#corpse warning

[scorchrend]

how do i even tag this

[yearnstarved]

✧ "I'M FLATTERED. And appalled that apparently there's a look I get." The latex gloves snap as Leonard pulled them over his hands. "Sometimes I get curious to how far you'd go if you didn't have a 'healthier means' to get to your perpetrators."

Otherwise, she wasn't wrong. The average killer, first-timer or otherwise, would perform dismemberment crudely. These cuts weren't a hacksaw job. This was art.

"Amputations at the joints, leaving the proximal joint surfaces intact. Look at the skin." He pointed with his finger. "No bruising or wrinkles. This wasn't done while the victim was alive. I know I just got here but where's the blood, detective?"

( CONTINUED FROM HERE | @danversiism )

[sour-heart-treats]

sequel to the knight cookie fucking dies story? not entirely sure how it would happen but since the setting it took place in was kind of ambiguous (i was originally thinking dragon's valley at first BUT) maybe it could be set in the kingdom; knight had been taking on pitaya to protect it? just some thoughts, feel free to do whatever!

(Part 1 of Knight Fucking Dies/A Slice of Crimson)

A lapse in concentration, and Knight found himself staring towards the sky. When he had gotten on his back, he had no idea. The last thing he remembered was facing that damned dragon, the same one that... That was flying above him?! With- With Princess no less! Knight scrambled to his feet, reaching for a lance that was no longer there. Blinking, the blonde paused before searching around the area for his lance. Nothing but the front gardens of Princess' castle, to which the ground was scorched and cracked as if a battle had already taken place. Maybe- Maybe he had been knocked unconscious? Knight tried to wrack his mind for what could have possibly have occurred, yet his thoughts were quickly caught by the shouting of familiar voices.

Swiftly turning, Knight was met with the order that he was a part of. White Choco, Pistachio, and even Raspberry Mousse were sprinting out in the lead of the group pouring out of the castle, out to face the dragon no less. There would have been a smile upon the singled-out knight's expression, but it dropped seeing the tears upon White's expression as they ran towards him. "You bastard!! First him, now this!" He had never heard her so angry, so distraught. He should have felt a twang in his heart hearing his family member so distressed, yet there was no feeling at all. Oddly, it was cold. "I'll cut off more than just your tail!! Your head will be next! Forward!" A cheer of the order signified their unity towards defeating the dragon.

The crowd neared Knight, and in the realization of how they all stared past him, he held out a hand to the crowd. "Wait, wait! You're going to trample me if you aren't careful!" Despite his call, the group didn't heed his words. They pushed straight ahead. "White! Mousse! Pistachio! I- I order you to stop before you-!" The warrior cut himself off, putting his arms up to defend his face as the herd of other knights went right for him and... Through... Through him? The people that passed through, they felt like nothing more than a breeze. "Wh- What-?" He swore he was just stampeded, yet here he is, absolutely fine. The shock and confusion only compiled when he looked over his hands in the stinging realization that he had been passed through.

He... Was transparent?

"Oh hey, another dead one thanks to them, huh?"

Knight practically whipped his body back around, and blocking the view of the knights storming away... A spirit floated before him. Fire Spirit, to be precise. "D-dead?! I can't be-" Knight once again found his thoughts unfinished, the spirit of flames pointing his staff towards the newly presumed ghost. "You are. Look at yourself. Or, well, look below you at least." There was hesitation and a shaken breath from Knight, this entire situation becoming more than he bargained for, certainly. "B... Before I do, tell me why you're here! Don't you work for Pitaya?!"

"Eh... I'm kinda like their Grim Reaper." With a shrug, Fire Spirit shifted his floating form to be cross-legged. How he could be so casual in a situation that was so dire was beyond Knight's understanding. "Lots of people die because of Pitaya, and since I kinda got their respect by nabbing their bead, I'm stuck with the job of making sure you other spirits pass on nice and easy. Stay here too long and you get somewhat corporeal, but you can't ever really pass on. Oh and, y'know, I guess I help others cope with the fact that they've died in one of the most gruesome ways." A casual chuckle came from the spirit, "It's not the best job, but someone's gotta do it, I guess."

Shaking his head, Knight just couldn't get over the fact that he was dead in the first place. He was one of the most valiant and well-trained knights known to the Cookie Kingdom! He couldn't just fall to his greatest foe! Though... Even with so much running through his head, Knight did as Fire Spirit recommended and looked down upon himself. Knight nearly gagged upon the sight he was given.

A corpse. His corpse. He was looking at a corpse of his own body. "Hooooo, it's a good thing you don't have a stomach anymore!" The spirit jeered, seeing how Knight lifted a hand to his mouth in the midst of all of the horror coursing through his now still veins. The red dried to a deep, browned mess... His armor in tatters and clearly desecrated with charred black... Not to mention the hole in the midst of his body. "Oh right, you don't have a heart anymore, either." Fire Spirit remarked, taking one of Knight's hands. The blonde, with his eyes wide, only found his unstable condition even worse when moving his hand away exposed that even his spirit held that same hole. An indented blotch of crimson amongst his lighter tones.

"I... I'm dead..." The words fell from Knight's mouth, though his mind didn't process that he had spoken such. For such a burnt body, he was a frozen spirit. He's gone. Maybe... Maybe this was why White was so upset...?

Wait- White- His sister- The rest of the order he saw-!

Knight tore his hand out of Fire Spirit's grip, prompting a quick 'huh?!' from the spirit of flames as the blond began sprinting off. "I can't let her get hurt! Or anyone else!" The protector shouted out, not recognizing that he wasn't exactly getting anywhere by using his actual legs. The spirit easily caught up, standing before Knight a short distance ahead. The grin upon his face showed enjoyment of Knight's incompetency as the living dead. "Well, if you're gonna try to save anybody, you're not gonna get anywhere running like that." Taking the guardian's hand once more, Knight found himself snapped out of his narrow-minded 'running'. "You gotta learn to float your way through things now that your body has no gravity on it. Check it." And although it was a bit of a drag since Knight himself couldn't exactly figure it out that easily, a bit of a distance following Fire Spirit's example of floating got the blonde to be just a little bit competent in this new type of movement.

