53.1.2: Rotting Skin

Featuring: Elwyn, Kazama

[5:23 PM] mango: Elwyn returned to his room and set the tome down on his desk. "All right...how should I handle you..."

[5:25 PM] AOMCommandPost20: There was a very loud, quick knocking at Elwyn's door. "Elwyn!"

[5:25 PM] mango: "Perhaps I can..." Elwyn looked around and picked up one of his spare clothing and his pillow. "Maybe..." Elwyn began to tie his pillow against his ears.

[5:25 PM] mango: "Oh, Kazama?"

[5:25 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, open the door!"

[5:26 PM] mango: "The door is..." Elwyn fumbled around trying to tie his makeshift earmuffs. "The door's open!"

[5:26 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama quickly bursts in. "I heard--"

[5:26 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "..."

[5:26 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...screaming."

[5:28 PM] mango: "Oh, screaming?" Elwyn finished tying the makeshift earmuffs. "That's just...um...from another room."

[5:28 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Elwyn."

[5:28 PM] mango: "What?"

[5:28 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Why do you have a pillow around your head?"

[5:29 PM] mango: "Because the screaming could happen any second, and I want to do some reading."

[5:29 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...it doesn't seem to be blocking sound."

[5:30 PM] mango: "I'm trying my best here. You try and make some makeshift earmuffs."

[5:30 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I would rather not. Where is the screaming coming from?"

[5:30 PM] mango: "Somewhere around here..."

[5:31 PM] mango: Elwyn sat down and hoped that the screaming wouldn't start. "Now, if you excuse me..." Elwyn flipped open a random page and braced for impact.

[5:31 PM] mango: ...No screaming.

[5:31 PM] mango: Elwyn sighed in relief.

[5:31 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "What're you reading that's so interesting, anyway?" He slowly enters.

[5:32 PM] mango: "It's some tome I got from Sula. I want to learn how to use magic so that I would do my part in the battle too."

[5:32 PM] mango: "I don't want to stay in the sidelines and burden you all..."

[5:34 PM] mango: "I don't understand the words, but I'll probably figure something out." Elwyn flipped the page. "It's got a nice design to it--" Screaming Occurs.

[5:35 PM] mango: Elwyn quickly shut the book.

[5:36 PM] mango: "Like the cover! The cover is awfully nice..."

[5:37 PM] mango: "...If not damaged, but nobody's perfect! Ah ha ha..."

[5:38 PM] Kwakado: The cover is pitch-black, anything on it completely seared off.(edited)

[5:39 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama sighed. "Elwyn, are you sure that's a book of magic?"

[5:39 PM] mango: "Maybe."

[5:39 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "What do you intend to do? Open it to a page that screams at the enemies? Let me see it."

[5:40 PM] mango: Elwyn held the book close. "No! I mean...no. I'm going to reasearch it."

[5:40 PM] mango: "I'm...sure we can benefit from it."

[5:40 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "You can't read it."

[5:40 PM] mango: "I can try!"

[5:41 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Elwyn, I'd like to see if I could translate the book for you."

[5:41 PM] mango: "..."

[5:41 PM] mango: Elwyn pulled Kazama inside and shut the door.

[5:41 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama grunted.

[5:42 PM] mango: "Here." Elwyn handed Kazama the book. "Just...be careful."

[5:43 PM] mango: "I managed to mark some pages that will cause the screaming. So avoid those if you can."

[5:43 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Er... okay." Kazama flipped through to the first page of the book that wasn't marked.

[5:46 PM] mango: Elwyn peeked over Kazama's shoulder. "Can you read it?"

[5:48 PM] AOMCommandPost20: His eyes widened.

[5:48 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Did Sula tell you where he got this book?"

[5:48 PM] mango: "...No..."

[5:48 PM] mango: "Why?"

[5:48 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, this... this book is not from this continent."

[5:49 PM] mango: "That's...amazing! Maybe there's some sort of thing to it that we can use..."

[5:50 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "No, I don't think you understand. We should not be looking through this book."

[5:50 PM] mango: "Oh, come on, Kazama. What's the worst that could happen?"

[5:51 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "It could destroy the ground we stand upon."

[5:52 PM] mango: "I don't see why you're afraid of a screaming book. It's probably just a mechanism by the magic embued in it." Elwyn took the book. "First Sula, then Vivianna, and now you. I don't see what's the fuss." Elwyn flipped through a few more pages.

