escalation

[remem_b_er]

Now, don't look if you're squeamish, but

There's a body in the kitchen. It's skin is translucent, except the patches covered in the oozing, green rash. Pus has crusted on what remains of it's clothes. One half of the forehead and the jaw have caved in, green and oozing and unable to hold up to whatever pressure was put on them when the body fell.

Comments

[reprism]

--oh. God. [stopping dead - no pun intended - in the doorway.]

[firm_detective]

*Looks over at the doorway.*

Light.

*His hair is dripping wet, as if it has recently been washed, but from the neck down, most of the left side of his body is covered in a greenish, slimy residue. It may be a visual trick, but he seems paler than usual, with a slight greenish cast to his complexion.*

You've missed... quite an event.

*He sounds tired.*

[reprism]

L-- yeah, I can see that. [taking everything in, wide-eyed.] What the hell happened? [brief pause.] And... this is going to sound like a weird question but that stuff is green, right?

[firm_detective]

*Weak, unhappy chuckle.*

Yes. It is green.

We found a body in an advanced state of decomposition. It... had not been here before, and there was no evidence of how it got here, but... there it was, and also... no scent whatsoever. When I attempted to investigate it, it... ruptured. As you can see.

*A nervous pause, then another weak chuckle.*

It also pleaded with us to kill it, and it seems that after the rupture, it -- what was left of it -- walked out into the hallway, up the wall, and -- and onto the ceiling, where the footprints vanish, you can see for yourself....

*He sounds both dejected and slightly stressed. He knows how the story sounds.*

Light, I am not a paranormal investigator, I do not --

*He trails off and shakes his head.*

[reprism]

Oh. Good. [weakly.] It's just, the last time Near helped me change these [holding up his bandaged hand] I thought - my blood - it was... green, and I thought that maybe I-- I don't know.

[looking up at the ceilings.] Yeah... yeah, I see. [pause.] I... sorry, but I can't say I can help you, I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I - have to say that in a way... at least this means I might not be going crazy. Look, this - in this place, stuff like this happening, it could just be - probably is the mansion. Isn't it? It's just not confined to the rooms anymore, this is something - broader, bigger.

[firm_detective]

*Ordinarily, this news about green blood would garner some sort of sharp attention; now, it just inspires a distracted frown, a look of exhaustion.*

Green? I doubt that your blood was green. It's too bad you can't ask Near.

I think you are probably right. I... have had to learn to accept... certain phenomena, since I came here. I would not say "the unexplained," because there is an explanation: it's always just The Mansion.

But... I think you are right. This is new. It... feels different.

*Something occurs to him, and his frown deepens.*

How did you cut yourself, Light?

[reprism]

Yeah, I doubt my blood was green too, which is why I was kind of freaked out. [frown.] I don't... I guess nobody knows. Maybe we'll find out. Maybe it's just another thing being thrown at us to freak us out. I don't know. [he has been saying this last bit far more than usual lately.]

[at the question, his gaze flickers away.] I... wasn't thinking.

[firm_detective]

... Do you mean that you weren't paying much attention?

[reprism]

No, I mean I - I - [his shoulders shudder and his voice breaks.] I wasn't thinking. One of the Mellos, one of the new ones, he threw a shuriken at me, at the wall next to me, and I pulled it out, I - wasn't - thinking.

[firm_detective]

... A shuriken?

*He has a dubious expression.*

It isn't as though one normally expects to have shurikens thrown at them. Still, you should be -- careful -- there is no medical assistance here, aside from what seems like divine intervention.

[reprism]

No, you don't... [but he trails off, shaking his head.] Never mind. [pause.] So what next? We wait for another cadaver to show up, or see if our health keeps deteriorating? There doesn't seem to be anything we can do. [he sounds unfathomably upset by this fact.]

[firm_detective]

*He absorbs Light's suggestion, impassive; he almost looks depressed.*

You are right. I don't think we have any choice but to wait and see, Light. Someone could talk to The Assistant, but this... it seems unlikely to have been something she created. No... it seems... it is new.

[reprism]

Besides, as far as I understand it's difficult if not impossible to contact the Assistant, if she doesn't want to contact you first.

[pause.]

You're not well either. I mean, not just in the sense of, you feel unwell after seeing that - you're sick. [examining him with a sharp gaze.] So it's you, me - who else? This... whatever it is, surely it's not just affecting us two? Do you know of any others?

[firm_detective]

I'm fine. I will be fine.

*He doesn't look terribly ill, but "fine" is overstating his case.*

I don't know of anyone else yet, but I think -- I think it would be good to keep an eye on people who have been in this kitchen. I will try to be -- out and around -- as much as I can, in the next few days, though I can't -- I can't promise anything.

You must -- continue to keep your record, yes? As much as you can.

[coordinated_n]

Light. No one knows what's going on.

[reprism]

Near! Are you all right?