WDMDA: Episode 2, DWHAMOH (IC/OPEN)

[Charlia]

Marietta continued walking, as Sam and Shilo seemed to have ended their argument for the time being. However, she stared at the ground, feeling weighted down by the pressure of suspicion.

That was a mistake on her part.

It was this action that allowed her to see the blood on the ground. A trail of blood that stopped shortly in front of them.

She then made another mistake.

She looked up, following the trail until she saw it.

Another body. Another indistinguishable mass of blood and flesh...

Her mouth fell open, and a scream tore from her throat. She ran, ran to the body, standing stock-still and staring at it with wide eyes.

It was the right height, she thought. Although it was hard to tell with the absolute mess the killer had made of it.

She stayed completely still even as she saw a few strands of very distinctly red hair.

It was only when she saw that, as always, the killer had left the identification of the victim behind that she began to shake with fear.

She reached towards the final piece of evidence, the final nail in a bloody coffin.

And with trembling hands, she read the words that confirmed whose body this was.

Charlotte Noble.

She dropped the identification, her hands shaking even more.

"...No," she whispered in a low tone. "No, this isn't real. This can't be happening."

She pinched herself, but it hurt. It hurt so much.

She blinked as if it would make the body go away, but it didn't.

She stared at it for what felt like years, tears beginning to stream from her eyes as she finally crumpled, her head falling onto the body as if she was seeking comfort from it, heedless of the blood that stained it.

Stained her.

At first, Sam remained stone-cold, as he saw they were moving toward a stream of blood. It was fresh. The irony smell filled the air, the closer they got to the body. Then they found it. Dr. Noble's body. Or what remained of it. As he stared down at the body, his eyes widened slightly, and he frowned, as he realized it may have been his fault she had died. Had he not wasted so much time trying to find Mari and Shilo, he could have saved her.

Nevertheless, as he stared with guilt at the mangled remains, he remembered that they still had to continue the investigation. "Marietta, you must move off the body so we can look for evidence of who committed the murder," he told her, calmly. He wished he could have comforted her in some way, but no kind words came to him. The gun twitched in the back of his pocket, and he was now on the look-out for the murderer. After all, he-or she-could not be far.

Marietta tearfully nodded, and backed away from the corpse, her face, hair, and dress now stained with blood. She didn't even seem to care.

"Why?" she sobbed. "Why would anyone do this to her? She only wanted to help people! She was a good person! Yeah... she was a little harsh sometimes... but she never... she never did anything to deserve this..."

She slumped to the ground, choking on her own tears. "It's horrible..." she whispered. "How could anyone make her suffer like this?"

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Silence. Silence as Shilo looked. Was it possible? It was, but it also wasn't. Why was he felling so pissed? What was this feeling? Had he felt it before? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. He didn't know. All he knew was he was feeling it now. His fists closed tightly and he looked down.

"Are you happy now?" Shilo said, "Isn't this proof that Mari is innocent.... Are you happy? Though, what proof is there that it is her.... red hair, there has to be plenty of people with red hair... a normal height, that's normal... and a piece of identification, those can be faked..." He punched a wall, "DAMN IT!"

His cigarette fell to the ground. He looked at it, before he stepped on it and didn't bother looking at anyone.

[Charlia]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Silence. Silence as Shilo looked. Was it possible? It was, but it also wasn't. Why was he felling so pissed? What was this feeling? Had he felt it before? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. He didn't know. All he knew was he was feeling it now. His fists closed tightly and he looked down.

"Are you happy now?" Shilo said, "Isn't this proof that Mari is innocent.... Are you happy? Though, what proof is there that it is her.... red hair, there has to be plenty of people with red hair... a normal height, that's normal... and a piece of identification, those can be faked..." He punched a wall, "DAMN IT!"

His cigarette fell to the ground. He looked at it, before he stepped on it and didn't bother looking at anyone.

Marietta latched on to Shilo, not knowing what else to do, burying her face in his shirt in order to avoid seeing the bloody mess that lay in the alley.

"What're we going to do now?" she mumbled, her voice muffled. "What'll we do without her? I guess... I mean... I knew that people were dying but I never thought it would happen to her... What are we going to do?!"

[Luminesa]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Silence. Silence as Shilo looked. Was it possible? It was, but it also wasn't. Why was he felling so pissed? What was this feeling? Had he felt it before? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. He didn't know. All he knew was he was feeling it now. His fists closed tightly and he looked down.

"Are you happy now?" Shilo said, "Isn't this proof that Mari is innocent.... Are you happy? Though, what proof is there that it is her.... red hair, there has to be plenty of people with red hair... a normal height, that's normal... and a piece of identification, those can be faked..." He punched a wall, "DAMN IT!"

His cigarette fell to the ground. He looked at it, before he stepped on it and didn't bother looking at anyone.

Marietta latched on to Shilo, not knowing what else to do, burying her face in his shirt in order to avoid seeing the bloody mess that lay in the alley.

"What're we going to do now?" she mumbled, her voice muffled. "What'll we do without her? I guess... I mean... I knew that people were dying but I never thought it would happen to her... What are we going to do?!"

