THE SECOND INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

THE SECOND INVESTIGATION

[The morning starts as...most mornings do. Quiet, calm. In space. Next to a jail.

That, however, changes when screams start to emanate from the entrance.]

RUN RUUUUN!!

AAAAAAAH!!

[Soon enough, droves of people are streaming out of the jail, panicking and screaming and in some cases fainting. They start jamming towards the station in a near-stampede, screeching.]

LOOSE! THEY'RE LOOSE!!

THE ANIMALS HAVE ESCAPED THE PEN!!

[...Oh dear.

Help?]

Comments

[charmingheroine]

No, no, no, Jesus, no....

[She's not so much kneeling as barely controlling a fall, but - are they breathing, is there blood under her hands when she grabs their shoulders, who is it?]

[1/2]

[strangerpeople]

[It is...]

[2/2]

[strangerpeople]

[...not anyone Charlotte knows. In fact, he's naked and perfectly all right aside from some bruising.

His head pops up at this.]

AH-...oh. Hi!

[unwittingking]

[The dog is here and was about to P A N I C, but uh...who's this kid?]

Um...hi? Do you know what happened here?

[Instinctual looking around for his parents after he says this cause why is this kid at space jail AND NAKED]

[strangerpeople]

Th...aaaaat's a good question...I have no idea.

[Shaking the cobwebs out of his head.]

[zackthekiller]

Outta my way! MOVE!

[Oh dear. Zack's shoving his way through the crowd, armed with a scythe, and was fully expecting to see a dead body somewhere.

Nope, just this kid. He'd collar the boy if he was wearing clothes, but...]

HEY! YOU! YOU SEE A TEENAGE GIRL WITH LONG BLACK HAIR ANYWHERE!?

[strangerpeople]

AH-

I..I mean, I've seen her, but...not...not right now? Not recently-

[As Zack is no doubt presumably shaking this kid who just wants a goddamn decent meal for once, he might spot...well, the same thing a few others have spotted.]

[zackthekiller]

WHERE.... Huh?

[Yeah, he sees the thing...]

Hang on. [He'll just leave the kid alone then.]

[unwittingking]

[He sighs and unbuttons his vest before handing it over to the kid.]

Okay, then just...cover yourself with this and go find your parents.

[It's small, but he's pretty sure this kid should take what he can get when he's naked.]

[strangerpeople]

[LOL UR FUNNY DOG

Kid is just going to...smile and nod like that's totally what's going to happen. Yup.]

[unwittingking]

…you...weren't a prisoner here or something, right?

[please don't be a criminal please don't be a criminal...]

[higanbana]

[Having finally arrived after her and McDude took their sweet time strolling:]

Oh, good. He's indecent and useless.

[Will Ris ever ACTUALLY help an investigation? No, probably not.]

[charmingheroine]

Oh thank God, I thought you were - hurt. Listen, take this and cover up and get out of here, okay? It isn't safe!

[She's shrugging out of her jacket as she speaks, and sort of shoves the deep teal silk at the poor kid before standing back up and heading past him. She heard familiar voices as she was running in here, the kid's probably safest heading out.

No, she didn't make the connection between him and one of the animals - how would she?]

[strangerpeople]

Oh, thank you! I, uh, will!

...

[Running to...the kitchen? Ok. Whatever.]

[charmingheroine]

[What is it with blond boys, seriously... but nevermind that, what's waiting past the entrance?]

[strangerpeople]

[She might, before she gets to the entrance, notice something else in the hallway, out of the corner of the eye.]

[biddentodance]

Understood.

[He's following Charlotte, and his training is really showing in his movements.

So presumably he sees this thing too?]

[charmingheroine]

[Oh no, not again - is it a body, or discarded clothing, or neither?]

[biddentodance]

Charlotte-chan!

[Whether he was already addressing her this way or not, he's not really paying attention. Look, it's crunch time.]

Is he-- [He's movin'. Okay.] ...

[charmingheroine]

[He's moving and so is she, but she'll call back a warning at least - ]

Stay on guard, I'm taking point!

[otherworldlyking]

...I don't have time for this.

[ On his way to head back now ig unless someone else screams. ]

[higanbana]

[welp time to buddy up with RGB then, bye mcdude :'C]

[strangerpeople]

[Well.

As McBurn heads to the courtyard, he will hear a scream. Not in the direction of the animal pen, though, thankfully.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ Okay heading towards the scream. Where is it coming from? ]

[strangerpeople]

[It sounds like it's coming from near the computer room...followed by a thud.]