Hear The Innocent Voices Scream As Their Tormentors Laugh Through All Of It

[theperfectcrime]

Who: Beyond Birthday and various closed prompts [SEEL; CAL; PELL; KAIN; L] (Will add prompts for anyone who would like to be part of this shenanigan. Just ping me at Tseil)
What: The murder itch and the karma thereof
Where: Around Hadriel
When: Throughout the month
Warnings: Murder; Blood; Blood-licking; vomit; suffering. Let's be real, this log is going to be a mess. Will update as needed.


[ A - Their human predators, all gone made, are reaping profits born from their demise. (August 8th; closed to Seel)]

Perhaps it's a little early to be jumping back into this again. Sharon is almost certainly still out to exact whatever sort of vengeance she has planned for him. But between that illusion and the fact that he can't return home to finish his crime spree, regardless that L seems to have fallen into this world as well, he just... Needs this. He needs to make sense of this and he needs to still be better than L.

He's fully aware that his face is probably being made public through more than one source, as well, at this point. As well that the people here will not stay dead. With that in mind, he's watching a figure from the safety of some shrubs. Observing, he contemplates. He's already well equipped with knives, and his arm seems to be healing along fairly well. Though certainly not perfect. He definitely aims to keep the element of surprise on his side. He'll have to be quick and quiet. And that he remains unseen to the best of his ability.

And when the figure's back is turned to him, he moves swiftly, vaulting himself over the bushes and toward his prey. With his right hand, he tries to wrap around and cover Seel's mouth, and uses his other hand to jerk him down to a better vantage point. It's violent and fast, and he draws the knife from his belt sweeping up toward Seel's throat.


[ B - For you cannot be saved with all the world enslaved. (August 9th through 12th; closed to Pell)]

He lost count of how many times he'd vomited already. Between the feelings of dizziness and hallucination, he's practically lost sense of time. He just knows it hurts, and struggling to stay alive through it was beginning to look more grim. He isn't entirely sure he'll make it, anymore. He'd somehow made a massive miscalculation in assaulting Seel. He hadn't counted on a toxic, acidic blood to come from such a body.

Despite his medical efforts, he still seems to be getting progressively worse. And he isn't entirely certain if this... gender swapping? Merging? ...whatever it is, is even real or one of the many hallucinations he's suffering. Sometimes he thinks he's figured it out, but then he loses his grip on reality all over again, feeling like he has to pick the pieces up from square one.

He probably shouldn't be outside, but he already had limited medical supplies at hand, and invariably needs more if he's to have any hope of surviving this plague-like Hell. Trying to calculate how to counteract the poison somehow. But he doesn't even know what causes Seel's blood to react within him this way. He can't find an antidote without more information.

He's halfway to the clinic when the pain grips him again and he collapses to the ground, groaning feverishly. He's certain he hears someone approaching, and tries to jolt to defend himself, but his world is too busy spinning to allow him to gain any footing. He's left unable to move much at all, and looks up toward the passerby. It's all he can do at this point to utter out, weakly:

"Help... The clinic..." With any luck, maybe Pell will help him.


[ C - The rabid media plays their role, stoking the flames of war to no surprise. (August 20th; closed to Cal and Seel)]

Beyond hasn't been amused in the slightest, with the transformation of his body. On top of everything he needs to accomplish, especially in trying to capture the attention of L, knowing he's here in this world, too... To have his body transform into something half-female was on the list of things he never expected to occur. It was puzzling; no, infuriating. And deep down, he can't make peace with it. This is unacceptable, and he'll be damned if he lets it get the better of him.

Even if Cal had been so kind to spare him from that madness, none of that mattered. He still felt as if reality has thoroughly slipped away from him. And maybe, maybe, it's enough trust on the Har's end to let Beyond close without suspicion. To get a blow in.

Casually, with his hands in his pockets, he approaches toward Cal, calling out to him.

"Cal, if I could have a moment of your time. I have so many more curiousities of this... species I've been enabled with. Would you mind giving me some further insights?"

Honestly, he hates it. Every moment of it. Why would anyone want to be this monstrosity? He would have much rather that the blood had killed him.

