#I cannot wait for the investigation and the trial

[maikissed]

cherry flavoured lips part 5

Kylian Mbappéx reader

summary: No pretence, no lies, no avoidance. Just them and nothing around to ruin it. At last. She only regretted that they made it harder for themselves to achieve it.

warning: smut

note: I've been struggling with the smut. Ended up hating it LOL.

She was angry, to say the least. She did not have any organized plan or vision for the future tucked up in her head, that she would find now ruined and lost after Ian unceremoniously left her. And she was not upset, or heartbroken, oh that she definitely wasn’t. She focused for a minute, tried to find a minuscule source that might have given her any sign that deep inside she was in fact sorrowful after being rejected, or was she? Truthfully, she was the one that initiated this unprecedented conversation between them. And as the result was expected and anticipated even, she still found herself mad at how it all turned out at the end. Like she found herself at the same miserable spot she was in before.

“It was a very simple question, Ian” she articulated calmly.

Ian seemed irritated, uncomfortable.

“You are asking if I love you, but cannot give me a straight answer yourself” he commented, gazing up at her.

She was standing so unnatural and stiffly, facing him, towering over him, like they were going through some kind of trial. She was the prosecutor, and he was the suspect waiting for more charges fired his way. Yet the roles might be reversed in a blink of an eye and there was a high possibility that it would be her facing the death penalty at the very end. Who was going to pass the sentence? Her palms were itching.

“I asked you first, it’s important to me” bold, cool and reserved.

“So my answer defines yours? That’s how you see it?” he squinted his eyes searching for a trick, a deceit.

He turned distrustful. She was aware what caused it.

She sighed, dropping her arms, already feeling worn out by this conversation.

“Do you know how I see it?” Ian started after few seconds and she turned her head back to him in alert “I think you’re running from something and that exhausting getaway has pushed you into my arms” he nodded and she frowned in question “I am not blind, y/n, I can tell that the only person you really want is him”

She said nothing, swallowing something big and bulky that started to form in her throat. No words came out still, she just shook her head. In her own defence? A mere, pitiful try. 

“Why are you doing this? Are you trying to punish him or yourself? Because clearly this is not about me” he seemed to enjoy this upper hand. But there was a dull ache visible in his eyes, like he felt deceived “That is actually funny to be honest, even when we are having sex you seem disappointed when you open your eyes and look at me”

“Oh, what in the hell, Ian?” she moaned in resentment, feeling uncomfortable under his investigating stare. And agitated by the choice of his words.

She turned into a suspect, much closer now to be announced as convict. 

“You know what, I’m sorry” he reached with his hand to scratch his brow “I don’t want to fight with you like that. I am not angry with you, just feel a little used, that is all” he muttered softly and as he looked down at his hand and then back up at her the ache made place for generous ease. He was waiting for a perfect moment to let it all out, she gave him one.

And her? She was not sorrowful, she did not feel the despair flooding her heart and sinking it at the bottom of her stomach. She took one deep breath and wondered when the feeling of love turned her into a stone. A cold statue, an insensitive performer. She toyed with him all this time. And that thought actually made her a tad sullen.

“I’ll pack my things, I have a flight back to London in three hours” were Ian’s next words.

She shuddered, bringing her gaze back to him.

“I am sorry” her voice weak and abashed “It was not my intention to treat you this way” and this was an honest confession.

And he smiled at her in answer, almost like realising how everything sooner or later falls back in it’s place.

-

Fleur very much enjoyed when Ethan and Kylian were visiting with their parents, joining the family for a dinner from time to time. She liked the company of these two boys and their father, Wilfried was absolutely one of the most entertaining people she knew. He liked to narrate the most captivating stories and was not irritated by her oh so many questions she liked to throw in in the middle of his story. He was very patient, her father was too, but she knew her father too well for him to be so amusing. Fayza, on the other hand, was giving off the impression of a very intense and fierce woman, that’s why Fleur was watching herself to not be too pushy towards her, although she was kind and lovely. It was her demeanour that brought much respect in Fleur, for she made sure to be polite and careful. Still at the end of the day she was a sweet aunt.

“Ethan, are you growing out your hair?” she started in her funny, so much adult voice and the boy smiled at her after he greeted her.

“Yes, kind of” he grinned “Do you think it suits me?”

“Not really” she shrugged carelessly and then her ears reached a characteristic laugh from behind them.

She was always playful with Ethan, because he was playful with her. She beamed when she noticed Kylian enter the anteroom.

As she reached with her arms to hug him she could not fight the excitation over the news she so desperately wanted to announce to him. Maybe it was not her place, but she just… couldn’t keep it in.

“They’ve broken up, you know” she smiled sheepishly and he kneeled in front of her handing her a sweet little bouquet of flowers.

“Who?” he knitted his brows questioningly.

A bigger bouquet in his other hand, probably for Fleur’s mother. And a lovely present bag under it.

“Y/n and Ian” she rolled her eyes in a “duh” kind of manner “Good for her, I feel like he was sucking out the life out of her, can you believe it?” she huffed in displease.

“Well, people bond and sometimes part, that’s the way of life” seemed like a proper answer to this young girl.

It almost made him laugh out loud when he noticed her judgemental frown as she stared at him. Something like “don’t give me shit right now”, he could tell because her sister often graced him with this type of face. Her beautiful, lovely and stubborn sister he could not wait to see tonight. He hoped she was here.

“We shouldn’t bond with people that are just not right for us, isn’t it true?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s very much true, Fleur. However sometimes it’s not so obvious at the beginning. You just get to know the person with time”

“Yeah, well” her face turned serious again, aristocratic and modest “You and her were always great together, I cannot fathom how you did not bond since you are clearly idiotically in love with each other” she just shrugged, sinking her nose in the flowers she held now with both hands “Come, the dinner is almost ready” she said simply when she turned around.

Fleur was too smart for her own good. And Kylian stood there for few more seconds, dumbfounded.

When he finally came back to his senses he entered the dining room when everybody gathered but y/n was nowhere to be seen. It was her mother that obviously noticed his curiosity and after thanking for the beautiful flowers he picked for her, mentioned that she was in the kitchen, finishing preparing the food. And of course he decided to see her first, hoping that they were not bound the spend an uncomfortable evening.

He entered the room silently, spotting her standing over the kitchen counter, a knife in her hand and vegetables on the board in front of her. She was facing him but did not notice him at first. But with the corner of her eye she could spot the movement and raised her head to finally see who has joined her. Sharp chop on the board was the first thing, the next thing he could her was her pained cry.

“Ah, shit!” she yelped holding up her hand.

And without any thought he ran up to her, to see if she’s alright. She stared at her palm as he neared her and he knew very well what was coming. She could not stand the sight of blood, it made her dizzy and nauseous, she was afraid of needles since the earliest days. So he wrapped his arm around her middle, catching her injured and bloody hand below the wrist with the other.

“One step back, to the sink” he instructed calmly, and he could feel she begun to slump in his hold.

There was a lot of blood, already dripping on his fingers. But as he put her fingers under the running water he could see that stitches were not necessary, the knife just properly scratched the pad of her middle finger.

“It’s alright, just a tiny little cut” he murmured, examining her hand, looking for any additional cuts.

“Mhm” she breathed on his cheek and when he raised his head, he noticed she was looking at him all this time.

The proximity, her big, round, shaken eyes stunned him for a moment. But he had to move, she needed and aid.

“You just need a bandage. Can you stand on your own?” he made sure, slowly and very carefully backing his hand away from her waist. 

She nodded slowly, still looking at him, and he lingered for just a short moment before rushing in the direction of the medicine cabinet. And this little incident end up with her finger decently secured with a quite big amount of bandage and tape. She snickered at the sight of it, and after considering it for a moment, she actually brought her hand up, curling other fingers down to grace him with a rude gesture, her puppet looking like finger almost in his face.

“Come on, I did a decent job” he frowned before smiling at her softly.

“You did, thank you” and she smiled back at him “If it weren’t for you I’d probably faint and bleed myself to death” she joked looking back at the vegetables awaiting on the chopping board.

“Your cells have the capacity of sealing such cut back together themselves, you know?” he muttered carelessly, reaching for the knife to finish her job himself. He would not let her ruin the bandage now.

“Oh, wow there, Sherlock. I was kidding and I was paying attention in anatomy class for your information” she snickered taking a step to the side to let him take her place.

“Of course you were” he snorted, but meaning what he said, looking at her playfully.

She looked calmer and healthier. He was glad. She blinked like finally realising he was here with her and they were at last having an easy and warm conversation. Maybe she was glad too. For a moment there was silence, but she lingered close to him.

“Those are too big, cut them smaller” she almost whispered while she inspected his cucumber cutting abilities.

“Keep your fingers away, please” he muttered indignantly and she actually laughed out loud.

“Sorry” she breathed and he resumed. But there was something tender about this word as she voiced it out “I really am sorry, Kylian” now, it was a whisper.

Yet he was determined to keep on cutting the cucumber, something in him turned defensive and he was worried she at last would put him in his place. As a friend, as a childhood companion, like it used to be before. But she could not have it like that, so she reached with her hand and delicately placed it over his forearm. So he had no choice but to look at her. And he was seeing her, seeing her fully, and there, in the reflection of her beautiful, glimmering eyes he could spot his absolute devotion, his dedication, he could see it clearly. Could she?

“Love is a scary emotion” her voice quiet and careful, her eyes looking down at his lips for a moment, but out of bashfulness “I thought I was doing the right thing for myself, but instead I put myself in endless misery” she confidently continued “I am so sorry for pushing you away and you have every right to hate me for it”

“Nothing in this world would make me hate you. There’s not a thing I would not forgive you for” he opposed, feeling hurt at the thought that she was drawing such conclusions.

“Don’t say that” she frowned, her eyes turning even bigger “I’ve hurt you, I did an awful thing, admit it. I own you an honest apology, then you might consider if I deserve forgiveness” her voice breaking, her palms shaking, her eyes turning wetter, but she stood her ground, did not hide her emotions.

So he turned to her, making sure that every word he intended to say next she would find honest and real. And right.

“I acted up at the start, but the truth is that I would wait for you as long as it takes, I would step down, move into the shadow of your life, stop being an obstacle” she started to shake her head after, wanting to disagree, wanting to let him know that she did not see him that way, but he continued “I would be patient, I would let you make the choices that are right for you, because you are your own person. But I would be here, waiting, even if it meant waiting for the rest of my life, because you are my choice. And it would be my choice and I am okay with it, because I love you and I loved you long before I could understand what love actually is. That’s why you don’t have to say anything for I have already forgiven you”

A little sob broke out of her chest and she quickly turned her head to the side to hide her obvious tears streaming down her face.

“Hey” he whispered “It was not my intention to make you cry like this” and he reached for her hand to stop her from hiding her emotions. But delicately and considerably, wanting to be nothing but gentle. Her body was shaking with more sobs.

She turned back to him and started nodding like a little girl making peace with her subtle outburst of emotion. It made him smile at her.

“Loves, where are the salads?” y/n’s mother surprised them by unexpectedly charging into the room, halting at the doors after noticing the sight in front of her. Y/n turned to the other side so she could not notice her red and swollen face, her hand reaching up to wipe the cheeks dry “Sorry, is everything alright?” she asked, slightly embarrassed “What’s happened to your finger, y/n?”

Y/n sniffled before answering:

“I shoved it up his ass” she muttered quite frankly, before wrapping an arm around Kylian’s bicep, then she simply put her head on his shoulder.

He started to shake with laughter, trying to compose himself but truthfully found it difficult. He laughed out and y/n accompanied him.

“Oh, how funny you are” she sneered at her daughter but there was a gentle smile as well that finally broke on her face “Alright, you have five more minutes, lovebirds. Then I want my salads on the table”

-

Are you asleep?

She sent the message and begun to stare at the screen of her phone with gnawing impatience. She hoped he was awake as well. She itched with need to have him close, only today realising the size of the desolation that has grown in her heart when they parted. Their whole family stayed for the night, as they often used to when visiting their home on the countryside. She perceived their previous conversation unfinished and still felt like she owed Kylian more explanation. His confession, on the other hand, was nothing she could ever expect, not because she was hesitant to believe in honesty of his words, but for the reason that he drew it out so naturally, without any strain or difficulty. Almost like he unveiled the hidden truth of life everyone desire to find, using the simplest words. That is how it sounded to her, and she wasn’t very sure how she was supposed to handle it now. He was not terrified by it, he expected nothing while giving her his all. She was afraid she was not so experienced in the art of love, she worried she was not fit for it.

He answered the message after a while and she realised she drifted off in thought.

Non, why aren’t you asleep?

She typed back the answer with no hesitation.

Come to me?

And it didn’t take him long because just few minutes later she could hear gentle knock on the door to her room, so she jumped out her bed and run up to let him in. She smiled as soon as she saw him.

“It’s your birthday in twenty minutes” he murmured, holding up a little present bag in front of him.

“Good” she whispered “I wanted to spend it with you” she took the bag and then reached for his hand to guide him inside “Do you mind if I open it later? It is a bad luck to open the present before actual birthday day” she asked while placing it on the dresser near the door.

“You are way too superstitious” he snickered and she rolled her eyes at his answer.

“Maybe, but it kept me safe to this day”

Kylian shot her a mocking look and she laughed at his reaction, only then realising that they were still holding hands. She looked down at them as they stayed joined, feeling affection rising in her chest. She enjoyed this feeling. And she wanted him closer. So she took a step back to guide them to her bed so they could rest. He followed and they sat down comfortably at the edge of it.

“I was afraid this year would be the first time I’d spend my birthday without you”

He just smiled at her warmly and she took a deep breath, suddenly realising that she calmed much more when he was here. When he was listening and looking at her.

“I’ve put myself in this emotional prison, knowing that I was doing the exact opposite of what my heart called for” she murmured switching from looking at his face and back at their hands “I piqued Ian purposefully, I am a coward and I did not know how to free myself, so I was glad when he turned out to be aware of everything. But I was so distressed by what I’ve done, I thought you would never want me back”

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, this time letting her speak whatever she needed to let out. Giving her time and space for it. But at this point the nervousness hit her strong back again, because she was worried she was not so good with words like he was. She was not used to it. But the words she was so desperately trying to reach were the most perfect ones. The right ones. She decided on moving a tad closer to him, his warmth and scent wrapping around her.

“So…” she started and there was a cheeky smirk that appeared on his lips.

He was so definitely going to tease her now. She guessed not much has changed, but it was a good sign. And he was so handsome, she wanted to punch him in the face.

“So what, miss eloquence?” he muttered and her heart skipped a bit when his low voice reached her ears.

“Don’t make fun of me now” she whispered, it was not her intention but she whispered, realising that all her senses were now filled with him, the spark in his eyes, his breathing, his touch.

“I am not” he opposed, reaching with his hand to gently stroke her cheek, his knuckles lovingly grazing the skin.

Delicate and tender, she felt the touch with her whole body, within her soul.

“Je t'aime” she whispered while leaning even closer to him, but lingering, wanting to make sure that he still felt that way. That nothing changed during the evening, that he did not change his mind.

She looked him in the eye and there it was again, the simplicity, the obviousness, that sweet spark in his eyes and a smile on his face, and all of it – so serene. And as she finally said it, addressing this confession to him, she realised there was no grand secret, no hidden truth of life, but the only truth of one’s heart. And she was free. His love was the only one to grant her that freedom.

“Didn’t hear you properly” he said “Could you repeat?”

She sniggered at that but reached with her hands to wrap them around his neck, leaning closer to softly whisper into his ear:

“I love you, Kylian” she sang “You and only you” she smiled “I love you”

His arm wrapped tighter around her and she moved so she could face him again. She knew that look in his eyes, so dark, so soft and sparkly.

“One more time”

She giggled. A stronger beat of her heart and she kissed him, a delicate peck on the lips, he hummed as she leaned back.

“I love you” she kissed him again and another “I love you” after.

