In a new light

[thevictoriandetective]

Who: Sherlock and OPEN
What: New changes and video game munchies
When: Very late Day 97
Where: Cookhouse
Warnings: Mentions of drugs, suicide.



Dying made one hungry.

Sherlock was prone to being over dramatic, and would gladly tell anyone who inquired that yes, he was killed three times in the game and yes, for a second there he really thought he was going to end up nullified or actually dead. Being quite pleased that he wasn't a digital slug or dead, he found himself famished and in the mood for something dreadfully unhealthy and/or sweet.

Toby was exhausted and fell asleep back at the trailer (or was mad at him for thinking he really did die), so Sherlock was alone when he went to the Cookhouse.

He went to grab a basket of chips (fries) and a milkshake when it hit him. He'd noticed something strange with his vision when he came back, seeing faint blotches like if he'd looked in the sun for too long or something, but he assumed it had something to do with being in the game, some lingering side effect. He would only be worried if it remained for any length of time. What he didn't expect was a blast of orange and red when he looked into the kitchen.

He shut his eyes immediately, confused, and was shocked that he could still see it. He could see shapes of people, registering as different shades of red and orange, fading to yellow and green. The walls only mitigated some of it, he could see through them, too. It extended nearly as far as his natural vision, but faded into blank nothingness further on. It was heat. Obviously. He couldn't exactly see objects that didn't give off heat. But any heat residue left, was visible, like quickly fading handprints.

"Fascinating," he muttered, opening his eyes again. The effect was fainter coupled with his ordinary vision, giving a slight glow to anything that gave off heat. It was disorienting and off-putting and, quite frankly, neat.

Comments

[promnibusanctis]

She had been waiting in the cookhouse mostly because she had been dying for a cup of tea and the infirmary had remained empty for quite some time. Her radio was with her, however, should the need arise for her services. If there was one face she was looking forward to seeing, it belonged to Sherlock Holmes.

"Mr Holmes," Helen said quietly at his mutter as she held a cup of tea in her hands approximately a table and chair to his left. With the way he was reacting, she went for the obvious.

"Something new?"

Given his absence, she had gathered that he had been in the mainframe when the game cube had descended. It made the most sense. Helen had her own first change in the fact that her eyes were a striking, incredible blue, the kind that gave off a soft glow in the dark. Even now they were quite vivid. Helen was still startled when she caught her reflection in the mirror.

[thevictoriandetective]

"Helen."

Sherlock blinked, the infrared effect wasn't going away. And her eyes seemed to be faintly illuminated or just very bright, nothing to do with the strange ailment/ability that he seemingly now possessed.

"Your eyes," he said, as if it wasn't obvious. He raised his milkshake glass at her. "They're different."

Duh.

"Ah, well, yes. I died a bit and came back," he decided to take his things and sit across from her without invitation after tearing the chip. "Do you know anything about infrared vision in...uh...lizards or snakes?"

[promnibusanctis]

"Mm," she nodded, "they've been getting bluer since I've been here, a little more each day." Helen was, as always, fine with him joining her. "I'm still getting used to them."

Her eyebrows arch at died a bit and came back. Ah. The game. It sounded terribly unpleasant and she was decided irritated with herself for not going to at least see if there had been something she might have done. It's finished now, of course, and there's nothing she can do except aid him, now.

"Quite a bit," she said after a very long sip of tea. "I have also worked with several humanoid and near-humanoid reptilian species on my own world. I take it you're seeing in infrared." She can't help herself from looking fascinated. "Of course, that would seem to correlate to your gradual metamorphosis. The Carnival clearly has a theme for you."

Helen set her tea down carefully.

"May I examine you?" she asked gently.

[thevictoriandetective]

"They...ah, suit you," Sherlock said slightly awkwardly, he wasn't really all that great at navigating social situations.

He nodded, his brows furrowing. "I am. It's...actually quite interesting, though slightly disorienting. The resolution is fairly good, but the range is nearly as good as my ordinary eyesight. It's overlaid with my ordinary vision right now."

He placed his milkshake down, and nodded. "Be my guest."

He clearly had heat pits that developed in his snout, near where his nostrils were.

[promnibusanctis]

"Thank you," Helen said, inclining her head to accept the compliment, her smile said she was absolutely pleased. Well done, Mr Holmes. She hummed in response to his description and stopped for a moment to warm her hands against her tea cup before proceeding.

"I can well imagine that having two sets of organs telling you what to see would be a rather disorienting experience."

Her hands were still nicely heated from the warmth of the cup as she studied his snout.

