#t. [does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies]

[starrook]

"...I was possessed when I died."

You were what? Alcryst cringes as Edward's outburst—this is exactly why he didn't want to bring it up in the first place. But if they are talking about the manner of their deaths, there is no getting around that particular detail. He can't deny Meliboeus' potential part in his death...

Poliades bores their eyes into him. "Um..." Alcryst swallows. “We were chasing this creature that called itself Meliboeus. I was able to catch up with it, but it… took control of my body.” His fist clenches and unclenches, scratching that itching need to remember he's still himself. Alcryst fights to keep his voice steady. "I… couldn’t do anything… I was so weak to the end, all I could do was feel myself die."

Alcryst turns to his teammates. "That's who I was calling for earlier. I was wondering if it died when I did..."

this time, an evident gleam of interest. in fact, they don't seem to pay attention to anything else alcryst says. "you saw meliboeus . . . that's . . . not possible." before anyone can say anything more, they turn on their heel and start walking again, this time at a brisker pace, muttering to themselves. " . . . purpose . . . be here . . . not human . . . "

A lead? Alcryst quickens his pace to follow after them, calling out more information. “It mistook me for its creator, Pasithee. Me, and my allies in the cellars…”

[does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies] // team tau - plague gang

[starrook]

" . . . if you do not, then it should remain that way." he continues on his way out of the room.

"But what is it?" Alcryst insists. Up until now Poe presented herself as a collected, if eccentric, woman. Yet the mention of chaos matter causes her to lose her composure... he does not quite understand it, but if it's important to her, then he'll take up her lead. "Please. We don't know where we are... what happened to us... If this is hell, so be it, but at least tell us."

"find what means you used to arrive at this place and leave. you have no place here, and i am not responsible for your ignorance." he's on his way out.

“That means dying again!” Alcryst raises his voice, growing tired of these riddles, the stony, emotionless mask. “Is that how you came here?”

the sound of footsteps outside stops. and then, after a pause: " . . . come with me."

Alcryst cannot trust those words again after Meliboeus. He does not say anything, instead he chooses to focus on calming himself down after that outburst. Edward seems keen to follow the stranger, so he looks to Poe instead.

[does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies] // team tau - plague gang

[starrook]

though the figure hadn't seemed to respond to alcryst's initial call, as edward walks in and starts talking, they turn around, revealing a distinctly inhuman appearance. looking from edward, to poe and alcryst. their expression doesn't appear to move, and is difficult to read. . . . it takes a good several seconds for them to respond, so at first the answer might be assumed to be ' no '. until finally, after looking between them again: " . . . yes." the voice sounds at once human and artificial, or maybe the better word is altered somehow. either way, its shallow with disuse. " . . . more figments." they turn around again, back to what they were doing.

Figments? Of... imagination?

The figure before them is non-aggressive for now. Alcryst lowers his bow, allowing his mind to be fully perplexed by the stranger's words.

And their appearance. Alcryst would have thought they were wearing a mask of sorts, how little their face moves, but the texture suggests soft skin, not wood or paper. Edward did mention a paper monster earlier...

Alcryst steps forward now, “Where are we? We were with our allies, and then…” he swallows. “Is this the afterlife?”

But there is no response...

[does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies] // team tau - plague gang

[starrook]

Edward and Poe seem eager to follow their new “friend”, though Alcryst remains unconvinced. He would rather be among allies than on his own in a strange place, though, so he supposes he has to follow them too…

When the figure’s back is turned and they’ve left the room, Alcryst lingers behind, stealing peeks at what was left on the desk.

it's scattered in papers, tools, and instruments alcryst doesn't recognize. it seems like whoever this is is a scholar of some kind, or a technician or engineer. there are lines and lines of dense text, meticulous graphs and diagrams he can't even begin to make heads or tails of.  It is not in a language Alcryst recognizes.

Perhaps he could have figured… something out given the time to stare at it long enough, but surely the others will miss him soon. With one last glance at the documents, Alcryst hurries out of the room to catch up. Thankfully he hears enough of the question to contribute.

“We were…” Alcryst pauses, considers how to best word this. “...Afflicted with something that made our magic more erratic. And, well… I also felt… wrong? I’ve never felt so ill in my life…”

...The figure stares at Alcryst intently. He tries not to cringe under such judging eyes, instead meeting their gaze firmly.

only now does the figure seem to realize alcryst had not previously been with them as they watch him rejoin them, gaze lingering on him as he does so. alcryst gets the sense he's being studied. before a second minute flicker of emotion crosses their expression: only a slightly widening of bead-like eyes. " . . . erratic magic? it was . . . an illness?"

[does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies] // team tau - plague gang

[starrook]

Alcryst nods along with the conversation—so they felt the tremors too. Perhaps Poe is right, and they weren't far from each other at all? If only they had been able to escape...

...His jaw tightens at the suggestion that they could have been resurrected. Anything but that, Alcryst almost says. Could they even guarantee that they were even themselves if that were the case? But there is no chance to protest before they hear the sound of dragging furniture, like a chair as it's pushed back. The archer straightens up, alert as he turns his gaze towards the source. A nearby office, with an open door...

Alcryst readies his bow. If it's Meliboeus, he'll be sure not to miss. "We should be careful then," he says, mostly to himself. Don't be too quick on the draw, idiot. Naturally, he is the one that takes point, creeping forward towards the source of a chair squeaking, someone coughing. "...Hello?"

[does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies] // team tau - plague gang

[starrook]

"And a cellar," Alcryst agrees. "Though we never ran into a... book monster. Or really any monsters at all. Besides... one."

He shifts uncomfortably, remembering the helplessness of being trapped within his own body, unable to move, unable to scream. Alcryst looks down at his hand, clenching and unclenching his right fist, trying to take comfort in the control that's been returned to him.

"You mentioned that you were having trouble casting?" He'd welcome a distraction from what had happened. "I had the same problem... ah, at least a similar one. Whenever I tried to cast Torch, it'd... get out of my control." Alcryst looks down at his fist again. Angry red burn wounds have been healed almost instantly, to the point where he could barely tell what was there. He frowns. "I also felt terrible... and it'd just worsen whenever I cast. Like there was something wrong, but I couldn't quite pin it down..."

Alcryst falls silent, pensive. Would they ever find out why he and this girl were affected? Does it matter now that they're dead? He doesn't like that at all.

"Perhaps we should get a sense of where we are." Alcryst braces himself for the pain and explosions that he's come to expect from his torch spells, but thankfully it lights without issue. "Even if we're dead, I don't think sitting around here in wait of something will benefit us…"

He'd also like to find Meliboeus--perhaps the creature died when he did?--but he hasn't the slightest idea where to start. "…Meliboeus?" Alcryst calls hesitantly, because he absolutely does NOT want to get into what happened before he died. As for where to look, he supposes ghosts would be drawn to places where there was once life. At least, as a ghost himself, that's where he would want to be… if they're in a foyer, there has to be a sitting room somewhere. Or perhaps a drawing room or study that the master of the house would spend their time in. Alcryst sets out, trying to listen for the sound of chicken legs, or any sign of life.

...To no avail. Alcryst looks back to his new companions. "...I'm Alcryst, by the way. It's too bad we're only truly introducing ourselves now when we're dead..."

[does a weak peace sign] n..nya... [collapses and dies] // team tau - plague gang