PITCH BLACK〔M〕「Hoef & Hannelorian」

[Dire Hoef]

2 Hours after Duskfall Gifting Day. 24th Procella 331 AD.

"Hachiro," said a stern voice over the celldev, "Did you remember to get something for your mother and sisters?"

There was a brief pause before there was response, "I had time to only get you, mother, Missy, and Kei a gift. The research at the campus has really ramped up as of late. I-I can try to get them something for Founding Day, but I--" An exasperated sigh silenced him before he could say any more.

"I can salvage this by buying the other two presents, last minute. I believe there are a few shops open on Gifting Day. Let there be a miracle in the Spirit's name." Said the stern voice on the other end. "You have a good Gifting Day son, and make sure Kei receives my gift. It should arrive at your campus sometime tonight."

"Yes father," Hachiro spoke rather timidly.
"And one more thing," there's a pause from the father before he said, "I love you. It doesn't get said enough to you, Hachiro, but it needs to be said now."
"I love you to dad.." Was all he could must before the line was severed right then and there.

Hachiro Yamazaki, the only son to a wealthy merchant family, is trapped in a growing sarcaphagus of academic excellence and competition. On a day where he dreaded having to communicate with his eldest sister. A day where he knew that he was going to catch flak for even breathing the same air as her.

However, he mustered up what courage and energy he had, taking stock of his most important books and documents, and left his almost inhumanely clean office. He started down the hallway, windows displaying the campus proper below; seeing as he was four stories up. He can just make out Kei's office on the fifth floor, and spotted her in her office speaking with someone he couldn't see.

So, without taking any other chances, he skirted his way up a flight of stairs to the fifth floor where he then slid through a series of glass doors leading into the other building across the top-floor bridge. While there, he spotted who Kei was talking to.

The man himself appeared to be of a stature greater than any Iznatsu man he'd seen, and carried with him an aura of dark energy. Hachiro, as a practicing mage, was able to pick up on that dark energy and his brow furrowed with some manner of disgust. However that expression melted away as soon as the man stepped out of Kei's office and past him.

Hachiro and the mysterious man locked eyes for but a moment. In that fleeting moment a lot of information was suddenly conveyed to Hachiro. This overload of information caused the scientist to stammer and stumble as if concussed.

What cleared him of his several second stooper was the angered shout of his eldest sister. "HACHI!!"

His back straightened, and his legs tightened. Instinctively, he stepped into the office and firmly planted himself in a chair just before Kei's desk.

"What do you want Hachi..?" Kei says staring daggers at him. "Make it quick. Less time towards my research, means less time for you to stay on campus."

Hachi, stammering once again, finally found that small spark of courage to hand Kei his gift to her. "Father and I bought gifts for you. It's Gifting Day. Here's mine. Father's won't be in till tonight. You can expect to be in your mail box d-d-downstairs."

Kei looks him up and down, before taking the gifts and shooing him off. "Then if that's all, leave me to my work."

Hachiro wanted to say something else, but he also wanted to avoid angering her. So he took his two cents and left promptly. He made his way back to his office with a bit of a brisk jog. He also realized, in that moment, that he really didn't like talking to her.

But before he entered his office, another concussive bout of dizziness hits him like a wave. This causes him to collapse to the floor, holding his head in pain. He couldn't muster the strength to yell for help as it came on so suddenly and without warning. But just he thought he'd surely die, it stops. His vision clears, and he's able to stand to his feet again. This time, he's absolutely bewildered by what he just experienced.

He shook off a sort of malaise from his eyes, and stepped into his office proper. He sat at his desk, pulling up documents from his latest projects on his computer.

He knew he had a lot of work ahead of him, so he wasn't going to slack off now. Thus, he dove headfirst into his collegiate work; getting lost in the sea of letters and numbers.

2 Hours after Sunrirse. The Saturnalia. 25th Procella 331 AD.

After several hours of grueling, backbreaking, deskwork and the occasional unhealthy meal and nightmarish nap, Hachiro realized that half a day's worth of time had passed. However, he felt that something was off about that.

His eyes strayed over to his four-story window out at the city to see... no lights. There weren't any lights, anywhere. His eyes slowly expanded at the realization that he couldn't see the Todoyama skyline. He even checked the time and found that it was just after sunrise. Why wasn't the sun coming up? But, before he could really ponder the strangeness further he felt an imposing, nauseating, force encircle his dark office.

