First.

[trustwellness]

The past five days have come and gone, though exactly how easily they've done so is debatable; some have been trying to press onward in their optimism and faith that things will get better, while some seem convinced that things will only go downhill from here. However people have chosen to see it, though, clearly this week hasn't been all bad – after all, attempts at encouraging unity among the group seem to have been at least reasonably successful. ...Seem to have been. Friday dawns like the rest of the week before it – the clock chimes the hour at seven, the doors to the kitchen and the mail room unlock, and the building is quiet. It would seem that maybe the night passed reasonably quietly – were it not for the large red smears on the walls and floor of the southeastern side of the dormitory. It looks like somebody decided to be a damn overachiever and took some initiative of their own. >Explore?

Comments

[acherontiastyx]

Ketchup. Maybe it's ketchup. Maybe there was a wild ketchup party and I fuckin' [noticeable pause and flinch] missed it.

[introspects]

I...

[ She is hoping that's the case. Somehow, a part of her knows that it's not. ]

I don't know... I... Adelina....

[trustwellness]

[She doesn't respond.

To say that she seems peaceful is something of an overstatement; she's lying still, curly brown hair lying messy around her head, and she doesn't stir when approached, touched, or gently shaken, but the fact of the matter is that she doesn't seem to be breathing, either. While her clothes are stained red as well, it doesn't seem to be concentrated anywhere in particular; the spatter seems a bit too random for that, it isn't radiating out from any major injury.

However, the fact that she's not breathing can probably be attributed to the deep, unmistakable bruises on her throat.

The facts of the matter are clear.

Adelina is dead.]

[firstaid]

No, please is Adelina okay! Tell me, Angela! It's not real, right?!

[acherontiastyx]

Yeah I mean I have to say that bright pink would be a better choice here but maybe someone didn't think it through.

[firstaid]

She's okay, she has to be!

[modernmedicine]

[This isn't the first time she's seen a body, but this? It's enough to shake Mercy up a little. She keeps that in check, though.

How cold is her body? Is it obvious that she's so far gone CPR won't help?]

[modernmedicine]

I'm so sorry. I'll do what I can for her, but it doesn't look good.

[modernmedicine]

I'm so, so sorry. I'll do what I can for her, but she's gone.

[certaingiant]

If you want to hope that, I won't stop you.

[...he'll just only be able to hope that for about two more minutes.]

[modernmedicine]

Not good, Phi. Not good.

[modernmedicine]

It doesn't smell sweet enough to be ketchup.

[plentyfriendly]

Thought so...

[She's seen worse, though. Like. A lot worse.]

[neverheardofhim]

[He looked up at her, opening his mouth to say something. His body lurched to the side, and for a second, he set to wracking his brains for everything he had learned when writing his novels. He reached out, then clenched it into a fist and dropped it.]

[Smarter people, people like Angela, could take care of it for now. He gave a tight nod to her and turned from the room for the time being.]

[acherontiastyx]

Oh. Uh.

[someone fucking got murdered right next door.]

Does... anyone need towels? I'll go get towels. Yeah.

[time to coolly withdraw to his bathroom and lock the fucking door]

[trustwellness]

[Fun fact: unless it's a case of hypothermia, brain cells begin to die off after 10 minutes of no blood flow. Beyond that, the chances of CPR helping drop off rather steeply.

...Okay, that wasn't fun, but it was factual.

She feels cold in a way that implies she's been dead for a while; well beyond the drop-off point, and pretty far beyond anything that could be done flat-out without a full life support system.

She's pretty damn dead, is what we're saying.]

[firstaid]

[A hand covers her mouth and tears well up in her eyes.]

She's... d-dead? B-but... No... I...

[She wants to run to her, but fear causes her knees to buckle as she leans against her doorframe.]

[officerwilde]

[Nick looks back to the small crowd of people in that room, and back to the bunny in front of him. He gets it, sort of. She's a cop, wants to go investigate the murder blah blah blah.. but she looks like she could crack at any moment and he doesn't like her, no, but he also doesn't want to see a bunny cry. Or get stepped on in that crowd. Whichever comes first.]

There's too many people crowded around in there, Hopps. And really, what are you gonna do that anyone else can't do? Sniff the dead body with your cute little button nose?

[Honestly he just doesn't want there to be a real confirmation that someone is dead.. maybe it's a joke or someone got in a fight or something.. sure...]

[modernmedicine]

[She knows. If she had her Valkyrie suit, had access to a lab, something, she could bring the princess back, but as it is, she knows there's no way.

Time to start checking the body. Besides the bruises, are there any obvious injuries she can see without flipping her over - anything on her hands, her arms, her legs?]

TRUST HAS BEEN BROKEN.

[wordsmithery]

[The PA system overhead crackles to life suddenly, the Wordsmith addressing the Apprentices as a group for the first time in days.]

One of your number has decided to seek an end to their stay at Chronos University, and Securing has been the one to pay for it. You will be granted time to investigate the university, as well as a chance to attempt determining who among you wishes to terminate their course of study in accordance with Rule Seven. From here, it's going to be a matter of the survivors versus the guilty party.

Regardless of whether you wish it to end or not, does your fellow Apprentice's murderer not deserve to be brought to justice?

[The speakers cut out, and it doesn't seem like the Wordsmith is all that talkative if anyone yells back at it.]

ADELINA'S ROOM

[trustwellness]

HALLWAY

[trustwellness]

[oyashiromama]

Estellise. [Very softly, Hanyuu approaches from behind, a gentle hand on her arm. She looks sad, but resigned...and far more serious than she's seemed thus far. Her voice, however, is gentle.]

I have you. Come, let the doctor be.

KITCHEN

[trustwellness]

LAUNDRY ROOM

[trustwellness]