Murder Tale V: The Grand Hotel

[Verite]

"This is... This is too weird..." Junko felt a tightening her chest. Emotion gnawed at her, a sudden feeling of guilt washing over her. She didn't know what she was supposed to be thinking... It'd been so long, and none of these people understood what she'd been through. Perhaps it hadn't been right for her to think she could attend a party like this-- pretend things were normal. Tears streamed down the girl's face as she rose from her seat. She was no doubt the Ultimate Screw Up, destined to mess things up wherever she went.

"I'm so sorry. I'm... I'm ruining your discussion!" Shuddering, Junko let out a sob and ran from the banquet hall.

@The Silver Paladin @OrlandoBloomers​

...

"Wait, who was she again?"​

 

[CCC Kouhai]

Mary just stared at them.​

 

[Minerva]

"This is... This is too weird..." Junko felt a tightening her chest. Emotion gnawed at her, a sudden feeling of guilt washing over her. She didn't know what she was supposed to be thinking... It'd been so long, and none of these people understood what she'd been through. Perhaps it hadn't been right for her to think she could attend a party like this-- pretend things were normal. Tears streamed down the girl's face as she rose from her seat. She was no doubt the Ultimate Screw Up, destined to mess things up wherever she went.

"I'm so sorry. I'm... I'm ruining your discussion!" Shuddering, Junko let out a sob and ran from the banquet hall.

@The Silver Paladin @OrlandoBloomers​

"Fuck." Sarah sighed. "If Riley ever returns and hears about this, he's gonna be so pissed at me." Sarah held up Riley's Holotags. She twirled them around her finger, and softly whispered. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What have I done?" She lay her head down. "What have I done?"

...

"Wait, who was she again?"​

"The girlfriend of an ally of mine."

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Both Ghostface and Chrome had followed along with the group, Chrome sticking close to Sal. He'd been interrupted yet again before he could hold down a conversation with the shark man. Only to be brought before something that didn't interest either of the two serial killers. Though it did pique Mickey's interest slightly.

Was this how his trial would play out? No..His trial would need a lot more cameras, reporters wanting to see just what was really going on in Mickey's head, trying to play armchair psychologist.

But the two of them looking back and forth of this tennis match of a debate was quite exhilarating to say the least.

"You have any idea who killed her, Chrome?"

HAVEN'T REALLY GIVEN IT TOO MUCH THOUGHT ASIDE FROM THE LITTLE WE DID EARLIER. YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, MICKEY?

"Heh. Nope! I gotta say it's real fun seeing all these people play detective though! Makes for a good enough way to pass the time, even if I'm not spending it getting plastered."
​

"This is... This is too weird..." Junko felt a tightening her chest. Emotion gnawed at her, a sudden feeling of guilt washing over her. She didn't know what she was supposed to be thinking... It'd been so long, and none of these people understood what she'd been through. Perhaps it hadn't been right for her to think she could attend a party like this-- pretend things were normal. Tears streamed down the girl's face as she rose from her seat. She was no doubt the Ultimate Screw Up, destined to mess things up wherever she went.

"I'm so sorry. I'm... I'm ruining your discussion!" Shuddering, Junko let out a sob and ran from the banquet hall.

@The Silver Paladin @OrlandoBloomers​

"The fuck was that all about?"

SEEMS SOMETHING THAT GIRL FROM BEFORE SAID SOMETHING TO UPSET THE ONE WITH THE ODD HAIR.

"You mean the girl who's ass I slapped? The same one who's vocal talents made me want to claw my eardrums out?"

I DIDN'T THINK I HAD TO CLARIFY BUT YES, MICKEY.

"Knew she was damaged goods. Not the one who ran off crying I mean. She seemed pretty alright. You know for someone who seems like perfect slasher material." Ghostface wasn't just saying that because he was intimidated by Brad or anything. "..Maybe I should say something."

LIKE? I DON'T KNOW IF A COMFORTING PEP-TALK FROM A SERIAL KILLER IS WHAT ONE NEEDS AFTER THEY'VE EXPERIENCED AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN. THOUGH THAT'S ALWAYS FUN TO SEE.

"Oh, well I was just gonna tell her. It could have been worse. She could have hung around with us."

ChromeSkull thought that comment over for a moment. Junko seemed like the kind of person that him and Mickey would have normally disposed of back home.