"Well, you most definitely have heat pits which accounts for the overlap in vision. I would probably say," she gently adjusted the angle of his head to get a better look, "that you are most definitely adjusting to a pitviper physiology. Your heat sinks' location definitely confirms that. Honestly, you should be able to consciously switch between the two if you have it overlaid."

Heled smiled then, taking her time to examine his colour and scaling while she was at it before she took a look at his eyes. Her expression remained one of someone going through an incredible amount of information all at once and then she broke into a brighter smile.

"Your eyes look good, nice and healthy, no cloudiness yet or blueness that might indicate a shedding period and your scales are absolutely lovely. Honestly, you're probably going to have to compartmentalise your vision in order to switch between the two," she said, cupping his face almost gleefully for a second. "Shall we give it a go?"

[thevictoriandetective]

He did note that she took the extra step to warm her hands. It was unnecessary, only an extra step for his own comfort, and he found the gesture quite thoughtful. No one had actually inspected his, ah, changes, much less anyone with a degree, much less anyone with the right sort of degree. Sherlock was an expert in many things, but his knowledge of biology tended to be 99% concentrated on humans, therefore he did have unfortunate gaps when it came to figuring anything about whatever he was. Most of what he did know he'd learned from literally living it, through trial and error.

"Pit viper," he repeated, making a mental note to grab a book about them the next time they got to a world with a functioning book store or library.

"Shedding period? That sounds fantastic," he said wryly. Sherlock knew...vaguely...that snakes shed, but then again, this was the man that deleted information about the sun and solar system from his mind.

But what really got to him was the fact that she didn't seem to be at all bothered about what he looked like, and treated him no different than if he'd looked normal. As much as he complained about his body being only transport, he was bothered about his inhuman appearance. It was stupid, but he'd been called a freak for a long time before he turned green. Maybe she was being nice, but it made him feel a little better that she said his scales were lovely.

"Yes, why not?" A nod.

[promnibusanctis]

"I assume your new biology will shed," Helen murmured, "since this does seem to be a magic triggered but also a very reptilian based change. If you start to feel itchy and your skin becomes drier than usual, do let me know. You'll need a place of higher humidity and probably a nice soak to aid with the shed. Think of it like getting too much sun and your skin peeling to make way for a healthy epidermis. That might be a more familiar image to hang onto."

She searched his face for a long moment and her face softened further. How many patients and friends has she sat with through the years who took that wry tone that meant so much more. Helen pulled her chair closer and sat neatly before continuing, her fingers laced around her cup once more. Experimentation could wait a moment longer.

"Sherlock," Helen said his name carefully, pointedly, "what you are becoming is not a monster, a curiosity, a freak, or something unnatural. If you prefer, you may use the terminology of my world. Abnormal and, if it helps more, I am an Abnormal myself even without my glowing eyes. Magic, genetics, or in my case, I injected myself with a rare pure sample of sanguine vampriris blood it is all a change."

Her bright blue eyes were steady and honest.

"I became something else, though it was not a vampire."

[thevictoriandetective]

Sherlock nodded, the thought of simply just shedding his skin was off-putting enough, but knowing him, he'd probably keep half of it just to test and experiment with. Still--ordinary people didn't have to bloody shed their entire skin off periodically. Sherlock paradoxically had always been torn with wanting to be special and wanting to fit in. He liked being a genius, but he also would rather blend in and not be singled out for being a 'freak.' He'd been bullied as a child for being different. As stupid as he found it to be, there was a deep-seated insecurity there.

However, he listened curiously at Helen's words. He glanced uncomfortably to the side, the words she'd spoke were all things he'd called himself internally, before looking back at her when she spoke about injecting herself with a sample of vampire blood.

"You did? Why? What did you become?"

He grasped at his milkshake, still feeling torn.

"Objectively, it's all very fascinating, and offers some modicum of protection, and a defensive advantage I'd not have otherwise. But, on the other hand..." An uncomfortable pause. He wasn't really used to being this open, much less to someone he hardly knew, but if anyone would understand, she would. "I look in the mirror and I don't recognize myself. And yes, it's partially vanity. But it's also a reminder of how bit by bit, I'm losing what makes me human. The only thing vaguely remnant of me is my hair. And I doubt that will survive the shedding."

He looked away again. "I know it's stupid. I know what makes you human 'is on the inside.' But even my 'inside' has changed. I...have a memory technique I call my Mind Palace. I don't know if you've heard of the concept, but you build a structure in your mind and fill it with memories, and you can find your way back to anything. Well, I had locked away what I can only describe as 'the snake.' Bestial instincts. But it broke open during the vampire debacle. And now I can't put it back. Because the snake is me. It's my thoughts. My body and my mind betray me bit by bit." His clawed, webbed hands shook slightly.