But all he needs is for the Har to drop his defenses well enough for him to get a shot in. He'll bide his time until then.


[ D - It's as if the entire world has fallen in love with their insanity. (August 15th; Closed to Kain) ]

After struggling with his recuperation, he can't help but feel like a ravenous lion in a cage, staring at a steak through the bars. While he's by no means pleased to be a hermaphrodite, now, he'll be damned if he lets it slow him down. For now, he'll consider this turn of events only a minour setback.

He still has work to do, and alot of ground to cover if he hopes to garner L's attention. He can't afford to let this unexpected development slow him down.

And with that, he's already pursuing other dwellers of the caves, making sure to remain mindful of just what can emerge from the darkness - things such as a toxic blood that fills and alters its consumer. He must be cautious of what the next body may contain. It's become an unpredictable battle.

With knives strategically placed in his belt, hidden beneath his shirt, he sets out again, looking for anyone who may be easy to overpower. A warmup to see how much of his ability he might have lost, if any at all.

Much to his intrigue, he finds what appears to be a rather spacey knight, and for a long
moment, he observes him. Although he still has to be careful, he is fairly certain that Kain will be a much easier target than anticipated.

After a moment of further calculation, Beyond decides to approach him.

"Excuse me, I'm afraid I've lost my way. Would you mind helping me?"


[ E - So sleep soundly in your beds tonight; judgement falls upon you at first light. (August 21st; Closed to L) ]

List of things to add to inventory: death is undoubtedly miserable. He thought that the moment Seel interfered and destroyed him as a result.

Another thing to add to the inventory: The Hara are not to be underestimated.

It is with a sharp breath that Beyond awakens on the pedestal in Hope's Temple. It was something Mello had told Beyond already - that staying dead wasn't really possible here. But still, he gives himself a brief overlook. First checking for injuries and scars, of which none are found. Then he notices something else: he's back to his original gender. Apparently resurrection is a big reset button. Admittedly, Beyond is relieved.

He slides himself off of the pedestal, getting ready to get out of here and continue his mission. But it's then in which he finally realises he's not alone here. In fact, how had he not noticed before? He pauses and looks in the direction of the trespasser.

And it's not hard to tell who it is - with the faint similarities between himself and the other man, and the fact that Sharon verified that it was indeed him within that painting back in Pleasant Valley. With Mello's confirmation that he was indeed in this world. He knows already who he's facing.

"L."

Comments

C

[pyralisit]

Cal still wasn't sure he liked this har--he killed Seel to get where he was now and he hadn't wanted anyone in the cave incepted anyway. But it had been done and he also couldn't abandon him since, evidently, he was the only one who was going to bother with helping him. Seel he didn't blame, really. Not after a death like that. Since when had Cal ended up a teacher?

He sighed and lit a cigarette before he approached, standing not quite in arm's reach so he was at least being a little polite about whether or not he was blowing smoke directly in the har's face.

Of course he'd have questions. He hadn't been prepared for it--just changed without agreeing to, without having the time to confront the changes he'd have to make beforehand. Incepted in a cave without any education, live or die based on his strength. Didn't that sound familiar?

"Certainly. What do want to know?"

[theperfectcrime]

Beyond allows him to keep his distance. He'll wait for Cal to come to him or otherwise welcome him into that space. This is a game of chess, after all - the attempt to trap the King while the opponent is distracted by the other pieces on the board. To move them in such a way that by the time the King realised it was in peril, it would be far too late.

And Beyond moves the first pawn.

"Well, to start with, maybe you can tell me the origins of this blood. Is there an advantage to having both genders in this way?"

It's said coolly, calmly, and he makes eye contact with Cal, as if curious to absorb the information.

[pyralisit]

Cal inhaled more smoke and blew it toward the ceiling while he thought about that. History was more Seel's area of expertise. He wasn't going to subject him to that just yet. He could be sensitive when he wanted to be.

"There's only stories, really. The first of us, who appeared from somewhere, nohar quite knows how or where or even when. His mother threw him to the streets when she saw him. He was a freak. A lonely life, I'm sure. He found rather quickly that...let's say certain things he did killed people, dissolved from the inside out. A horrific and painful death.