He felt that force get heavier and heavier until he turned on his office lights. That force evaporated, relieving pressure off of him. Although, it didn't help his sanity when he saw the edges of his window were filled with a voided, inky, darkness that crawled along his windowsil like centipedes crawling over a corpse.

There was also a stench.. A stench so horrid that it almost caused Hachiro to hurl. But he kept the contents of his stomach in check, and stepped out of the office to get away from the stench to no avail. The stench permeated everything. He could even see little musk clouds forming on the floor as the air became heavy with it.

What was even stranger was that he didn't see anybody. At this hour of the morning, there are students, teachers, and the occasional scientists going to and fro. So, to not see a soul had Hachiro's hair stand up on end.

He eyed the hallway a little longer hoping to hear or see anyone come around the two corners on either end, but no one came after he waited about five minutes. This terrified him, and thus forced him to slink back into his office shutting the door behind him. He looked to his office phone and wondered who to call.

He couldn't call his sister, she wouldn't pick up. Most of his colleagues are asleep.. Except for one!

He hurries to the phone and dialed the extension, waiting for the other line to pick up. And sure enough, the person on the other end answered the phone after the third ring.

"Hello?" Said an old, tired voice.
"Professor Nabuo! It's me, H-Hachiro Yamazaki!!" Hachiro eyes the dark world outside his window sworing that he saw something move out there.

"What can I do for you Hachiro?" Professor Nabuo seemingly unbothered by current events.
"P-Professor, there's something going on! It's dark outside.. I-I-I should be seeing the sun right now! I-I-It's sunrise!"

There's a pause on his end before he said, "I see what you mean, Hachiro.. I don't see the skyline... Wait... Something is moving around my office! W-What was that??"

"Professor???"
The line is severed with a crash and shriek on his end.

Hachiro looked at the phone as the line was cut, and sets the phone back its holder. He plopped back down in his chair, as he pondered what he was going to do next..

[Hannelorian]

2 Hours after Duskfall Gifting Day. 24th Procella 331 AD.

The early hours of the evening felt like an eternity. A forced reunion of the Sakai sisters. Eleanor would have rather blown her own brain out. A dark thought, but they always did tend to bring her to the darkest of places. What had they even discussed? She didn't know, or didn't care to know. It was all so dreadfully boring, disheartening, repulsing. Or maybe that was just her mother's doing. The woman wasn't even there but her shadow loomed large. There was no where it seemed that the great Elise Templeton could not reach. The thought prompted a sigh.

Eleanor fumbled through the pocket of her coat, withdrawing the ID card she only moments earlier stowed away. Holding it in her palm she passed it quickly in front of the reader on the outside of large set of doors. The plaque above simply read "Section S." How relieved was she to be back at work? Words could not describe. The sound of the locks releasing and the doors opening was a welcome one. As the woman stepped inside the sound of a pair of high heels clicked against the floor. "D...Director!" A voice cried, which admittedly caught Eleanor off guard, she had been so lost in her own thought. She took a moment to remove her coat, black, and placed it onto a hook in a small area dedicated for coats and other personal effects. Before even contemplating a response, Eleanor took her lab coat and donned it.

"Surprised?" Eleanor spoke, somewhat irritated that she had to waste time on this. Her hands were pale, fingers thin and perfect for instruments such as the piano, which she had learned and cared little for. Her hands moved quickly upward, a ribbon attached to her wrist had been freed and her brunette locks were tied up into a neat bun. Eleanor Sakai presented the picture of elegance. She was beautiful, some would say she possessed a rare beauty. She was thin, wearing a sleeveless form fitting black dress that fell just below her knees. The lab coat which bore her name, title and department in neat black embroidery was tailored to fit her perfectly.

"We didn't expect you back this evening." The same voice called, a number of well dressed women in lab coats were now standing and staring at their Director. "So which one was it?" Another voice added to the conversation, this one the voice of the sole male that rounded out the Group S team. "Mags or Aya?" It was unsettling to hear him mention those two by name. Had she really been foolish enough to discuss them? No, perhaps it was because they too were well known and respected members of the family, though none could have reached the heights that she had. Good, they didn't deserve it she thought. "Either? Both?" Eleanor said almost too softly, but without giving away a hint of how she truly felt, her anger, frustration, sadness, whatever it was. "Margaret... why? Why am I telling you any of this?" She sighed and waved her right hand in the air. "Pack it up kids, everyone's done for the night. We'll pick it up in the morning. Reports to my terminal before you go."