"Why are you teaching me this?" Knight asked with his mind surprisingly calmer than it should have been. Perhaps the shock had finally been numbed for the moment. "It's not like it's a part of your job, is it?"

"Nah. I just figured I'd help you out." Fire Spirit grinned, finally letting his grip go and beginning to float backward in the direction Knight was trying to run off in. "If you save those lives, it's less work for me, y'know? If I help you, you'll help me in turn. Sounds like a fair deal to me." The blonde's expression narrowed questioningly. "So you're only helping me for your own benefit?" Nothing more than a nod and a growing grin in response. "Well... I suppose it's better than no help at all."

[bearimy-dot]

3.04 | 4.13

Bonus:

[friendlyfrankenstein]

"Doc.” “Yeah, boss?” “Doc. You’re a good employee. You don’t steal, or booze up on the job. And frankly I can’t afford to replace you.” “...my salary’s 15$ a week boss.” “I am the owner of a good, moral, small buisness what aint got no spare 17 dollar wages to spend on new blood. When my mama FOUNDED this shop she-” “You drink 20$ scotch, boss.” “Why the fuck is there a re-animated cop on my goddamn chop shop table, doc.” The ‘Doc’ shifted in anxious discomfort. They was, of course, not what you could call a proper ‘licensed medical professional’. Most of the necromancers what worked in joints like this didn’t.  But unlike most of ‘em, they’d actually attended a genuine university for some amount of time, hence ‘Doc’.  The Doc looked like laundry a cat had slept on, or like they were designed to make humphrey bogart look even more handsome then he normally was. They had the dignified air of a vaudeville joke with the treads worn off.  Their boss, on the other hand, looked like an oil painting of a beautiful champion steer. He was a little touchy about it, but it made an impression. He wore nice suits that mostly made the impression that much sharper.  The body on the table, of course, mostly looked like any other chopshop body if you only took a glance. It wasn’t like they made cops in a different factory, and the difference between a cop and a hired thug was pretty thin even before they got done up like a butchers diagram. “...Okay, boss. I’ll be honest with you. Here I was, going about my business, restockin us on antimony cause I been sayin we’re runnin right out an-” their Boss gestured, and the doc made the kind of cringe a man made when a body wished, briefly, for the security and comfort of a turtle’s life.  “And I hear gunshot, so I head over. Never know, might be someone I could help.” they gestured as if to act out the motions of the story, or possibly just distract from the body on the table. The tangled wire and glass vaccume tubes filled with crystals contraption set inside the chest cavity glowed- an eerie green, that tinted the room. 

“And maybe see if they got some rings or wallets nobody gonna miss?” the initial shock must have worn off- the boss was leaning over he body on the table in terse foucus, only just avoiding ashing his cigar over it.  “O-only if it looked like their family wouldn’ miss it!” “This shits why I get away with payin’ you 15 dollars an hour, Doc.” “So anyways... this guy uh. Wasn’t goin nowhere, and fast. I check the wallet... and....” “This had better be good, Doc.” The Doc wrung their hands, a scrap paper portrait of guilt.  “He’s got kids, doc. An’ it was just him an’ them in a photo, boss. And I ch-checked him right then; he was FRESH, boss! Got that *spark*, you can’t do shit with a body that lost that, no more good then a forklift. That souls gotta wanna *stick* to get somethin usefl out of him. An-and how was I to know he was a cop? He didn’t dress like a cop!” There was a sudden, metallic click. The Boss stared, frozen in his half bent pose of investigation; tethered by a gleaming pair of handcuffs to the leg of the table. The Body's hand fell; the only motion of what seemed to be an almost completely still form, only showing any hint of life through the smallest shifts of their wide, stitch-crossed chest.  He was still dressed the way he’d been found in the alley; the beaten up trenchcoat, buttoned up shirt, and binding black undershirt had probably been not much worse off even with the blood. Overall, he looked like someone had a greek statue described to them and tried a whack at sculpture.  The boss had recognized him soon as he came in the room. How could he not? Anyone in this line of buisness knew the face of the catastrophic raid on Dandy Dan’s mortuary.  “...Okay, so i admit the handcuffs mighta been a clue. Hows about I try and find where the key is before the rest of the nerve reconstruction process finishes hookin’ him up to drive in there.” the Doc twittered nervously, girinv a candlewax smile as he hurriedly patted the body down.  “Get me a saw this goddamn minute or I swear on Ma’s grave I will dock yer pay to 10$.” “She’s in the bahamas!” 

[aesopianalgedonic]

[11:33] -- aesopianAlgedonic [AA] began trolling tantalizingCacaesthesia [TC] at 23:33 --

[11:34] AA: HELLO. MANY APOLOGIES FROM HEART TO BE BOTHERING YOU. HOWEVER WONDERED IF COULD TAKE MOMENT OF TIME?

[11:34] AA: I AM DAMARA. NICE TO MEET. HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND CREW WITH GIFT. WAS WONDERING IF WOULD TAKE TIME TO ACCEPT THIS?

[11:38] TC: IF THOU AIN'T MOTHERFUCKING DISINCLINED FROM SUCH GENEROUS NOTIONS BY MAKING A SOJOURN TO THE MOTHER FUCKIN CORPSE CRIB, I SHALL GRACIOUSLY ACCEPT THAT SWEET MOTHER FUCKING OFFERING. :o)

[11:41] AA: OH. WOULD BE NO TROUBLE. I WILL COME TO THIS CRADLE OF CORPSES. WILL MAKE SWIFT TO NOT WASTE LOT OF TIME, YES? SEE YOU IN MOMENTS SHORT.

[11:42] TC: :o)

[11:43] -- aesopianAlgedonic [AA] gave up trolling tantalizingCacaesthesia [TC] at 11:43 --

Damara: *Moments short later Damara found herself outside the "corpse crib" aka the morgue. She was used to this kind of thing, honestly, but she figured she should put on some kind of "oh no" act. Since she was just "innocent civilian teehee". She rolled her eyes, knocking on the door before entering. She had a grin plastered on her face, carrying a knitted sweater under her one arm.* HELLO? HERE I AM.

