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It had indeed received her text, and spent some time in silence before recovering. It remembered her, of course. She had done much for the students, and while it hadn't seen her personally any time lately... doubtless she had heard what had happened.

Pretty much everyone had.

It was ready for her that morning, and the door opened a few seconds after her knock, revealing the plague doctor standing as poised as it could manage, though there was a vague, awkward unease around it. "Elizabeth - Lizzy. It is good to see you," it said, nodding to her. "Come in?"

The room was clearly spartan, temporary, but with some strange details. For one thing, one wall was nearly covered with notes and sketches, largely dealing with the study of Insanity. For another, the cot Malodore was using as a bed was nearly drowned in a mass of bedding that seemed thoroughly unsuited to the bed itself. And there were two cwn annwns in the room, not one - Luce, the older one, wagged her tail at Lizzy more sedately, while the younger pup tumbled at one of Lizzy's feet.

"How can I assist you?" the plague doctor asked, sitting down on the edge of what looked like a stone sarcophagus, gesturing the demoness towards the simple folding chair set up against the wall of notes. "I am afraid this room is not terribly suited for visiting, but I am glad to have you nevertheless."

Malodore's stomach clenched unpleasantly at the mention of Riley; a faint shudder ran through the plague doctor's thin frame, but it kept its head up, gaze on Lizzy. "Si... it is my intention to find a treatment of some kind. A cure, if possible. I will not lose any other student to this affliction." Its hands balled into fists for a moment before relaxing.

And then it tensed again, its feathers chiming sharply against each other with the movement. Funeral. A memorial. Of course, it made sense. It gritted its beak. "The Bogeymen," it rasped, its composure just barely holding together. "Angering them. Why should they be angry? What business is it of theirs, our grief? Our mourning?" Had it already begun? Were they slandering her as they had Professor Red?

It shifted, resettling its wings; their new size was still unfamiliar to it, and one metal spar rasped against a wall. "I... grazie, I understand..." It shook its head. It wasn't happy, but it understood. If someone had given them a warning, it had to respect that. "You are correct, even if it angers me to think. They took her away, why should they care-" It bit off the end of the word, shoulders heaving for a moment before it stilled again.

"I would like help. I must remember that I cannot do everything alone." It opened its beak just a little in a wry smile. "Thank you. I... she liked... she liked so many things. But in the end, the last... the last memory. I know she remembered it in the end. I heard the chimes of the pavilions in Conquest's Isle. There was a walk there, sacred to lovers, and I took her there..." It paused again, closing its eyes for a moment before continuing. "There were chimes, and flowers, and beautiful things. We talked about... cake, of all things, I..."

A tear escaped, but it did not stop. "Cake. The most magnificent cake. And chimes. And flowers. And lights, a thousand tiny ones. Inextinguishable, if possible. I must keep her memory alive. I cannot carry it alone."

Tears were streaming freely down Malodore's mask now, and it made no attempt to hide them - instead, it just nodded, talking through the tears. "Si... that sounds lovely, I... thank you," it hiccuped. "I do not know where to get such items, and my skills are limited to the medical, but..."

It tilted its head slightly to one side as she mentioned making the event private. "I... I don't want to hide what happened. Riley w-was the student council president, after all - her absence will be noted by many. I will speak freely about the truth whenever I am asked. And I would... I would like to make it known to the rest of the student population that I am available to assist those who are suffering from Insanity as well... they should not feel that they are alone, and not understood. I would not want to exclude anyone who has a reason to be there, even though I may not know them."

"Thank you," Malodore repeated, lifting one sleeve; it produced a handkerchief and dabbed gingerly at its mask. "I... I will be careful. From what I have observed, the Insanity causes an increase in paranoia, especially when one fears being taken away from home. It may be challenging to break through that paranoia. I must be gentle, and impeccable with my words and my deeds..."

It shook its head. "And I will watch my words against the Bogeymen. I cannot help others if I am myself compromised, but..." It shuddered again. "I want her back, Lizzy. Even if she is lifeless, I want her back. The thought of her in their foul hands disgusts me."

"They might," Malodore said, voice low, edged with controlled anger. "I will not allow that to happen. I have spoken with Nurse Cricket - she will aid us in this matter, and not go to the Bogeymen. If you recall, she was wounded by their actions against Professor Red. I trust her. We must be circumspect and seek out those suffering from Insanity while not revealing their existence to outsiders..."

It hadn't paid much attention to Professor Red's 'retirement' at the time, having not gone to the Haunted House with the others. "Perhaps... perhaps I might speak to him, if he might be useful," it said, warily. "But, I am reminded. Professor Red was suffering from Insanity, yes? Or something like it? Could you... could you tell me what you remember? I was not there, but the data..."

As Lizzy spoke, Malodore produced a notepad and pen from its sleeve and started taking notes, watching her avidly as its pen flew across the paper. "The weapons... yes. I am not sure how accurate to the genuine experience the Trial of Death was, but I remember... perhaps I can draw some conclusions..." It didn't seem to talking to her, not entirely.

When she was done, the plague doctor went on writing for a good minute before finally closing the notepad with a sigh. "Grazie - I should have investigated this sooner, but I think with this information... perhaps I can begin building more detailed hypotheses..." Its shoulders hunched then, as if its note-taking had permitted it to only think about Lizzy's story in the most clinical terms... and now the emotional implications were coming back to haunt it. "Stone. I should have realized, I... but without the weapon as a variable, there was no way to predict such an outcome..." It shook its head sharply. "After you returned, were there after-effects, mentally speaking? I know many who were in the Four Isles have suffered at least temporary psychological disruptions."

It was trying very hard not to think about the Bogeymen smashing Riley's body to pieces. Trying, and largely failing.