RECORDING 7: THE THIRD WEEK.

[foundationmods]

A third week in this place begins, with less of your number among you. The final week completely covered by everyone's rations, though with proper meting out, you'll be able to make it stretch until after week 4. It seems as if everyone will have to go without a few meals here and there..

To make things worse, when you wake up - it's clear the Miasma has gotten thicker. Everyone, save those still protected either by their powers or items they brought with them, is now even more deeply affected by the curse. Arguments will be flaring up more, along with negative thoughts and feelings...and even more worrying Is that any magic that touches the house itself will corrode over time. If a barrier is put in place and touches the floor, walls, or ceiling, in half a day it will be completely consumed by the miasma and fizzle out. Spells or seals will also corrode, and even personal healing abilities have been halved.

The Temperature has dropped, just a bit - down to the mid to low 60's. Strange, isn't it? As before,the rooms have changed, so hopefully you kept anything essential in the static area.

25 of your number still remain.

...What new horrors await you this week?


WARNING: Some investigations of new areas will contain traps that may be harmful or even lethal.
MIASMA LEVEL: 2
Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday
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Comments

[accessorytomurder]

[She only has a split second to act. Sh doesn't have time to think—she sees the face, the hooks, sees what she's dreaded since the piano.

She sees somebody in trouble, somebody about to be hurt in front of her and she's moving before she knows what she's going to do, slapping down hard on Battler's wrist to send the cup to the floor. The candle drops, the light goes out, she shoves him hard, to the floor—she hears a worrying thunk on his way down, but she'll take him bumped over brutalized, any day—

And a tarp straight out of any shed flutters down over him, protecting Battler from those hooks.

Her voice screams out in the dark.]

Rosa—!

[golden_dream]

[Welp, she's got a role to play, and she's not so cowardly she can't open a door!

She shoves it open, then clears out enough to give them a passage out... or at least tries to.]

[foundationmods]

[MARY ATTACK ROLL: 10
CALLY ROLL: 2 (NEAR-CRITFAIL)

The Candle drops and goes out, There's a loud thunk as Yachi shoves Battler out of the way - and through all of this, Mary goes silent, completely confused by her prey suddenly vanishing due to a tarp of all things.

Yet, the final step to to desummon Mary was not taken - the dark is still her domain, and Rosa opening the door and standing, however briefly in the darkness, IS A PERFECT TARGET...!

SUCCEED TO SURVIVE AGAINST ATTACK: 10 OR HIGHER
CALLY ROLL: 5

One of those whiplike hands lash out -

and Rosa might feel a pain in her throat, as blood begins to drip onto the front of her chest.

Her blood.

Mary has just slit her throat.

And with the toll paid, Mary cackles and vanishes back into the mirror...]

[golden_dream]

[There's a slight tingle of pain.

A gross feeling of wetness.

A heavy stain on her clothes...

And then her strength disappears and she starts to fall forward, hands around her neck.]

Aaackucghkublughgghghhhh... ghh...

[accessorytomurder]

Oh God, oh God—Battler, keep your eyes shut!

[The tarp is gone and Hitoka is left, scrambling forth on hands and knees to the door, tearing her shirt off over her head as she skids to Rosa, bunching up the cloth and moving it to staunch the blood flow.

She screams again, louder, desperate, left in her camisole and shaking like a leaf, applying pressure—]

WE NEED A HEALER!! NOW!

[oxidegreen]

[DID SOMEBODY CALL FOR- oh shit.

She immediately dashes to Rosa's side - she doesn't have the range from before, but--]

Heal!

[Desperation creeps into her voice, and if it doesn't look like it's enough, she casts it again, and again...]

[golden_dream]

[Rosa's throat, which had been bleeding profusely and CONSTANTLY, with each pump of her heart... slowly stops.

But there's that big gash in the front of her throat. That's too big to have a band-aid slapped on it and then walked off. It's red, and oozing and right along her neck]

[finalring]

[ and romani is going to be there as well, medical equipment on hand as he tries to ligate those veins that still remain open. despite the awful day he has had, he keeps himself composed, working steadily as he works to close the wound with his equipment. ]

Dammit... what did you guys do?

[accessorytomurder]

Bl...Bloody... [God, she's not explaining this again.] A m-mirror ghost! Knife... hands. I-I shoved Battler out of her way, an-and Rosa...

[She sucks in a hitching breath.]