He scoffed, angry at himself for revealing so much. "It's only for a year or two. I can take it. Scientifically, I look forward to whatever I'm 'becoming.' Emotionally...I'm an idiot."

[promnibusanctis]

Helen nodded as he spoke, letting him do so uninterrupted until it all came out. She looked him in the eyes and took his free hand, her fingers closing around his up until the webbing as if she could share her own fortitude. The silence was long as she sat there taking a moment, taking three.

"Nothing you have said is stupid," Helen said, her voice almost a whisper. "I was not the only one who took the blood. My fiance at the time was John Druitt, James Watson, Nigel Griffin, and Nikola Tesla all partook. John gained teleportation, James gained incredible intelligence, observation - not unlike yourself, Nigel was able to bend light around himself, rendering himself invisible for good or for ill."

Her eyes found Sherlock's again where they stayed.

"Nikola," his name came out with a slight catch. "Nikola's transformation was the most violent, painful, and it was done, he was a vampire. I sat with him through all of it as I worked with the others as well but for a long while, he saw only the monster in the mirror, the long daggered claws, jagged teeth, the hunger for blood, as beastial as any. But together, we found a way through it."

Helen laughed very, very softly.

"Nikola Tesla is a brilliant man, yes. But if anyone is an emotional idiot, it is him, not you. The man once attempted to revive sanguine vampiris, who, mind you, enslaved my earth for thousands of years. This on the ridiculous notion of ushering a golden age of peace. Both of us nearly died putting that plan down and blew an underground vampire city, population, queen, and all straight to hell."

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"My point is that you and I will get through this together and if I have to extend my contract I will." Helen cocked her head slightly and offered him a wry smile.

"Ah. Your question." Helen brought her other hand around his free one and smile edged wider. "I am 275 years old."

[sweatsthesmallstuff]

Will was still getting a feel for the lay of the land, though thankfully the place was small enough that he could already get around without getting lost. It was pretty easy, really; if you get to the woods turn back, and the cookhouse was in the middle of everything. Speaking of which, he was getting pretty hungry, and it was always a good idea to eat when things were calm. You never knew when an emergency might pop up. Plus, running on a full stomach made you slow.

He gives the lizard-guy a curious glance before switching his attention to the food. Will considers his choices for a moment, rubbing the back of his left pointer finger under his chin for a moment. He's just settled on and is reaching for a burger with that same hand, when the lizard-guy mutters the word.

Will pauses for a split second, not really certain what to do, before deciding that if the guy doesn't want him butting in, he can say so. It is kind of weird that the guy was still standing there just holding the food, now that he's actually looking at the guy. "Uh... are you ok?"

His clothes mark him as from the 21st century, and his accent marks him as American, or at least from the continent of North America. Other than that he's a perfectly ordinary specimen of human male.

[thevictoriandetective]

Sherlock snapped out of it, the strange infrared glow overlaying his vision. He could see that Will obviously gave off heat, and the rest of his ordinary eyesight let him deduce what he could from his appearance.

"I probably will be...do you know anything about infrared sensing in lizards or snakes?"

Random question, probably. He was clearly a new person, and at one point Sherlock would have felt sorry for them. But now...now it was different. He could understand why people voluntarily came. Or stayed.

[sweatsthesmallstuff]

Will had some very good reasons for voluntarily signing a contract with this place, but they don't matter right now.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, trying to glean what hints he can from the guy. It wasn't the easiest thing, reading a non-human face. "Not really, sorry. I specialize in psychology these days, mostly, and reading crime scenes from time to time. I never really had any reason to learn about reptiles."

Will gave the other person an apologetic shrug as he reached down again to actually pick up that burger.

"So unless you really want me to pick your brains, or you need to be cleared of a murder, I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

[thevictoriandetective]

Weird vision was forgotten a moment, as disorienting as it was.

"Crime? What sort of crime are you interested in?"

His own food and drink seemed to be forgotten as well, his interest fully in this new person.

"I don't need to be cleared of a murder right now," he said in a dismissive way that indicated it might be necessary one day. "What's your profession?"

[sweatsthesmallstuff]

Will was only a little taken aback by the sudden interest. Not very many people got that excited to hear about his job... then again, maybe this guy was just one of those crime junkies who were addicted to cop soap operas.

"Oh, well... any kind of crime, I guess. I worked for the cops for a while, and the FBI before that, but they didn't really appreciate my... unique take on the scenes I inspected. Now I'm working for a private organization, though my boss hired me more for the psychoanalyzing than the other stuff. Working for her, though, I run into more crime scenes than I expected to when I accepted the job."