"Another street child attacked him eventually. Dirty, alone, desperate for food. He should have died, but he didn't. And that boy should have too, but he writhed in pain for 3 days and emerged on the other side of it whole--like the first. He wasn't alone any longer." He shook his head at the end of that story and inhaled on his cigarette again.

"Wraeththu are the successor to humanity. We're stronger, more efficient, better suited for the world they destroyed and left us with. We heal faster, are immune to their disease and any number of other things. As for the advantage of being both male and female, well. Eventually, I imagine, you'll feel more complete. You're a whole where humans were only half. Once the initial shock wears off it becomes far more bearable."

cw: mild suicide ideation

[theperfectcrime]

"Something complete, hmm? How interesting." Yea, he's still not sure that he likes that prospect. Not that he has much of a choice, does he? At least not as far as he knows. You die and your resurrected here, so it's not like he could commit suicide to escape it if he found it intolerable to the extreme.

"So you're an evolved species. Still, the price seems rather hefty, risky to get there. Although I suppose nothing is gained without sacrifice." Not that he believes that. He himself was given the Shinigami Eyes at birth. And knowing someone's true name and the very moment they would die was hardly a price to pay for such a boon. "Are all created this way, or can they be born?"

And somehow, Beyond had survived. His genetics had accepted the code for unknown reasons. Even though it felt like he would die.

Perhaps it was time to look on the bright side of things. Supposedly he would be granted with effective gifts with this new genetic in his system, flowing freely within himself.

[pyralisit]

Cal shrugged. It wasn't quite the correct word, but it was as close as he could get. He'd been changed himself as a boy and he'd never once wished he was human again once he lived through it. Others he knew had a hard time accepting what they were now, that they had to relinquish anything human left about them.

"They can be born, though there aren't many that I know of. In many ways I think it's still a mystery. We're a young race, yet, we're still learning. But eventually we'll run out of human boys, there must be a way to make more of us without them." He'd only seen one harling so far, but apparently, according to Seel, he had one of his own. That was a disconcerting thought.

A

[dreamsallotted]

Seel liked to think he was a legitimate opponent. Truth be told he hadn't considered a human a worthwhile aggressor. Not here, when no one had been remotely violent toward him. This wasn't back home, he wasn't fighting for survival here. He was just fighting hara he thought were his friends. In addition, Seel had magic on his side, and almost 60 years of experience. He'd misjudged. Miscalculated. Forgotten in the last thirty years that humans had once been a threat, especially to a lone Wraeththu. One who wasn't paying attention.

He heard the rustling in the bushes, leaves moving and turned too late. A hand went over his mouth, his head jerked up, and he felt a horrible, sharp stinging sensation, wetness gushing down his shirt. Pain. Unbelievable pain. He struggled briefly against Beyond, quickly growing lightheaded, and not entirely comprehending why. Then he glanced his eyes down. Oh shit.

Seel gave a sharp, call to Cal. Even now, after everything, he still called out to him. He'd never get there in time. But Seel did not want to die, and hope springs eternal, right? He could feel his heart pounding, speeding up, trying to compensate for the massive blood loss. He was panicking.

CW: Blood; disturbing descriptions

[theperfectcrime]

Beyond holds Seel there as he is for the moment, hand over his mouth unmoving, and the knife still steady in his other hand, holding on through the brief struggle. How interesting it was to watch someone bleed out from their neck. The mess that now littered Seel's shirt. The dripping gore that seeped from the open wound.

It was indeed infinitely more interesting when the victim wasn't inebriated in any way. More thrilling when they put up a fight. And the panic that inevitably set in when they begin to realise there's no chance of survival.

When Seel's struggling loosens, Beyond will see that dripping blood in a better light. As if to define a point, he reaches out to the Har's neck and licks some of it off with a rather dark chuckle.