Kurloz: *Kurloz was in there but he wasn't looking like the happiest mime. Safety goggles and a face mask were hanging haphazardly around his neck, his bloodied smock (with a smattering of colors) still on as he sat at his desk and furiously shuffled through paperwork. He seemed to be looking for something and having little luck judging by how his eyebrows were furrowed and he frowned unhappily at the documents in hand. He glanced up when she spoke and distractedly beckoned her in before continuing to leaf through the paperwork in exasperation. As usual a corpse lay on one of his slabs, and if Damara was especially savvy about corpse regulations she may note that the corpse was lacking an identification tag of any kind.*

Damara: *It would seem she would have to keep this brief if she wanted things to go over well here. She kept smiling, but made sure to have it fade once she glanced over at the corpse. It really was no big woop. Have you seen one dead body then you've seen them all. She makes a show to shudder and look away quickly though. Quickly moving over to the mime, she took a deep bow, holding out the sweater to him. It was a oversized, well, or in his tall case, regular sized, knitted sweater. It was a replica of the basic TUMUT uniform, with purple detailing and KURLOZ MAKARA written on the back of it. It looks exceptionally fluffy.* THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF BUSY THINGS. PLEASE ACCEPT HUMBLE GIFT.

Kurloz: *While normally curious to see the response of civilians to his work, right now he couldn't even think to glance over and check with the bureaucratic nightmare that had been dropped into his hands. Once Damara was close enough to be next to him he did manage to set the paperwork down to stand up and face her, his hand starting to move to offer a shake of greeting before Damara bowed and presented the unexpected gift. Kurloz caught on quickly and returned the bow, his own polite and not as deep as Damara's, but as he did he reached out to accept the sweater from her.*

Kurloz: *Soft, fluffy sweaters were not usually his "thing", but once it was in his hands he couldn't help but admire the texture against his fingers and the detailing as well. He stood up straight to turn it over in his hands, smiling with apparent good cheer as he did.*

Damara: *Damara does not stand up before the sweater is taken off her hands. She folds her hands in front of herself, finally taking a good look at the doctor. It was kind of awkward given the insane height difference, but hey. She tilts her head a little as she watches his reaction, smiling hopefully.* IS ACCEPTABLE? *She gave a small quizzing thumbs up, figuring he wouldn't be able to speak with his mouth stitched up like that. Some people take their fashion statements a tad too far, it seemed.*

Kurloz: *Fashion was a lifestyle, not just a statement! Or, maybe it was something more. It was hard to tell with Kurloz who seemed content to smile rather than communicate half the time. Regardless his expression seemed genuine enough as he looked at the stitching of his name, cradling it with his forearm as his opposite hand traced over the letters. Even if it wasn't his thing, there was no denying excellent craftsmanship. After draping it over the crook of his elbow, Kurloz raised both hands to present Damara a thumbs up, nodding his head (his hair was tied back so the bounce of his wild curls was depressingly absent) enthusiastically in response. Following the thumbs up he pointed at the sweater before raising a hand, making a circle with his thumb and index finger while allowing the rest of his fingers to fan out above while he winked slow enough where it wouldn’t be missed. It was a human gesture he picked up, hopefully Damara would understand.*

Damara: *She watches him as he moved the sweater about in his hands, and it did look like he liked it. At least the feel of it, if nothing else. She moves her head back in a straight position, grinning broadly at the thumbs up. She clapped her hands together once, beaming once he mimed the next thing.* TRULY? THEN I AM MOST HAPPY! GLAD THAT IT HAS BROUGHT SOME JOY TO MYSTERIOUS KURLOZ. *Her voice is cheerful.* WAS WORRIED. SWEATER IS NOT THING FOR EVERYONE.

Kurloz: *For a brief moment, Kurloz imagined dressing one of his corpses in the sweater to see what it would be like, before dismissing it to shrug his shoulders, his head tilted in a way that was almost innocent, as though he wasn't in all actuality a towering, purple blooded troll who spent most of his time with the deceased. He shook his head afterwards before pointing to the sweater again, his own chest and then a sweeping gesture around the morgue. Afterwards it was a matter of folding his arms over his chest, rubbing the upper parts of them and even shivering a little in an exaggerated display of being cold. The morgue may have been chilly for most, but honestly it didn't bother Kurloz and his cold blood. At least he could imply it. As skinny as he was it could be true.*

Damara: *Damara continues to watch him with polite interest, although there were other things she would rather be checking out. The corpses, for instance. But maybe she could sneak down here during the day or something, unless humans happened to work down here as well. She nods knowingly, eyebrows furrowing as she gives a small smile of sympathy.* YES. MUST BE COLD TO WORK DOWN HERE WITH DEAD. AM GLAD DOCTOR KURLOZ WILL NOW FIND SOME WARMTH? THIS DOES NOT COME FROM BEAUTIFUL DEAD. *Whoops, slip of the tongue there. Time to backpedal.* BECAUSE DEATH CAN BE BEAUTIFUL, NO? GREAT UNIFIER OF EVERYTHING. *She puts her hands to her face.* SORRY. THIS IS VERY STUPID THING TO SAY. IS VERY SERIOUS WORK AND THING. PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND OWN VIEW.

Kurloz *Kurloz didn't seem to find it stupid, and instead one of his brows quirked at her words, interest stealing into his features as he peered down at Damara. After a moment's consideration, he set the sweater down, carefully folding it so that it could rest on one of the empty parts of his desk before he walked around it, one of his limbs moving with sinuous grace as he motioned for Damara to follow him as he moved. He was headed to the slab and troublesome corpse he was dealing with, stopping alongside it and spreading his hands over the rigid cadaver as though he were a ringmaster presenting the next performance.*

Kurloz: *The corpse itself was hardly beautiful; it had clearly sat for some time, about two days, before it had been found. The climates was dry, sterile and not overly warm, so thankfully there was a lack of bugs or anything else, but the flesh was desiccated and discolored. Hardly beautiful by any normal standard with how the face was marred by death in a rather grisly and in-human (trollish, actually) way, yet Kurloz was looking at Damara expectantly.*