He paused for a second, allowing himself to smirk a little at the offhand manner this guy was giving off. "Glad to hear you're not a murderer at the moment, though."

[thevictoriandetective]

Hmm. Reptilian eyes studied him for a long moment, attempting to deduce what he could from his appearance.

"I would like to hear of any murders you solved recently," he said, which was probably disconcerting. Again. Sherlock was desperate, he'd not had any cases since he'd come to this Carnival. He ignored the second part of what he said. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to tell people that he had, actually, shot a man in cold blood once.

"Please present the facts to me in the way that you discovered them."

Well, that was certainly not a conventional greeting of any kind.

[sweatsthesmallstuff]

It might not be exactly conventional, but if Will was forced to admit it he kind of misses being able to solve the puzzles crime scenes presented, even with the crappy attitudes he had to put up with back then, so he's more than happy to talk about one... if he can think of a good one.

Will hesitates for a moment, losing his smile and shifting his stance a little in an uncertain gesture as he looks away from the lizard's gaze, moving over and down. "Recently...? Uh..." Since the last crime he had technically solved had been Magnus attacking the Big Guy, he was trying to think of one he'd feel comfortable discussing. It takes him a couple seconds, before he looks back up with a renewed smile. "Oh! Here's one, it's from when I was still working with the cops. It was one of the more interesting cases I was involved with." If you didn't count clearing your boss of a crime she actually had committed, anyway.

"Okay, so it was a cop shooting, and by the time I arrived on scene, the cops had decided that they'd solved it already. I mean, they usually want a quick conviction in cases like this anyway, but this time their job was made easier by the victim ID-ing the wrong culprit. The family living in this apartment hadn't even told the cops about the kid that had been living there, but there were clear signs--some scratches on the floor, like a hyperactive person had fidgeted during meals, a comic book hidden in an underwear drawer."

It's been years since he worked or even thought about this case, and he takes a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Not exactly iron-clad evidence, I'll grant you. But when I inspected the room where the, ah, 'shootings' had taken place, there was something pretty weird--a deadbolt, on the wrong side of the door. The blinds in this room were always down, the windows were never open. Whoever was living in there, the family had wanted to keep them hidden... and also keep them prisoner. Also, this was just a two room apartment, and five people living there. The adults all slept in the living room when this bedroom would have held at least another two beds. They were definitely scared of the kid, that was pretty clear.

"The most damning evidence was the blood spatter. That was all wrong, and I have no idea why the cops didn't catch it, other than like I said they were just trying to get a conviction. The castoff on the walls wasn't anything like what would have come from a gunshot victim. It was long, multi-directional, like castoff from a blunt object... but the cops were convinced it was a gunshot, so clearly the wound had a similar appearance to that. I wasn't able to inspect the bodies myself--not my department, and anyway I was kind of hit by a car later on so that put an end to my investigation of the scene."

[thevictoriandetective]

Sherlock listened intently, raptly. His probably slightly disconcerting eyes just staring as he eagerly drank it all in. He was definitely case-starved.

"Those cops were incompetent morons," he said, frustrated, like he'd actually been there. He tugged at his coat, full of anxious energy. "A deadbolt on the wrong side of the door!? They should have seen that as soon as they looked in the room. Someone could have been shot in front of their faces and they'd still get it wrong. Why is this a constant in every world!?"

"Blood splatter, obvious," Sherlock repeated. "Blood splatter is one of the most telling...can they not read!? Was that department comprised of only blind children!?"

The fact that this man had been hit by a car was enough to shake him from his rant.

"Unfortunate. Did you find out what happened in the end?"

This man had at least gained Sherlock's interest. Someone who could read a crime scene properly was not something Sherlock would overlook. He tilted his head, slightly impressed.

[sweatsthesmallstuff]

It's gratifying to hear someone else actually taking his conclusions seriously instead of being brushed off as unimportant as long as they crime is able to be pinned on someone even if it's not the right one.

"Yeah, I was just stunned, thankfully. Anyway, I managed to recover in time to see one of the eyewitnesses positively ID the person she fingered, but she was clearly lying. It was... subtle enough that I can't blame the cops on this one. To the untrained eye, it just looked like she was praying for strength or something like that, and when I managed to corner her she refused to admit that there was a boy. Even if she was scared of him, she was still trying to protect him. It was kind of sweet, I guess, even if I found it pretty frustrating at the time.

"After that, I was approached by my current boss, who also helped me figure out what really happened. I mean... honestly, I didn't have all the facts, and wouldn't ever have unless she helped me work them out."

