THE THIRD INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

THE THIRD INVESTIGATION

[As people wake up in the morning after last night's party, and exit their rooms, they will hear something...unusual as they get closer to Yotsukoshi's entrance.

Inhuman screeching.

It actually sounds like an animal of some kind...]

Comments

[eyesofdespair]

[And that is probably for the best since she'll be safe in there. He'll go ahead and give the ball to Ursula since she seems best equipped to care for her if something did happen to Ren.]

I think we'll find the answer when we look around more.

[comesaround]

Agreed.

[ With that he's going to look around the Barcade before shaking his head. ]

Let's split up and search around and see if we can't find him.

[incrediblystressedout]

Poor girl...she's gonna be mad when we take her back out of there.

[She'd worry about Pokéball implications but she kept her little brother's carrier pigeon in a card. It's Fine.]

[She'll start looking around the general area as well.]

[theirmagic]

... I'm going to go check the men's bathroom. Didn't he like to smoke in there?

[ GASP SHE'S NOT A MENS, DON'T GO--too late, off she goes. ]

[incrediblystressedout]

[Joey instinctively follows Ursula to help, although...]

Wait, why are we doing this and the boys are checking outside instead of...oh, never mind.

[theirmagic]

Because, Joey.

[ A long pause, and she pushes her glasses up. ]

Earlier someone said only men can go into the men's bathroom and I intend to disprove them on principal.

Also because it's fun to go places you're not supposed to.

[incrediblystressedout]

You've never shared a bathroom with a boy, huh?

[theirmagic]

Not really. I'm a single child, and besides that, I mostly go to and grew up in an all girls English boarding school, so...

[ Yeah.

Peeking inside. ]

[byanyother_name]

If anyone leaves to check the rest of the food court, don't go alone.

[And yes, he'll start to circle the Barcade since this is where they found the bird.]

[eyesofdespair]

[Loewe will join him in investigating the barcade first. Even if there is no body here, there is likely to be some evidence explaining how Yuriko and the ball ended up here.]

[strangerpeople]

[It won't be a long search by any means.

His upper body is slumped over the counter, and his lower half is halfway on the floor between the bar stools, at the counter of the Barcade, mere feet from where his Pokeball was. His head is down, and his body is rigid and cold.

There's no doubt, really, the moment everyone alights on him.

Ren Sanzashi, The Doorframe, is dead.]

[comesaround]

Ah?! How the hell did we not notice him before?

[ Wincing a little because wow. Um. This is fairly alarming to say the least. ]

[byanyother_name]

Sanzashi-san...

Someone should get Joey and Ursula out of here once they come back from checking the bathroom.

[scienceofmagic]

...I can, unless you want help on the body.

[ Her expression is grim now. ]

[byanyother_name]

I should be able to handle it, Meridies-san. And you're the best person to help Ursula through this.

Warn Akira away if you see him, please.

[eyesofdespair]

I think we'll be fine. Ursula is likely to appreciate your company more as well.

[theirmagic]

[ Funny you mention her, because she just got back from checking and is not very happy to be seeing this. She just came in to find you guys to tell her that her and Joey didn't find anything, and... ]

... Oh, no...

[eyesofdespair]

You should go investigate elsewhere with Croix.

[theirmagic]

... No. I... I didn't help the last few times, and Ren was my friend. I owe it to him to try to help.

[ She's persistent this time. ]

[scienceofmagic]

You. We're leaving to find Akira.

[ Zooooom goes the Croix to take Ursula elsewhere. ]

[theirmagic]

But--!

[ PROTESTING??? ]

[beguiledcard]

[ Ah... well, you don't have to look far!?

He's walking up just as (or maybe even after; who knows) they're trying to leave.

There's an immediate pause the second he gets there. ]