[5:53 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama huffed. "If a book screams at you, Elwyn, do you not think there's a reason for it?"

[5:53 PM] mango: "That's for me to find out when I figure out what this thing does..."

[5:54 PM] mango: "...Ugh." Elwyn stopped reading and put the book down. "Did I get bitten by a bug or something?"

[5:54 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, there's not a man on this continent who knows what that book does. And from the looks of that cover, it means nothing good." He tilts his head. "Are you alright, dumpling?"

[5:55 PM] mango: He pulled the sleeve of his robe and looked at his arm. "I'm fine, it's probably just a bug bite..." He noticed that nothing was really wrong. Hm...I guess I'm fine.

[5:56 PM] mango: It was then that his skin noticibly began to rot. "...Oh, lords above..."

[5:56 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn!"

[5:57 PM] mango: "Calm down! I can handle this..."

[5:57 PM] mango: "I must have been bitten by something..."

[5:58 PM] mango: He picked up one of his staves. "I can just heal it, no problem." Elwyn began to bring out the powers of his healing staff against his skin. "...It should be alright now."

[5:58 PM] mango: "See?" Elwyn showed Kazama his arm. "Fine."

[5:58 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "A zombie, maybe! Elwyn, this is bad."

[5:58 PM] mango: "It's nothing, Kazama."

[5:58 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "It's rotting skin."

[5:59 PM] mango: "Look, it's fine now though, right? Nothing to worry."

[6:00 PM] mango: Goodness...

[6:00 PM] mango: After another thought, the skin he had healed returned to its rotten state again.

[6:01 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn."

[6:01 PM] mango: "Oh, my..."

[6:02 PM] mango: "I can handle this...I-I..."

[6:02 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, do you have a candle lit?"

[6:02 PM] mango: "Right there...but I don't see why you want to know that..."

[6:02 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama grabs the book, beginning to walk over to the candle.

[6:03 PM] mango: "Kazama!"

[6:03 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "What!? You know it did this!"

[6:03 PM] mango: "We don't know that!"

[6:04 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, the book is screaming and most likely rotting your skin off! There's no doubt other horrors are lying in here!"

[6:05 PM] mango: "But...!"

[6:05 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "But?" He folds his arms.

[6:05 PM] mango: "There has to be something....something I can make use of!"

[6:06 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "What could you possibly make use of here? Giving yourself a disease? Stopping your heart?"

[6:06 PM] mango: "I...I don't know!"

[6:06 PM] mango: "Give me a chance, I know I can do something about this!"

[6:08 PM] AOMCommandPost20: He sighs. "Alright. But only if someone's watching."

[6:08 PM] mango: Elwyn sighed in relief. Thank goodness...

[6:08 PM] mango: More of his skin began to rot as he reached out for the book. "..."

[6:09 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "But if I see this book damage you in any other way before that happens, I'm tearing it apart and burning it. Do we have an understanding?" He hands the book to him.

[6:09 PM] mango: "Everythings going to be fine...!" Elwyn hid his arm.

[6:10 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, heal your damn arm!"

[6:10 PM] mango: "Stop yelling I'm trying not to panic here!"

[6:11 PM] mango: Elwyn started healing his arm again. "Come on...!"

[6:11 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama sighs. "Hopefully this isn't permanent."

[6:12 PM] mango: "Thank goodness..." Elwyn sighed as his arm was fine again, but his relief turned into more worry as the rotting wasn't stopped.

[6:13 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, this isn't going to go away on its own."

[6:13 PM] mango: "I know what I'm doing!" He lied. And when he did, he started to feel pain. "Ugh...!"

[6:14 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Elwyn, take a seat."

[6:14 PM] mango: "Now's not the time, Kazama!"

[6:15 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "The time for what?!"

[6:16 PM] mango: "The time to sit down!""

[6:16 PM] mango: "Look, fine! I don't know what I'm doing and I'm scared out of my mind, OK!?"

[6:18 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "As am I! Just keep healing yourself. Maybe rub some vulnerary on it. ...perhaps cauterizing the area might be the way to go."

[6:19 PM] mango: "Healing it didn't do anything, though!"

[6:19 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "It did temporarily!" Kazama gingerly grabs the candle.

[6:20 PM] mango: "What are you doing?!"

[6:21 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I don't know. Just sit down."

[6:22 PM] mango: Elwyn sat down.

[6:22 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Alright, now quickly heal your wounded arm."

[6:23 PM] mango: "OK, OK...!" Elwyn started healing his arm again.