R-Rosa go-got the door open. She saved us.

[golden_dream]

[What nice words from Yachi...

Rosa might remember it but more than that she's staring, eyes in glassy but in aware horror as she sees Romani hovering over her, what he's bringing to her throat...

Then, the pain of it entering her skin...]

[oxidegreen]

Where is Mr. Battler?!

[Her voice is raised for once as she looks over at Yachi.]

[accessorytomurder]

B-By the tub. He—there wasn't room, and she was coming straight for him—he couldn't see her—he-he hit his head again, on the way down...

[She stands on unsteady legs, leaving her bloody shirt behind on the floor, to hit the lights and get a better look at poor battler.]

[boardreversal]

[Well, he's....breathing. But there's a splash of blood on the tub rim, and on the floor under his head.

Looks like the hit knocked him out and tore open a minor gash on his scalp.]

[finalring]

Are you kidding me!?

[ yes, romani actually sounds frustrated at yachi, looking up from treating rosa to a point where she isn’t exactly bleeding to death. with the veins ligated, he’ll be stitching up the gash. ]

Marona, I know it’s too much to ask, but please heal Battler if you can.

[accessorytomurder]

I had a split second to think!

[She rakes a hand through her bangs, leaning shakily against the wall.]

I could—I could've stayed over him, for... for half an hour, but that's it. I—I don't know how to b-banish things like th-that...!

[oxidegreen]

...I only have one healing spell left.

[So they know. But she does get up and move to Battler, gathering up the last of her power to cast one last mega heal - reduced to merely a heal.

She's done for today.]

[boardreversal]

[You honestly could have just left it alone, he'd be fine.

After the heal is done - he groans, eyes fluttering open.]

...Huh....what...? What - happened - w-why am I...in a bathroom...? Agh, my head...

[golden_dream]

Ggh...

[Her lips twitch, eyes watching Romani's expression... it's more apparent than the words being said, with the sound of her heart beating in her ears.

She doesn't know what's happening but she knows it's bad. The pain in her throat that intensifies with every breath...]

[finalring]

You’re still—?! [ damn it. he thought the bloodloss would be enough to knock her out, but it seems that he doesn’t have that luxury.

instead, he’ll reach for his second to last sedative, injecting it into rosa’s arm.

he looks up to where marona’s doing her heal, his gaze focused. ]

If you can, please take him away to his room, Marona. I’ll...deal with Rosa. [ and then yachi. ] What will you do, Yachi?

[accessorytomurder]

I-I'm going to check the room over. See if anything ch-changed... snake the pipes... tape up that mirror.

[She rakes her hand through her hair, making a mental list.

She's still shaking, faintly.]

[oxidegreen]

[She says nothing in reply, simply picking up Battler bridal style and carrying him off to his room.]

[golden_dream]

[The shot finally does it. Even then she's still terrified... didn't sleep mean death? She trembles with fear of her own mortality and then...

out.]

[boardreversal]

[Carried by her again....

Though as he's carried, he sees Rosa on the floor, Romani working on her, and the blood -]

...Aunt....Rosa....

[Maybe it's because of the concussion, but he doesn't cry.

Or maybe it's just because it's a scene he's seen countless times - her lying on the floor, covered in blood.

He's helpless, anyway. Helpless...and ultimately -

'This....is my fault......isn't it...?']

[finalring]

[ he nods as marona carries battler away, a pained look as his eyes connect with the redhead.

still, he swallows it down to look at yachi. ]

Tape the mirror, sure. But you cannot investigate this alone! Look at what happened!

[ he sounds frustrated. and that’s because he IS frustrated. if marona hadn’t been there then there’s no doubt that she— ] We can’t lose anyone else, Yachi. Not now.

[accessorytomurder]

I'm—

[She checks to make sure Battler is gone, then pushes off the wall, beginning to look around the bathroom from the threshold, a momentary concession to the doctor's worries.]

I can't be hurt when I'm not human. I—my first idea was to do this with... with me in there sort of a-alone as something Rosa-san could yank out quick, but she... she suggested we bring in Battler, so nothing would h-happen.

[She scrubs a hand over her face and inhales once, deep and sharp, before expelling the breath and continuing to study the room.]

I-I thought... by asking other p-people to help, we'd be safer, but I just—but I'm the only one who...!

[...no.

No, focus, Hitoka.

Has anything in the bathroom changed?]