The next kiss lingered, he let her guide it on her own pace, maybe because he regretted the times when he was more demanding on this part, when he kissed her or touched her ways that weren’t proper many times before. She pressed onto him, adding more fervency into this contact, soft but sure touches, she begun to move, trying to be closer, trying to take more and more. But as soon as he felt her mouth opening slightly, he broke the kiss and his lips followed a path, from the corner of her lips, to her jaw, and then lower to her neck. Her fingers rested on his nape, she closed her eyes and let herself feel. He was being delicate, patient, savouring her, experiencing her. Slow, too slow, she started to burn, she realised. That funny and sweet little spot he reached and bit on delicately, send an intoxicating shot through her whole body and she jerked breathlessly. Many other places on her body yearned for his attention, yet he was not in a hurry. It was a way too precious moment for Kylian to rush anything. She enjoyed every second of this special attention, but there was much more, so much more she wanted. Her fingers timidly reached for the buttons of the little night sweater she was wearing, one undone, then another and then – he reached for her fingers when he finally noticed it. Her eyes hazy and lids heavy as she looked at him, he looked down, her breasts clad in a delicate bra already visible to him, beautiful, soft skin unveiled. He wanted to kiss her there. But, there was hesitation.

“We shouldn’t” he whispered “We are not alone”

“Everybody is asleep” she reached for another button, her eyes focused on his face, but his eyes could not fight the temptation to see another piece of her skin being unveiled “Their rooms are far” the last button undone.

She was not particularly nervous now, but her fingers shook as she grabbed the folds of the sweater and pulled it down her arms. She could see him swallow and she loved that to a great extent. So she stood up, in front of him, untying the little ribbon of her fluffy pants and let the garment fall off her hips. Slowly, as he seemed to enjoy, she put one knee at the side of his thigh, her hand reaching to him, resting against his cheek. His eyes locked with hers and she knew she had him there. He was mesmerized. She straddled him the next second, pressing her lips against his once more. The kiss finally deepened, his hands travelled from her waist to her back, his touch soothing her. She felt the same thrill she did when they were kissing in the orchards. She wanted to press him down on the mattress, but again he had other ideas. He pulled away and put his mouth on the skin under her collarbone. And again, he was savouring it. Slow, moist and adoring kisses reaching lower, and she gasped when he placed one on the still clothed nipple. He bit on it, a moan broke out from her throat, her head already a spinning mess. He raised his head with a little smile and surely captured her mouth. She moved against him, she could feel him, all of him. Never before she felt more alive.

“Can I?” he asked, while his hand still placed against her back moved higher, touching the clasp of her bra.

“Yes” the answer was rather quick.

He removed it without struggle and she smirked at him. She never truly enjoyed sex before, no one could really find out about it, but the fact that he was the only person that could awaken such strong elation in her was a little guilty secret of hers. Until now.

He took her hand in his, the left one, with the finger still clad in bandage, and sweetly kissed her knuckles. He still seemed to consider.

“Sit next to me” he instructed and she wondered, but did as he asked.

To her surprise he kneeled in front of her.

“I want to taste you” he stated confidently, removing the t-shirt he was wearing. She shivered.

Oh, God.

“Can I kiss you, love?” his voice was so steady but also alluring, she found herself struggle to speak.

So she nodded, trying to compose herself.

“I can’t hear you, I won’t do anything you don’t directly agree with” he caressed her calf as he said so. There was something demanding in his voice, but still gentle, no pressing.

“Yes, please” her voice shaky but sure.

His fingers travelled up and rested at her hips, grabbing the strings of her underwear. He was watching her expressions attentively, searching of any sings of discomfort. She rose her hips up, giving him none. And as it was foreseeable he dragged the material down her legs very slowly. She was sure she blushed heavily as they held the eye contact. For a moment she lost the sense of reality, arousement coming to her in more persistent waves. He smiled cheekily and she moved closer, more to the edge of the bed, being able to perfectly read off his request. And he did not move yet.

“A little wider, love” hotness spread all over the skin of her cheeks and neck again.

She felt a tad silly now, because once again there was no abashment in the way he touched her, or spoke to her or even looked at her. And despite the fact that this moment thrilled her greatly, she was also unsure, felt unprepared, like she was about to turn out not right for him, not fitted for his fantasy. It was an awful feeling.

“Do you want to change your mind?” his voice softer now. His eyes on the other hand not. He wanted her. Badly.

“No” she breathed, looking at him intensely. She wondered if her vastly beating heart could be the cause of her immediate death.

He was patiently kneeling in front of her, gazing up at her with his lovely and sparkly boyish eyes for goodness sake. 

“Then relax” he murmured, his fingers still gently drawing lines down and up her calf “I want you to enjoy it”

Part of her wanted to look the other way, yet bigger part wanted to observe him while she opened her legs for him. Breath stuck in her throat when the intensity of this moment hit her momentarily.

“More” he rasped and she groaned softly, looking into his eyes that turned darker and darker by every second.

“Like that?” she asked weakly, her hands desperately clutching the sheets behind her, she was burning.

He liked the way she asked the question, he hummed and smiled at her, before lowering his head to place a kiss on the inside of her thigh. She took a big breath in.

“As much as I would love to hear you, I must ask you to be quiet” she almost whined hearing his low voice, but did her best to nod in agreement.

This time he granted her his mercy, not prolonging it much, maybe because he grew impatient to finally have her. While his hands securely held her open for him, his mouth found it’s way to her cunt. It seemed to happen very suddenly, her hips jerked uncontrollably and she gasped at the contact. Softly and gently he begun to pleasure her, she could sense that he was watching her, but could not find the confidence to meet his gaze. His hand squeezed her thigh, putting it up to let it rest on his shoulder. His tongue pressing surer against her, while his lips were delicate in their caress. She gasped and jerked up once more. Everything felt wet, his mouth hot against her, his tongue precise. Very unexpectedly he groaned against her, and it stunned her significantly, making her body tense and her eyes shot open. A sharp gasp that left her met a little moan, it sounded out like a hiccup.

“Why don’t you look at me, darling?” he murmured and she swallowed hard.

She was familiar with Kylian’s domineering attitude and quite stout ego, she always imagined it’s influence on his sex life. He was being considerate enough with her now, she wondered what will happen once he finish restraining himself. Chills ran down her spine. She yearned to experience it all. So she directed her gaze lower and the look in his eyes was shattering and overwhelming, so hot, she moaned out loud shamelessly, her right hand quickly shot up to cover her mouth. That’s when he chuckled and that’s when she simply could not stop everything that came next. It was quicker than she suspected. Too weak to keep herself up, she fell on her back, both of her legs now wrapped around his head, her hands delicately grazing his hair as if trying to keep him close to her at all cost, but no pressure in her touch.

“Kylian” she breathed, too quiet “Ky…” he sucked on it now “Kylian” she whined, louder.

And it was too much. She had to clasp her hand over her mouth again, most of her cries muffled, but still prominent in the room. Her body moved on it’s own accord, her head rolling around almost spasmodically. She was feeling lighter now, with her eyes closed she could not really specify where she was. She could remember it was her room, and her bed, but her mind stopped registering it properly. There was nothing more then her flesh, her senses directed only to experience the ecstasy of the upcoming pinnacle, a burst of euphoria. She wasn’t even sure if she was still breathing, but could tell her chest was moving rapidly. As the first wave hit her, she almost choked on her own breath, as the second appeared she expected it to bring a few more that fades quickly and leaves her hazy and light. But shockingly there was more, and more, and more, and it felt like her soul started to leave her body. She could not keep up with it, she was not prepared for it. Was she making noises? Was she loud? Was her mouth covered? Did she pass out?

She felt the mattress bent next to her. Her eyes still closed. She could hear her breathing despite the ringing in her ears. She could feel her fingertips again, weakly moving against the sheets.

“Hey” a whisper, close to her ear, she leaned into it “Are you alright, love?” she smiled, it was a lovely voice, soothing and sweet.

“Mhm” she murmured and very slowly opened her eyes to look at him.

He looked different. And one look at him made something in her insides jump. She was back in her body.

“You need to rest”

“No” she opposed, her hand flying up to touch him. Delicate, as she grazed his lips with her fingertips.

“I think yes” he laughed.

“I think you just gave me two orgasms in one take. Or more, I am not even sure now” this seriously spoken sentence made him laugh again. His lips flexed under her touch “But I want you now”

A big intake of breath as he considered her plea. She was fine, she could take him, she was not drained or sleepy, simply astounded or even blown away. She felt bolder now, more determined when she rose on her elbows to reach him, pressing a kiss on his lips. He grew weaker when she kissed him like this, softly but surely, with her nails lightly scratching the skin on his chest. She took advantage of this moment and pressed on him, making him lay down on the bed. He seemed stunned when she sat up, on top of him, her hands already resting on the clasp of his belt. She could notice him swallow but there was another of his shameless smirk appearing on his lips.

“What’s so amusing?” she jested.

“Your persistence. I adore it” he sat up, his hand sneaking around her middle and before she could comprehend his intention, he simply grasped her, turning them so she laid on her back again. 

She could start up a heated conversation about his own stubbornness at this point, but the idea started to quickly fade in her head as she watched him unbuckle the belt after he stood up. The intensity in his gaze was drawing her to him, she felt the same impatience once more. She reached for him desperately when he joined her, her legs already at either side of him, inviting him, keeping him in, close, closer. No pretence, no lies, no avoidance. Just them and nothing around to ruin it. At last. She only regretted that they made it harder for themselves to achieve it.

“Make love to me now” she hummed before kissing him.

[lyss-sketchbox]

I'm so glad to see more people that weren't hyped by natlan, archon quest included, after seeing so many 'this is even better than Fontaine' in the tag. I felt like I was going insane.

Sorry excuse me WHAT

I get that fontaine has its flaws but to say its better than natlan is uh. I need someone to fight me over this because i cannot see it.

Let me use the 'and then' and 'because' rule

Fontaine

Fontaine feels like a more natural progression of the plot and characters as the story goes by. We meet lyney and lynette who shows us fontaine, and then lyney was convicted. We help with lyneys trial because furina wanted to duel us in court and this gives her that chance, because of that we discovered how reckless furina is and uncovered the primordial sea water, because of that navia asked us to continue the investigation, therefore it revealed to us more about the oceanid people, about callas, and about neuvillettes stance on justice. And because of her previous fack up furina prepared better for this 2nd trial which tells us more about her character.

At the end of it all we understand the characters, how they are not what we think they are. We view them differently before and after the acts. The reveal of each clue did not feel like an info dump. We were investigating and we slowly take in these information like an investigation would. It was a slog, but it forced us to be involved, forced us to personally look at these facts because WE are suppossed to be the investigators. So it sticks with us better.

Natlan

Natlan feels more stagnant. We meet Kachina because she was being ditched by her teammates. Because of that, while we cant join her team, she offered to show us natlan much like lyney and lynette in the beginning. And then we meet Mualani and Kinich in the stadium and then they explain to us more about the pilgrimage. And then mualani and kachina went to train for the pilgrimage. And then we watch kachina win and be send off to the Night Kingdom. And then we meet Mualani and Kinich again and be offered to tour their tribes while we wait for kachina to return. Because of that we learn that the tribes often get attacked by abyssal monsters. And then kachina died. Because of that we went to meet with the archon and join the team to rescue her. And then capitano vs mavuika happened. And then she explains that the contending fire is dying therefore she must use her power to keep it alive. And then we failed to make it out of the Night Kingdom but we lived because Mavuika had reserve powers to save us.

There is no change between how i view these characters before and after the act that wants me to speculate if they will change in further acts or not. We stay a tourist throughout Natlan, we stand there and things happen around us and characters around us explain to us what those things mean.

Could lyney and navias trial ended the way it did without us? No. Could kachina's pilgrimage win and subsequent rescue happen without us? Id argue yes. That is infact an issue.

[charlie-pippin-faraday]

i've finished the first class trial in danganronpa v3. more commentary:

i am so very bad at gameplay. if it was puzzling out the murder OR doing action gameplay sequences, i think i could do it, but doing BOTH at the same time AND with a time limit stresses me the hell out. i looked up a walkthrough cause i am bad at the trial gameplay and it was stressing me out so much

i've watched some youtube content up to parts of chapter 2, so like i knew generally what was going to happen, but the kaede reveal and the switch to shuichi is done really effectively

man himiko is useless and annoying. i felt this really hard during the investigation but also into the trial. she's lazy and jumps to conclusions and doesn't listen. she's adorable but ugh. i'm not sure what her redeeming qualities are. i cannot believe i'm saying this, but tenko you can do better

once again kokichi will not stop firing shots at keebo for no reason, it's getting relentless. soon keebo is gonna snap. i don't think he'll kill him or anything, but i cannot wait for keebo to beat his ass

maki continues to call out kaito lol. and kaito got all bent out of shape when she called him an idiot, but like my dude, when a girl calls you an idiot in the way she did, it means she likes you lol

man i wish i got paid cash money for my report card like shuichi did

lmao i cannot believe kaito fuckin sucker punched shuichi in the face

the ending of that trial and chapter was super emotional, and this image in particular is going to fucking haunt me:

[bee-named-alex]

OMG. ok so IWTV s2 ep8... Finished it like two minutes ago so here are my thoughts. SPOILERS.

Yeah no there's no way I can wait for like two years for the next season. No fucking way.

This episode was amazing. I don't want to say masterpiece (because I'm sure there are flaws that I'm just not observant enough to see) but it is for sure the word I'm thinking.

Lemme try and go somewhat chronologically.

The start, heartbreaking, the speech "the suit changes nothing" oh my hell. The rocks that's fucked no thank you. Armand saving Louis "again" and Louis not even wanting to be alive. The way he talks about it "My rage was denied, my rage killed..." like he was out of his body and acting on autopilot (like he seems to do a lot actually)

His burning down the theater and killing of Santiago filled me with so much joy. They very much deserved it and omg he got them. He was like an angel of revenge (and he looked angelic too, sorry, no I cannpt be normal, he was gorgeous)

Armand's "I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you" and Louis' "You can't" and yes he cannot but he will try (by erasing your memories i guess lol)

Meeting with Lestat in Magnus' lair hurt. "Here's your death" and the kiss (after not even wanting to be with armand really and just doing it to hurt lestat) and the speech after and we're basically threatning him with loneliness again and it's just so... no words really. Hurtful and tragic for Lestat (especially since he was the one to save him like that's fuckeddd)

Dubai. "That's the end of it" halfway through the episode and their weird happiness like it was obvious something was gonna get fucked and I'm glad it did.

Investigative journalist Daniel Molloy using his powers for good aka making these two vamipires divorce (which he almost did 50 years ago but this time it's on purpose). Love him.

I love how he eases Louis with the little stuff, the discrepancies (that were in the show on purpose they make no mistakes yay), and how with every second Louis doubts everything more and more and how with every second Armand's eyes show a little more fear.

Lestat actually being the one to save Louis wasn't totally unexpected but tbh Armand kinda had me fooled. Not in this really but like I thought he was a passive participant of the trial like he just didn't intervene and not that he was the fucking director??

And now I'm not sure if he just didn't love Louis as much as we thought or if he was actually that much of a coward. Probably the second one tho, given how much he did to secure Louis' love (gaslight, lie, change memories... you know totally normal stuff) and how afraid he is to be losing it now.

Louis fucking Armand up even if it's just a little is great, I have been waiting for it. Go away Armand and think about what you did. (I love you so much but nope rn you're not staying)

And then Louis goes to New Orleans and meets Lestat at his lowest and omg my heart hurts (thank god for "siri pause" it made me laugh)

And their conversation about Louis' turning and Claudia and San Francisco and the hurt and the tears and the little voice cracks and there I was crying too. With every word I wanted to push them together so that they would fucking hug and then they finally did and I know they'll be alright (as alright as one can be in this situation)

Then the tv thing gave me fucking whiplash like lmao. Fictional memoir my ass. Don't you disrespect my boy Daniel like that. Speaking of, Daniel has been turned. OMFG? Like I knew he would eventually and I knew it would be Armand but I didn't expect it now??? And we didn't see it but fingers crossed we get it later.

And there must be something more to it, Armand with his disgust wouldn't turn him just out of anger, so there must've been another reason (Devil's minion or maybe to save his life idk)

Louis in his tower alone (? Lestat is getting ready for tour I hope) and he knows that they are after him. But he owns the night. Powerful shit. He might have a death wish also idk.

I just. Am done. This was something else and there was a lot of it and my mind is still spinning a little.

Everyone who worked on this show deserves the world and the actors even more so and I need the next season like yesterday.

