The Ladies of Black Forest

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Anna couldn't help but give the older Doctor a wide eyed look when he started talking about the girls here in Faille Hall. To hear something so... So strange out of the mouth of a Doctor was unexpected to say the least. Regardless of that she let him finish what he was saying. There was something that Dr. Nuschwitt said that bothered her, 'inhuman' and 'machinations of human form'. Even now with the rise of Psychology as a science and for ages through Philosophy people questioned what it was to be human never reaching any true answer that couldn't be disproved by another argument. To hear a Doctor refer to his patients as inhuman; it did not sit well with her. She was unsure what to think of the story, whether or not the Director himself suffered from some sort of Strangeness as well she was unsure. Thinking back to that scene in the hall with the little Lucille; it pushed her to believe the man. She stepped away from the glass window wishing to speak without the girl seeing them. Partially out of pity but mostly because patients don't like feeling like they are on display for a bunch of whitecoats. Especially with mental health it felt especially vulnerable to be seen as just another body or soul to be fixed with a tool.

"Dr. Nuschwitt, I... I am not exactly sure how I can help with these... Abilities and controlling them for the matter of fact." For a moment she seemed at a loss for word while she tried to explain why she cannot help there. Shaking her head and thoughts away she continued. "Anxiety I can help, depression I understand. These are things that I am familiar with, for a girl like her just growing up is bound to cause these feelings to surface. If what you said is true and she was responsible or thinks she is responsible for the death of her parents then it is only natural that she feels this way. I imagine it doesn't help that you have to put her under in order to keep this... Power... Of hers under control. Just look at her, she's already tense and we didn't even enter the room." She sighed. "How long until her birthday?" Anna asked one last question before the introductions.
 
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Hmm, seems like I was right on the nose. This old bastard is completely out of his gourd (or the only one here that's sane...) Both of these possibilities were equally alarming the poor detective, who was starting to feel like he was drowning on land with all these sudden outlandish things happening all around him. For once he felt like there was some truth in the mad ramblings, rather than simple madness evolving from a schizophrenic mind. He had already witnessed one paranormal entity in the form of little Lucille, who demonstrated some form of mental prowess. In short, his paranoia was shifted into maximum overdrive at this point. Isaac was doing his best not to make it entirely clear that he was feeling this way but the damn Russian fairytail singing was NOT helping....

Cut the crap yah wetblanket, I'm here to get paid and that's it. No eldritch trash, no nothin'!

" You've got an interesting way of words, slick... but I'll take your advice for now. Not that I intended on eating anything here in the first place. I already knew this whole gig was too good to be true, so I'm afraid I beat you to that. No need to worry about me.. no sir..." Difficult to tell if he's being genuine about the warning about the doctors quarters, or if he's inviting Isaac to do so. Agh... I'm going to haunt this place real good if I get dead here.

That'll show them.
 
The doctor seemed to follow Anna's lead and stepped away from the door out of sight from the girl to continue the conversation. He listened intensely and spoke in response to his colleague's question. His eyebrows knit together in worry and his voice was both low and grim. A bead of sweat seemed to form and trickle down his forehead just as the words left his mouth. The weight these two words carried made the pressure to have success with this patient even greater.

"Two days..." Dr Nuschwitt looked towards the door as if merely acknowledging this time limit carried the risk of the girl erupting into some sort of supernatural eruption. In fact his entire demeanor was tense and rigid, as if the stress of his position had developed the tendencies of paranoia in him. As his gaze returned to Dr Voigt she could see them shifting around, never quite meeting her eyes like before. His hands were also clenched and she could tell just from his body language that he was nervous and absolutely afraid despite how calm his words came out

"Alice and Sarah will be accompanying you to meet with the patient. You can wait in the room at the end of this hall. We have set it up to be a place of comfort with all the tools you may require to succeed in your methods. You will find it to be a fully furnished setting akin to a formal sitting room even complete with activities like puzzles and chess for a relaxed and positive atmosphere. We really believe your method is the best choice for getting through to these girls and preventing further complications from coming into play. It is difficult to treat these girls with medicine as they seem to become more distressed the more we medicate them, as if they feel trapped and they are retaliating with the oddities they possess. Something other facilities don't have to worry about..."

Hans wipes his brow and looks startled as two voices speak up from behind the two doctors. The two nurses being right behind Anna and speaking in unison with a cheery vibe to their words "Good day doctor Nuschwitt. Is she the new doctor? Shall we prepare the patient?" Their smiles stretch across their faces slowly, eventually growing to disturbingly wide grins as they stand there side by side behind Anna. They are definitely twins though that doesn't mean that they have to do everything simultaneously like this



Vigo continued to stare at Isaac for a moment before he nodded and let his tongue loose again. He seems back to his grumpy self and is much less friendly than before with this warning. His voice deepening to an authoritative tone, "Good... Because if I happen to find you somewhere you shouldn't be then I will have to take my job seriously... Just keep in mind that you are a stranger here, alone..."