He shrugs, the fact that he's not really upset about it showing in his relaxed shoulders.

"I mean, who'd have guessed it was a boy with a brain-eating limb attached to his torso who reacted badly to people being afraid of him?"

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy was still making the rounds for dishes, this time partially masked by a wave of heat coming out of the kitchen. But he's still carrying the same tub, still sweeping for forgotten dishes, with Pea keeping a watch by the trash bins to make sure people threw things away properly, and not shamelessly begging for handouts with brutal abuse of the 'puppy sad now' face.

He shouldn't be surprised that Sherlock is still eating terribly, but after everything, Jimmy can't fault him for splurging on snacks this time. So he opts instead to head over and see how he's doing.

[thevictoriandetective]

Sherlock glances up from his seat, seeing both the heat from the kitchen trailing away from Jimmy, and Jimmy himself. He radiated the same orangeish glow that most everyone else did. Except himself, for that matter. If he looked down, he barely showed up as a faint yellow and green, and his hands scarcely gave off any color at all. If he was in the sun, it'd probably be a different story. But he was actually at quite a comfortable temperature for himself.

"Not dead," he said cheekily as Jimmy approached. "Or not a nullified slug, anyway."

Yes, he knew he shouldn't have taken those hits for Gon, but he couldn't help himself. He knew he was a reckless idiot. That moment when he disappeared for the last time as his third life was taken well...that was a bit harrowing, to be honest.

[empty_vessel]

"That's both good to see, and a pleasant surprise." Jimmy likes Sherlock, but he would not have been surprised at all to see Sherlock's longcoat in a pile with a little, scaly, green Null in the middle because Sherlock got himself blown up.

But Sherlock hasn't been nulled, and Jimmy sets his tub on another table and slips into the seat opposite. "You're looking....." He trails off upon noticing the new heat pits. "... Those don't hurt, do they? They look kind of uncomfortable." No offense, but when your friend has suddenly sprouted new holes in his face, you're allowed to be a little concerned.

[thevictoriandetective]

Sherlock wouldn't have been surprised, either, but being a little digital slug sounded dreadfully dull.

The detective paused, mid-devouring of a chip that still radiated heat. Those? He reached down to pick up a spoon and look in the back of it to check his reflection. In this Carnival, that was never a good sign when someone said what Jimmy just said.

"Oh, those," he breathed a sigh of relief, when he saw the heat pits, and placed the spoon down. They didn't look so bad. He wasn't exactly...sure...what they were, not knowing all that much about lizards and snakes, ironically. He certainly wasn't a expert, and pretty much all he knew was from firsthand experience.

"No, I didn't even feel them show up."

[empty_vessel]

"That's good. They look kind of.." Jimmy trails off, still staring at the heat pits. Sherlock has holes in his face now, and it's going to take a while to get used to it. ".... painful." It probably won't be a big deal, but they were definitely attention getting.

"It's good to see you as you again, rather than the tree spider thing. Though... I've got to admit, the spider bit did suit you. You're very much a plots within plots within plots kind of person, in my opinion." Sherlock seems to be one of those 'High intelligence, low common sense' types, and Jimmy would not be surprised in the slightest if Sherlock set himself on fire and claimed it was in the name of science or a case later, when everyone was glaring at him in the burn unit.

[thevictoriandetective]

He kindness of Jimmy's concern wasn't lost on Sherlock, and his face softened. Well, as much as a snake-face could, anyway.

"Fortunately they were not." The words 'thanks for your concern' were left in the air as subtext.

"Ah," a smirk. "Despite it all, that was rather fun. It was kind of nice having multiple arms and legs and being able to climb up walls, by the tree on my back was a bit annoying. Got in the way a bit." He brightened at that description. He was a sucker for flattery and that certainly did it for him.

"Yes, well...I believe so too. Though I found your form to be fairly hilarious." Sorry, Jimmy. Sherlock snorted and started giggling again.

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy glares at Sherlock a little before shaking his head. "I was tarted up more than a bakery display case. It was completely ridiculous." He sighs, tipping his head back and staring up at the ceiling for a moment. "And the worst bit was that it was.. Professionally offensive. Is that a thing? Nevermind. If it isn't, I'm making it a thing."

"It's like... 'Sex sells' will only get you so far. And having models like that in the game will cost you sales. Some won't buy because of the violence, some won't buy because there's magic and demons... Though, granted, that's a fringe element. And some won't buy because you've got slave girls in metal bikinis all over the place." He sighs, shaking his head. "Assuming it's a new game, anyway. It could be a few years old and somebody dug it up for kicks."