[nerdofmanymediumsandfandoms]

tetro ch3 spoilers

this isn't a suspect list or even any theorising i just wanted to write out my thoughts now that the MOST EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING tetro friday's over

i keep going back to the memory of the bda this morning.

first of all, i was expecting it to happen next week even before [overdue] so i was already freaking out, the initial sight of hama and thinking he was gonna trigger it again, the rising tension as the conversation went on, thinking someone was gonna stumble into the conversation bleeding out, then collapse in front of them.

and then hasegawa screamed. and i knew there was a likelihood about to see the death of one of two of my favourite characters. i still held out a bit of hope that maybe it could possibly be someone else. i closed my eyes to avoid inferring the death from the new thumbnail, and clicked.

IMMEDIATELY TEARS SPRING TO MY EYES AND I DESCEND FROM MY CHAIR TO KNEES ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE NOT ONLY HAS MY HEART BEEN BROKEN BY A SILHOUETTE I USUALLY GET EXCITED ABOUT SEEING IN A THUMBNAIL BUT THERE IS A FUCKING LINE ACROSS HIS NECK THAT I K N O W WHAT IMPLIES AND I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS FACT

and then i go on for the next few hours of crying, slightly crazed ranting, (including cursing both tetro for being so amazingly written and va'd that i would get this torn up and myself for getting so attached to a very clearly doomed character), and a whole lotta pacing. but at least i think this is it. i get a little more emotional devastation at hearing about the fact that HIS TONGUE WAS FUCKING CUT OUT AND HIS STOMACH WAS CUT OPEN but yeah.

aaand then i walk into the bathroom to wash my hands (sidenote this is the second time ive been in a bathroom during a bda which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice) and i get the upload ping and WHAT DO YOU MEAN BDA FOUR WHAT THE FUCK I THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE I TOOK SOLACE IN THE FACT THAT AT LEAST IT WAS OVER I DIDN'T THINK TETRO WOULD DO A DOUBLE MURDER AND OH MY FUCKING GOD TSUNO LIKE I HAD THOUGHT WE MIGHT GET AN ONSCREEN DEATH THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE OF THE MECHANICS OF THE MOTIVE BUT NOT DURING THE FUCKING INVESTIGATION

at least i knew as soon as i saw okazaki enter the room wada was in i knew she was getting fucking stabbed but that was still wild

I CANNOT FUCKING WAIT FOR THE TRIAL NEXT WEEK

[starrieisdelusional]

when your servant is a little shite

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

Then Merlin looks at Gaius, who’s sitting there, eyeing him as if he knows what Merlin is going to do.

‘Merlin, no’

‘Merlin yes’

or

Merlin tests the limits of Arthur’s patience.

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

alternatively, ao3 link

original prompt

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4 (you're here), PART 5, PART 6

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

Arthur is waiting for a trial.

Earlier that day, a woman had come crying at the castle gate. Begging an audience with the king. She brought her son’s corpse, blaming it on her neighbor.

He cried innocence when the guards dragged him from his home into Camelot’s cell. And so here they are, in the throne room, airtight, waiting for their trial.

Merlin knows the truth; of course he does; he did his own investigation behind Arthur’s back. He sort of had a plan for how this trial would play out, and he hoped he could execute it.

“What’s taking them so long?” Arthur asks from his throne, and Merlin shrugs.

Arthur sighs, staring intently at the door. Five minutes later, they hadn't arrived yet. “Did we get the time right?”

“Yes, twelve on the dot sire, they’re late." Merlin said

It’s not an unusual occurrence; there was that one time they had to cancel a trial because the witness didn’t show up. They were later found dead in the forest.

Arthur stands and says, “I’m going to look for them.”

Merlin immediately stops him, sitting him down on his throne. “My Lord, you must remember, patience is key.”

“What use does the key have if the problem isn’t here yet?”

Right, that was a bad analogy. But Arthur can’t go outside because, well, let’s just say Merlin prepared something that he didn’t want Arthur to see. Merlin starts to think of ways to keep Arthur in place.

They’ll come eventually, Merlin is confident. But for how long, he’s not sure.

Merlin looks at the door, still tightly shut. Hm. And then he looks at Arthur and the empty throne beside him.

Oh.

Well, Merlin had been wanting to test this theory for a while, but he couldn’t do so without looking absolutely disrespectful and rude. And truthfully, he still feels embarrassed about the stunt he pulled at the second annual economics conference.

But seeing Sir Lunard and his friend’s faces after the conference brings him joys he cannot describe. They’re here too, in the corner of the room, probably gossiping about Merlin again. I can’t blame them.

Merlin looks at the empty throne again. Mulling over his choices. Well, this might be rude and disrespectful, but at least it kept Arthur sitting.

So Merlin pats Arthur’s shoulder, giving him what hopefully is a reassuring smile before he goes to sit on the Queen’s chair. If the court wasn’t looking at them, they’re staring now.

Merlin could already feel another round of lecturing tonight from the old man across the room.

“Merlin, what are you doing?” Arthur asks for the third time that week.

“I am sitting, sir, because my legs are tired." that was the same excuse as last time. “And I want to see if what you said about the chair being as hard as ‘Gwen's flooring back when I disguised myself as a peasant’ is true.”

Arthur's face gapes like a fish, trying to make sense of what’s happening, but before he could argue, the group came in, the mother and a man, accompanied by a set of guards.

The mother was hysterical, and the man was pale. Meanwhile, the guards are silently questioning Merlin’s position on the queen's throne. It would have been funny if not for the dead baby on the floor.

“My son, my poor son,” she cried loudly, sniffing into her cloth.

“I didn’t do it!” The man cried and did not question why there are two men sitting on the throne when there’s supposed to be one king.

“Now let’s just be calm." Arthur was caught off guard by the mother’s wail, holding her son’s body close to her chest.

“This rascal snuck into my house to steal my gold, and he killed my son! How could you do this? He’s only a baby!”

“I didn’t do it! I swear it's my mother’s name!” he begs, kneeling on the floor. “You have to believe me, your majesty, this woman is framing me!”

“How could you say such cruel things? The proof is there!”

“It’s not proof! It’s all lies!!” He said, gripping his hair so hard it might fall off his scalp. "Please, your majesty!”

“My son, your highness! My son is dead!”

“She’s lying, your highness!”

“Don’t believe anything that came out of this thief’s mouth.“

"Stop,” Arthur said, silencing them. Arthur massages his temple, thinking for a while, before he turns to look at Merlin. “What do you think?”

Merlin, having already figured everything out, said to him, "Well, for starters, Gaius, do you mind analyzing the cause of death?”

“Isn’t it clear? He gutted his throat! It’s all there to see!” she said

“It’s true, sir." Elyan said, presenting a bloody hatchet. “This was found at the man’s home.”

The court whispers loudly at this new revelation. Merlin leans on his hand. “Then I assumed you would have no problem if the court physician were to check his body.”

“Search all you want, you won’t find anything,” she laughs. Merlin nods at her, and Gaius goes to check on the baby. It took a few minutes before Gaius widened his eyes, obviously faking his surprise. “Why, he’s been poisoned.”

The mother stiffens. The court gasped, whispering loudly, “What type of Gaius?” Merlin asks him

“From the symptoms, I think it might be hemlock.”

“Interesting, thank you, Gaius.”

Gaius stands, and then starts to stare at him. 'Merlin, why are you sitting on the Queen’s throne? This is ridiculous even for you; get off there right now!’

Merlin nods, dismissing him, ‘No.

Gaius sighs, nodding before going back to the audience.

Merlin continues to address the court. “That’s an interesting revelation, but that certainly doesn’t prove anything. Sir Elyan, did you find any sort of potion while you were searching the thief’s house?”

"No, we did not,” he answers, connecting the pieces.

“I see. Now, may you please call Sir Leon and Lady Guinevere for me. They’re waiting outside.” Elyan nods, going outside to fetch them. Arthur immediately turns to him in disbelief, and Merlin shrugs, smiling.

Leon and Gwen both came in with a woman. Befuddled at Merlin’s position, but their faces turned grim once they saw the baby on the floor.

“We were called?” Leon asked

"Yes, Sir Leon, may you please introduce this woman to the court?” Merlin gestures to the woman beside him.

Leon nods. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the shopkeeper at the edge of town; she has something she wants to say,” Leon said, giving an encouraging nod to her.

She sighs, uncertain, looking at Merlin before she eventually says, “It was two nights ago... I usually don’t sell potions, but I encounter them on my journey. So as a shopkeeper, I keep it at the edge of my shelf. No one bought it for months, until... She looks at the mother and sighs.

“I shouldn’t have kept it; I shouldn’t even have sold it, but I did remember this woman coming to my shop late at night, as for the man, I never saw him in my life.”

“You liar!” She screams, launching at her, and the guards hold her down.

Merlin, completely dismissing her, continues to ask her, “And did she buy the potion?”

She was silent, looking at the woman in front of her, and then at the dead child, before eventually saying, "Yes,”

“Does the bottle that you sell have some sort of writing on it?” Merlin continues

“I remember it saying ‘hemlock’” She said she was unsure. The court is wild, whispers turn into full-on conversations.

“But I’m not sure; I could be wrong,“ she says as Arthur raises his hand to silence the court.

“No, it’s alright, miss; that's very useful information. Thank you; that’s very brave of you,” Merlin said, approving her.

“Now, I want everyone to take a look at this. Lady Guinevere, would you mind telling the court what you’re holding?”

She stepped forward, holding a clothed object. “I found this at her home. Everyone is so focused on the man’s house, so I searched at the mother’s house instead. I thought that we could find some new insights and this is what I found.” She said, showing an empty bottle with the word ‘hemlock’ written on it.

The mother has gone pale. “But—“

“I rest my case your honor” he said to Arthur, gesturing for the guards to hold her down, stopping her from attacking them

Then, Merlin turns to Arthur, who’s staring at him, too stunned to do anything. “What Merlin?”

“The verdict”

“Oh yes! The verdict!” Arthur said, standing in front of them. Merlin followed immediately.

“By the court of Camelot, you are found guilty of murder; does anyone have any objections?”

Everyone stayed silent, shaking their heads.

“I object! The king framed me!” She says this, pointing at Merlin.

"Um, no, I’m the King. He’s my…” He looks at Merlin. "He's, uh, he's—according to the laws of Camelot, you are sentenced to death.”

“WHAT?” She yelled at him as the guards dragged her away, cursing King Arthur’s and his lineage to come.

“Thank you, thank you so much, King Arthur. I am forever indebted to you!” The man thanked him, bowing at Merlin.

"Wait, no, no, I’m not—“

“I shall train and join your knight's sire! I realize now that it is my duty to protect you! Please wait for me, my king!" He said, grasping Merlin’s hand before bowing at Arthur. “Sir!”

But before they could say anything, he had already run off, probably to share his wonderful tale of King Arthur.

"He's never seen you before, hasn’t he?”

"No,” Arthur said, pursing his lips and staring into him. And it was at this moment that Merlin just remembered that he had been sitting on the queen’s throne for an indefinite amount of time, probably just insulting Arthur’s mom, his future wife, and his whole ancestry.

Merlin waited nervously before Arthur said, “Thank you, Merlin,” and walked off to brief the guards, like nothing had happened.

It seems like the court appreciation for Merlin has gone up, they no longer scowl when they meet him.

The next time they hold a trial, Arthur insists that he sits at the Queen’s throne.

“You’re the jury at this point; I might as well give you a special seat,” he said when Merlin told him the whole notion was ridiculous.

[balketh]

Third game of our new first-ever PF2e Campaign: Oblivion Deep.

(I don't recap every sesh/post heaps about it, but I've tagged it uniquely if you wanna mute~)

I'm a player; custom setting of DM's design, second campaign in this world. First campaign was 5+ years in 5e, ended with my Warforged Arcana Cleric accelerating the heat death collapse of the known universe while outside it, so he could use the unlimited potential of the early magic of the new empty universe that appeared in its place to bring the old universe from the past forward, but with a few slight alterations to how Time and Entropy work. (He a thousands-strong spies'-murmur Simulacrum hivemind user - he was literally starting to see the limitations of the universe, always contained within six second intervals. He was starting to see the Ruleset as the underlying problem of the whole setting, and so his end goal was to change it. And he did. To PF2e.) In our current game, I'm playing a Kashrishi (short psychic crystalhorn rhinoman, cool as SHIT) Alch Studies Investigator. Real sherlocky/batmany type. We've been dumped out of the playable intro cutscene - our trial-at-sea ship being attacked by a kraken, after we managed to successfully exonerate ourselves, no less - and murdering the crew trying to steal the lifeboat... So we could take it ourselves.

We were dumped out of this onto what I'm now guessing is the Tutorial Island Dungeon - an island wreathed in shadow, a world plot connected situation that we cannot easily escape from, and likely must solve to handle.

But I say tutorial island dungeon, because, so far, the two games we've spent on this island have been:

grappling with the very powerful but woefully inconsistently designed FoundryVTT (some things: drag and drop, works every time, flawless. others, of the same complexity: you need three modules and a custom bit of code and even then, it's only 80% of the desired solution.) Today it proved its worth by letting us undo a hugely misinterpreted enemy ability that was ruining the fight

we have mananged to kill 1 (one) grippli archer. This would have gone much better (and did, after fixing), if the DM hadn't been using its special multi-attack ability without any Multi-attack Penalty. One of us was still downed, in spite of that.

Rolling like absolute dogshit. I, rolling with +8 at level 1, have only hit, I think, one target, once. If it weren't for the benefit (and sometimes strong drawback) of Devise a Stratagem basically letting me 'preroll and decide' before wasting my attack action, I'd have been the most useless- oh, wait, I have been the most useless member of the party in combat so far; I've literally critically failed MOST of my attempted non-attack combat actions. I think the FoundryVTT roller just hates me.

It's taking a LOT of getting used to; we're definitely improving, but we're still very much in the run-up-and-attack mindset of 5e, and it shows, because a single grippli archer was such a fucking problem for us.

Ugh. Ah well. We actually started getting somewhere, so, things are looking up.

Can't wait to get out of this fucking Shadow darkness, though. Only one member of our party has Darkvision. Shit suuuuuucks.

[box-dwelling]

Turnabout beginnings is doing a great job at making me realise each procecutor does definitely have style.

Miles' brings out hidden evidence far more than other procecutors. It's a mix of him being meticulous in his investigating and also pretty sneaky in his desire to win. After they solve DL6 he keeps this but tends to give the evidence he finds during the investigation sections rather than the trial because he cares less about winning and more about finding truth.

Von Karma is all about presence and control of the court room. He gives absolutely no space to breath. He runs the courtroom how he wants. This mirrors his desperation for control in general.

Franziska is determined. She isn't sneaky but she will not give up. You have to struggle to get her to concede any point and she occilates between indignation and smugness constantly. This makes sense, it mirrors her youth but also how she is constantly striving for perfection. She cannot let you have anything because it has to go excatly how she wants.

Godot is calm and collected, he gives you a lot of leaway but when he finds the right time to strike he strikes hard. He waits and then pounces.

I just think it's really interesting how the gameplay of each trial tells you so much about these people and the difficulty of each case is created in ways that fit their personalities. Miles is hard to argue with because he often brings up shit you don't know about that he does because he's that dedicated, later on his hard to argue with because he expects the same level of dedication from you, Von karma gives you little opportunity to actually do what you need to, Franziska requires you to be persistent and Godot requires you to be cautious. It's just good writing

[nicsnort]

Trial by Fire (part 87)

A Nightcrawler/Fem!OC romance, drama, and mystery fanfic, with lots of Quicksilver thrown in for fun and even more drama.

Intro (with link to full Ao3 story) First Previous

The door to the interrogation room opened calling her attention to the agents entering. One was a tall, broad-shouldered, squared-jawed man with his brown hair in a buzz cut. The other, a dark-skinned Indian woman with her long black hair in a plait.

“Miss Hayes,” the woman greeted, “I am Agent Vasuhandra Wattal from the Department of Homeland Security, Counterterrorism Bureau, Mutant Investigations Division.”

“And I am Agent Karl Connors, we spoke on the phone.”

“Ah, yes, I remember your calls, Agent Connors. How can I help you, Agents?”

Agent Wattal sat down across from her putting a file on the table, while Agent Connors remained standing trying to use his height to intimidate her. Unfortunately for him after spending the time she had with the Brotherhood very little could intimidate her. Bedelia glanced down at the file as Wattal began placing photos in front of her. They had obviously prepared this routine so she would pay attention.

“We have evidence that shows you were harboring a member of the terrorist cell known as the Brotherhood of Mutants at your home.” The photos showed Quicksilver lounging about her house. One in particular showed him at the front door watching over her shoulder as she gave money to that Girl Scout. Bedelia glanced at the agent, her face neutral, her lips sealed and silent, waiting.

