{Twenty-six (54)} &diams

[burnt_orangesky]

[This appears in the late afternoon.

There is a splash of something that looks suspiciously like tea or weak coffee.]

Castle, Genius is over here right now. Something seems wrong with him; I think he may be [pause, pen taps] ill.

Did you notice anything strange about him this morning?

-Fred

Comments

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

No, he left for work before I got up.

... what, exactly seems wrong?

[burnt_orangesky]

He is cleaning my work-space. [Little pause.] However, he cooked dinner first.

He did it all without my asking, and has not complained once.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. He's taken a shine to you, Fred! Maybe this is a failed attempt at courting you.

[burnt_orangesky]

I [pause] It is quite disturbing, really. He will not stop smiling, and when he speaks...

It does not seem like him, at all.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

... I'd like to say that maybe he's starting to snap out of it a little bit, but...

[A dot as he lets his pen rest on the page, and nothing more.]

[burnt_orangesky]

This is hardly any kind of normal behavior, for him. [She knows he knows that, but this is really kind of scaring her.]

Shall I send him home? Or perhaps get him to lie down?

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

I'll come get him, yeah. Because even cheerful Genius doesn't cook. Or clean without whining the whole time.

[A pause as he looks at the other replies to this entry; his next sentence is crossed out soon after being written.]

I was about to say that maybe he'd eaten a bad apple, if you catch my drift, but if it's happening to Bell and Apple, too...

[burnt_orangesky]

Very well; I will try to convince him to stop.

[Likewise.]

It does seem unlikely that three would would all be affected in the same manner, from that at least. This must be something else.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'll be there ASAP.

But why just them? Usually when something like this happens, it seems to happen to almost everyone...

[burnt_orangesky]

Perhaps they are only the first.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

God, I hope not.

[live_ringer]

Willingly doing housework, unasked, with no complaints.

I don't suppose we have any rogue hypnotists, or people with talents for brainwashing running about, do we?

[burnt_orangesky]

Not that I was aware of.

You have seen no one acting in such a manner, Lyle?

[live_ringer]

I have seen some, but no one I knew well. It didn't seem nearly so off as Genius acting like that.

[burnt_orangesky]

It is quite disconcerting, witnessing him act so very out of character.

Apparently Bell is acting similarly.

[live_ringer]

Damn.

Guess the only thing to do is monitor it to figure out what the hell is going on.

[burnt_orangesky]

Unfortunately. I wish more could be done, but I fear that is the only way we can help them at this point.]

[spandexisyouth]

He [pentaps as he reads.]

Bell is like that too. Smiling. And cleaning.

[burnt_orangesky]

[Long pause.] Bell is? Oh dear.

How long has he been like that?

[spandexisyouth]

Since I got home from work today. He will not explain what is going on, either.

[burnt_orangesky]

Two people acting this way--this is more than simple coincidence, I think. Especially as they are acting quite different from their usual behavior.

Does he seem normal other than the [pen tap] cheerful cleaning?

[spandexisyouth]

No. I came home to the dogs outside, locked out. And he is trying to ignore me.

[burnt_orangesky]

[Tiny ink blot. Bell locked out his precious dogs? And... that isn't right. Not at all.]

Yes, that is very [tiny pause] wrong.

What do you intend to do about it?

[spandexisyouth]

I do not know. I have considered trying to find a secure place for the dogs while I look for information, but I have nowhere to start. He did not work today. He fine when I left him and now he is like this, and I do not think he left the house.

[burnt_orangesky]

If he is going to insist on keeping them locked out, perhaps that would be wise. Maybe Apple would be willing to look after them temporarily, until you get this strangeness sorted?

Likely this is the Tree's doing, then.

[spandexisyouth]

Apple already has plenty of pets to look after. But I will see what he thinks when I take them for a walk soon. I should have about a half-hour ago.

Yes. But I do not like it.

[burnt_orangesky]

True, but it is worth asking anyway. He may be able to look after them even an hour or so, to allow you to find a more permanent place to put them.

Nor do I.

[spandexisyouth]

True. I will go find out.

[About an hour later.]

...It has happened to Apple too, Fred.

[burnt_orangesky]

[A few pen taps.] This must be the Tree's doing. Three people in less than a day?

There must be more people affected. We should try to discover who, and perhaps we should see about... ah. Well, they seem to be well enough, and dislike it when people try to stop them from accomplishing their tasks, so perhaps just finding out who is affected will be enough.

[spandexisyouth]

They are not well enough. They are not really happy, even if their faces are forced to seem happy. They are not themselves. It will not be enough.

He will not even eat and it is leftovers of something he made. This is not all right.

[burnt_orangesky]

I wish you luck in convincing them to stop, then. Genius will not listen, and he becomes decidedly distressed if I make any attempt to get in his way or otherwise stop him forcibly.

[spandexisyouth]

Bell will only clean and work. He will not sit down, or read, or do anything that is Bell-like.

[burnt_orangesky]

Exactly the same as Genius.

[Brief pause and a few pen taps.]

This could prove to be something of a problem, should it persist for too very long.

[spandexisyouth]

It is already a problem and already too long.

[burnt_orangesky]

I rather meant more of one, should they refuse to eat and sleep as well. Too many days of that would be a rather serious problem.

But yes, I agree that one day of this is one day too many.

[spandexisyouth]

Oh. I understand. We will figure it out, I am sure.

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

Both of them?

[spandexisyouth]

Yes. Though it sounds like it is three. Genius and Apple and Bell.

[crownofsnow.livejournal.com]

Last I remembered from when I was here, Genius was never like that.

[burnt_orangesky]

It is extremely unusual behavior, quite unlike him.