"Nobody here is immortal. All of us will disappear into Heaven at some point, whether by bloody murder or by breaking down that insurmountable wall...She is away from the darkness, somewhere where she belongs," Sam answered, softly. He then crouched down and began to examine the body. His only thought now, as he saw Dr. Noble's gruesome remains, was how the very last time she had spoken to him, she had chastised him for going after Mari. Her words echoed more now than anything Amber had warned him against.

...The dead do tell tales...they tell the tales of what sorts of sorrows they left behind...and I am one of them... he thought.

[Charlia]

Marietta latched on to Shilo, not knowing what else to do, burying her face in his shirt in order to avoid seeing the bloody mess that lay in the alley.

"What're we going to do now?" she mumbled, her voice muffled. "What'll we do without her? I guess... I mean... I knew that people were dying but I never thought it would happen to her... What are we going to do?!"

"Nobody here is immortal. All of us will disappear into Heaven at some point, whether by bloody murder or by breaking down that insurmountable wall...She is away from the darkness, somewhere where she belongs," Sam answered, softly. He then crouched down and began to examine the body. His only thought now, as he saw Dr. Noble's gruesome remains, was how the very last time she had spoken to him, she had chastised him for going after Mari. Her words echoed more now than anything Amber had warned him against.

...The dead do tell tales...they tell the tales of what sorts of sorrows they left behind...and I am one of them... he thought.

There wasn't much evidence left on the body, or what was left of the body anyway. However, hidden in the blood, if Sam looked carefully enough, was another small vial of red liquid.

"She didn't deserve to die like that... Not again..." Marietta whimpered. "I... I hope she's at least happy... wherever she is..." A muffled wail tore from her throat, and she broke down crying again, no longer able to speak coherently.

[Luminesa]

"Nobody here is immortal. All of us will disappear into Heaven at some point, whether by bloody murder or by breaking down that insurmountable wall...She is away from the darkness, somewhere where she belongs," Sam answered, softly. He then crouched down and began to examine the body. His only thought now, as he saw Dr. Noble's gruesome remains, was how the very last time she had spoken to him, she had chastised him for going after Mari. Her words echoed more now than anything Amber had warned him against.

...The dead do tell tales...they tell the tales of what sorts of sorrows they left behind...and I am one of them... he thought.

There wasn't much evidence left on the body, or what was left of the body anyway. However, hidden in the blood, if Sam looked carefully enough, was another small vial of red liquid.

"She didn't deserve to die like that... Not again..." Marietta whimpered. "I... I hope she's at least happy... wherever she is..." A muffled wail tore from her throat, and she broke down crying again, no longer able to speak coherently.

He sighed, as Marietta continued sobbing loudly behind him. Hopefully her sobs would not wake up the entire neighborhood, and make the situation more strenuous than it already was. As he continued searching the body for clues, he saw the vial of red liquid. The evidence was there, but it was covered in blood. He did not want Amber seeing him with his hands covered in Dr. Noble's blood, and automatically presuming he was her murderer. Turning to Shilo-since he was actually coherent at the moment-he asked him calmly, "Give me a handkerchief so I can get this out." He had no time to comfort Marietta, even though something inside of him kept telling him to do so.

[Luminesa]

At first, Sam remained stone-cold, as he saw they were moving toward a stream of blood. It was fresh. The irony smell filled the air, the closer they got to the body. Then they found it. Dr. Noble's body. Or what remained of it. As he stared down at the body, his eyes widened slightly, and he frowned, as he realized it may have been his fault she had died. Had he not wasted so much time trying to find Mari and Shilo, he could have saved her.

Nevertheless, as he stared with guilt at the mangled remains, he remembered that they still had to continue the investigation. "Marietta, you must move off the body so we can look for evidence of who committed the murder," he told her, calmly. He wished he could have comforted her in some way, but no kind words came to him. The gun twitched in the back of his pocket, and he was now on the look-out for the murderer. After all, he-or she-could not be far.

Alexander Penbrook

Alexander Penbrook hadn't asked for much in life, only to live a full life, marry a girl, have a family, and be happy. Unfortunately he didn't get to do that. He died, he didn't know when, or where, all he remembered was the smell of burning flesh and being trapped in a metal box. Before that, things got hazy to the point it made his head hurt worse than when he was filling it with booze. Needless to say, after a night pounding down Stout, he didn't really need to think about that. All he knew is that he had been working the same job, visiting the same pub, waking up with the same headache for 76 years, with today being no different, except for the murder near his shop. He stumbled along the streets and alleyways, doing his best not to catch the eye of any pickpockets or police, but he didn't expect to be staring down a man with what looked to him like a hand cannon. "Now surrrr, I would gladly give you all that I have, had I not splent it on booze already..." He had tried to reason himself out of his perceived situation, but then he caught sight of the body and blood, and his stomach immediately emptied itself of the Stout, beef, and potatoes.