Agent Connors leaned against the table pointing at one of the photos. “And other terrorists have come and gone.” Scarlet Witch and her were eating dinner at the table on the second day Quicksilver had taken his break. Bedelia recognized it because they had made lasagna together.

Bedelia stared at them some more. They stared back. A long stretch of silence passed before Bedelia finally opened her mouth. “I may do interviews and not interrogations but I am confident you are supposed to ask a question at some point, Agents.”

“We need you to tell us everything you know about the Brotherhood of Mutants, Miss Hayes,” Wattal told her firmly.

“That still isn’t a question. Though my answer is the same. No. As a journalist, I will not give up my sources.”

“Co-operate with us now, Hayes, or we’ll return with a subpoena,” Connors threatened, placing his hand down so he entered her personal space.

Bedelia glanced up at him amused but still with a neutral expression. “Be my guest, Agents, but the answer remains the same…Is that all or do you have any actual questions for me?”

Wattal held up a hand and Connors backed off. “Why were Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in your home?”

“They were guarding me.”

“Holding you hostage?”

“Making sure I did not give up information on them and protecting me from retaliation after the Genosha article.” It was stretching the truth but in this case the truth had to be stretched. Especially, since the Brotherhood was working with the X-men for the time being. Any doubt she through on the Brotherhood may come back to harm the image of the X-men.

“There was a week when you were alone in your home. Why weren’t they guarding you then?”

“Because that was Mystique impersonating me. I was under watch at the Brotherhood base after their second attack on Genosha.”

“You’ve been to their base?”

“Yes, and before you ask me anything. No, I cannot describe it. A telepath put a block in my mind to prevent such. Even if I could I would not, as I do not give up my sources.” It wasn’t a lie. Magneto had insisted that Frost put a block in her mind to prevent the chance of the government finding their base if Bedelia broke her promise.

“And what this photo,” Connors pointed to another one. “That is Nightcrawler in your home with Quicksilver. Are the X-men and Brotherhood working together?”

“The X-men were concerned that I was being held hostage. As a sign of good faith that the Brotherhood merely wanted to keep me safe while I reported on Genosha and the article I have coming out tomorrow morning, they called a truce so to speak to have members from both groups watch me.” Bedelia had practiced embedding the lie in truth. It was hard for her still to say it but the desire to keep her sources safe was stronger than her need to tell the truth.

“Were you with the X-men and Brotherhood after the attack on the studio,” Wattal pressed. Bedelia narrowed her eyes slightly. They were getting off track of trying to wheedle her for information on the Brotherhood - she would have to be cautious about what she said.

“I have been with the X-men for the past three weeks recovering after being kidnapped by an international organization that has been experimenting on mutants which had a large operation in Genosha. You should read the report I gave to the detective or else wait for my expose in the Guardian tomorrow morning.”

Both agents looked at her in barely concealed shock. Whatever they had expected it wasn’t that. They glanced at each other communicating silently. Connors finally spoke. “Miss Hayes, could you tell us why you are defending the Brotherhood of Mutants?”

“In what way am I defending them?”

“By refusing to give us the information you learned about them.”

“I told you, come back with a subpoena.”

“And you’ll cooperate then?”

“You’ll find out.” Her tone clearly indicated she would not.

Wattal sighed. “You’re a human, Miss Hayes, we understand that you are afraid. But we can keep you safe from any retaliation. You just need to cooperate with us.”

Bedelia could not help but give a bit of a laugh. “No, you couldn’t. In the time I have spent with the Brotherhood, I have learned enough about their capabilities to know that if they wanted to kill me they would. Not even the X-men would be able to keep me safe forever.”

“Then tell us about those capabilities, so we can better defend you.”

Looking Agent Wattal dead in the eye Bedelia’s face went stone cold serious. “I will not give up information on my sources. Now, Agents, I believe we are done here.”

“You don’t get to decide that,” Connors said, anger in his voice.

“Then am I under arrest?”

“You are not under arrest,” Wattal confirmed, “but we still have questions for you.”

“If I am not under arrest I am free to leave an anytime. Nightcrawler, if you could.” Knowing Jean was keeping tabs on her she was aware that Kurt would be told. And a second after she had called there was another BAMF behind her.

“Guten Morgen, Agents,” he greeted with a friendly wave as his tail wrapped around Bedelia’s arm. “Pardon us!”

