[Open] A poisonous feast

[foggydetective]

Characters: Tohru Adachi [The Evil Queen (Snow White)] & everyone / anyone
Campaign: Break
Format: Either
Open
Summary: Poison plot time.

Prompts are on the comments. Feel free to contact me via the original plotting post or the Discord Server if you have any questions.

The food is being distributed during the festival mentioned on the intro log.

Comments

You have been poisoned

[foggydetective]

Whether it be a delicious looking fruit or maybe even some meat, you have been poisoned by it, thanks to the efforts of someone. Perhaps you will suffer from a stomach illness, or maybe you'll turn green. Some may even fall asleep.

It will take a few days for anyone's condition to worsen - and a few more days to become even worse. If you don't get an antidote on time, you will first become paralyzed, then later fall into a coma and then death. Of course, if you were asleep, you will skip becoming paralyzed.

Optionally, some may feel the initial effects up to paralysis a little faster, but progression towards coma and death will remain the same.

Closed to Alice

[allegedprisoner]

[ Luca was enjoying himself at the festival, not suspecting anything worse than random lightning monsters when he purchased an apple from one of the vendors. He was going to take this home with him, but the idea slipped his mind as he went about his day...

Though... Perhaps taking a bite of it while he's perusing the stands was better in the long run. It didn't take long for the drowsiness to kick in. ]

Mn... Ergh... [ It's getting harder to concentrate on anything. A lack of focus had been a problem he'd been dealing with recently, but nothing like this... He's having trouble keeping his eyes open... Wait, wasn't this like--

Luca passes out in the middle of the street. ]

[madventure]

[She'd been walking along the various stands, looking over what was being sold, but not really partaking. Still very much getting her feet under her in this place, which was strangely far easier to do than initially expected.

Of course, when Alice had spotted a familiar face she wasn't expecting to see him suddenly collapse. Had her hurrying along with Toto right at her heels, kneeling down as fingertips lightly pressed to where she at least knew pulse should be found-]

Mister Balsa, can you hear me? [A hand carefully pressed to his forehead, skin against skin, only having the barest ideas of what would be good to check.]

Luca?

sleepytime tea

[blue_ice]

a.
[ Kaiba's rather...awkward attempt at befriending the locals has led him to set up a small tea table outside his home sweet gingerbread house, with various Christmas-themed cakes and cookies set out. Oddly, he seems to keep tilting sideways, eyelids drooping.

Every time he does, though, he pours another cup of tea. More caffeine...more...

Yeah he's hogging all the tea. This isn't going so well. ]

Ugh, did I...grab the chamomile?

b.
[ Later, it's progressed. He's fast-asleep in the garden, at an awkward angle that's suggested he's collapsed. Sucks to be him, but have fun searching the workshop or toys, or whatever you want to do.

Maybe try to help, if you're feeling charitable. ]

B

[ancientgamer]

[A rather large lion roamed the garden looking for Seto. The only hint that this wasn’t a normal lion was the adornment of bracelets around one large forepaw, a sunny pendant clinking gently as he stepped through the flowers and eventually located the young man.

A massive paw landed on his chest and gave a gentle push. But the teen didn’t awaken. It took a lot to ruffle Atem’s feathers, but he was at his wit’s end already with the sudden change of his essence and now Seto had seemed to fall victim to the poison! He leaned down and nuzzled Seto’s face.]

Seto, please wake up. I need your help.

[He let out a breath, ruffling the the brown bangs as he sat and waited and thought about what he could do. He couldn’t kiss Seto like this.]

Rolled a 1 On His Perception Check Over and Over again

[blazeoflife]

You haven't heard from Junpei in a while, have you? A few days?

He tends to leave the door to his house unlocked, so if you don't get a reply through the journal after a while, or knocking on his door, it's easy enough to check in on him.

You'd find him passed out on the floor in his bedroom, a rotting peach rolled on the floor by his hand.

Actually, you'd find that... in all the fruit and vegs he recently bought in the kitchen, there was at least ONE poisonous version mixed in. You'd think he was intentionally choosing them, but... seems like it was just bad luck.

Shaking him doesn't seem to work, his body totally slack, deeply asleep. Just how much poison food did he accidently eat...?!

"Zzzz..."

[justabaddream]

[Asriel stumbles through town, clutching his stomach. The crowds make him nervous, but the pain is messing with his senses. The crowds of people seem even bigger, louder than ever.

He stumbles into you, not even aware that you're there for a second.]