Damara: *She peered at him from behind her fingers, expecting him to seem kind of thrown off. Since her comment didn't really match up with the facade she put up for everyone here. Although, he seemed to have quite the opposite reaction. It was surprising, but at least that meant no suspicion had arisen. At least as far as she could tell, she was no mind reader, after all. She removes her hands from her face, tilting her head a little as Kurloz motioned at her. She does follow, standing next to him by the slab. Figures she shouldn't bother with acting disgusted toward it now, since she already slipped up. She looks at the body, her expression blank at first, then she stepped a little closer, head tilted curiously to the side.* CANNOT HAVE FOUND DEATH LONG AGO. STILL PRETTY. LIKE DOLL. *She says calmly, just eyeing the corpse up and down. Noting that it didn't have any tag on it.* IS YOUR JOB TO FIND OUT CAUSE, YES? *Turns her head to Kurloz, one eyebrow slightly raised.*

Kurloz: *If the mime was satisfied with her response, he didn't show it. His smile was safe and small, perhaps even bland as he looked back and forth from Damara and the corpse that lay between them, and when Damara asked if it was his job, he nodded slowly, reaching down to idly glide a bare digit across the handle of a scalpel that lay on the equipment table by his hip. His eyes slid along the array of grisly instruments before he finally redirect the purple of his gaze to her, a slow and perhaps even sinister smile spreading across his stitched up lips. He made no motion after that, just watching her with that expression and giving no other indication as to /why/ he was.*

Damara: *Damara had turned her attention back to the mime doctor, giving a short nod in response to his. Her attention shifted back to the corpse lying there on the slab, had it been her old self standing there, then she would most certainly have felt bad, or disgusted, or both. But now? She didn't really feel anything. She had seen countless dead bodies, most of them dying by her hands, and it had been so easy to get emotionally detatched. They were all just bags of flesh and blood, in the end.* MUST BE GOOD JOB. DEAL WITH DEAD. PEACEFUL QUIET. THEY CANNOT HURT YOU WITH WORDS. *She spoke lowly, looking at Kurloz in the corner of her eye. Turning fully around to face him, raising an eyebrow at him.* WHY LOOKING LIKE THIS? SURPRISED BY MY FEELINGS ON MATTER?

Kurloz: *He raised a hand, shaking his head at her latter question, the former taking a little more effort to relay than miming alone. Aware that some level of formality between them had been peeled away but a similar lack of fear nor disgust for the dead, he was picking up the transmitter he usually affixed to his temple to take notes, and on rare occasions, communicate.*

Kurloz: OFT PEACEFUL, BUT NEVER THE MOTHER FUCKING RULE. TO ESPY THE CAUSE OF THIS HOMIE'S DEATH IS A TASK LEFT POSTPONED AS THERE AIN'T NO RECORD OF THIS NAMELESS FUCK. TIS THE LIVING AND THEIR STATUTE WHAT DOTH TAINT THIS BLITHESOME TASK.

Damara: *Her eyes follow the transmitter as he picked it up, one eyebrow still raised in mild confusion. It moves back down once he "speaks" however, her lips curving upwards. This made it far easier to actually communicate, so that was something.* THE DEAD GIVING TROUBLE, NO? BEAUTIFUL, PERHAPS, BUT NOT MUCH HELPFUL. CAN UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM. *She turns her head back to the corpse, her hand on the edge of the slab, tapping a finger against it.* SUCH A WASTE. HAVING TO BE WAITING AROUND, NO? POOR THING WILL WITHER AWAY. *Small sigh, and she turns back to the doctor, seeming bemused.* UNLESS MAKE MUMMIES? *Damara that's not funny. Stop your morbid sense of humor, you.*

Kurloz *The nod Kurloz gave was sage and sombre regarding the helpfulness of the dead.* THIS BROTHER AIN'T LIKELY TO SPILL NO NOISE AT ME ON THE IDENTITY WHAT HE KEPT. THOSE LIPS SHALL NOT PONDEROUSLY OPEN TO EXUDE THE FRESH FUCKIN TRUTH NO MORE.

Kurloz: *It would be so easily if the corpse could just tell him, but alas it was up to him to track through the shipments from a bit ago and figure out which ship sent him an unmarked body. It was doable but time consuming, especially getting someone willing to identify the body or take the time to check their own records. He let out a sigh, but cheered up considerably at the thought of mummification.* OFT HAVE I CONSIDERED SUCH A WHIMSICAL END. TO CRAFT A MEMENTO MORI FROM THE RESIDUUM OF ONES EXISTENCE WOULD BE ONE NINJALICIOUS INTENT.

Damara: *Peeking at the corpse from the corner of her eyes, she gave a small shrug.* PERHAPS REANIMATE. LIKE IN STORIES OF MONSTER AND DOCTOR. *She waves a hand in front of herself though.* HOWEVER SILLY. THERE WILL BE NO NOISE OF TRUTH. IS SHAME. *She lets ot a small sigh, not really feeling all that bummed out, but she is just kind of playing along. It is hard to feel bummed out about some dead person you never knew, or would care to get to know in the first place, had they been alive. She continues to muse at Kurloz, eyebrow raised once more. It wasn't often people enjoyed talking about this kind of thing, and who could blame them, really.* HAVE DONE THIS? WHAT WOULD DO? THINK MUMMIFICATION FROM SWAMP IS BEST. SOMEHOW LEAVES BODY INTACT. HOWEVER WOULD NOT BE FOUND. BORING THING, NO? CAN NOT SCARE PEOPLE IN DEATH LIKE SO. GOOD DOCTOR WOULD LIKE BEING LIKE BANDAGED MUMMY IN MOVIES? *Slight smirk at the thought.* CREEP ON PEOPLE IN DARK?

Kurloz: *Regarding the concept of creeping on people, Kurloz just offered an innocent shrug and vaguely quizzical smile, as though he didn't understand what she was implying, though he also seemed to be thinking deeply on manners of mummification and what ones he found the most fascinating. He had a finger to his jaw, tapping it gently in apparent thought as he considered it, and a few beats passed before the holographic window began to type.*

Kurloz: THE WARMBLOODED MOTHERFUCKERS WITH WHOM WE COMMUNE HAVE RITUALS WHAT ARE MOST INGENIOUS. MUMMIFICATION FORGED AND MANU-FUCKIN-FACTURED WITH SALTS AND NATRON TO WITHER THE CORRUPTIBLE FLESH. IN BANDAGES WERE THEY WRAPPED AND THE MOST PIOUS NOISE WAS SPILT TO GUIDE THEM DECEASED MOTHER FUCKERS ALL TO THE ECHO SIDE.