YEAH, I'D SAY YOU'RE ON THE MONEY THERE. IN ANY CASE, GUESS WE'LL JUST KEEP KICKING BACK UNTIL THIS WHOLE THING BLOWS OVER.

"You don't think anyone is gonna suspect us?'

WHY? BECAUSE WE'RE SERIAL KILLERS? SURELY IF THEY WANTED TO SUSPECT US, THEY'D USE SOMETHING WITH A LITTLE MORE WEIGHT BEHIND IT THAN JUST THAT.

@Atomyk @The Silver Paladin @Sen @Hana @OrlandoBloomers @Hazel-rah
​

 

[Mu]

Sal had nothing to say about the drama unfolding at the 'mock trial'.

What were they here for again?​

 

[CCC Kouhai]

This child was being exposed to a lot of things.

first manly chests

hairloss

and now profanity

"Fuck..."​

 

[Minerva]

Sarah the Defense Lawyer stood up, and walked out of the room.

Sarah has left the building. Or, the courtroom, or whatever.

You guys are now out a lawyer.

@no one @LEAVE ME ALONE!

 

[Atomyk]

Kieran had barely been paying attention to the ongoing drama. His mind had been momentarily occupied by the poison tangent, but he was unable to shake what Brad had said about a possible accomplice. Why had Rita been killed? There had to be evidence of something.

"... Can anyone tell me if... Uh, I need to know if there was anything in Rita's room to suggest she was... at odds with someone! Maybe a diary? Girls keep diaries, don't they?!"

@Verite @Alyto @Savannah-Clause @Raven @The Silver Paladin @Verite @Jeremi
@Everyone​

 

[Minerva]

Kieran had barely been paying attention to the ongoing drama. His mind had been occupied by the poison tangent, but he was unable to shake what Brad had said about a possible accomplice. Why had Rita been killed? There had to be evidence of something.

"... Can anyone tell me if... Uh, I need to know if there was anything in Rita's room to suggest she was... at odds with someone! Maybe a diary? Girls keep diaries, don't they?!"

@Verite @Alyto @Savannah-Clause @Raven @The Silver Paladin @Verite @Jeremi
@Everyone​

Sarah had never actually left the room. She finally perked up at the discussion of more evidence. "I don't recall a journal, but then again I wasn't paying attention. Maybe someone else knows."

 

[Verite]

Kieran had barely been paying attention to the ongoing drama. His mind had been occupied by the poison tangent, but he was unable to shake what Brad had said a possible accomplice. Why had Rita been killed? There had to be evidence of something.

"... Can anyone tell me if... Uh, I need to know if there was anything in Rita's room to suggest she was... at odds with someone! Maybe a diary? Girls keep diaries, don't they?!"

@Verite @Alyto @Savannah-Clause @Raven @The Silver Paladin @Verite @Jeremi
@Everyone​

"I think I picked up a piece of paper that might have belonged to a diary or so off her body when we were investigating," Saitama spoke up, raising his hand briefly, "The page didn't say a lot though. If I remember correctly, she made a note to herself saying to avoid Melodia, fix the lights, report to Jade, and then look at the storerooms or something like that. I think someone else managed to grab another piece of paper, but that's all I have at the moment."

@Atomyk @Raven @Savannah-Clause @Alyto @The Silver Paladin @Jeremi @CCC Kouhai @OrlandoBloomers​

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

"..."

Alright. Enough was enough.

Make no mistake about it: Brad didn't even know what exactly was going on. He hadn't drank the punch that gave everyone else on the stage access to very selective mind reading powers that didn't work for anything useful. But what he saw-- It told him all he needed to know. He might've been a nobody. He might've been a failure. He might not have been Junko's. But he was still a FATHER, god dammit. He hated people calling him that, but fact was it was the only thing he was ever any good at. If he couldn't do this one thing right, then what was the point?

Someone he was starting to care for was upset. That was all Brad needed to know.

Quickly, the martial artist hopped on his tiny red bicycle, pivoting the front wheel around to face off the stage and pedaling right off like there was no tomorrow. He stuck the landing on the ballroom floor expertly, turning it into momentum to further bolster his speed; then he swiftly biked from the room and left for destinations unknown, expression one of pure, unbridled concentration. He was going to find Junko and make her feel better... Or die trying. It was the least he could do. She'd already shown him more kindness than he ever deserved.