[6:24 PM] AOMCommandPost20: As soon as the rot healed, Kazama pressed the flaming end of the candle against Elwyn's arm, using his other arm to hold down the man's body. "Don't move!"

[6:24 PM] mango: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

[6:25 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Trying to burn it so it doesn't rot! Just stay calm!"

[6:26 PM] mango: "How can I stay calm if you're going to burn me"!

[6:27 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Just... Don't writhe too much!" He continues to apply the flame.

[6:27 PM] mango: "K-Kazama! Stop!"

[6:28 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Don't worry, I think it's working!"

[6:29 PM] mango: "How can I not worry?! Nngh...!!"

[6:30 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama continues to apply the burn. "Just a little more, so it won't cause anything serious..."

[6:31 PM] mango: "Seriously, stop it!

[6:32 PM] AOMCommandPost20: He slowly backs off, placing the candle back in its resting place. "Did it work?"

[6:33 PM] mango: "What in the world were you thinking?!"

[6:33 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I never dealt with rotting flesh, so I thought cauterizing would work!"

[6:34 PM] mango: "Well it didn't!"

[6:35 PM] mango: "It's still there!"

[6:35 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Well, I don't know what to do, now!"

[6:35 PM] mango: "I don't know either!"

[6:36 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama sighed, grabbing the book. "Maybe it's cursing you."

[6:36 PM] mango: "Wait!"(edited)

[6:37 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "What!? We can at least try!"

[6:38 PM] mango: "I...I...oh, fine! Burn it!"

[6:38 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama opens the book to a random page, then rubs the candle's flame on it. "...do you have any water in here?"

[6:39 PM] mango: "I-I don't know..."

[6:40 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Try and find some before your room burns down." Kazama backs up as the fire spreads through the book.

[6:40 PM] mango: Elwyn stood up before falling back down in pain. "G-Gaah...!"

[6:41 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...I don't think it works like that."

[6:42 PM] mango: "I...I feel like I'm burning up...!"

[6:43 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...oh, gods damn it." Kazama looks around the room for some water.

[6:45 PM] AOMCommandPost20: He dashes into Elwyn's bedroom, grabbing a bucket (assumingly) full of bath water, and returns, dumping it on the book.

[6:47 PM] mango: Elwyn sighed as the burning sensation stopped.

[6:50 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

[6:50 PM] mango: "I'm...I'm fine..."

[6:51 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Do you feel wet at all? Damp?"

[6:51 PM] mango: "Well, no..."

[6:51 PM] mango: "It looks like if we damage the book in anyway, I'll feel the pain..."

[6:52 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Hrrrm..." Kazama chucks the sopping book at the wall as hard as he can.

[6:52 PM] mango: "AAH!"

[6:52 PM] mango: "Kazama!" Elwyn gripped his stomach. "What are you doing?!"

[6:52 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Tch! Sorry! I heard what you said, I just hadn't fully processed it!"

[6:53 PM] mango: "You could've lightly punched it instead of giving me the sensation that you kicked me in the stomach!"

[6:53 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I was making sure that's really what happened! A thousand apologies, Elwyn!"

[6:55 PM] mango: "Just...put the book down!"

[6:55 PM] mango: "I really, really don't know what I'm going to do...!"

[6:55 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "It is down. On the floor."

[6:56 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Just... try and figure out what makes the rotting happen."

[6:56 PM] mango: Elwyn grabbed the book and put it on the table, accidentally slamming it. "Gh..!"

[6:56 PM] mango: "...Everytime I think of something and I don't say it...the rotting happens. I think it happens when I lie too..."

[6:56 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Really? How'd you figure that out?"

[6:57 PM] mango: "..." Elwyn looked away.

[6:57 PM] mango: He removed his sleeve and showed Kazama his arm. "I..."

[6:57 PM] mango: Elwyn shut his eyes. "I've always hated you, Kazama."

[6:58 PM] mango: He clutched at his arm as it started to rot and pain Elwyn.

[6:58 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Oh, my gods!"

[6:59 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...How does it revert?"

[6:59 PM] mango: "I don't know that yet..."

[7:00 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "One would assume that healing and speaking your mind would cause it to stay healed..."

[7:00 PM] mango: "Yeah..."

[7:00 PM] mango: "I'm...really, really scared..."

[7:01 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Just, er... Heal it, I suppose. I'm scared, too."

[7:01 PM] mango: "Healing doesn't work!"

[7:01 PM] mango: "I've already tried and it failed...I don't know what I can do...!"