Sam eyed him out the corner of his eye, and then stared from the newcomer to the barf. He grimaced slightly, both from disgust and from irritation. Enough people were making his job difficult behind him, between Mari's loud sobbing and Shilo shouting at him for accusing of the murder of Dr. Noble. Now this person was in danger of contaminating the evidence with his dinner. "Do you mind possibly vomiting elsewhere, next time? Thank you," he answered the man, as he waited for Shilo to hand him a handkerchief.

[New Antonalia]

Alexander Penbrook

Alexander Penbrook hadn't asked for much in life, only to live a full life, marry a girl, have a family, and be happy. Unfortunately he didn't get to do that. He died, he didn't know when, or where, all he remembered was the smell of burning flesh and being trapped in a metal box. Before that, things got hazy to the point it made his head hurt worse than when he was filling it with booze. Needless to say, after a night pounding down Stout, he didn't really need to think about that. All he knew is that he had been working the same job, visiting the same pub, waking up with the same headache for 76 years, with today being no different, except for the murder near his shop. He stumbled along the streets and alleyways, doing his best not to catch the eye of any pickpockets or police, but he didn't expect to be staring down a man with what looked to him like a hand cannon. "Now surrrr, I would gladly give you all that I have, had I not splent it on booze already..." He had tried to reason himself out of his perceived situation, but then he caught sight of the body and blood, and his stomach immediately emptied itself of the Stout, beef, and potatoes.

Sam eyed him out the corner of his eye, and then stared from the newcomer to the barf. He grimaced slightly, both from disgust and from irritation. Enough people were making his job difficult behind him, between Mari's loud sobbing and Shilo shouting at him for accusing of the murder of Dr. Noble. Now this person was in danger of contaminating the evidence with his dinner. "Do you mind possibly vomiting elsewhere, next time? Thank you," he answered the man, as he waited for Shilo to hand him a handkerchief.

"My apologies, but it's not every day you witness the murder admiring his grizzly handy work." Alexander said in retort, doing his best to avoid looking at the body. "Now I hope that you don't do the same to me, in fear that I'll tell the police, because believe me, I know when to forget things, and I know when to keep my mouth shut." Jonathan was nervous, more than nervous, he was terrified but did his best not to show it. "Now if you even think about trying to attack me, I won't go down without a fight."

[Luminesa]

Sam eyed him out the corner of his eye, and then stared from the newcomer to the barf. He grimaced slightly, both from disgust and from irritation. Enough people were making his job difficult behind him, between Mari's loud sobbing and Shilo shouting at him for accusing of the murder of Dr. Noble. Now this person was in danger of contaminating the evidence with his dinner. "Do you mind possibly vomiting elsewhere, next time? Thank you," he answered the man, as he waited for Shilo to hand him a handkerchief.

"My apologies, but it's not every day you witness the murder admiring his grizzly handy work." Alexander said in retort, doing his best to avoid looking at the body. "Now I hope that you don't do the same to me, in fear that I'll tell the police, because believe me, I know when to forget things, and I know when to keep my mouth shut." Jonathan was nervous, more than nervous, he was terrified but did his best not to show it. "Now if you even think about trying to attack me, I won't go down without a fight."

Sam stood up straight and glared coolly at Alexander. His patience was on its fringes, and he still had to notify Amber and Daisy of Dr. Noble's murder. Now he was being accused of murder. "...Excuse me, what exactly are you saying? That I murdered Dr. Noble? Did you perhaps have more alcohol than is necessary tonight? After all, judging from what you so graciously almost vomited onto the body, it seems you've had quite a bit of something alcoholic tonight," he replied, coldly. He put a hand on his hip, looking nonchalant when in reality he was ready to pull out his gun on the drunk idiot in front of him. "All the more reason you should perhaps be at home and away from a crime scene. Should you try to fight me, I won't hesitate to lay you out on the concrete next to your dinner," he added.

[New Antonalia]

"My apologies, but it's not every day you witness the murder admiring his grizzly handy work." Alexander said in retort, doing his best to avoid looking at the body. "Now I hope that you don't do the same to me, in fear that I'll tell the police, because believe me, I know when to forget things, and I know when to keep my mouth shut." Jonathan was nervous, more than nervous, he was terrified but did his best not to show it. "Now if you even think about trying to attack me, I won't go down without a fight."

Sam stood up straight and glared coolly at Alexander. His patience was on its fringes, and he still had to notify Amber and Daisy of Dr. Noble's murder. Now he was being accused of murder. "...Excuse me, what exactly are you saying? That I murdered Dr. Noble? Did you perhaps have more alcohol than is necessary tonight? After all, judging from what you so graciously almost vomited onto the body, it seems you've had quite a bit of something alcoholic tonight," he replied, coldly. He put a hand on his hip, looking nonchalant when in reality he was ready to pull out his gun on the drunk idiot in front of him. "All the more reason you should perhaps be at home and away from a crime scene. Should you try to fight me, I won't hesitate to lay you out on the concrete next to your dinner," he added.

