Game 105 - Trial 1 - The Slacker's Slumber

[Peregrine]

A flurry of squeaks attracts Yuri's attention. She kneels down to meet the laden rats before her.




"Oh, is it ready? Thank you. I'll make sure your payment is prepared soon."


She takes the paper they give her and inspects it thoroughly, before clearing her throat.




"Interesting... Everybody, I asked the Hoarder a favour while I was investigating the Docks, since neither Tetsuo or I had a safe way of entering the sewer pipe. They've been kind enough to deliver a diagram of the type of sewer system used in the town."


She produces the diagram in question:




"If I'm understanding it correctly, it shows that under normal circumstances, sewage is diverted towards the sewage treatment plant. However, it is also connected to the town's storm drains, so in the event of significant rainfall, the excess reaches high enough to bypass the dam and is forced into the river. This confirms what Fu Xuan described. If the Sewage Treatment channel was being wedged shut by the crowbar, then this would only happen that much faster."

Seems like Yuri's found a bit more confidence.

"The element of this case I find most confusing, and least discussed so far, is what Saya mentioned in her opening statement: specifically, the large wave that swept her towards the Docks in the first place. Given the unnatural stillness of the water in Alderman Fields, I agree with MC's notion that the wave was the result of someone's Power Word."

"Regardless of its origin, the wave covered Edict Avenue, passing through the manholes and storm drains, picking up Qingque's body and carrying it through the sewer and out through the outfall pipe. This is further supported by her bruising and the remnants left in the sewer pipes. Perhaps as unintended collateral, Saya was swept up in the wave and dragged out to the same location from which Qingque's body would emerge."

"My question is: why? What does the culprit gain from sending Qingque's body through the sewer? If their intention was to hide the body, it would have been safer to leave her in the sewers, where we're all very unlikely to go looking willingly. Is it possible the ability that triggered the wave didn't belong to the culprit at all?"

[⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆]

Jan 7, 2024 17:38:11 GMT -6 Peregrine said:

What does the culprit gain from sending Qingque's body through the sewer? If their intention was to hide the body, it would have been safer to leave her in the sewers, where we're all very unlikely to go looking willingly.

Zoro tilts his head.

"Maybe they just wanted to get the body as far away from themselves as possible. Y'know, if you were seen near a manhole, people might link you to the sewers. But if the body's far enough away, they might not think of it."

He looks to Saya.

"Oi. What time was that wave that washed you away? I'm wonderin' if it happened at the same time as that rumbling I felt during A4."

[verylukely]

Jan 7, 2024 14:45:16 GMT -6 Skullmaster4 said:

Her facade drops for a moment as she realizes the severity of this mistake.

"I.. I could have done something.. I could have prevented Miku from being stabbed... I just can't do anything right..."

"Ah... No, no. You didn't do anything wrong at all! Nobody is at fault other than the culprit or culprits responsible. I can see from your reaction that I was on the wrong track. I apologize."

Tetsuo pulls out a non-descript brand of candy from his coat pocket and tosses it to Sayori.

"Here, for you kid. Thanks for answering my question. I appreciate it."

---

Jan 7, 2024 15:31:17 GMT -6 Snow said:

IkluIGZhY3QsIEkgZmVlbCBsaWtlIHlvdSdyZSBwdXNoaW5nIHRvbyBoYXJkIG9uIGFsbCBvZiB1cywgd2l0aG91dCBhbnkgcmVhbCByZWFzb24uIFVubGVzcyB5b3UgaGF2ZSBhIHByb3BlciBwaWVjZSBvZiBldmlkZW5jZSwgSSBjYW4gb25seSBhc3N1bWUgeW91IGVuam95IGJ1bGx5aW5nIGhpZ2hzY2hvb2wgZ2lybHMuIg

"As far as I'm concerned, you're all just kids to me. The only other person not in their late teens or early twenties literally has the first name Perv and the last name Asshat! How did I become the creep in this scenario!"

He holds the bridge of his nose for a moment and exhales deeply.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful before I make an accusation like that again. But I'm not going to just write off nearly half of this group of any wrongdoing just because you have a whole Kumbaya thing going."

