After the Corruption (open)

[Stein]

The Medbay was buzzing with more than the usual activity. Many people had been hurt in the corruption attack and the medical staff was at their limit. They had finally accepted Stein’s offer to help, so she was running around the medbay treating patients and had performed several surgeries already on those who required it. They were running low on blood of all types so they were running a blood drive to increase supply.

River woke up and froze for a second given her unfamiliar surrounds, but when she smelled the medical smells, and felt the crisp sheets she screamed and climbed up one of the walls and was hiding on top of the lights, watching the room like a frightened animal. “W-wh-where’s Arthur?...wh-here’s Arthur.” She was saying quietly as she searched the room. And started whimpering and crying silently.

Stein took note of River and chose to ignore her. She’s terrified of me, and has had enough for a while. I’ll find her again later. Stein simply continued her rounds of the medbay and kept an eye on everything, with Damu helping and trailing behind her.

[Johnathan]

Floating in the center of the large medical bay, Chrystaline sat Indian style in mid air. She was glowing brightly, and her life giving magic swelled to flood over the room and its many patients. To supplement the medical staff, a myriad of spriggans and magical golems hurried around at Chrystaline's unheard commands. Her eyes were closed, brow furrowed and beads of sweat were trickling off her face. Silently, a shadowy figure stepped into existence next to her.

Erebus appraised the situation swiftly. There were hundreds of patients in the medical bay. Hundreds more had already been cared for in the recent week, but more kept appearing each day. All of the hospitals within District two had been irreparably damaged. Those that remained throughout the city, were reaching their limits. The overflow, and any students who were injured ended up here. Erebus turned to study Chrystaline's overworked features.

I bet they're shoving more work onto her than needed in order to save money. Erebus turned away and whispered in a shadowed tongue. A small ethereal imp rose from his shadow. Erebus motioned with his finger and the creature appeared on his left shoulder. Turning his head, Erebus whispered to the creature. "Relay this order to Zeran. Investigate the hospitals within the city. Any that are turning away patients for any reason other than the inability to care for them are to be dealt with directly. I don't care what methods you use, just re-adjust their attitudes." Erebus paused before adding. "In a way that won't create more work for the medical staff." The small imp gave a salute before vanishing. Turning to Chrystaline, Erebus made his presence known.

"It seems like you've got it rough. How may I be of service?" Chrystaline's focus did not falter.

"We're low on anesthesia. Alvion took a group of upperclassmen to retrieve more, but that doesn't help the patients who are here now. Subdue them in a way that one negatively affect that staff." Erebus nodded as the room darkened a shade.

"Understood. Mirror of the Demon King**." The effect was apparent immediately. An eerie silence fell across the room as one of Erebus's greatest illusory techniques enveloped everyone present. The surprised staff turned towards Chrystaline to question what was going on, and were frightened when their eyes settled on a dark figure. Taking a deep breath, Erebus announced himself to the magically dilated medical bay. "I have individually assessed the nervous system of each patient. Those suffering have been disconnected from the active realization of pain. When you move to treat them, simply question them and they will still be able to provide you with an accurate description of their symptoms. To temporarily suspend the effect, merely wish it, and it will be so. The same it true to reapply it. Are there any questions?" Erebus was met with silence as his words sunk in. He felt mild panic from the staff, as they realized their minds were intruded upon by his power as well. There was a slight murmur, and many nervous glances. All of that was silenced by Chrystaline's angry roar.

"This is no time to be self conscious. I asked for his assistance and he graciously provided it, even though he is still recovering himself. Anyone who takes issue is free to leave, I will fill in your position. However, those who do will never be welcomed here again. Do I make myself clear?" The medical staff paused for only a moment in shock, before hurriedly returning to their work. Chrystaline's temper rarely rose, but when it did she was known to be more frightening than even Alvion. Questioning her for anything other than medical assistance now would be a terrible idea. When she spoke again it was in a monotonous and focused tone, directed to Erebus. "I apologize for the rude reception. Thank you for your help. I'm in your debt." Erebus simply nodded, leaving the master healer to her work.

Blinking across the room in an instant, Erebus appeared at River's bedside. Holding his arms out, he strengthened the calming effect on the frightened girl until she could no longer maintain her position on the lights. She fell softly into Erebus's waiting arms. Laying her back on the bed, he pulled the sheets up over her small form and sat down quietly. Grabbing the closed cup with straw from her bedside table, he held it out to her without facing her. He could feel that she was afraid of him, and didn't wish to exacerbate things. Relaxing his hold over her mind enough that she could take the cup, he spoke.

"Drink." Pausing for a moment, he added, "Your throat must be dry. This will help."

**Mirror of the Demon King: One of the most powerful illusory techniques Erebus can use while bound. All who are able to perceive his existence (Sight, sound, scent, touch, taste) are affected by it. It is far easier to subject all affected to the same illusion, however in cases such as this one, Erebus can individually adjust his hold on each subject's mind. While the effect is not impossible to break, it will be infinitely reapplied while you remain in range.

[Rikka]

Hearing the screaming from the medical bay the pale blonde haired woman almost ignored it until the childlike voice started asking for Arthur. Getting up from her desk she hit send and sent her report off to Agatha. Grabbing a fluffy brown teddy bear with a green ribbon from her desk she quickly headed to the medical bay. She had been out too long and had created her report in about an hour stating that only a fight broke out and she was unable to contain it before students were hurt.

