WEEK THREE - Investigation

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ONLINE CAPTAIN'S LOG: WEEK (3)

friday (?) survivors Friday, and the paranoia that comes with it, inches up your spine like a scorpion searching for prey. The circles around your eyes are as black as space itself, and it's difficult to remember how much sleep you have gotten in the last 72 hours. No alarm comes today. Perhaps you are unsure if that is a blessing or a curse. You feel too wary to leave your room, but you know you will have to eventually. You can only stay here for 12 hours. But you become conscious of your vulnerability, more aware of your blindspots. It becomes difficult to move, paralyzing, taxing on your mind to interact with the physical world — you would rather retreat into your thoughts. Tentatively, you leave your safe haven. taken list profiles setting rulebook ENTER COMMAND_

Comments

[tacklefordwhimsy]

[Ah. It's Jessie. It'd usually be nice to see her, but not when there's paranoia in the air and she is tearing down the wall Shelley had made to defend herself]

Getting myself a safe place! I can stay here for as long as I want, and no one can get in.

[...indeed, she looks like she has been here for a while]

Stop ruining my shelter!

[thanatosincarnate]

{ Guess who was on his way to the gym and heard the commotion? Him, that's who. It's drawing his presence into here. }

... What is going on in here?

[brooches]

[ Miss Shelley, can you chill? The commotion has definitely gotten the attention of another person. This time - Elizabeth!

She's going to kind of judge over the entire thing, tbh. ]

That's my question.

[ In regards to Arumat. ]

[toprotecttheworld]

When did this place get so popular? I came here to be alone, not to be bothered by the likes of Scarface and Twerpette.

[And also Hello to Elizabeth, but Jessie will move further into the room, towards the other cells. They can deal with Shelley or come with her.]

[tacklefordwhimsy]

I was here first, Jessie.

[Okay, it doesn't seem like she has a weapon to kill her, but Arumat and Elizabeth arrived too. Shelley will just...regard them with distrust.

She is so going to be embarrassed about all this once the paranoia is gone]

Nothing is happening here! It's just me. I thought no one would ever come here.

[al2955]

[ Upon entering the holding cells, you might notice tiny flecks of dirt strewn around the entrance. It gradually fades deeper into the room. Nothing too noticeable.

The lights flicker in and out in the holding cells, and they're dark enough to where you may have to squint to really make out shapes in front of you, but the dirt can be followed all the way to the last cell. ]

[thanatosincarnate]

I see you're complaining and giving insolent nicknames as always, woman.

{ As an aside to the fuschia-haired woman, of course. He'll just casually walk in a bit more himself, probably following as well, although his intention is probably to go towards the sentry area ish or around there (hence the last cell) to make sure he can watch.

So that no one can cause trouble, maybe. }

[brooches]

Don't speak to her that way! And Miss Shelley - just... just stay put for a moment!

[ Suspicious look? Super suspicious look. Elizabeth was ready to say some other Choice Words but instead, she feels the scrape of dirt against her foot? It runs harshly like gravel and instead, she follows. ]

Wait, everyone hold on a second...

[ Glancing nervously between Arumat, Jessie and ... oh god. What happens when she continues inward towards the darkness...? ]

Is anyone else here?

[al2955]

[ It's hard to see. Likely you'll be staring between the meshed metal for a few seconds before you can really make anything out. But after a minute of your eyes adjusting to the enveloping darkness, it's pretty clear someone is in there.

Only it's hard to tell who it is, considering they're lying on the cold hard ground (oh, oh, trouble trouble trouble). Their back is facing the wall, as if sleeping. It's difficult to tell if they're breathing — as if the rest of the stray mannequin leg's body had been found and reassembled in this cell. ]

[toprotecttheworld]

[oh goddammit didn't i tell you jessie didn't want to find a body

She slams the cell door open, the metal bars rattling as she turns to look at Elizabeth and Arumat. This is going to get very, very bad, isn't it?]

You! Scarface! Run and find the nearest medical nerd or science nerd you can find! And Elizabeth! Let Shelley out of her cell immediately!

[Both of you are now James so shut up and do what she says as she moves into the room. Please don't let this be the body, she has found way too many of those for a murdergame so far. But she's going to be approaching to see what she has here...]

[tacklefordwhimsy]

[As if Shelley is going to step out willingly. She still has the key to her cell, clutching it.

The sentry station should allow you to open her cell, Elizabeth! Maybe you could try to convince her to get out peacefully]

Don't get in here, Elizabeth! I-I warn you! If you do I will...I will scream!

[Nevermind, it's hopeless for the moment]

[thanatosincarnate]

Only if she drops the idiotic nickname...

{ He trails off, because he doesn't, well. He didn't figure anyone was there, and-- }

I don't bend to the orders of anyone on this ship.

{ He steps into the cell with Jessie-- he'll run and probably grab someone after. Maybe. Honestly, he knows first aid. }

[al2955]

[ They'll have to get awfully close to make out who it is. The most striking thing is probably the regality of the clothing they're wearing — or perhaps the forest green of their hair.

In other words, it's pretty obvious that Machias Regnitz is here sleeping. Sleeping? He doesn't seem to be moving at all. ]

[toprotecttheworld]

Arumat P. Thanatos! Between you, myself, and Elizabeth, we're facing a body and there's been no body announcement! Now unless you think Elizabeth can outrun you, go now! I've been to nursing school, but this might be bad!