He teleported them back to the Blackbird. Scott and Jean were already in their seats waiting for them to return. As soon as Bedelia and Kurt were seated Scott fired up the engines and took off back to the manor. The trip back was short and while she spoke a bit to Kurt telling him what happened her mind was distracted. What would the government do next? Wattal and Connors didn’t seem to be debriefed on Essex. The legal ramifications of outing that company and the US ties to it were still to be felt. But for now, she would cuddle with Kurt until the calls started pouring in from other journalists trying to get the scoop on her return.

~~~~~

“ZNN Breaking news. This morning journalist Bedelia Hayes showed up at the NYPD having been rescued from her kidnapping by the X-men. Reports are unconfirmed but it also appears that the Brotherhood of Mutants, considered a terrorist organization, also played a role in her rescue. We will keep you updated with more information as it comes in.”

“I don’t think she was even kidnapped! That species traitor attacked me and ran! I bet she was safe with the X-men or Brotherhood trying to get sympathy by pretending to be taken. Those groups are now working together! I think this just goes to show how all mutants are terrorists. Were they even enemies to begin with or were all those fights staged too?”

“An insider gave us information that the Department of Homeland Security has spoken to Miss Hayes. It is believed that she was forced to write the article on Genosha by the Brotherhood of Mutants while they held her hostage. Was everything she reported a lie or Brotherhood propaganda?”

Bedelia sighed as she listened to the various reports regarding her return to society. She wasn’t surprised that Fox News was being overtly hostile to her. ZNN was keeping it neutral for the most part. And the broadcast stations bordered on neutrality but seemed to lean into the idea of the Brotherhood’s involvement too much.

“Bedelia,” Quicksilver said holding her cell phone out to her. “Its Jack Harper.” So many people had called her that Bedelia had handed her phone off to Quicksilver to filter the calls. Kurt was far too polite to tell the people that they couldn’t talk to her directly and then hang up if they didn’t accept that. Kurt was on email duty instead.

“Mr. Harper,” Bedelia greeted.

“Miss Hayes, I am glad to hear you are alive and well.”

“Thank you, but I assume this call isn’t just well wishes.”

The anchor chuckled. “Straight to the point. I respect that. I would like to offer you an interview slot this evening.”

Bedelia smirked that was just what she wanted. “I accept, Mr. Harper. But I hope you understand that coming into the studio may be difficult. My guards are more on edge than ever before.”

“You mean Quicksilver?”

“And Nightcrawler from the X-men.”

“So, the groups are working together…interesting…”

“Under specific circumstances, they have temporarily set aside their differences. I would be happy to explain further in the interview.”

“Of course. And we can have a video call interview. Do you have access to a camera and microphone?”

“Yes, the secure location I am at has the tools for an interview.”

“Excellent, the studio will send an email with further information. See you this evening, Miss Hayes.”

Hanging up Bedelia handed the phone back to Pietro. “Alright, ZNN interview tonight. Kurt, there should be an email coming from them.”

“I will keep an eye out,” he replied with a small smile. “I have a list of others who emailed too for you to review, kobold.”

“Thank you, risidhe .” She leaned over and kissed him on his furry cheek.

Quicksilver made a face at the sweetness. Bedelia had gotten used to his immature behavior around her relationship with Kurt. She also hadn’t forgotten everything that occurred while she was being held hostage. The way Pietro had looked at her during yoga, her suspicions that he liked more than he should. Bedelia had to wonder if that would ever be addressed. She certainly wasn’t going to be the first to bring it up though. Besides to her, it was a non-issue. She simply wasn’t attracted to Pietro, not like she was to Kurt. Even if she had been he had held her hostage, implied a threat to her life several times, this wasn’t one of her romance books - real relationships couldn’t start out that way.

Bedelia leaned over Kurt’s shoulders as she read the list he had compiled. His tail floated up to stroke her back while she read. “Give these seven that boilerplate reply I gave you. I’ll reply to these four myself.”

“Alright,” Kurt turned his head and kissed her cheek. Though he was putting his best face on, Kurt was worried. Going through these emails there had been so many from anonymous accounts threatening Bedelia. Some of them were from long before her return before she had been kidnapped by Essex. How often did Bedelia receive these? He couldn’t go back to examine the emails before she had released the Genosha article, were these new, or had she always received them while reporting on mutants?

“You seem troubled,” Bedelia astutely pointed out.

“I…yes, Kobold, I am happy to go over your mail but there are so many threats. I am worried about your safety.”

“What don’t think you can keep your girlfriend safe,” Pietro butted in, “if you feel inadequate I am sure I can fulfill her needs.” He bent down in front of them and wiggled his brow. “ All of them.”

“Good, I need more coffee,” Bedelia told him without missing a beat pointing to the nearly empty mug.

“I’m not your servant,” he shot back immediately.

“Ah, unable to fulfill my needs. Kurt, mo ghra ?”

“One coffee coming up, mein herz ,” his tail grabbed the mug and he teleported to the kitchen.

“That’s not--I was just--” Pietro’s ever-quick tongue became tied as he tried to rectify the situation. He scowled at how Bedelia had turned this around on him. Damn it. But her quick wit was one of the things that he found attractive on top of her bravery and intelligence.

Bedelia instantly switched the topic as Kurt disappeared. “How many death threats have I gotten?”

“Most of them, well not death threats all of them some just heavy breathing others wishing you all sorts of other bodily harm, did you want me to keep count?”

“No, no. Thank you for filtering them for me.” Bedelia couldn’t help the worry showing on her face. She knew she was safe with the X-men and Brotherhood guarding her but could she really go home? It wasn’t fair to Quicksilver or Nightcrawler or anyone else to keep her constantly under guard.

Quicksilver couldn’t stand that look on her. He darted over placing a hand on her upper arm. “Hey, you’ll be fine. We’ll keep you safe. I’ll keep you safe this time, I promise.”

“Third time the charm,” Bedelia joked with a forced smile. “I’m not worried about that, per se, those threats don’t mean anything really. It is just talk…no, I’m just thinking about the future. Even with you and Kurt, I don’t think I can go home for a while. And it isn’t fair to either of you to keep watching me, not to mention whatever would happen when this truce ends.”

Quicksilver sighed, running a hand over his hair. “We’ll work something out. You still owe your publisher three years of stories on the Brotherhood after all…” He chuckled lamely knowing that the issue was far more complicated than that.

Three years of Brotherhood stories. Technically, she had a three-year contract only. She had promised stories from an exclusive source. It didn’t mean she was necessarily tied to the Brotherhood for three years but…who else would tell their story? Bedelia didn’t want to risk any lives if she denied the Brotherhood and they decided to kidnap some other journalist. They had built up a sort of trust, she knew them, and she also knew that as a mutant they had far less to threaten her with.

“Let’s get through the Essex release before thinking of anything else,” she told him. “It is going to keep us busy for a few weeks at least with interviews and new articles…and the US government…”

“Well, if it becomes too much the Brotherhood could hold you hostage again.” He gave her a shit-eating grin.

“Don’t even joke.” Bedelia could not help but smile though.

BAMF! In a puff of smoke, Kurt appeared with a steaming cup of coffee and a small platter of vanilla wafers. “I also brought you a snack, kobold,” he announced his eye immediately noticing how close Quicksilver was to her.

Bedelia’s smile grew. Taking the coffee she place another kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. Let’s get back to work!”

_______

At the moment, this is all there is to the story as I am still writing the next chapter! In the meantime, check out some of my other work on my master list!

Fanfic Masterlist

[empiredesimparte]

Pierre, Minister of the Interior: The recent events have pacified the demonstrations in Francesim. There were about 400 arrests on the national territory, half of which led to the creation of a criminal record. There was a lot of destruction during those days.

Napoléon V: Prime Minister gave me the profile of the rioters. Have we identified those who blew up the Emperor's car? Pierre: No, Your Majesty, we have a dozen suspects but we cannot prove who really initiated this action.

Napoléon V: How are we going to proceed with the trial? Will the Paris court summon these people together to court for the same reason of regicide? Jeanne: The investigation by the prosecutor, Monsieur Ernest de Tour, is proceeding for the moment, Your Majesty. He is working under pressure.

Jeanne: The Prime Minister didn't wish to introduce you to Monsieur de Tour during the Great Mourning.

Pierre: We are doing everything in our power to bring justice as quickly as possible to His Majesty and the French people. If we wish to speed up the proceedings, we could charge one of the suspected protesters more specifically and…

Napoléon V: No, justice will be done properly. We will wait as long as it takes. I don't want to throw innocent people in prison to satisfy one party or another. Jeanne: I agree with His Majesty.

Pierre: We are also awaiting the testimony of Madame Mère.

Napoléon V: Is it necessary? This night has made her suffer enormously and she was fainting.

Jeanne: Minister, be more indulgent, the imperial family is still suffering from the latest events.

Pierre: The longer we wait, the more the investigation will be mishandled, the evidence destroyed, the testimony blurred. Time is of the essence for the forces of law and order.

Jeanne: That's not the point. We all want the same thing.

Pierre: For the safety of the State, Your Majesty, we must conduct the investigation quickly and efficiently. Napoléon V: Monsieur le Procureur Général must receive all the funding he wants, Minister. I'm entrusting the investigation entirely to you. I will talk to the Prime Minister about this when we next meet.

⚜ Le Cabinet Noir | Palais des Tuileries, 2 Floréal An 230

Beginning ▬ Previous ▬ Next

⚜ Traduction française

Pierre, ministre de l'Intérieur : Les récents événements ont pacifié les manifestations en Francesim. Il y a eu environ 400 interpellations sur le territoire national, dont la moitié ont amené à la création d'un casier judiciaire. Il y a eu beaucoup de destructions ces jours-là.

Napoléon V : Le premier ministre m'a indiqué le profil des casseurs. A-t-on identifié qui a fait exploser la voiture de l'Empereur ? Pierre : Non Votre Majesté, nous avons une dizaine de suspects mais nous ne pouvons prouver qui a réellement initié cette action.

Napoléon V : Comment allons nous procéder pour le jugement ? Le tribunal de Paris va-t-il convoquer ces personnes ensemble à la cour pour le même motif de régicide ? Jeanne : L'enquête du procureur, M. Ernest de Tour, suit son cours pour le moment, Votre Majesté. Il travaille sous pression.

Jeanne : Monsieur le Premier Ministre n'a pas souhaité vous présenter M. de Tour durant le Grand Deuil.

Pierre : Nous faisons tout ce qui est en notre pouvoir pour rendre justice au plus vite auprès de Sa Majesté et du peuple français. Si nous souhaitons accélérer les procédures, nous pourrions inculper plus spécifiquement l'un des manifestants soupçonnés et...

Napoléon V : Non, la justice sera rendue correctement. Nous attendrons autant de temps qu'il le faudra. Je ne veux pas jeter en prison des innocents pour satisfaire un parti ou un autre. Jeanne : Je suis d'accord avec Sa Majesté.

Pierre : Nous attendons par ailleurs le témoignage de Madame Mère

Napoléon V : Est-il nécessaire ? Cette nuit l'a énormément fait souffrir et elle était évanouie.

Jeanne : M. le ministre, soyez plus indulgent, la famille impériale souffre encore des derniers événements.

Pierre : Plus nous attendrons plus l'enquête sera malmenée, les preuves détruites, les témoignages flous. Le temps compte pour les forces de l'ordre.

Jeanne : Ce n'est pas la question. Nous voulons tous la même chose.

Pierre : Pour la sûreté de l'Etat, Votre Majesté, nous devons mener l'enquête rapidement et efficacement. Napoléon V : M. le Procureur Général doit recevoir tout le financement qu'il souhaite, Mme la Ministre. Je vous confie l'enquête entièrement. J'en parlerai au Premier Ministre lors de notre prochaine rencontre.

[lyon-amore]

Time Trial Chapter 13- ''The weight on my shoulders''

Chapter 12

     I try to fix the location program, meanwhile, Albert walks around the room, making his footsteps loudly heard.      The noise it makes bothers me and makes me lose focus. I squeeze my eyes shut and turn in my chair, frowning.

   “Do you want to stop? Your steps bother me” my voice sounds tired, but my mind is active.

   “Sorry, but you're taking too long.” he responds, sitting on the bed.

   "Well, I am sorry, but I have never come across something like this," I turn around again, returning to writing, "not even at work. What if you go to bed now? I will be busy all night.”

   “Will you let me know if something happens?”

   “Yes, yes.” I release the heavy air that I had in my chest because of everything I am enduring.

     The code of my program is not the same as the one I use in the offices, I am not allowed to use it if it is not for work. But I have no choice but to modify it if I want to be able to find the signal. Will they be able to detect it? It is one of the biggest protections we have, if they manage to break the protection, I will be screwed. And Katherine dead.      I do everything I can, trying to improve it. I know I am good, but... I think changing the codes and wanting a program that was already working may delay the search, how long can it take? I will even have to work on it at university.      I try to stay awake by running my hand over my face, trying not to fall asleep. I will also have to bring forward the meeting with Mr. Beinh if I am going to be busy with this.

   “And the questions I want to ask Sally.” I murmur without taking my eyes off the computer “One week… We have one week left. We have to do something.”

     I hope she also manages to see something important in everything Bianca was investigating. Will they know that Sally has followed her? No, it cannot be, their account was still on Twitter, so that means they did not know of its existence, but someone must have been watching her because she must have made a mistake and knew that she was going after that group, but how? Maybe I was asking too much? And like us, they watched her.      They are the same questions as before but more interested, because I doubt she would tell Katherine anything. So it is true, she must have seen Bianca being returned dead to the apartment, and why is that? Why let her find her dead in her apartment?

    "I suppose sick people, seeing the kind of people who were on that live show, I would not be surprised if someone asked for it to be returned, like a sadistic thought of..." A chill runs down my spine, these are the thoughts of a psychopath and I do not want to think about it. It makes me sick that people like that exist.

    At six I stopped working with the program and slept a little until it was time to get up. I sent a message to Mr. Beinh to see us and wrote a note to Albert telling him that I was having breakfast out.

    I wait in the cafeteria, with the laptop in my backpack ready to continue with the program.     Mr. Beinh enters and greets me as he approaches. I stood up from the chair, shaking his hand.

   “I'm glad you accepted, Jacob.” he tells me, sitting down in the chair “Although I'm surprised it was so soon.”

   "Sorry if this delays you at work Aaron, but I also have a busy day and now I can meet you." I answer quickly, while they bring us the coffees “I have also allowed myself to ask for you, I hope you do not mind that it is the same as mine.”

   “No, it doesn't bother me, don't worry,” he looks at the waiter, thanking him and then looks at me. He has the same tired eyes as me or even more so. I hope my head does not fall on the table because I didn't get enough sleep “You're probably wondering why I want to talk to you.”

   “The truth is yes.” I take a sip of my coffee. The aroma and flavor comforts me at least "I do not think I did anything suspicious to want to talk to me."

“No, it's not because I suspect you.”

     He puts his hands together on top of the table, looking down. It is like he is preparing to know what to say. Or he may already have the speech.      I try not to seem impatient or nervous about being with Katherine's father, but I would really like to finish the conversation as soon as possible so I can work on the program. 

   "Mr. Beinh, I have a little—"

   “I'm dying, Jacob.” he says without further ado, looking me in the eyes.

     Those words make me shut up. I swallow nervously, trying to process what he told me. Me and loss do not get along, I have always felt that misfortunes follow me, just like death.      And now, even though I do not know this man, he still has a connection with me. Death continues to pursue me indirectly, as if he were laughing at me. I have not taken this news well since I was a child.

   “I…” I look at him nervously, not knowing exactly what to say “I am sorry.”

    'I'm sorry'. That is the only thing I know how to say. I do not know how to take it in or why hr trusted me to tell me.

   "Oh, don't be sorry." he says with a laugh, although he doesn't seem to really find it funny "I'm slowly assimilating it."

   “Does your daughter know?” I ask curiously.

   “Not yet.” he answers and stirs the coffee around before taking a sip "That's why I wanted to meet you to tell you first." His eyes are shining, he looks like he is about to cry “To ask you that, when Katherine is found, I would like you to take care of her for me when I am gone.”

    I open and close my mouth to say something, but the words do not come out. I try to calm down before speaking.

   “And what about his wife?” That is the only thing I can think of to ask.

   “She is in France working as a reporter.” he answers with a smile “I haven't told her anything yet.”

   &lt;<That is not what I was referring to...>>

    I clench my hands tightly, trying to calm myself. I cannot say no to someone who is dying, especially when it comes to his daughter. I am surprised that he trust me with my care when taking care of myself is already difficult for me. Is this really okay?

   “With you I know that she will be very happy if I ask you.” he continues speaking with that sad voice and I, increasingly nervous “I know that you care about her and that you would do anything for her to appear, and that, when you are together, you will make her happy when I am not there.”

     Well, it is not that I think we will be together all our lives if I still do not know what I will do in the future, but saying no to a dying person does not seem right to me either.      I nod slowly, trying to relax. It is the only thing I can do for him as a last wish.

   “I will take good care of your daughter, Mr. Being.” I respond slowly, noticing that the coffee has gone cold “I... promise that I will be with her, no matter what happens.”

   “Yes, of course.” I accept his hand and squeeze it tightly, almost as if we were making a deal.

     When he leaves, I stare at the two cups. His is completely empty, I had not noticed that he had been taken because the surprise of the news.      I look at mine, seeing the dark brown contents. I see my reflection, an expression between doubt and concern. Have I done well in accepting? I also did not want to tell his that I am not going to take care of her as her boyfriend. What kind of image was that going to give? Although now it's a lot of pressure.      The cell phone rings. A Facebook chat notification.      Well, it is time to ask the important thing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Good morning Jareth 😄​ I was surprised to see your message

Jareth Hey.

Sally Oh...? ‘Hey’? Is everything alright? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I blink in surprise at her question. Can she tell that I am in low spirits with just one word?

   “She is better than I thought...” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth Sorry, my head is busy right now. Good morning :)

Sally Aha… Anyway, I have time while I have breakfast What do you need from this incredible and charming detective in the morning? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “ 'Charming'?” I pronounce in a low voice a little with sarcasm “Of course…”

   &lt;<At least I am glad one of us is keeping our spirits up now.>>

     I shake my head and forget about it. At least it is good that she has high self-esteem. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth Have you managed to find anything else?

Sally I couldn’t, they sent me to sleep ☹️​ Can you believe it? I’m not eight years old! >>*

Jareth Yes, I believe it.

Sally ……… Well, what do you want to ask me?

Jareth I want to know if the people who did not participate in that live event have ever felt persecuted. Do you think you can ask it?

Sally Clear! And how are you doing with the tracking? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I bite my tongue as I put down the payment for the coffees and get up from the chair, grabbing my backpack.      I cannot worry her after knowing that there was a camera monitoring the place. If she finds out that I myself have been tracked, she might be scared by my situation. I wanted to talk to her about the theory that we are possibly being recorded, but it is too dangerous here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth There was a small setback, it still needs to continue searching.

Sally Setback?

Jareth Yes, a little problem with the program, do not worry :)

Sally Okay Well, let’s continue with our assigned jobs and then we’ll talk

Jareth Of course. Good luck in your classes.

Sally Thanks 🙂 Goodbye Jareth

Jareth Goodbye Sally. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I get on the bike as soon as she disconnects, trying to calm down a bit. The conversation with Aaron Beinh cannot get out of my head.

   &lt;<I will take care of Katherine, no matter what I went through. Promise.>>

    I have already missed the first class and if I go in now, maybe I will attract attention. I should go to the library to wait for the next one and continue with the computer.

