist hid her face with her hand, making noises of frustration. When she looked at the Manager again, she looked almost pleading. Please believe me.

"Okay. We met some time ago, right? I was after Kayne, dimension hopping, and bumped into this place by chance. I... I found you and thought you were Kayne, because... well, you look just like him, I'm sorry. You guys are each others' spitting image. But you told me about your plan! You told me you wanted to stop him, that he was after the blackstone, that he had killed your Lillith! You gave up on killing Azathoth! I told you about my wife. You teamed up with another Lillith - Kayne's own daughter! Then- Then I said I wanted to help, too, so now I'm keeping an eye on Kayne for you. I lied to him and said I was on board with his crazy plan, and he bought it. It was your idea! It was all your idea. You- You can ask the other Lillith if you want!"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

rosa seemed so . . . sincere . it bugged the manager to no end . he knew her type , of course , and knew that people - well . beings like her did help people out of the goodness of their poor bleeding hearts . and the revenge gig was believable too . she could be acting but . . . it took a really good actor to fool him . but if he chose to believe any part of her story , it meant he accepted that his darling girl was -

dead . I told you that ? about this - this plan I have to stop kayne . blackstone and all . me ? sorry sugar cakes but . . . wooh . you aren't exactly confident material , you catch my drift ? especially not for me . so unless you can get lilith - kayne's lilith - here and nowwwwww . I'll let you take your guesses at what'll happen . and doesn't that seem too convenient ? the old switcha-roo ! nyarlathotep's daughter betrays her dad for the other nyarlathotep ? ahahaha - hem .

he rubs his throat but stands up at the last part , leaning causally against the chair .

[fromcanvastolife]

She closed her fist at the provocation. Rosa wasn't unfamiliar with bellittling from other gods - in fact, it was just too common of an occurence. Not human enough for humans, neither godly enough for the gods. She couldn't fit in any category and was an alien to both. Still, being teased by him in particular touched a nerve Rosa didn't think would hurt as much. For the first time she frowned.

"Yeah? Well, I'm sorry, but I can't really get Kayne's Lillith right now. She's kind of busy with your poor, chosen one, Arthur Lester. I have no idea where she is. And I don't really need to prove anything, actually. If you don't believe me, you can always go and take your own conclusions. Or rather, I'll go. It's your office after all." Rosa raised to her feet. "I'm not afraid of dying, Manager. I wouldn't serve as a distraction and a double agent with Kayne if I were, after all. Have a good day."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's smile increased as rosa talked on . his intention hadn't been to rile her up , but it was certainly a bonus . he was all for letting her get angry at him , it was always soothing in a sense to make people fly off on emotion , especially those morally righteous ones , but . . . she also presented new information . information that snagged at some unconscious part of him . arthur lester ? why did the name sound so . . . and the double agent part as well . why would that other version of him trust someone like her ? stupid to think cooperation would work after being the cause of one's wife's demise . it nagged , nagged , nagged at his brain like insects .

oh that's too bad , cupcake . and who said you can leave ? no , what I think is going to happen is I'm going to kill you . and then I'm going to pick apart your brain and see every single memory in that little teeny noggin of yours and have a chat with kayne ! not afraid to die ? then say hello to the dark world for me , will ya ? and I'll even keep you in mind as I gut that piece of shit - with my daughter mind you ! so you can have your glorious revenge or whathavesyou . sweet dreams , tulip

the manager snapped his fingers , cackling and prepared to watch the godling crumple to the floor with rage still burning in her eyes and -

and nothing .

the manager snapped his fingers again .

oh , come on ! is it these gloves - snap - are you kidding me ? ?

..

this is a joke . it's a joke , right ? oh this . this is embarrassing . work you stupid - what good is an office of mine if I can't do anything in it ?

[fromcanvastolife]

She watched with a raised brow and crossed arms as the other god attempted to kill her several times - and failed. It was kind of funny, in a way; refreshing to see someone so mighty feel frustrated and powerless. Rosa smirked, amused, but soon remembered the situation they both were in. They didn't have the luxury of losing too much time.

"Are you done yet, Manager? Goodness, just erase some bits here and there and you suddenly turn into an off brand Kayne again. This is leading nowhere," she huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not the gloves. You made this place to stop him from finding you. You made it specifically to block this kind of mad bloodlust your kind has. It doesn't work by your own design, because you don't want it to work. Did you bump your head somewhere? How much do you remember? Sit down, please; I wanna see if you're injured on the head."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's embarrassment grows steadily into frustration and then bleeds into irritation . he bristles at the ' off brand Kayne ' comment , granting to the image of an angry cat . how adorable !

I'm not sitting down ! any damage wouldn't show on my head anyways , that not how - ahem .

his eyes flick to the ground for a second , his mouth feeling the eldritch equivalent of dry

so you are telling the truth . if this place - which is . . . mine , this place acts as if - hmm . and you're seriously going to answer my questions ? after I tried to kill you ? azathoth , kid , I -

he sits down unconsciously , - shaking his head and giggling before choking - despite his protests earlier . he looks so small . oh how the turn tables .

and lillith is . . .

he seems to be searching for something witty to say , but what comes out next is -

why does it hurt to laugh then ? if , if you know so much .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I have no choice but to coorperate with you," she hissed back, "Not if I want existence to keep happening."

Then Rosa fell silent for a few seconds. Part of her wanted to be petty and let the Manager sink into his doubts for longer, just to see him suffer after he had mocked her. But it was a short lived feeling and soon her narrowed eyes softened again, almost in pity. If she had any solace in the whole situation, was that she was nothing alike to Kayne.

"I think it's because it reminds you of him. I can't mean this enough, you two are really similar," Rosa took a step closer, standing in front of the god with a serious countenance. "Even the laughter is."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ahhaa , that , that makes sense .

the words seemed to be glitching , but closer to a person stuttering than computer . but the manager seemed calmer . still a swirl of denial in his eyes but that could be dealt with later .

well , swee - rosa . ahem . from what you describe , the manager , me , seems to be . . . developed from the variants nyarlathotep wanting a perfect world . kayne seems the same . I'd say whatever diverged between us two happened after -

he looked down and made a horrible , choking , grinding noise . like gagging overlayed with a meat grinder and heavy old metal gates closing . truly pathetic . he seems to recollect himself , but not before crushing one of the chairs legs which impossibly stays standing . waylay logic .

how do we kill him ? what was the - plan ?

[fromcanvastolife]

There it was, empathy in her vivid green eyes again.

"The plan was basically your idea. I entered later on as a plus. Kayne's Lillith would choose a poor human to be her father's bait. Basically would keep him distracted, 'cause he can't seem to leave his Lillith alone. Someone favoured by her would call Kayne's attention, as it indeed has happened and Kayne's obsessed with Arthur now. This Arthur has a piece of the King in Yellow inside his mind too, by the way.

"They fought, you erased their memories, and then... a bunch of things happened. Now Kayne's sent Arthur to England I think, he has your lighter, but I think Lillith has NOT explained shit to him. Which she should do, because otherwise he will fumble the plan. He needs to put your lighter inside Kayne's pocket so we can kill him for good."