Arriving the 5'8'' woman moved through the doors and stopped as all the commotion confused her tired mind for a second. Shaking off the last of the fogginess from her brain she pulled open the cameras in Chrystaline's bay. Getting a good look at all the chaos she managed to move around people and stay out of the way until she got to River's bed. There pale blue eyes landed on Erebus and the child who seemed to be calmed down. Deciding Erebus had cast an illusion on her too. Moving to the bed Mekura gently sat on the end of the bed and held Arthur. "Alright Erebus I can take it from here okay?"

Looking at River she held out Arthur to her. "Hello River. Heres Arthur. How are you feeling sweetie?"

[Stein]

River was on the light and felt instantly calm, her brain said no, but she simply relaxed and floated down into the dark boys arms. She tried to run, but her limbs wouldn’t work As Erebus caught her she seemed to be talking to Erebus. “I’m dangerous, like you. Can’t be controlled, can’t be trusted…I don’t belong here.”

She took a sip of the water that was offered and curled up into a ball on her side, appearing to have fallen asleep. She ‘slept’ 5-10 minutes before Mekura walked in and offered her Arthur. She sat up and took Arthur from Mekura’s hands and while clutching him replied “Can’t sleep, too much screaming” She sat and looked around. (There’s no screaming within several miles distance, nothing she could be physically hearing)

“Mekura, I have a question…What did I do wrong? Everyone here’s afraid of me." She got off the bed and crawled under it “Everyone can just go on without me and not have to worry, not be afraid”

[Johnathan]

"Yes, you are dangerous." Erebus replied dryly. "Though it isn't necessarily your fault." As Mekura approached, Erebus simply nodded. Standing slowly, Erebus walked a few feet away to an empty chair. Removing the katana from his obi, Erebus held it in front of him as he sat down tiredly. He continued to monitor the mental states of everyone in the room while keeping an eye on the "trouble makers".

[Rikka]

Mekura listened to River and sighed inwardly. The poor girl had been through a lot and it seems she could hear the screaming from the city due to her mental powers. "You did nothing wrong but someone else did." As she crawled under the bed Mekura moved to sit on the floor near the bed. Looking under the bed like she could actually see River she spoke softly.

"River, I'm not afraid of you. Will you come out please? How about I take you to your new room?" Flipping the covers hanging over the side of the bed up to the top of the bed she sat up straight and waited to see if River would come out. She wanted to get River out of the infirmary.

[Stein]

River sat there for a minute and thought about what Mekura had said. She was moving towards the edge of the bed, but continued hiding when Stein walked by. Stein set a plate of food on the table beside River’s bed and greeted Mekura “Hello Mekura, please tell me if you need anything, or if she needs anything.” Stein said indicting River before she continued walking past, headed towards Erebus. She set a plate of food and water beside him and walked into the back of the medbay to get more medicine.

She came out from under the bed and stood in front of Mekura, looking at her feet and whispered “Why does your side hurt? River had picked up on Mekura’s thought of pain caused by the knife wound. “Wait, I have a room here? I-I-I don’t need a room, I do-don’t want to intrude on anyone…I’ll just keep sleeping w-w-where I have b-been” (she’s been sleeping in the gym, in various locations) River was getting more nervous, she mistrusted being left in rooms, especially medical places…and Erebus was still ‘keeping an eye’ on her; She felt the need to panic, but still couldn’t make herself run-away from this building, she just stood there.

[Rikka]

Mekura sat still as River thought about her offer. As it was sitting still put less stress on her wound and made the pain dull a bit. Looking over at Stein as she walked forward she nodded her head before leaning her head back against the bed and closing her eyes. When River picked up on her pain Mekura gently and quickly put up a few mental blocks so that River didn't have to deal with her pain also. "I got hurt a bit but it isn't as bad as it feels. All students have their own rooms. You have your own room so that no one disturbs you okay? How about we take the food and head there right now."

Standing up slowly she picked up the tray of food and water for River. "Erebus I will take charge of River now. We are going to go to her room. Lets go check out your room River." Moving carefully back through the chaos she waited in the hall for River to catch up. Mekura had started to paint Rivers room before all the chaos but she hadn't been able to finish the mural on River's bedroom wall across from the bathroom. Or the soft pink and blue walls in the living room. Hopefully it would be okay until she could finish it. To all eyes it was obvious Mekura was probably trying to help River by being a guardian figure. Even more now after the gym incident.

[Stein]

River felt one set of thought drop from her radar, she only felt it because it had been so near, and swirled with thoughts of her. She sat down again on the bed and paused for a minute. "O-ok" She then stood up and half snuck out of the room; she wasn’t trying, she just stuck to the wall and walked quietly into the hallway. She followed Mekura into the hall and down the hall towards the dorms.

She looked like a lost child to most; She was still walking around barefoot, and her deep dark-blue eyes gazed out between strands of her wavy brown hair. Her pink dress and barefoot status allowed some bruises on her arms and legs to be visible, some were covered with bandages, but others were still visible. As River followed Mekura she was looking at her bruises and the cut on her left arm, muttering to Arthur. “The mon-monsters are a-attacking me-e-e again…” She was excited that she had her own room….she’d had her own room once, but she couldn’t remember what it’d felt like to have her room.

[Rikka]

As River exited the infirmary she led the girl out of the Administrative building and outside. Outdoors a gentle breeze was blowing and it seemed peaceful enough as some students ran around trying to get their lives back in order. Blair also happened to be running around counting students and figuring out who all was still here, who was gone and who happened to have perished in the fight with corrupted. Turning on the path she headed toward the Dorms and tried to start up some small talk when River spoke up about the monsters attacking her. It was very obvious to Mekura in that moment that the girl did not remember what had happened and if she did it was buried deep with the training.

Picking up on River's excitement she decided to speak up a bit. "About your room. I tried to get it painted to bring in some color but I haven't finished yet. I will finish it though and I would like to know if you will help me."