Re: CW: Blood; disturbing descriptions

[dreamsallotted]

Seel was unable to do anything but watch out of the corner of his eyes as he bled out, and that crazy, stupid, human monster licked at it. Oh no. No no no. Not like this. It's not supposed to be like this. Or wasn't it? Wasn't this the way the first, Thiede, incepted Orien? Beautiful Orien. But no. This wasn't the way Seel wanted it to be. He'd guided tons of boys through inception. Not like this. They had to be chosen, vetted, there were ritual, for knowledge and safety. This boy was going to die. And as Seel died, he couldn't bring himself to care. He just hoped he didn't live.

The pain was blinding, and then, it started to fade, and he got colder. Seel couldn't control his body, it was taking too much effort to keep himself upright, standing. He crumpled to the ground, unable to make more than gurgling sounds.

[theperfectcrime]

Beyond simply allows the Har to slip to the ground, staying just out of Seel's line of sight for a moment, counting the seconds for Seel to finish bleeding out. Calculating, anticipating, taunting. Initially, he's waiting for the final seconds to give Seel a glimpse of his face, to make it a game. He wants to see if the Har will remember from only a few seconds of imagery after being resurrected.

But his count is halted by a burst of excruciating pain and he just as quickly collapses to his knees.

Instantly, he's vomiting, and his eyes go wide as he runs the calculations through his mind in a rapid-fire manner. What had happened? What had he failed to anticipate? And he shoots Seel a glare, as if screaming what did you do to me! through his eyes. And Seel may get a much better look at Beyond's face than he had aimed for.

This isn't how it was supposed to be!

And then it hit him, and he looks at the Har, covered in blood from the throat down.

And the missing piece makes sense - the blood is toxic. How, he's not sure, but it's the only thing he can determine as he struggles not to collapse into himself. No, he has to act quickly. He might still have time.

Gripping his knife more tightly, he lets out a yell between pain and fury as he goes to jam the knife into Seel's neck for the jugular vein and the carotid artery, to finish off the Har that much faster, to cut his glances that much more. And then he collapses onto the ground beside Seel, far in too much pain to move at the moment.

[dreamsallotted]

And that was why Seel believed in drugging the boys during inception. Not only did it make them meek and pliable for those where having...issues, but it helped the pain. Because Seel knew from experience and seeing a lot of boys through it, there would be a lot. He was changing on a structurally, genetic level. Organs were reshaping, DNA restructuring. His skin would turn ashen and thin, he'd vomit, just like he was doing now, he'd swell, blister, hallucinate. Probably turn more violent than he already was, if he had the strength. Most likely he'd die, without the proper medical care. And he'd probably eaten before.

Stupid. Stupid stupid boy. You deserved to die this way. I hope it's horrible..

And then he felt something sharp in his neck, cutting and then nothing.

D

[dragonsgrasp]

Ever since the whole Pleasant Valley incident, Kain has felt... more than a little mentally off-balance. It's not as if he had it together very well before that, either, but it's all gotten a lot worse lately. He's spending a lot of time off on his own, silently brooding as he thinks over what he'd had and lost, and what he may never have. Sigh. He doesn't like being manipulated in such a way.

"What?" The other man approaching him snaps him out of his reverie, and he glances toward him, processing what he'd asked. "I could help... I assume you must be fairly new to this place? Was there anywhere in particular you were planning to go?"

Of course, Kain is fully armored and equipped with his trusty lance... but at the moment, he wouldn't see any need to draw it. It's all too common to run across people getting themselves lost, after all.

[theperfectcrime]

"Indeed, I am very new." Though, he's certainly not as new as he claims. He did have time to kill Sharon, after all, during the Pleasant Valley experience. But Kain certainly doesn't need to know that.

"I have heard that Hope is the most cooperative of the Gods; would you mind too much guiding me there?"

An easy enough lie, with the goal to get Kain alone. And on the way there, he should be able to get the Knight to drop his guard enough for an opening when they're out of the eye of the general public.

"Of course, if it's too much to ask, I do understand."

[dragonsgrasp]

Kain has been keeping to himself after the whole family incident, so it's hardly surprising that he doesn't recognize the other as having been here for a little while. He nods in understanding. He's been there, after all, he's experienced the confusion that comes with arrival in this place.