     I hear some screams down the hall as other classes leave. One of them came from the journalism classroom. Then I recognize one of the voices. Albert. I run when I notice that from the tone of his voice, he seems angry.      Upon entering, I find him arguing with Professor Begum and her ex-husband. Meanwhile, the director of the university was sitting at the professor's table, almost looking like he wanted to flee the room.

   “You just can't ask for that!” Albert shouts, looking at Mr. Fetcher, then at the director “Director Koch, you must not accept his request!”

   “And let's let him hurt another girl?!” Mr. Fetcher raises his voice more “If you don't expel him, I will even talk to the minister of education so that this can be taken to court!”

    At those words, he entered at a fast pace, stopping Albert in time from going after him.     Albert tries to get away from me, but I keep holding him back. His eyes shine with anger looking at Bianca's father.

   “See? First the fight at the bar and now this.” He points out, making a disgusted face “Is this really what we want for this university? Admit criminals?”

     I watch Professor Begum massaging her temples. I can imagine her being in favor of her ex-husband's words, but I see her so tired that she does not even talk about herself. As if she left the job of speaking to Mr. Fetcher.      The director clasps his hands together, placing them under his chin. His glasses are dirty, I do not understand how he can see with them.

   "Mr. Fetcher, I will think about your proposal." looks at Albert, almost as Mr. Fetcher has done “I also do not approve of our students being in danger.”

   “You have to be kidding…” Albert walks away a little, putting his hands to his head.

     I cannot let them get away with it like this.

    "With all due respect, Mr. Koch, but without proof that Albert is really the one who... ended Bianca's life, you cannot expel him from the university for no reason" I try to stay calm defending my friend “Mr. Fetcher and Professor Begum have only been after Albert because he and Bianca went on a date, he would never have hurt her.”

   “The devil's advocate spoke.” Fetcher now looks at me with disgust, crossing his arms “He also gets into fights, it's dangerous to have him here.”

   “I couldn't agree more.” Professor Begum nods “At this university we have always accepted people with high class and people... normal. But we have never wanted criminals like them.”

     I now clench my fists tightly, trying to control myself. If we cannot be here, then he cannot be here either.

    “Then the rule only works for those who pay to hide their records like Paul Bailey.” I counterattack.

   “You shouldn't worry, that happened when he was a minor, he is currently renovated.” Begum explains the situation with that guy to her boss. Incredible that he defends him “I know his parents, he is a good boy.”

   “Do you know the problem here?” Albert raises his voice a little, pointing to Bianca's parents “That if you had been more attentive to your daughter instead of your status, she would not have been in danger investigating.”

   “Doing research?” Bianca's mother blinks in surprise at Albert's words.

    Instead, his father's jaw tightens, as if he was angry at what he had said.

   "Mr. Koch, I hope you think carefully about this conversation." Fetcher fixes the cuffs of his suit, then grabs his jacket from one of the chairs “I'm leaving, I don't plan to stay here to be insulted.”

     Fetcher puts on his jacket, leaving the classroom.      Begum stares at us, but this time I cannot say how, although her eyes are cold.

   “I will think about the future of our great and wonderful university.” Mr. Koch rises from his chair, looking at the three of us with his chin raised “I don't want it to be stained by crime. Is that clear, gentlemen?”

   “Very clear.” I respond, avoiding defending ourselves a little more so as not to have more problems.

     Koch walks away from the table, leaving the three of us in an awkward silence.      Begum comes to her table, arranging her papers. 

   “I have a class to prepare, so leave.” that phrase is clearly to indicate that we could leave.

    I signal to Albert, who looks at her uncomfortably. It is clear that he knows that he was wrong to say those words to a mother who has lost her daughter.

    When leaving, other classes end. I would have to go to the next one I have, but I also do not want to leave my friend alone after another argument because he is the main suspect.

   “We have to find Katherine as soon as possible.” he says between his teeth “Jake, not only is his life at risk, our lives are also at risk.”

   “I know.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, letting out a sigh.

   “You have to fix that program as soon as possible-“

   "Albert, I know." I respond calmly "I do what I can."

   “We only have one week, bring out your star computer skills or what do I know, anything.”

     He walks away nervously, at a fast pace.      The situation last night has made his mood worse. And mine too. More the news from Beinh.      Maybe I should accept Sally's idea and talk about all this calmly.

     I feel distant from everyone, taking out the computer to improve the program and sometimes taking notes as well.      Meanwhile, my cell phone vibrates in my pocket. Surreptitiously, I take it out and read the messages. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Bianca had a link to some documents she had been writing for years I had been researching since before she even entered university There's a lot to read, but I think I'm starting to understand it all

Jareth You mean she got into trouble on purpose? What was the reason for the investigation?

Sally I’m not quite sure yet, but It could I’ve only looked at it too There have been many years of collecting so many things, I don't understand how she has achieved all this

Jareth Maybe she has gotten all that information like you.

Sally No, I don’t think so… The files are written by her irregularly, it doesn’t contain so many analytical details It will be interesting to read it Anything new from you?

Jareth Bianca's father wants to kick Albert out of college.

Sally What? Why?

Jareth He knows what happened at the bar. Which has made him attract attention as a criminal.

Sally He knows?

Jareth Yes.

Sally How odd… Although if the bar is a fairly popular place, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone found out Still, I'll see if he informed Bianca's parents for being suspicious

Jareth Do it please. Anything, no matter how small, is very important.

Sally I know, don’t worry You seem nervous

Jareth I am not.

Sally Well for me yes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I pinch the bridge of my nose, this time in stress. It is like I know myself better than anyone just by writing a few words. Have I written it too quickly? Is that why she noticed it?      I try to calm down so that no one notices what I am doing, although for the teachers as long as you do not bother them, they do not care what you do in their classes. It is your responsibility if you do not attend. But I am attentive. As strange as it may seem. And doing so many things at the same time plus the worry I have in my body is pushing me to the limit. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth You do not miss one…

Sally As usual ;) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I avoid laughing, noticing that she is copying me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally But I’m not going to burden you like I always do Just don’t ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I raise an eyebrow, wondering how she sent that sentence without finishing it.      Seconds later, she writes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Just don't do anything strange that might attract their attention You worried me with your question this morning

Jareth So you know something?

Sally There is nothing I searched for keywords in the topic, page by page And nothing There is nothing to indicate that they felt they were being watched.

Jareth And why do us?

Sally Bianca It’s the only answer I can think of It is because of your connection with her that they monitor you

Jareth I understand. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I look at the time. One moment… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jareth Should not you be attending classes?

Sally I’m getting bored I already taught the topic they are teaching at my old high school Also, I just wanted to inform you You are the one who is distracting me and I’m sure you are also writing during your class 😛​ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    &lt;<I hate when she thinks she is better than me. It is like she likes to make fools of elders.>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally What would your parents say about having such an irresponsible child? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I stare at the phone screen, not knowing what to answer. What would they say? I am not sure what my mother would think and I do not know if my father would care either. If he knew I existed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Oh… Sorry Jareth, I shouldn’t have said that without knowing your situation

Jareth Ah, so you guessed it from my silence...

Sally I don’t want to lie, but… Yeah

Jareth Right. I disconnect.

Sally Goodbye Jareth…

Jareth Goodbye. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    She is not someone I should tell my life to. Or rather, she is not the right person.

   &lt;<What would my mother say? I probably would not tell her anything about what I am doing so as not to worry her, I would lead a normal life when I was with her.>>

     I also do not know if he would be proud of how I lead my life, what he would think of my friends, if my work is good, if he would like Katherine...      It is incredible that, for a simple phrase, each and every one of those thoughts spins around.

     After finishing classes in the morning, I decide to go to the library to continue with the program. I am sure Albert will understand that I am not going to eat with him if he is also so worried about getting this over with.

   "Jake?" I turn when I hear Jeremy's voice. His eyes are red, did he cry? "How... How is everything going? Did you manage to get anything out of... What Alice gave you?”

     True, Jeremy was with them. It is incredible that he did not tell us anything by message when he told us that he was not going to class, he hid it from me.

   “Not here.” I make a sign for him to follow me and we enter the library.

     We went upstairs, sitting away from some students.     When I sit down I take the computer out of my backpack and place it on the table. Jeremy sits in front of me, clasping his hands across the table. I wait for the conversation to start while I deal with the program.

   “Yesterday―“

   "You forgot to tell me that you were with Sally and Alice on Bianca's Street." my tone of voice seems almost cold. I cannot deny that I am angry at him for letting her go. Both Alice and Jeremy are to blame for not being more responsible and refusing to do so. They are the adults. Why agree to the requests of a teenager?

   “She proposed it to me.” his voice sounds shaky “Sally, I mean... It's not like I had a choice― “

   "Yes you did, Jeremy." I close the computer screen a little, resting my head on my joined hands "You could have refused and tried to convince her not to go. Do you know that now the three of you are in danger?" I try not to raise my voice so as not to disturb anyone who is studying.

    I see how he pales, with a look of fear. Since he told me about Bianca, I am quite worried about all the decisions that have been made since Katherine's disappearance, it only makes him more suspicious than before. And Jeremy is on that website, how do I know he has not lied to us all this time? What if he is exposed Sally on purpose because he is investigating?

   &lt;<No, he led you to her, why doubt him? Besides, he is your friend, is it right to suspect a friend?>>

    He still does not answer, he just looks at me. I continue with the program, releasing the heavy air that I had in my chest after saying those words.

   “No, I didn’t know.”

   “Of course no.” I respond with more annoyance “No matter how good she is at investigating, you are not police, you could not protect her if something had happened.”

   “Jake, I'm sorry.” I see him run his hand through his hair, nervous “Next time we will be careful.”

   “Do not worry, there will not be a next time.” I shake my head, without taking my eyes off the computer “Sally has said that she is not going back to Colville.”

   "You care a lot about her, don't you?" I raise an eyebrow when I hear him speak “I mean…”

   "Keep talking and I swear I will leave."

    My stomach turns just thinking about it. It is like the message I got from Hannah before I stopped talking to her. People have twisted minds.

   &lt;<And I just see that joy of Hannah in Sally, that is why I do not want anything bad to happen to her.>>

   “Is it because of Paul's words?” I ask, remembering that he called him depraved “Did he insinuate something?”

   "Yes, but... I guess it bothered me that you implied that and it came to my mind, sorry." He bows his head, regretting his words “Luckily Sally defended me from that accusation.” he lets out a small laugh “She has guts, that girl, for being so young.”

   "Which will one day get her into trouble..." I say with annoyance. "Going into the lion's den, so to speak, does not mean you can come out of those experiences unscathed."

   “Curiosity killed the cat, I understand.” he nods slowly. Changing the subject,” he leans a little more on the table, looking carefully around us “Did you manage to get something out of that doll?”

    I nod making a noise, but I do not look away from the computer.

   "There was a transmitter inside." I lowered my voice as much as possible so that they would not hear us “Which they managed to locate when I was trying to find out what position they were sending the images to, which caused them to ruin the program.”

   “And you are now in danger?” he asks quickly.

   “What if not?” he raises his voice and they tell him to shut up “Jake, this is serious, don't you care about yourself?” He speaks again in a low voice.

   “Now, my only concern is the great researchers of my friends” I say in an ironic tone “I try to fix the program, improve it” I smile, although not in a real way. I just want to calm him down “and when it ready, I will know where they are hiding.”

   “And it hides it from you?”

   "Then I’ll stay calm." he leans back, giving small touches to the table “Also... I have gone to the police, to tell them that I saw Bianca for the last time.”

   “Strange that they did not want to arrest you.” I comment with a bit of curiosity.

   “As long as this helps Albert be clear of all suspicion, I don't care.” I look up a little from the screen and see him with a smile “I've heard rumors that he's had another fight with Bianca's parents.”

   “They want to expel him.”

    I return to the computer screen, wanting not to get angry because I, too, am on the list of those who will be expelled next. When I have the location, I will send it to the police and everything will be solved.

   “Bianca's parents don't give up...”

   “That is why it is so important now to focus on the program.” I feel a little better in the chair, feeling it more and more uncomfortable “The sooner we find the creators of that website, the better. We must stop this.”

   “And find Katherine.”

    Should I talk to Jeremy about Bianca's investigations? I feel like if I give him too much information I might put him in more danger. We are being watched. Talking about this topic here would not be good. We should meet and talk about this with Alice too. It will come in handy to get to her police station.

   "Wow, I have to go now." Jeremy looks at his phone and then at me "I've already skipped the morning classes, I don't want to skip the afternoon classes."

   "I do not think I will go." I see that the program gives me an error and I delete the last code "I have to continue with this. I will have to ask for notes.”

   “Seriously, I don't know how you do it.” I look at him confused “How do you get good grades later? I know you're not gifted.”

   “I am just good.” I respond with a bit of pride.

    Jeremy walks up behind me, pulling my hood down to cover me forcibly. I laugh, relaxing myself a little.

   “We will see you later, Jake.” he says goodbye as he leaves.

   “Yes, I will see you later.” I reply, raising my hand in farewell.

    I do not like having to skip classes like this, but what choice do I have? Tomorrow I will recover the time I lost today by being on the computer. If they do not expel me for hinting at kidnapping, they will if my grades drop. And I cannot let Malcolm know or he will tell me off for sure.

     After hours trying to improve it, I realize that I have made small mistakes. This still needs to be perfected.      I get up from the chair ready to go look for Albert. I have to talk to him about everything that is happening, I cannot let his nerves put us in the spotlight too. I hate to think this way about my friends, but the more they argue and talk about everything that is going on, the more problems we will have with those watching over us.      I enter the programming classes and see that he is alone looking at the screen, with a lost look. I sigh before approaching him, which makes me catch his attention.

   “What's happening?” He asks quickly “Do you already have it?”

   “Not yet, I have a couple of bugs to fix.” I answer calmly “Come on, we have to talk.”

   “Aren't you going to break up with me?” He responds in a joking tone, getting up from the chair to grab his things.

   "Do not say those things, they will think badly of us."

   “Not here, I have a better place.” I answer, walking towards the door.

   “And this is how the attractive and charming young Albert Fisher will end up dead at the hands of the also attractive and mysterious Jake Miller, who everyone is crazy about him but he doesn't know it.”

   “Thanks for the compliment” I roll my eyes and he laughs “and that is not true.”

     I deny, but I laugh. I think part of the reason I have an ego is because of Albert. Having a friend like him makes you always full of compliments.      I have to admit, I think that without my friends, I would be much worse off. Sometimes I need these jokes to remember that I am not alone and that I have people to protect, it makes me move forward in the investigation and not sink. I will also have to prove Jeremy's innocence after his confession to the police.

Chapter 14

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Prologue Part 2 - Body Discovery & Investigation

I finally finished Part 2 of the Prologue. Time to post it!

TWs: Mild Gore, Death, Corpse, and Discussions of Murder

The Fake Trial | Post-Fake Trial

Prologue Part 1 Beginning

Disclaimer: While Sannotori is problematic, it’s a thing in this AU/fic and the dynamic is not the same as it is in canon.

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

No one moved.

No one said a word.

No one could say a word.

How could anyone speak after hearing an announcement like that?

He felt as if somebody ripped the rug right underneath him, his eyes going wide and his hand falling to his side.

Somehow, in some way…

He knew the announcer was talking about a dead body.

And everyone seemed to have assumed as such since the entire class immediately devolved into panic.

“A-A body?! There’s a body??”

“Fuck! What the fuck?! If this is some sort of prank, I’m going to-“

“Where?! Where’s the body?”

“Th-They’re not actually t-talking about a real dead body, right??!”

“I knew it! I-I knew something was going to go wrong, I-I…”

The voices of his classmates blurred together, his mind barely registering the group gathering onto the beach. Everyone was scared. Everyone was wary and confused. Everyone didn’t know what to do. Everyone was…

Wait.

“Hold on.” His voice sounded heavy but clearer than he expected. It was enough for everyone to bring their attention to him. He felt sweat slide down his face. “Where’s Emma, Kokoro and Mikado?”

Everyone turned around, taking their own headcounts before realizing the same thing he had: three people were missing from their group. He immediately felt panic clutching his heart and he marched up to Yoruko and Yuki, who were the only ones on the beach itself with Mikado, Emma and Kokoro. The hostess immediately became frightened while Yuki put up his hands in what was probably a placating manner.

But there was no reason to ask, cause as soon as he got close enough, the bushes rustled before Emma ran into view. The sight of her did little to relieve the tension in the air as the usually calm and relaxed actress was clearly out of breath. And the moment they all saw her clutch at her face, which was red with tears, they immediately feared for the worst.

“A-A body…There – There’s a body…! Oh God, there’s…!” Emma stuttered over her words, trying to speak but unable to due to the shock she must be experiencing. He immediately rushes to her side and tries to sit her down.

“Emma, breathe. Where…Where is it? Where are Kokoro and Mikado??” He gently sets her down on a rock and the actress forces herself to take slow, deep breaths. Yoruko and Shinji immediately follow suit, keeping the rest of the class from crowding around Emma. She lowers her head, pressing her hand against her chest as she speaks a bit more clearly.

“The…The body is…It’s in the forest, near the park. K-Kokoro wanted to go for a walk and M-Mikado and I agreed to go with her.” Emma starts to explain, her voice still shaken. He glances at Yoruko, who immediately nods her head. She didn’t need to say anything else to verify Emma’s words. “I was telling them puns, Kokoro was aloof but I-I can tell she was listening and Mikado was just letting me talk. And then we…found it. K-Kokoro told me to find you guys wh-when that announcement went off…”

“Are they still there…?” It was Hajime who spoke up. Emma just nods, rubbing at her eyes.

“Wh-What do we do? We can’t just…walk up to a…a…a body…” Yuki trails off, and he turns to see him shake.

“But we cannot call for help. We have no internet access here, let alone an outside connection with the world.” It was Yuri who spoke, becoming a bit more concerned now that the situation has suddenly escalated.

“Then what are we supposed to do?!” Hibiki screamed, immediately backing up from the group. Kanade moves to hold her sister, who reluctantly accepted her comfort. “We…We can’t just walk up to a body!! We should let the police handle this!”

“If I may interrupt…”

Everyone jumps at the voice, which was clearly the announcer’s with how staticky it was. None of them can see any nearby speakers but it was safe to assume at this point that they were being watched. Which only made the tension grow even heavier.

“As you long since realized, you cannot contact the outside world. Which means that you can only rely on yourselves to solve this murder.”

“Murder?!” Iroha screamed, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Emma bit her lip but slowly nodded her head. He felt his heart drop into his stomach.