The man pats his waist to check on his hidden weapon before he walks off heading north up the hall, presumably to find the man who arrived before Isaac. Vigo may have just cut him a break but based on his warning the Russian is not his ally or friend in this place. He just hinted that he would kill him if he was caught somewhere he was not meant to be. Based on the look in his eyes and the fact that he is carrying a gun in such a remote place Isaac can deduce that he will live up to the threat. It was imperative that he be careful when searching for clues in this place. He is most likely to be fine if caught in the dining area right now, but until that Director fellow cleared him Isaac would be an intruder anywhere else in Faille Hall. However his first lead is the doctor's quarters belonging to a doctor Wilheim.
 
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Anna practically jumped as the two ladies spoke in unison behind her. It didn't help that their synchronicity only made them appear more terrifying. And those smiles... Anna dealt with all sorts of mentally ill people but none made her feel as uncanny as these two managed. They snuck up on her, surprised and scared her and then smiled in a way that just didn't seem apt for the time and place. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled through her nose straightening her jumper nervously. "Good day, I'm Dr. Voigt." She introduced herself politely before turning to the Director.

"As per your suggestion I will go and wait in the room. While I am glad that you have some faith in my methods I feel the need to inform you that two days might not be nearly enough time to make considerable amount of progress. Has the past doctor kept any notes? Files? Anything like that could be helpful, however if there is anything send it to my room and I will review it later. I found that patients prefer to be observed as people and friends, not files or bundles of notes so having them see the files tends to bring out more anxiety in them." Anna's voice was academical speaking with about it as it were established facts. She was confident in her research and treated it as established facts even if others would rarely even consider her side of the story.

With a polite nod to the ladies she decided to go see this room where she was to take patients unsure how to end anxiety in mere two days. The very thought seemed to make her nervous which would only bring about all the more trouble if her patient were to see her become anxious. She needed a plan and this first chance would likely be spent introducing herself and asking some usual questions to the girl trying to find a way to connect to her, in all honesty she doubted she would be able to help her in such a short time but she would give it her all nonetheless.
 
Comforting as always Vigo... comforting as always.

Well, as they say, the enemy of my enemy is a friend. Seems that as long as I keep my act clean I will not have to worry much about him. Probably. The groundskeeper was not loyal to this place, but it seemed he would not hesitate to put a bullet in Isaac's brain given the proper circumstances. This whole gig just gets better and better... such is the life of a PI. Considering he wanted to stay alive another fourty years or so, he decided it was best to follow that advice for now. It would be ideal to first get cleared by the house's chief doctor, that would give him some leeway at the very least. He needed to prepare himself for whatever this mad doctor had in store for him...

The letter would likely be his saving grace here, the only bit of physical evidence to clear his name. His key however... he had to keep it hidden. Isaac was sure that a physical shakedown would take place once he arrived so he busied himself by searching for a place to stow the heavy key away, a potted plant, a rug, he just had to keep his one advantage a secret.

Isaac was keeping himself cool for the moment but this place was slowly peeling away his barriers with its insidious tendrils. He hadn't but dipped a toe into the icy depths of this old building, but he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't going to walk away from this. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. He withdrew a cigarette from within his coat and lit it with a faint crackle of his lighter.

Isaac tried not to smoke too much, it was bad for running, but he felt this time was warrented.
 
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Hans nodded in response to her request and answers in a short and distracted manner "Yes I believe everything you will need for Emily is in your office already. The office is connected to the counseling room though I believe for now you may want to get your own impression of the girl and do whatever it is you think may get her to trust you. The rest of us have already burned that bridge with our methods of treatment long ago... I must be going Doctor. I will see to our new arrival then track down the intruder before he can do more damage..." With that the aged man took off at a brisk walking pace towards the dining area as Anna went to go see the room he mentioned.

Dr Voigt would see that the room was indeed set up for long sessions without looking so much like a typical doctor's office. It was set up like a lounge with a comfortable couch and loveseat centered around a coffee table and a nearby grated off fireplace. It would seem that if the fireplace needed more wood or to be cleaned one would need to unscrew the large screws that bound the grate to the masonry. There was also a fire poker next to the fireplace that was a bit concerning as it was easily a weapon that a disturbed patient could wield. On the opposite side of the room from the hearth was a series of bookshelves and cabinets with various items stored within them. A chessboard, drawing pads, stuffed animals, cards, and nearly every other leisure activity one could think of. This side of the room had simple chairs and small square tables fit for a game board or a drawing surface. The center of the room was the only thing that was reminiscent of a typical doctor's office, with a lounging chair sat right in front of a long desk that was currently empty but had materials to take notes with. If she desired she could keep patient files here when planning for a session with a specific patient, however given her words earlier that was unlikely.