Kurloz: *As the words came up, Kurloz's hand lifted to reference the larger screen where he kept his data, a few gestures bringing up the knowledge database the ship held of both troll and human cultures so he could quickly bring up visual aids of the ancient egyptian mummies he spoke of.*

Damara: *Damara's smirk only intensified by that shrug, offering a small one in return. She watched him ponder with, for once, genuine interest. She didn't know all that much about the human tradition of mummification, other than what she had seen in movies, so it was pretty interesting. She mostly knew of the whole "natural mummification" thing from swamps and whatnot, hell, she had disposed of bodies like that. Her eyes moving to the other screen when Kurloz brought up the visual aids. Crossing her arms across her chest, she turns her burgundy eyes back to the highblood, musing.* KNOW MUCH OF THIS, DOES HE NOT? BUT HAS NEVER HAD CHANCE TO TRY THIS? *She gestures to the screen.* WOULD THINK HAVE HAD SUCH CHANCE. PERHAPS NOT IN DESCRIPTION OF JOB. MUST PERFORM SUCH THING IN SOLITUDE AND SECRECY.

Kurloz: *Kurloz raised a brow at her, his grin practically devilish as he spread his hands in a "who knows" sort of way.*

Kurloz: I AIN'T PRIVY TO SUCH DOPE MOTHER FUCKING LUXURIES. AIN'T NO SEPULCHER WHAT DOTH AWAIT THE FORTUNE TO ENVELOPE SACRED CARCASSES WITHIN ITS MARBLE FUCKIN MAW. PROFESSIONAL PRIDE AND PROTOCOL DICTATES CLEAN DISPOSAL WHAT BEQUEATHS A NUTRIENT RICH BOON TO FEED THOSE WHOM STILL ENDURE.

Kurloz: *He gestured towards his table and the mountain of paperwork he was just flipping through. Beaurocracy was alive and well aboard the Umbral Ultimatum.

Damara: *She held back laughter, producing a small snorting sound in the process, from the way he responded to her question. "Who knows"? Right. She had a feeling he did know, but simply didn't feel like sharing this information.* OF COURSE. VERY SILLY TO ASK THIS. *She tilts her head forward, one eyebrow raised as her smirk turns into a almost sympathetic smile.* GOOD DOCTOR IS MOST PROFESSIONAL, YES? BUT PERHAPS IN FUTURE OPPORTUNITY OF LUXURY WILL ARISE. *She waves a hand in front of her, still all smiles. Turning her head in direction to the paperwork when he gestured toward it.* OF COURSE. IS WHAT MOST PEOPLE WANT. QUICK AND CLEAN AND PROFESSIONAL. *That can apply to her work as well, and she is smirking again.* HOWEVER. SEE MUCH PAPERWORK. PERHAPS SHOULD NOT BOTHER? *Headtilt.*

Kurloz: *Perhaps in the future, huh? Kurloz gently cradled one elbow while his other hand came to lay an index finger against one of his gaunt cheeks while he considered her and the opportunity she spoke of, though his final say on that concept was just another shrug and a far more gormless smile. If it happened, it happened, but the paperwork...*

Kurloz: NO TAG NO MOTHER FUCKIN DATA. I'M SEEKING ERUDITION AS TO WHERE THIS RIGID MOTHERFUCKER'S HUSK ONCE HAILED. EVEN THE MOST SANCTIMONIOUS FOLLOWERS OF THIS LOATHSOME BUREAUCRACY ALLOW SUCH NINJAS TO SLIP THROUGH THE SIEVE WHEN THEY AIN’T OUGHT DO ANY SUCH THING.

Kurloz: *He allowed some frustration to filter through his features in the form of a scowl directed towards the paperwork. Oh well, he had to sort that out. He shook his head, making a dismissive gesture before plucking off the transmitter and returning to his desk and the mess that awaited him.*

Damara: *Damara only smirked, arms crossed against her chest as she leaned a little bit back to look at Kurloz' face. At his less than enthusiastic response, she simply shrugged her shoulders and turned that smirk into a small smile instead. Her eyes move over to the corpse once more whilst Kurloz "speaks".* NOT EVEN TOOTH RECORD? SUCH ELUSIVE TROUBLESOME FRIEND THIS ONE IS. *She gives the corpse a small pet on the hand, before turning away.* SEEM LIKE HIGH UPS LEAVE MOST WORK TO OTHERS. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT NEW CONCEPT. AM SORRY THAT KURLOZ HAS TO DEAL WITH THIS. *She follows him over to the desk, glancing over the pile of paperwork that was on it. She makes a small "tsk" noise.* WISHES KURLOZ GOOD LUCK ON THIS. PERHAPS SPEAK AGAIN WHEN NOT SO MUCH TO DO? VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION. *She bows her head deeply at him.* MUST THANK YOU FOR THIS. FOR TAKING TIME AND MAKING CONVERSATION.

Kurloz: *Kurloz shook his head. His search of the dental record database didn't come up with any results, which made the mysterious stiff even that more mysterious and troublesome. With how long it had sat before discovery Kurloz was beginning to wonder if perhaps it was a stowaway that nobody wanted to claim, or more importantly, admit that they allowed on board undetected. That would make things even harder. There was another frown as Kurloz didn't even try to hide his displeasure at that line of thought... But his guest and sweater benefactor was talking, so he quickly summoned his smile so he could regard Damara again more appropriately.*

Kurloz: *Before he sat down at his desk he placed a hand over his chest, returning Damara's bow graciously, his opposite appendage settling upon the folded sweater to imply that once more he was thanking her for the thoughtful gift, and after he straightened his head tilted just enough for him to close the polite gesture with a smile that was more suave than polite-- perhaps it was an indicator that he would be down for talking again, especially with a thumbs up accompanying it.*

