week 7 - investigation

[vicedirector]

seven vices case 7 - investigation ♫ friday On Friday morning, the loss of the motive isn't terribly noticeable. As there were no mental effects this week, and everyone had taken their envelopes to at least destroy them, it's almost impossible to tell that something is off. Unless of course you're getting up in the wee hours. Perhaps just to go to the bathroom? Whatever your reason, though, something is noticeably wrong--the power is out. >Investigate? cast setting

Comments

[vicedirector]

[ As they navigate their way to the store, there's (what else) more blood around the doorway of the shop. Fun.

And there's also faint music coming from the inside. Hmm. ]

[fourleafcleaver]

Have you checked up your ass yet? [Followed by a quiet snicker; thank you, sassy grandpa, for getting what she's about. She stops sharply in front of the doorway, though, and lowers her voice. Listen, she's capable of speaking at a volume that isn't screaming!! Incredible.]

Do you guys hear that? [pppppause, to give them a chance to hear the music.] Rhys, you open the door.

[jackhole]

[ the most indignant squawk but okay!! whatever!! and now he's going to passive aggressively mumble as he pushes past clover to grab the door handle. ]

Stupid kids and their stupid stupidness -- [ BUT ANYWAY ] Look, no one's gonna kill us if people are already dead. But I guess between the underage and the elderly, someone has to be the adult here.

[ rhys, you're an asshole. he's going to open the door and if nothing immediately happens, head inside. ]

[crazily]

You know, being elderly does technically mean I'm an adult. You shouldn't disrespect your elders.

[ He waves his hand lightly in Rhys's direction, but before he can continue teasing, that music definitely catches his ear instead! What kind of sweet tunes are they being treated to, out of curiosity? Since I assume the killer's musical taste isn't a clue, but you never know. ]

[vicedirector]

[ Nothing pops out, you are safe Rhys. But there's also a fuckton of blood on the shelves and walls here, with several racks of records either on the floor, broken, or both.

With the door open, the music is clearer. It's a little warped, but what is that...? ]

[crazily]

[ Break's expression flattens once he steps in the store, and it's entirely because of the music. He doesn't understand the reference, but he still promptly decides that this is quite possibly the worst thing he's ever heard. He'll just head over to wherever the music is coming from and turn it off.

If it is indeed a record, he'll also throw it out the window. He's helping!!

Unless it, too, is also covered in blood or evidence or something in which case he will refrain. But you can imagine he would from his expression. ]

[vicedirector]

[ About that.

He can walk up to the record player, in the corner of the shop, but there's....a little problem.

The reason for the warped sound is now clear--there's a head spinning on the record player. ]

[fourleafcleaver]

You don't know that! [What if there was a trap!!! Better safe than sorry really only applies when the option of potentially getting Rhys in trouble is available.

She follows not far behind, though, and stops short a few steps into the record store. Is that look of disgust about all of this goddamn blood or the yakkety sax? Who knows.]

There's—ugh, there's a lot of blood here. [Descriptions for Break's sake!! She's helping.] All over the shelves and walls, holy cra—omigod no Break no no no don't touch that! [THAT'S A FUCKING HEAD]

[jackhole]

[ oh shit --

rhys is definitely going to dash after break and clover when they move in towards the record player because you don't know what's in there, break!! and clover!! oh my god, what is up with you two. because of this, rhys is definitely getting his sock soaked in some blood (on top of the snow) and he's pretty peeved. it's pretty dark though, so all he's able to make out is that there's some sort of thing on the record player and with all the blood, uh. oh boy. so, as break reaches out, he'll grab break's hand to stop him. ]

Wait, wait. Clover's right. There's uh... there's something. Is that a head? It kind of looks like a head. Oh my god, oh my god. Oh my god.

[ just going to lift his hand flashlight now to shine it on the head. so, who is it? ]

[crazily]

[ He appreciates Clover's commentary, but he is a man on a mission, and that mission is stopping that godawful noise. At least, in theory. He does pause when Clover's tone turns sharper, and Rhys also catches his hand to stop him. At least he doesn't get stupid and huffy over Rhys holding his hand, and instead, his brow knits quickly.

They're both getting thanked for saving from him that in a moment... But for now, there's the more important matter: ]

Who is it?

[vicedirector]

[ As the head spins around to the lovely tunes of Boots Randolph, its face comes into clear view.

