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Who: Relevant persons
Where: A second-floor apartment in Central Corehaven, Cepheus
When: King's Year 197, late spring
What: ~~Spam~~ Fushigi mysteries

* for what may be the first time in almost two years, the Core's Head Engineer hasn't reported in for duty in the last two days. *

* what do. *

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* silence. *

* wait, there's the very slight sound of someone moving around inside. *

Who's there?

[o-oh good]

It's Ceres!

* pause. *

...told Johanes to tell admin I was taking time off.

[there's a pause]

[and these sounds are oddly similar to the sound of a lock being tampered with . . .]

How much time?

At least a few--

* there's an abrupt thump and clatter inside *

What are you doing?

I'm coming in to check on you.

[OH GOSH THE LOCK JUST CLICKED. THE KNOB IS TURNING!!!]

--go away!!

* thumpthumpthumpthump-- a door inside SLAMS *

[. . . what. GOIN' IN, closing the door behind her]

I'm not going until you tell me what's wrong!

* the narrow straight hallway is dark, and an absolute mess. What sparse furnishings you remember have been completely thrown around or knocked over-- a small table with one leg snapped, a broken lamp in one corner, tools and torn sheets of newsprint scattered about... there's a large damp patch on the carpeting leading from the open bathroom door. The door to the second bedroom-- the one Red uses when he's in town-- is closed, but there are deep, long gouges in the wood, possibly from the screwdriver embedded in the wall next to the doorframe. The ceiling lamp bulb is shattered, bits of glass littering the floor below it. *

* at the end of the hall, the door to Chrys's room is also closed. *

...go away, go away, go away...

[what . . . j-just stares for a good minute or two, thoroughly stunned at the look of the place]

[RUSHING TO CHRYS'S DOOR although she's not pounding on it this time]

Chrys? Chrys, i-it's only me! It's alright now. I just want to help you!

...help?

* there's a quiet, shaky laugh, and a mechanical click. *

Y-yeah. Right. Don't think... don't think I'm not on to you bastards. You can... you think I don't know Ceres's voice?

[By the Gods how long did they have you]

I am Ceres! I—a-after Red was burned I'd visit him all the time! But since we couldn't play all I could do was read and sing to him for a while.

* silence. *

Open the door. Slowly.

[does so! the door might have jerked very slightly when she started to push it open, but she checks herself and swings it open slowly after that]

* it's almost as dark as the hallway in here, with the blinds drawn down the windows. But you can make out the books and papers and diagrams strewn on the floor, some ripped to shreds, spare parts and components and a half-completed contraption swept entirely off his worktable to one side. The sheets have been roughly pulled off the bunk bed. The air smells of old sweat, like it hasn't been aired for a while. *

* his figure is crouched with back to the wall opposite, knees drawn up almost to his chin, clad only in a pair of loose slacks. The gun he's holding out in his trembling hands is pointed right at your face as he stares wide-eyed at you through the dark. *

[She only barely glances around the room before focusing on Chrys, lifting her hands to show they're empty.]

Ch-Chrys . . . It's only me, see? It's okay.

* the gun stays where it is. *

Duck.

[d-ducks?! And looks behind herself]

* click-BANG *

* there's a new smoking hole in the ceiling down the hall, but nothing but air in between. *

* --and the gun clatters to the floor between his feet as he curls up further and wraps his arms round himself. *

There. There, I got him, clean shot, you saw that, didn't you? Didn't you?

[Even expecting it she can't help flinching at the sudden noise, hands flying to her ears]

[. . . w-wait what.]

[She looks from the newly made hole to him, any assumptions she's made already flying right out the window]

Got who?

The priest. The priest, light damn his eyes forever--

* ---shudders and jerks his head up. *

You didn't.

You didn't see?

There . . . there wasn't any priest.