The Trouble with Milk (and also Hojo)

[denigrator]

[Hojo having been the second to arrive at the milk left in the tower, and Fou-Lou before him having taken five cartons of milk, Hojo took the remaining thirty-five cartons for himself. However, he didn't intend on keeping them for himself. He's more than willing to share. First, he simply wants to test the milk and maybe do a little experimenting.

That's why, not too long after he makes his discovery, the cartons can be found sitting out on a table at the cafeteria, neatly arranged, as if left there by the Tower authorities.

All the cartons look exactly the same, and there is no evidence of tampering. However, the milk has certainly been tampered with!]

Choose Your Poison!

5 cartons of the milk are completely fine. This is the control milk and can be consumed safely, without fear.
5 cartons of the milk contain a powerful narcotic sedative that will knock your character out. People who drink this milk will quickly be rendered unconscious. Depending on where they pass out, they may be used by Hojo, who will collect biological samples from them, or can do something more drastic/invasive, if requested.
5 cartons of the milk contain a substance Hojo found in the Tower laboratory and wishes to test, which, as it turns out, is a deadly poison. Ingesting it will cause characters to die slowly and painfully.
5 cartons of the milk contain another substance that is a hallucinogen. Characters who drink this milk will experience delirium and visions.
10 cartons of the milk contain cells from monsters in the tower that have been treated with a mutagen. Drinking these may make your character temporarily take on some traits or behaviors of various monsters.
5 cartons of the milk contain a chemical substance that induces a psychotic state. Characters drinking this milk will become very aggressive and violent.

[Hojo (and/or his lab partner Fuhito) are in the vicinity, trying to avoid notice and stay out of the way, but they may be found lurking in the darkened cafeteria and its kitchen. Not that they're likely to admit having anything to do with the milk, if found, and there is no evidence to connect them to it.]


[[OOC Notes: Just a little milk experiment! Mad scientists have to do something to entertain themselves, after all. None of the effects of the milk are permanent or far-reaching. Anyone is welcome to do anything within this post. React to the milk, take it to another location, thread with each other, threadjack, etc. Or react in your own separate post, but I wanted to make a general milk post for Hojo's kind distribution of resources. Sharing is caring! If you'd like a closed thread or something in particular with Hojo and would like your character to encounter him, just mention it in the tag or subject line; I'm open to just about anything.

As for whether magic or curative items can reverse the effects, that's up to the player, depending on what you think your canon's magic/items are capable of (or whether you'd like something bad to happen regardless). All effects are chemical and not magical.

Also, if other evil scientist or similar characters would like to be in on this, chat or share data, just let me know, or tag into the post.]]

Comments

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch realizes he hadn't seen the man who just spoke to him. Even though it's dark, he never once caught the movement. He activates his Arch again, and in its light realizes his vision's blurred.

He manages to turn himself over so he can face the person talking to him.*

The milk downstairs...

*His throat's dry and hard to speak through.*

[nightmareofdivinity]

[His expression changes slightly, surprise registering vaguely on his face. He'll have to get rid of the cartons he collected instead of giving them to Mami, then. But he crouches, managing to make even that small movement look regal. He lifts a hand to silence Enoch.]

Still thyself. We shall grant thee this small mercy.

[His hand seems to glow with a purple light, and he releases the spell, sending a healing and restoration spell into Enoch.]

The effects should dissipate quickly. Thou should be more careful, mortal. Thy kind are fragile, even those that be touched by the Endless such as thyself.

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch watches the...purification? warily. Almost immediately, his breathing, which had been labored, begins to ease. Still feeling the heated pain running through his veins, he lowers his head to the ground.*

"Endless"...? *he asks, lying still in the hopes that will speed his recovery.*

[nightmareofdivinity]

Indeed. Mortals know them also as gods. The dragons who hath aided in shaping thy world.

[After a few moments, the glow ceases. The poison should be gone, as should any wounds.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch opens his mouth to remark on the "dragon" thing, but closes it, thinking better. It didn't matter, after all, how humans decided to depict Him, as He had no known form. Enoch gets to his feet a bit shakily.*

I...have been blessed by God, yes. This armor I wear... Can you sense such blessings?

[nightmareofdivinity]

It be a simple matter for one such as ourselves. Tell us, mortal - what be thy name?

[This mortal was... interesting. Perhaps worthy of mercy for the moment.]

[warriorscribe]

*The fact that this man was speaking as if he wasn't mortal was at once unsettling and a relief. Perhaps this man is the same sort of being as Zeph or Sola were back in Meridian. The difference being this one actually carried himself like a being of such power.*

I am...my name is Enoch.

[nightmareofdivinity]

[He considers how he should respond in kind. She would find out sooner or later... and it didn't seem like there was anyone from the Empire here. He would still have to watch over her, but there was slightly less to fear.]

We are Fou-Lu, the First Emperor of the Fou Empire.

[warriorscribe]

It's nice to meet you... *Enoch looks at the stairs. Takes a step to make sure he can walk without his muscles rebelling.* We should make sure nobody else is poisoned...

*But to waste milk like that...*

Could you possibly purify the remaining milk the way you purified me?

[nightmareofdivinity]

We be unable to do this, unfortunately. 'Tis a spell that removes poisons from a person, not a thing.

[He does follow Enoch a little, watching him carefully.]

[warriorscribe]

*He seems to be relatively fine, if a bit shaken.* Then the rest of them should be destroyed.

[nightmareofdivinity]

Indeed. Guide us to where thou hadst found them.

[And he makes a note to get rid of the ones he found, too.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch leads Fou-Lu back downstairs...only to find a mere three cartons left. In the time he'd been up here, the rest seem to have been taken.*

I suppose the news spread more quickly than the poison...

*That or one person took several...*

[ravenmaker]

[Fuhito has been lingering subtly nearby to the cache of milk. Now that it's almost gone, all that's left for him is to follow up his notes-- and field any questions or concerns, of course. He's happy to help.

At the moment, he appears to be examining a carton. He makes an observation in his field notebook.

Ah, a return-- and recovered, too. How interesting.]

Poison?

[nightmareofdivinity]

Indeed. It seemeth that some of the contents hath been tainted. Step aside so we may destroy the rest of these.

[He takes a few steps forward, not really caring if the man responds favorably or not.]

[warriorscribe]

If not for this man, I would have died.

*Though he says nothing else, the concerned way he's watching the man is proof of his worry they've been too late for someone else.*

Sorry for the confusion! And the lateness.

[ravenmaker]

[He directs his attention briefly towards the second man to speak.]
It's fortunate you were able to find help in time, then. What were your symptoms-- if I come across another victim of this poisoning, I'd like to know how best to help.

[The other has an-- odd pattern of speech.
Well, he certainly wouldn't dream of standing in the way of violent opposition. He's a much more subtle thinker than that.

Fuhito folds his notebook shut with a shake of his head.]

Ah, I see. With our keepers seemingly at their weakest, I'd hoped this offer wasn't too good to be true. Were you affected yourself?

I'm a scientist. My name is Fuhito.

[nightmareofdivinity]

We wert not afflicted. 'Tis fortunate we discovered this, however, lest we distribute the containers we hath found.

... We are Fou-Lu.

[warriorscribe]

My name is Enoch.

*At least the introductions gave him time to think about how to word the symptoms.*

Ah...It felt as if my body was burning from the inside, and every movement was painful. I could hardly move.