He was also shit at piecing things together and thus worthless in this trial.

As the banquet hall's double doors swung shut in his wake, a voice coughed and spoke up from the stage in the meantime.

"Well... I'll stand in for Brad while he's off, er, being off."

She literally meant "stand in", mind you. She was going to stand in his spot and stay quiet. She wasn't getting involved in the actual trial, are you joking?

@Atomyk @The Silver Paladin @Sen @Hana @OrlandoBloomers @Hazel-rah @and so it ends​

 

[Atomyk]

Jade couldn't have asked for better drama.

 

[Atomyk]

In the entrance hall stood a lone girl, her cheeks already red and puffy from crying. She'd only just started and already she was a total wreck-- her arms wrapped around her body tightly, sobs escaping her and wracking her body. It wasn't just about Riley, or Brad, or Sarah, but about all the bullshit she'd been forced to go through ever since being locked inside that dreadful school. This party had been her first moment of real relaxation in what had been a very, very long several years and it had still turned into something sour.

When she heard the double doors behind her swing open, she spun around in alarm. She honestly expected to see Sarah the way the woman had been talking to her, but there was Brad. Strong, reliable, courageous... well, even Junko had to admit she was probably projecting a few of these traits on to the man. Was he really all that? He was a lot older than herself-- not that it really mattered to Junko. The things she'd had to do on the streets before she got her big break had brought her a breadth of experience that few recieved. She'd been forced to grow up so early, even if she didn't always act like it. As old as she felt on the inside, the thing was, all she really knew about Brad was that he'd lost his daughter and that he'd do anything to get her back.

He was an admirable man. Maybe that's all that mattered to her.

"I'm sorry," she said to him, echoing the apology she spoke inside the banquet hall. "I've embarrassed you-- I've embarrassed myself! I'm--" Her words sounded garbled through her crying. Junko really truly didn't want to cry like this in front of Brad, but her body resisted her. It's not like he had it better than her. This was just all so stupid, and yet the tears just would not stop, as if her body was desperate to release Junko of all the trauma she'd built up throughout the years.

"Please, you have to leave! I'm so sorry... Everything sucks. Everything is my fault. I'm like the multiverse's... fucking... bad luck charm!"

@OrlandoBloomers​

 

[Minerva]

Meanwhile, in the crowd, a figure sat. It wore armor, so no one knew who it was. It had listened to all of the drama. It had seen it all go down.

The figure reached for his helmet, but decided not to take it off.

If he had, underneath there would have been a twenty year old male. His face was young, but it had seen battle. He carried several burdens on himself. He was still loyal. In his hands, he held an old worn photograph.

James and Catherine was the name of the couple in the photo. They were the parents of Riley, the one who held the picture.

Riley held deep loyalty to his father. He was loyal enough to finish his work, loyal enough to follow in his footsteps. He was also loyal to Junko. He didn't know where she had gone, but he wished he had. He wished he could protect her.

He tucked the picture into his pocket. Riley stood up as Sarah held up his Holotags.

She was right. He wasn't dead. He was still very much alive. He remained hidden, and had lost contact with the Brotherhood. He looked back at Sarah as he stood up to leave, and softly whispered. "I forgive you."

Riley then slowly walked out of the room, hoping not to be seen. When he was out of the room, he closed his eyes, took off his helmet, and cried.

@no one @Just wanted to fit this in. @Short little Riley post to finish my involvement in the drama. @I'm done.

 

[Atomyk]

The Prinny held out a fin to Kieran.

"Dood, I got this."

"There were some notes in Rita's room, dood!" The Prinny relayed them:

Blue - Melodia?
Purple - Idoun
Red - Me
Brown - The Kitchen Girl
Grey - Jade
Black - Not being used?

And...

Saw Idoun arguing with someone. Don't know who it was. Can never understand her anyway.

And...

Found out Jade has equipment for visiting other worlds. Have to ask him about it.

"The third note was crumpled and the text scratched out, dood!"

Kieran's eyes narrowed for a moment and he stared at the Prinny. A realization was dawning on him and it was one he knew he should have considered earlier. "She found out about your transport device, didn't she?" he asked, looking back up to face Jade. "She learned about your secret little facility, and you wanted her silenced, didn't you?" Kieran spread out his legs and aimed a dramatic finger Jade's way. "You were going against the UN and the Coalition... And I bet you wanted her dead for knowing!"

