>>14367
"Nice to meet you. If the goal is to solve a mystery and you've declared that it shall be fair, then your anticipation will probably be incorrect... I'm just here to do my job after all, I'm fairly neutral in that way."

I grit my teeth. "Do you really not understand the ramifications of-- never mind, there's something more important to discuss."

I summon Amy in the room.

"Both of you, I'd like you to meet my other guests, Ma'at and Ammit. They will be testing you as the game continues. Should you pass, you will be rewarded. Should you fail, you will face consequences."

The two figures stand silently in the room.

>>14370
"I hope this is just some bonus round type of deal. Last time this happened I got told off for not listening to high school kids and their problems over a teacher."

"Umm.. Just how will they test us? And is it just my imagination or does the one who look like me have no mouth?"

"Bonus games would be an apt comparison. They exist to test the kind of people that you are, not the role you play in the game's world.

You should be glad that Ammit has no mouth. If he did, he would have devoured everyone the moment that he reached the game board. Now that we're all together, we should continue the game..."

Rosa and Maria

"Uu, not Beato!" Maria pleaded to her mother, who barely payed her any mind. "Not the Golden Land! Beato is a witch, not George! The golden land is a place full of magic and miracles. Beato was supposed to take Maria there, but she isn't...isn't..."

Rosa sat on her bed and stared blankly at the wall. The family had taken a break after leaving the gold room. Everyone agreed that they needed a chance to clear their heads. The situation, which had seemed like it was about to take a triumphant turn, looked bleak. If it was determined that Kinzo truly was in a sound mind while writing his will, everything would go to George and, by obvious extension, Eva.

Eva would offer to help her, of course, but all of Eva's favors came with a condition. Rosa couldn't even imagine how many 'conditions' she would come up with for bailing out her company and bringing her out of financial debt. She'd most likely effectively belong to Eva for the rest of her life. Even Maria may end up paying off her debt as she grew older. What else could she do? Refuse Eva's help when it came? There was no way she was going to carry the company with her efforts alone. She needed at least her portion of Kinzo's original inheritance. Preferably more? Try to find some kind of blackmail on Eva? What kind of blackmail would be worth a room full of gold? Murder Eva?

Rosa chuckled out loud at that last thought, probably making Maria think that she was laughing at her. Whatever Rosa was, she wasn't a murderer. One way or another she would find a way through this. She would mold her and Maria's future with her own strength. Everyone in the family always underestimated her for being the youngest child, so this was her perfect opportunity to prove them wrong.

These are the thoughts that Rosa tried to comfort herself with.

Eva and Hideyoshi

Eva sunk back into her mattress. She wore a worried expression that made her look a decade older. Her husband's arm rested comfortably around her face.

"Tell me everything is going to be okay," she says.

"Everything'll be fine!" Hideyoshi responds. "This is all great, ain't it? We got more money than we could throw away!"

"Stop that. You only talk like that when you're talking to children or you're worried yourself. Which means that you don't think that everything will be okay, either."

Hideyoshi furrows his eyebrows. "I'm sure everything will be."

"But?"

"You know what. Those wills probably pissed a lot of people off tonight. The way I see it, they could react in a couple of ways. They could try something to scheme us out of all the money. Some legal tactic or something. That should be easy enough to counter, in theory. We would just have to get our own lawyers to represent George and us. Then again, they'd probably try some manipulative trick that would work before this storm ends, though I have no idea what they'll try. In any case, it's something to look out for."

Eva looks at him with big eyes. "What's the other way?"

"It's your family, Eva. I don't want to be presumptuous. But, it's possibly that they might try to react with some kind of violence."

"You think our George is in danger?"

"No no no, I'm just saying that the possibility isn't zero. All we need to do is keep an eye out. Be friendly and agreeable with the rest of the family at least until this damn storm ends."

"How can you say all that and then imply that we should do nothing? We need to make sure our son is okay!"

"I didn't say do nothing, Eva! I'm just saying that we should play our cards right here."

Eva fumes. "I'm taking a walk. Don't follow me."

Eva leaves the room and Hideyoshi lets out an exasperated sigh. His wife was an uncontrollable one.

Genji and Kumasawa

"Ohohoho, it seems that we're not very popular tonight," Kumasawa says to her co-worker.

She sits on a chair in the servant's room while Genji stands. After the family realized that they weren't going to give them any information despite how loudly they yelled, the duo returned back to the servant's quarters.

"That is not of our concern. We were given our orders, now we are under the direction of George-sama."

"Why do you continue like this? Isn't your debt with Kinzo-san paid off?"

"It will not be paid off until my orders are complete. As it stands, the master directed me to obey Beatrice-sama, and her final request was documented very clearly in the will we read. I will obey George-sama until the last of my days, if he permits."

"Still, you must admit that things are less lively around here without that girl around. I find myself missing her more and more. Besides you, the only servant I have to talk to is that chef. I don't even think that he appreciates that delicacy of mackerel!"

"Beatrice-sama made her choice. Whether we agree with it or not, we simply exist in the aftermath, to recollect the pieces."

"Oh, Genji-san. I know that you have some kind of heart under that rigid exterior of yours. You miss her, too. Admit it."

Genji shifts uncomfortably in his seat, which is all the confirmation that Kumasawa needs.

Rudolf, Battler, and Kyrie

Rudolf leads Battler into his and Kyrie's room. He had been pretty silent on the way there, occasionally looking back at his son then darting his eyes back ahead of him. It gave Battler an uncomfortable feeling.

"Evening, Battler." Kyrie sits casually off of the edge of her bed. "Now that you're here, maybe my husband will tell me what all of these theatrics are about."

Rudolf offers a weak smile. "Well, it looks like I'm really doing this. No time like the present, I suppose. I don't get to have the two with me that often."

"What's this about?" Battler asks.

"It's about your birth," Rudolf says, grimacing. "Something I should have told you a long time ago. Both of you."

"My birth? What about it?"

"It's just...hey, does anyone else hear that?" Rudolf walks to the door and opens it. He looks both ways down the hallway but his expression doesn't change. "Huh. I could have sworn that I heard something just now."

"Hey, quit stalling, old man. You've got me on the edge of my seat."

"I have to agree," says Kyrie. "Although I doubt you could make this conference any more exciting."

Rudolf closes the door. "You're right. Here goes everything, then."

Everything is right. Rudolf told Battler and Kyrie everything that he had been hiding from them-- about the switched birth, about how Kyrie is Battler's true mother, and most of all about how sorry he was for the whole thing. Neither of them spoke throughout his presentation, but Rudolf could see them wearing looks of confusion and contempt.

"I'm sorry," Rudolf falls to his knees. "I'm so, so sorry."

"How could you?" Kyrie, who normally has such a comfortable shell, completely breaks down. Tears swell at her face. Her hands ball up into fists. If it weren't her husband on the floor, he very well may not still be alive.

Battler doesn't say a word. He grits his teeth, walks out of the room, and slams the door.

Krauss and Natsuhi

"This is bad."

That's pretty much the extent of what Krauss had been saying for the last half hour. Sometimes, he mixed it up by saying that this was 'very bad'. At least his assessment is accurate. Forget getting a portion of the gold, it would take all they had (and more) not to go to jail for concealing the head's death. And since Genji would not give even him any further information, he and Natsuhi have no upper ground in the situation.

"Dear, please remain calm. As long as we stick together, we will be able to bare any storm."

"I don't think they're going to let us stand together in our prison cells. This is very bad. We have to beg everyone for forgiveness, we have to get them to vouch for us somehow. If only we had some leg to stand on!"

Why couldn't Jessica have been born earlier? If she had, she would have inherited the gold and all of their problems would be over. They could simply bribe the family members into submission. In a moment of delusion, Krauss had nearly conspired a way to get rid of George and Battler to ensure his own survival, but he threw away the thought quickly enough. Whatever may happen to him, he still cares for his family.

"All we need is something," he says. "Anything to make sure that we're properly protected. Maybe if we could just get on George's good side. Look at me, here I am, ready to grovel to a child."

Natsuhi rests a hand on Krauss's back. It seems that's all she can do.

Gohda and Amy

Gohda waits for your response while the rain splatters on the ground next to you. How had he got so caught up in this family's drama? All he wants to do is cook his damned food in peace.

Last edited at 14/03/26(Wed)15:07:10

Ozaki, Jessica, and George

"I wonder myself," says George. "Rudolf oji-san looked intense."

"More importantly," says Jessica. "How are you holding up, George?"

