First.

[trustmods]

Most of the week has come and gone in relative peace; it's an uneasy peace, but the fact is that it exists, and sometimes that's the most one can ask for. 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 swing partially ajar of their own volition, and the building is quiet. Perhaps this week has passed relatively painlessly, and no one's decided to find out what your captor means by that last rule of his; perhaps the communal lifestyle has remained undisturbed, whether due to the lack of threat to everyone's well-being from any sort of outside source or just because no one sees a reason to push their luck. Or perhaps somebody decided to be a damn overachiever and take some initiative. Only one way to find out, isn't there? >Explore?

Comments

[withabigsmile]

[Gooood morning! It's a great morning, in fact!

But Blue isn't quite hungry just yet, so she decides to wander over to the ballroom- the long way through the halls, not through the kitchen- and hums to herself along the way.]

[trustmods]

[...Well, it certainly seems that something was disturbed in here, to put it very gently.

The relative elegance of the ballroom is offset by the scene taking place on the far end of it, near the stage and the grand piano set upon it; the large chandelier nearest the stage is weighted down today, the usual attention-catching shine of the crystals being massively outdone by the other...ah, more creative decoration hanging from it right now.

That. That certainly looks like something may be decidedly really not right in here. A very definite person-sized something.

That certainly is a person hanging from that chandelier, is what I'm saying.]

[withabigsmile]

[Dum de dum de-

...That sure does appear to be a body.

She has a moment of stunned silence, a second moment-

and then she absolutely screams on the top of her lungs, because there is not exactly a sane reaction to seeing someone hanging from the ceiling that isn't to belt out in horror as loudly as you can.]

[nankurunaisa]

G'mornin', Blue—

[Hibiki's just strolling in, too, already at a light jog despite the less than ideal conditions for flooring. At the scream, she looks stunned, mostly because she feels like she's being screamed at...

But then she sees it. Oh god.

And she screams, too.]

[perpend]

[Even with his injuries, it takes him perhaps five seconds to rush into the room.]

What happened?!

[And then he sees it.]

Ye gods!

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[The foyer is very close to the ballroom so the sound of two screams in quick succession is definitely something Ashley can't ignore and why is she running toward the sound of the screaming-

A few steps into the ballroom, she tries to say something like "Is someone dead?" but well there's the answer there, huh. Her own scream catches in her throat, and she grabs the door frame for support.]

Oh my G-

[trustmods]

[It's understandable that no one wants to get closer to it; this is all a little sudden. Fortunately enough, the person's outfit is a little distinctive.

The black barista uniform is immediately recognizable, polished shoes dangling uselessly a good distance off the floor; the white medical eyepatch isn't visible from the doorway, nor is the rest of his face – his black hair is covering most of it from that particular vantage point as his head lolls forward at a loose, sickening angle, his neck drawn back awkwardly by the rope knotted around it.

But you don't need to see his face to get the idea.

Ken Kaneki is dead.]

[crimsonchin]

[ Eyepatch down, huh? At least he's not wearing the fucking maid dress. Good grief. Looks like someone decided to make use of that rope... ]

Alright, let's take him down. Who's got something sharp?

[ Stay focused... ]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Oh my God oh my God oh my GOD, he's d-dead- Asuka, h-he's- Ken's dead--

[...There's a visible pair of scissors in her uniform pocket. Two pairs, actually.]

[midnightsea]

Will you stop that infernal panicking?!

[ash i'm sorry]

Why on earth are you carrying scissors--no, I don't actually care. Give me those.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[that's not helping

she just flinches back and holds her hand over both pairs of scissors with trembling hands.]

B- but it's a body a--

[perpend]

How.... how horrible.

[He didn't think any of them actually had it in them.]

[nankurunaisa]

H-hurry! M-maybe...

[Those who know Hibiki would probably know she's about to say "maybe he's still alive," but that looks...looks sick. She's fighting back tears and trying not to let the sick feeling in her stomach get the best in her.

This wasn't supposed to happen, this...this is all too much.]

[crimsonchin]

I know he is. We have to figure out who did it right now, though, Ashley.

[ And how they did it, too, because there's no way hanging from the chandelier can be the goddamn cause of death, can it..? That's just not feasible. ]

We're dealing with a sick fuck, here. Killing him and making a goddamn show out of it...

[swirlied]

[ Yuuri's on his way to the dining hall when he hears the announcement, and immediately there's a sinking feeling in his stomach. He sees the commotion right outside the ballroom and rushes in, standing frozen in the doorway when he sees the body. ]

H-How... How could someone do this? [ He can't even stand looking at the scene, averting his eyes. ]

[crimsonchin]

With a rope and the chandelier, apparently.

[ Now is not the time Asuka ]

I'm surprised someone snapped this quick.

[swirlied]

[ He glances over at her. If he wasn't in shock right now he'd be mad about the sarcasm but instead he just nods. ]

So am I...

[shuttermouse]

[ Chie heard the screaming when she was getting her daily dose of useless junk from the machine and quickly runs over to the ballroom. ]

What's going on?

[ ...Then she sees the body. Oh. ]

[charcoalfeather]

[Rakka was just passing through, until she heard that first scream, and now the second one. So now, she's bolting towards the ballroom.]

W-what is it? Is everyone al-

[She stops, dead in her tracks as her gaze falls on that body, slowly swinging underneath the chandelier. It's a body, it's one of them, and it's dead.

Dead.

Was Rakka screaming? Maybe it was just a silent one caught in her throat. She couldn't hear it herself, nor did she notice anything else until she falls back, passing out from shock.]

[icysemblance]

[It's the screaming that gets her attention. Weiss runs in, looking up, and she has to turn away a second later to keep herself from getting sick. It's one thing to see a dead monster, but a dead person is something else entirely.]

Who would - why would -

[...no. Panicking won't help, and she takes a long, shaky breath.]

- we'll find who did it.

[midnightsea]

[GOD SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP]

What the hell is everyone screaming about--

[...Oh. Okay then.]

[So who is it?]

[trustmods]

[Well.]

[crimsonchin]

In all honesty, that answer should have been obvious.

[ Asuka looks fairly tired, too, to her credit; being woken up by the sound of screaming is not a pleasant way to begin the morning. ]

[midnightsea]

Yes, I think it's a little self-explanatory at this point.

[crimsonchin]

Some Arschmade sure has a taste for the theatrical.