"But the deadline..." Eleanor hated to be contradicted. Hated it. "If you'd like a chance to meet the deadline you will do as you're told." Another sigh, Eleanor began to walk further into the lab toward the back which housed her office. "We're ahead of schedule, provided we all do our jobs there is no reason to think we won't complete our work before the deadline. Please, go. Enjoy your evenings." Another motion with her hand now raised above her head, as though shooing them away. "Right away ma'am" was the resounding reply from the group.

Within five minutes the lab was emptied, but before the last one left she did call out to Eleanor. "Something for you arrived, for gifting day. It's on your desk." And just like that, it was quiet, save for the passive whir of machines and other equipment. Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, let's see what we can do." For the first time a smile crossed her face, she was genuinely contented. Her lips had been painted a deep shade of red, she was a uniquely classy, poised and elegant woman, a product entirely of her mother whether she wished to admit it or not. Opening the door to the office, she stepped inside and made her way behind the large wooden desk, a relic of a thing but it was something that made her happy. It was her own that she had brought in.

Atop the desk beside a keyboard was a vase filled with flowers, and just beneath it a card. Eleanor's smile turned into something of a grin for a fleeting moment. One hand delicately took the stem of a flower into her hand, it was something of a rose, golden in color. She knew without a shadow of a doubt who they were from. Releasing the stem, she moved down to grasp the card, opening it. It had already been opened, that wasn't a surprise. Nothing went in or out of this lab without thorough inspection.

Nora,

Golden roses for the Gilded Rose. If you're reading this, Maggie hasn't killed you, or more exactly you haven't killed her. If that's all you accomplish today, it's a great day.

All my love,
June


"Bastard." Nora muttered under her breath, still smiling and setting the card down. It couldn't have been more than a moment later where she could feel a searing pain in her head, steadily getting worse and worse, thumping getting louder and louder. "Fuck." She squeaked out before resting her elbows on the desk and putting her head in her hands, fingers almost digging into her scalp. Then, then there was nothing.

2 Hours after Sunrirse. The Saturnalia. 25th Procella 331 AD.

The sound of alarm went off and forced Nora awake. It wasn't a morning alarm, it was the kind that reminded her of meetings, things she needed to do... the calendar now said to her disbelief it was the next day. What the hell had happened? Her pain was gone but there was an odd darkness in the lab. Nora was normally in the office before the sun rose each day and was out usually quite a bit after it had set. "Shit..." She let out a deep exhale and rubbed her eyes for a moment, taking her hands away, the light of her computer illuminating her hands, bits of mascara now on her hand. "That's just great..." But then it dawned on her... where the hell was everyone?

Not even her Graduate fellows were here, and they weren't here, it was odd, and unsettling. Nora rose from her chair and moved out of her office into the lab, which had windows one couldn't see out of anyway. A quick step out of the doors and into the hall she looked at the windows directly across from her. Perfect dark. An uneasy feeling descended upon her, something almost suffocating but the hall of the hallway seemed to keep it in check. But a look further down and there again was darkness, lights either flickering or out.

"Well, as it turns out my mother isn't the most annoying thing in my life." She said outloud, largely because there was no one there to here her. Now what was she going to do? Look for someone, something she supposed.

[Dire Hoef]

Hachi took a minute to survey his surroundings. He did a double take, triple take even. He wanted to make sure he wasn't dreaming this. That this wasn't some sick, twisted, prank pulled on by the students and staff.

He snapped his attention to the phone once again, and proceeded to call up Professor Nabuo's office again. However, to his utter dismay, there was no answer on the other end. Only dead air.

He slammed the phone back into its holder, trying to hold back tears. He failed. He sobbed for a good ten minutes before a crash ultimately broke him from his spiral into sadness. His eyes adjusted to the door of his office; only glancing around at the officer door window.

There was another crash, this time closer. This one startled Hachi. He immediately shifted towards the door to peek out its window. Unfortunately he couldn't spot the source.

So, he opted to creaking open the door to get a better view. And what he saw chilled his bones.

He spotted, just a few meters down the hall, a quadraped ribbed in obsidian black muscle. It's back was to him, but on its back were headhog like spikes. It's basic features resemble that of a lizard, although there were some anomalies that made Hachi mentally vomit.

