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[rule_britannia]

[His handwriting is barely legible, as if he's shaking so badly he can barely hold the quill]

I need some help

Hes dead hes

Eriqs dead I dont know what to do

fuck

Comments

[eighttimeshandy]

[Eriq looks up as Coulson comes in, waving at him. Just ignore the fact that he's a little see-though at the moment, and that there's another one of him face-down on the bed]

Hello, Professor.

[thegluethatbinds]

[Well, this is a predicament. Coulson strides over to check Eriq's body for a pulse, but there was no mistaking that the teen was right over there as a ghost. Still, it would be prudent to check. As he does so, he quickly ask the boys a few questions.]

What exactly happened?

[rule_britannia]

I woke up and he was dead.

[And that's really all he knows, from an outsider perspective]

[eighttimeshandy]

I think it was a heart attack? [He shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks over at his body] I was just... journaling, and then it was like... like being hit really hard in the chest, I guess? Anyway, I was fine, and then I was dead. Like that. [he snaps his fingers, the sound echoing weirdly]

[thegluethatbinds]

[And the Slytherin was truly as dead as a doornail. Coulson frowns and draws his hand back from the corpse before he spares a quick glance at the journal. The boy had mentioned that he had been using it. He taps his wand against the still-opened book and quill but no, no curse or Dark Arts involved. For all purposes, it did look like the teen had really dropped dead.]

I'll bring your body to the Hospital Wing and we'll let the Healers have a look, but I'll have to shrink you and cast a Disillusion Charm. Mr Kirkland, I'd like you to come with me as well.

[rule_britannia]

I..

[He gets up and tries again to make himself look presentable, managing a better job of it this time]

Yes, sir.

[eighttimeshandy]

Sure, I guess. [he shrugs helplessly] I mean, I'm not really using it anymore, so... Do what you have to, I guess? I don't really care.

[thegluethatbinds]

[With Eriq's permission, Coulson manages to transport the body down to the Hospital Wing and alerts the Healers, who are more qualified to deal with mysterious sudden heart attacks. At the same time, he's keeping an eye on Eriq and Arthur; while the victim himself seems fine, Arthur is clearly still in a bit of shock. Once the body is passed to capable hands, he brings the two boys to a private room, the mysterious journal in hand.]

Alright, now that your body has proper medical attention, I'd like for the both of you to tell me exactly what happened.

[rule_britannia]

I just.. woke up and he was like that.

['A bit of shock' is perhaps an understatement. Arthur sinks into a chair and leans forwards, looking rather pale]

I thought he might be joking - it wouldn't be outside of his habits to joke about something so grim - but..

[He makes a small gesture towards Eriq's ghost]

[eighttimeshandy]

I already told you everything? There wasn't really much to it, I was just... [He shrugs, waving a hand vaguely at the journal] Aranea was suddenly a child, even though I'd just been talking to her and she was fine before. I was kind of... unsettled by it, and sort of... yelled that I was her boyfriend. And then Herbert found it, and I just.

Sort of wished I was dead? I didn't mean it, of course, it was just one of those stupid thoughts you get when you're stressed, right? But then it was like - Bam! [he snaps his fingers] I was dead and kind of staring at my body, wondering what happened.

[thegluethatbinds]

You wished for it.

[He did a little test there and then; thought to himself, "I wish Eriq Slepneir is alive again", but nothing happened.]

Are you absolutely sure you didn't touch any cursed item? No hexes or curses?