"You're right about that much... even if I'd be wary of trusting any of the gods entirely. Still, he's provided help at times."

He looks around, just ensuring that nothing is amiss at the moment. It's fortunately calm for now, but Kain is always wary for signs of trouble. The last thing they need is a monster attack.

"I'm with the Guard, so it's really no problem at all. I consider it my responsibility to ensure that newcomers stay safe. Shall we go? It's not too far." He pauses a moment, adding, "I don't believe we've introduced ourselves yet. I'm Kain Highwind."

[theperfectcrime]

"You truly are too kind. You have my gratitude. Please lead the way."

When Kain pauses, Beyond's step does the same, watching the Knight, though not intently. He even shoots a briefly puzzled eyebrow, as if questioning what the matter is, until Kain introduces himself.

"I'm Rue Ryuzaki. Pleased to meet you, Kain Highwind. Do tell me about the Guard. I certainly don't believe I have the physical endurance to join, but I am very curious. Won't you share your experience with me?"

He allows Kain to lead the way. After all, he is the one who should be following if this trick is to keep from detecting the Knight's suspicions. It has to go off flawlessly. Armour can be complicated to get around, and Beyond has learned all to well that unexpected things can come from unexpected sources at this point. He certainly has no intention of transforming into anything else.

[dragonsgrasp]

Kain is glad to tell him what he knows. After all, he had been in that position before, himself. The more he can tell the newcomer, the better. He starts leading the way again, explaining as he goes along.

"It's good to meet you. We protect the others among us from any threats that should arise in this place. There are many threats that have been set against us... regular monsters in some far off areas of the cave, but there are also times when we fall under attack unexpectedly. The gods have often caused chaos to break out among us. I've fought plenty of strange creatures here... When I first arrived, I finished off a dragon."

He sees no danger here, at the moment, though he still keeps alert for signs of trouble. He's noticed that Ryuzaki doesn't appear to be a fighter, so he's prepared to defend him if any monsters should appear.

D

[hearthebell]

So many things are L's responsibility in his own world. The weight of it sat on his shoulders, figuratively, but to the point where it seemed to actually bend them forward and age the slump of his back beyond his actual years. His gambles and consequences were beyond what any man's should be, what was asked of him was beyond, what he gave and committed was beyond.

It all comes down to Beyond, in so many ways, and today, he's here to meet him head-on. He waits for the young man to resurrect under the pretense of coming in peace, even though he came armed with a knife his awry successor doubtless knows how to use better than he does. L looks wan and frail in the temple's soft lighting, an easy target, someone who should by every definition be easy to destroy, but of course, that's not the case. If it was, he wouldn't have followed, wouldn't have come here, wouldn't have cared.

Contrary to what so many think, most recently Sharon, L does care. And contrary to what Mello thinks, this is his mess to clean up, with Roger and Watari both out of the picture for the time being. Even if he's doing the impossible, here, appealing to reason in the face of madness, he has to try, instead of rotting in the home he shares with Near soaked in his own apathy and depression.

Maybe a part of him is spoiling for a fight, at last. Back home, Beyond was a footnote, a case he took because it was admittedly interesting, but he kept it at arm's length. Now? It's a song of love and hate that will draw a more direct response from him, because there is nothing else.

He nods stiffly, acknowledging B while still keeping a distance from the pedestal.

"B."

Oops, that was supposed to be E. My bad!

[theperfectcrime]

A faint smirk crosses Beyond's lips. The amusement is too great to conceal entirely. Here before him, at long last, is his predecessor. The man he's perpetually sought to garner the attention of and best him. It's not the ideal circumstance that Beyond had gone through such lengths to complete before arriving here. But the end result was the same - no, better than the original plan. He has L before him, as surreal as it is.

And, for now, he'll allow L to keep his distance, but his eyes never leave the other man; constantly absorbing as much information as possible.

"How interesting to see you here. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Of course, he knows full well - his plan worked. And it had worked much more quickly than he had predicted it would. He had suspected that he would need to destroy a few more people than that. He had suspected L would not be so easily drawn from hiding. He had expected a step-in, a placebo, at first, to be perfectly honest. But in this small community, perhaps there is only so much that even the great and revered L here.