[7:01 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "It did, temporarily, didn't it?"

[7:02 PM] mango: "Why did I have to take this stupid book!" Elwyn impulsively took the book and threw it at his wall. "Aah!" He gripped his stomach in pain.

[7:02 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Perhaps..." Kazama rubbed his chin.

[7:05 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "If we fully destroy the book, it would either kill you or alleviate the curse."

[7:06 PM] mango: "Can we not try that?"

[7:06 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Only as a last resort, I would say."

[7:07 PM] mango: "I don't want to die..."

[7:08 PM] mango: "I'll...have to accept this sooner or later..."

[7:08 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Yes." Kazama picks up the book. He begins to rub it gently. "We could also find someone with knowledge in the field of curses. Perhaps a fortune-teller would know similar knowledge of the occult."

[7:09 PM] mango: "I don't know if it's going to work..."

[7:10 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama keeps rubbing the book. "Neither do I. We'll have to find someone."

[7:10 PM] mango: "But what if we never do? What if I'm stuck like this...?"

[7:11 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I suppose you'll just have to take care of the book."

[7:11 PM] mango: "...I guess I must have done something wrong to deserve this punishment from the Gods."

[7:12 PM] AOMCommandPost20: Kazama continues to rub the book to himself. "Of course not. You couldn't have known."

[7:14 PM] mango: "...Well that's the thing. I don't even know if I did something wrong or if I've done something in the past..."

[7:15 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Sometimes, bad things happen to people for no good reason at all. That's the way of the universe." Kazama shrugs.

[7:15 PM] mango: "What a way to spend time with your boyfriend, huh..." Elwyn sat back down.

[7:16 PM] AOMCommandPost20: He nodded. "...although it's a shame that this book only reflects damage."

[7:20 PM] mango: "I just had to take it, huh..."

[7:20 PM] mango: "I suppose the only thing I can do is be truthful and say what's on my mind..."

[7:20 PM] mango: Elwyn laid down on his bed.

[7:21 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...That would be a problem, I would think." He stands up. "Not that I believe you have impure thoughts, but... you have a tendency to hold in some things."

[7:21 PM] mango: "I can't really help it." Elwyn sighed and smiled.

[7:22 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Yes..." He pinches the spine of the book lightly.

[7:22 PM] mango: "Ow!"

[7:23 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Oh, sorry! I didn't know it would hurt that much..."

[7:24 PM] mango: "...Anyways." Elwyn rubbed his cheek. "If I have to say what's on my mind, I guess I should start now..."

[7:25 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...It's a good thing I have less painful ways to send tingles down your spine." He places the book gingerly on the bed, then sits on the bed. "I'm listening."(edited)

[7:27 PM] mango: "I guess you already know, but I'm jealous of Ellis, I suppose."

[7:30 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Because she gets to spend more time with me?"

[7:30 PM] mango: "Well...yeah."

[7:31 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I had... thought as much."

[7:31 PM] mango: "I kind of just want to make the most of our time together, I'm not one for having a long life span..."

[7:33 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...As do I. You're one of... the first ones I have opened up to."

[7:34 PM] mango: "Kazama..."

[7:34 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Speak your mind."

[7:38 PM] mango: "I'm not sure what else I have in my mind."

[7:38 PM] mango: "I do want you to stay here, but I'm sure you've got other things to do than just stay here and watch your boyfriend be a mess."

[7:39 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "...Not really. Other than bicker with Joshua and whoever else he's invited into that fool's errand of his."

[7:40 PM] mango: "So...?"

[7:41 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "I would be more than happy to watch you be a mess."

[7:41 PM] mango: "I'd hug you but my skin is kinda rotting."

[7:42 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Hopefully none of the important parts are."

[7:43 PM] mango: "So far it's just my arm, Kazama."

[7:46 PM] AOMCommandPost20: "Thank goodness. It would pain me to see your beautiful face like that too soon..."

[7:47 PM] mango: Elwyn blushed and covered his face. "Kazama..."

[7:50 PM] AOMCommandPost20: He giggled. "I'll go ahead and leave. Try not to spoil, dumpling~."

[7:50 PM] AOMCommandPost20: With that, Kazama vanished.

[7:53 PM] mango: "So that's staying and watching, Kazama style."

[7:53 PM] mango: He laid back down on his bed again. "I guess I'll just have to speak my mind to myself."

[7:56 PM] AOMCommandPost20: ===end rp.===(edited)