Rosa bent down slight to look at the Manager more directly. She hoped that was enough to make his memory come back, but judging by the god's reaction so far, they weren't having any luck yet.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager truly was drawing a blank . what ? who ? there was arthur mentioned again , that cleared some things up but -

arthur , this chosen one has who - not important . hasty probably isn't taking that too well though . . .

his tone was flat and agitated , which would've been a good sign if it weren't for outbursts earlier . he also steered very heavily away from the topic of lillith in his questions .

how would a lighter work ? undetectable , I assume , otherwise it's as simple as tossing it out . is it more of a weapon or a . . . target , for lack of better terms ?drat , here I go asking about the world and it's mother . just give it to me straight , k kid ? don't wanna be caught lacking when the bell tolls

[fromcanvastolife]

"I heard Lillith mentioning they are all lovey-dovey now, inseparable," her lips almost formed a smirk, but the Manager's agitation and cluelessness made her serious again. "I... I'm not sure, to be honest. The specifics, I mean. It's like a target, you mentioned to me. Undetectable, Kayne can't see it. Something something he's a being of pure darkness and the lighter is light, so he can't see it. I think? That's what Lillith said. After I pressured her for explanations. You two could've explained it better to me, but I guess I was too human to deserve big explanations?" she huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Lillith's supposed to make the final blow. I guess she asked for it? Because also if you showed up before Kayne he'd murder you, and if there's gonna be a last Nyarlathotep here standing, I'd rather it isn't him. So it's a good thing she offered to do it."

I'm glad I don't have to, Rosa thought to herself.

"I already spend a lot of the time with the fucker, so I really don't want to be there to see this shit happening. We need to do something about your memory, though," she bent a little lower, face inching closer, hands gently touching the god's shoulders to turn him towards herself. "We can't have you not knowing this kind of thing. You gotta remember..."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

he bristled slightly at being touched but seemed to want to cooperate for the most part so let it go . if he got too uncomfortable he could always shift his atoms and let rosa phase through him for giggles . the manager's eyebrow raised at the ' being of pure darkness ' part but he elected not to comment outwardly . right then he didn't feel any different from that description - he was a being that thrived off of chaos after all ! - and while the manager imagined he had a nice get - up in the future he didn't exactly think that changed what could graciously be called his physical form . then again . . .

can't feel it myself so it must work . the stone , I mean . hah , to think there's that little nyarlathoteps left . . . and it would make sense for you lot to prefer this version of me with my . . . memory .

his eyes flick to the mantelpiece with the transcription of ' the manager ' , looking so mundane and human . he huffs out a sigh and anxiously though miserably trying to hide it adds .

lillith will be fine , correct ? if there's some sort of safety net I should be keeping an eye on - though she's not reckless , it is another nyarlathotep .

[fromcanvastolife]

His discomfort didn't go unnoticed and Rosa quickly let go of him, though she lingered close to inspect his head since the god was sat below her. She couldn't find any indicators he'd been hit or anything like that.

"I'd prefer any of your versions to Kayne, it's not because you're having amnesia. He murdered my wife. He brings it up sometimes, for no reason. Just for the kick of it, he just likes seeing my reaction to it."

Rosa sighed, shaking her head and retreating to her chair.

"Yeah, I... I don't know. As I mentioned, you didn't enter too much on the specifics with me. All I know is that the idea was to kill him using the lighter. You should talk to Lillith. And then you should explain it to me thoroughly, in case this happens again. It'd be good if I knew the whole plan, since we are on the same side."

Her gaze wandered off from the god. Suddenly Rosa looked tired. "I think she'll be alright. She knows her dad. I have faith Lillith will be fine."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

there was that head tilt again , atleast rosa could take comfort in the fact the manager wasn't doing kayne's mannerisms to deliberately provoke her .

and I'm practically the same as him right now , so you're eager to get the version of me you're familiar with back . hmm . that will pose a problem because I certainly don't know how to get my memory fixed . or if I even want - not relevant ! ahem . I don't even know how I ended up like . . . this .

he waves a hand to indicate to himself

you're taking this remarkably well , you know . quick recovery rate from my prodding ! you won't have to worry about that now , since I don't exactly appreciate being toyed with and it's evident that you weren't . . . do I always talk this fancy ? maybe it's already fixing itself , ahahaa - ack . right .

the manager sighs and runs a hand through the mass that wasn't doing the best job pretending to be hair as of late

noted about the telling you more thing . this is annoying . and you seem reliable or at the very least competent for what it's worth . shockingly rare in and infinite amount of universes

I . . . trust lillith knows her limits well but . she gets reckless sometimes . teens , you know ? no longer a teen anymore though , I suppose . or the lillith I know .

[fromcanvastolife]

She shurgged and smirked to him. Years of marriage with an eldritch horror, even though she used to be nicer than Kayne, had indeed strengthened especially her mind to cosmic influences.

"Well, maybe your memory will come back spontaneously. It could happen, and you even remembered my name yourself. Though it gives me anxiety, the thought of depending on chance... But I don't think, for now, we have any other option."

His compliment and commitment to telling her more made her smirk soften. One of the only deities that used to treat her with full, genuine respect was her wife. For the first time, she smiled at him sweetly, though Rosa didn't directly comment on it.

"Oh, yes; but I think she's reasonably old, actually." Rosa fell silent for a moment, eyes averting from the Manager's. When she spoke again, she still didn't look at him, lost in thought and in painful memories of her own Lillith. She caught herself thinking about her for the first time in a while, and for her own surprise, Rosa felt empathy for the woman. It was a rare occurrence. "You know, I think... I think she could use a real father, when all of this is done . . . "

Maybe her own Lillith could use a more attentive parent as well, she thought. But the ressentment towards her wife's daughter was too big to suggest so yet. With Kayne's Lillith it was easier to empathize.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

you sure I can't see her ?

the manager asked quickly .

I mean , to see my girl all grown up , even if she's not my . . . too soon , too soon . dammit . if her father is as bad as you say , I'd like to have her around at the very least .

he looked at her and frowned , then smiled too wide . then corrected himself .

at least I'm not the only one stuck in my thoughts , hah . what's on your mind , tulip ? can I call you that ? first name correspondence is boringly normal

[fromcanvastolife]

"I know you didn't want to leave the Waylay because... well, Kayne reasons. But occasionally she shows up here and you could... try and talk to her. She could use company, and a father figure that doesn't suck."

Rosa observed as he smiled. She knew he wasn't trying to ressemble Kayne, but he did anyway.

"Ah, hah, well. You may," she smiled at the Manager, a small smile that soon turned sad. "I'm just... thinking about my... family. I guess you could call her that. She's my wife's Lillith. Not my child, she's actually older than me, and we didn't have a good relationship, 'cuz... well, anyway. But now I'm wondering how she's doing. I haven't talked to her since Nilah's... departure."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

urg , please don't tell me future me spends his days wallowing away in this tiny place . I love it but it's small . and plain . if the other lillith lets me get close enough I'll be sure to take care of the kid . but she's always been flighty and I doubt a piss poor dad would change that .

he sighs and fidgets with his sleeve . that was a manager habit .

