17:45 - THE STAIRWELL

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

The expedition were being waved down below, one by one.

There wouldn't be enough room for everyone, so the guest list

was getting tighter. Mills and his guard, the lead detective and

her partner, Mill's psychologist and lawyer, and of course

someone would need to be on hand for recovering any evidence

that might crop up.

You were patted down once more, before being allowed to enter

the cold, damp stairwell. Butcher and Colt went first, trading

places with a couple guards. Mills and his guard would go last.

It is dark and cold. The stairs are of steel, the paint peels from the
walls and everything is dripping with moisture. Amid the clatter
and noise, your flashlights cast shadows around the ship, and
every breath can be seen in the rank air. A great weight presses in
on you, the too-numerous sounds distorting into a cacophonous

murmur.

There are two, steep flights of stairs until you reach the engine room.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Thy Dungyeon Maestyr

Colt and Butcher go first. Butcher's obviously restraining his emotions

as well as he can.

Butcher-
"This doesn't even look familiar..."

While it is darker, and damper than the night of the crime, it doesn't seem

that wildly different to you, Colt.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Colt-
"That can be good for you, right? Stay alert."

I eyeballed the join for possible points of ambush or ways killer boy could be trying to turn things to his advantage or hurt us.

4V3zXGmz+-1·

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

The stairwell was very narrow, with metal walls and no windows. Unless someone was really good at hiding utterly still in the darkness, in the damp and frigid air, it was unlikely there could be any ambushes waiting.

Butcher-
"_{I can't believe...} ugh... Yeah, I'm alert."

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Yeah, how could he have gotten something over? OK, the fan club can sneak up on the house, hard to cast a tight net there. But there's only one way in and out here, and it's narrow. No way we run into trouble. Still.

Colt-
"Good man."

I had my flashlight out.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

The steps were really slippery. Someone shouted after you about 'bringing your waders.'

Butcher-
"Fucking awesome. Watch your step..."

((Colt, please roll 2d10+Soul))

·wx75cO6h

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

I tried to feel out each step before I brought my weight to bear, but to do it quickly enough to not slow down the crew egregiously.

Colt-
"Noted."

Soul...

cbLmbFc9+-1·

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Butcher stopped so abruptly you almost knocked him off the step.

Butcher-
"Colt. Tell me you hear that..."

You don't hear nuffin.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

I believed him. It's a fucked up place and I could easily miss something.

Colt-
"I don't. What is it?"

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Butcher-
"It sounds like--" He tapped his hand against one of the metal walls.
"...This is the water side. There's nothing behind this. I'm losing my
fucking marbles. Sounded like... I don't know, voices..."

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Colt-
"It could be. Wait up."

I hit my radio.

Colt-
"Detective with Mills. Can anyone copy me up there?"

RADIO:
Copy, this is Flores on deck.

The signal was a bit staticky, probably going to be worse the further down you went.

Colt-
"Without leaving the doors up there, can somebody check the water side for small craft?"

Flores:
"I'll ask Rodriguez, think he just showed up. Over."

Colt-
"Copy, keep it tight, over."

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Butcher-
"We'll let 'em check that but we may as well go down, right?
I think I'm just nuts. I don't hear it anymore."

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Colt-
"Nuts or not, don't worry about it. Let's just get through this."

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

So they continued their descent...


∆§Indea§∆ -- Edmund was patted in and allowed entry. You heard the cops having some exchange about checking for 'small craft', but it wasn't holding up the proceedings. You heard the detectives climbing down below you, out of sight.

What did you think about as you descended? Did you try to stick close to anyone else? Or just hurry down on your own?

[∆§Indea§∆]

I descended as alone as I could, I wanted to experience the feel of it without someone's breath on my neck. I try to keep my mind clear so I can take in all the details and try to feel what it was like on the night of the ritual. Had Mills come in earlier to set up his ritual or had it been on the fly. I also wondered if Mills had been alone on this or if Killoff had played some part. As long as he wasn't waiting for us below I wasn't concerned. I took careful steps down, reaching for my inhaler then thinking better of it. I didn't want my heart racing any more.