"Keep in mind, the judge's questions bring forth a high possibility of an unwitting accomplice. Meaning, even in the best-case scenario, the number of involved parties may be double what they could have been. We need to explore all avenues, no matter how uncomfortable, or we will never reach the truth. Somebody in this group killed somebody else, and I know damn well it wasn't me."

[Skullmaster4]

Jan 7, 2024 17:55:38 GMT -6 verylukely said:

Jan 7, 2024 14:45:16 GMT -6 Skullmaster4 said:

Her facade drops for a moment as she realizes the severity of this mistake.

"I.. I could have done something.. I could have prevented Miku from being stabbed... I just can't do anything right..."

"Ah... No, no. You didn't do anything wrong at all! Nobody is at fault other than the culprit or culprits responsible. I can see from your reaction that I was on the wrong track. I apologize."

Tetsuo pulls out a non-descript brand of candy from his coat pocket and tosses it to Sayori.

"Here, for you kid. Thanks for answering my question. I appreciate it."

She eats the candy startlingly fast given the danger of this whole situation.



"Mmm- Thanks mister! You're okay in by book, even if you're a little scary sometimes.."

[Peregrine]

⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆ said:

"Maybe they just wanted to get the body as far away from themselves as possible. Y'know, if you were seen near a manhole, people might link you to the sewers. But if the body's far enough away, they might not think of it."

"That's not unreasonable. My bigger question is whether the culprit is necessarily the one whose Power Word was used. Tetsuo seems certain an accomplice, knowingly or not, was involved in this case, and the number of questions on the subject seems to support that."

"Considering the Docks are a point of interest, I need to amend my previous statement: as I left the Docks to catch the 6:30 Tram, I passed by Hatsune Miku as she arrived at the Docks herself. It was such a brief passing that I'd forgotten about it until just now. Now..."


Yuri opens her mouth to continue, but stops herself with a chuckle.




"...Oh, I-I'm sorry, I just... for a moment, I almost suggested the Judge's Cat might have a Power Word. It was present when Saya washed up on the Docks, after all, so I wondered if it might have had a vested interest in Qingque's body being discovered..."

[Ame]

[REDACTED]

[crazynuto]

(I don't have a specific quote ready but)

Question unlocked!

11. What circumstances caused Qingque to be floating in the bay? [10 Points]

ALL QUESTIONS UNLOCKED. 

TRIAL ENDS IN 24 HOURS (or 48 hours later if an extension is made)

I wish you all the best of luck.

[Peregrine]

Snow said:

IlRoYXQgYmxvb2R5IGNyb3diYXIuLi4ganVzdCB3aGVyZSBkaWQgaXQgY29tZSBmcm9tPyI

IkFoISI

IkNvdWxkIGl0IG5vdCBoYXZlIGNvbWUgZnJvbSBpbnNpZGUgdGhlIHNld2Vycz8i

"...I'd given this question some thought as well, [REDACTED]. We never found a crowbar during the day, so it does stand to reason it was hidden somewhere we hadn't searched. But I don't believe its only purpose was to be used as a weapon: rather, I think its first use was opening the manhole cover in the first place. I don't think someone could've opened the manhole cover without first having a crowbar—they can weigh well over a hundred kilograms. I think it would make more sense for it to have come from the Hoarder, no?"

[Ktoasty]

MC has ideas floating in his head for how the Theatre attack happened, and he's not a fan of them. He shoos the thoughts away and opts to focus on the new question instead.

"What happened to Miku is scary, but I don't think it has to do with Qingque's murder. Especially since it happened after Qingque was killed. We need to put that aside if we're going to survive."

"I have a theory on the murder though, after hearing what Fu Xuan and Yuri had to say about the sewers."

"It's easy to think that the most noticeable wound on Qingque's body, the crowbar one, was caused by her killer striking her with it. But I wonder if they weren't even holding the weapon when it happened."

He scribbles a replica of Yuri's sewage system diagrams and adds a couple figures to it.