I think I knew . subconsciously or whatever human terms come to mind in this limited language . I don't . . . the news of my lilith's death feels dull . it hurts , but . I shouldn't , I'm not that heartless , lillith is my everything . I shouldn't have recovered that quickly . ah , here's little old me making you play therapist . pay no heed . but good in terms of memory , no ? and I don't feel so . . . constantly angry and in pain . oh , that's awkward to say aloud . don't mind me

the manager waves a hand .

and the lillith you knew . well , she's probably playing cat - and - mouse with some civilisation off yonder . she's . . . independent . and smart . doubt she'd be in much trouble . I would advise paying her a visit but , hah , I'm no professional . and self - conscious enough to know I'm biased .

[fromcanvastolife]

"Not wallowing, I think. From what I know, you have your fun here. You said you enjoy the gambling and the music and the drinks," she smiled with compassion.

His comment about Lillith made her shrug, "Probably, she probably is. I hope she is, because the alternative is her going after Kayne, and this would be a bad idea."

Rosa thought about all her interactions with Kayne so far. The guy was a disturbed bastard. She shuddered.

"I'll try researching some causes of amnesia. For gods. I doubt this is common, though."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

pfft . as if that's going to keep me busy . shallow human activities that are notorious even smoking them for solely being for passing time ? I know I'm different with my memory but I'm still an eldritch horror . I'll stretch my legs and walk after this situation though .

he winced at rosa's speculation . lillith was smart but she did tend to be . petty . and besides , this wasn't his variant of lillith . maybe she was reckless . he did hum in speculation to the amnesia portion however .

can't be common , I haven't heard of it . especially not something of my status . it's not with malicious intent , I'll give you that much . or even done to me by someone . if a being was that desperate to get at me that the somehow erased my memory , I'd know . and I'm fairly sure you know that too .

[fromcanvastolife]

She smirked at his statement about his nature, but didn't comment on it. It was sure funny to see the Manager like that, kind of lost. Very uncommon for someone like him.

To his next statement Rosa did reply, though.

"I mean, yeah, I can't argue with that. Still, I wonder what happened. Do you think it could be a reaction to trauma, somehow? A late reaction to it... Sometimes it happens to humans."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

I'd like to think my trauma would choose a more convenient time to go into effect . if that is the case . which I doubt . you do bring up a good point about the cause being internal though . I could try poking around and seeing if there's any blocks . I'd also like to travel my domain for clues but evidently this room is hell - bent on keeping me in here . I'll just have to trust it knows best and hasn't gained sentience and is trying to revolt .

the manager said the last sentence with a completely straight face . it was hard to tell whether he was joking or not .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I do think the Waylay has its own... will. That to a great extent, is your will as well. I don't think it's trying to revolt. I think it's trying to protect. You."

A sigh and Rosa shrugged.

"Well, I should be going, I think. I can't really stay here for long, Kayne's often... watching," she said ruefully. That was the face of experience. "I know he's busy right now with Arthur, which is a huge blessing, gods bless that man's heart, but who knows for how long that will last. At some point he'll be looking for me again, and I need to be outta here for that. Last thing I need is for him to get suspicious."

Rosa had fooled him once. She didn't think she could do it twice. She hoped she didn't have to.

"I should be back at some point, when I know he's not looking. I could try to project here in a dream too, I don't know. Could be safer..." Rosa pouted, pondering to herself before looking at the Manager again with a raised brow. "Do you know how to do that?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager hummed at the first part , thinking about it while rosa talked of leaving . it was entirely possible , yes , and did seem the type of realm he'd make for himself .

mmkay kid . do make sure to inconvenience the guy for me , yeah ? kayne , not arthur . as for the dreaming . . . I'd say feel for it . it's one of those abilities you either have or you don't . if not try and get someone familiar with the realm of dreams .

he was very specifically Not Thinking of lillith as he said the last part . nope .

[fromcanvastolife]

"He's the type of guy it's difficult to inconvenience too effectively, but I sure will do my best," shrugging, she sighed, though there was a smirk now on her face.

"And well, my mom could do it. And my sister, according to her. Maybe if I try hard enough I can pull it off," the artist pondered, and then muttered to herself, "ᴳᵒᵒᵈⁿᵉˢˢ, ⁿᵒʷ'ˢ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵗᶦᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᴮᵉˡ ᵗᵒ ˢʰᵒʷ ᵘᵖ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗᵉᵃᶜʰ ᵐᵉ, ᵇᵘᵗ ˢʰᵉ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ˢʰᵒʷˢ ᵘᵖ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᴵ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ʰᵉʳ…"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ooh , it's genetic !

the managers face showed kayne - like fascination , but this didn't feel nearly as threatening as the begining . in fact it didn't feel threatening at all . he clapped his hands together once before placing them under his chin , elbows on the desk

well , may be . but that does point in a good direction ! you can try here if you want . I've never seen someone actively discover abilities before .

[fromcanvastolife]

"Here?" she asked, eyes widening a little as she looked at him and tilted her head. "But then I'd have to sleep, I guess..."

Rosa thought about her other abilities. About the ability she had even from before her wife had made her a goddess, too. It had started manifesting by itself, she didn't have to do anything. Actually, a lot of the time, the painter wished she didn't have it. It was there though, regardless, and it made Rosa wonder if after more than eight decades, she could still discover new abiltiies that came from her human side.

It scared her a little.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

would you like me to manifest you a bed? I think I could do that, considering I've stopped... fighting the waylay, for lack of better term.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

(I forget if I sent another 🍓 ask so here I am)

“What? No, that can’t be right. We- we were almost at the top! We camee soo farr …”…”

*her voice began to split. An echo, almost exactly the same but at the same time so different. Her hair began to turn purple at the end, and it began to float more.*

— 🍓

the manager instantly turned the defenses up around the office . ah , so there was a problem then . at least it wasn't malicious

ah - would you like to sit and have a drink ? it sounds like you made progress on something that matters . if we do this correctly and cooperate I could try and drop you right where you were previously .

he internally thanked and blessed ( what ? he was still a god ) every therapist he's ever crossed paths with for that response

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

(WARNING: Descriptions of gore and vomiting. I intentionally toned it down greatly, but viewer discretion is still advised.)

(Set after part 60!)

Faroe can still hear the cacophony—her father's piano playing happy birthday, manic laughter bubbling up and escaping into the air uncontrollably, the horrid squelches that came from her loved one's viscera as it was pulled from their bodies, cake hitting the floor like a running shower in messy orange chunks, the thunks the knife made each time it made its cut, the restrained gasps, the sizzling of human meat, the explosions of blood, the screams, the desperate pleas to at least keep her alive—and she can pluck out each discordant note, and turn up the decibels until they clip. She can't handle it, she promises, swears she can't, but she's forced to relive that horrible day whenever her mind wants to. No details missed. Over and over.

Of course she can do that. Faroe's still here.

Nobody has come to help.

She has been spawled out, still, her body pressed against the only empty space in the house; one her dad once occupied for however long—her clothes soaked with blood that is not hers, because god forbid she spill any, she's still so young—trapped inside this tragedy. Left replaying the same question in her head in vain: Why? Why? Why?

There's no real answer, and there will never be one. She lost the one and only chance to extract it. The only thing she can do is just create the most likely answer: It just had to happen.

Faroe curls in on herself. She can feel the blood again but she doesn't have the energy to care. She doesn't care anymore. She's aware, her dad must be alive somewhere, he was the only one who disappeared—but finding out where is such an impossible task she might as well die instead.