"I know what you are implying, you are accusing me of being drunk, is that it? Listen here, I may be a little bit tipsy, you pompous asshole, but I have never, and will never get drunk." Alexander said, tapping on Sam's chest in emphasis. "And I'll be damned if I have some psycho threaten me after he just committed a murder." Alexander was in full fight mode, and he knew how to lay a person out on their ass, he didn't know how he knew, he just knew that he knew how to.

[Luminesa]

Sam stood up straight and glared coolly at Alexander. His patience was on its fringes, and he still had to notify Amber and Daisy of Dr. Noble's murder. Now he was being accused of murder. "...Excuse me, what exactly are you saying? That I murdered Dr. Noble? Did you perhaps have more alcohol than is necessary tonight? After all, judging from what you so graciously almost vomited onto the body, it seems you've had quite a bit of something alcoholic tonight," he replied, coldly. He put a hand on his hip, looking nonchalant when in reality he was ready to pull out his gun on the drunk idiot in front of him. "All the more reason you should perhaps be at home and away from a crime scene. Should you try to fight me, I won't hesitate to lay you out on the concrete next to your dinner," he added.

"I know what you are implying, you are accusing me of being drunk, is that it? Listen here, I may be a little bit tipsy, you pompous asshole, but I have never, and will never get drunk." Alexander said, tapping on Sam's chest in emphasis. "And I'll be damned if I have some psycho threaten me after he just committed a murder." Alexander was in full fight mode, and he knew how to lay a person out on their ass, he didn't know how he knew, he just knew that he knew how to.

"Rather hard to believe, considering how you're behaving. But I digress. If I had been the one to commit the murder, don't you think Miss Marietta and her friend behind me would have tackled me to the ground and informed the police by now?" he answered, a slight growl sounding in his voice as he spoke to Alexander. He then turned away and muttered, "Ignorant fool. You certainly have enough alcohol in your system, if you think a drunk brawl next to a woman's bloody remains is going to help the situation. Now you can hand me a handkerchief? There is a vial of liquid inside of Dr. Noble's remains, and I would rather not have to stain my hands trying to remove it."

[Kwadai]

Arman Khachatryan

Arman remained perfectly still while he took in every part of the story being told by Jess. He couldn't help but feel emotional as well, listening to her talk about Amelia and how she did indeed work elsewhere. Arman never knew the girl particularly well, but he still saw her almost everyday, so nevertheless, she was an acquaintance.

He looked on sympathetically as Jess became unable to continue through her now heavy sobbing. In the pause between Jess stopping talking and Tiffany resuming the explanation, Arman began to process the information until he came to a realisation. "The thing is though, she was found dead inside the restaurant...which makes this all the more worrying. She might have been followed, or-", Arman broke off understanding how sensitive a time this was for the young women and how what he was going to say may sound alarming. "-or the murderer could have been waiting for her? Leading to the questions of how that would be a possibility.. I don't know maybe I'm overthinking all of this. I'm so sorry".

Britney shrugged, and went back to studying the countertop. Jessica, looking alarmed, opened her mouth but found herself unable to speak past a sudden choking fit. Unaware of her roommates, Tiffany spoke.

"Why would anyone follow her? She had no money, but neither did she owe anyone any. It doesn't make sense!"

Most in the room seemed to agree with the sentiment. As Tiffany returned to mumbling into her knees, Britney shrugged and met Arman's eyes, the first to do so since he and his friend had entered. "She's right," she began. "We - we all loved her. There were no, no enemies or jealous lovers, or..." Unable to express the rest of her thought, the brunette merely shrugged again, looking even more despondent than before.

"She was a nice person!" Out of nowhere, Jessica sprang into the conversation, animated by a sudden passion. "There was absolutely no reason! None at all!" She leaned forwards as she spoke, adamant that all would understand her. "Why would this happen? Why her?"

It was as if her sudden outburst had fanned a fire previously dimmed to embers. Britney sat back, shocked, while Tiffany glanced up for a moment. "It had to have been chance," the Chinese girl muttered. "I hate to say it, but she would have made an easy...not to mention tempting target." As the others stared at her in shock and confusion, she, taken aback, elaborated with a more impassioned defense. "We have to help somehow! Don't - don't look at me like that! Walking so far every day without an kind of visible escort, obviously poor...the question here is when, not why."

The three girls glanced at each other, then the visitors as they came to the obvious conclusion.

"This is Purgatory. Our schedules never change," whispered Britney, overwhelmed by the epiphany.

"He would have to see her regularly to learn her routine that thoroughly," explained Tiffany.

"So he's...nearby?" A fresh round of tears slowly welled and dripped down Jessica's horror-stricken face.

Arman Khachatryan

"If it were a he", Arman murmured almost silently asbit his lip again, cringing for being so blunt about what he had said moments earlier. "I'm sorry, but it just seems too strange, too evil to assume that the perpetrator did it out of nowhere. They would have to have been truly disturbed or warped..and it's not a big place, whoever did it is likely very close", he began rapidly trying to come up with more suggestions or thoughts as to what was behind the murder.