"Better," he says. He gives a small smile. "I'll feel better once all of this money business is settled. Just thinking about it makes me feel more stressed than I already am. How have you two been?"

"Oh ya know," she glances at her fogged mirror. "Pretty swell."

Last edited at 14/03/26(Wed)15:50:59

>>14385
"Well you know, sore from the crash but otherwise alright."

I check the room for a clock to get the time.

"I'm wondering what type of person Shannon was. George said she was happy, Jessica said differently, and then she goes and kills herself yet she has love, money, and a future. It doesn't make much sense to me. Something is missing, and I want to find out what it is, because it bothers me. I feel as if Shannon is calling out to me.

In your eyes Gohda what kind of person was Shannon?"

You look at a small clock on Jessica's dresser. 7:41.

A soft sets of fingers rap against the other side of Jessica's door.

"Come in!" Jessica calls.

The door opens and Maria walks in. She looks troubled, her face at a fallen position.

"Hey, Maria-chan. What are you up to?" Jessica asks.

Maria doesn't answer. When she sees George, she gives him a hard stare.

"Maria-chan?"

"You aren't Beato! That wasn't the Golden land! Uuu! Uuuuuu! Where is Beato? Uuu!"

Maria runs to George and starts beating her fists against his chest. George just looks confused.

"Where is she? This is your fault. Uuu! She's here every year."

Maria falls to the floor. "Nobody believes Maria. Not even Mama. She's here every year..."

"What can I say? Shannon-san seemed like she had her rough days like the rest of us, but I never even imagined that she would do something like that. Even though we served the same family, she and I were never very close. She often praised my cooking. And now to think that she served as the true master all of this time while Kinzo-sama was dead... I just have no idea. Perhaps our previous servant Kanon-kun could shed some light on the matter. They were much closer, like brother and sister. Unfortunately, he's no longer employed here."

Last edited at 14/04/01(Tue)18:51:23

"Would you mind telling me some about Kanon?"

>>14438
"Hey, don't hit your cousin, none of this is his fault. Here, what is this all about now? By Beato you mean the witch right? You were friends with her or something, you met with here on the island?"

"Beatrice is Maria's friend. Every year, she and Maria gather the Magic Sorciere. Then Beato does magic that would make your brain explode if you could even see it! Her home is the Golden Land and it's magical and everyone is happy there. It isn't just a room with a bunch of stupid gold. And a mortal like Shannon couldn't make George a witch. It takes years of constant practice."

George and Jessica have bewildered expressions.

Last edited at 14/04/01(Tue)20:13:47

"There isn't much to tell. He was always quiet and did his work diligently, as far as I could tell. I knew there was a rumor that he often spied on the family and reported to Kinzo-sama, but I couldn't tell you whether or not it was ever true."

The rain continues pouring in constant streams. "Perhaps we should return to the mansion."

Last edited at 14/04/01(Tue)20:23:38

>>14443
"I see, so you always used to meet her here, but now Beatrice isn't around on today of all days. The same say as Shannon's funeral." I take a pause to make sure Jessica and George are following this. "Well if that is the case then its mentally better for someone other than a stranger like me to explain this. One of you should...explain the truth, with no white lies."

"Yes, that would probably be wise."

I'll head back to the main house with Gohda.

Looks of realization fall of George and Jessica's faces-- first Jessica, then George.

"Maria-chan," Jessica kneels down to her level. "Beatrice-- I don't think that she was..."

"Beatrice was Shannon-sama," George said softly. "She probably dressed up like the witch in the portrait and played with you to make you happy. I know that you miss your friend, Maria-chan, but it's Shannon you should be mourning, not a witch."

A look of pain washes over Maria, then anger. Even though it was George who had told her, she glares at you at you.

"Uuu! No, Beatrice is a witch! She isn't Shannon at all!"

The room cracks around you and you find yourself in a mystical garden. Maria's donned in strange clothing and wielding a staff.

"Uuu, pick your weapon," she says. "I won't let anyone make fun of Beato!"

>>14465
"Who's making fun of her? It's entirely possible that Shannon was just Beatrice's piece instead. Her disappearance could just be all a part of her plan and she needed to tell nobody. not even her closest friends. in order to make it work. It's the old Lucifer's whatever.

No matter what the truth is there is no reason for us to fight, Maria. You can believe what you want, just don't throw the blame on to people who are grieving."

"No, Beato is Beato. She would have no reason to take Shannon as a vessel while she was with me.

One time, Beatrice picked up a 100 yen coin from the tea table we were sitting at! But when she opened here hand to show me, the coin wasn't there!This is magic, and she had no reason to use Shannon as a vessel to perform it!"

From far away, near some bushes, you see two dark figures approaching you and Maria. You recognize them as Ma'at and Ammit. You should probably end this before they get too close.

Last edited at 14/04/03(Thu)22:43:52

>>14467
Sighing greatly, as I obviously don't want to deal with this anymore, I say "Makes sense to me. I'm just telling you to handle your problems without hurting other people."

The magical garden dissolves and you find yourself situated in Jessica's room once more. George and Jessica look sympathetically towards you. It seems that you and the cousins set off some kind of temper tantrum and that nothing you said had gotten through.

But it had. The last of the Golden Witch's illusion on the board had formed a huge crack. And who knows what will come through?

As George and Jessica try to figure out what to do about the sack of emotion in front of them, Battler comes in with a bitter aura. It's all he can manage not to slam the door.

He plops himself in a chair.

"Hey, Battler. What's up?" Jessica asks.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?" George asks. "I understand about wanting privacy, but..."

"Really, it's fine." Battler looks out of a window. "What a crappy storm. You couldn't get any kind of vehicle out in this kind of weather."

The room turns silence. Maria folds her arms defiantly, Battler stares out of the window, and even George seems to go more solemn as the room grows quiet and he returns to his thoughts.

Last edited at 14/04/03(Thu)23:19:40

Gohda escorts you back into main hall. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the immediate area.

"Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

I politely ask if Gohda will help me find Kumasawa and Genji.

"Those two? Oh, I wonder where they are, too. I hope they don't expect me to do all of the work. Follow me to the servant's room."

Gohda leads you down a hallway. As you're walking, you see Genji walking from the opposite direction.

"Ah, Genji-san, what are you doing?"

"I have business with the Ushiromiya grandchildren," he says. When he see you, his expression changes slightly, but you can't tell how. "Amy-san, may I speak with you in private for a moment?"

Last edited at 14/04/04(Fri)22:20:58

I politely excuse myself from Gohda and follow Genji.

Genji leads you around a corner, leaving a confused Gohda in the dust. When you're a decent distance away, he turns and faces you.

"Earlier, when speaking of Shannon-sama, you said that you found 'it'. What were you referring to?"

"I am referring to the manuscript she was writing of course."

Genji closes his eyes, pointing his head lower to the ground, appearing genuinely surprised and upset at your announcement.

"So you found that... Despite the way she presented herself, I feel that Shannon-sama was a deeply unhappy human being. Growing up, she possessed so much sorrow, so much rage, and with no one source to direct it, she took to writing to sooth her own spirits. By completing her work, she participated in a form of catharsis for herself. The manuscript you found was never finished. I have no idea what she was feeling as she wrote it, or why. I implore that you keep all of this to yourself, Amy-san."

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)18:38:24

"Genji, please give me an honest answer do you think that Shannon willingly with no involvement from anyone else killed herself?"

"I do not claim to know Shannon-sama's motivations. However, I do not believe she is one to be easily coerced. Her decisions were always her own. That's all I know for sure."

"If you'll excuse me, I should deliver these correspondences to the grandchildren."

I thank Genji for his time, and promise to keep what he just told me a secret.

I then set out to find Kumasawa. I'll head to the kitchen.

You hear a knock at the door.

"Come in!" says Jessica.

Genji walks through the door.

"Hey, Genji-san."

"I have been instructed to give you these," he says. He pulls some pieces of paper from his pocket. They look like they all have scribbling on them. "One for Maria-sama, George-sama, Jessica-sama, and Battler-sama. There is one for Ange-sama as well, but as she was unable to attend, I will give it to Battler-sama's parents to give to her when they return."

Genji has everyone's attention now. He disperses the papers to the cousins who curiously start reading over them.

If you tried hard enough, you could probably read over one of their shoulders, or you can wait and ask once they're done.

You walk to the kitchen, but it seems empty.

I'll head back to the servant's room.

>>14507
I casually take a peek at whoever is closest to me by standing slightly behind them.

You walk to the servant's room and catch Kumasawa dosing off. What a shameful servant.