... She wants someone, anyone to help her.

the manager only meant to peek his head in . Check in like Arthur requested . There was a… Faroe Kayne left behind, on her birthday, her 18th birthday, and she was alone. How could he deny such a request ? He himself wasn't immune to the Lester Effect .

he didn't mean to linger , that much was intended . But he hesitated at the sights , sighing to himself . kayne really wrecked the place , hadn't he ? poor girl- what a shitty birthday present .

he hadn't meant for his sigh to be heard , but Faroe seemed to have heard it . too awkward to back out now , he simply said

you've probably had better birthdays than this , I imagine

[faroesong]

The moment she heard a breath that wasn't hers, she scrambled to her feet. She wildly looked around the room, until her eyes eventually landed on—

him.

Her throat burns. Her eyes sting. She blinks several times, but she can't make it stop. That's so unfair. She wants to speak, she tries to—but every word she wants to scream comes out as incoherent sobbing. She feels so small and powerless and embarassed; her immediate reaction is to uncontrollably break down in front of an entity who wants to see her suffer. She is giving him what he wants and she can't stop it.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager looked on , beyond confused before something clicked . ah , right . he swallowed and tried to take on a comforting tone . 18 , despite popular belief , really wasn't that old . and child or not this wasn't exactly the ideal situation to be stuck in .

I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else , dear .

he tried to adopt the same tone he used for the younger residents at the waylay and his own little girl long ago .

I'm - well , call me the manager . I'm a different version of kayne . the one who . . . ahem . think of me as his good twin brother . unnus ann- is that a thing yet ? no , I don't think so . you get the point . your father , a different version of your father , in the same fashion I'm a different version of kayne , asked me to check in on you . I think it'd be better if we had this conversation somewhere else , no ?

because they'd definitely be having a conversation now . the manager winced internally at his horrible sentence structures . he was trying Very Hard not to think of liliths face that night , when his own family was ripped to shreds and maniacal laughter ringed throughout every inch of existence . he really wished faroe would look at him with any other emotion than that stark terror , trying desperately not to show her radiating fear . even making his words a little condescending to get the typical teenage irritated response

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

*...Somethings off. This isn't my waylay. The concept of two waylays is already wrong, but what's more shocking is... two managers.*

Parson me stranger, but you wouldn't happen to go by The Manager, now would you?

*I know I probably look off. Everything about me screams "out of time" in my own Waylay, I can't imagine what a vaquero from the 1800s looks like to this one.*

the manager looks at the sudden appearance of someone new and smiles , a bit confused .

yes , that would be me . is there any particular reason you're seeking me out ?

he himself doesn't find the attire strange at all . the waylay had many humans of many cultures . along with a whole set of creatures decisively not human , humanoids , half - humans and beings thinking they're doing a Really Great Job at pretending to be human .

[twelve-starry-eyes]

Actually, it seems to be the opposite, sir. I seem to be un both the right and wrong place at the same time. Do you mind telling me where exactly I happen to be?

*The only think outwardly that betrays I am anything other than human is my silver eyes, as I stare at him in confusion.*

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

well , you're in the waylay of course ! my office to be specific . did you come from the void or in - between ? those places - technically they aren't places but next to places , but you get my gig - do tend to confuse the mind . and I know I didn't call you in here .

[twelve-starry-eyes]

...Neither, actually, Mr.Manager.

If you're asking about my home, I'm from a plain universe that just seems to be behind on the times compared to everyone else.

but if you mean what home i came from to be able to get here, I was trying to find my Waylay, with my Manager. I ain't a soul you can call on just yet, I've got a very long life ahead of me first. I was just someone that stepped through a crack.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ah , that explains the nature of your - wait , your waylay ?

the manager's eyebrows furrow in confusion , not even sure which question to ask about that

I . . . think I have some questions . oh , how rude of me ! you've just been standing there and I haven't even offered you a seat ! sit , sit ! is there any drinks I can get you ? I have the feeling this might be a long conversation .

[twelve-starry-eyes]

*I take one of the seats, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, offering my pistol, a pearl handled revolver, shined with use and love* I ain't sure if you've got yer own rules about weapons or not, but my waylay knows I ain't some rabble-rouser.

And mister, I think I've got the same questions you do. I'm the one imposing, so you have the floor sir.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

oh no , you can keep that on you for now . I'm not in the habit of taking belongings unnecessarily , and unless you go into the main room with the patrons no one here is unable to defend themselves .

the manager laughed easily .

I'm not sure where to start , I'll be honest . as far as I'm aware I'm the only one of , well , me . another nyarlathotep wouldn't be too unbelievable considering my own circumstances and I'm going off the assumption this is another nyarlathotep - I don't imagine kayne would take too kindly to another using his face, as you've been implying this other manager possesses - and even the manager title is negotiable ! it's fairly common , I do admit but no , no . . .

the part that confuses me the most is the combination of that and the waylay . this is my place and as you are probably aware I am quite fond of it . another entity that looks like me , has my chosen name and shares a domain with the same name is quite intriguing .

the manager blinks , as if realising something .

but I'm going off on a tangent , aren't I ? my sincerest apologies , yang is always telling me . . . ahem .

would you mind describing this manger of yours in more detail ?

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

For a moment, the Manager could think he was hallucinating someone saying a 'pssst!'. If he looked around, there would simply be nobody there. And yet, the feeling of being watched was still present, nagging on his mind.

It was only after a few minutes he'd hear a whispered 'hey!' again, and this time it was almost solid, there was definitely someone behind him.

@fromcanvastolife 🖌️

the manager frowned , wondering if the figure was whispering for secrecy . as such , he didn't turn his head , only said back politely

yes ?

[fromcanvastolife]

"Oh my god, I thought I'd never be able to DO IT." He'd feel something grab his shoulder. Delicate - though excited - human hands. "Hi! It's me!" Rosa called, a huge grin on her face. Now actually looking at her, the Manager could see her overall features physically existing near him, though the artist didn't seem to be all there, in the Waylay. It was as if she was a ghost or an apparition of some sort, even though she could very well touch things.

Which she promptly started doing, releasing the god's shoulder and trying to grab one of his pens. "HA! oh my GODS, look at THIS!" Rosa showed him his own pen, now between her fingers.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager instantly straightened himself , pretending he wasn't at all worried for a moment . he raised an eyebrow at the same time his lips quirked in a half smile and he acted like the bubbling joy wasn't infectious

so you did . impressive . and here I was thinking you'd be stuck to staying in the paintings when you wanted to pop in here for a moment . now I can't even threaten to throw water at them when you bug me

he gave a theatrical sigh

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

my daughter may be in mortal peril I am not panicking

[fromcanvastolife]

She clearly knows something.

"Uhhh...."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

care to share your expertise ? look kid I ain't one to beg but I'm getting desperate here

[fromcanvastolife]

The woman seems nervous; her green eyes keep glancing around.

"Uhm, your daughter like. Lillith. And you're... the Manager?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the mana - I think . . . ? ah , I take up a lot of names ! eons of existence does that to a guy ! well , a genderless entity but a guy for now - do you know lilith ? I'm certainly quite glad she's branching out on her own and keeping friends instead of eating them ! ahahaha , teenagers , what can I say ?