His thoughts were racing as to rationalize what he was seeing. But he couldn't put those thoughts to the manifold, and so he left those answers and rationales on the floor.

He looked past it to examine that it was dining on something...wait... it wasn't something, it was someone.
"Holy shit." He uttered those words a little too loudly, causing the creature to stop.

Hachi's eyes widened as this wolf-sized lizard creature stands and turns to face him. Here, Hachi saw the maw of this horrific abomination. It had rows of serated teeth and bulbous around it and down its neck getting larger towards the body.

This thing, and its six souless black eyes, stared at Hachi before giving a wet, distorted, howl that echoed through the halls. Shivers ran down his spine as the creature began to charge the door.

In that split second before the creature came colliding with the door, Hachi slammed it shut and dove behind the desk. When the creature crashes through the door, Hachi shrieked at the top of his lungs.

The creature rolled, colliding with a shelf with a concussive boom. Everything on it collapsed onto the beast, creating a pile of books and shattered wood.

[Hannelorian]

They say that ignorance is bliss, and somewhere in that cliche is a seed of truth. Not knowing and acting with a rather cavalier sense of self is somewhat freeing, that is until one is no longer ignorant and confronted with the harsh truth of the nature of their reality. The world is not what it once was, it is not what you thought or assumed, it is in fact, something from a nightmare birthed into existence by an unspeakable force. It is the kind of shattering of self that one must either succumb to, and in so doing, lose one self or one's life, or adapt to and so rather quickly. Nora would adapt.

A deep sigh escaped her lips, staring out of the window into the blackness had only gotten her so far. Raising her right wrist she checked her watch. It had confirmed the same thing the alarm had, the sun should have risen, it was what normally she would call a productive hour of the morning. "Anomalous weather." Nora spoke the phrase softly while lost in a thought. As though those two words were some kind of panacea, some kind of excuse, a gentle playing down of the terror that she should have been feeling. However, Nora did not go the extra step to attempt to justify what she had seen, in her own mind that would be foolish as it would be pure speculation and not a reflection of scientific principal, she hadn't enough evidence to form a hypothesis.

Nora shook her head and turned back, extended her ID card once again to gain access to her lab. She took several steps forward to the desk of one of her colleagues, and looking at the phone she looped a finger around the handset and picked it up, placing it to her ear. "Dial tone... good." She quickly typed in an extension she was fortunately or unfortunately too familiar with depending on the circumstances. Lady Kei's office. Not her direct line of course, that would be inappropriate, but the extension of a scheduling assistant. The phone rang, and rang, and rang. Eventually the sound of the voicemail message would play. Nora placed the handset back into the receiver. "Fantastic." Sarcasm seemed an appropriate defense mechanism.

Taking several steps further inside she stopped by a metal cabinet, punching in yet another sequence of numbers into a small panel, the lock released and she opened it. Looking around she felt somewhat overwhelmed though the exact source or rather the rationale behind it was absent. "Torch... torch... where are you torch?" When Nora was alone it was not uncommon for her to talk to herself, something to pass the time, vocalizing internal thoughts seemed to keep madness or boredom at bay. Eventually her hand came to rest on a long black cylinder, at last she had found it. Taking it more firmly and properly into her hands she withdrew it from the cabinet, closed the door and made her way back into the hall, extending the device in front of her, a thumb rested on the power button, pressing it and allowing the stream of light to burst forth and illuminate the darkened bits of hallway.

Nora began to walk down the hallway, torch in front of her for the spots where the lights had seemingly gone out. She walked with a sense of confidence, or perhaps purpose. Like this was something entirely routine or normal. This of course, was a mistake, but she had yet to come to realize this. The sound of her high heels clicking along the floors as she went, a familiar and somewhat comforting sound to say the least. "Seriously, is it a company holiday?" She rolled her eyes and kept moving, there was an odd silence. Nora would peek through the windows into various labs and offices as she passed them. Everything had simply been left as it was, the glow of computer screens ever present, cups of coffee still left on desks.

That's when everything changed. Nora as she walked suddenly felt as though she had stepped in something, something wet, sticky, unusual. Taking a look down and shining the light upon it, it was a kind of black sludge. Unexplainable, certainly odd. "What... is this?" She whispered, as though her instincts had told her that now was the time to keep rather hushed. She knelt down, and like any scientist would, she ran a finger through the puddle of whatever it was and raised it to her eyes. "Curious." It was warm... whatever it was it was fresh. Troubling. As she would move to rise, she felt something hit the shoulder of her lab coat, and looking up she saw something.