I'll politely wake her up and ask her if she is willing to talk about Shannon.

You peek at George's note.

'Dear George,

If you're reading this, that means that I'm dead. When I discovered Kinzo's gold, I created multiple drafts of a will in case this should ever happen to me. After you and I became close, and after I found out what a kind person you are, I knew it was only right to name you the successor to the Ushiromiya headship. Do this for me, George: carry on your family's legacy. Make it into something that you would have truly been proud of. Don't let anyone, especially your parents, stand in your way.

And most importantly, do this: have a great life. Fall in love again. Get married. Have a family. Don't worry so much about what everyone else thinks about you-- it weighs you down way too much. Don't get too caught up with mourning me-- wherever I end up after this life, I'll be happy.

--Shannon'

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)20:09:52

>>14516
I take a chance and see if I can see any of the others.

"Shannon-san? I don't know what this little old maid can tell you, but ask away, child."

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)21:14:33

I'll ask her about Shannon, and what she thinks about Shannon as person, and if she believes that Shannon would actually kill herself.

You try to peek over Maria's shoulders, but she notices and voluntarily hands it to you. "Uuu! It's a letter from Beatrice! Maria said so!"

'To my closest friend Maria, Witch of Origins:

Guess who's freeee? That's right, I managed to cast off the pitiful spell that dumb old Kinzo used to keep me here! Maybe I'll visit that old coot in the afterlife! Where should I go? Paris? New York City? There are so many places that I can bring my magic! It makes me excited to be the endless witch.

...It's not all bright and cheery, of course. I cast off Kinzo's spell, but if I get close to this island or to his spawn again, I'll be bound once more. It's with a heavy witch's heart-- hey, it turns out that I have one of those!-- that I tell you that we can not see each other again. At least not for a long time.

That Ange girl still has a lot to learn about magic, so make sure you drill some lessons into her, okaaaaay? I won't accept her being wishy washy about the whole deal! And yadayada, do well in school, brush your teeth, meet a nice guy when you're older (or girl, don't let me tell you how to live your life) and carry everything that I've taught you.

Yours truly,

Beatrice the Golden'

"Uu! Isn't it great? Beato is free!"

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)21:27:54

>>14534
"Yeah..."

I see what how the others are doing. What emotions do they all have etc.

"Shannon-san was such a sweet girl. I'm going to miss her terribly, you know. I used to give her all kinds of mystery books to read when she was a little girl. It was a delight when she would talk to me about them. Still, you could tell that she had a fair set of problems as well. She felt as if the world had wronged her in some grand way. I think she was right. Sure, she had a lot of gold, but what was she going to do with it? How was it going to make her happy? The poor girl had little else besides Genji and me. The only other fun she had was playing with Jessica and the other cousins when they would come over for the conference. She took a special offense when Battler stopped showing up about six years ago. As for death... it's never something that I expected, but it didn't surprise me as much as it would have if it were someone else, I'm ashamed to admit."

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)21:53:35

"Do you know how she felt about George?"

Battler is reading his note with a confused expression. His eyes keep moving around the page. Jessica reads her note with a solemn look. You see tears swelling at her eyes.

She puts her letter down. "Shannon-san...you dummy..."

She puts her note down on the table where you can see it. Your up-side down reading skills finally come in handy!

'Jessica,

If you're reading this, it means that I'm dead'

The letter is very similar to George's in its contents, wishing her a good life and telling her to move on. A passage of interest does pop out, however:

For a long time, I wondered if I was more Kanon or Shannon, and, at least at the time of writing this, I think that the answer has shown itself to me.

The end of the letter reads 'Yours truly, Shannon.'

>>14546
I guess I'll see if I suddenly get to read Battler's letter as well.

"Ohoho, They planned to be engaged for quite some time, but don't let anyone know I said so. As for how she felt about it, you'd have to ask that child herself."

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)22:40:25

"But I can't? She is dead? Right?"

Battler sees your curious glance. "Here, since you read everyone else's, why not?"

'Ushiromiya Battler,

Six years ago, I looked out from the Rokkenjima dock and watched you and your family leave until your ship became an infinitesimal speck in the waters. You waved at me until I couldn't see anything else but the setting sun in the sky. Years passed and I still held the hope that you would come back, waving just as you had on that day. I'm nineteen at the time of writing this, well on my way to becoming a woman, and if you do read this, the girl that you knew is dead.

Goodbye, Battler.

The one and the only,
Beatrice the Golden'

"Man, I don't get that letter at all," Battler lays back in his seat.

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)22:52:31

"Of course," says Kumasawa. "I'm speaking hypothetically, forgive me. I just mean to say that I have no special insight into that child's mind."

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)22:54:56

>>14552
"Really? Seems kinda like there was something between you two years ago, but she moved on. Frankly there is some hostility in these words. What does it mean by six years ago anyway, did you go some where?"

"Kumasawa, who do you think sent that letter with the riddle at dinner?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Battler reads over the contents of the letter once more. "We used to play together six years ago, then I stayed away from the island for a while because I was pissed at my old man. This is actually my first time back in six years.

I used to say all kinds of embarrassing things back then, didn't I? 'I'll come back riding a white horse' and other cliche things. Stuff that dumb kids say."

>>14558
"Ah I see, well that explains that."

I take a look to see what the others are doing, and wait for them to continue talking or for something to happen.

"Shannon-sama instructed the letter to be delivered during the family conference after her death," Kumasawa explains. "Any more than that, I'm afraid I can not say. And believe me, the adults tried to get much more than that out of me, ohohoho."

"You wouldn't lie to me would you Kumasawa?"

"What? You don't trust a little old maid?" Kumasawa laughs. "If that's all, I would enjoy returning to my secret nap."

Last edited at 14/04/05(Sat)23:43:07

The cousins share the contents of their letters, but nobody except for Maria seems very enthused about the topic.

Battler suggests playing cards and the rest agree. You're invited to play as well, if you wish.

I thank her for her time and leave the servants room.

You leave the servants room and see a gloss start to cover everything in the halls. The gloss is stained gray and covered with cracks that twist and turn around the halls and on the ceiling. Ange, the Game Master, appears in front of you.

"The illusion of the witch is nearly gone from this board entirely," she says. "I'll be handing over the reins to Ma'at and Ammit, soon enough. Murder comes with the territory of a game master and I'd rather not have any more of a part in it than I already do. I trust them, just like I trust you. We won't be able to talk until the end of the game, so I should ask this of you now: find the heart of this tale. After my family died...it took me a long time to realize exactly what magic was. I was angry. At myself, at Eva, even at my family who, after a dark point in my life, I assumed deserved to die for the people that they were. But you know what's funny? When I think about them--when I really think about the people that they were, I don't see the hyperexaggerated versions of them that the forgeries exploited and profited from. I just remember people that felt happiness, struggles, and sorrow like any other family. It's such a simple, cliche truth, but it took me so hard before I could truly appreciate it. And then... I knew.

It's something to think about, anyways. Any questions before I head off?"

"So the whole point of this long sequence was so that the illusion of the witch will be removed from further content of the game?"

I decline to playing cards and exit into the hallway. If Genji is in the hallway I'll stop him and ask, "Do you still have the key to the storage shed? I wanted to get Amy to try and identify the body before it decomposes."

"Not the entire point, but a part of it. The things I've shown you are all crucial to understanding the heart of this tale."

Genji nods. "Of course. Please, allow me to escort you both."

"I understand I'll do my best not to let you down."

Genji takes you downstairs. It doesn't take long to find the green-haired girl. She's staring absentmindedly out of the window around the area that Genji saw her last.

"If you would, miss, there's something that Ozaki-sama and I would like you to have a look at."

I nod to Genji. "Goodbye Ange."

Genji gives you an odd look, but doesn't last long. Ange should be a common enough name, right? In any case, he didn't care to think about it. After stopping by the servant's room to get the key, Genji takes you and Ozaki to the garden shed. When he opens it up, you see the corpse of a blue haired girl who resembles you. She's soaking wet and water rests everywhere around her. It looks as she had smashed her head on some object.

Last edited at 14/04/06(Sun)23:07:44

>>14580
"Do you recognise this girl, Amy?"

I burst into tears and run over and hug the body. "ERIKA!!!!! NOOOO!!! NOO!! NO!" I bury my head into her chest an wail.

>>14584
I watch over Amy until she gets over herself.

After a 5 minutes or so of wailing and crying I try to compose myself.