Gilbert Nightray is dead. ]

[jackhole]

[ sure hope you're both ready for the most unholy scream from rhys as he realizes just who it is that's on that god damn record player. he jerks back, flesh arm still grabbing break and tugs break back too -- they'll probably bump into clover at this rate and he doesn't, he just, what? what the fuck?! ]

It's -- It's...! It's Gilbert! That's Gilbert's head! Break, th-that's Gilbert's head!

[ oh my god oh my god oh my god?! he's even going to grab break to start shaking him in his panic. ]

Where did Gilbert go last night?! What -- What happened?! He was supposed to be with us!

[fourleafcleaver]

Crap— [Holy shit that is disgusting and yes, worse has totally happened but this gets pretty damn close but more importantly is 1) Rhys absolutely fucking losing his shit, what a great way to get snapped back to reality and 2) something should probably be done about Break. She was kind of hoping to break (HEH) the news more delicately but nope, too late for that, but she's grabbing onto Break's arm too even as her lackies bump into her and she stumbles back trying to pull Break back away from his friend's decapitated head. Lots of flailing and jumping all around; good job, team.

Aaand then Rhys is screaming with an extra dose of shaking Break and for fuck's sake, she's just gonna put herself between this and put all of her itty bitty might into shoving Rhys away because that makes sense right now??] —could you not?!

[crazily]

[ The scream isn't surprising (it is Rhys, after all), but when Rhys actually says the name, Break's eye widens. There was always an inkling of fear on these mornings before Gilbert and Break would meet up, but it was always quieted quickly enough. Any of the concern that Break felt would disappear quickly, and he would cover up that unease with teasing Gilbert just a little for the trouble. It was an irrational worry every time. If one of them was going to die, it was going to be Break. It was as simple as that.

When Rhys grabs onto him and shakes him, Break doesn't react at all. His gaze just stays fixated on where that music is coming from. He takes a half step back when Clover latches onto his arm, but it's not quite from that. It's from the heaviness that settles over him all at once, just as it had when he thought Reim had died. But that had been fine, ultimately. It was Reim's ploy, and with a Chain that could fake death, it had fooled even him. But here, there were no Chains. There wasn't even the fact that Gilbert was a Baskerville.

Break tilts his head down and releases a sigh, because his breath had caught in his throat as soon as Rhys had answered that question. His voice is soft, and it's more like he's speaking to himself than to either of them. ]

...What happened to being my left eye, idiot?

[ There's nowhere for him to immediately direct what he's feeling. His grip on his cane is tight enough that his hand shakes, but otherwise he doesn't move from that spot at all. He might need a moment. ]

[jackhole]

[ when clover shoves him back, rhys isn't entirely sure what to do with himself. his eyes go to break, despair on his face as he hears break's words and he can't stop thinking it -- what happened? gilbert was supposed to be with them. he was supposed to be with them, they were supposed to look out for each other, none of them were supposed to die again after morrigan. they were supposed to be together like --

like a family.

rhys feels his eyes tearing up and scrubs as his face as his vision goes blurry and he's not quite sure what to do now. they're supposed to look for other clues, aren't they? something else in the shop? they have to -- they have to find out who did this but instead rhys just digs his fingers into his face and lets out a wrecked sob into his palms and there's blood soaking his sock and there's that stupid, stupid music playing and he is so, so sad.

all the fight sort of leaves rhys then and he's not entirely sure what to do yet but the announcement rings out across the town and rhys hears the lights suddenly flicker on in the record store and he... doesn't quite want to see gilbert's head in the light just yet. but his shoulders slump and his hands drop and his eyes flicker over to the head anyway, still spinning away. his stomach twists in disgust and he mumbles in a blank, quiet voice. ]

Hey, Clover. Could you check if there's anything we're missing in the back? We'll take care of this.

[fourleafcleaver]

[She looks between the two of them, and—god, she never imagined feeling this level of sorry for Rhys in a way that wasn't rude and sarcastic, but here we are. Sucks when your buddy and best friend isn't where they're supposed to be, huh.

She's going to optimistically (stupidly) assume that Rhys has the Break situation some level of handled. There isn't much for her to do, anyway.]

Sure thing. [Her voice is small, trying not to intrude. She's even capable of that kind of thing! Who knew? For a moment, she contemplates moving the head and turning off the record but. No. They probably don't want her touching their best friend's head? And that's fair. So she nods, and scurries off to the back of the record store to poke around for anything that isn't buckets of blood and leave the boys to their moment.]