It was a creature of sorts, something like a mold... or fungus but alive, alive in a traditional sense, it was oozing and from what may have been it's head, spikes or quills had emerged. Nora instinctively moved to step backward, slowly, out of the puddle onto the floor, the light now shining on something which was beginning to stir. She clicked the power button once more and extinguished the light, her eyes drifting down the hall toward an illuminated sign on the ceiling that indicated the stairs were right there. She said nothing further and continued to back away, her eyes never left the creature. When her back was against the door she used her weight to push the bar down and open it, pushing herself slowly through. On the other side she leaned against the closed door and exhaled deeply. "What in the actual fuck?"

Before she could contemplate anything further she moved down the stairs, to the next floor, and as she opened the door that was when she heard it, a thunderous boom, the sound of something like a scream. Someone was alive, someone was here, or at least they were. The shrieking sound could have indicated death. Either way, the curiosity in Nora propelled her forward toward the sound, which led her down the corridor to a part of the building she had never really been in before. Offices that were foreign to her, but was definitely the source of the crash. A broken door, items from within had spilled in the hallway, from the fallen shelf but she had no way of knowing that yet.

"Hello?" She called out, but none too loudly, and she finally approached the door and shone a light, she noticed the creature on the floor, it seemed to have, for the moment incapacitated itself. A relief. And then of course she noticed the man, something which might have been unusual. Few men worked here, most were janitors, low level assistants, the kind no one noticed. A few were actual doctors, researchers, even mages she had heard. But for a moment she seemed unphased, and almost too curious. "Hello." She said this time, it was not a question.

[Dire Hoef]

"Hello."

A firm, yet feminine, voice slashed into the ambient silence of the aftermath.
Hachi, in that moment, hadn't really processed that a woman was standing just inside the doorway; staring at him.

It was unlikely that anyone else was alive, but to see that someone hadn't disappeared or became monster food was a sheer delight to him. For those few scant moments, his mind was in bliss. However, reality was not far behind and the weight of it all came meteoring back.

His eyes widened at that realization, and then those same eyes snap to the creature who, at this moment, was incapacitated. A brief relief befell him, but he suspected they only had a short period of time before the creature was back to its feet. So he planned to make his introduction quick.

"H-H-Hello... I-I, uh, I don't know how long this creature will be out but, I don't think we should be here mam." He spoke fast, and quietly; his eyes pacing between her and the beast. "I-I suggest we-we-we go s-s-somehere e-else."

Now that there was a little time to really look at this woman, Hachi had only recognized her in passing. In fact, she was one of the few women Hachi saw frequent his eldest sister's office. To Hachi, she was someone Kei spoke highly of not only for her work ethic, but the sheer amount of quality results she produced. Hachi understood, in these finer moments, that this woman was someone who was highly capable.

[Hannelorian]

A part of Nora was delighted to see a person, an actual person. A part of her was disappointed that he seemed somewhat panicked. Not that this was surprising or indeed unreasonable. But Nora did have a tendency to expect that most people would and should react exactly as she did, with a healthy curiosity, a bit of disgust, and an appropriate fear of danger. But now was not the time for a prolonged lecture on how to handle the unknown.

She now had a moment to look at the man before her, he was handsome, and familiar. There was little time to observe the objects in his office to make a better judgment, but her mind was focused enough to recall the name on the plate outside the door as she had entered. "Yamazaki, Hachiro." She stated rather in a matter of fact tone. He was a Yamazaki, the son, the brother, the one no one spoke of, and if they did it was generally in less than pleasant. Kei herself rarely, if ever had mentioned him. But once more this was perhaps not the time to unfold her memories looking for references to him.

"You are most correct." Another matter of fact statement, though to be honest she was once again wandering in her mind. "I would recommend that you calm your nerves." Nora took several steps toward the creature, now leaning down beside it. It seemed well enough out, but who was she to know? Her scientific mind was racing. "Fascinating..." Perhaps she should have been concerned with her own safety. "I've never seen anything like this." A small smile crossed her face, and she began to fish in her pockets, withdrawing a small scalpel, sheathed appropriately of course, a petri dish. She always carried such objects around, normally to hand off things to the biologists on her team.