"This is Erika my sister." I tell Ozaki and Genji. "I watched as she hit her head on the railing as the ship sunk. I had always hoped that she was still alive after that... that she some how made it...." I burst into tears. "Erika.... no.... no..." I wipe my tears away. "I'm sorry...... I'd... like to return to the mansion on, if that is okay."

>>14589
"I see, my condolences."

I take a last look in the shed to survey it for layout and notable items, before asking Genji to close and lock the door.

You look in the shed. Looks like a bunch of junk. There are some useful garden tools-- a pair of shears and a utility knife that could potentially serve as weapons-- but nothing else that looks stand-out. The layout is a small box with a small window in the back. You might be able to crawl through if you squeezed.

After Ozaki takes a last look at the shed, Genji locks up and escorts the both of you back to the mansion.

"It's not my place, but it appears that the both of you have had harrowing experiences. If you'd like, I can escort you to your rooms for rest."

You do feel noticeably tired. Ozaki looks drowsy as well. Still, the choice is yours.

I'll nod to Genji, while looking down at the ground. I'm still in depress mode.

>>14593
"Thank you, if you could point me to the bathroom first though that would be good. The last time I asked to go to the bathroom I was attempting to solve the clock instead after all."

Genji takes you to a bathroom right across the hall from your and Amy's guest rooms. As you enter the bathroom, you see Natsuhi walking up to the third floor.

The bathroom is connected to a small dressing room. You walk inside.

Genji directs you to your room. When you walk inside, you spot Natsuhi walking up to the third floor. You hear Genji's footsteps move back down the hall.

Last edited at 14/04/07(Mon)00:08:51

>>14598
I do my business, then remember I wanted to see the damage I caused in person. I leave the bathroom and head to the Guesthouse.

You reach the guest house-- what remains of it, anyway. Shards of glass litter the walkway and pieces of your plane lay scattered in surrounding grass. Still, it looks like most of the plane's main structure came out pretty well. The wings are ripped off, the cockpit is completely crushed, and the engine is lounging in the yard, but the back of the plane came out fine. The same can't be said for the guest house, with the second floor almost completely fallen on top of the first. On top of that, everything's cluttered in dust and debris.

>>14601
I return to my room and go to sleep assuming nothing happens.

Ozaki walks back to his room and drifts to sleep in his bed, dreaming of mysteries and mayhem.

Goodnight, Ozaki. Do sleep well.

I'll leave my room and go upstairs to the third floor, quietly, trying to prevent people from noticing me, and take a look around, too see if I see anyone, or hear anything.

You walk up to the third floor and see Natsuhi fiddling with some kind of device in front of the door. On closer inspection, it looks like a radio.

"Why is it that no matter what I do, you refuse to work?" She sighs.

"Natsuhi-san." I quietly call out to her, as to not startle her. "I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier today. I was out of line and I shouldn't have said those things. I think the shock of watching my sister die in front of me took its toll on my psyche. I'm sorry I said those things." I bow to her in apology.

"Amy-san..." she looks up at you, but she doesn't seem to carry any spite. She looks back down and continues fiddling with the radio. "The tevision went out some time ago. Genji-san gave up trying to get this thing to work, but I won't. Even if I have to work on it all night, I will accomplish this using my own power. I won't wait for the storm to end. I'll make sure that your family is okay-- and that whatever family Ozaki-san has knows that he is. I won't let something like a storm stop me. Kinzo-sama once told me that I have the One-Winged Eagle engraved on my heart. That's why, no matter what happens at this family conference...no matter what has happened...I won't give up!"

The radio cackles.

"Hello?" Natsuhi speaks into the receiver. "Hello, is anyone there?"

"...all Nii-jima residents should stay inside and lock..." It goes out.

"It's only a transmission," she says, looking defeated. "About the typhoon. It seems that it's pretty bad out there."

The radio comes back to life. "...dangerous...murder..."

"That wasn't about the storm," she says. She fiddles with it but it refuses to come back to life. "What in the world?"

Last edited at 14/04/07(Mon)23:15:25

"Thank you Natsuhi, but I fear it is already a hopeless venture. My sister as you know already washed up on the shore. Ozaki and Genji already showed me the body in the shed."

I then address the radio broadcast. "It sounds like something bad is happening on Ni-jima. It is a good thing Rokkenjima is a separate island."

She nods, still fiddling with it. "So, you found out about that. I'm so sorry for your loss, Amy-san.....If only I could get higher... well, I'm certainly not going to brave going on the roof in the middle of a storm. You should get some rest. I'll do the same, shortly. As you said, we're a separate island. We'll be safe."

Last edited at 14/04/08(Tue)00:41:23

"Thank you Natsuhi, I'll that in a little bit. I want to watch the rain for a bit, it gives me melancholy feel. If that is alright with you I'd like to just sit in the parlor for now."

"I'm afraid that my husband talking with his siblings in the parlor room. I was present as well, but sitting there with so many eyes...in any case, the air in that room was growing stale. The conference is likely to be going on until very late."

"I see, I'll just head to bed then after getting a glass of water."

I bid goodbye to Natsuhi and head to the first floor. Depending on if she follows me or not I either go to the kitchen, or go to the parlor's door and see if I can hear anything without being noticed.

Natsuhi doesn't follow as you walk downstairs and to the parlor door.

You hear voices inside.

"We have no reason to involve my son in this conversation!"

"Isn't that false? He was just named as head of the family. Indirectly, but still validly, right?"

"Now, hold on. Everyone's getting ahead of themselves. We don't even know that Father wrote that will that Genji showed off."

"You're one to talk about what Father did and didn't do, Onii-san. Weren't you just saying earlier that Father was resting comfortably in his room?"

"I-- regardless, I don't think-"

"Nobody cares about what you think. Let the adults talk, Oni-san. When we're done, maybe we'll give you a piece of candy if you're good."

"You..."

The adults continue their petty squabbling for quite some time.

Last edited at 14/04/08(Tue)19:12:06

I guess I'll head back to the my room and go to sleep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u0vduawsaE&list=PL98F97B122EB4BA33

Beatrice's illusion shatters as the girl detective falls into the recesses of her mind, the small shards scattered far across the storm-swept island and into the black sea. Step by step, I pace through garden of roses on my way to the decrepit manor. The flowers stare quizzically at me-- some confused, others anxious, many frozen with absolute terror from stems to gaudy petals. I smile and brush the index finger of my human form over one of them.You are not my target on this night, sweet lily. Rest, give darkness an inch. They shout silence in response.

The flimsy door to the manor is unlocked. How typical of humans to think themselves invincible while a storm craves their wounds and threatens to strike. I let myself in. The master of games added this speck of land to my domain and I intend to take advantage of every fiber of rug and strand of hair. Stale air threatens to choke me as I make my way through dusty halls and each step's squeaks amplify ten fold to drill my ears. I'm surprised the vibrations of my footsteps don't wake either of you. Do you really think yourself so sturdy, made of so much brawn, that I can't even stir you from your joyless rests?

I stop and raise one of my hands. The island sings a song as I do.

Rise, Ammit.

He does so, gazing at me with those lustful, yearning eyes of his. You needn't worry, little demon, after this day your contract should end and your endless starvation with it. You may consume the hearts of mortal men and drink the wine of their blood until you grow as fat and merry and you please, and then more until you pop.

Grace the girl with your presence. I will take care of the boy physician, take him into my arms and drain him dry of his sin. My first test awaits and they will not refuse my call.

Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. Briiiiiiiiiiiing.

You wake up from your pitiable rest. There's a sense of timelessness hanging in the air. The phones rings over and over. Briiiiiiiiiiing. It isn't nice to keep a guest waiting, Ozaki.

>>14620
I answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Your test will begin when you open the door and let me in. Refusal is not an option."

You hear three gentle knocks on the door.

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)00:05:55

>>14624
I caress the door and whisper,

"What's the password?"

You hear a soft voice from where you left the phone reciever:

"I would like to unlock that door,
turn the rusty key
and hold each fallen one in my arms
but I cannot, I cannot.
I can only sit here on earth
at my place at the table.

You will receive no further warnings, human."

>>14626
"Well you should try not being creepy, does a person a whole lot of good. Just tell me what the test is."

The voice continues:

"Some say the devil locks the door
from the inside.
Some say the angels lock it from the outside.
The people inside have no water
and are never allowed to touch.

You will not die as a result of opening the door. As the goddess of truth, I guarantee it."

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)00:21:32

>>14628
"Fine whatever, you win."

I cautiously open the door.