[fromcanvastolife]

"Yes, indeed. I... know a Lillith, but I'm afraid she's not your Lillith. Uhm..." Rosa scratches her head and then stops, as if she'd just had an idea. She walks to a chair and pulls it, offering its seat to the Manager. "Why don't you sit down a little bit? So we can talk more comfortably?"

She's smiling, trying to sound as friendly and calm as possible. It is difficult, though. Rosa wasn't there when he found his daughter the first time, and she doesn't think it'll be pretty to go through it a second time.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager tilts his head with an amused and intrigued smirk . it's uncanny how kayne he is when he's not trying his hardest to be the exact opposite in every way .

finally , someone with manners ! do you know how rare that is ? but why don't cha sit down yourself ? unless you've got another one coming . can't be a ' gracious host ' while leaving my guests hanging , ahahha - ack ! ahem .

his face wrinkles at the end ever so slightly , as if laughing makes him choke .

[fromcanvastolife]

Indeed it is chilling in the worst of ways. The godling thinks she has had enough of Kayne for a lifetime - and oh boy, her life will be very long, Rosa keeps reminding herself.

"Ah- Thank you, really. It's nothing." She smiles, almost sadly so. "But I really think you should be the one sitting, Manager. Please. I can stay on my feet a bit longer, I promise."

Her insistense for him to sit down is almost suspicious, though there is no trace of any ill intent towards the god.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager certainly seems to find it suspicious . his eyes don't even narrow , but something shiftes in them imperceptibly . but , well , lesser being attempted to trick him like this and it was always fun to see the horror in their faces that the power simply wasn't enough even when he decided to humor them

sure thing , marigold ! and don't mind and old man's pleasantries ! taking care of your elders after all that . . . painting . how inspiring ! maybe my lilith could learn a thing or . . . right , right , my darling precious daughter ! get talking , buttercup . and seriously , have a chair yourself ! you look tired .

the manager finally manages to make a dent in the place's stubborn insistence in not bending to his will and summoning . . . a normal chair . how . odd . he'd ment to summon a fleshy mass to sit on to try and spook rosa , half - convinced she had something to do with lilith's disappearance and the nauseating impossible headache .

maybe he is a little bit worried

[fromcanvastolife]

He looks suspicious. Of her. Just what she needed...

The artist sighs, seemingly pleased he decided at least to listen to her; and then, Rosa sits, too. Now comes the most difficult part.

"Yes, your kid. Uhm. I-" she starts to massage her hand, clearly trying to summon the will to say something not so good. "Okay, do you know a guy called Kayne? It seems like it has nothing to do with her but it has. Do you know him?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

kayne . . . rings a bell .

he doesn't . he's testing the name on his tongue , seeing if he can jog any memory of a mention of a name so ridiculous as kayne . but he is not one to be caught lacking in information in a situation such as this .

what about him ? friend of yours ? ahahhaa , that face ! no , I take it ?

[fromcanvastolife]

Holy shit he doesn't remember anything. Rosa wants to scream, but instead she takes a deep breath before continuing, shaking her hands in a 'no' motion.

"Nooo, no. Definitely not, he... he's the far opposite of a friend, actually," she chuckles humorlessly before adding; her tone is slow, as if Rosa wants to make sure he can follow: "He kind of murdered my wife. And it's funny I'm telling you this because technically speaking, you are her. Aaaand him. At the same time..."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ahhh , nyarlathotep logic ? competitive days , my girl ! oh , right , this is the part the condolences are offered , no ?

again with that creepy head tilt . he has no value of life outside of lilith it seemed . or , at the very least was very very bad at expressing care for it . who knew ? even from the beginning the manager had more compassion than kayne

question , though , tulip . why're ya helping me ? I'm certainly no wife of yours ! do I remind you of her ? or is it revenge ? I'm not free from a couple of self erasures , for lack of better word , oh , but it sounds awful ! , myself . maybe I'm more reminiscent of the killer ? the mind works in interesting ways ~ ! especially for such an itty bitty godling like you !

his eyes were narrow . yep . definitely suspicious . and also intrigued . the manager looked at rosa how one would at a surprisingly fleshed out protagonist from a collection of short stories

[fromcanvastolife]

She heard his guesses and musings in silence, but her brows were joint and raised in the middle of her forehead. Worry. The similarities between him and Kayne were definitely showing, and now she understood why he always tried his hardest to cover them up. To say the Manager needed to pay active attention to not sound and behave like Kayne was an understatement. They were each others' spitting image.

That was bad, bad for the plan, and bad for her, Rosa, who was having to put up with this bullshit. She decided to settle in taking in a deep breath, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand. She was bracing herself for what was to come.

"Right. Why I'm helping you," Rosa smiled sadly at the god. Suddenly her eyes looked greener, more intense. They had sympathy in them, they weren't sharp. But somehow they looked less harmless now, even to someone like him. "Well, I'm helping you because Kayne wants to basically destroy the world. First and foremost. Also because of revange, because that fucking asshole will NOT succeed in his dreams after destroying my life. And also because... well. I sympathize with you and your situation. I know how it feels to lose someone.

I... I'm sorry, Manager. I'm really sorry for your daughter."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager picked up on the sudden intensity with intrigue . oh , how fun ! it didn't seem like she was trying to intimidate him though . that was interesting . maybe just a natural reaction to topics she felt strongly about ? aesthetically pleasing if anything , as the kids say !

as long as it isn't revenge on me , daffodil , though how helping me with this benefits your bloody vengeance -

he adopts a faux hero voice at the last part and let out a manic giggle

- I don't know . though all of creation gone forever certainly is . yeah . meh . not ideal for everyone else , no ? so I'll believe you . doesn't affect me if I don't buuuut , you lucky duck , you've caught me in a good mood ! though sympathy . . . how mortal . and what was that part about lilith ?

he says it causally , but it's obvious that's the part he's most interested in

[fromcanvastolife]

Rosa stayed silent for a few seconds. Yeah, there would be no way she wouldn't have to say it, the artist thought with resignation. She uncrossed her legs and slowly leaned forward.

"I'm sorry, Manager. Kayne killed your Lillith. I... didn't see it happening - you told me that, some time ago. When we met. I really think something must've happened with your memory, because... well, many things have happened since then."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager pauses . not in a human what - did - you - just - say way , but as if he'd physically been paused , like a video . even the atmosphere seemed to stop , as if the waylay itself froze . then the manager burst out laughing

OH ! OH , YOU had me for a second there - ! I really thought for a fraction of a second - ahahahhhaaha - oh goodness , what is this , are you trying to do , motivate me to kill this kayne ? look buttercup , I was going after him the minute you pointed out another nyarla , but please , you think I wouldn't be able to tell if my daughter was dead ? oh , she needs better friends ! or enemies ! or whatever you are !

he shakes his head and sighs , still giggling and wiping fake tears of mirth from his eyes .

now , I'll give you one chance to explain why you're lying to me . you're interesting , petal ! orrrrr if you're so stubborn on your claim . prove it . either way I'm not quite sure I want you dead yetttt but that little lie is going to cost you dearly if you can't come up with something .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I-! But I'm not lying!," She stuttered, clearly nervous by his threat. That he was capable of being a horrible bastard and retaliating, Rosa was sure of it. But she was hoping hearing the truth would make him remember somehow. It clearly wasn't working. "I don't know your daughter, I can't prove anything, you're the one who told me she was dead!"

