We will drown in the deep rivers of blood...

[sendmyscourge]

At exactly midnight on October 26th, 2009, something that's been lying in wait since Flagg's death earlier in the day grips Chicago tightly. It's been building to this moment all day, a sharp feeling that most will dismiss as anxiety from the television broadcast. It's just leftover trauma- nothing more, nothing less

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[duology]

Dev smells it first; of course he does. You never forget that smell. It's one of the most beautiful smells in the world, one of the most easily recognizable, a smell he craves every day. Seeing the TV broadcast earlier was one thing--God, all that red, everywhere, painting the Skydeck crimson--but now it's everywhere, permeating the city as if someone went and slashed Chicago's throat.

So he went out, and he walked, and now he has come to Buckingham Fountain, which is spraying not water but blood into the air. And the lake, lapping at the walls and painting all the little white sailboats red at their moorings.

Dev sits at a bench and stares at the fountain, his face reverent. He smiles slowly.

"Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone." He pauses and giggles a little. "And there was blood all throughout the land of Egypt."

[crashiscoming]

Is it any surprise Scout too is at the fountain? Or that it appears that she's totally lost it?

She's dragging her tiny body along the edge of the fountain, giggling like it's her birthday and she had a little too much cake. Finally it's too much and she heaves herself over the side, laughing as the blood swallows her up.

"Red red red red red!" she cries, making waves with her hands. She's loud enough to be heard, that's for sure.

[duology]

Dev watches her for a moment, still with that serene, dazed look on his face. Then she tips over into the blood and he blinks, coming back to reality a little bit. He grins and gets to his feet.

"Scoutling Scoutbird! Is today a beautiful day, or is today a beautiful day?" He sort of bounces over to her, coming to lean on the fountain ledge.

[crashiscoming]

Scout beams, coated in blood, and reaches out a finger to Dev.

"Devdev!" she cries, her lips stretching apart to reveal strangely white teeth. "Prettiest day, prettiest day come play yeah yeah? Come play Devdev, come play with the Scoutbird, yeah?" She crawls a little closer, still reaching for him with her blood-covered hand.

[duology]

He grins, wide enough it seems his face will split. "Good day for playing, oh yes it is." He steps closer and takes her hand, purring a little at the feel of the blood. Then he kicks out of his shoes and steps over the side into the fountain.

He has never literally been in blood up to his ankles before. This is the best day ever.

[crashiscoming]

Scout giggles, first deep, coming from her chest and rising in pitch until they're practically shrieks of laughter. She scuttles closer to Dev and rises to her tippy toes, reaching with one hand for his cheek to draw a line of blood across it, taking his had in her other.

"Play?" she asks, licking her lips.

[duology]

And then he's laughing too, practically choking on laughter, savoring the feeling of the blood already drying on his face.

"Play," he agrees. Then he reaches down into the blood and splashes it at her, cackling.