A tense silence followed this, Jade regarding Kieran with a serious glance. Though, as the seconds dragged on, Jade's face broke out into a smile.

"My, what grand accusations you make, Captain-Commander Kieran! Do you have proof?" He waited a beat where Kieran attempted to respond, but Jade talked over him. "I mean, beside the word of an unhinged woman who thinks she's a dark dragon? Did you find anything in my office? If this transport device really did exist, would you have it on you at this moment? I really can't say there's much connecting me to anything like that now, is there?"

Kieran stared back, shaking. He was glaring daggers at Jade, utterly unable to come up with anything valid to say in front of all these people. "... We'll know once we find the killer. Your accomplice, I would imagine."

Jade only chuckled.

@Everyone

​

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

Meanwhile, in the crowd, a figure sat. It wore armor, so no one knew who it was. It had listened to all of the drama. It had seen it all go down.

The figure reached for his helmet, but decided not to take it off.

If he had, underneath there would have been a twenty year old male. His face was young, but it had seen battle. He carried several burdens on himself. He was still loyal. In his hands, he held an old worn photograph.

James and Catherine was the name of the couple in the photo. They were the parents of Riley, the one who held the picture.

Riley held deep loyalty to his father. He was loyal enough to finish his work, loyal enough to follow in his footsteps. He was also loyal to Junko. He didn't know where she had gone, but he wished he had. He wished he could protect her.

He tucked the picture into his pocket. Riley stood up as Sarah held up his Holotags.

She was right. He wasn't dead. He was still very much alive. He remained hidden, and had lost contact with the Brotherhood. He looked back at Sarah as he stood up to leave, and softly whispered. "I forgive you."

Riley then slowly walked out of the room, hoping not to be seen. When he was out of the room, he closed his eyes, took off his helmet, and cried.

@no one @Just wanted to fit this in. @Short little Riley post to finish my involvement in the drama. @I'm done.

Brad ran him over on the way out of the room.

​

 

[Minerva]

Brad ran him over on the way out of the room.

​

It has no effect.

Hitting Riley in Power Armor is like hitting a brick wall.

A Steel Brick Wall that if it fell would give you radiation poisoning.

 

[Verite]

The Prinny held out a fin to Kieran.

"Dood, I got this."

"There were some notes in Rita's room, dood!" The Prinny relayed them:

Blue - Melodia?
Purple - Idoun
Red - Me
Brown - The Kitchen Girl
Grey - Jade
Black - Not being used?

And...

Saw Idoun arguing with someone. Don't know who it was. Can never understand her anyway.

And...

Found out Jade has equipment for visiting other worlds. Have to ask him about it.

"The third note was crumpled and the text scratched out, dood!"

Kieran's eyes narrowed for a moment and he stared at the Prinny. A realization was dawning on him and it was one he knew he should have considered earlier. "She found out about your transport device, didn't she?" he asked, looking back up to face Jade. "She learned about your secret little facility, and you wanted her silenced, didn't you?" Kieran spread out his legs and aimed a dramatic finger Jade's way. "You were going against the UN and the Coalition... And I bet you wanted her dead for knowing!"

A tense silence followed this, Jade regarding Kieran with a serious glance. Though, as the seconds dragged on, Jade's face broke out into a smile.

"My, what grand accusations you make, Captain-Commander Kieran! Do you have proof?" He waited a beat where Kieran attempted to respond, but Jade talked over him. "I mean, beside the word of an unhinged woman who thinks she's a dark dragon? Did you find anything in my office? If this transport device really did exist, would you have it on you at this moment? I really can't say there's much connecting me to anything like that now, is there?"

Kieran stared back, shaking. He was glaring daggers at Jade, utterly unable to come up with anything valid to say in front of all these people. "... We'll know once we find the killer. Your accomplice, I would imagine."

Jade only chuckled.

@Everyone​

Refreshing his memory as he reread the notes, Saitama attempted to piece things together to the best of his ability. Granted, that wasn't much, but hey, at least he was trying. That was more than could be said for some of the other people around. He wracked his brain trying to remember... something, while also thinking of... something. Something relevant to say, at least. After all, though he wasn't overly familiar with these terms, this wasn't the first time he heard about stuff like "transport device," "UN," and "Coalition."