As you open the door, you see that it isn't the hallway you see, but the inside of Amy's room. She lays sleeping on her bed. The voice on the phone gives no further instruction.

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)00:26:24

>>14630
I call out to Amy from where I stand in an attempt to wake her.

Amy wakes up and rubs her eyes. You can barely see her in the dark. She slowly rises up from her bed.

Then she pounces. From all the way across the room, she leaps and lands on you. The figure jumping on you has no mouth.

You expect to hit hardwood floor, but you fall for what seems like hundreds of feet until you land gently in a solid container. It's pitch black with no walls.

Rules:

I'm sure you've both heard of the prisoner's dilemma. In this test, the prize is not your freedom-- you will both escape these boxes after an amount of time-- but the power of Detective's authority. You will both give me your answers-- submit or fight.

Should one player submit and the other fight, the one who chose to fight will be granted both detective's authority and a special gift. If both choose submit, both detectives will have detective's authority. If both players fight, neither will have it. You will not be able to talk to each other while making this decision. You will find that, without this power, it will be more difficult to investigate.

First result

Second result

Those are the paths you choose to construct? Was it compassion? Suddenly, in every tree, an unseen nest where a mountain would be? No matter, your motivations concern me not. Back to the world of men, other require the scales of judgment...

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)17:04:49

"Eva? Why're you taking me into the bathroom?"

Eva shushes him and locks the door. "Hopefully we won't be spied on, here. I know what they're planning. All we have to do is confront them!"

"What who's plannin'? Speak sense, woman!"

"You know who!"Briiiiiiiing. "Them!"

"Eva, calm down." Briiiiiiiiing. "Hey now, do ya hear a phone ringin?"

Hideyoshi looks around the bathroom and, sure enough, there's a phone sitting on the floor. "Wha? This thing isn't even connected!" Briiiiiiiing.

"Ignore it," Eva says, but curiosity gets the better of Hideyoshi. He picks up the phone.

"Hello?"

""Your test will begin when you open the door and let me in. Refusal is not an option."

Eva snatches the phone. "Who the hell is this? If this is one of my brothers or Rosa, I'm not falling for your tricks."

She slams the phone on the receiver. Briiiiiiiiiiiiing.

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)17:30:42

Hideyoshi attempts to pick the phone up once more, but his wife grabs his arm. "Don't! We can't allow them to get the best of us."

Brrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

The phone returns to dead silence. The only sounds in the room are their shallow breaths.

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)19:10:44

Something slams against the bathroom door.

And again.

And a third time. It sounds like someone hitting the door with their entire body, but neither of the two ever hear anyone outside. Just the constant thumping of the door.

"What's going on?! Who's out there?"

Hideyoshi attempts to lead his arm around his wife and lead them against the back wall, but as he looks behind them, he meets the eyes of the goddess Ma'at.

"Dear! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

When Eva looks back, her husband is dead on the floor. His head was wounded, as if he had hit it on something. She eyes the sink, which has splotches of blood on its top. Had this...been some kind of terrible accident?

"I'll kill you! You hear me! I'll kill youuuuuuu!"

Eva opens the door and lunges.

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)19:50:11

I watch over Ammit, who stares at the bodies like some kind of lustful animal. Soon, child. The state of their forms are not elegant in the least. I shall return them to a proper place of rest.

I do so while Ammit scatters around. At these times, I find myself wishing that he could talk, just so I could hear the most unorthodox whispers of his mind.

After I finish my deed, I prepare to flee from the world, but I eye the old maid standing in the doorway with a look of absolute horror on that face.

"Hello, human. Come inside and be tested. Refusal is not an option."

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)19:42:48

You wake up in bed. With the weather outside, you'd hardly know it's morning. The dark clouds all but cover the sky.

You wake up, still a bit tired from yesterday, but feeling much better overall. It should be a good day. Nothing could be worse than falling out of a plane, after all.

>>14643
I'll see if I can check the time from within my room. After getting dressed and preparing to leave I'll exit into the hallway and see if anything interesting awaits.

I'll leave the room and head out into the hallway.

Ozaki checks the time. It's 9:12. You both walk into the hallway and awkwardly meet each other. Then, you see Natsuhi down the hall, looking from a room.

"Ozaki-san, please come quickly! It's an emergency!"

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)22:44:16

>>14647
"What is wrong?"

I go over to Natsuhi and survey the area.

I'll follow the two of them.

"It's Eva and Hideyoshi-san--- D-Dr. Nanjo says that there's nothing he can do, but..."

You survey the hallway, but you don't find anything particularly interesting.

You walk in the room she came from. Genji, Gohda, Dr. Nanjo, and Krauss are already inside.

On the single bed are two bodies. One of the bodies belongs to Hideyoshi, the other to Eva. Hideyoshi has some kind of wound on his forehead, as if he were hit by a blunt object. You can't see what Eva suffers from, yet.

"Ozaki-san..." says Dr. Nanjo. "I'm afraid that they are dead. I'm just a general practitioner, but even I can tell that much."

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)22:57:05

>>14650
"...I see. This was their guestroom then? How many keys work on this room?"

I speak as I go and investigate the bodies more closely myself. Checking for any other wounds and the cause of Eva's death. Also look for an estimated time of death via either mortis evaluation. I search their pockets as well and survey the layout of the room we are in.

Hideyoshi seems to only have the one wound on his forehead. It's fairly small but somewhat deep. In contrast, Eva has a much larger wound on the back of her head. It looks like someone beat a blunt object against her repeatedly.

On closer evaluation, you notice that both of their clothing has some small, dark stains of them. They seem to be spatter of some kind of liquid.

You can tell that they didn't die long ago. Within the previous four hours for sure, possibly even somewhere in the last one to three. It's definitely recent.

"Only the master keys work on this door," says Genji. "This is Krauss-sama's personal residence, so he has a key that works on it as well. However..."

"W-we found that key on the nightstand by the bed after entered the room," Krauss said. "It couldn't have been used from the outside."

You don't find anything interesting in the couple's pockets.

The layout of the room is simple: One bed, one desk with a number of drawers, a nightstand with a single drawer, one closet on the right, a couple of dressers to the right of the room with multiple drawers. The desk is littered with papers and folders.

"Eva..." Krauss looks down at his fallen sister. "I swear to you, I'll find out who did this."

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)23:20:16

>>14653
"Who first discovered the bodies and how did everyone come to arrive at this room? Additionally has anybody moved anything since they entered?

I smell the splatter of liquid in an attempt to determine what it is. I also examine the bed and under it for anything of interest.

Last edited at 14/04/09(Wed)23:26:51

While keeping an eye on everyone's expressions and what they do, and say, I look through the drawers and read the papers.

"I was performing cleaning duties," says Gohda. "Even though Krauss-sama has not slept in this room in quite some time, it is my responsibility to maintain its condition. I had a few minutes to spare and I just wanted to be useful, you see. But when I opened it up... Madame was close by and I showed her that sight. She told me to remain by the door until she returned and so I did. About ten later, she returned with Dr. Nanjo and Krauss-sama. Genji-san joined us soon after. That's all I know, I swear! I didn't kill anyone! You believe me, don't you, Amy-san?"

You smell the splatter. It doesn't smell like anything.

There's nothing interesting in or under the bed.

Last edited at 14/04/10(Thu)03:35:44

You look in every drawer in the room. Everything looks pretty mundane, including the business papers on the desk, until you get to the nightstand, a rather beaten up piece of furniture with dents on the side. In the drawer is a letter. It reads:

Eva and Hideyoshi have FAILED. I will kill everyone who fails.

Ma'at

While you do this, Natsuhi and Krauss talk.

"We should tell everyone," says Natsuhi. "Someone dangerous is on the island. They could be anywhere..."

Krauss nods. "I'll gather everyone. Where should we meet?"

"Father's study would be the safest place, right?"

"I didn't kill anyone! You believe me, don't you, Amy-san?"

Last edited at 14/04/10(Thu)22:29:30

>>14657
"Wait, before you go, where do you normally keep your key to this room?" I ask Krauss.

I check for any windows and the state of their locks. Make sure they work properly.
After I also open the closet and examine the inside.

"Normally?" Krauss thinks. "The last time I did something with it, I put it in the desk somewhere..."

Krauss explains that he and Natsuhi had began sleeping in the same room a while back, so Krauss rarely uses this room. The papers on the desk are mostly old.

The windows are locked and work perfectly.

You open the closet. Nothing interesting it here. Damn, it would have been convenient if a killer were hidden inside.