It wasn't long before the door opened and in entered the two now stern faced nurses with Emily between them. The girl did not look at Dr Anna but instead kept her face pointed to the floor as her handlers kept a firm grip on her shoulders. Alice and Sarah once again spoke in unison as they looked around the counseling room "Where would you like Ms Calder to be seated Dr Voigt?"



Meanwhile the detective managed to keep himself from heading out to explore and be caught red handed by a member of the staff. However the brief drag he managed to take of his cigarette was met with the harsh snapping voice of an old woman as she entered the room with a large tray of piping hot coffee, tea, and biscuits. "That horrible odor is going to stain the beauty of my former home stranger. Put that out right away and come get yourself something to quench your needs. Thirst, hunger, fatigue. I have a cure for them all"

The old bat had hard and rather judgemental eyes that bore into Isaac as she presenting him with refreshments as they waited for Dr Nuschwitt. Naturally everything looked and smelled rather appealing, a woman her age in this time period certainly knew how to serve guests. However there was something about her demeanor as she placed the tray down on the long dining table that was a hint at her intentions. She was in a rush and was rather forceful, enough so that the tray and its contents clattered a bit from the force. She turned to Isaac and motioned even more impatiently at the man to come sit and partake of the contents, her even pulling a chair out for him. The coffee was black in contrast to the tea which seemed to reek of sweetness and a distinct herbal aroma. Rowena had definitely not noticed Isaac hide the key in the potted plant in the corner of the room shortly before lighting his cigarette. It was unlikely that anyone would dig through the soil of the plant whereas someone may notice the lump in a carpet if they were attentive enough
 
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Anna took the small amount of time she had to inspect the room and see for herself what the mansion had in the way of counselling assistance. She traced the book titles with her eyes realising there were many options for both small children to even some advanced textbooks. Even more impressed she was with the addition of games, toys and other interesting additions that should help develop a relationship or introduce the patients to tension in a safe environment. Chess, for instance, was a perfect example of a mind and tactics game, it could teach tact to people without any, planning to the impulsive ones and patience for the brash. Anna smiled satisfied with this counselling room, it would be more than enough for her to work, so long as what Dr Nuschwitt said doesn't come true and they all die in an earthquake in two days.

When the twins brought her patient and spoke in unison again a chill went down her spine, no wonder the girl was on edge, with staff like these two... Doctor Voigt straightened her dress and jumper then joining her hands spoke with authority. "I would like Ms Calder to sit wherever she feels most comfortable. You two can wait outside, your presence is unnecessary, leave us." It was clear from the edge in her voice this was non-negotiable, it would be imperative that the patient feels comfortable around her and given how uncanny the two were it just wouldn't happen with them in the room. Not to mention, with how they treated her and hold her by the shoulders it was obvious they had already decided her fate. Anna dismissed them with a flick of the wrist turning to Emily with a smile. "Hi I'm Anna, I'm your new Counsellor, please take a seat where ever you'd like." Joining her hands in front of her Anna waited for the youth to sit down before sitting down across from her and giving her enough personal space. "Tell me about yourself, I want to get to know you." She spoke in a calm soothing voice not too loud and not too quiet. Her demeanour was friendly and relaxed, she had no files or pen and paper on her, she may very well have been just some random woman here that wanted to talk to her.
 
The detective was glad to have at the very least something of an advantage in this unsettling existence that he found himself in. The brief solace of his weekly cigarette was cruely stamped out by the old bat who was here to attend to his needs. He internally grumbled as he snuffed out the barely used cigarette and flicked it into a nearby garbage can. Oh I really am not going to like it here. Isaac trotted over to the hard-eyed lady and viewed the cart with well contained wistfulness. It all smelled quite nice, and would likely sharpen his senses for a more successful day of detective work. If it were not for the fact that he was certain any of these treats were drugged, poisoned, or laced with any number of nasty things that would make him easy prey for the beasts that lurked within the dark halls of this manor. Luckily he had thought to pack something of his own.

He produced a small thermos which contained a simple chicken soup that had gone cold hours ago already. With the most courteous smile he could muster Isaac offered his own fake pleasantries in return, " That will not be necessary kind madam, I have brought enough to sustain myself for the time being. I thank you most heartily, but surely there are others more deserving of such kindness?" His voice oozed with the oily charisma he was so used to dealing out, while facing off with crazies such as this. He hoped if she saw through this act that she would play along for now until he could think of another solution. These bastards were bound and determined to oust him before he got to the bottom of this case, but he was honor bound to bring logic and reason to any place that lacked it.

The puzzling thing here was why the medical board had not already investigated this place if the staff were all reported dead. Granted he was in a foreign place so he couldn't rely upon any system to share similar levels of competence... It was all too suspicious. Their other guest had arrived under false pretenses, which probably shook them up and raised their already present paranoia to dangerous levels. He had to keep on his toes to finish this case, lest the dark tendrils of this place enrapture him like the rest of the inhabitants.

He just hoped they didn't kill him before he had solved the case...
 
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