Sorry...

[afoolshope]

PSA

Sender: Minato Arisato | the Fox

I don't have all the details, this is based on anecdotal evidence, but I think the fresh fruits and vegetables at various random vendors have been tampered with somehow. Two of my friends fell under a sleep curse after eating an apple and a peach.

You have to pull a sleeping beauty for those.

I don't know if there are any other effects though. Just be cautious, okay? I haven't been here that long compared to others but the food had never effected me like this before so... this seems new. Keep a look out.

Thanks.

Food poisoning. Literally

It had been a good few days since Minato really stepped out of the house. He ignored his journal and everyone else just so he could sleep, throw up, and sleep some more. He felt awful. Nothing he ate stayed down, sometimes water did, he felt gross from all the throwing up (or trying to throw up. Only so much he could do when nothing was in his stomach anymore), and all in all, he wondered if it was something he cooked wrong or if it was the fruit he ate.

He should have known better, after that PSA he put out. But it wasn't like there was any way to tell and he hadn't thought that this could have started even before he helped Ren and Junpei.

With very shaky writing, he finally put a call out on the journals.

I think I need a doctor. Or some medicine. Whichever. I don't care.

Or perhaps someone just noticed he hadn't been around for a few days. Either way, he hoped someone came to the door soon because he was not at all confident of being able to go more than few feet from his front door.

Sleeping Beauty

He thought he had been feeling better. Minato went out for some fresh air. But it wasn't long before he would be found asleep on a bench. He was curled up, he looked a little green, it was clear that something was not quite right about this particular nap of his. Would a kiss help him this time around?

This was probably the worst case of the stomach flu he had ever had.

A funny place for a nap

[ruinedsky]

Sylvain is terribly hungry after the underwater treasure hunt, so he goes a-searching for food. He eats a lot and without really looking closely at it, so the poison could have come from almost anything.

He's fine, at first. Just a bit heavy feeling. He ate too much, he thinks, and that's not so strange. He hasn't had to take a nap after eating in years, but here he is, sluggish as a child at the Goddess festival.

(a) His footsteps are shuffling as he looks for a comfortable place to lie down. He looks rather unwell, and practically collapses against the wall, sliding down onto the floor. Who needs a chair?

(b) Here he is, snoozing away against the wall. A little trail of drool down the side of his face from the way his neck is angled and everything. To kiss or not to kiss, that is the question.

[gobetween]

[With the threat coming from the fruits and vegetables, it was inevitable it was going to reach the mostly-herbivorous Fraggles sooner or later. Despite at first feeling just a little off, Gobo tries to continue his normal activities, but even just some simple exertions outside has his body flagging.

On one day he's out (A) he's given up about halfway through his duties, and similar to how a cat will hide when they're not feeling well, so too will he. He's found himself a spot off to one side, sitting in the shadows of a large-leafed plant that happened to be growing there. Though his fur obscures some of it, his whole cast is pale and green at the edges; more fully visible are the heavy shadows around his eyes. But you wouldn't even necessarily need that to tell he's sick, by the limp and weak way he's hugging onto a small wooden bucket. He hasn't gotten sick in it yet, but honestly with the way he's resting on the edge seeming greener by the moment, it's only a matter of time.

Alternately, (B) he might be seen actually out walking a couple days later, restless even now. His condition has degraded in that time, seen in the way he's plodding one foot in front of the other, his tail dragging behind him without any energy to keep it up. He seems hardly aware of where he is, and might bump into you. Or you might catch his knees give out and drop him like a discarded plush in the middle of the street. A brief attempt to get up and then he's out, for all intents and purposes in a deep sleep that almost nothing could break.]

[cancercarcino]

[The Index is supposed to be safe. As is its food. So when Karkat goes scouring the market for some fresh peaches (because since coming here it's been the one thing that he's been craving more than chilled roe cubes), he doesn't think twice as he consumes them like he normally does. He's grown fond of the strange, fuzzy fruit! Except, a few days pass after eating some, and suddenly he's not feeling so well.]

A
[He'll stumble through the Index clutching his stomach, wincing and cursing under his breath. Those who try to talk to him will be met with a low growl and a few sharp words.]

Do I fucking look okay? My digestive sac feels like it's having a goddamn revolt inside me! Urgh.....

[It's his usual sharp words, sure, but it's clear he's obviously in a lot of pain.]

