WEEK 3 INVESTIGATION

[foundationmods]

Three weeks had gone by, and even with the other Witch being revealed, Friday came.

Waking up on this day began to feel like the prelude to something horrible.

To a horrible sight...and some kind of deep betrayal, knowing that one of them had ended the lives of someone they'd been speaking and laughing with just the day before...🗈

...But, they had no choice. This was the game, and it had to be played - set in motion by the pair of Witches.

No matter how they felt, they had to search, to gaze upon cruel death in it's many forms.

No matter....how dear the person once was to them, today...they would be nothing but a corpse to gleam clues from, in preparation for the trial.

And so...they had to push forward. Forward...to find a terrible truth.

Comments

[sotoshini]

[ Guess who's actually showing their face for investigation for once. Stopping, looking at Shadow and Erhard.

Small sigh. ]

Did someone change their mind?

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow frowns, looking up from where he's crouched next to the unconscious doctor]

Looks like it. The doctor is fine, but... it seems like something happened outside.

[sotoshini]

Hm. [ Looking at the good doctor for a second longer before turning on his heel. ]

Guess I should take a look.

[chaoscontrol]

Hold on. Before you go, will you help me move him somewhere more comfortable?

[sotoshini]

[ Stops. ]

...sure. I can carry him myself, but where do you want him?

[chaoscontrol]

I could too, but I'm not tall enough to not drag him. [Shadow gestures to the sitting room, where Watanuki is still sleeping] In there.

[sotoshini]

[ Nodding he crouches down and throws Erhard over his shoulder like he's a sack of potatoes. Easy enough, but you definitely want someone else carrying you if the intention is to be gentle.

At least he's a bit better at setting him down on one of the chairs here. ]

Why is he here? [ Nodding to Watanuki. ]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow adjusts him and places the rag back on his head]

Thank you.

[he looks at Watanuki, and folds his ears down] Who the hell knows... witch stuff? He didn't tell me anything.

[sotoshini]

Does he ever tell you anything? [ Taking one more look at Erhard and stepping back. ]

[chaoscontrol]

More than he tells you but less than I like.

[sotoshini]

Figures. [ Shrugging and making to walk out of the sitting room. ]

He's probably going to freak out when he wakes up. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself more.

[chaoscontrol]

I'll take care of him. Go investigate.

[cryosurgeon]

[It takes a while, but eventually Erhard groans and barely manages to open his eyes. His face is already starting to bruise, likely his eyes will be swelled shut without intervention.]

... wha... ow....

[He cringes, clearly in a great deal of pain. He might have a mild concussion, and his nose is pretty banged up if not broken.]

[chaoscontrol]

[as Erhard starts to stir, Shadow sits up]

Doctor. How are you feeling?

[cryosurgeon]

My face is throbbing. I was running, and I blacked out....

[Suddenly he's trying to sit up, panicked.]

No, I have to tell the others! Watanuki, I saw him... he's... ngh....

[He groans and clutches his head as pain shoots through his skull.]

[chaoscontrol]

Woah, hold on, Doctor. Whatever it is, it can wait. You took a nasty spill and you need to take it easy.

[Though... Watanuki? Shadow looks over to the still sleeping witch.

He blips out of existence and returns a few second later with an ice pack, a glass of water, and some aspirin]

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard hasn't moved in those few instants, though he looks absolutely haunted.]

Shadow... it's Friday, isn't it? Who is it? Who's dead?

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow lowers his head]

... Two were taken last night. Akira and Ryuuji. Mr. Holmes is already out there collecting evidence.

[cryosurgeon]

[Two. Two died.

And one of them is Akira.

Erhard's shoulders tremble and his fingers curl into the arms of the chair. With his head down, it might be difficult to see, but there's wetness gathering on his lashes.]

[chaoscontrol]

[It hurts him to see them like this, and not able to do anything except offer cold comfort. He hands Erhard a box of tissues from nearby]

I'm sorry.

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard looks up, and despite the devastation (both physical and emotional) in his eyes, he doesn't seem to understand why Shadow is offering him tissues. Indeed, a tear runs down his cheek, and he makes no move to wipe it away.]

I was going to teach him. He asked me to teach him medicine.

[chaoscontrol]

[Here. Shadow will just. Do that for him, then]

.... I don't know what to say, Doctor. There's... still a chance Watanuki may be able to make him his Furniture, and he'll be ok. I admit I don't know how it works.

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard shudders and shakes his head.]

I don't know if we can trust him anymore. Not after what I saw.

[chaoscontrol]

.... What? [Shadow suddenly seems serious] What... exactly, did you see?

[cryosurgeon]

I don't know if it was a premonition or a warning of something that's already happened. I'm not the best person for this kind of thing.

[Erhard shifts the ice pack over his swelling cheekbones, wincing.]

There was a flame in my room, floating like a ghost. It led me to Watanuki, who was sleeping on the couch, and disappeared into him. When I touched him, I... I saw him swallow some of Nirrti's black flames, and it changed him. Not physically, but I think it twisted his mind, or maybe even his soul. That was not the smile of a benevolent witch.

[He knows there's more to it, but he's struggling to think clearly past his shock and grief.]