The artist hid her face with her hand, making noises of frustration. When she looked at the Manager again, she looked almost pleading. Please believe me.

"Okay. We met some time ago, right? I was after Kayne, dimension hopping, and bumped into this place by chance. I... I found you and thought you were Kayne, because... well, you look just like him, I'm sorry. You guys are each others' spitting image. But you told me about your plan! You told me you wanted to stop him, that he was after the blackstone, that he had killed your Lillith! You gave up on killing Azathoth! I told you about my wife. You teamed up with another Lillith - Kayne's own daughter! Then- Then I said I wanted to help, too, so now I'm keeping an eye on Kayne for you. I lied to him and said I was on board with his crazy plan, and he bought it. It was your idea! It was all your idea. You- You can ask the other Lillith if you want!"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

rosa seemed so . . . sincere . it bugged the manager to no end . he knew her type , of course , and knew that people - well . beings like her did help people out of the goodness of their poor bleeding hearts . and the revenge gig was believable too . she could be acting but . . . it took a really good actor to fool him . but if he chose to believe any part of her story , it meant he accepted that his darling girl was -

dead . I told you that ? about this - this plan I have to stop kayne . blackstone and all . me ? sorry sugar cakes but . . . wooh . you aren't exactly confident material , you catch my drift ? especially not for me . so unless you can get lilith - kayne's lilith - here and nowwwwww . I'll let you take your guesses at what'll happen . and doesn't that seem too convenient ? the old switcha-roo ! nyarlathotep's daughter betrays her dad for the other nyarlathotep ? ahahaha - hem .

he rubs his throat but stands up at the last part , leaning causally against the chair .

[fromcanvastolife]

She closed her fist at the provocation. Rosa wasn't unfamiliar with bellittling from other gods - in fact, it was just too common of an occurence. Not human enough for humans, neither godly enough for the gods. She couldn't fit in any category and was an alien to both. Still, being teased by him in particular touched a nerve Rosa didn't think would hurt as much. For the first time she frowned.

"Yeah? Well, I'm sorry, but I can't really get Kayne's Lillith right now. She's kind of busy with your poor, chosen one, Arthur Lester. I have no idea where she is. And I don't really need to prove anything, actually. If you don't believe me, you can always go and take your own conclusions. Or rather, I'll go. It's your office after all." Rosa raised to her feet. "I'm not afraid of dying, Manager. I wouldn't serve as a distraction and a double agent with Kayne if I were, after all. Have a good day."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's smile increased as rosa talked on . his intention hadn't been to rile her up , but it was certainly a bonus . he was all for letting her get angry at him , it was always soothing in a sense to make people fly off on emotion , especially those morally righteous ones , but . . . she also presented new information . information that snagged at some unconscious part of him . arthur lester ? why did the name sound so . . . and the double agent part as well . why would that other version of him trust someone like her ? stupid to think cooperation would work after being the cause of one's wife's demise . it nagged , nagged , nagged at his brain like insects .

oh that's too bad , cupcake . and who said you can leave ? no , what I think is going to happen is I'm going to kill you . and then I'm going to pick apart your brain and see every single memory in that little teeny noggin of yours and have a chat with kayne ! not afraid to die ? then say hello to the dark world for me , will ya ? and I'll even keep you in mind as I gut that piece of shit - with my daughter mind you ! so you can have your glorious revenge or whathavesyou . sweet dreams , tulip

the manager snapped his fingers , cackling and prepared to watch the godling crumple to the floor with rage still burning in her eyes and -

and nothing .

the manager snapped his fingers again .

oh , come on ! is it these gloves - snap - are you kidding me ? ?

..

this is a joke . it's a joke , right ? oh this . this is embarrassing . work you stupid - what good is an office of mine if I can't do anything in it ?

[fromcanvastolife]

She watched with a raised brow and crossed arms as the other god attempted to kill her several times - and failed. It was kind of funny, in a way; refreshing to see someone so mighty feel frustrated and powerless. Rosa smirked, amused, but soon remembered the situation they both were in. They didn't have the luxury of losing too much time.

"Are you done yet, Manager? Goodness, just erase some bits here and there and you suddenly turn into an off brand Kayne again. This is leading nowhere," she huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not the gloves. You made this place to stop him from finding you. You made it specifically to block this kind of mad bloodlust your kind has. It doesn't work by your own design, because you don't want it to work. Did you bump your head somewhere? How much do you remember? Sit down, please; I wanna see if you're injured on the head."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager's embarrassment grows steadily into frustration and then bleeds into irritation . he bristles at the ' off brand Kayne ' comment , granting to the image of an angry cat . how adorable !

I'm not sitting down ! any damage wouldn't show on my head anyways , that not how - ahem .

his eyes flick to the ground for a second , his mouth feeling the eldritch equivalent of dry

so you are telling the truth . if this place - which is . . . mine , this place acts as if - hmm . and you're seriously going to answer my questions ? after I tried to kill you ? azathoth , kid , I -

he sits down unconsciously , - shaking his head and giggling before choking - despite his protests earlier . he looks so small . oh how the turn tables .

and lillith is . . .

he seems to be searching for something witty to say , but what comes out next is -

why does it hurt to laugh then ? if , if you know so much .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I have no choice but to coorperate with you," she hissed back, "Not if I want existence to keep happening."

Then Rosa fell silent for a few seconds. Part of her wanted to be petty and let the Manager sink into his doubts for longer, just to see him suffer after he had mocked her. But it was a short lived feeling and soon her narrowed eyes softened again, almost in pity. If she had any solace in the whole situation, was that she was nothing alike to Kayne.

"I think it's because it reminds you of him. I can't mean this enough, you two are really similar," Rosa took a step closer, standing in front of the god with a serious countenance. "Even the laughter is."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ahhaa , that , that makes sense .

the words seemed to be glitching , but closer to a person stuttering than computer . but the manager seemed calmer . still a swirl of denial in his eyes but that could be dealt with later .

well , swee - rosa . ahem . from what you describe , the manager , me , seems to be . . . developed from the variants nyarlathotep wanting a perfect world . kayne seems the same . I'd say whatever diverged between us two happened after -

he looked down and made a horrible , choking , grinding noise . like gagging overlayed with a meat grinder and heavy old metal gates closing . truly pathetic . he seems to recollect himself , but not before crushing one of the chairs legs which impossibly stays standing . waylay logic .

how do we kill him ? what was the - plan ?

[fromcanvastolife]

There it was, empathy in her vivid green eyes again.

"The plan was basically your idea. I entered later on as a plus. Kayne's Lillith would choose a poor human to be her father's bait. Basically would keep him distracted, 'cause he can't seem to leave his Lillith alone. Someone favoured by her would call Kayne's attention, as it indeed has happened and Kayne's obsessed with Arthur now. This Arthur has a piece of the King in Yellow inside his mind too, by the way.