Damara: *Damara made another small "tsk" noise when Kurloz shook his head, sighing and placing her hands on her cheeks. Eyes shut for a moment.* SUCH SHAME. CAUSING SO MUCH TROUBLE AFTER PASSING. IS NO GOOD. *Another sigh, and she moved her hands away from her face, remembering that she actually had to pay more attention to Kurloz now since he didn't have the communication thing. She waves a hand dismissively, smiling.* PLEASE. SWEATER NO BIG THING. IS MOST WELCOME. *Her eyebrow raises a little at that smile, but she returns it with a coy smirk, nodding.* WILL SPEAK AGAIN, THEN. WISHES FARWELL FOR TIME BEING. *And with another bow, she turns around to leave, shooting the corpse on the slab a final glance just before leaving the morgue. She thinks she just met the most interesting person on the ship.*

[adiostauromachy]

[04:36] -- adiosTauromachy [AT] began trolling tantalizingCacaesthesia [TC] at 04:36 --

[04:37] AT: hEY KURLOZ, i WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU'D WANT YOUR BOX THINGIE BACK,

[04:37] AT: sINCE THE FROGS ARE, uHH, wELL, nO LONGER MUCH OF A THING,

[04:38] TC: :o?

[04:39] AT: uHHHM, yEAHHH, tHEY ARE SORT OF, dEAD, bECAUSE i SCIENCED ON THEM, bUT AT LEAST THEY ARE IN A BETTER PLACE, oR SOMETHING, rATHER THAN THIS SPACE SHIP,

[04:39] AT: i MEAN, tHAT ISN'T MUCH OF A PLACE FOR FROGS, i THINK, aNYWAY,

[05:05] TC: OUR AMPHIBIANS HATH SHARED SIMILAR TRAGEDIES, OH MY BROTHER.

[05:05] TC: I'VE DEDUCED WITHOUT CONTEST THAT THEM LUBRICIOUS MOTHER FUCKERS AIN'T TO LIVE LONG WITHOUT THEIR VISCERA TUCKED SAFELY WITHIN. :o)

[05:07] AT: oH, wELL, eRR, i THINK MOST AMPHIBIANS, oR ANYTHING REALLY, wOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE LONG WITH THEIR INSIDE BITS HANGING OUT, bUT, iT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO EXPERIMENT, i SUPPOSE,

[05:08] AT: bUT, yEAH, wOULD YOU LIKE THE BOX BACK, fOR ANY FUTURE, uH, fROG WRANGLING, oR SHOULD i JUST HANG ONTO IT,

[05:10] TC: TIS A NOBLE CAUSE TO SCRUTINIZE WHEN SUCH CREATURES DOTH REVIVE AND SUBSIST AFTER THEY ARE RENDDERED GLACIAL AND WHOLLY INERT.

[05:11] TC: I SHALL ACCEPT THE HUMBLE STORAGE RECEPTACLE IF THOU AREN’T OPPOSED TO DELIVERING THAT SHIT TO WHENCE IT MOTHER FUCKING CAME.

[05:11] TC: :o)

[05:12] AT: dEFINITELY, i MEAN, iT WOULD BE PRETTY AMAZING IF PEOPLE COULD SOMEHOW DO THAT TOO, i WONDER IF SEADWELLERS CAN DO IT, hM, eRR, sORRY, wENT ON A TANGENT THERE,

[05:12] AT: kIND OF, aNYWAY,

[05:13] AT: aND, wELL, nO, i DON'T MIND i GUESS,

[05:14] AT: aRE YOU ALWAYS DOWN THERE THOUGH,

[05:16] TC: PERHAPS WE SHOULD ENLIST THE ASSISTANCE OF AN AQUATIC MOTHER FUCKER TO TEST THIS BITCHIN HYPOTHESIS. :o)

[05:17] TC: BUT TIS ONLY NATURAL TO FIND MYSELF SEQUESTERED DUE TO THE TRADE IN WHICH I PARTAKE. FEW HARSH LEGIT ENTHUSIASM IN LINGERING WITH THE MOTHERFUCKIN DEAD.

[05:18] AT: uHH, mAYBE, i DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD BE, eXACTLY UP FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, tHOUGH, aND IT WASN'T AS MUCH OF A HYPOTHESIS AS IT WAS JUST ME THINKING OUT LOUD, sO, uHM, i DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY,

[05:18] TC: :o)

[05:18] AT: aND YEEEAH, i SUPPOSE SO, bUT DO YOU NEVER TAKE ANY BREAKS OR ANYTHING,

[05:19] AT: eRR, sORRY IF i'M PRYING OR ANYTHING, iT REALLY ISN'T ANY OF MY BUSINESS,

[05:20] TC: OPPORTUNITIES PLENTIFUL WHAT TO FIND MYSELF A SHITBIT OF MIRTHFUL REPOSE.

[05:22] AT: oH, oKAY, tHAT'S GOOD THEN,

[05:23] AT: aNYWAY, i SHOULD PROBABLY COME ON OVER, bUT, eRGH,

[05:23] AT: dO YOU HAVE ANYONE, tHERE,

[05:23] AT: aS IN, eX-PEOPLE,

[05:23] AT: rIGHT NOW,

[05:23] TC: :o)

[05:24] AT: ,,,

[05:24] AT: tHAT'S A YES, iSN'T IT,

[05:24] TC: :o)

[05:24] AT: eRRRGHH, oKAY,

[05:24] AT: i'LL BE OVER,

[05:27] AT: *Well, at least he was prepared for the not-so-alive people this time around. Despite not being a huge fan, to put it that way. Tavros made his way back to the morgue, which he felt he had been visiting a few times too many by now, carrying the empty container under his arm. Taking a few breaths to brace himself for what would be inside, and also just to savor the fresh air while he could, he nudged the door open with his shoulder and stepped inside.* hEEEY, i, uH, gOT YOUR THING,

[05:38] TC: *Kurloz was inside, dressed to the nines in his autopsy gear. With facemask, goggles, smock, gloves and his unruly hair tied back, the mime was looking rather ridiculous while currently elbow deep in the body cavity of a dead human. Judging by the other occupied slab and at least five freezers with placards in place, it seemed Kurloz had received a new shipment from other vessels in the area. Not many wanted to foot the cost of their own morgue and disposal equipment, so instead they would contract the services of Kurloz and the Umbral Ultimatum, making arrangements to transportalize the carcasses there. It kept Kurloz busy.*