"Wait, you said she was always in a hurry. Do you think maybe she wasn't telling you something? Or maybe she didn't want to worry you?", Arman inquired, more gently this time.

An uncomfortable shiver came over him as he went silent for a few moments to process everything they already knew entirely oblivious to the events unfolding in another area of the city. "Unless it was just chance, maybe they were waiting in the restaurant for somebody else and Amelia stumbled upon the killer by mistake? But how would that explain...", Arman said, trailing off referring to the brutal way in which the waitress lost her life.

[New Antonalia]

"I know what you are implying, you are accusing me of being drunk, is that it? Listen here, I may be a little bit tipsy, you pompous asshole, but I have never, and will never get drunk." Alexander said, tapping on Sam's chest in emphasis. "And I'll be damned if I have some psycho threaten me after he just committed a murder." Alexander was in full fight mode, and he knew how to lay a person out on their ass, he didn't know how he knew, he just knew that he knew how to.

"Rather hard to believe, considering how you're behaving. But I digress. If I had been the one to commit the murder, don't you think Miss Marietta and her friend behind me would have tackled me to the ground and informed the police by now?" he answered, a slight growl sounding in his voice as he spoke to Alexander. He then turned away and muttered, "Ignorant fool. You certainly have enough alcohol in your system, if you think a drunk brawl next to a woman's bloody remains is going to help the situation. Now you can hand me a handkerchief? There is a vial of liquid inside of Dr. Noble's remains, and I would rather not have to stain my hands trying to remove it."

"You do have a point." Alexander said, trying to act a little more rational than he had been, before shoving Sam aside and rummaging through through the dead woman's pockets. "You really must be a right pansy you know." He said before pulling a small vile from her pocket and placing it in Sam's hands. "I take it this is what you're looking for, now mind you, you said that you were investigating this woman's death, so I think assisting you is the proper thing to do, but keep in mind, if you did kill her, I'll kill you and turn your corpse into grease to use on the gears of clocks."

[Luminesa]

"Rather hard to believe, considering how you're behaving. But I digress. If I had been the one to commit the murder, don't you think Miss Marietta and her friend behind me would have tackled me to the ground and informed the police by now?" he answered, a slight growl sounding in his voice as he spoke to Alexander. He then turned away and muttered, "Ignorant fool. You certainly have enough alcohol in your system, if you think a drunk brawl next to a woman's bloody remains is going to help the situation. Now you can hand me a handkerchief? There is a vial of liquid inside of Dr. Noble's remains, and I would rather not have to stain my hands trying to remove it."

"You do have a point." Alexander said, trying to act a little more rational than he had been, before shoving Sam aside and rummaging through through the dead woman's pockets. "You really must be a right pansy you know." He said before pulling a small vile from her pocket and placing it in Sam's hands. "I take it this is what you're looking for, now mind you, you said that you were investigating this woman's death, so I think assisting you is the proper thing to do, but keep in mind, if you did kill her, I'll kill you and turn your corpse into grease to use on the gears of clocks."

"I simply do not want to be seen with blood on my hands and thus be mistaken for the murderer. Besides, touching another person's blood is quite unsanitary. Then again, a brute such as yourself would hardly care for such a thing, would you?" Sam answered. He tore a piece of his sleeve off his shirt, and then he took the vial from Alexander's hand. "Besides, you would have to drain me first, to use my dead body for anything, and all of my blood is cold and black. Hardly think it would be any use for anything. You would be better-off merely tossing me in the nearest ditch. It would be quite fitting if I was only remembered for clogging the sewage system and making everyone sick," he muttered, only partially-joking. He wore no smile on his face, as he examined the vial, and his words came out flat and chilled. There was no doubting he had a very dark sense of humor, but he usually did not show this around people he knew. Alexander was a stranger, and thus he did not care.

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Shilo looked down to Mari. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "If she is dead. Deaths can be faked. If she is dead though, she deserves happiness." He then looked at Sam with a not very pleased look. Then stuff happened and someone started accusing him of being a murderer. He sighed.

"How about you both shut up?" Shilo said, "You, guy with the gun. I don't have a handkerchief and I have no intention of giving you one if I had one. And you, Mr Pukes. Stop before you give me a reason to punch your face in, same goes for you gun guy. None of us did this, so stop pointing fingers."

[Luminesa]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Shilo looked down to Mari. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "If she is dead. Deaths can be faked. If she is dead though, she deserves happiness." He then looked at Sam with a not very pleased look. Then stuff happened and someone started accusing him of being a murderer. He sighed.

"How about you both shut up?" Shilo said, "You, guy with the gun. I don't have a handkerchief and I have no intention of giving you one if I had one. And you, Mr Pukes. Stop before you give me a reason to punch your face in, same goes for you gun guy. None of us did this, so stop pointing fingers."

"I merely wanted one for sanitary reasons. Now, if you want to do something mature, perhaps you should go find Amber and Daisy and make sure they are alright? I can stay here with Miss Marietta. I am sure you are balking at this idea, but I promise I will not hurt her. As for Alexander, feel free to ignore him. Or not, it depends on your tolerance for stupidity," Sam answered calmly. Shilo was obviously thinking more with his mouth than with his brain, so he did not feel like he was worth wasting time around. Besides, Amber did have to be warned about the death, and someone had to make sure Marietta did not run away again.