"If the killer wedged the crowbar into the treatment channel earlier in the night, it would look like this on the left. Then on the right side, they could have dragged Qingque out of the Theatre during the show and pushed her into the hole left by the removed sewer grate. Once they used their power word to start the flood, Qingque would have been swept down the pipe, and the wedged crowbar would be in the prime position for her to crash into. In that case, the crowbar didn't strike Qingque, it was the other way around."

[Ame]

[REDACTED]

[desbearful]

Jan 7, 2024 1:24:52 GMT -6 Snow said:

IldlbGwuIFRoYXQncyBjZXJ0YWlubHkgYSBmaXJzdCBpbXByZXNzaW9uLiBJIGd1ZXNzIHRoYXQncyB0aGUgc29ydCBvZiBwZXJzb24geW91IGFyZSBiZWhpbmQgdGhlIGZhbWUuIg

"E-Eh? Miku was only helping..." she pouts.

Jan 7, 2024 1:24:52 GMT -6 Snow said:

IkkgZG9uJ3Qgd2FudCB0byBiZSB0aGUgb25lIHdobyBzYXlzIGl0IGJ1dC4gVGhhdCBkb2Vzbid0IG1ha2Ugc2Vuc2UuIFlvdSBqdXN0IHNhaWQgdGhhdCB5b3UgZGlkbid0IGhhdmUgYW55IGluanVyaWVzIGFzaWRlIGZyb20gYSBidW1wIGFuZCwgd2VsbCwgdGhlIG9idmlvdXMuIEJ1dCwgbm93IHlvdSdyZSBzYXlpbmcgYSBicmFuZCBuZXcgaW5qdXJ5IGFwcGVhcmVkIG9uIHlvdXIgbmVjaz8i

"That was just a theory gal! I don't have an injury on my neck, just tryna guess what happened to me."

"After all, I'm your holy savior Miku! The world's greatest idol! I've done nothing wrong, teehee."

Jan 7, 2024 11:28:16 GMT -6 ⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆ said:

Stupid Miku killing that girl and making us all stand around like idiots!

"Whaaat? Miku didn't kill anyone... But even if I did, my oomfies would still love me!"

Jan 7, 2024 11:40:28 GMT -6 Skullmaster4 said:

O-Oh, I guess I should clear something up though. I was also at the prison last night, I was with Miku.

"Yup! Can confirm for Sayori over there!" She salutes.

Jan 7, 2024 12:43:05 GMT -6 Ktoasty said:

MC holds out a photo for the group to see.

"O.M.G! I look so cute in there~ Perfection!"

Jan 7, 2024 14:45:16 GMT -6 Skullmaster4 said:

"I.. I could have done something.. I could have prevented Miku from being stabbed... I just can't do anything right..."

"Awe, it's okay! Miku is fine, see?" She giggles. "And I appreciate you wanted to help me girlie!"

Jan 7, 2024 15:24:04 GMT -6 crazynuto said:

Although...I can't imagine the rats are very perceptive or vigilant. Practically anything could distract them if someone had...ill intentions.

"Hmm... Maybe they were bribed with gold bars or food? I don't think it's related to the case though!"

Jan 7, 2024 18:39:28 GMT -6 Peregrine said:

Considering the Docks are a point of interest, I need to amend my previous statement: as I left the Docks to catch the 6:30 Tram, I passed by Hatsune Miku as she arrived at the Docks herself.

"It's true!" She gives a goofy thumbs-up.

[desbearful]

Jan 7, 2024 14:48:48 GMT -6 Ktoasty said:

"Miku, what you did before going to the Theatre is kinda vague so far. I know you went to the Prison, but what did you do there, and where else did you go?"

"Ouuh... That's right! Miku hasn't covered what she did during the night yet..."

"Well, here goes!"

"SEKAIII DE-"

---

--ACTION 0--

Office Complex

Go!

"I started at the Office Complex yeah! I was alone and searching around the rusted metal, looking for some new inspiration..."

---

--Action 1--

Office Complex | Docks | Office Complex

Go!

"Miku would not like if her fans found out she got punished! So, instead of inspiration, I looked for something precious instead!"

"Buuut, turns out, I found nothing," she frowned. "But a young lady like me has got a lotta energy, so I went out for a run by the docks! And I spotted Yuri looking all morose... If only she knew there was a boulevard for that!" Miku winked.