>>14659
"Alright, we should leave the bodies here and lock the door. I suggest we gather every master key as well and keep them all together from now."

While leaving the room I'll check the lock on the door for any signs of tampering and make sure it works properly.

"Splitting up is probably not a wise option. There is a murderer on the lose after all."

I suggest we go in at the very least 2 groups to gather everyone.

The group agrees with what you say and gather outside of the door. Krauss takes Genji and Gohda's master keys. You can't find any evidence of tampering, but you do notice some scratch and scuff marks on the floor.

Last edited at 14/04/15(Tue)12:56:42

Everyone gathers in one group to walk downstairs. You hear Krauss talking with his wife.

"If I had known she would die...we all spent the last few hours of her life talking about damned money. I don't even remember saying goodnight."

Natsuhi puts her hand on his shoulder. "Dear, you can't blame yourself."

Krauss maintains his composure while you travel. Everyone, with the exception of the deceased and Kumasawa, seem to be conveniently located in the dining room, waiting for breakfast. Their chatter dies down and they look at at your group as you enter.

"Hey Gohda, when's breakfast coming?" Jessica asks. "We're starving over here!"

Gohda looks down at the floor at the question.

"Hey, I was just kidding..."

"Everyone," Krauss says. "I'm afraid I have an announcement to make. There was..."
His voice chokes up and he isn't able to get the words completely out. Tears line up at his face.

Gohda looks up. "Eva and Hideyoshi are dead!"

Last edited at 14/04/14(Mon)21:41:42

Rosa shoots up. "What? What happened to them?"

"They were murdered!" says Gohda. "And we have no idea who! What if the murderer isn't finished? What if they plan on coming after all of us? We're all going to die! We're doomed! I wasn't even supposed to be working today! Culprit-san, let me gooooooo!"

"Gohda-san!" Natsuhi shoots him a dreadful look. "Try to remain composed for the sake of the family."

"Mom? Is that true?" Jessica asks. "Were Eva oba-san and Hideyoshi-san..."

"Damn," Rudolf says. He looks down at the table. Kyrie's hand is comfortingly rested on his shoulder. He looks like he's fighting back the urge to cry. "You've got to be kidding. Our own sister, murdered in this lousy place?"

A few others had already crossed the line from shock to sadness. Rosa had rushed over to Maria when she saw the look on her daughter's face and the pair had already started tearing up. Battler was getting in on the waterworks as well.

Natsuhi clears her throat. "We can't discount the possibility that there was some kind of unfortunate accident. They both suffered from wounds to the skull. But since nobody has come forth with any potential information, it may be prudent to assume the worst. Has anyone seen Kumasawa-san? It would be best if we were all gathered."

A surprisingly silent member of the family was George. Instead of asking questions, he calmly listened and observed the reactions of the family members. When Natsuhi finished talking, he stood up from the table and walked towards the door.

"G-George-san, where are you going?" Krauss asks.

He turns back. "Where the hell do you think? Someone killed my mom and dad! If it wasn't a member of the family, I'm going to find them and ram their fucking heads against the wall until they apologize for the awful thing they did. Then, I'm going to kill them."

Whatever kindness that had existed in George disappeared like a wisp of smoke. Everybody important to him had been killed and he had nothing else in the world that someone could take away from him.

Last edited at 14/04/15(Tue)14:41:29

>>14665
"Running around the island won't help finding the culprit George.
I was a coroner for part of my life, working hand in hand with detectives and investigators. I say we should think about this logically before anything else.

For example, if we take the room they were found into consideration, one of the master keys would have to be used. Meaning that the culprit would have had to taken, or was able to use a key due to one of servants, assuming there are no duplicates of course. So first we need to gather all the keys and the servants, we can then establish where said keys would have been during the night and then keep them together from here on out to prevent any confusion.

We'll also need to take alibis from everyone eventually."

"Hey, wait." Battler stands up. "Ozaki, you don't really think that one of would do this, do you?"

>>14667
"We've all witnessed one pinnacle of human sin down in the basement haven't we? All that gold and money was waved around and people were yelling back and forth. While I wouldn't say you seem like bad people I've known killers who seem perfectly normal.

Everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Everyone cooperating is the fastest way to deal with this problem."

"I have to agree with Ozaki here. If we look at how Eva was killed, it would seem that the person knew Eva."

"Huh?" Rudolf looks at you. "What do you mean, Amy-chan?"

"...You're right. I was too eager, forgive me. Finding out information will get us farther than wandering around."

George sits back down, much to the relief of all of the adults. A rash, vengeful child is the last thing anyone needed.

Last edited at 14/04/16(Wed)19:15:03

"One looking on their corpses would come to that conclusion. Their deaths just reveal that it is someone Eva and Hideyoshi know, or more fully someone who holds contempt for Eva."

>>14671
"Anyway, like Natsuhi said I believe Kumasawa isn't here. Does anyone know where she is? We should probably call her."

Battler looks at you with fierce determination. "It's useless, it's all useless! How can both of you say those kinds of things while not knowing anything the people on this island? There's no way one of us would do something as cruel as murder. Yeah, that's right. Someone arrived before the storm hit! Then they killed Eva and Hideyoshi, probably after hearing them talk about the gold or something. This person probably stole a key off of one of the servant's and then replaced it to make them look guilty! That's the truth!"

Everyone's silent. Without any red to dispute what he's saying, it looks like a decisive victory for him...

"Sorry, Battler-kun, that's not going to work."

"K-kyrie-san...?"

"Didn't you notice yesterday? The servants were all wearing their keys on rings attached to their persons at all times. There's no way one of the servants wouldn't notice if someone stole a key."

"T...then someone stole a key after the servants went to bed!"

"An interesting theory. Genji-san, do you happen to keep master keys laying around after the servants go to bed?"

Genji shakes his head. "No. We keep the keys in a locked wall panel. As for the key to that panel, I keep it around me at all times. I would notice if someone tried to take it from my possession."

"So, what? You're saying that it had to be one of the servants who committed the murder? What about turning the chessboard over? Isn't that just what the culprit would want us to think?"

"Hey, Kryie..." Rudolf looks at her with a pitiable face.

Kyrie backs down but keeps her confident demeanor. "I'm not saying anything of the sort. I'm just thinking out loud. Forgive me, Battler-kun."

Her tone sounds anything but apologetic, but Battler lets it go. He knew as well as she did that she had him on the ropes. That felt pretty personal.

"Anyway," says Ozaki. "Like Natsuhi said, I believe Kumasawa isn't here. Does anyone know where she is? We should probably call her."

"Kumasawa had morning parole," explains Genji. "She must have started at seven thirty or so, and she was to continue until just a short while ago. She should have reported back in already."

Last edited at 14/04/16(Wed)19:53:24

"We should probably look for her."

"We could cover more ground if we split up," Krauss says. "One group should search the mansion and the other should look outside."

"I mean no offense, Krauss-san," Kyrie says. "I'm sure you want nothing more than the safety of your working staff, but that's the most short-witted plan that we could possibly come up with. I have a theory about these murders, but we should find Kumasawa-san so that I can make sure."

Krauss looks flustered and Rudolf just shrugs. "Sorry, Aniki, you know how wives are."

Your group searches the entirety of the mansion's first floor, but nothing suspicious reveals itself. You then move to the second floor. The group moves inside Krauss's room for a brief period to look around. George falls to his knees and sobs into the floor while Jessica and Battler stand at his side. Battler pulls at his own hair and Jessica keeps her eyes closed and focuses on breathing. Rosa keeps Maria just outside of the door, not allowing her to see the awful image.

"You deserved a lot better than this," Rudolf says.

"I just don't understand," says Rosa. "We all had our issues with Eva-san, but to do something like this..."

Kyrie scans every part of the crime scene that she can for clues.

Your group leaves the room reaches the second floor balcony. When you step on, you notice a single shoe sitting by itself. It looks small enough to belong to Kumasawa.

Last edited at 14/04/19(Sat)19:00:38

>>14693
I search the general area to see if anything else sticks out. Also take a closer look at the shoe in case anything appears off.

Nothing else appears strange about the balcony or shoe.

Jessica peers off the edge and to the ground below. Her eyes open wide. You look off and see the old maid's body laying in the mud. Her neck is twisted at a grotesque angle and her wet clothes cling to her wrinkled skin.

Genji's mouth hangs open. He dashes towards the staircase.

"Genji, wait!" Krauss runs after him.

"Dear!" Natsuhi follows her husband and Jessica after her.