“It…It definitely didn’t look like an accident. E-Even I can tell just by looking…” Emma said, sniffling as she rubs her eyes.

“Precisely. You must all gather at the crime scene to investigate and figure out the culprit-“

“Oh, fuck off!” Nikei practically exploded, his sudden yells making the entire class jump out of their skin. Even Emma had gotten off of the rock in her shock. Nikei points at the sky, probably in the hopes of where the speakers were. “Why the fuck should we follow your orders?!”

“Because you have no other choice.”

That quickly silenced the journalist. In fact, no one else could respond to that.

It didn’t take him long to realize why: the announcer was right.

They were on an island with no one else around, let alone any staff that could guide them through this horrendous situation. They couldn’t contact anyone for help. And the only other person they’ve interacted outside of the class was the announcer that seemed all too blasé about the fact that a murder occurred somehow. 

There was nothing else they could do. Not at this very moment.

“If you’ve all come to an understanding, do make haste to the murder scene. I will give you all some time to change back into some…comfortable clothing.”

The speakers screech and then go silent.

“…So much for a school event.” Setsuka said, looking like she was eating her own words. No one had the guts to demean her for her assumption, especially when most of them had been frolicking on the beach like nothing was wrong. He squeezed his hands, trying to keep himself from shaking.

“…We should all get changed. Emma, Yuki, Yoruko, come with us. It’s better if we move as a group.” It was Hajime who spoke, and none of them dared to disagree. It was a good idea to stick together anyway.

They all left the beach, grabbing their bags on the way and heading straight to the store. It didn’t take long for them to change into their regular clothes and once Shinji was finished doing a headcount to make sure everyone was still together, they all headed towards the park. Emma mostly led the way, seemingly becoming steadier now that some time had passed. But no one said anything on the way and it wasn’t until they passed by the entrance that Emma finally stopped to look at them.

“If…If anyone doesn’t want to see the body, say so now and stay right here. You shouldn’t be able to see it if you wait here.” Emma said, and she waited for a response. No one said anything until the sound of a sniffle could be heard.

“I…I can’t. I don’t want to see it.” Hibiki said, rubbing her eyes as she started to cry. He couldn’t help but empathize with Hibiki’s feelings. He didn’t really want to see it either. Kanade frowns but she immediately wraps her arms around her sister.

“There, there, sis. We’ll figure something out, I’m sure.” Kanade reassured, letting her sister use her shoulder to cry on.

“I…! I can’t do it either!” Yuki exclaimed, backing out of the group. “I don’t…want to.”

“If that’s what you want.” Nikei muttered, still aggravated but a lot calmer than he was about ten minutes ago. He picks up his notepad and pen. “But I’m getting to the bottom of this and then getting off of this damn island. Which way is the body?” Emma points to the right side of the park and Nikei immediately takes over. And one by one, the rest of them slowly followed.

Maybe they were determined to figure out their situation, even if it meant following the announcer’s orders.

Maybe they were morbidly curious now that they were aware there was a body nearby.

But he supposed the reason didn’t matter. He was following along just like everyone else that chose to see.

And eventually, they did.

It was just as horrible as he thought it would be.

No, it was more than horrible.

It was downright sadistic.

The body, which seems to belong to a girl, had short black hair and wore what seemed to be a red and white tracksuit. But that was all he could make out of her as his mind immediately focused on the state of her body. The girl was almost cut in half, with her torso barely attached to her legs. Laid across the ground like she had fallen over upon getting killed.

And Mikado was just standing there as if he hadn’t moved at all while Kokoro, for some damn reason, was kneeling beside the body and examining her wrist.

A scream cuts through the group and he finally feels the world come into focus again.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God-!!” Iroha screamed out, her words blurring into a mishmash of sobs and yells. It seemed like a switch had been turned on in Setsuka’s head as she immediately pulled her attention away from the body to comfort the painter. Shinji, on the other hand, had his eyes blown wide, horrified even though he had probably seen a few bodies in his career as a firefighter. But perhaps they weren’t as bad as this.

“Holy fuck…” Nikei froze on the spot, the pen nearly falling out of his hand. It seems that as much as he wanted to check out the crime itself, he wasn’t prepared for how severe it was. Hajime grit his teeth with a wince, hovering over near Iroha to make sure she was okay. Yuri’s eyes were wide but he didn’t seem too shocked unlike Yoruko, who looked like she regretted not staying behind.

“Wh-Why did this happen…? Why has no one seen her?! Why did none of us come across her??” Yoruko yelled, looking like she was on the verge of tears. But when she saw Kokoro turn the girl’s head, she seemed to have snapped and started marching over to her. “And what the hell are you doing?! You don’t have to disturb her body-“

“It’s fake.”

Everyone froze.

“I…what?” Yoruko said, completely caught off guard. Kokoro slowly rose to her feet, her eyes downcast.

“The body…it’s fake.” Kokoro explained with only a few words. The group goes dead silent as they process the words. Shinji was the first to move, walking over to kneel down and examine the body himself. Considering he’s the only one who’s more likely to have seen and dealt with bodies before, no one stopped him and he can tell that everyone trusted his judgment as a firefighter.

“Sh-She’s…She’s right. This body is fake.” Shinji said, his mouth dropping at the realization.

“H-How can you tell?” Emma asked, closing her eyes with gritted teeth. “Even if it’s fake and made out of special effects, this is way too realistic.”

“Well, for starters, a corpse would smell.” Kokoro said before Shinji could speak, blunt and deadpan. “This one doesn’t.”

“If that’s true, then what the hell is this for?!” Nikei yelled out again, and this time, the explanation came not from Kokoro, but the announcer once more.

“Ah, you all finally arrived at the body. Aside from a few of you, but I’ll let it go this time. What’s important is that you all understand what’s in front of you: a crime that has taken place years ago.”

“So we’re investigating a crime from the past then?” Yuri asked, putting his hand against his chest. He was far from happy but he definitely seemed a little bit relieved. Probably because the body wasn’t real or that the actual crime had taken place years ago.

“Yes. Your purpose is to investigate the crime and how the murderer did the deed. You don’t need to find the culprit as they’ve already been taken care of. Once you’ve gathered enough evidence, we will be holding a class trial near the fountain.”

“A class trial? For a crime that’s already solved? This is starting to make no damn sense.” Nikei muttered, tilting his hat over his face.

“Doesn’t make this any less fucked. Someone still killed this girl just like this in the past…what kind of sick person does this?” Hajime crossed his arms, looking like he was starting to get angry on the victim’s behalf. Which would’ve been endearing if it weren’t for the disgustingly gorey sight of a supposedly fake body.

“That’s not important. At least, not this time. Once you’re done investigating the scene, your final clue will be in a box next to the fountain. Once everyone has it, we will begin the class trial.”

The speaker goes silent, leaving the group alone with their thoughts. The only person willing to move was Kokoro, who was following the trail of blood down the path. He tried to take a step forward, but overestimated his strength as he suddenly tips forward and hits Mikado’s shoulder. The amnesiac winces, managing to right himself before he could topple the both of them over and held onto the wizard’s arm.

Strangely, he doesn’t move.

“…Mikado?” He shakes him a little bit. The wizard remained unresponsive. “Mikado?? Hey, what’s wrong…?” He grips his shoulder a bit more tightly and shakes him harder. But when he still didn't respond, he grit his teeth and forcefully turned him around, ready to yell at him–

–when he came face to face with a blank mask.

He flinches at the sight of the completely white mask. He had grown so used to the strange movement of the red facial expressions that seeing it be completely gone unnerved him more than anything else. The amnesiac loosened his hold on Mikado and tried to understand why he was like this.

Was he…in shock?

“Mikado?” He kept his voice soft, gently moving him away from the scene. He follows him without a word. “Hey, Mikado…Are you okay? Are you scared?” Mikado barely moved, his head slowly tilting forward but giving him no signal of what he’s feeling. He gulps before giving him a shaky smile. “It’s…it’s okay. I don’t know how, but I’m sure it’ll turn out fine. The body…The body is fake. It’s not real, see? It’s not real.” The wizard stood there.

And then he finally speaks.

“It’s…fake?” Mikado asked and he felt relief sink into his body.

“Yeah…! Yeah, it’s fake. It’s not real. I mean, the body is based off of a real crime but it’s still fake. No one…No one we know got hurt.” He gently squeezes Mikado’s shoulder. He stared at him, limp and unmoving. For a moment, he wondered if anything he was saying was registering at all. Or if it’s just making him feel worse.

But then, finally, his mask goes back to normal in the blink of an eye.

“Ah.” Mikado said, the mask blinking its wide eyes. It then shrinks with dismay as the wizard scratches the back of his head. “My apologies…I think the sight of the body put me in shock as my head is pounding.”

“It’s…It’s fine. I’m not feeling too great myself, haha…” He said, letting go of Mikado and lowering his head.

“…what…what are we doing?” Mikado looks over towards the scene of the crime. He follows his gaze and realizes that most of their classmates have scattered, with only Shinji, Setsuka and Yuri in sight.

“…Apparently, whoever brought us here wants us to solve this crime scene and take part in a ‘class trial’…whatever that is.” He shudders, pressing his hand against his chest. “I don’t know why they want us to do this but it doesn’t seem like we have a choice.”

“Where?”

“Huh?” He raises his head with wide eyes.

“Where are they?” The mask darkens, his eyes nearly glowing with anger. “The mastermind.”

“I…I-I don’t know. He…they? They were talking over the speakers, and it seems like they know where we are and what we’re doing. Even though I haven’t seen a single camera while we were exploring.” He rubs his forehead. Now that he brought it up, it was strange that this announcer knew what they were doing and yet, there were no signs of how they could do that.

“…Strange.” Mikado muttered, seemingly calming down for the moment. He raises his fingers to where his lips would be, almost as if he was thinking as he sighs. “…I can’t stop the mastermind if I don’t know where they are or who they are. Now, if we can lure them out, I can take a shot at them and end this horrid situation.”

“Hey…yeah, that’s right! You’re a wizard, you could probably take them down no problem.” He said, recalling the magic Mikado had casually displayed during their investigation. It was almost relieving to know that someone as powerful as Mikado can take down their kidnapper.

It didn’t change the fact that they were still in an unknown situation, but still. It meant that they had some sort of plan to retaliate.

“Now, now. Let’s not stroke my ego too much. I did get kidnapped with the rest of you.” Mikado said with an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head and sticking his tongue out. He seems to be getting a bit of cheer back into his spirit. He quickly drops his arm to his side, though, along with his goofy expression. “As much as I hate to say it, we’re more likely to lure out the mastermind by investigating the crime and going through this class trial.”

“I…I think I can see what you’re saying.” He agreed as he didn’t have any better ideas. But when his gaze goes back to the body, he feels bile rise up in his throat and he immediately puts his hand over his mouth.

“Are you alright?” Mikado steps forward and cautiously pats his back. “…If you can’t handle it, you can step away-“

“No. No…” He pulls his hand away, wiping away any saliva that slipped out of his mouth. “I…I can handle it. I just…need to prepare myself.” He took a few more calming breaths before straightening his posture. Mikado waits, patient as ever, as the amnesiac wiped his hands against his pants. He then starts to walk back to the crime scene. “Okay, I think I’m – ow!”

“What’s wrong?” Mikado was by his side in an instant. He winces, lifting up his foot to check the damage. Nothing was cut, but he definitely felt like he hit something sharp so he looked down.

It was a knife.

“Oh fuck, that’s a knife.” He jolts away from it, nearly cowering behind Mikado. The wizard stared at it before making it levitate over to them with a wave of his hand. He gaped. “Be careful with that!”

“I will, don’t worry.” Mikado examines the knife, turning it over slowly and carefully in the air. “Hm, it doesn’t seem to have any blood on it. And even if it was used by the killer, there’s no way a simple knife can slice someone’s torso in half.”

“...So why is it here?” The amnesiac glances at the crime scene. It still looked as horrible as ever.

“Unsure. For now, let’s store this away as evidence.” Mikado carefully sets the knife back down onto the ground, but in a more safer and obvious place. Probably to keep people from stepping on it like he did. The wizard then tilts his head towards the body. “...I suppose the only other way we’ll get to know what happened is to examine the body.”

“Augh, yeah…” He hesitates before looking around. Setsuka was still nearby, with Hajime seemingly taking over to comfort Iroha. She was currently talking to Yoruko, who looked like she was ready to break into tears at any moment. Shinji and, surprisingly, Yuri were standing by the body and both had widely different expressions: unease and hyperaware for Shinji, calm if a bit miffed for Yuri. When his eyes so much as slide down towards the body, he felt a bile rise in his throat and decided that he couldn’t look at it after all. “Actually, you know what? I’m gonna talk to everyone else and see if they have any clues. You can go check the body if you’re feeling up to it.”

“I’m feeling much better than before, I promise. Just a headache.” Mikado reassures him, looking a bit embarrassed as he scratches his head. “Talking with our classmates may give us some ideas so go right ahead.” The two split off from each other, and the amnesiac walks up to Setsuka and Yoruko just as the latter starts to speak.

“I just don’t get it! Why do we have to do this?? Solving a past murder that was already solved….” Yoruko sniffles before her face goes red and she leans forward with clenched fists. “It doesn’t make any sense! Not to mention it’s so insensitive to the people that were affected by this!”

“I know, Yuko. Makes it less and less likely that this is the academy’s doing that’s for sure.” Setsuka said, crossing her arms with a more downturned expression. He can’t help but tilt his head as he enters the girls’ field of vision.

“You still think it might be Hope’s Peak?” He asked. He felt as though the option was completely off the table ever since the first announcement of the body. Setsuka, though, just gave him a simple frown.

“Well, I can see certain Ultimates benefitting from solving a crime scene and discussing it among themselves. Like an Ultimate Police Officer or Detective. As twisted as it is for an entire class to deal with a realistically fake body, it would at least make some sense if it was the school behind this.” Setsuka flattens her gaze with a sigh. “But none of us are specialized in any investigation field and the closest person that had to deal with dead bodies is probably Shinji. And maybe the one guy, but I’m only saying that because he’s a little shady. But even then, Shin is a firefighter, not an investigator. It’s not his job to investigate crime scenes unless an officer asks him for advice for, I don’t know, arson, I guess.” She shrugs. “Which means that we’re probably dealing with someone far more malicious.”

“Well, even if it was the school behind this, it’s still definitely malicious to drop a dead body on us without warning.” Yoruko said with gritted teeth, straightening her back and crossing her arms. “Seriously, this kind of stuff can scar people for life! Or even trigger them! I’m surprised none of us even vomited yet.”

“No kidding. I wouldn’t blame anyone if they did.” Setsuka said softly, her eyebrows curling with concern. “Speaking of which, how are you holding up, big guy?”

“Huh? Uh, I’m, um…I’m holding up alright. Mikado seems to recover as well.” He glances at the wizard in question, who was examining the body thoroughly. Shinji was just standing there, watching him, and Yuri seems to be talking their ears off about something he can’t hear from here.

“You sure? You looked ready to collapse when we saw the body.” Setsuka scratches the back of her head. “It’s okay to step away if you feel like you can’t handle it.”

“I’m fine. Really. I want to help.” The amnesiac can feel it in his gut, the tension and anxiety twisting it to the point that he wanted to hurl. But he also felt that if he didn’t try something, he'd only end up as a liability. And he didn’t want that. “Actually, I came over to ask if you guys found any clues.”

“Clues…?” Yoruko said, closing her eyes as she dropped her arms. “I got nothing, sorry. I can’t even bring myself to look around the area.”

“…I think I got something.” Setsuka immediately grabs his attention as she holds her hand close to her right eye. “Her leg got a pretty bad cut on her left side. I don’t know how bad it is, I ain’t a doctor, but some injuries can injure someone in the moment and make them stumble or even fall.”

“Oh! Really?” He never noticed, but then again, he was too focused on the gore than anything else. It was the most eye-catching part of the body after all.

“Yeah. You can ask Shin to verify-“

“This is ridiculous!”

A yell interrupts them and they all turn around to see Mikado raising his fists with a frustrated expression on his mask. He was currently facing Yuri, who was pouting with his arms crossed.

“We are doing an investigation and all you’ve done is be a hindrance as I work! At least do something useful and find some clues or at least share your thoughts when it’s of actual importance!” It was probably the second time he has seen Mikado yell, and he can tell that he was very distressed.

“A hindrance, you say? Well, I think I already figured out this case on my own, no thanks to either of you.” Yuri said, turning his head with a scoff. Mikado’s eyes go flat.

“Really, now. What do you think happened? Tell me.” Mikado huffed as sarcasm dripped from his voice. It seemed to have gone over Yuri’s head though.

“Ha! Like I’d tell any of you disgusting men!” Yuri said, a dark look coming over his face. He cringes at his words and Mikado looked like he was ready to blow a gasket. But it was at this point that Shinji stepped in between them.

“Enough! Both of you!!” Shinji yells, his voice booming across the park as he points at them. Mikado immediately stops, if only to cover his ears with a yelp, while Yuri stares at him like he personally offended him somehow. Upon seeing the wizard’s reaction, Shinji drops his hand and barely lowers his voice. “Yuri, Mikado is just trying to work with everyone to solve this case. Mikado, try not to antagonize him if you can. It’ll only encourage his behavior.”

“Easier said than done, Mr. Kasai. I seem to offend him simply by existing.” Mikado crosses his arms, his mask darkening as he stares down Yuri. The astronaut didn’t even back down from the creepy mask.

“I still have my doubts that your investigation skills are up to the task, you degenerate. You haven’t even noticed what I have long since discovered!” Yuri sneered, which made Mikado clench his fists.

“Oh boy. Looks like Big Sis better intervene before this gets any worse.” He heard Setsuka mutter beside him before ushering Yoruko away. She didn’t budge at first, raising an eyebrow at the billiards player but she simply nodded her head as if she was silently agreeing to something. The hostess quickly caved in after that, running off towards the fountain. Setsuka then walked up to the group with a big smile on her face and the amnesiac followed after her. Even if it meant getting close to the body. “Hey, hey. Let’s all calm down, boys. There’s no need to fight.”

“Lady Setsuka! Surely you understand my plight!” Yuri immediately turns his attention to the billiards player, aghast and yet his mood far more lighter than before. “These foolish men are horrid workers, unlike you and Lady Yoruko.” Funny, considering the two of them were only standing around doing nothing. Well, Yoruko was as she wasn’t comfortable approaching the body. Setsuka at least had a clue to provide. “These men have yet to notice the obvious!”

“Well, perhaps you should tell us rather than spend time insulting them, right? We can’t be enlightened if you’re unwilling to share.” Setsuka said, calm and encouraging. And like a switch, Yuri smiles at her.

“But of course! Anything for you, Lady Setsuka!” Yuri said with cheer in his voice. Mikado gripped the side of his head and Shinji shook his head. The astronaut completely ignores his own flat stare as he gestures towards the trees. “See those trees? They seem a little burnt, don’t you think?”

“Burnt?” He raised his gaze towards where Yuri was pointing. Because the sun was starting to set, the dark sky had started to blend the environment with orange and yellow hues. But eventually, he sees it when his eyes finally notice what was different. The bark on the trees were dark and black, like something unnaturally hot had touched it and tried to tear it down. But weirdly enough, it looked like it hadn't spread very far despite being in a forest. “Oh, I see it now.”

“And now that you brought it up, it looks like some of the victim’s clothes had been touched by the fire as well.” Shinji spoke up, which only prompted Yuri to scoff.

“You’re a firefighter and yet you didn’t even notice that. You should be ashamed of yourself.” The amnesiac narrowed his eyes at Yuri, silently telling him to back off. And yet, Shinji just blinked at him before looking down at the ground.

“I don’t even have a comeback for that one. You’re right in that I should’ve noticed that from the start.” Shinji said, earnest and yet a little bit ashamed of himself. Yuri blinks at his response, his arms falling to his side before he turns away with a huff. Mikado steps over the body, kneeling down beside the burnt shrubbery before pulling something by the handle. He tried to get a good look at it, but the body kept coming into view and he had to force himself to look away.