[Charlia]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Shilo looked down to Mari. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "If she is dead. Deaths can be faked. If she is dead though, she deserves happiness." He then looked at Sam with a not very pleased look. Then stuff happened and someone started accusing him of being a murderer. He sighed.

"How about you both shut up?" Shilo said, "You, guy with the gun. I don't have a handkerchief and I have no intention of giving you one if I had one. And you, Mr Pukes. Stop before you give me a reason to punch your face in, same goes for you gun guy. None of us did this, so stop pointing fingers."

Marietta's eyes widened. "...Faked?" she asked in a very small voice. "You mean... she might not actually be dead? She could still be alive?" She sounded hopeful, but then her voice fell.

"...But... why would the murderer kill everyone except her? Why leave her alive? And why fake her death? It doesn't make sense..."

[Luminesa]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
You've got to be kidding.

---

Shilo looked down to Mari. He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "If she is dead. Deaths can be faked. If she is dead though, she deserves happiness." He then looked at Sam with a not very pleased look. Then stuff happened and someone started accusing him of being a murderer. He sighed.

"How about you both shut up?" Shilo said, "You, guy with the gun. I don't have a handkerchief and I have no intention of giving you one if I had one. And you, Mr Pukes. Stop before you give me a reason to punch your face in, same goes for you gun guy. None of us did this, so stop pointing fingers."

Marietta's eyes widened. "...Faked?" she asked in a very small voice. "You mean... she might not actually be dead? She could still be alive?" She sounded hopeful, but then her voice fell.

"...But... why would the murderer kill everyone except her? Why leave her alive? And why fake her death? It doesn't make sense..."

Sam sighed, frustrated. "Dr. Noble is dead. There is no way the human body can survive this much blood loss, not to mention that this is far too much of a mess for a person to commit to themselves. 'High pain tolerance' is not an excuse. Her body is a scrambled mess. Doctor or not, she would not be able to do this to herself and live in any way. Now, if we are done with that wishful thinking, we need to find the authorities. Shilo, will you stay with Marietta or will you go find Amber?" he questioned bluntly, his voice a little sharper.

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
Near a Godforsaken Body

---

Shilo looked at Mari and then to Sam, "You're right. There is no human that can survive a large amount of blood." Shilo said, "But, you don't need to lose blood to have your death faked. If the murderer didn't kill her, then he or she killed a person who was similar to the doc. And considering this mess, they didn't have to necessarily look like her." He then paused, "And I never said that she faked it. The doc wouldn't fake her death. It's not wishful thinking. If she is still alive, then she may be better off dead. Animals will always be animals. I will be staying with Mari."

Besides, his lot can be blamed for this.

[Charlia]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
Near a Godforsaken Body

---

Shilo looked at Mari and then to Sam, "You're right. There is no human that can survive a large amount of blood." Shilo said, "But, you don't need to lose blood to have your death faked. If the murderer didn't kill her, then he or she killed a person who was similar to the doc. And considering this mess, they didn't have to necessarily look like her." He then paused, "And I never said that she faked it. The doc wouldn't fake her death. It's not wishful thinking. If she is still alive, then she may be better off dead. Animals will always be animals. I will be staying with Mari."

Besides, his lot can be blamed for this.

"...I... I don't understand..." Marietta mumbled. "If... she's alive, then that's good, right?" Her eyes glimmered with hope, although their orange hue seemed tinted blue by her tears. "If she's still alive then that means they're not going to kill her, right? Otherwise I don't see why... they'd feel the need to fake her death... Why would it be a bad thing for her to still be alive?"

[Luminesa]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
Near a Godforsaken Body

---

Shilo looked at Mari and then to Sam, "You're right. There is no human that can survive a large amount of blood." Shilo said, "But, you don't need to lose blood to have your death faked. If the murderer didn't kill her, then he or she killed a person who was similar to the doc. And considering this mess, they didn't have to necessarily look like her." He then paused, "And I never said that she faked it. The doc wouldn't fake her death. It's not wishful thinking. If she is still alive, then she may be better off dead. Animals will always be animals. I will be staying with Mari."

Besides, his lot can be blamed for this.

He glared at him for a moment, and then he sighed. "Very well. Stay here with the body, and do not let Marietta run away. Alexander, you may stay if you wish, just don't vomit on the body again," he mumbled. With that, he walked away into the cold, lonely night, in order to look for Amber and Daisy. He had no idea where they had gone, so he would have to trace his steps back to where they last met, and then take a guess as to where they had disappeared. This did not bother him. He needed to find Amber anyway, and to make sure that Daisy was alright as well.