E~

[hearthebell]

Showing up here is admittedly a defeat, but in many ways, L's hands are tied. There is only one other person from their world here who would be able to understand and help, but Mello seems as though his priorities lie elsewhere. He had said that he trusted Sharon more than anyone, after all... and that's plenty for L's trust in the blonde to shift and slip. So here he is, in the flesh, present and accounted for and vulnerable the way none of B's other recent targets and victims likely were. It's still a gamble he's willing to make.

"You're a genius in your own right, even if I disagree with how you've applied your intelligence. I'm sure you can figure it out."

His shuffling steps are languid and slow, but he keeps moving. He is not at-ease enough in this situation to come to a standstill.

"You got killed... you were careless. Otherwise you might have kept me chasing you longer."

[theperfectcrime]

A glint passes Beyond's eyes at the careless comment. That miscalculation that spiraled his whole plan out of control. The blood of the Hara that triggered the entire downfall. He had allowed himself to become somewhat familiar with the race he joined, and had not anticipated that Seel would be there at the moment he attacked Cal. He had been more concerned about dodging Sharon than anyone else. A long list of unforeseen events that all began with the consumption of his victim's blood. A miscalculation he will be sure to never make again.

And still, L is right. Even he can admit to that. Even if it is unpleasant, to say the least.

"Yes, I had grown careless. But nonetheless, it appears I have succeeded. Faulted or not. For you are here."

Contrary to the Wara Ningyo murders, in which it was to commit the perfect crime and force L to fail, Beyond had been much more content to settle on drawing the Detective to himself personally in Hadriel. Indeed, there was no sense to continue the Wara Ningyo murders here - L would instantly know it was him at that point. There is no trace of a doubt in his mind. But knowing L was physically here, in a vastly smaller community, it allowed him to forge a different challenge for the two of them.

And all the while as he watches L's movements, Beyond is calculating the next steps to be taken. And undoubtedly, L is calculating his own countermeasures. He's sure of it. It will all come down to who is the better chessmaster.

"So, then, are you here to lecture me? Imprison me, perhaps? Though the Guard here certainly don't seem to be sufficient in legalities." After all, he had thoroughly taken note of all the public information offered on Sharon's Network Rebuttal.

[hearthebell]

L's breaths come quick and shallow, because what he's here facing is, in truth, something he fears. The unknown has always been something that chilled him, excited him, piqued his interest and his agony alike. The concealed blade he carries is sharp in its sheath, and the challenge that faces him isn't entirely unfamiliar. He's been here before, facing an opponent, deciding which sacrifice needs to be made and which pieces have outlived their usefulness.

It's a poor time to succumb to emotion, the soft, weak, pleading voice under all of it saying I am human, I want to live.

He sets his jaw. Composes himself.

"I'm here to help you. I know the face misery wears; I've seen every line and shadow. I think I can free you from this prison you're trapped in, even here."

B

[pellameno]

Luckily for Beyond, Pell is completely incapable of passing by someone suffering without wanting to assist. And he happens to be on his way to the clinic already, when he hears someone calling for help. It's early, early enough that only the guard patrol would be out besides him, headed to his shift... he turns warily and draws his pistol before following the voice. (He's not an idiot. If someone's been hurt by a creature it's possible that it's still around.)

What he finds, however, is just Beyond, crumpled on the ground writhing in pain. The gun is stuffed back in its holster as Pell rushes forwards and drops to his knees beside the man, reaching out cautiously to roll him onto his back and get a better look at him. It's like nothing he's ever seen before, skin bubbling and limbs swollen, and-- then he realizes he has seen it before. In the mirror.

Althaia. But it can't be. He knows Cal never would, and Seel... well, he hasn't heard from Seel for awhile, but surely he wouldn't turn someone here and leave them to their own devices.

Pell strips off his sweatshirt and pillows it under the man's head, shushing him gently. And this is a man, he thinks... too old to turn, it'll be a miracle if he survives this. "It'll be alright, try to lie still."