[Well, she ran away from nursing school. Praying that there's something she can do, she's going to run over to the body. Stupid, stupid nerd. Stupid nerd! STUPID NERD! She needs to check Machias' eyes first, doesn't she? And lift his neck if it'll help him breathe easier, nursing is hard. Oh, checking his pulse is probably a good thing to do, too.]

[thanatosincarnate]

{ When he spots it is Machias, there is a pregnant pause.

and just like that

he snaps. }

You have no authority over me. What makes you think you're more qualified to handle this situation than I am?

{ He's pissed. He doesn't care if Jessie went to nursing school -- if Machias was dead, he wanted to be here where he could help now. After that, he comes closer, if anything, to see if there was anything off in the immediate area around Machias in the cell -- the floor, the walls, or anything.

It looks like Jessie's already got a good handle on Machias' body, so there's not much he can do there. But if need be, he'll even try to revive Machias himself if the boy isn't breathing. }

[toprotecttheworld]

Wha?! What makes you think you're more qualified than I am?!

[So it's a battle of who's more qualified. Sure, they should REALLY get a doctor and complete the duo, but instead it's like there's tow Jessies and no James and that's not how Team Rocket works at all.

Time to just wait on some vital results, then.]

Come on, nerd! You better not die! I've found enough bodies this week, I'm not finding a third!

[al2955]

[ Jessie will notice a very faint pulse beating from his neck. When she lifts his chin, she may notice some light glistening on his chin — some sort of liquid dripping from his mouth. The pupils of his eyes are tiny.

There isn't a lot to see in the cell — Arumat might notice that Machias has some sort of bottle under his hand, though. ]

[thanatosincarnate]

Naturally due to the nature of my profession.

{ He carefully takes the bottle from Machias' hand-- he'll examine the bottle for a label, etc, and try to find out how much has been used by moving the bottle a bit in his hand. }

... What's the verdict?

[toprotecttheworld]

I didn't know "wild animal" was a profession.

[But she breathes a sigh of relief. Pokémon nursing school doesn't exactly teach you how to recognize signs of drug overdose, but with the liquid running down his mouth and the way his pupils aren't right, it's still pretty obvious. Arumat might need to confirm it was painkillers, but Jessie can confirm one point.]

He was drugged. But...he's alive, at least for now. Nerd twerp, if you don't pull through, I'm going to kill you myself!

[tacklefordwhimsy]

[OH GOD JESSIE IS ABOUT TO GO INTO A RAMPAGE Shelley heard that and is trying to melt into the shadows of her cell]

[al2955]

[ The bottle is nondescript and empty, but there are signs of condensation on the inside, as if liquid once was in it. ]

[thanatosincarnate]

That's because it isn't. You surround yourself around a wild animal all the time and you don't know this?

{ He's relieved (enough to be petty in his bickering)-- and yet that only lasts for a short time. Then, the male would move into action now. }

Move.

{ He'll move in regardless or do whatever is needed to move Jessie out of the way (which he'd rather avoid doing harshly because that could jostle Machias). Once given enough space, the Eldarian would ensure Machias was in the proper recovery position (like Jessie was to prevent choking) before he got to work.

He'll carefully insert his index and middle fingers into his mouth -- he'll have moved them along the tongue to the back of Machias' mouth and then press downwards with his finger tips to induce vomiting.

He'll be trying his best, if only because he knows they'll have to act now. }

[breakshot]

[ It might take Arumat a few moments of pressing down before he finds the right spot; Machias is completely still and unresponsive. His frames are missing too. If he and Jessie are observant, they may catch something out of place the front jacket pockets of his normally very neat and properly worn uniform.

Before long, he'll start to stir. Actually, he might stir a bit suddenly, choking and hacking until--

Well. Until the vomit arrives. Have fun with that, Arumat, Jessie. It looks like he's finally starting to breathe a little, although it's still shallow. Faint, even. ]

[toprotecttheworld]

Just because I'm moving doesn't mean I take orders from you. I was going to do it anyways.

[And it makes sense. She's never learned how to make Pokémon vomit, it's all about setting bandages and applying medicine, really basic things more akin to what a mother might know just from experience.

She's not going to do anything until he's done vomiting on himself, but she'll peel his jacket out of the way so at least it remains undisturbed.]

He's breathing. Thank goodness. We still need to have him see a doctor.

[But since Arumat is right there, maybe he should check the jacket? Jessie takes out her datapad and tries to turn on a flashlight mode. If there isn't one, she'll just use the start screen. Is there anything out of place around the bed?]

[brooches]

[ Okay, so not that I'm back with a full belly of steak or seasonal supply of Bath & Body Works or anything... but Elizabeth was totally productive. Let's pretend this didn't take four hours for her to do, but she's relieved to hear that vomiting sound, a clear indication that Machias was breathing and alive.

But. Shelley. Elizabeth can't deal with you right now. ]

I think it's best we get everyone out of here. Now. The last thing we need is to overlook something in our franticness. I'll get Miss Shelley -

[ And around the sentry station she goes, slamming her palm down onto the button to release all of the cells without effort. The resounding click, click, click as the doors open/unlock. Even if they're all being driven batshit, Shelley has to see how comforting Elizabeth's look is among "freeing her".

And while she's here, she'll just go ahead and see if there's anything concerning. ]