Walking alone in the night, he suddenly felt light and cold. The murderer could be anywhere. He or she could pop-out at any moment and attack him. He had his gun, but where would he aim it? Did he even have enough bullets left to defend himself? Whoever had killed Dr. Noble and the other victims had probably used a knife of some sort, in order to hack-up their bodies, so shooting down the murderer would not be an issue, but would he be able to shoot him before he himself was shot? As all of these questions played through Sam's mind, however, an idea popped through his mind.

...What if it really was faked?...The name-tag...

His eyes widened, and he suddenly froze in the thick darkness of the night. What if Dr. Noble was still alive somewhere? The name-tag...anybody could remove a name-tag and simply place it on another person's body, to throw their pursuers off the murderer's trail. The same could go for the red hair that they had found on the ground next to her body. They had cut-up the body too much for anyone to ID it, so it would be easy to make-up a story, to rearrange the puzzle with the bloody pieces. As Sam thought about this, his heart sped-up, and he felt truly anxious for the first time that night.

If Dr. Noble was indeed still alive...

What if Dr. Noble is being held somewhere right now, and the murderer is preparing to kill her? How could I be so coarse as to not consider this?! How foolish of me...how absolutely foolish of me...Ah, but I have no time to consider my shame. I must find Amber, and quickly.

With this, he suddenly burst into a run, rushing and disappearing from under streetlights. The only sound in the night was the sound of his feet pounding against the pavement, and of his fast, shallow breaths as he hurried to find the officer and Daisy. He had to find them, before it was too late, before Dr. Noble died because of his foolish pride.

[New Antonalia]

"You do have a point." Alexander said, trying to act a little more rational than he had been, before shoving Sam aside and rummaging through through the dead woman's pockets. "You really must be a right pansy you know." He said before pulling a small vile from her pocket and placing it in Sam's hands. "I take it this is what you're looking for, now mind you, you said that you were investigating this woman's death, so I think assisting you is the proper thing to do, but keep in mind, if you did kill her, I'll kill you and turn your corpse into grease to use on the gears of clocks."

"I simply do not want to be seen with blood on my hands and thus be mistaken for the murderer. Besides, touching another person's blood is quite unsanitary. Then again, a brute such as yourself would hardly care for such a thing, would you?" Sam answered. He tore a piece of his sleeve off his shirt, and then he took the vial from Alexander's hand. "Besides, you would have to drain me first, to use my dead body for anything, and all of my blood is cold and black. Hardly think it would be any use for anything. You would be better-off merely tossing me in the nearest ditch. It would be quite fitting if I was only remembered for clogging the sewage system and making everyone sick," he muttered, only partially-joking. He wore no smile on his face, as he examined the vial, and his words came out flat and chilled. There was no doubting he had a very dark sense of humor, but he usually did not show this around people he knew. Alexander was a stranger, and thus he did not care.

"Nah, I'm a watchmaker by trade so I need to keep healthy to do my job" Alexander replied, wiping the blood on his slacks. "What about you, doctor, surgeon, mortician? Or are they just a hobby and rummaging through bodies and being a neat freak your real profession?" He looked at the way Sam tore his shirt just to take the vial from him, and scoffed at it. "Grow some balls, you fucking pansy." He thought. "And lighten up a little bit."

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
Near a Godforsaken Body

---

Shilo nodded and waited for Sam and Alexander to leave. He sighed and leaned against a wall before he slid down so he was sitting. He looked at Mari, and motioned for her to sit next to him.

"Didn't you hear me? Animals will be animals." Shilo said and lit a cigarette, "I don't want to ruin any sort of godforsaken innocence you have left. But... you should know that there are things in life worse than death. I lived through such things... the doc had lived through such things. She told me. But that's beside the point. The point... the point is that the killer is an animal. I wouldn't be surprised if he or she was keeping the doc alive for...." He paused, "Entertainment."

He looked away, "It makes me sick. It would be better for her godforsaken soul to be able to find peace...." He chuckled, "It's funny. I want to believe she's dead. She would have peace... And I'd get to smoke as much as I want... But I can't believe she's dead. There is to much unreliability with this." He pointed to the body, "So I can't believe she's dead. Instead, I have to think she's alive... which is worse. Hopefully the gun guy comes back.... I want a word with his friends."

---

Aura Kouri
Purgatory

---

Aura must have fainted again at some point, because next thing she knew she was in Violet's carriage with Violet looking at her. She looked down and saw the blood still. She started shaking and looked at Violet.

"W-W-What happened?" She asked, "W-W-Why am I bloodied? I-I don't understand..." She bursted into tears.

[Charlia]

Shilo Weardhyll
Purgatory
Near a Godforsaken Body

---

Shilo nodded and waited for Sam and Alexander to leave. He sighed and leaned against a wall before he slid down so he was sitting. He looked at Mari, and motioned for her to sit next to him.

"Didn't you hear me? Animals will be animals." Shilo said and lit a cigarette, "I don't want to ruin any sort of godforsaken innocence you have left. But... you should know that there are things in life worse than death. I lived through such things... the doc had lived through such things. She told me. But that's beside the point. The point... the point is that the killer is an animal. I wouldn't be surprised if he or she was keeping the doc alive for...." He paused, "Entertainment."