[vicedirector]

( OKAY i have to make this quick bc I have something to do so just have this as a final mod comment for now???

So real quick: There is blood all over the shelves of the store. There's blood on the shelves, on the floors, and every now and then, the three of them will find a tooth.

Inspection of Gilbert's head will reveal that it is horribly beaten-- bashed, bloody, bruised, and a total mess. Should someone open his mouth, they'll see that he is missing several teeth. )

1/2

[crazily]

[ It's the sob that gets Break to snap back from whatever thoughts he was dwelling on. There's emotion in that sound that he doesn't tend to allow himself, so he just lets Rhys be the one to do it instead. His grip on the cane relaxes so that it's not so tight and white-knuckled, and he walks closer to the record player. He reaches and turns the record player off silently, because the lights turning on makes no difference to him. He can imagine it well enough, and as the spinning slows to a stop, his brow knits together tightly. He hesitates, then reaches out to set his fingertips against the crown of Gilbert's head lightly. ]

I'm sorry, Gilbert.

[ For many things, but none of them are really worth saying. They wouldn't mean anything except to Gilbert, so perhaps he's just sorry that he hadn't said so sooner. ]

[crazily]

[ He withdraws his hand as he leans his cane against something, then puts his hands on Gilbert's head with a very detached sort of efficiency as he feels out how badly it's beaten. His expression is cold and doesn't change at all, even as he opens Gilbert's mouth once he feels that the injuries extend there and discovers teeth missing. If this bothers him, it at least doesn't show on his face, or he's pushing it away for the sake of investigation. His voice is clearer when he speaks again, though completely cold and detached. ]

He was beaten rather severely. These injuries are quite severe. And for the record, his nose was broken earlier in the week, so that is a different set of circumstances from everything else.

[ Once he's explained, Break shrugs off the coat he always wears. He drapes it over the head and then picks it up to move it. He's not really sure where he'll move it to, but just taking it off the record player and covering it up was really his only intention. The way it's set up is a mockery, and that's something he can't stand. He seems to hesitate, like he's not sure what to do now, but it's really more like he's pausing before he adds one other thing: ]

Whoever our killer is this week should certainly hope that they are caught and executed. That will be a far more merciful end than they deserve, but also more than the one I will deliver in its stead.

[jackhole]

[ there's definitely going to be a wide-eyed look towards break from rhys as he watches break inspect the head and pull it off the record player. he doesn't want break to have to do that, wants to offer his help but break seems pretty set as he inspects for any other bruises and markings on the head. at break's final comment, rhys frowns slightly and looks at the wrapped up head. ]

We'll do this fairly, like all the others.

[ which really means "you don't want to get in trouble, break" but he doesn't want to say that with poland and clover in earshot. he does take a step forward after, holding out his arms. ]

Do you want me to take that? We can... we can put him somewhere until the trial. I don't know what Miata does with the bodies, actually but we can't leave him here.

[crazily]

[ There's no comment to the first part, since Break doesn't actually care about that too much at this point for obvious reasons. He shakes his head, but it's just at the offer for Rhys to take the head. ]

It's fine. It's my responsibility more than anyone else here.

[ He wraps the head up a little more securely, though he does falter slightly as he does so. ]

But let's find Miata if we can, at least. I'm not sure what to do either, but I agree that I can't simply leave him here and wait for tomorrow.

[sobowtor]

[Poland's going to enter the record shop; gross knocked out tooth in one hand, gross bloody coat in the other.

Time to re-convene the team leaders to see what they've found.]

Okay so--

so.

[There... is a lot of blood in here.]

[fourleafcleaver]

[Okay well there's nothing cool over here in the back so Clover's going to nyoom on over to Poland and let team shady have their moment without cootie girls getting in the way. Also gently escorting Poland away from the shitload of blood, that too.]

Yeah. [yeah] Gilbert.

[sobowtor]

[Gilbert? The name sounds completely foreign to her when it comes to this grisly scene.]

...

[Poland cranes her neck behind her as Clover escorts her away and she catches it just before it's out of her line of sight-- that's. It really is Gilbert's head.]

Gilbert.

[fourleafcleaver]

It's super gross. [Like she needed to actually be told that? But Clover's just going to keep gently tugging Poland in the opposite direction of the blood trail!] Um. I think they need a moment.