"If you're squeamish, you might wish to avert your eyes." Nora was full of suggestions, rather than orders. Withdrawing the blade she hesitantly reached down to the creature, and with all the care she could muster would use the object to make several small slices. She noted a jerk of movement that caused her to withdraw momentarily before she realized it still was not getting up, placing the sample in the dish with her hand she covered it and stood returning her attention to the man. "Shall we?" She asked slipping the sample into her pocket, reclaiming the torch light and moving toward the door.

"Have you reached anyone? Seen anyone else?" As she entered the hall she noted the corpse which had become more of a snack than anything else, Nora seemed not to react. Instead she began to move, "come on." She called back, looking around the hall, there was a small library ahead, and with the flick of a wrist, the scan of a card the door opened and she peered inside, it was empty, for now.

[Dire Hoef]

Hachi was a little surprised to hear his name be stated so matter-of-factly. He truly wasn't expecting for this woman to care to remember who he was. However, his mind was only really focused on being as far away from that thing as possible. And yet, this woman was keen on getting a sample from it.

Hachi watched her, not being so squemish at first, cut a part of it into a petri dish. He had control over his stomach in this instance and only gulped down some saliva that had pooled in his mouth. Though, he did nod enthusiastically when she motioned for them to leave his office. And when they were out in the hallway, Hachi spoke.

"I-I had spoke with Professor Nabuo," he said following in behind her, "Heee was attacked by something and the line was cut.." He replayed the whole scene in his mind, the fear only really bellowing in the pit in his stomach. "He's a lot bigger than I am, so I hope he's alright.. B-But it didn't sound promising.. He's down on the second floor... I know w-where his office is..."

He saw that the library was empty from the outside, and peered in as well; slotting in where he could. He saw that the doors on the other end had power and said, "We c-can cross the library.. I remember there being an access door to s-stairs on this s-side of the complex."

He kept his eyes transfixed on the edges of the library as something about them caused that same fear to swell. He could see that the edges were slowly expanding, like a moss expanding across a downed log. He had never seen darkness behave in such a manner. It felt highly alien to him.

"The darkness... It looks like its alive..."

[Hannelorian]

"Nabuo." Nora repeated the name in a solemn voice, she listened to Hachi's description of the encounter and had to confess it seemed likely he was dead, but then again, it was impossible to say. "I would assume he is neither dead nor alive." Schrodinger, maybe there was more to that after all. "Strange man." All men were strange to Nora, she could hardly see the use in them, save for reproduction. Occasionally one might surprise her, but she had always considered she was simply missing something. Or admittedly she hadn't given them much of a chance. "He keeps to his colleagues." History, he had a passion for that she knew. But what he did, what his projects were, she couldn't really say.

What caught her attention was the mention of the darkness seeming to be alive. That certainly felt true... it seemed sentiment, and if she concentrated hard enough, it was like she could hear it thinking. "Alive... very astute Hachiro." Nora did not always assign credit but here she felt it went along with her attempting to be somewhat reassuring. "Dr. Eleanor Sakai." It had occurred to her that she had not introduced herself at all. "Director, Engineering Research Group S." It was all so formal, which was exactly how she enjoyed it, but again given circumstance perhaps it was wiser to be softer, somewhat kinder than she would normally be inclined. "For the time being, you may call me Nora if you prefer."

The darkness at the edges of the room was indeed expanding, small bits like tendrils reaching out further and further, the central mass like a flood filling the gaps as those same tendrils laid the groundwork. It certainly seemed to be somewhat intelligent, or perhaps highly adept at survival. "I wonder what would happen..." Nora moved further in with a kind of grace and elegance. Everything she appeared to do was calculated and executed with a kind of precision. Nora came to one of the stacks of books, a large shelving unit and did something that was unexpected if one didn't know Nora.

Bracing herself against the row behind, Nora lifted a leg and placed it against the stack and pushed, it didn't take much to send the shelf toppling over toward the edge of the room. The crash was quieter than expected, almost like the darkness had provided some sort of cushion, and without so much as a breath, it slowly began to crawl up the sides of the shelf and onto the books that spilled everywhere. It was like she had given it a ladder. She was not surprised to see this after Hachiro's observation.

"You're right, time to go." Listening to what he said she began to now rather quickly cross the room to the door on the opposite side, just as the man had said an access door. "See how much we can contribute when we remain calm?" There was something of a smile that came and went as she pushed into the stairwell, looking down it wasn't a terribly long way... but there was no way of knowing what's down there. "You said he sounded attacked? So... we should assume that whatever is up here, is also down there... " That thought was not particularly comforting, looking around she spotted one thing that may help...