[05:38] TC: *He looked up, nodding in greeting to Tavros before he raised one gloved hand, congealed blood clinging to the blue latex as he motioned for Tavros to set it down on his desk, before making another hand signal to indicate he needed a moment to finish up his task.*

[05:45] AT: *Tavros spotted the doctor over by one of the slabs, and-- OH GOD. NOPE. He wasn't prepared for that AT ALL, him taking a small step back, seemingly about to just backpedal the fuck out of the door. He had no idea how on Alternia anyone could put up with a job like this. He tried locking his eyes on Kurloz' face rather than the blood or the corpses or... The everything. Giving him a very strained smile and quick nod. He turned his head away from the direction with the most corpses, staring at his feet as he walked over to the desk and placed the box on it. It seemed like Kurloz wanted him to wait, so he stands by the desk. His back facing Kurloz and the corpses, mind. Just trying not to lose his shit.*

[06:01] TC: *As freaked out as Tavros was, Kurloz appeared to be in his element. It didn't take him long to finish his task, though the sound of slicing meat and creaking bone was likely unpleasant for his company as he finished removing the bit of human organ he needed to run tests on. It was a rather suspicious corpse and not exactly in the best state for how long it went undiscovered and a simple visual examination wasn't sufficient to figure out the cause of death.*

[06:01] TC: *Once the organ was out Kurloz gently placed it upon a scale he had prepared ahead of time, letting it rest there as he stripped off his protective gear to approach Tavros. His patient could wait. With his gear off Kurloz took a moment to thoroughly wash his hands before seeing to his guest. He came up alongside Tavros and reached out to touch his shoulder if somehow he hadn't noticed Kurloz’s approach.*

[06:12] AT: *Happy thoughts Tavros, happy thoughts. He gritted his teeth as he tried blocking out the, frankly, grotesque noises. His usually perked up cowlike ears now drooping unhappily downwards. He was definitely not going here next time. He /would/ say he was far too busy for anything and then Kurloz would be the one that had to move. This was like some nightmare cabinet or something. At least he didn't

[06:12] AT: have to look at it, but only hearing the noises somehow made it worse, since his imagination filled in the blanks. He shuddered, grimacing to himself as the noises finally stopped, but he still wouldn't turn around. Tavros was pretty much in his own little world at this point, or he had at least one leg firmly planted in it. So when Kurloz touched his shoulder he nearly jumped out of his skin. Him turning halway to him with a terrified expression which quickly turned to a strained smile, him letting out a nervous laugh.* hAHAHHH, i, i DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE, wAS JUST, eRR, yEAH, nO, i DIDN'T NOTICE YOU, wHICH IS WEIRD, sINCE YOU'RE SO TALL AND ALL, *He kept rambling until he got over the initial scare, exhaling deeply.* sO YEAH, hERE'S THE THING, *Gestures to the box.* tHANKS FOR LENDING IT TO ME,

[06:28] TC: *Kurloz's smile was sweet as could be even after Tavros' twitchy reaction to his greeting, and Kurloz paid no mind to it, giving the lowblood a short bow in greeting followed by a thumbs up. Thankfully Kurloz didn't seem interested on keeping their conversation to merely miming and he had the same device he had used last time out in short order, attached to his temple with the holographic screen flickering into life between them.*

[06:28] TC: AIN'T NO MOTHER FUCKIN THING, HOMIE. :o)

[06:28] TC: MIGHT I INQUIRE AS TO THE NATURE OF EXPERIMENTS THOU INFLICTED UPON THE AMPHIBIOUS STIFFS WHAT BOUNCED TO THE ECHO SIDE?

[06:34] AT: *He was about to object when Kurloz bowed, but just kept his mouth shut since the guy made it a bit less formal by giving a thumbs up. He nodded in response, his smile a little less strained than before, but still kind of forced. It was really weird how chill Kurloz was all the time, but maybe that is just something that happens in this line of work, you can't exactly put a lot of emotional invest

[06:34] AT: ment into it. That would be pretty exhausting, he imagined. He seemed surprised by the question, but only shrugged.* oH, nO, yOU CAN ASK, iT WASN'T EXACTLY ANY GROUNDBREAKING STUFF, tHOUGH, i MOSTLY GATHERED DNA SAMPLES FROM THE MORE, uH, jUMPY ONES, oR OTHERWISE EXCEPTIONAL ONES, aND JUST TRIED SOME VARIOUS GENE SPLICING WITH THE OTHERS, *He rubs the back of his neck.* iT DIDN'T REALLY WORK OUT,

[06:34] AT: hENCE THE, eRR, bOUNCING TO THE ECHO SIDE,

[06:42] TC: *Kurloz nodded as he listened, reaching up to cup one elbow while his other hand gently tapped his chin in thought. He was really quite attentive, and once Tavros finished his head tilted inquisitively as words flared up on the screen. Mixing body language that often accompanied speech with words on a screen could be a little peculiar for people, perhaps Tavros would be caught less offguard by the necessity to split attention between the ludicrously tall troll and the hologram that pulsed closer to the lowblood’s eye level..*

[06:42] TC: HAHAHA. TIS A LURID SHAME YOU AIN'T BEEN MET WITH AMPLE SUCCESS IN YOUR VIRTUOUS OBJECTIVE. PERHAPS WHAT MARGINALIA WE KEPT MIGHT BE EXCHANGED TO FURTHER OUR RESEARCH. :o)

[06:48] AT: *It was a bit weird having to seperately deal with the text and Kurloz' body language, but at least it was a lot better than just playing the guessing game with him. Even if it made it kind of hard to focus, his eyes constantly darting over to the screen to see if he had a comment, he still much preferred that over the alternative. Letting out another uncertain chuckle, he shrugs his shoulders once more, shoving his hands into his lab coat pockets.* i SUPPOSE THAT'S JUST WHAT IS EXPECTED, wHEN YOU TRY CROSSING A FROG WITH A GRIZZLY BEAR, i KIND OF WENT OVERBOARD, *He seems to relax a little by now, since talking about work was easy, and distanced him from the whole OPEN BODIES situation.* hMM, mAYBE, tHAT COULD WORK, i SUPPOSE,

[06:58] TC: DID ANY TRUE MONSTROSITIES HATCH FORTH FROM THAT UNHOLY UNION, OR WAS THE SUBJECT LEFT TO EXPIRE IN MEDI-MOTHERFUCKIN-OCRITY?