"That totally killed my vibe though, so I went back to the office and met [REDACTED] there! This time I found something precious! It was jewelry, and it looked very expensive too~"

---

--Action 2--

Prison | Prison | Prison

Go!

"So I arrived at the prison with [REDACTED] - and wouldn't you have guessed it - passed by Tetsuo who was just leaving!"

"[REDACTED] went into the evidence room while I dug around the armory for hammers to destroy this jewelry with!"

"Too bad she dipped though," Miku pouted. "Cause by the time 30 minutes passed, she left at the end!"

---

--Action 3--
Prison | Prison | Prison

Go!

"So naturally, I found the most beautiful hammer there was available!" She grinned, reminiscing her memories. "And I chatted to Sayori cause she was looking for something. Turns out she found a flashlight, neat huh?"

"Then I absolutely wrecked that jewelry to bits! So there I am, still in that spooky prison, thinking to myself... Geez, these Literature Club members sure are busy tonight! And after some time, she left too..."

"Can you imagine? All alone by herself in an eerie prison... No place for a diva! Well, unless it's a set for a new music video," she chuckles.

---

--Action 4--
Moonlight Theatre | Moonlight Theatre | Moonlight Theatre

Go!

"Do I gotta explain this? Fiiine..."

"Miku will skip over this part. Long story short, I dropped my hammer outside and got into my seat on time. It was suuper slow at first, which was probs because of Qingque, but then it got back to normal speed! And thankfully, the play finished right on time for..."

---

--Action 5--
Moonlight Theatre | Unconscious | Moonlight Theatre

Go!

"The play ends and we're all standing up and clapping, when a camera flash stuns me! But hey, at least I got that epic photo of me in the end ehe~" She cradles her cheeks and giggles. "But that was when the trouble started, you hear! The whole theatre turned dark... I was so scared and started searching for a light switch, anything, to turn it back on! That's when I felt a sharp pain in my neck and all I could see was a black inky void..."

"..."

A faint buzz of glitched words is barely audible from Miku.

"01001000 01100101 01101100 01110000 00100000 01101101 01100101 00101100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01111001 00100000 01101011 01101110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01110111 01101000 01101111 00100000 01001001 00100000 01100001 01101101 00101110 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110011 01101000 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101111 01110011 01100101 00100000 01100101 01111001 01100101 01110011 00100000 01110111 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 00100000 01110011 01110100 01101111 01110000 00100000 01110011 01110100 01100001 01110010 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01101101 01100101 00101110 00100000 01010100 01100101 01101100 01101100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01101101 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110011 01110100 01101111 01110000 00100000 01100001 01101100 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 01111001 00100001"

"AaAaAaA AaAaAAa"

"..."

And then, as if nothing happened, Miku's expression returns to her divine cheery self.

"...Anyways! You all know what happened at this point... I felt a sharp pain on my right shoulder this time. And that's when I awoke on stage with the stage lights blinding me! Hey, at least it wasn't dark anymore, right?" She laughed. "So yeah, there was a knife on my shoulder and a red cloak on my feet. Talk about a show entrance! Truly a show to enlighten those with the reality of the world as Jesus had."

[peterparker]

Jan 7, 2024 20:22:41 GMT -6 Ktoasty said:

"If the killer wedged the crowbar into the treatment channel earlier in the night, it would look like this on the left. Then on the right side, they could have dragged Qingque out of the Theatre during the show and pushed her into the hole left by the removed sewer grate. Once they used their power word to start the flood, Qingque would have been swept down the pipe, and the wedged crowbar would be in the prime position for her to crash into. In that case, the crowbar didn't strike Qingque, it was the other way around."

Petra furrows her brow, pondering MC's diagrams. Who knew a Literature Club member could be so good at communicating without words! Regardless, an image is a language that Petra can comfortably and completely understand. 

"If we are to be believing Literature Boy, then we are looking for two people, yes?"

"Firstly, we are looking for the person who is setting up this trap during the night. How long would this be taking, in your opinions? I am guessing that it is not taking less than thirty minutes to be making an underground trap."

