third investigation

[stagemanagers]

[At the start of Friday, things are surprisingly calm. There’s no blood on the hall carpet, presumably no bodies ready to fall out of a broom closet, nothing especially incriminating when the cast wakes up and emerges from their rooms. It’s possible this time, even with the palpable temptation of the Phantom’s motive, that no one has taken him up on his offer to kill. Maybe later today you won't have to march yourselves into the trial room to decipher clues and watch more of you die.

But the day is young.]

Comments

[musacal]

[ Good morning she’s actually up. Anything weird in the halls on her way to the dance studio? ]

[stagemanagers]

[Oof. That's bad...badnana.

There is a body curled on the ground right next to one of the wall mirrors, right across from the doorway. Her back is to you, Nana, but that still means she's facing a mirror - and, regardless, you know her.

Claudine Saijo is dead.]

[musacal]

[ HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MEEEEEEEEE...

There’s a moment where Nana just goes completely still, and it feels as if the whole world has just. Stopped. ]

Clau-chan...?

[ Did she take a tumble and was just resting it off? Did she just fall asleep down here? But as the seconds creep slowly by the worst starts to become more likely and... ]

Clau-chan!!

[ She’s rushing over to her side and putting a hand on her shoulder, trying not to break down crying but that’s getting... harder. Is there anything else I should note like blood or any other obvious death tells before I go full in on this melt down? ]

[stagemanagers]

[Um yeah there's some big bloody wounds going on here]

[musacal]

[ Welp. Shit. Good so skipping any shaking to get awake.

The blood’s enough to confirm Nana’s fears but it still takes a few seconds of horror, a few seconds of hoping maybe Claudine will still respond to her (maybe she can still make it if they give her medical attention!) but those few seconds... well they’re only a few seconds.

That’s the only time Nana gets before she screams in anguish and breaks down into wailing sobs. ]

[mcfife]

[Angus comes running from down the hallway when he hears the scream. He stops in front of the doorway when he sees Nana crouched over on the other side.]

Nana?

[He approaches her...and sees Claudine.]

[musacal]

[ Her face is in her hands now and she manages to get out through her sobbing. ]

Clau-chan! Someone... someone hurt Clau-chan!!

[ Don’t say kill can’t say kill you can’t you can’t yet you can’t ]

[mcfife]

Nana...

[He crouches down to be level with her.]

Nana...

[He is at a loss for words.]

[musacal]

[ Nana just keeps sobbing. ]

I’m supposed to protect them! I’m always protecting them! Every cycle, every year, everything I did has always been to protect them! My dearest, only friends—!!

[ Everyone at Seisho is like family to her. Or the closest thing to one at least. ]

But now Clau-chan’s—!

[mcfife]

Every...cycle?

[He looks down at the body, Claudine, Nana's companion. Whoever did this...]

We'll fine them. Nana, I will find whoever did this to her. That I promise.

[musacal]

[ You heard her. Every cycle. Maybe that means something!

Like how she really quickly accepted that dimensional portals and space time shenanigans were possible.

But right now she doesn’t clarify what she meant or say much of anything else. She just nods at Angus’ promise before breaking back down in to her crying. ]