Fourth.

[trustharder]

Friday morning starts as all mornings in the Vault do. The klaxons sound off at seven in the morning; some awaken easily, some don't, but the point remains that for better or worse, everyone has to leave the room they were sleeping in eventually. A few will be spared from the immediate knowledge that something is amiss – those whose rooms are tucked away in the corners of the dorms and don't have a clear view of the hallway may get a few seconds' peace of mind. However, as soon as the main hallway is visible it becomes obvious that something isn't right. It isn't like the first week, where the blood was contained to the far end of the building. This time, the blood starts in the dormitory hallway. It looks like it's starting near one of the dormitory rooms toward the middle of the floor. >Explore?

Comments

[goodforsomething]

...you gotta be kiddin' me.

[But for all that, Stan doesn't sound terribly surprised. Let's follow the blood...]

[trustharder]

[Well, you're going to be backtracking a little if you're trying to see where it starts.

It looks like it started around Room 19.]

[goodforsomething]

[That's uh....

...fuck. Stan picks up his pace, cursing inwardly.]

Megumi?

[trustharder]

[Her door looks like it was left slightly open.]

[goodforsomething]

[Balls, he doesn't want to do this.

But he doesn't want to make anyone else do it either.

Let's open that door.]

[trustharder]

[Well, it's not an entire person's worth of blood splashed all over the room this time and nothing else; unfortunately, that's about the best thing that can be said here, and even that particular best-case isn't any comfort, because what is there is so much worse.

There's a person lying in a pool of blood on the floor, legs bent at loose but slightly awkward angles, hands drawn up in the universal position of one who tried to defend themselves, one of them curled into a loose fist. However, there's no motion forthcoming, no acknowledgement that anyone else is there, and the front of the body is covered in blood, clothing torn in several places.

Her purple hair is haloed loosely around her head, her face turned away and to the side; her eyes are open, her stare glossy and unfocused.

Megumi Sakura is dead.

[captainobnoxious]

[Sigrun peers in with the others, taking in the sight (broken legs, bleeding out) before she steps back to let people have their room for investigation and the like, rolling her shoulders before deciding to hit up Black to tell him that she'd won the bet.

Like, good thing he didn't bet against her. He woulda loooost.]

[pokexplorer]

[Still a little out of it from the sudden signs of violence right outside his door, Colress does follow the others into Megumi's room.

And well. As much as he wishes he can say he's surprised by this after what was found outside...the truth of the matter is that he can't.]

Miss Megumi...

[Bodies are startling no matter what, but this one hits Colress particularly hard. This is his next door neighbor whom he enjoyed speaking with. What makes it worse...is that it seems she died in this room, likely while he was just one wall away and completely unknowing of what was happening.

He feels sick.]

[bloodisthicker]

...

Damnit!

[She was right next door. She was right next door to both of them, and one of the two of them should have been able to do something, but they couldn't...

All he can really do is angrily hit the wall and say something that isn't exactly rated y7.]

Why do the walls have to be soundproof?!

[pokexplorer]

I...

[He turns to Tarrlok like he has something useful he can say in a situation like this, but he really doesn't. He was completely useless to Megumi when she needed help because of those soundproof walls. They both were.

Colress is still in a state of shock, so his response comes off more emotionless than usual.]

It is rather obvious why, isn't it? So we cannot interfere...

[That has to be it, right? Saving someone from getting murdered isn't what the Kingmaker wants. He's made that clear enough. It just makes things all the more awful for them.]

[bloodisthicker]

I know that, but... if I'd just gone to bed later, then...

[...would he have been able to do anything, though? Here, he's... he could probably take a normal human, maybe, but... what if it was some monster like Kamui had been?]

...we'll find who did this and make sure they're dealt with.

[amygdalae]

[...Bruce's blood goes cold the moment he sees the body. Just last night, they had been talking, and the week before they were working in the sewing room together...

It just feels so much more surreal now, this time.

He feels the anger rising, just like before, but he squashes it down and ensures that his voice is steady as he speaks.]

--we've got no time to waste.

[They need to solve this. One way or another.]

[goodforsomething]

[Stan clenches his fists at his sides, jaw tightening. There is a clear moment where he's pushing something down.]

Fuck.

[amygdalae]

[TIME TO GO ON IN (after Stan, that is).

...and what do we see?]

[notjustawriter]

[...Why does this have to happen every Friday.

Time to follow the others.]

[notjustawriter]

[Welp.

Time for Gabriel to steel himself for the worst.]

[amygdalae]

[...yeah, Bruce's memorized the rooms by now to know who goes where.

He mutters a curse under his breath and hurries onward, reaching for the door and attempting to open it--well, if the door is closed, anyway. Is the door even closed?]

[pokexplorer]

[It's extremely alarming to exit your room to find blood everywhere right next door, let Colress tell you.

And he's been to that room before, so he knows whose it is immediately. And just as immediately, his heart rate shoots up.

He's frozen a bit as Stan heads over.]

Ah, Mr. Pines...

Should we...see where this leads?

[goodforsomething]

Yeah, yeah, c'mon.

[Stan sounds, understandably, a bit distracted.]

[isafraid]

[Hey guys what's happening out here-oh.




oh no]

[bloodisthicker]

[...WELL THAT'S A LOVELY THING TO SEE WHEN YOU STEP OUT OF YOUR DOOR...

...oh no wait]

...please tell me someone's seen Megumi alive.

[psychoh]

H-Haven't seen her since yesterday... [GOD that's... that's a lot of blood...]

[amygdalae]

[...well guess who's room is pretty much in the middle of the hallway.

Bruce can feel the dread building up again but he's quick to squash it; whatever happens now is the time to be in control. He can't screw it up again like last week.

Taking a breath to steady himself, he goes off to follow everyone else who's already seen the trail for themselves.]