AS ABOVE (game thread)

20XX-03-13 07:52:51 | Bound sin ORION departs to retrieve items of interest from the morgue.

Fact: SEER does not record the absence of events. Only the events themselves. If an event is not recorded, it is not known to have happened.
Fact: ORION has not returned.
Fact: Exorcist XY077 has the opportunity to psychically take 2 stress for ORION, or else allow ORION to take the stress and be dispelled for the scene. He does not know the reason for this stress. He cannot see through ORION's eyes unless he uses Hunter Spirit. He only knows that ORION has been attacked.

The receptionist is mid-call when Bonham moves up, and his brow knits when he lucks up. "The doors? They're not... um, one second, sir. I don't know if evacuation is necessary." He chuckles a little. "Apparently the activated alarm was coded to this room, but..." He looks up. "The sprinklers haven't gone off, and there's no smoke, or anything. If I had to hazard a guess, it's a false alarm."

He gets up and begins moving out from behind the counter. "Sorry, just one second, I have to go check if any of the alarms are pulled. God, I hope the system's not screwed up. Don't worry about the doors, if there's not an actual fire I can get them open in a bit. Fire department will have to show up, but hopefully it's just a formality."

"That's great." Bonham remarks, the same thin smile on their face. "I can tell this place is in good hands." Couldn't hurt to ingratiate themselves a bit more.

As the receptionist bustles around trying to lift the lockdown and open the shutters, Bonham keeps him in line of sight, not out of suspicion towards him in particular but caution as to whether anything or anyone suspicious will act in the vicinity of the person currently interfacing with the security systems.

Suddenly, Erasmus lurched off of his seat, expression curled in a silent snarl as one hand gripped Salem's wrist painfully tightly. He uttered a single discordant syllable in a guttural voice of agony or rage, it was difficult to tell. "F̸̩͈̤͙͈̘̝̈́̏̏̆͌̄̅̈́̓͘͝͠͠͝ͅĭ̵̯̉͒̉a̵̛͚̣̤̩͉̻̞̹͎̻͔̳̔̏̅̄̀̃͋̈́͊͘͘͜͝c̶͈̙̣̤̜̼͋h̷̤͎͍̜̮͖͉̼͒͗̈́͑̒̓͊̀̆́̾̔̚ͅͅ."

He suddenly looked at Salem, expression urgent and composed, but twisted still in anger.
"Warn the others. Orion's being hunted." He didn't appear to think he had to say more. Very few things could see a Sin. Fewer things could deign to take the initiative to hunt it.

Salem startles for a moment at the sudden vice around his arm. He frowns. "Didn't think we'd poke the hornets nest this soon. I'll warn the others. If you need to pull back, meet us at the lobby."

He takes a couple steps before loping into a brisk jog, heading towards the front of the hospital.

Having found some of the police officers, Chloe studies them for a moment.
Not being around the conversation between Bonham and the receptionist about fire protocol, the officers seem quite calm around the fire alarm. Even though one of them is plugging his ears...

C091 had said the police was investigating the attack. So there must be clues on the psychiactric ward. Chloe"s spectral form does make sure to overhear the police and quickly check each room on this floor for clues, before returning to her body.

Her body is pulling hard on her spectral form...

THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG HERE, CHURCH GIRL. DON'T YOU TASTE IT? RATTLING ALONG YOUR TEETH? DON'T YOU HEAR IT ON YOUR OWN BREATH? DON'T YOU SEE IT, WRIGGLING UNDER YOUR SKIN? HA! OF COURSE NOT. BUT YOU WILL.

YOU LOOK, THAT'S FOR SURE. YOU LOOK AND LOOK AND LOOK TOO DEEP. THROUGH ROOM AFTER ROOM OF PATIENTS, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. THEY ALL HAVE THEIR REASONS FOR BEING HERE. TOO FEW OF THEM HAVE GOOD REASONS. THE MAJORITY, IT'S BECAUSE THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM DIDN'T WANT THEM. DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM. WERE UNSETTLED BY THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE DIFFERENT. OR "TROUBLED." BECAUSE THEY'D RATHER LOCK THEM UP WITH PEOPLE WHO GROW RICH OFF OF THEIR SO-CALLED TREATMENT THAN ADDRESS THE ORIGIN OF THEIR DISCONTENT.

HA. I GROW FAT AND HAPPY OFF OF THE MISERY YOU PEOPLE INFLICT ON EACH OTHER.

YOU LOOK AND LOOK AND LOOK, AND THEN YOU COME ACROSS ONE ROOM. YOU DON'T SEE INSIDE. YOU DON'T ENDURE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE. YOU ENTER THIS ROOM AND FEEL THE PSYCHIC TRAUMA RIP THROUGH YOU. THE MISERY. OH, GOD, HOW COULD YOU? YOU FUCKING MONSTER. YOU PIECE OF SHIT. YOU FEEL IT TEARING OUT FROM INSIDE OF YOUR BELLY. WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? YOU'RE SICK. YOU CAN'T BE HERE. YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. NEVER COME BACK. PLUNGE YOURSELF INTO MISERY AND DROWN. DO EVERYONE A FAVOR.

YOUR GHOST IS TORN TO PIECES AND YOU ARE SHUNTED BACK INTO YOUR BODY. TAKE 1 STRESS. YOU DESERVE IT. ALSO, ADD A HOOK: THE GUILT. WHEN THAT HOOK REACHES THREE, YOU'LL PANIC AND RUN AWAY FROM THE SITUATION LIKE THE COWARD YOU ARE.

YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE? YOU ALSO GAIN THE AFFLICTION: DESPAIR. YOU PERMANENTLY GAIN THE AGENDA ITEM PUSH PEOPLE AWAY, AND YOU MUST TELL ME: WHO IN THIS GROUP WILL LET YOU DOWN? WHENEVER THEY FAIL AN ACTION ROLL, YOU TAKE 1 NONLETHAL STRESS. IF IT TRIGGERS, YOU'LL GET 1 XP AT THE END OF THE INVESTIGATION. A CONSOLATION PRIZE.

👁 Research indicates that the situation has changed. The following track is hypothesized to best set the mood. Enjoy. It is mandatory.

👁 Addendum: Mission records updated. Mission flow matrix, tension tracker, recorded clues, and vital information card updated with newfound information.

Chloe finds herself a startle back in the bathroom.
As if waking up from a very bad nightmare. This has never happened to her before. She was quite used to leaving her body, but never before had someone actually seen her like that.

She recovered for a moment. A few breaths. And then stood up. Had to compose herself. She had to...
Right then... third flood... psychiatric ward... two police officers... one ogre...

She had to look for the others. The receptionist was probably still her best bet. So she'd headed there.

Hopefully someone was still there... and hopefully not her teamy with the man-eating-dog....