Eighth.

[trustharder]

Seven in the morning comes and goes as it always does – namely, loudly and a little obnoxiously, given the usual blaring of the klaxons. Today marks almost a full eight weeks since the Survivors awakened in the Vault; more than enough time for people to get used to how things tend to work around here on Fridays, and yet not so long that there isn't any hope that maybe (maybe) this Friday will be better. The first-floor corridor is generally quiet, in that it's free of blood; however, there are some scattered books in the hallway, near the library. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it isn't. It might be good to make sure, though, right? >Explore?

Comments

[pokexplorer]

[He wants nothing more than to just sleep right now, it is true. But there is no time for that with a trial looming overhead.

...This would require a trial, right? Someone very clearly tried to do murder. Hm.

After examining the books, Colress sets them aside so people don't trip on them on the way out. After that, he ventures off to see if everyone else is all right.

THANKS MODS this is clearly the most important evidence.]

[amygdalae]

[That makes it easier, at least. Thank god for no more head injuries.

With a murmured apology Bruce comes in close in order to more closely study the ligature marks around his neck. Just how bad are these marks, and is the imprint deep enough that he could get a sense of the item used in this... incident?]

[notjustawriter]

[He glances around, frowning.]

I'm sorry, I don't really remember what the room looked like before.

[captainobnoxious]

[.............

Okay then. Well. So.

Uh. Anything taped under the tables?]

[trustharder]

[Not taped under, no, but there's definitely something under one of the tables! It's a piece of paper. How interesting!!!]

[trustharder]

[It looks like whomever this didn't make the most careful or graceful of exits - the books from the hallway seem to come from a small pile near the door that got knocked over at some point.]

INVESTIGATION TIME

[sleepingkogoro]

Alright, thank you, Knight-san. Please rest.

[This interrogation was a bust. It's hard to work when the witness doesn't remember anything, but...hm...

Mouri will start looking for any places the killer-to-be could hide in]

[notjustawriter]

[The bruise is pretty nasty looking, like it's going o be sore for a while, but it's not anything that'll cause long lasting damage.

But the bruise is distinct enough to cause a specific mark; it resembles the chain of the talisman around his neck.]

[amygdalae]

[At least that very quickly narrows down what could have been used, especially since Bruce had held it for a while himself at one point.]

...I'm sorry, but do you mind if you take off your tailsman for a bit?

[notjustawriter]

'Course.

[He takes it off, handing it to Bruce carefully.]

[trustharder]

[The library seems to be largely untouched, outside of the books that were knocked into the hallway and the...everything that happened with Gabriel himself; it's possible for someone to have concealed themselves between the shelves or behind the door, but difficult to discern whether someone actually did so.]

[amygdalae]

Thank you.

[Bruce will take very good care of it, Gabriel, don't worry.

Anyway time to examine this thing closely. It's probably a hell of a long shot but is there anything on it that he could find that shouldn't be on said talisman?]

[captainobnoxious]

[Oh boy!!! Paper! She's really on a roll today! If the attempted murder wasn't clearly strangulation, she'd surely find the murder weapon this time!

Anything to be read on it?]

[notjustawriter]

[Nope, everything looks perfectly fine here!

But maybe Bruce should examine the bruise on Gabriel's neck again, now that he has the talisman to look at too.]

[amygdalae]

[That was exactly what he was planning to do, yes, since the tailsman itself is apparently in the clear.

He'll hold up a part of the chain and bring it close to the marks on Gabriel's neck to properly compare them, just to be 100% sure.]

[trustharder]

[Too bad it wasn't attempted death by papercuts...

There is something written on it! The first thing you'll notice is that the handwriting is very neat and the second thing you'll notice is that the paper is on the topic of the other Survivors - it contains a list of all the titles and what they mean. It also includes the Kingmaker.]

[notjustawriter]

[Holding it up the Gabriel's neck, he'll notice that the bruise could only have been made if he was attacked from behind.]

[goodforsomething]

[Stan goes over to pick up one of the remaining books, glancing over the rest of the pile. What kind of books are they?]

[amygdalae]

[As in they grabbed the chain from the back and pulled it? Just to be clear...

Either way Bruce will return the tailsman to Gabriel.]

You'll probably not want to wear that for a while.

AREA CLEAR

[trustharder]

[notjustawriter]

[Yes, exactly like that!

Gabriel will take the talisman back, flipping it around carefully in his hands.]

Sounds like a good idea.

[amygdalae]

You don't remember anything at all?

[He asks after a very brief pause. Bruce doesn't want to push, but... with something like this surely at least even a little of the experience must be there. Unless his mind's automatically blocked out the trauma... which Bruce can't blame him for.]

[captainobnoxious]

[... Oh, wow. Huh. That's neat. So that's what some of these mean!

(Hers so definitely fits her. Mettaton's is fucking hilarious. And here she thought that it just meant he was, well, explosive!)

Won't even ask if she recognizes the handwriting, because she wouldn't be able to put a face to any of them and they've all shared their handwriting by now, so let's move on! Anything to do with the walls or ceiling?

Because yes, she'll look up this time.]

[trustharder]

[Well before you look up you'll probably notice that there's another piece of paper underneath a nearby table. Wow!! So much paper!!! What a great find!!!]

[captainobnoxious]

[Why is there so much paper she did not ask for this?? Why couldn't it have been attempted death by papercut.

Fine, what's on this one. She's just gonna be on her goddamn hands and knees for the rest of this investigation.]