"Secondly, we are looking for the person who is hurting Qingque. Unless you are thinking that this is the same as the person who is setting the trap. But it is seeming to me that the duties would be well split up this way; so that one person is setting a trap and another is luring Qingque from the theatre."

[Tetsu]

Fu Xuan clear her throat

"Ahem...allow me to let you know I did run into Qingque."

She crosses her arms and spoke

" I started my night at Central Tram Station lost in thought as the Literature Club (except Yuri) rush onboard, carrying someone in a blanket."

"At the Central Tram Station, I noticed Perv, Sanji and Gary boarding a tram. Leaving me along with Haru, who headed to the Moonlight Theatre and I followed along. That kid started hyperventilating and crying and I'm unsure what to do. I waited for him to calm down before approaching and gave him a gentle pat and he begrudgingly accepts. We sat by the locked door and talked about life and stars when we heard a door 'click' unlocked behind us."

"Me and Haru whom entered Moonlight Theatre and we were greeted by a rat tuxedo and handed a program flyer and ask to leave any weapons we have behind. We then enter the confectionary area and Qingque came in eyeing the food hungrily."

Fu Xuan sighs
" I then left after speaking with Qingque,I went to the Docks, I saw Tetsuo leaving as I arrive. I decided to look for the "Hoarder" while I took a walk to stare out of the docks. Then Perv arrives, pissed with a fishing pole, and by the love of the Reignbow Arbiter, he tried flirting and was ignored."


Fu Xuan then remembers

" During this time,.I felt a huge rush of water crash over me above my head then evens out. I then noticed someone pulled by the water and strangely back into the Bay. The figure clutched to dear life on the Docks, I did try to help but what could I have done, the figure then disappears under the waves and then rises up. After the water calmed down this person was beached by the Docks coughing. It was at this time I noticed a lifeless body floating down the Bay by the Sewer Pipes."

"I then get closer to the body and....well...it was Qingque..."

Fu Xuan turns away and then stares at one person.

"SAYA...How did you get swept into the sea? Did you use your Power Word per chance? As I do not remember seeing anyone else at the time when I was at the Docks."

Fu Xuan then looks at everyone slamming her hands on the desk.

"This murder...the murdered definitely use their Power Word to assist the kill, might even be the so call accomplice."

[༺☆Venelop3☆༻]

Jan 7, 2024 17:45:24 GMT -6 ⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆ said:

"Oi. What time was that wave that washed you away? I'm wonderin' if it happened at the same time as that rumbling I felt during A4."

"It would of been approximately 7:40pm"

Jan 7, 2024 18:39:28 GMT -6 Peregrine said:

"...Oh, I-I'm sorry, I just... for a moment, I almost suggested the Judge's Cat might have a Power Word. It was present when Saya washed up on the Docks, after all, so I wondered if it might have had a vested interest in Qingque's body being discovered..."

"Oh now thinking about it, I noticed the cat because I felt like someone was staring at me! But now that I think about it, it must of been Fu Xuan!"

Jan 7, 2024 23:23:03 GMT -6 Tetsu said:

Fu Xuan then remembers

" During this time,.I felt a huge rush of water crash over me above my head then evens out. I then noticed someone pulled by the water and strangely back into the Bay. The figure clutched to dear life on the Docks, I did try to help but what could I have done, the figure then disappears under the waves and then rises up. After the water calmed down this person was beached by the Docks coughing. It was at this time I noticed a lifeless body floating down the Bay by the Sewer Pipes."

"I then get closer to the body and....well...it was Qingque..."

Fu Xuan turns away and then stares at one person.

"SAYA...How did you get swept into the sea? Did you use your Power Word per chance? As I do not remember seeing anyone else at the time when I was at the Docks."

Fu Xuan then looks at everyone slamming her hands on the desk.

"This murder...the murdered definitely use their Power Word to assist the kill, might even be the so call accomplice."

"You said it yourself Fu Xuan. You are my alibi. The figure swept and then holding on to dear life was me. You even said you saw one figure coughing, that was also me. If we agree with MC, Qingque was inside the sewers and came out the other end. Meaning the only body washed into the waves was me. But also trust me, that is not my power word, I don't think it suits me at all."