THE TRIAL INVESTIGATION.

[thegardeners]

[On Friday morning, for any of the early birds, they may find a note lying outside their door:

I think someone’s after me, if someone breaks into my room I’ll run to the lake! Please help look after me! ~ The cutest in the world, Cagliostro

There’s a smiley face at the end, along with tiny hearts. (You can choose to have your character to run into it if you wish-- some were purposefully delivered, and some were blown by the wind. The general idea is they can run into one easily, around the Pagoda.)

However, if you look at Floor 17...

Well. For now, everything seems peaceful. What do you want to do today?

Investigate?]

Comments

[shikiori_no_hane]

[ Well, he looks at the letter ... really.

He then decides to descend down to Floor 17 from his own floor. Is there anything immediately noticeable on his casual walk? ]

[thegardeners]

[He will indeed find leaves, sticks and flower petals scattered around. As in, more than usual. Some amount of dirt, too. Something's been going on here, and apparently only on Floor 17 for some reason, because the stairs themselves are swept clean.]

[shikiori_no_hane]

[ That's really strange. He was thinking, judging by the cheery nature of the letter (despite how someone said there might be someone after them) that it might be a big prank. Well, anything else here that is notable besides the surprising amount of leaves, sticks, and flower petals? ]

[thegardeners]

[The door seems to have its lock perfectly intact. However, the door is ajar...?]

[shikiori_no_hane]

[ Well, he'll stroll right into the room then. He won't bother asking if anyone's in here because it looks open and presumably the person left, but... what does he immediately notice upon entry? ]

[thegardeners]

[It's a fucking mess.

There's dirt, leaves, petals, all that was outside-- but also lots of wood shavings, like thin pieces of bark peeled off trees and scattered across the floor. There are a lot of peach skins thrown around too.

Goddamn.]

[shikiori_no_hane]

...Someone sure had a party in here.

[ He'll just step around the mess in here. And look around, nudging some of the leaves around. Anything else in here besides all of this? ]

[thegardeners]

[Nope! The bed seems perfectly immaculate, though. It's even been made.]

[shikiori_no_hane]

[ That's weird, actually, considering all of the mess inside of the room.

Nothing under the bed or anything? ]

[thegardeners]

[Nope! However, the bed has clearly been slept in before. There's still some hair on it, somewhat crumbled mattress, the works.]

[ladyporthos]

The...lake? [Hadn't they already seen it was dangerous? Then again, Cagliostro does know what's down there at least...so Nira will head towards the lake. Hopefully she's there and safe...]

[thegardeners]

[As Nira approaches the lake, she'll find the surroundings relatively peaceful... at least, as peaceful as the lake can be. However, as she walks, she'll find a head of blonde hair lying on the bridge which surrounds the shallow side of the lake.

Keep walking?]

[ladyporthos]

What the-? [Nira hurries a bit more, heading towards the person lying on the bridge.] Hey, are you alright?

[thegardeners]

[Sorry, Nira.

As she runs closer, she'll find it clearer and clearer-- it's Cagliostro, lying face-up on the bridge. Though she may seem to be only sleeping from a distance away, when Nira gets close enough, it's obvious-- from the way her mouth is left ajar, an expression of pure shock frozen on her face, eyes staring up at the sun, unblinking--

Cagliostro is dead.]

[ladyporthos]

[Nira hisses, half from anger and half from sorrow. It seems like just yesterday the two of them were talking by this lake, learning about the various things that lived in it.]

Cagliostro-who would do this? [She seemed so cheerful and harmless.] And how? [She bends down to get a closer look. Is there any blood?]

[thegardeners]

[From her forehead, there seems to be a gigantic bruise, but there is no blood on her face itself. However, her hair is matted with splatters of blood and... guck. If Nira so much as lifts Cagliostro's head a little, she'll see why-- there is a very severe head wound on the back of her skull.

Anything else she wants to check out?]

[ladyporthos]

Did she...slip and fall? [No, that doesn't make sense for the forehead bruise. Someone might have hit her and knocked her over...Nira will look around the area. Are there any bloodstains elsewhere on the bridge?]

[thegardeners]

[If Nira looks up, she'll spot a tough-looking tree branch on the bridge, rolled about ten meters or so away from Cagliostro. It seems very out of place, almost clean-shaven and plucked of leaves. However, if she decides to investigate, there is no blood on it.

Huh... well. Okay, will she continue looking for bloodstains? It's a little hard to see, but there is an area of the bridge which is stained in blood. Particularly, there's a few darkened spots two meters or so from Cagliostro, near the sharp bride barriers that (attempt) to stop people from falling into the lake...]

[ladyporthos]

[Well...she'll pick up the branch. Does it match the bruise in shape? And is there any blood on the barrier itself?]

[thegardeners]

[Nope, the bruise on her forehead does not match the tree branch. If you look closer, the bruise... looks a little like a punch? Hm, then what's this branch for...

In any case, once Nira looks around, she'll see that one of the sharp barriers is darker than the best. That's because its wood is stained with blood. Ouch.]

[sundiet]

[Yang's tempted to throw the letter away. HE REMEMBERS THE CAFETERIA THING.

But... he also remembers that "murder for the right to reincarnate" thing. So instead, he crumbled the letter in his hands and he walks down from Floor 5 towards the courtyard. He wonders if there's anyone around here he can ask, before he can head to the lake.]

[thegardeners]

[There's nothing of note on the way there-- however, while wandering the courtyard, he'll find another one of those notes Cagliostro wrote, crumbled up and left on the floor near the area connecting the pagoda and the courtyard.

Huh... seems like someone else has read it. More than one of these were made!]

[sundiet]

[Huh, so more than one of these notes were made. Which means... people would probably head to the lake.

With a nod, he makes his way towards the lake. After looking around and see no one else there, he quickly change form.

There is now a black dog, and he's going to sniff around. What will he find?]

[thegardeners]

[He's going to smell death.

He'll likely meet up with Nira if he follows it.]

EVIDENCE LIST (don't reply)

[thegardeners]

Victim: Cagliostro
Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma
Time of Death: Around 11pm

Evidence
The body (4/4)
1. Bruise on forehead + Head wound
2. Wet bridge
3. Messy clothes.
4. Bruised ribs

The Lake (2/2)
1. Looks too clean...
2. Ouch, that has to hurt

The Courtyard (1/1)
1. More than one of these were made

Cagliostro's Room (1/1)
1. Look at this pig sty