B
[After some time, it's clear that Karkat has fallen ill to the same thing that's affecting most others. Despite his efforts to muscle through it, the poison works its way through him and causes him to pass out in the grass off the side of one of the roads of the Index. He's sleeping, sure, but it's very clearly a restless sleep, his brows furrowed and his expression pained.]

[He's gonna need some help waking up. Or at the very least moving him off the side of the road.]

[steadypulse]

"Huh."

76 came in to town on occasion, but this time something had fully caught his attention; a certain scent that was damn well strong amongst the food stalls. Was enough that he wandered closer, ears flicked back and narrowed eyes hidden by that black 'visor' of his. An apple was plucked up and coin tossed to the vendor to pay for it, unhooking the lower 'jaw' of his mask enough that he could take a bite.

His nose wrinkled behind the mask, eyeing the apple and ears still pinned back. That was definitely... not right. The fact he felt a little more energized was a little suspicious as well-

"Something's not right here." Mumbled to himself, taking another bite out of that apple all the same.

Time to prepare a cure

[foggydetective]

The cause of poison is very obviously the festival food. It's not too difficult to figure out what went into the poisons. Still, it might take some cooperation with others to create the antidote.

It might take a while to get all the food away from the market, however, so volunteers to find all the food that needs to be tossed out are always appreciated.

Preparing the Antidote

[chatwithdeath]

Familiar, but different.

She's not surprised that something like this happened, but rather, the implication that it wasn't actually the Story Eater doing this had her raise an eyebrow. It didn't make sense after all - not while golems and lightning brought inanimate objects to life to interrupt festivities.

No... this was something else.

Something that had her often disappearing into her cove to make sure the brewing process proceeded as smoothly as possible. Above the waters, there's still a matter of caring for current patients. At least she has help...

Antidote Brewing, Potion Healing

[nanoscope]

[Poisons were such a dreadful thing. Fortunately, Ana's abilities with potions seem to extend to the realm of antidotes as well, and though a part of her is eager to investigate the matter, she also knows that an antidote must be prepared.]

[That's not to say she hasn't sent a few cats out to patrol the markets, see if they can spot anything suspicious and report back to her.]

[For any who are feeling ill, they will be welcomed into Ana's home, where she has several vials of potions lined up to at least help ease some of the symptoms while she works on an antidote. For those who may wish to help her, they can find her over an ornate cauldron, which wafts an oddly fragrant scent as she mixes various liquids and ingredients into it. She may turn to whoever is assisting her to give instructions.]

Pass me that red vial and the cluster of mushrooms on that table. I need something to counteract this...

Investigation

[foggydetective]

To find the person who did this, some investigation needs to be done. Adachi tried to leave no trace of himself, but even he's not perfect.

One of the key evidence is that several witnesses have seen a mysterious old man at the market, giving out fresh groceries to be sold. Sometimes even just "forgot" his food somewhere for people to get.

[allegedprisoner]

[ For the sake of convenience, let's handwave Luca was lucky he managed to get an antidote on time, but a separate feeling of resentment drove him to participate in the investigation. It made perfect sense to go punish the bastard who's going around poisoning people en masse, all they have to do is figure out who's behind all this... ]

An old man giving out fruit? Judging by that, and the fact that most of the poisoned food was fruit, I have reason to suspect our poisoner might have the Queen from Snow White as an essence.

Storm the castle

[foggydetective]

It's time to face against the Evil Queen in her castle. Even if as soon as he hears the commotion he's already gone into hiding deep into his castle's secret area - which is where one would find the proof he's the one behind the poison anyway.

[kawkaw]

Even with his Wings of Surveillance, Crane hadn't been quick enough to notice anything too out of the ordinary before people in the Index started falling ill. While he couldn't entirely be sure, he had a feeling that it had something to do with the warning that had been posted in the journals some time ago, and so he tried to be more vigilant as he continued patrolling from the skies.

It had been by chance that he finally spotted someone who look similar to the drawings in the journal post, and he kept a good distance in the air as he followed the figure as he made his way to a castle. He frowned as he watched the figure enter, and circled the area briefly before finding a safe place out of sight to land. Then he pulled out his journal, doing a quick reread of the journal post before making one of his own.

Sender: Crane (Tsuru no Ongaeshi) | Master Crane
Recipient: Everyone EXCEPT Tohru Adachi

I think I might have found where the culprit is hiding. I've followed a figure that we were warned about to a castle. He hasn't come out yet so far, but I'll keep a look out in case there are other ways in or out of the castle.