But what did it all mean? Hmm...

Wait... Waite a minute.

Something went off in the hero's head. A lightbulb. A lightbulb that shone even brighter than his bald head.

Aha. Bingo.

Saitama's face suddenly turned deathly serious, as though he believed he had caught onto something.

"Crazy or not, that Idoun lady does have the transport device on her," Saitama declared boldly, confident in himself and his memory for once, "When we were first investigating the case, we were supposed to be following around a Prinny, but we got stopped by Idoun. She pulled out a strange circular device, and before we knew it, a portal had appeared that led us into a strange world which happened to have an even stranger facility."

It was all making sense now.

"There, we found strange papers, one of which said something like "Known Replica" or something, as well as a radio that was in good condition despite the other pieces of technology around it being broken. What they mean, I can't say for sure, but something's definitely fishy," he said, before glancing at Idoun.

"Yo... How'd you get that weird device that made the shiny portal anyway?"

@Atomyk
@Everyone​

 

[Atomyk]

Jade looked momentarily surprised at Saitama's sudden outburst. It was not quite the attitude the man had exhibited so far throughout the evening. Clearing his throat, Jade joined Saitama in staring down at Idoun.

"Well, I don't know about any of that. Maybe I should take a look at that radio? My company produces technology capable of creating beings known as replicas, but beyond that--"

"I found the FABLED DRAGONSTONE in Jade's, the OVERLORD OF THE HOTEL's, office."

Jade snorted at this. "Oh, ha, ha, ha! That's certainly a wild fantasy, isn't it? I thought you said it was a transport device and not some kind of... of dragonstone, whatever that is. I'm afraid poor Idoun just doesn't know what she's talking about... I hired her on because I knew she needed a stable job in her life. The girl was drifting along, lost in her delusions before I came along."

"She really should be thankful."

Idoun hadn't moved from her seat. She didn't acknowledge Jade, only staring at the wall as before. Coughing out loud, Kieran meekly shuffled his feet. "I actually have the device on me right now, not Idoun... But, anyway! Thank you for trying Saitama, but all we can do now is find the killer and make them talk."

@Verite
@Everyone​

 

[Verite]

Jade looked momentarily surprised at Saitama's sudden outburst. It was not quite the attitude the man had exhibited so far throughout the evening. Clearing his throat, Jade joined Saitama in staring down at Idoun.

"Well, I don't know about any of that. Maybe I should take a look at that radio? My company produces technology capable of creating beings known as replicas, but beyond that--"

"I found the FABLED DRAGONSTONE in Jade's, the OVERLORD OF THE HOTEL's, office."

Jade snorted at this. "Oh, ha, ha, ha! That's certainly a wild fantasy, isn't it? I thought you said it was a transport device and not some kind of... of dragonstone, whatever that is. I'm afraid poor Idoun just doesn't know what she's talking about... I hired her on because I knew she needed a stable job in her life. The girl was drifting along, lost in her delusions before I came along."

"She really should be thankful."

Idoun hadn't moved from her seat. She didn't acknowledge Jade, only staring at the wall as before. Coughing out loud, Kieran meekly shuffled his feet. "I actually have the device on me right now, not Idoun... But, anyway! Thank you for trying Saitama, but all we can do now is find the killer and make them talk."

@Verite
@Everyone​

"What."

"But-then-how-did-you-get-it-and-when-did-this-happen-ugh-this-is-what-I-get-for-not-remembering-everything."

Saitama seemed oddly distraught that the so-called Fabled Dragonstone was in Kieran's hands now. But even so, he would attempt to recover from that and continue on regardless. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

"I think by Dragonstone, she was referring to that transport device that Kylo Ren somehow has now," Saitama said, mispronouncing Kieran's name and instead saying the name of a certain villain that appeared in the latest number one blockbuster of the year, in IMAX 3D in a theater / galaxy near you. But alas, mispronunciation was a habit of his, especially when met with so many new people.

"But uh, either way, yeah, here's the radio I found," the hero said, producing it from his nonexistent oversized pocket, before moving over to Jade and gingerly handing it to him.

@Atomyk
@Everyone​