"They fought, you erased their memories, and then... a bunch of things happened. Now Kayne's sent Arthur to England I think, he has your lighter, but I think Lillith has NOT explained shit to him. Which she should do, because otherwise he will fumble the plan. He needs to put your lighter inside Kayne's pocket so we can kill him for good."

Rosa bent down slight to look at the Manager more directly. She hoped that was enough to make his memory come back, but judging by the god's reaction so far, they weren't having any luck yet.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager truly was drawing a blank . what ? who ? there was arthur mentioned again , that cleared some things up but -

arthur , this chosen one has who - not important . hasty probably isn't taking that too well though . . .

his tone was flat and agitated , which would've been a good sign if it weren't for outbursts earlier . he also steered very heavily away from the topic of lillith in his questions .

how would a lighter work ? undetectable , I assume , otherwise it's as simple as tossing it out . is it more of a weapon or a . . . target , for lack of better terms ?drat , here I go asking about the world and it's mother . just give it to me straight , k kid ? don't wanna be caught lacking when the bell tolls

[fromcanvastolife]

"I heard Lillith mentioning they are all lovey-dovey now, inseparable," her lips almost formed a smirk, but the Manager's agitation and cluelessness made her serious again. "I... I'm not sure, to be honest. The specifics, I mean. It's like a target, you mentioned to me. Undetectable, Kayne can't see it. Something something he's a being of pure darkness and the lighter is light, so he can't see it. I think? That's what Lillith said. After I pressured her for explanations. You two could've explained it better to me, but I guess I was too human to deserve big explanations?" she huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Lillith's supposed to make the final blow. I guess she asked for it? Because also if you showed up before Kayne he'd murder you, and if there's gonna be a last Nyarlathotep here standing, I'd rather it isn't him. So it's a good thing she offered to do it."

I'm glad I don't have to, Rosa thought to herself.

"I already spend a lot of the time with the fucker, so I really don't want to be there to see this shit happening. We need to do something about your memory, though," she bent a little lower, face inching closer, hands gently touching the god's shoulders to turn him towards herself. "We can't have you not knowing this kind of thing. You gotta remember..."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

he bristled slightly at being touched but seemed to want to cooperate for the most part so let it go . if he got too uncomfortable he could always shift his atoms and let rosa phase through him for giggles . the manager's eyebrow raised at the ' being of pure darkness ' part but he elected not to comment outwardly . right then he didn't feel any different from that description - he was a being that thrived off of chaos after all ! - and while the manager imagined he had a nice get - up in the future he didn't exactly think that changed what could graciously be called his physical form . then again . . .

can't feel it myself so it must work . the stone , I mean . hah , to think there's that little nyarlathoteps left . . . and it would make sense for you lot to prefer this version of me with my . . . memory .

his eyes flick to the mantelpiece with the transcription of ' the manager ' , looking so mundane and human . he huffs out a sigh and anxiously though miserably trying to hide it adds .

lillith will be fine , correct ? if there's some sort of safety net I should be keeping an eye on - though she's not reckless , it is another nyarlathotep .

[fromcanvastolife]

His discomfort didn't go unnoticed and Rosa quickly let go of him, though she lingered close to inspect his head since the god was sat below her. She couldn't find any indicators he'd been hit or anything like that.

"I'd prefer any of your versions to Kayne, it's not because you're having amnesia. He murdered my wife. He brings it up sometimes, for no reason. Just for the kick of it, he just likes seeing my reaction to it."

Rosa sighed, shaking her head and retreating to her chair.

"Yeah, I... I don't know. As I mentioned, you didn't enter too much on the specifics with me. All I know is that the idea was to kill him using the lighter. You should talk to Lillith. And then you should explain it to me thoroughly, in case this happens again. It'd be good if I knew the whole plan, since we are on the same side."

Her gaze wandered off from the god. Suddenly Rosa looked tired. "I think she'll be alright. She knows her dad. I have faith Lillith will be fine."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

there was that head tilt again , atleast rosa could take comfort in the fact the manager wasn't doing kayne's mannerisms to deliberately provoke her .

and I'm practically the same as him right now , so you're eager to get the version of me you're familiar with back . hmm . that will pose a problem because I certainly don't know how to get my memory fixed . or if I even want - not relevant ! ahem . I don't even know how I ended up like . . . this .

he waves a hand to indicate to himself

you're taking this remarkably well , you know . quick recovery rate from my prodding ! you won't have to worry about that now , since I don't exactly appreciate being toyed with and it's evident that you weren't . . . do I always talk this fancy ? maybe it's already fixing itself , ahahaa - ack . right .

the manager sighs and runs a hand through the mass that wasn't doing the best job pretending to be hair as of late

noted about the telling you more thing . this is annoying . and you seem reliable or at the very least competent for what it's worth . shockingly rare in and infinite amount of universes

I . . . trust lillith knows her limits well but . she gets reckless sometimes . teens , you know ? no longer a teen anymore though , I suppose . or the lillith I know .

[fromcanvastolife]

She shurgged and smirked to him. Years of marriage with an eldritch horror, even though she used to be nicer than Kayne, had indeed strengthened especially her mind to cosmic influences.

"Well, maybe your memory will come back spontaneously. It could happen, and you even remembered my name yourself. Though it gives me anxiety, the thought of depending on chance... But I don't think, for now, we have any other option."

His compliment and commitment to telling her more made her smirk soften. One of the only deities that used to treat her with full, genuine respect was her wife. For the first time, she smiled at him sweetly, though Rosa didn't directly comment on it.

"Oh, yes; but I think she's reasonably old, actually." Rosa fell silent for a moment, eyes averting from the Manager's. When she spoke again, she still didn't look at him, lost in thought and in painful memories of her own Lillith. She caught herself thinking about her for the first time in a while, and for her own surprise, Rosa felt empathy for the woman. It was a rare occurrence. "You know, I think... I think she could use a real father, when all of this is done . . . "

Maybe her own Lillith could use a more attentive parent as well, she thought. But the ressentment towards her wife's daughter was too big to suggest so yet. With Kayne's Lillith it was easier to empathize.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

you sure I can't see her ?

the manager asked quickly .

I mean , to see my girl all grown up , even if she's not my . . . too soon , too soon . dammit . if her father is as bad as you say , I'd like to have her around at the very least .

he looked at her and frowned , then smiled too wide . then corrected himself .

at least I'm not the only one stuck in my thoughts , hah . what's on your mind , tulip ? can I call you that ? first name correspondence is boringly normal

[fromcanvastolife]

"I know you didn't want to leave the Waylay because... well, Kayne reasons. But occasionally she shows up here and you could... try and talk to her. She could use company, and a father figure that doesn't suck."

Rosa observed as he smiled. She knew he wasn't trying to ressemble Kayne, but he did anyway.

"Ah, hah, well. You may," she smiled at the Manager, a small smile that soon turned sad. "I'm just... thinking about my... family. I guess you could call her that. She's my wife's Lillith. Not my child, she's actually older than me, and we didn't have a good relationship, 'cuz... well, anyway. But now I'm wondering how she's doing. I haven't talked to her since Nilah's... departure."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

urg , please don't tell me future me spends his days wallowing away in this tiny place . I love it but it's small . and plain . if the other lillith lets me get close enough I'll be sure to take care of the kid . but she's always been flighty and I doubt a piss poor dad would change that .

he sighs and fidgets with his sleeve . that was a manager habit .

