Case No. 35
CAFE & DINER SILENUS · POINT PLEASANT, WV · LEAVE THIS EARTHLY PLANE BEHIND
BARISTA: AUDITOR
CAFE: ALL
DATE: EARLY FEBRUARY
RECEIPT ID: SIL-01
I now find myself at the Silenus Cafe and Diner. Permanently. Somewhat permanently, I suppose—I am here to stay as long as I am needed. I can't exactly say that I am thrilled by the prospect, if only because of the Silenus Cafe's customers. They are… strange, unsettling, and old. Older than even I feel on most days. And if there is one thing to know about the older folks, they have little patience for convention yet demand adherence to dogmatic conservatism. It's a pain to balance. And beyond their fickle senior customers, Silenus must also deal with the cantankerous eldest of the Sponsors, Beez.
Beez is by and large fairly easygoing, except when it comes to his food, his great and never-ending Feast. As I understand, it was the Silenus' duty to contribute monthly to his Feast in return for Beez's protection as Sponsor, but ever since the Bell of Fate has stopped ringing consistently, they have been left without a way to get their tributes to Beez. You might be thinking, "Should Beez not just charter an airplane to pick up his tribute?" Ah, but see, that would mean Beez is doing more work than he is willing to for the sake of a tribute. Tribute, in his mind, should be freely given, not given with further aid by Beez himself, then it's not tribute it's extortion.
So, Beez is upset with Silenus. The old dogs who constitute the bulk of Silenus' customers are annoyed by their mere presence in the area (despite stopping in for drinks more often than not). And, oh yes, there is the matter of Dr. Crow. Dr. Crow is… unsettling. Horrifically unsettling. He is obsessed with the creation of new and fresh hells to unleash upon the world. And ever since a few weeks ago, it would seem he too has turned his ire upon Silenus.
BARISTA: DAN HAMILTON
CAFE: SILENUS
DATE: EARLY FEBRUARY
RECEIPT ID: 113-01
Auditor's right. Everyone hates us. I kinda hate us too, but what can you do about it? When Jack asked me—ME!—to run a Cafe and Diner, I was all like, "Woah, that's crazy; what's the pay?" And the pay is good, don't get me wrong, but I have to wonder if I could've just made more working for my family as a Steward of the House. I dunno. Steward of the House or Steward of a Cafe—not really all that different, is it? And, to be clear, Dr. Crow is more so an enemy of the House than the Cafe and Diner. I think he's only been making moves against Silenus because I work here. Because I own this dumpy dive bar. Because I'm a Hamilton. Blegh.
Anyway, Dr. Lyle Crow is the head of this "Twice Third Temple" or the "113rd Temple" or "Solomon's Third Temple Twice Removed," or—you get the idea—it's a cult; they have a million billion different names for themselves. I guess he's Arthur's brother? That's crazy. But you'll notice he's not attacking the Core branch, because the Core branch doesn't have a Hamilton working there. It's… I don't know; it's all a big complicated mess. The Hamiltons, they own a House, the Beautiful House, right? And the Twice Third Temple has Dracula Drive. And both of those places take up roughly the same real estate in the Lanes. Sooo… lots of fighting. Generations of it, actually.
Now, I do know where Dracula Drive is, but I've still got no clue where the Twice Third Temple is actually set up on this… "side of things." Madeline's been trying to use her powers to hijack the flies or the melonhead to take us there, but no luck yet. And—oh, yeah, get this—Beez has DEMANDED our presence in the Ester A.S.A.P. to investigate the Giant. The freaking GIANT. Last I checked, he is not our problem, so I'll let Midnight know they've got work to do on Beez's side of the world. As for us? We've gotta figure out what the hell is wrong with our Bell and how to stop Dr. Crow from pestering us. Maybe then we can go be globetrotters.
Caffeinated Report: C-113-02
"My Eye—a set on the Mundus Novus."
Pathology Trivia | 3 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-113-03
"#800020, #AA4A44, #F28C28, #CD5C5C."
Fashion Trivia | 1 Word
BARISTA: AGATHA BLUNT
CAFE: SILENUS
DATE: MID FEBRUARY
RECEIPT ID: ODD-01
Business has been slow lately. Usually we get at least a few customers at the bar, but it's been weeks since anyone's come in from the Lanes. Thankfully we're not actually a Cafe or Diner or technically even a real dive bar… We're not a "business-business." So if we have a slow month, whatever, Jack pays us all the same. But it's not the money I miss… and to be fair, it's pretty rare for our patrons to actually pay us anything… I miss the conversations! The gossip! The intrigue! I dunno, lately it feels like Silenus has been on death's door or something.
Death's Door.
Fuck! Do you think Asmi opened up a Death's Door club in the area, and that's where all our business has been going? I haven't heard anything, but they are our direct competitor when it comes to hospitality for all types. Though, I can't really imagine our customers going somewhere so… loud, neon, glittery, and obnoxious. They come to Silenus because they like the dreary and dull atmosphere. They like to be left alone. Except Sandown—Sandown loves to chat. But even he hasn't come in lately!
I thought, or maybe I was just hoping, that once we dealt with the fly problem, people would start coming in again. I think it's gotta be that they're going somewhere else now… but where? I guess I could look into it a bit. Or perhaps we could offer up a happy hour or something? Not that our customers are terribly "happy," but, you know what I mean. Well, and again, except for Sandown. He's happy! In a sad kind of way, but he seems happy enough. Maybe we can convince Dover or Daichi to stop by to at least fill a few of the seats and draw in some other freaks.
Caffeinated Report: CD-113-04
"PA Cust: ICBIN-Attrition FOM G:TGC."
Abbr. Tr. | 2 Words
BARISTA: WARDEN
CAFE: SILENUS
DATE: LATE FEBRUARY
RECEIPT ID: SIL-02
Dan checked his playlist. The FLATWOOD entity left him a message. A warning. From FLATWOOD? Or from Metatron? Or perhaps from what remains of Fate itself? A warning clear as crystal and dark as dusk. The Twice Third Temple is no longer concerned with petty disputes of land in between and beyond. The Twice Third Temple is now working toward their ultimate goal.
The warning left by FLATWOODS is clear. Silenus is coming to an end. The Cafe and Diner is coming to an end. Everything is coming to an end. Dark gods of death and fate are lurking outside, swarming like ravenous vultures ready to pick our ribs clean. All customers have left. All customers know to stay away from Silenus' impending doom. The first letter of each song, in the new order, warns of a final order:
"THE ORDERS OF HELL HAVE WELCOMED THEIR NEW FINAL ORDER. SALVATION IS COMING."
The Orders of the Eternal Moths and Snakes, Hollow Sparrows, Unseen Scarabs, Raptured Cicadas, and Bloodied Fawns bow now to the Final Order of the Crow. The Phantom Lanes, the Flipside, the Otherside, the Topside, the Behindside, and the Beyondside all will bow to the recreation of the third temple twice removed by the cruel and arrogant Archons. The age of Tyranny is coming to an end. The age of Salvation is on the horizon. Scream in rapturous joy, cry for all that was and will be lost. The Crow is coming. Salvation comes with him.
Lyle Crow has died.
Al Crow has risen.
Do you see it?
Can you see it?
Will you enter Hell?