Last edited at 14/04/20(Sun)23:47:16

>>14697
I hang off the balcony at the lowest point and then fall down beside the corpse.

I then examine her body in more detail for wounds and check her pockets and estimated time of death. In addition I survey the area for anything else of notice such as footprints or objects laying around.

You land with as much grace as you can against the muddy ground. You search Kumasawa's pockets and find an envelope with a letter inside of it. Words are written on a note inside: Chiyo Kumasawa has failed. I will kill everyone who fails.

You estimate that she was killed about the same time as Eva and Hideyoshi-- very recently. You see two sets of footsteps, one leading to and one leading away from the body. The rain has washed them so thoroughly that it's unlikely that you'd even be able to get an approximate size of the culprit's foot, though.

You don't find any other objects laying around.

Last edited at 14/04/21(Mon)21:21:04

I look around at everyone who remained up on the balcony's expressions and pay close attention to their words.

"Shouldn't we join them?" Gohda asks. "If a murderer is scurrying around, I think that we'd be better in a group. I'm only a chef and this is outside my area of expertise, but that's my opinion!"

"Hold on," Rosa says. "We should wait and make sure everyone gets down okay. In this chaos, one person getting lost could mean disaster."

"That's right," says Nanjo. "Safety is important, after all."

"Uu," Maria hadn't seen any of the bodies, but she wasn't dumb. She had a sense of what was happening from everyone's reactions. "Beato will save us. She has to."

"Everything will be okay, Maria," her mother responds. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. That goes for you as well, Amy-chan. Even though we aren't family, I will look out for your safety."

Battler looks nervously around the rose garden area, as if he expects to see some shady figure sneak up on Ozaki or enter the house.

A bit of time passes and everyone who left the balcony area joins up with Ozaki.

Last edited at 14/04/23(Wed)15:19:44

"Kumasawa... why in the world would somebody do something like this to one of our servants? Surely she never caused harm to anyone."

Krauss removes a master key from a ring attached to her outfit. "Whoever did this decided to leave her key. I wonder if they have another method of unlocking doors."

Genji kneels at Kumasawa's corpse and mourns over the death of one of the few people he ever called a friend.

Natsuhi takes a commanding role in order to distract herself from the horror around her. "We should all get inside. If there's a maniac running around the island, we're all more vulnerable in the open. We should seek shelter in Father's study, or else the parlor."

"Father kept some display guns in his study," Krauss says. "Rudolf, Rosa, and I should equip ourselves with them."

Genji looks back at Krauss. "I was ordered to move the guns before Ozaki-sama and Amy-sama solved the riddle. They're resting next to the gold."

"What are you talking about?" says Krauss. "We looked all around that room last night, there were no guns!"

"Do you think they were stolen?" Natsuhi asks.

"Damn! We're defenseless!"

Last edited at 14/04/23(Wed)21:03:15

>>14734
"Actually, I'm rather pessimistic, so I hid the guns under the gold last night while you were all pleasantly chatting. None of these murders have been committed with a gun it seems, so they are probably still resting there.

Now it probably the best time to go retrieve them."

Krauss is so overwhelmed by the situation that he doesn't seem to be angry that you hid the weapons beneath his nose. He yells at the people on the balcony to go to the parlor to meet up.

"You should go as well," he says to everyone in the area. "I'll retrieve the weapons and go to the parlor. The less people we have running around, the better."

"It's not safe to go alone," Natsuhi says. "Dear, allow me to go with you."

He shakes his head. "You should stay with everyone else. You'll be safer in the parlor."

"Come on everyone, we should probably head to the parlor like Krauss has suggested."

"That would be wise," Rosa says. She takes Maria's hand and walks towards down the hall. Everyone else follows.

When you reach the staircase, Kyrie stops. "Sorry about this, but I have some things I need to check on. I'll join you shortly. Send Krauss my regards."

"Kyrie," Rudolf says. "You sure that's a smart idea with some crazy asshole whacking us off?"

"I trust your expertise when it comes to bad ideas, dear husband, but I think I'll be able to defend myself if it comes to that."

She turns and walks without waiting for a response. You can join the rest of the group to the parlor or see what Kyrie's up to.

I apologize to the others and head off after Kyrie.

"Kyrie wait, do you mind if I come with you. I'm sure you're trying to figure out what is going on, just like I am."

I stay with the main group for now.

Kyrie looks back at you for a moment before looking ahead. "Sure, kid. I hope you don't mind if I lead. I don't need to run into some kind of trap where your your friend ambushes me."

She walks to your and Ozaki's guest rooms. "No offense, but you guys are the most suspicious right now. I hope you don't have any objections to a full search."

Last edited at 14/04/24(Thu)21:47:41

You follow your group to the parlor. When you reach the door, Natsuhi warns Krauss to be careful and he splits and heads to the entrance hall.

You enter the parlor. For a while, everyone is quiet, but the other group enters the parlor soon afterwards, with the exception of Kyrie and Amy.

"We need to barricade the windows and door," says Rudolf. "Everyone get to work. Whatever furniture you can find, stack it up in front of the windows. When Kyrie and that girl get back, we'll do the door as well. If this bastard thinks we'll go without a fight, he has another thing coming. Where's Krauss?"

Natsuhi explains the situation.

"It'll be good to have some protection. Let's hope he doesn't hurt himself. Everyone, work."

It's odd to see Rudolf, who normally seems so relaxed, act so uptight. It shocks the room into submission.

Rosa approaches you while everyone works with the limited supplies.

"Ozaki-san, I know that nobody wants to believe there's a dangerous criminal among us, but the possibility is still there, right? Who do you think could have...?"

>>14752
"I won't speak my thoughts on the matter. Until there is actually proof, any theories that are made become simply an entertained idea. It is best to let other minds think on their own, thus less assumptions be made in order to solve something such as this.

Once everyone is gathered again we'll have to do a proper interrogation to gather the facts. Even common knowledge could point to something that could lead to a solution. For now we just need to prepare for another attack."

Hardly a minute passes before Gohda cracks.

"Stop looking at me like that, everyone! I can't stand those penetrating glares any longer! Fine. I'll admit it, I killed everyone!"

>>14754
"...You are extremely unconvincing Gohda. If you really did, then why and how?"

"I do not object at all. It is only natural that we'd be considered suspicious."

Kyrie enters your room first. She searches under the sheets, around the bed, in every drawer and cabinet she can find, all the while looking at you every few seconds.

"If you're a murderer, you're not stupid enough to leave evidence in your bedroom. Let's go search through your friend's room."

Similar results show up. You can't find any of Ozaki's belongings at all.

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, we should work on finding the real crime scene. It's obvious that Krauss's room isn't where Eva and Hideyoshi actually died. It was way too undisturbed. That leaves Natsuhi's room, Jessica's room, I think, and a couple of bathrooms. Which should we search?"

"You fool! It only makes sense. I don't actually remember doing it, but I must have. Perhaps I have another identity called Evil Gohda.

I can see it now..."

-------------

"You didn't like my ravioli, Eva? I hope you enjoy your just desserts!"

"You sure can run, Hideyoshi. You must have worked up a healthy appetite!"

"Eat dirt, Kumasawa!"

-------------

"It must have happened like that! I'm so sorry!"

"I'd assume the bathrooms would be the best place to start. Murdering someone in your room would not be a wise move."

>>14758
"...Gohda get a hold of yourself. If you don't remember doing it then you shouldn't confess a crime you didn't do. Memory isn't as fickle as you take it for, so enough of this nonsense."

"Ozaki is right," says George. "Gohda-san, do you actually remember doing any of those things?"

"Well. No. But if I have DID..."

"You don't," says an annoyed Natsuhi.

"Oh. Then maybe it was Genji."

"Gohda-san!" says Battler. "This isn't a game! Don't say things like that unless you're sure. I don't want anyone else to die because of something like this."

"I'm sorry, Battler! I just wanted to make sure!"

"Yeah, well, don't be so quick to throw your coworker under the bus, either. There's an explanation as to how the culprit could have locked those rooms without the servants being guilty."

"Battler-san," says Natsuhi. "You weren't there. I'm certain that there's no way that room could have been locked from the outside without using a key."

That line of reasoning doesn't phase Battler at all. "That statement just now shows how little you trust people. You've made the implicit argument that whoever locked the door must have killed Eva and Hideyoshi, but that doesn't follow at all! What if the person that locked the door was innocent? What it that person was Kumasawa?"

"Why would she do that if she didn't kill them?"