I think I knew . subconsciously or whatever human terms come to mind in this limited language . I don't . . . the news of my lilith's death feels dull . it hurts , but . I shouldn't , I'm not that heartless , lillith is my everything . I shouldn't have recovered that quickly . ah , here's little old me making you play therapist . pay no heed . but good in terms of memory , no ? and I don't feel so . . . constantly angry and in pain . oh , that's awkward to say aloud . don't mind me

the manager waves a hand .

and the lillith you knew . well , she's probably playing cat - and - mouse with some civilisation off yonder . she's . . . independent . and smart . doubt she'd be in much trouble . I would advise paying her a visit but , hah , I'm no professional . and self - conscious enough to know I'm biased .

[fromcanvastolife]

"Not wallowing, I think. From what I know, you have your fun here. You said you enjoy the gambling and the music and the drinks," she smiled with compassion.

His comment about Lillith made her shrug, "Probably, she probably is. I hope she is, because the alternative is her going after Kayne, and this would be a bad idea."

Rosa thought about all her interactions with Kayne so far. The guy was a disturbed bastard. She shuddered.

"I'll try researching some causes of amnesia. For gods. I doubt this is common, though."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

pfft . as if that's going to keep me busy . shallow human activities that are notorious even smoking them for solely being for passing time ? I know I'm different with my memory but I'm still an eldritch horror . I'll stretch my legs and walk after this situation though .

he winced at rosa's speculation . lillith was smart but she did tend to be . petty . and besides , this wasn't his variant of lillith . maybe she was reckless . he did hum in speculation to the amnesia portion however .

can't be common , I haven't heard of it . especially not something of my status . it's not with malicious intent , I'll give you that much . or even done to me by someone . if a being was that desperate to get at me that the somehow erased my memory , I'd know . and I'm fairly sure you know that too .

[fromcanvastolife]

She smirked at his statement about his nature, but didn't comment on it. It was sure funny to see the Manager like that, kind of lost. Very uncommon for someone like him.

To his next statement Rosa did reply, though.

"I mean, yeah, I can't argue with that. Still, I wonder what happened. Do you think it could be a reaction to trauma, somehow? A late reaction to it... Sometimes it happens to humans."

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

I'd like to think my trauma would choose a more convenient time to go into effect . if that is the case . which I doubt . you do bring up a good point about the cause being internal though . I could try poking around and seeing if there's any blocks . I'd also like to travel my domain for clues but evidently this room is hell - bent on keeping me in here . I'll just have to trust it knows best and hasn't gained sentience and is trying to revolt .

the manager said the last sentence with a completely straight face . it was hard to tell whether he was joking or not .

[fromcanvastolife]

"I do think the Waylay has its own... will. That to a great extent, is your will as well. I don't think it's trying to revolt. I think it's trying to protect. You."

A sigh and Rosa shrugged.

"Well, I should be going, I think. I can't really stay here for long, Kayne's often... watching," she said ruefully. That was the face of experience. "I know he's busy right now with Arthur, which is a huge blessing, gods bless that man's heart, but who knows for how long that will last. At some point he'll be looking for me again, and I need to be outta here for that. Last thing I need is for him to get suspicious."

Rosa had fooled him once. She didn't think she could do it twice. She hoped she didn't have to.

"I should be back at some point, when I know he's not looking. I could try to project here in a dream too, I don't know. Could be safer..." Rosa pouted, pondering to herself before looking at the Manager again with a raised brow. "Do you know how to do that?"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

the manager hummed at the first part , thinking about it while rosa talked of leaving . it was entirely possible , yes , and did seem the type of realm he'd make for himself .

mmkay kid . do make sure to inconvenience the guy for me , yeah ? kayne , not arthur . as for the dreaming . . . I'd say feel for it . it's one of those abilities you either have or you don't . if not try and get someone familiar with the realm of dreams .

he was very specifically Not Thinking of lillith as he said the last part . nope .

[fromcanvastolife]

"He's the type of guy it's difficult to inconvenience too effectively, but I sure will do my best," shrugging, she sighed, though there was a smirk now on her face.

"And well, my mom could do it. And my sister, according to her. Maybe if I try hard enough I can pull it off," the artist pondered, and then muttered to herself, "ᴳᵒᵒᵈⁿᵉˢˢ, ⁿᵒʷ'ˢ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ᵗᶦᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᴮᵉˡ ᵗᵒ ˢʰᵒʷ ᵘᵖ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗᵉᵃᶜʰ ᵐᵉ, ᵇᵘᵗ ˢʰᵉ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ˢʰᵒʷˢ ᵘᵖ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᴵ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ʰᵉʳ…"

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ooh , it's genetic !

the managers face showed kayne - like fascination , but this didn't feel nearly as threatening as the begining . in fact it didn't feel threatening at all . he clapped his hands together once before placing them under his chin , elbows on the desk

well , may be . but that does point in a good direction ! you can try here if you want . I've never seen someone actively discover abilities before .

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

*...Somethings off. This isn't my waylay. The concept of two waylays is already wrong, but what's more shocking is... two managers.*

Parson me stranger, but you wouldn't happen to go by The Manager, now would you?

*I know I probably look off. Everything about me screams "out of time" in my own Waylay, I can't imagine what a vaquero from the 1800s looks like to this one.*

the manager looks at the sudden appearance of someone new and smiles , a bit confused .

yes , that would be me . is there any particular reason you're seeking me out ?

he himself doesn't find the attire strange at all . the waylay had many humans of many cultures . along with a whole set of creatures decisively not human , humanoids , half - humans and beings thinking they're doing a Really Great Job at pretending to be human .

[twelve-starry-eyes]

Actually, it seems to be the opposite, sir. I seem to be un both the right and wrong place at the same time. Do you mind telling me where exactly I happen to be?

*The only think outwardly that betrays I am anything other than human is my silver eyes, as I stare at him in confusion.*

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

well , you're in the waylay of course ! my office to be specific . did you come from the void or in - between ? those places - technically they aren't places but next to places , but you get my gig - do tend to confuse the mind . and I know I didn't call you in here .

[twelve-starry-eyes]

...Neither, actually, Mr.Manager.

If you're asking about my home, I'm from a plain universe that just seems to be behind on the times compared to everyone else.

but if you mean what home i came from to be able to get here, I was trying to find my Waylay, with my Manager. I ain't a soul you can call on just yet, I've got a very long life ahead of me first. I was just someone that stepped through a crack.

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

ah , that explains the nature of your - wait , your waylay ?

the manager's eyebrows furrow in confusion , not even sure which question to ask about that

I . . . think I have some questions . oh , how rude of me ! you've just been standing there and I haven't even offered you a seat ! sit , sit ! is there any drinks I can get you ? I have the feeling this might be a long conversation .

[lillithismybiggestblessing]

“Oh. No thank you. I just need to get back up the mountain. I was about to reach the summit. Do you know which way to go to get back?”

*summit? Mountain? It seems she isn’t okay after all.*

— 🍓

ah- there's no mountains here . I mean , I could make one if you so desire but I doubt that would be the mountain you wish to scale . you've landed yourself in my domain, the waylay . I assume this wasn't your intention . . . ?