What do they need... sedatives, obviously. Maybe fluids? He remembers being forced to drink from time to time. What's most important will be getting him to the clinic so he can be watched. Pell starts calling for help, stroking his fingers through the poor man's hair soothingly. If only Flick were still here. Maybe Cal will know better what to do? He'll call once he gets this guy to the clinic and settled in a bed.

The guard shows up quickly enough, and thankfully it's someone strong enough to pick Beyond up, though the guardsman looks terrified by his state. It's alright, I'm a healer, Pell tells him, and together they get him to the clinic and into one of the upstairs rooms usually reserved for long-term patients. This should only take a few days (or much less if he dies) but Pell doesn't want anyone else to see the man unless absolutely necessary. Once he's thanked the guardsman and found some sedatives for Beyond he calls Cal, who knows nothing about it but will come as soon as he's able. Then he calls Seel.

Seel doesn't answer.

Pell returns to Beyond's room with sedatives in hand, holding them up as an offering and a threat. "What have you done?"

[theperfectcrime]

Feeling the fingers stroke through his hair is hardly soothing, if only because he lies there, vulnerable, having to rely on another for help. And all he can do is wait. Wait for help to arrive, wait for the Guard to carry him to the clinic, and wait for Pell to return with medicine. He can only hope that his image right now makes him unrecognizable to the Guard, considering he had seen Sharon spouting information on himself. And the haze of his mind doesn't allow him to properly examine the guard's features to find him later.

And then Pell returns, with the following the question: What have you done? And all he does is look up at the Har; calculating, anticipating, but then too tired and in pain to properly glean any information. The only thing he catches is that there seems to be an edge of a threat in Pell's voice. It's a tone that borderlines being caught red-handed. A tone that may very well keep Beyond's life in the balance if he tries to lie.

How much does Pell already know? He'd like to say next to nothing, but he's already made enough miscalculations over this game of chess.

He decides to try his hand at getting more information.

"To what?"

He'd normally drop a few more chosen words in there that would trigger the just-right reaction toward the information he wants, but that's all he can mutter with the fever and the pain.

[pellameno]

"There are only two ways to turn that I know of," Pell tells Beyond, moving in beside the bed to be heard better. He remembers everything sounding like it was underwater and far away at one point and wants to make sure the man knows what he's being asked. Because Pell's pretty sure he already knows the answer, and won't like it.

The thing is what to do with that information... is he even capable of letting someone die right in front of him? In terrible agony. Or should he put him out of his misery? Could he do that? Oh, he hopes Cal gets here soon. Maybe he should send him to check on Seel first, then they'll know for certain he's alright. He has to be alright.

He draws a shaking breath and continues, making sure the needle that offers peace is still in view. "Either you get a transfusion or you ingest a har's blood. Tell me what you did to Seel."

[theperfectcrime]

Har? So it seems this is a common enough occurrence for Pell to realise what's going on with Beyond. But he doesn't seem to know what has happened. At the very least, not yet.

Beyond decides to weave a little lie in with the truth.

"I did... ingest someone's blood." All things weird considered, what he says next shouldn't be seen as too terribly farfetched, right? And it should be at least a few days until Seel is revived. Beyond needs to keep his record as clean as possible at the moment. "I need to drink blood to survive, and I was desperate."

He gags as he tries to fight back another round of vomit.

"He was a victim. I wasn't lucid when I killed him."

And, hopefully, he'll have long moved on to other victims before Pell finds the real truth. Or Hell, maybe he'll have the luck of even tricking Seel with that lie when he returns.

[pellameno]

It's not that farfetched, and Pell is inclined to believe him. People are of all kinds here, a vampire isn't that far fetched. He's known werewolves, after all, and maybe being inhuman is what allowed this man to survive the turn so far. Pell wonders if he'll be different from them, if he'll still need blood.

But there's a certain skepticism that comes when someone you know is murdered. Which it's sinking in now is what happened, the fact cold and disquieting. His stomach twists into knots. Seel will come back, of course he will. Hope is still in the city.

"Hope can give you blood. He'll create whatever you need to live, did no one tell you that? You don't need to hurt people."