4th ☆

[adropofjupiter]

[Phone]

[Marisa's not exactly sounding like herself today. In fact, she sounds a little freaked out though her voice is quiet.]

Um... What, uh... What happens when... ah. What happens when drones, um.... die?


[1125 Taylor (action)]

[Anyone passing by 1125 Taylor might notice the front door is half open and there sun reflects off of something thick and red dripping slowly down it.

[OOC WARNING: Marisa is now suffering the Postman's Curse for breaking into the post office. Any characters coming to 1125 Taylor may be subjected to bodily injury should they have physical contact with Marisa. PM me for more details if needed.]

Comments

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

[Try not to stain your shoes, maid.

The body is indeed dead and, from the looks of it, probably the house's 'mother'. A moment later and that sense of wrong becomes clear - the body is missing it's right arm, twisted off from the looks of the stump.

A quick look around shows the missing limb laying at the edge of the pool of the blood back by the door. it was half-behind the door itself, explaining why it was missed.]

[perfectandelegant]

[She's not staining her heels, not in the slightest.

It's a good thing that Sakuya's past has made her used to bloody scenes, so she isn't going to cause a fuss. She narrows her eyes, noting the missing right arm. That's enough to cause the blood loss, particularly if an artery was severed in the process.

She gets to her feet a moment later, catching sight of that missing arm. Part of her wants to dispose of the body as discreetly as possible, but not until she knows why the drone is lying there in a pool of her own blood. As much as they unnerve her, and as much as she has little sympathy from them, she's worried about the culprit and whether they'll switch targets from drones to people.]

Hello? Who's here? I'm not with the police; I'm just - a friend.

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

[There's silence and then a faint, faint whimper is heard and the slight rattle of a lamp... Over to the left.

When Sakuya looks that way, she'll notice some blood drips in that direction and someone huddled under a small table against the wall.]

[perfectandelegant]

[It's the rattle that catches Sakuya's attention first, rather than the lamp. She follows the noise, noting the trail of blood leading to it.

She kneels again once she gets close enough to see that tiny figure.]

Marisa? What happened?

[Her voice is soft, quiet.]

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

[Her clothes are stained with blood, her face showing drops of it as if hse'd been caught in the spray. In fact, a bit dripped from the brim of her hat as she sat hugging herself just staring forward with a horrified expression.

After a moment, she registers the face she's seeing and swallows.]

I don't know.

[perfectandelegant]

Just stay here for now. I'll take her outside, and then we'll get you cleaned up.

[With that, she moves, off to get trash bags and at the very least get the body out of here. This, she can do quickly and - somehow - without getting very much blood on her dress.

She comes back a few minutes later, mop in hand, and takes care of what's on the floor, including where Marisa got sick. One last wash of her hands, and she's kneeling in front of Marisa again.]

Tell me what you remember.

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

...I was leaving. She wanted me to do something... school reading. laundry. Something/

[She furrows her brow, looking distracted for a moment, before continuing.]

I said no and left. She grabbed my shoulder and I shoved her hand off me. And then... there was blood. Everywhere. On me... she was screaming.

[Getting way too pale again.]

H-her arm...

[perfectandelegant]

[Sakuya listens, nodding at the first part. She doesn't go pale or anything at the details, but she's taking all of them in.]

I see. That's not your way or your kind of magic. I'm sure of that. And that means it isn't your fault, Marisa. Let me get you some water, okay?

[She stands, getting the witch a glass of water, and comes back a moment later.]

We still need to figure out why it happened. Has anything else unusual happened over the past few days? Strange deliveries to the house, anyone acting different than usual, anything at all?

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

I have other magic...

[She doesn't take the water, just stares at it.]

But it's healing magic.

[perfectandelegant]

[That gets a raised eyebrow. So far as the maid knew, the witch didn't have healing magic in her usual repertoire.]

...and how did you come by this magic?

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

It was in a letter I got...

[perfectandelegant]

Was the letter delivered here and addressed to you?

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head.] There wasn't a name on it.

[perfectandelegant]

But was it delivered here, or did you acquire it some other way?

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

No... I got it with some other stuff while investigating. Me and Rita... I got my hat back.

[perfectandelegant]

...where were you investigating?

[There's a sinking feeling in the pit of Sakuya's stomach. She has a feeling she knows, but she's hoping she's wrong.]

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

[She shrinks down some. She knows she wasn't supposed to go to it - Alice had told her not to - but they hadn't done any exchanges or made any agreements...]

Post office.

[perfectandelegant]

[Just what Sakuya had been afraid of.]

...tell me that you didn't know beforehand what that place does normally.

[Not bloody likely. She sighs, extending a hand to the witch.]

You need to go back over there and give back that magic.

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

I knew not to make deals! I didn't make any and rita said no.

...I just looked around inside. Had a good plan. Was invisible.

[She takes Sakuya's hand and pulls herself out from under the table. Welcome to some nasty abdominal pains, maid.]

[perfectandelegant]

[The moment Marisa's out from under the table, Sakuya doubles over in pain. She drops the glass of water she'd still been holding, and it shatters against the floor.]

...you...what?

[If she wasn't too busy feeling like she'd been stabbed in the gut, she'd be chewing you out, witch.]

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

S-Sakuya? Are you... okay?

[perfectandelegant]

[No, she's not okay; she's fallen to her knees, one hand wrapped across her belly. She'd normally be able to bear it enough to say what's wrong, but right now is not one of those times.]

...no. Feels like - like someone stabbed me...

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

[Marisa is now on her knees looking for blood.]

You're not bleeding...

[So she raises her hand, it glows a bright yellow, and a powerful healing spell settles over the maid.]

[perfectandelegant]

[That's better. Much better. She's able to get to her feet again a moment later.]

...I'm surprised I wasn't. I don't -- wait.

...you went into the post office and came out with things. That...probably means they still want payment from you. Of some sort. Could've cursed you...

[adropofjupiter.livejournal.com]

...I'm not giving him anything. The man is creepy.