[06:58] TC: *Kurloz's hands dropped, dangling at his sides as he stared down at Tavros, eager for a response. he seemed genuinely intrigued by the concept of splicing things together, his expression appearing a bit too eager for whatever response Tavros could offer. Don't get any ideas, Kurloz.*

[07:05] AT: *Tavros didn't seem that worried over the overly eager expression on Kurloz' face. He actually seemed more surprised than anything. It wasn't often that people had a genuine interest in what he was doing. He seems to think about the question for a little bit, biting the inside of his cheek.* wELL, nOTHING CAME OUT ALIVE, oR STABLE IN THE END, iF THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN, eRGH, tHE RESULTS ARE PRETTY MONSTROUS THOUGH, sO i GUESS, *He shrugs, grimacing. It really wasn't a pretty sight whenever something did go wrong, it usually being a horrific twitching pile of flesh and limbs, which Tavros SOMEHOW found less nightmare fuely than "regular" dead bodies.* bUT, nO, tHEY ALL PRETTY MUCH EXPIRED, oR i HAD TO HELP THEM DO SO, *He sighs.* uSUALLY IT GOES BETTER,

[07:15] TC: *There was a difference in dealing with the mutated corpses of creatures who only had a mild understanding of the world they lived in and creatures who were sentient with lives, goals and loved ones of their own. It took someone able to remain emotionally detached to handle a job like that, especially when corpses came in after a particularly grisly death. The troll who did handle it allowed his eyes to widen a bit at the news of Tavros' results, leaning back just a touch as a wide grin grotesquely deformed his lips and mouth around those thick black stitches.*

[07:15] TC: DO ANY OF THE CARCASSES YET EXIST UPON THIS PLAIN? I'VE A NOTION TO PEEP UPON THAT MUTILATED FLESH AND FIND THE TRANSFORMATIONS SUCH VENTURES HATH WROUGHT. :o)

[07:22] AT: *Okay, THIS expression made Tavros a tad worried. Science is pretty radical and all, but that grin was just something else. Suppose he couldn't really help it, since his mouth was stitched up. Tavros made a kind of noncomittal "eeeh" noise before answering.* mOST OF THEM i HAVE DISPOSED OF, bUT i DID PUT ONE OR TWO ON JARS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG, bY ANALYZING THE TISSUE AND WHATNOT,

[07:22] AT: bUT, uHH, i GUESS YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK AT IT, *It really sounded like he said that as a question, not too sure wether or not it was a good idea to let anyone see it, really. Although, if someone could stomach it, it would most definitely be Kurloz.* i COULD BRING YOU ONE OF THEM,

[07:30] TC: *Kurloz raised a hand, shaking his head in a quiet denial of Tavros offer, though it wasn't a flat denial by any means. His smile remained broad as he pointed to himself and then Tavros, before lifting the hand to guide two fingers to "walk" across the air between them.*

[07:30] TC: YOU SHAN'T NEED TO BRING THY NINJALICIOUS EXPERIMENT HERE, BRO. I'LL OFFER PROPS AT YOU IN YOUR FRESH FUCKIN CRIB WHEN TIME ABIDES SUCH WICKED NOISE.

[07:30] TC: PERHAPS YOU MIGHT REVEAL UNTO ME THE OTHER PRODUCTS OF YOUR LICENTIOUS TOILS. IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE SOLID TO TOUR THE CARNAL CIRCUS WHERE YOUR PRODUCTS OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE DOTH RESIDE. :o)

[07:38] AT: *Oh. Back to miming. He focused on Kurloz' gestures, but it was pretty straight forward, so he looked fairly quickly back at the screen.* oH, wELL OKAY, *He turned back to face Kurloz again once he read all of it.* sURE, iF YOU FEEL LIKE COMING OVER THEN i WON'T STOP YOU, aND AGAIN, eRR, sURE, yEAH, i MEAN IT IS NOT THAT INTERESTING, sINCE THEY ARE ALL JUST ON JARS AND THAT,

[07:38] AT: bUT, yEAH, nO, cOME OVER WHENEVER YOU HAVE THE TIME AND i CAN SHOW YOU WHAT i HAVE,

[07:42] TC: *Kurloz seemed rather pleased with that decision. Tavros got a double thumbs up and an enthusiastic nod for his offer. Just you wait, Tavros. Soon you will have a mime all up in your workplace and awkwardly taking up space. The coroner shall soon make his escape to the more wholesome parts of the ship.*

[07:42] TC: AIGHT MOTHERFUCKER. NOW IF YOU AIN'T MIND I GOT A PATIENT WHAT LAYS WAITING FOR MY TENDER TOUCH. ;o)

[07:46] AT: *He smiles sheepishly at the reaction, really not used to that kind of enthusiasm, but nods and gives him a thumbs up in return. His smile got kiiind of lopsided and strained at that last comment. "Tender" and "CORPSES" didn't really add up in his book.* eR, yEAH, sORRY FOR TAKING UP YOUR TIME AGAIN, *He fidgets, laughing meekly.* i SUPPOSE i'LL SEE YOU WHENEVER YOU FIND THE TIME, sO, sEE YOU AROUND, *He gives a little wave, turning on his heel and leaves the morgue, perhaps a tad too quickly than what would be considered a normal pace.*

[07:50] TC: *Kurloz returned the wave once Tavros moved to escape, though he didn't waste too much time in heading to the cabinet to redress in fresh protective gear. Even as cold as the morgue was kept, flesh was a ticking time bomb to putrescence so he did have to put a little hurry into his step before vital evidence became victim to decay. After pulling on a fresh smock he glanced to the door to see if Tavros was still in sight (everyone seemed to want to hurry away from his "office", he noted), before finishing up preparing to get back to work. Tavros would see the mime again soon enough.*

[07:53] -- adiosTauromachy [AT] gave up trolling tantalizingCacaesthesia [TC] at 07:53 --

[thelof9]

ooooookay I know people are reblogging important news but if there's any footage/images of corpses, no matter how non-dead they look, please, PLEASE tag it. I do not need to see dead children on my dash I really don't