FOURTH INVESTIGATION

[bathymetric]

It's certainly been another interesting week here at the bottom of the ocean. You met what may or may not have been a ghost, you made some discoveries, but mostly you all kept yourselves busy against the crushing... well, pressure of your situation. The motive again seems to have hit a few of you, and it might not be too hard at all to think that this week isn't going to be any different than the last. But you've all been keeping yourselves busy against the looming Friday, and, well...

It's time to see if that paid off, or if what they say about idle hands is true, I suppose.

Comments

cw gore

[bathymetric]

[ It's hard to tell exactly - the sharks apparently went to town, here - but between the strands of brown hair and the bloodied white coat, you can make a reasonable guess as to who this collection of organs and bones used to be. Though you probably didn't want to see her kidneys.

Ema Skye is (you're like 95% sure) dead. ]

[archboxer]

[Rhea hears movement in the aquarium... so time to check and:]

Oh.

[Oh Goddess, poor Ema.]

cw emeto mention

[emberserker]

Oh, now what.

Get the others. Warn them first, this is vile and the last thing I want is to see someone upchuck on top of all this.

[reallyhatesharks]

[Guess who came in here to get some peace before everything went to shit!!! Wow, that's just how it be, huh?]

Anna, I can handle this if you want.

[emberserker]

We're all handling this. Without Ema, we can't leave the bodies to one person.

[reallyhatesharks]

Just this once, I think I'm actually more qualified than her.

[emberserker]

Hmph. Very well, let's see what you can drag up.

[philoxenia]

[ Oh.

She suddenly very much wishes she were back in bed. ]

... Ema?

[emberserker]

It's her. Someone's serious about getting out of here.

[archboxer]

[She's going to just. Gently take Mira's arm.]

Let us find the others.

[philoxenia]

I need to--

[ take pictures, she tries to say, but she's shaking too hard. Probably a good idea to get her out of here, Rhea... ]

[archboxer]

Not this time.

[Sorry, no. You're not taking pictures this time, Mira, Rhea is veto-ing it. She's going to just shuffle her out.]

[philoxenia]

[ She's too shell-shocked to really resist, so.... dragon mom, you win this one! ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Well! She found Ema!

Della sees enough to get an understanding, as the announcement kicks in. And then she immediately turns right back around. ]

[lovelikeyou]

Della...?

[Rose, having heard the announcement, is heading up here with her lion now!]

slight emetophobia

[nothingcanstop]

It's-- [ She's lucky she hasn't eaten yet and just kind of...dry heaves. ] The shark tank. Ema.

[lovelikeyou]

The sharks...?

[well, you know, rose isn't incapable of drawing conclusions.]

Come on. Let's...let's go somewhere else.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Della shakes her head. ]

I... I need to do something. I need to help.

[lovelikeyou]

...okay. I'll stay here with you.

[She can do that much.]

[bogwife]

[Zerinda can hear the clamor of people from all the way down the hallway and she books it toward the aquarium, all but throwing herself into the room to see what could have happened this time. Almost on habit she's already taking off her cloak and metaphorically rolling up her sleeves, eyes keen and scanning to find Ema in the cluster of people- until she finds her]

...No. No no no no no-

[bolderfell]

Zerinda.

[Therion, making his own rush towards the aquarium after that announcement, grabs her by the arm. It's worth noting his color's not too great.]

Just. Don't. If you can't... then don't.

[bogwife]

[She feels him grab her arm but it doesn't fully register for her for a few more seconds when she turns to look at him, her face bordering on grey and tears already rolling down her cheeks.]

I-I have to. Ema is always the one to do it and I always helped her. She needs my help, Therion, her and Shelley. They- she- [She can't finish her sentence before her voice cracks and she has to lean against him to keep from falling over, letting out a soft, broken sob.]

[bolderfell]

[Um. He stiffens at first--too close, she's too close--and he doesn't at all know what to do with the crying. He doesn't--he's not a comforting figure. He's barely even a reliable physical support, though he's strong enough to hold her weight.

Slowly, though. Hesitantly, he lifts his hands and puts them on her back. He doesn't say anything, because he doesn't know what to say.

But he's strong enough to hold her, for a little while.]

[bogwife]

[If she were feeling more coherent she would be thanking from. For stopping her from rushing in and likely ruining evidence, for letting her press her face into his shoulder to block out everything else happening, just for being her friend right now. But words aren't coming and all she can do is cry for Ema and Shelley until the shock finally wanes.

She pulls away enough to wipe her eyes, inhaling shakily before she finds her voice.]

Sorry. I- thank you.

[bolderfell]

[He steps back and nods, not yet trusting his own voice, eyes averted so she can pull herself back together without a witness to her vulnerability.

It's what he'd want in her position.]

I... she showed me how to use her tools. If she had them with her, I'll need to...

[Will Zerinda be all right, if he goes?]