On the wall there was a red case, metal with a glass panel and just behind it a fire axe, something somewhat regulation. Using her elbow, shielded only by the fabric of her laboratory coat, she smashed it, and reached inside to withdraw the instrument. "Couldn't hurt." Nora reasoned out loud and looked down once more, slowly she would descend with Hachi hopefully following behind.

[Dire Hoef]

Hachi took what she said into consideration. Perhaps it was too soon to pronounce him dead. So, Hachi kept the thought of him still living in his mind, hoping and praying that he remain alive.

"Dr. Eleanor Sakai."

Hachi internalized this, opting to using her less formal name. He gave a firm nod after fully absorbing the name into his memory. However, her sudden experiment caught him off guard. He watched as the shelf toppled over, but barely made a sound. This haunted him as that clued Hachi in that this mass, whatever it is, is tangible to some degree. There is shape given form here. It's made of a material that cannot exist naturally in this world.

Although, he didn't ponder this for too much longer as he followed Nora through the library and to the access door where said, "Y-Yes.. I'm starting to see t-the need for calm..."

To say he wasn't terrified would be terribly uncouth. He was quaking in his shoes, and was constantly glancing around; hyper aware of his surroundings to an unhealthy degree. He looked as though he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But, his eyes would have told anyone that he had a goal in mind. One that he was going to achieve whether he'd live or not.

Nevertheless, his fears were alleviated by Nora taking a fire axe as a weapon. He didn't have anything worthwhile to defend himself, and frankly he still felt too terrified to do so. He deferred to her in this instance as she started down the staircase. He filed in behind her having said, "H-His office.. Is going to be to the left down the hall once we g-get to the floor..."

Treading down those stairs slowly felt suffocating to Hachi, the naueseating stench from before only got heavier. This time there was a distinct pungent smell that assaulted his nostrils. His face crinkled at the scent. But he spotted, coming down a flight, that same viscous form creeping along the walls of the stairwell. It was like a ooze, dripping down from the corners of the stairwell and outspreading from there. He didn't pay too much attention to that after those first few seconds of staring at them

[Hannelorian]

"Strange, isn't it?" Nora said as the two slowly proceeded down the stairs, the same horrendous and vile fluid seeming to rise along the walls. The stench that was being exuded reminded Nora of death, but not exactly of it. It was a kind of rot or decay, something on the verge of death, but not quite there. If Nora had to guess, based on the brief flashes she could get from the ooze, it was trying to communicate, but not with them, with itself... or the parts that made it of itself. "Like a world of nightmare." It was sometimes difficult for Nora to remember that she should remain somewhat positive in the face of a stranger who she did not know how he would respond.

The red of the emergency signs was glowing faintly, some had already been enraptured by the ooze of the darkness. No light penetrated it, it was... unsettling to a degree that Nora did not wish to admit. Like an experiment had gone horribly wrong. There were other areas of Yamizaki where their projects were shielded from her, as her projects were largely shielded from them. "I don't suppose your sister is exactly forthcoming with what goes on here." Kei was notoriously secretive when she had to be. Though the two women got on quite well, and in fact, had a tremendous degree of respect for one another, there were things Nora was simply not allowed to know, and until this moment she had accepted that. Maybe she shouldn't have.

"Oh... and I wouldn't touch it..." That seemed wild, sure, she had just cut into some unknown hell monster, but the black ooze? Oh yes, don't touch that. But truly it was the way it seemed to grow, to encompass whatever it touched that scared her the most, and even though she probably didn't need to tell Hachiro this, she felt compelled to do so. One of her idiot Graduate fellows surely had made this mistake and likely paid the price for it. There was a complete silence in the stairwell, save for their footsteps and breathing. As they arrived at the floor marked 2, she looked at the door and attempted to open it. But the handle wouldn't budge.

"Fuck." Nora let out with a sigh that was less upset and more frustrated. She pressed into it harder this time, leaning her body weight into it. It was while doing she had realized she torn the elbow of the lab coat where she had broken the case for the axe. "Hachiro, a little help please." Nora was always polite, and generally soft spoken. But there was a gravity in her voice that implied she needed the help, but it was still in the nature of polite request. "Once we get through... if you see one of those creatures, run for it try to find Nabuo."