THE FIRST INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

THE FIRST INVESTIGATION

[As Friday morning dawns, everything is quiet. Serene, even. It's been almost two weeks since the beginning of their stay here, and the time to fulfill the Commander's ultimatum offer is almost up. It seems that no one's taken her up on the offer, so far.

Maybe the lack of murder will continue, as everyone starts to go about their day....but there's only one way to find out.

Let's go about our normal routine, shall we?]

Comments

[losergod]

Someone took the bait.

[ It's said softly. ]

... We need to preserve the crime scene. Can you attend to her, Mister Kurusu? She will... probably need it.

[ And his social skills are lacking. ]

[backuphero]

[He'd heard the scream but had lagged behind, had made it out of the elevator just in time to see Barbara and Moustache Guy vanish into the women's bathroom. So of course he followed.

And he walked in just in time to hear what Akira said, and what C did.

He doesn't slump to his knees, he just drops, like a puppet missing half its strings.]

I said I'd protect her. I... God, tell me I'm still fucking asleep....

[losergod]

[ He frowns. ]

Unfortunately that does not appear to be the case. We are all very much awake.

[mementodagger]

[Yurick finally shows up thanks to Angela's scream. He doesn't push past the others, waiting for a gap in the crowd to see who they've lost.

When he sees Vita's body, his face falls ever so slightly, but he's otherwise stoic, like someone who's seen too much in too few years.]

So someone really did take the devil's deal. Why am I not surprised?

[losergod]

I'm not either. It's... disappointing. I'll see what I can do to help.

[ He just looks sad. ]

[mementodagger]

Don't tell me you can figure this out? Are you a spirit medium? Do you plan to ask her... ghost... who killed her?

[He looks around nervously, as if expecting Vita's soul to pop out and wail at him.]

[losergod]

I am not omnipotent, especially not like this, Mister Yurick. I'm going to examine her body. I was studying to become a doctor some time ago. I know enough. While the particular line of medicine I was hoping to go into was... not something like this, you cannot become someone in that line of work without knowing enough about the human body first.

[ He doesn't WANT to touch her, but he's going to anyway. Sigh. ]

I only wish I had more gloves.

[mementodagger]

... I wish I could be of more assistance, but medicine isn't my field of expertise. I'm... a different sort of scholar.

[He glances over at Vita again, letting out a soft sigh.]

It's a shame it wasn't the Commander.

[losergod]

[ He just looks incredibly sad, even though he's smiling. ]

I don't think anyone should have to die, really. It's a waste of human life. The universe is already crushing us all slowly; why do we need to make it go faster?

[mementodagger]

I suppose you're right. Pity at least one person here doesn't share your feelings, though.

[backuphero]

[He stares at C, glassy-eyed and pale. It's a far cry from the fits of temper everyone's seen from him so far - right now, he seems to have almost shut down.]

I said I'd protect her. I didn't even - God, I am useless....

[It's maybe a stretch to say he can see past C to Vita's body, but if he can, does she appear to have been strangled by hand, or... with something else?]

[losergod]

[ He gently grabs at Jonathan's arm. ]

Mister Morris, please, let me examine her. I likely have more experience with the human body than you do.

[backuphero]

I -

[He freezes. C's telling the truth, that's for sure.]

I... yeah. Just... be polite about it. She was....

[losergod]

[ He offers a gentle smile, not unlike a father trying to reassure a child. ]

Mister Morris, I would never be untoward to someone like that, no matter what. It's not my way. You can rest assured of that. I will help you find her killer.

[backuphero]

Thank you.

[It comes out in a strangled voice, and any observer would expect tears to follow... but they don't. He refuses to let them, even now.]

[losergod]

[ He seems... chipper despite it all. He wants to help. Or perhaps this is just his reaction to death. Everyone is different. Swallow your feelings and smile, after all. ]

Please help the others in trying to find anything the killer might have left behind. Any evidence we find would be incredibly useful.

[beguiledcard]

I'm sorry... She didn't deserve this. [ said as he rests a hand on Jonathan's upper arm, his brow tensed ] Let's just... get through this investigation, all right?

Unsure if that's important enough to bold, buuuuuut....

[backuphero]

[He slowly looks up at Akira, turning that same glassy-eyed stare on him as had been aimed at C.]

She said... she said she'd yell if something happened. So I could find her. I didn't... and she's....

[beguiledcard]

Jonathan...

[ With a tense exhale, he reaches to gently try and tug the other young man to his feet. ]

Come on... let's trust C with- this part... all right?

[ He's looking to Angela, next. ]

The three of us can investigate other areas. I'm sure this isn't the only place with evidence...

[fashionfever]

Do you think... do you think someone else...? Not everyone's here... See, not everyone can hear a scream from far away, right? It's not anyone's fault except... Ahaha...

[WELL AT LEAST THIS IS A STURDY RELIABLE EVIDENCE COLLECTION GROUP... JOHNNY'S LIMITED ENERGY IS A SIGN OF HIS APPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL REACTION...]

[backuphero]

[Even with the smell of death lingering in the air, there's a part of Jonathan that doesn't want to leave, that doesn't want to let Vita out of his sight now that it's clear he shouldn't ever have.

But he listens, and rises.]

I...the theater. It's... it'd make sense, yeah?

[beguiledcard]

... Yeah.

[ It's said a bit numbly as he nods and gently pats Jonathan's upper arm. ]

I'll let you take that... and I'll take the area just outside. We should have a chance to compare evidence after this...

[backuphero]

The... mall. Is that how it went there?

[He has so many questions and most are just "why?", but that one, at least he managed to force out.]

[beguiledcard]

[ His face has remained several shades lighter than usual, and it seems no better at that question. ]

Yeah. [ jawline briefly clenching ] This is exactly how it was.

[ Guiding the pair out of the bathroom now as he talks. ]

We... found the body, investigated for evidence, and then there was a trial. [ swallowing thickly ] We compared evidence at the trial, decided who was guilty... and then...

[ His holds a blink, his next exhale even more tense than any of the others. ]

They were executed, somehow, in front of everyone.

[fashionfever]

...

[The monochrome pictures were enough. Vita didn't wander over here to die for fun. Angela glares bitterly at the latest reminder of this grim reality, C himself, before regaining her senses that it's entirely possible he wasn't involved directly.]

I guess that sounds like a plan. At least I didn't touch much of anything...