In the journal post he provided a map leading to the castle, before putting the journal away and taking to the air once again. Part of him considered just going in to find the man himself, but it would be safer not to go in alone, especially if this castle had traps to keep its occupant safe.

Closed to Eugene and Adachi

[detectiveforhierophant]

Dojima had been collecting info on his own for a while now. Adachi had said he was 'the Fairest' Queen when they had met, and though Dojima suspected it was Snow White's Queen-- He had read fairy tales to Nanako, after all, even if he wasn't great with it-- but he had to be absolutely sure.

So he'd been to the library; taking out all the books he could to read about every queen he could. He wasn't going to put it to chance, not again. Queen of Hearts, the Red Queen, the White Queen, the Snow Queen, Queen of the Fairies, Queens of various Mythologies...

No, it definitely was Snow White--

And when the reports about poison started to come in; people eating fruit or vegetables at the feast and then getting sick or going into a coma, it was his worst fears come true.

He'd gotten samples and brought them to Naomi, as well as dusted for finger prints himself-- though most of the time that was fruitless, he had gotten a few good prints once or twice. He'd need Adachi's to compare, and of course, his superior didn't let him take them.

Regardless, it was easy to put together a method, and a motive... well, that was easy.

Adachi was bored after all, wasn't he?

He just needed to know where Adachi was-- and fortunately, Crane tipped Dojima off on his probable location.

Riding Llamrei, with Cavall running to his side, Dojima came to the castle, slowing to a halt a good distance away, and making sure they stayed put... though not tying Llamrei up; he might need to go after Adachi quickly.

Then it was a matter of scoping out the castle... forget Excalibur this time; he didn't want to get close to Adachi. So Rhongomyniad and Carnwennan were the order of the day... along with the new item he got since the last story they completed; a cloak that made him invisible. The front door was a no go, but while wearing the cloak, the door to the kitchen was easy to bust the lock open.

...There was a lot of cabbage in here, sheesh.

Quietly, carefully, Dojima started to explore the castle. Where was that asshole...? He would have to have a lab somewhere here to make all that poison so quickly...

Stopping in front of a mirror, Dojima pulled down the hood of his cloak for a moment, trying to get a good look at the room he was in. Maybe there was a secret way in?...

That jail life

[foggydetective]

Adachi has been caught and brought into prison where he will be for quite a while. He is allowed visitors, if anyone really wants to do that but necessary precautions are, of course, made.

[afoolshope]

Minato had only ever heard of Adachi. From both Yu and Dojima. He was curious. He was angry. But mostly, he just wanted to know why. So, he told the guards he wanted to visit the man and they let him. Of course, there was one within the area to keep watch, but aside from that, Minato didn't have much between him and Adachi at this point, bars aside.

He stood in front of the cell, hands in his pockets and fox ears at attention. He had been affected by the poison pretty heavily during the week, needing a few people to care for him off and on until he had finally received an antidote. It frustrated him, to be honest, but that wasn't why he was here.

"Why?" He asked, he sounded almost bored as he tilted his head. But his voice was soft and firm. "You got a second chance here, why waste it?"

[izanyagi]

"Adachi-san."

Yu stood on the other side of the prison, sitting on a small stool that had been provided for him, looking through the bars. Yu didn't say anything else yet. He knew him enough that Adachi would possibly go talking on by himself.

[schrodingers_joker]

While Ren wasn't originally gonna see the culprit, especially after having just robbed Adachi's place, his own curiosity won out. He casually sits down on a small stool, keeping up a poker face and crossing his arms.

"So... you're the Inaba Serial Killer, and the one responsible for all the poisonings around here. I gotta say, for someone who killed a news reporter and a high school girl, this seems like the downgrade. How the mighty have fallen, eh?"

He adjusts his glasses before continuing. "So why did you do the poisonings anyway? Is it the same reason for those murders or are you going to blame your essence?"

[allegedprisoner]

[ That menace was caught, he was thankful for that, but a part of him wanted to see how the man was doing in jail. He's hesitant to visit... Not only for worry of being exposed to this man's poisons again, but also for that nagging voice in the back of his head screaming, "But I don't want!"

He did get some new shapeshifting ability, though... To disguise himself. No better place to see how it's used...

And so, Adachi will be visited by this fellow today. ]

So... I hear you're the one who's been poisoning everyone. [ The man sounds a tiny bit nervous as he smooths his hair over his eye. ] What was that all about?