"Imagine that you're Kumasawa. You've just opened the door to a horrible crime scene. You're scared, confused, and anxious. Your first instinct as a servant is to find someone-- probably you or Krauss oji-san-- and alert them. But it's morning and you're scared that one of the other family members will stumble across the bodies. What do you do? You lock the door so that nobody else can enter. That's exactly what happened to Kumasawa! Then, while she went to find help, the culprit caught up with her. This is the truth!"

"Even if your theory is right... couldn't it still have been one of us who killed them?" Rosa asks. Battler had no response for that.

You and Kyrie decide investigate the bathroom across the hallway. You walk through the dressing room and the strong smell of bleach and cleaning products engulfs you. Otherwise, the bathroom appears normal.

Kyrie smiles. "It might me presumptuous, but I think we've found our crime scene. We'll have to ask the servants whether they've cleaned recently, of course, but otherwise, I'd say it's a safe bet."

I look around the room, looking in every nook and cranny, but I keep Kyrie's actions in mind in case she does anything suspicious.

You search the bathroom as thoroughly as you can. The tiles and walls are completely spotless. You can't even find any finger prints on any of the handles or surfaces.

The bathtub appears wet. The water is drained, but it looks like the tub was recently filled.

"I don't think we're going to get any more useful information from this place," says Kyrie. "I'm much more interested in taking a peek in Eva's room. Unless you'd rather go back to the parlor, that is. I'm more than capable of poking my nose in things by myself."

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)20:42:39

>>14762
"So, speaking of that, did anyone go outside the mansion in the morning? Judging from the bodies all of the victims so far were killed relatively recently, so rather than during the night they were probably killed shortly before everyone even woke up.
If anyone had passed through the garden this morning they should be able to confirm whether or not Kumasawa's body was there at that time it could give us some leads.

If not then if anyone had seen any of the victims at all this morning."

"That sounds like a good idea, we might get some idea of who killed her and why."

Gohda coughs. "Normally, I would have did a round at the guesthouse after waking up. However, since the building was...out of commission, I slept slightly longer than I normally might have."

Nobody else says that they went outside.

"Doesn't it seem like my husband has been gone for too long?" Natsuhi asks. Your group had been in the parlor for around ten or fifteen minutes.

You and Kyrie descend the staircase to the first floor. As you do, you hear a masculine voice call out.

"Someone, help!" It sounds like Krauss! He screams in agony. The sound comes from just around the corner.

"Hold on," Kyrie says. "This could be some kind of trap."

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)21:37:16

"Someone, help!"

You hear a voice call out from beyond the door. It's meek at first, then louder.

"Help me! Please!"

It's definitely Krauss's voice.

"Dear!" Natsuhi lunges at the door.

"That may be so, however in the case it is not we must proceed. However with care, in case it is a trap."

I proceed forward with caution and on guard.

>>14771
I take note of what everyone else in the room is doing while I let Natsuhi leave the room.

You proceed around the corner. Krauss is sitting on the floor clutching at his right hand.

No, that's not right. To do that, he'd have to have a hand to begin with, right? Rather, he's clutching at the bloody stump where his hand should have been...! Krauss's right hand is...sitting a few feel away from his body. Three Winchester rifles lay around him.

"Amy-san!" he grunts when he sees you. "Run away! Get the others, find Dr. Nanjo!"

He continues howling in pain.

"Dear!" Natsuhi runs towards him with tears in her eyes. "Oh my god! What happened?" She falls to her knees. "Ozaki! Dr. Nanjo! Help!"

Kyrie finally proceeds around the corner and grabs a rifle before pacing around the area.

Nobody does anything particularly suspicious. The cousins follow Natsuhi out of the parlor and Rudolf and Rosa shortly behind them, then Nanjo. The only ones who remain are Gohda and Geji.

You hear Natsuhi calling for you and Nanjo.

"S-should we really go out there?" Gohda asks.

Genji just stands calmly.

>>14775
"Its best to stick together at this point. Larger groups mean less chance someone is going to get attacked it seems. Well that and it will prevent anyone from being wrongly accused. Anyway we should follow them."

I wait for them to leave the room with me as we follow the group.

I look all around the room, and examine the guns and so on. "Krauss! What happened!?"

I ask him concerned.

Natsuhi applies pressure to Krauss's wound while Nanjo runs to get supplies from his room. The cousins, Rudolf, and Rosa also arrived on the scene a few moments before.

"Aggggh. I was carrying the guns and someone attacked me from behind. I passed out. They gagged me and started hacking into my wrist with some kind of big knife. When I woke up, I was too dizzy to fight back and they overpowered me. I passed out again and when I came to my senses they were gone... along with my damned hand."

You examine the guns. They appear to be completely ordinary. You can't find anything wrong with them. The guns aren't loaded.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)23:38:03

Gohda and Genji leave the room before you and walk down the hall.

As you start to leave the room, you hear a phone behind you ringing.

Briiiiiiiiing.

Briiiiiiiiing.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)22:18:20

>>14780
I pick up the phone and listen while looking around the parlor so I can see the whole room.

If nobody says anything right away I'll ask "Hello?"

I try to figure out what caused the wound from how it looks, etc, (Can't think of words)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hhMpnLseN8&list=PL98F97B122EB4BA33

The voice responds in a dull, scratchy whisper. You can't tell if it's male or female.

"Good morning, young 'detective'. You will give the rest of the family my instructions for your tests. Refusal is not an option. If you think you're safe, huddled in that disgusting mass of a parlor room, reassess your worldview. I have access to more than the amount of explosive devices that I need to end your lives. I can even activate a switch that has the power to disintegrate the entire island, even the very ground you're walking on. I am Ma'at, goddess of Truth. None will escape my judgement.

You will send the adults to their own rooms. Krauss and Natsuhi will go to Natsuhi's room, Kyrie and Rudolf will go to their guest bedroom, Rosa will go to her room, and Nanjo to his. The servants will stay in the parlor. You and that other girl will join the cousins and go to Kinzo's study. I left a key around for you to find. If you try any tricks, if you try to outsmart me or show me an illusion, I will kill you.

You look pathetic when you're scared."

You look at Krauss's stump. It looks like someone hacked at it with a sharp object, following his testimony on the letter. You notice that you don't hear Kyrie pacing around anymore.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)22:47:13

>>14783
"...For a mastermind you didn't really think this through. "Refusal is not an option?" Should have thought of that before you called the only person who is completely alone in the room now. Like they'll believe me now. Looks like the island is going to explode at this rate."

"Then you'll make them believe in you. I will call once more if you force me-- why should everyone suffer for your wickedness?-- but you should not enjoy the consequences if I have to."

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)22:53:48

I look around for Kyrie and take notice of everyone and what they are doing.

"...Who is it? Why are you going to such lengths for this?"

The voice pauses when they hear your question, but they carry on. "Everything I do is out of love. That witch no longer exists on this island. I am what is left."

The receiver clicks on the other end.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)23:22:02

>>14789
I guess I go find the others now.

George and Battler are trying to comfort Jessica, who has collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Rosa does similarly to Maria, who just seems confused and out of it. Rosa, along with Rudolf, has picked up a rifle.

Natsuhi continues applying pressure to Krauss's wound.

Nanjo comes from down the hallway with his medical supplies and starts working on Krauss.

Ozaki walks from down a hallway from the parlor and joins the group and stands near the servants.

You can't find Kyrie anywhere.

Last edited at 14/04/25(Fri)23:31:48

"Where did Kyrie go?" I point out her disappearance in a loud voice so people hear me.

"Don't worry, Amy-san," Kyrie walks from behind the staircase. "I'm not dead. I used the panic to investigate Eva's room. Nothing really interesting, I'm afraid."

"What are we going to do now?" Gohda asks. "The killer has a gun and we're in the open!"

"You mean one of these?" Kyrie throws her rifle on the floor. "They're totally worthless. It looks like whoever did that number on Krauss was smart enough not to leave us armed after all."

>>14793
"Are you talking about the ammo? I took that as well last night and I have it here. Never thought it would come in handy."

"W-why would you do such a thing?" Natsuhi asks.

"I don't know if we can be angry with him," Rudolf says. "After all, the culprit doesn't have any ammunition thanks to what he did."

"We can't discount the possibility that there's more ammo on the island than what he scavenged," Kyrie says. "For now, we should load the rifles. Ozaki, hand me the bullets."

Kyrie approaches you.

Last edited at 14/04/26(Sat)21:11:16

>>14795
I give her a few and divide the rest upon the rest of the people with guns.

Third Thread https://archive.seacats.net/gameboard/res/14802.html