He looked away, "It makes me sick. It would be better for her godforsaken soul to be able to find peace...." He chuckled, "It's funny. I want to believe she's dead. She would have peace... And I'd get to smoke as much as I want... But I can't believe she's dead. There is to much unreliability with this." He pointed to the body, "So I can't believe she's dead. Instead, I have to think she's alive... which is worse. Hopefully the gun guy comes back.... I want a word with his friends."

Marietta's hands flew to her mouth.

"...No... no way..." she whispered through her fingers, her voice breaking. "That's... that's so horrible... She shouldn't have to live like that... She shouldn't have to survive like that... It's awful..."

She practically fell forwards, pounding the bloodstained ground with her fist.

"Why are people so horrible?" she wailed. "Why would anyone take someone like her, someone who did her best every day to help people, and put her through that? Make us think she was dead all so they could have some fun with her? It's not like they even care about her, right? If they cared... then it would be different... But if they just want her for that... if that's the only reason they're keeping her... That's sick!"

A part of her thought of Shilo's face as he said that Charlotte had told him about what she'd lived through, and burned with jealousy. Charlotte never told her about things like that. But the rest of her said that it didn't matter. She had other things to think about right now, like the things Shilo had just told her and the emotions that filled her mind at the very thought of such a thing. For a moment, she was enveloped in burning, near-murderous rage, her mind fueled by anger and despair at Shilo's words.

If they ever met the killer, someone was going to die.

[Castle Crashers]

---

Amber Faust
She who will delve in the dark to let those sleep in comfort

---

Night, Alleyway

---

Daisy frowned, a little shocked that Amber still felt as though she was following her around against her will. She huffed and half-crossed her arms, as one of her hands was occupied while holding Amber's. "No, I won't go! I never said it was too dangerous, I just didn't know if it was a good idea since we don't have everyone with us!" She blinked and was silent for a moment as they stood there, realizing now that it might've really sounded like she was scared. "And...besides, if something unexpected happens, I'm here for you as backup!" She exclaimed, pulling her towards the end of the trail, trying her best to smile even in the tense situation. "Now come on, we have a doctor to find!"

Amber was quite surprised by Daisy's actions, yet seeing amber stop still and show her bright, or stupid, courage. She stopped Amber in her tracks, shut down any idea she was being dragged around. Amber didn't expect a show of huffing and puffing, but at the same time, it also seemed to perfectly encapsulate Daisy: independent and stubborn, cute but very much strong in a non-physical manner; a manner known more as mental fortitude.

The response was so abrupt that Amber couldn't help but laugh in astonishment. At first, it sounded as if Amber was mocking Daisy. For sure, as she continued to laugh, it only made why she was laughing even more confusing. She nearly laughed out any bit of air in her lungs. She then opened her eyes and placed her open hand on Daisy's hair and ruffled it up a little bit.

"Of course," she said softly, "I shouldn't have assumed. I'll surely be able to fight harder knowing you are willing to stand by me. How could I think somebody so adorable and cute would do anything without absolute will to do something. I am sorry." She picked herself up and looked towards the path. She shined the light of the lantern forth and continued down the path, she felt a bit happier now, and less worried, to have Daisy with her. It was a pick-me-up of a shouting, if anything.

She walked on and on down the winding path; the narrower and longer the path became, the more it seemed they were heading somewhere directed. It was an eerie feeling, but Amber ignored the basic instinct to run, knowing this was the closest she would get to finding Doc Noble. Soon, the lantern reflected a glimmer of light distinctly different from the slight glistening trickles of blood sitting on cobble. Amber walked closer and closer until it was possible to see what this object was. It was not Doc Noble, and it was very obviously placed on purpose by the killer. It was a vial filled with a crimson substance that did not have the viscosity of blood, and was slightly transparent.

"Well," she grumbled, "now I know we are definitely being played." She picked up the vial and removed the stopper on the vial and took a very quick sniff to try and figure out what it was: a noxious, disgusting odor that rivaled most smelling salts. It was a powerful, overriding scent. She recognized the smell, or at least some component in the smell, but she would need to have somebody look at it to confirm it.

All she knew, is that she hoped her nose wasn't right in identifying the strange liquid. She also remembered the similar vial left at the crime scene. In theory, they were the same, and it was very likely they were. It seemed not only was the killer playing with them, but he or she wanted them to figure out how they did it, as if some triumph.

"I am hating this killer more and more as we learn more about them," she barked as she placed the stopper back on The Red Vial.

Daisy was, quite honestly, a little confused and disturbed at the sight of the red vial among the bloody trail. What did it mean? What was even in the vial? More blood? A chemical? Daisy was no scientist, or a chemist for that matter, so she wasn't very sure how she would even begin to figure out what it was. Perhaps Amber knew, judging by her reaction after getting a waft of the liquid. Daisy didn't happen to be close enough to smell it herself, so all she could do was go by what she said. "Uh, what's in that vial, you think..?" She asked awkwardly, not sure what else she should say or do in the situation.