In the Forests Of The Night (frontdated to the day before Fearful Symmetry)

[srwu_mods]

[1]

[As luck would have it, finding the reclusive Dolores Norman turns out to be a far more mundane task than some might have thought.  No surprise ambushes, no sign of any battles the previous search team wound up in... the rainforest seems completely undisturbed.  And after several hours of searching, the Sun is setting but an unmistakeable sight of civilization is found: a large canopy tree-house spread across several trees.  With that in mind, the transport shuttle lands as close as possible it can from it... though there's still going to be some hiking required from everyone involved.  But when you finally reach the foot of one of the trees, there's a little old lady standing there with a tray of cookies and looking very out-of-place there in the jungle.]



Oh well hello there.  I was wondering when you would finally find me.  If you would like some lemonade or tea, you'll have to wait.  They're up in the kitchen.

[Everyone: meet Dolores Norman.]

[2]

[Climbing up into the treehouse, Dolores's handiwork is everywhere.  She's an artist by trade, and countless portraits strewn about her home, depicting... bizarre things.  Distorted figures.  A completely blank canvas with random places warped from exposure to water.  Fractal hands where each finger only goes on to become a smaller hand.  There are countless pictures of men and women with a third eye on their forehead, each one weeping blood.  But most frequent are images of cranial invasion and escape.  Things of any shape, color, or size crawling into or out of orifices in the heads of people.  In some pictures, the people are in the throes of agony... in others they seem to not notice or even happy at their predicament.  Others still have a mish-mash of the two reactions.

[Dolores Norman seems even more out of place surrounded by the macabre art, but she just continues to play welcoming host for you all.]

Now then... are you here to browse?  I'll have you know I'm not used to potential buyers making house calls.

Comments

2

[brought_it_back]

[Well this isn't creepy at all. One of the redshirts, a young girl, is standing next to a sculpture of a man opening his skull so birds can fly out.]

Umm...no...It's a military thing...

[srwu_mods]

Ah... well perhaps another time then. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if my paintings would have any value for an army... and I couldn't possibly be a guide through the jungle here. I've long since passed my prime.

Biscuit, dear?

[brought_it_back]

Um...this is business, so... [She fidgets, avoiding the woman's eyes.]

...There's a man...we heard you could help find him, so...

[srwu_mods]

Well nobody can do their job on an empty stomach. Please dear... all of you even. Help yourself.

[She's not taking no for an answer, and she keeps holding out the snack for you to take.]

Besides, it's the least I can do. If you came here to ask about little Freddy... I'm afraid I haven't heard from him in over ten years.

[brought_it_back]

[Eva looks at everyone else, before taking one of those little biscuits and starting to nibble away at it.]

...Are you sure?

It's very important...

[srwu_mods]

Well if it's important, maybe you'd have better luck asking Eddy. Yes...

[She nods, offering Eva another biscuit.]

How's little Eddy doing? Still working his way up the rungs in the CIA?

[Wait. Eddy? As in Edward Mcdowell? The guy who sent you down here in the first place? But Dolores has something else in mind as her eyes catch the back of Eva's neck.]

Oh my... I'm sorry my child! I never noticed, but... may I?

[brought_it_back]

...?

No, go ahead...Do you...Know something about me?

[srwu_mods]

[Dolores's hand moves some of the hair away from Eva's neck, and the old woman's eyes seem to light up as she looks at the square-shaped QR mark on Eva's back.]

My child, my child...

I... am not the person to ask for the answers you seek. Find Eddy and he'll tell you all you need to know. But...

[Her breath just a whisper now, she looks Eva right in the eye.]

... There is one thing I could can give you.

[brought_it_back]

...I don't understand...

[srwu_mods]

Oh all will be clear. Just... another-

[And then there's a blur of movement from her right hand and the sense of a something being smeared on your forehead.]

-Moment!

[Holy cow granny's fast with a paintbrush.]

[brought_it_back]

What...who are you? What did you do?

...What did you do?
[Eva panics, and runs to find the nearest mirror.]

[srwu_mods]

[What did she do? Why, paint a big third eye on your forehead just like all those ones in the paintings! In the reflection you can also see Dolores beaming proudly at her handiwork.]

My best yet! Do you like?

[brought_it_back]

...I...don't understand this.

Miss Norman...is there something...you're not telling me?

[srwu_mods]

Only things I'm terribly, terribly underqualified to try to explain to you. Eddy will be able to set the record straight.

Tea or lemonade?

[brought_it_back]

...Tea, then.

[srwu_mods]

[Dolores goes over to the table, pouring a cup for Eva before returning with it.]

Alright then my child. I hope you like it. If not there's always sugar or lemon.

[dolorous_sensei]

Your works are... very interesting, Mrs. Dolores...

[srwu_mods]

Oh well thank you young man. I pour my very soul into every one of them. Not long after I started making paintings like this I found it much harder to find buyers for some reason...

Perhaps you might like to take one back with you?

[dolorous_sensei]

Um... thank you. They will look very good... in my bedroom... Watching over me...

So have you been painting for a long time?

[srwu_mods]

For a very long time, young man.

[And Dolores goes over, picking out one painting of a class of schoolchildren busy taking tests, each sporting those third eyes weeping blood and stealing glances at other peoples' answers.]

Would you take this one as a gift then? Just be sure to tell everyone where you got it from.

1

[cloningblues]

Err... Thank you?

Mrs Norman? How did you make cookies and lemonade in the middle of a jungle?

[srwu_mods]

Oh well isn't it simple? There's cocoa and other plants all around! And what I can't find around my home I just buy in bulk whenever I travel to town to sell my works.

It's far less exciting living here, or dangerous, than you might think.

[cloningblues]

You're not afraid of all the war going on around right now? You live alone, with nothing to protect you if something happens...

[srwu_mods]

Oh, I've lived so long I can't imagine I have much more time on this Earth as it is. Whether it be a few months or years, or from sickness or an animal... it makes no difference to me.

2

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya proceeds to weave through the paintings and finds himself equal parts confused and disturbed by the content.]

Not here to browse as such mam, there were some leads we were told you may be able to help with so we're here to investigate.

As an aside before we settle too much into the business what inspires you to paint these. They're like Geiger and Dahl had some kind of strange crossover.

[srwu_mods]

Oh there's nothing I could tell you of any worth. Just like I told that nice girl who came with you... little Eddy Mcdowell's the one you should be talking to. I haven't been in contact with that nice man Freddy in over ten years.

... Tell me, did they ever finish repairs on that gigantic space ship that crashed to Earth back then? It was all I heard about back then.