“It seems to have come from this broken lantern. I didn’t even realize oil lanterns are still used to this day. And I’m not certain if this happened due to a struggle or if the culprit purposely did this to try and get rid of the evidence.” Mikado said to try and start a conversation. He can see Setsuka shrug her shoulders from the corner of his eyes.

“If the culprit did it, wouldn’t it attract other people? Especially if the fire spreads pretty far.” Setsuka gestures towards the sky as if she was imagining smoke piling up towards it. Which would make sense as fire and smoke go hand in hand. Shinji frowns.

“You're right, although the fire didn't spread very far. It should've grown pretty quickly as a forest fire, however, this one was put out before it could spread from its source.” Shinji gestures to the trees in question. “Either it was raining and it put out the fire, or there were people nearby who jumped to action before it could get worse. And as long as the fire was small, rain could definitely put out an oil fire.”

“Assuming everything here is accurate to the crime scene back then, I think we can assume rain wasn't involved as the body doesn't show any signs of being soaked. At the very least, a fire was involved in some way but was put out before it could spread. And if it was the culprit who did it to get rid of the evidence…” Mikado stands up and raises the broken lantern up for everyone to see. He hums before glancing at him. “Can you come closer to the body? There is something I want to show you.”

“I, uh…” The amnesiac tries to look down at the body. But his heart clenched at the sight and he can feel bile rise up in his throat again. He covers his mouth and adverts his gaze. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Then I'll just bring it to you." Mikado kneels besides the body, but he's quickly interrupted by Yuri.

"Don't you dare touch her, you despicable man! Her body has already gone through enough!" Yuri yells, a dark look on his face. Mikado was practically glaring through his mask when Setsuka steps in and grabs Yuri's shoulder.

"Yuri, please. Mikado isn't doing anything bad, I promise." She tried to reassure him but he’s still glaring daggers at Mikado. He couldn't help but grimace at his attitude. Setsuka just pats his shoulder. "Why don't we investigate somewhere else? I'll need a nice strong man to escort me after all." She was clearly laying it on a bit thick but it worked like a charm. Yuri turns his back on Mikado with a huff and crosses his arms.

"Very well, Lady Setsuka. Lead the way and I will point out anything that could be relevant." Yuri said and Setsuka loosened her hold on him. But he still turns his head towards them. "If I find one thing misplaced, I'll kill you myself." He says something in Russian and while he didn't know what he said, he can tell by his tone that he was insulting them. Yuri then finally walks away from them. Setsuka turns her head towards them and gives them a quick thumbs up before following after the astronaut.

"...Finally, he's out of the picture. Hopefully it will stay that way." Mikado then grabs something off of the body before standing up.

"Uh…isn't he going to be a part of this class trial?" Shinji raised an eyebrow. Mikado pauses before slumping his shoulders.

"...I suppose he can't be avoided forever." Mikado sighs and walks over to the amnesiac. He then shows the object he found of interest: a watch. He looks at it, then at Mikado, then back at the watch. The wizard’s mask just blinks at him. “...Take a look at the glass, my dear.” He did what he was told and carefully grabbed a hold of it. But he didn’t go as far as to take it out of his hand.

It was then that he finally noticed something: the surface of broken glass. Something finally clicks into place in his brain and he speaks.

“It’s…broken?” The amnesiac asks and Mikado nods his head. He frowns as he feels some general knowledge flowing in his head. “I mean, the watch doesn’t look very old since it doesn’t have any wear and tear. But it’s actually pretty easy to break a watch without thinking.”

“Ah, it seems you know quite a bit about watches. Perhaps your Ultimate talent deals with that?” Mikado said with a chuckle. He just raised an eyebrow at him, silently questioning where he was going with this. The wizard notices and complies. “Take a look at the hands. They’re stuck at a specific time: 11:45. Whether that’s AM or PM is currently left in the air, though.”

“Oh! If the watch broke around then that means…” He racks his brain for an answer, rubbing his forehead to help stimulate his thoughts. “It means, uh, that the time of death was around there, right?”

“Supposedly, yes.” Mikado then puts the watch back where he found it. Probably so he can avoid Yuri’s wrath. “...I believe that is everything we can get from the body. How about we follow the blood trail? See how far it goes.”

“Oh wait!” The amnesiac turns to Shinji, who seems surprised by the sudden attention. “Shinji, can you take a look at her left leg? Setsuka said there seems to have been a cut there. And, uh I can’t really bring myself to look.”

“Sure thing. Let me just…” Shinji carefully steps around the body, hesitating before kneeling down. “I-I’m sorry…I’ll make this quick.” He checks her leg, frowning as he examines the cut and then pulls away. “It’s a really deep cut. I can’t say how long it is but I think this kind of injury would affect how the leg would work.”

“How so?” He asked in a brief moment of curiosity. Shinji sighs before standing up, still staring down at the body.

“...Even if this girl had survived, I don’t think she’d be able to walk very well, let alone run. She might’ve needed a cane or even a prosthetic in the future. But, uh, that’s just my speculation. I’m not a doctor so I can’t really say.” Shinji hugs himself with one arm across his chest and the other holding his shoulder. For once, he goes quiet. Something tugs in his mind but it goes away just as fast as it came.

“So, in other words, this attack left her vulnerable.” Mikado glances at the body before looking away. “...Let us move on. We mustn’t waste any time in case our investigation gets cut short.”

“Uh, alright.” He follows Mikado and nods at Shinji. He simply gives him a thumbs up before guarding the body like he was before. The two of them were quiet as they followed the trail, coming up to Kokoro who was examining the area with her tablet. He speaks upon seeing her. “Find anything, Kokoro?”

“Not much, aside from some signs of a fight.” Kokoro said, casually dropping the information like it was fact. She notices his wide eyed stare before gesturing around the trail of blood. “There’s a tree that has uneven cuts like it was hit by something sharp, footsteps that go back and forth before turning down the path, and signs that someone was hiding in the bushes if the pieces of thread were of any indication. Take a look for yourself.”

“Uhh…” He flounders at the amount of details dropped in his lap but Mikado is quick to catch on. He kneels down to examine the footprints before going over to check the trees and the bushes. The amnesiac goes along with it and checks the footsteps himself. It wasn’t very clear but there was enough of an imprint to make it obvious that one or both people had been going back and forth, even messing up the other footprints. He watches the wizard, finally noticing the two strange cuts on the tree that didn’t seem to make much sense. Mikado pulls out a few threads from the bushes. “Huh. That is weird. But how can you tell that someone was hiding in the bushes by looking at the threads?”

“Probably because these threads were snagged near the bottom of the bush.” Mikado steps in to explain. “It’d be one thing if it had been snagged near the top, as that can happen even if you were just walking by – augh!” The wizard takes a step forward but his cape ends up getting caught on a branch from the bush. “Like! So…!” He grabs a hold of his cape and manages to pull it off without ripping it. With a grunt, he turns to him with a flat stare. “Threads would only end up near the bottom unless someone was purposely crouching down, so I think Ms. Mitsume’s reasoning holds.”

“That’s all I have to say aside from a pair of footsteps running towards a cliff.” Kokoro points in the direction she talks about. He follows her finger and sees the footprints, including the cliff in question. “I wouldn’t recommend going near, though. It’s pretty dangerous.”

“But if there’s a clue, it’s at least worth checking out.” Mikado said, and he immediately walked off before either of them could say anything else. Kokoro just watches him go before turning her gaze towards him. Feeling her intense stare, he awkwardly clears his throat.

“Uh, th-thanks, Kokoro. I’m sure this trial will be quick and we can all go home.” Especially with Mikado around. He seems to be putting things together a lot quicker than he ever could.

“You shouldn’t use him as a crutch.”

“Huh?” He gaps at her. Kokoro just averts her gaze.

“Nothing…” She pauses before glancing down at her tablet, brushing her thumb against the screen. “...Mikado is smart. However, I…suspect this situation may only escalate from here. We don’t know why we have to do this, after all. And if he ends up turning on everyone-”

“Whoa, whoa. What are you saying?” His jaw might as well have fallen to the floor. “Mikado is helping everyone, isn’t he? You don’t have to go as far as to accuse him when we’re in a dangerous situation.”

“...You’re right. Sorry.” Kokoro said, finally pulling her gaze away. Her tone was a little flat but she did seem ashamed of her assumption. So he lets it slide. “I’m just saying that this may not be over even after the trial.”

“I…” He tries to come up with a rebuttal. But the problem is that he didn’t have one and his gut told him to keep his guard up. As much as he wished for this situation to be over, he was inclined to agree with Kokoro and his own gut. So he sighs. “You’re probably right. I just hope no one gets hurt.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll get out of this in one piece.” Kokoro reassured, even going as far as to send a smile his way. “I’m going to head back to the fountain. Will you join me?”

“Uh, no. I’m gonna make sure Mikado is okay before heading back.” The amnesiac said and the psychologist simply nodded. The two of them part ways and he walks over to the cliffside.

The cliff seemed like a pretty normal one. One that was created over time via nature and the constant waves that hit the edge. He can hear the ocean from here as it crashes against the land, small drops of water ascending into the air before falling back down with barely a sound. Mikado was standing by the edge, almost precariously so, and that made him nervous. Especially since there were no railings to keep anyone from falling over. The amnesiac carefully makes his way over.

“Hey! Find anything?” He called out, prompting Mikado to turn his gaze towards him. The wizard’s mask was frowning as he shook his head. He sighs, taking another step closer. “Maybe we should head back then. It’s dangerous--”

And that was when the piece of land he stepped on crumbles and falls into the depths of the ocean, completely throwing off his balance.

He gasps, trying to right himself but completely falls over the edge.

He feels the wind in his hair and clothes as he descends, the sight of the ocean and the sharp rocky edges down below spelling a horrible end to his life.

A life he still barely knew.

A life he wasn’t going to figure out now…!

“Augh!”

His body lurches, but not from the impact.

Rather, it was from a pair of arms holding onto him, the force of their grip making him swing forward but ultimately stopping his fall. He stared down at the sharp, dark depths with wide eyes. His heart was pounding in his chest and the moment he registered the act of breathing, he was suddenly gulping it all down like it would be the last time.

Looking down at the pair of hands hugging him, he recognizes the gloves and the loose cuffs of a button-up as Mikado’s and slowly relaxes. He was still hanging in midair, but with the knowledge of Mikado’s Ultimate talent as a wizard, he knew he was in good hands.

It was still terrifying to know that he could’ve easily died right then and there. And if Mikado wasn’t a wizard that can literally fly, he probably would’ve tumbled over the edge with him. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case.

“Th-Thanks, Mikado…That could’ve ended…horribly.” He said, if only to fill in the silent air. Mikado didn’t respond. He just tightened his hold on him. The amnesiac didn’t blame him and just pats his hand. “I’m okay. Thanks for grabbing me.”

“...Good.” Mikado murmured, his nose rubbing against his shoulder blade. He tries to crane his head to try and see the wizard’s expression better when he sees something glint by the depths. He tried to lean forward but Mikado’s grip was tight. He even goes as far as to start floating back to the cliff and the amnesiac tries not to struggle. It’d be bad for him to start falling again but the glint of metal had him curious now.

“Wait, wait, wait! I think I see something down there.” He said, pointing down below. Mikado stops and eventually adjusts his grip so he can move his head onto his shoulder. He was silent as he peered down below but the wizard seemed to notice what he saw and tilted his head.

“...That’s strange. If something fell from this height, it either should’ve broken or be washed away by the depths of the ocean.” Mikado said, his mask’s eyes squinting to try and see the item better. But due to how far away they were, it was nearly impossible to see what it was from here.

“...Do you, uh, think it could be related to the case?” He asked as he stared down at the ocean. The amnesiac can see Mikado shift to look at him. The mask was frowning at him but didn’t turn down the thought. Instead, the wizard starts to fly them back over to the cliff. Before he could start to protest, Mikado was already setting him down on solid land carefully.

“Go to the fountain and obtain the final clue. Since I’m the only one that can safely examine this object, I will go get it. But we may not have the time to wait any longer, so it’s better if you go and examine this final clue before it’s too late.” Mikado’s voice was calm, one that was confident in this plan of his. And his reasoning made sense to him so he didn’t argue against it. He just nods his head and the two of them split up again.

He retraces his steps, jogging past the crime scene and stopping at the fountain. A quick glance of the area showed what everyone else was doing: Kanade and Hibiki were sitting on a bench, close together like usual, although it seems like the younger twin was looking through a tablet. Iroha looks like she’s drawing something in her sketchbook, still terrified of the situation they’ve been put in but at least she seems to be putting that energy into an activity that hopefully calms her down. Hajime was nearby, giving the painter space but ultimately guarding her in case something comes their way. It looked like Emma was biting down on her nails, pacing back and forth in the path towards the fountain. Kokoro was watching her with another tablet in her hand in complete silence. Nikei was sitting by the fountain, writing something down in his notepad and examining something by his side. Setsuka was talking to Yoruko again, who was also sitting down on a bench, but this time Yuri was right next to them and seemed to be saying something unhelpful with the way the hostess was glaring right at him. Shinji, who had moved away from the body now that no one else was examining it, was comforting Yuki as he doesn’t seem to be handling any of this very well. And he didn’t blame him. The only one who was completely unperturbed was the guy that had completely ignored the class, smoking underneath a tree as he read a tablet in his hand.

He scrunches up his eyebrows.

Where did everyone get these tablets…?

The amnesiac hesitates before walking over to Nikei as he was the closest one to the fountain. The journalist was too absorbed in whatever he was writing about to notice him right away, and the moment he got closer, he noticed he also had a tablet right next to him on the ground. He frowns.

“Hey, uh, Nikei…?” He calls out. The journalist finally pulls his attention away from his notepad to look at him. “Where is everyone getting these tablets?” Nikei gives him a flat stare, his mouth slightly agape as he raises his hand with his pen between his thumb and palm.

“From the box right next to us?”

He blinks, looks to his right, and sees the box in question.

A glance inside reveals that there were two tablets left.

“...OH!” He laughs, but feels his embarrassment burn through his cheeks. He can’t believe he completely missed that. The amnesiac reaches into the box and takes a tablet for himself. “Uh, th-thanks, Nikei.”

“Uh huh…” Nikei immediately goes back to the tablet to examine its contents. Taking the cue to leave him alone, he focuses his attention on the new object in his hand. The “final clue” the announcer had called it. Turning it on with the press of a button reveals its title on the loading screen: the Monocrow File.

Upon loading completely, he was hit with information he never could’ve figured out on his own. And yet, he almost wished he hadn’t.

The victim is Kasumi Hayashi. The estimated time of death is 11:45PM.

The victim’s corpse was found in the forest near the Utsuroshima Park.

The victim’s body is covered in bruises and has a cut on her left leg. The victim was also sliced across from the back that went through most of the body.

The estimated cause of death was blood loss and trauma from the wounds on the body.

He feels chills all over his body as he stares at the file in his hand. Not only was there a name to the victim, there was also a picture of her smiling face along with her height, weight, and birthday. But the picture had “DEAD” typed over it in big, bold letters, preventing him from seeing her eyes.

A reminder that she was no longer of this world.

A reminder that Kasumi Hayashi was a real person that was killed long ago.

And then his eyes noticed another piece of information that was right underneath her name.

Kasumi Hayashi, Ultimate Personal Trainer.

‘So, she was an Ultimate too…?’ He thought, feeling dread seep into his bones. They were a Hope’s Peak class, so naturally everyone was an Ultimate here.

So…what does that mean for them?

Why would someone go out of their way to kidnap Ultimates?

And why does this feel so…wrong?

The speakers crackle to life once more and he tenses.

“It seems all of you have finally taken the final clue. Well, except one. But I believe it’s time to move this trial along now.”

He opens his mouth to protest as Mikado has yet to come back.

But before he could, the ground started shaking beneath his feet.

Iroha screams, getting up and running to Hajime’s side. He takes her and stumbles away from the middle of the park. Emma struggles to stay upright but she manages to grab Kokoro’s outreached hand and the two of them flee towards the entrance. Shinji covers Yuki as if he was expecting some sort of attack. Kanade and Hibiki clung to their bench to keep steady. Yoruko did the same but Setsuka completely loses her balance with Yuri trying to catch her only to get dragged down with her, the billiards player landing on top of him roughly. Nikei tries to grab for the fountain, but that turns out to be a bad idea as it was the fountain itself that was moving. As the fountain sinks below the ground, the journalist nearly falls into the newly formed hole but the amnesiac was quick to respond. He grabs Nikei and manages to keep his balance, dragging him away as far as he can. He only struggles against him to get onto his feet and the two of them run to put a good distance away from the fountain.

The hole closes up with a near identical pattern of concrete before multiple holes open up in a circle, surrounding where the fountain would be. What rises out of those holes were podiums made out of brown polished wood, bolted down to the ground they were attached on. Once the podiums were settled into position, the shaking stopped and everyone was able to reorient themselves. As everyone slowly got up or approached the circle of podiums, the speaker turned on again.

“As you can see, this is where your class trial will be taking place, at least for the time being. Now go search for your podiums, as there will be a screen with your name on it.”

“...Fuck, we’re really doing this.” Nikei muttered. He starts to pat down his coat, his eyes going wide before he digs into his pockets. A realization hits him and he grits his teeth. “Shit, my pen. Where did it go?” The journalist runs towards the podiums, being the first to get there if only to look for the pen he seemed to have dropped in the chaos.

Yuki, surprisingly, was the second to approach the podiums the moment Shinji deemed it safe. The firefighter stuck close to him before reluctantly searching for his spot…which just so happened to be on Yuki’s right. How convenient. Kanade and Hibiki walk over, with the former seemingly more confident compared to the latter. Of course, the singer would have hid her unease pretty well, if it weren’t for her shaking hands giving it away. But at least the twins got to stand next to each other. Yuri, who seemed strangely pleased for whatever reason, walked up to his podium with a skip to his step and his spot was apparently right next to Hibiki’s left. Much to her clear displeasure. Nikei cheers upon finding his pen, which thankfully didn’t fall into the hole with the fountain and proceeds to find his podium next to Shinji. Hajime and Iroha find their spots as well, but the two of them end up splitting up due to their assigned podiums. The painter was clearly unhappy about it but she reluctantly stays where she is. Kokoro and Emma pass by him, the psychologist standing next to Iroha while the actor takes her place next to Hajime. Yoruko stands next to Kanade and Setsuka finds her spot a few podiums away from Iroha and Yuri.

And he was just…standing there.

Staring at the podiums.

He knew he should be looking for his spot. He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter when the announcer made it clear that they must do this.

But he didn’t want to.

He didn’t want to go near those podiums.

Not with the way his hands shook and his chest heaves in desperation.

This was happening.

This was really happening.

Why was this happening?

He gulps, clenching his fists to try and stop himself from shaking.

He can’t dawdle here. He had to find his spot. He can’t keep everyone waiting.

And if he approaches those podiums…

Would he…find his name?

He breathes, a glimmer of hope rising in his chest. He puts the tablet away in his backpack and hurries over to the nearest podiums, praying that he can find his name there. Yuri shoots him a disgusted glare when he comes near but he ignores him completely. Setsuka raises an eyebrow at him before her eye glances at the screen and her pupils shrink, seemingly putting together his thought process. The amnesiac gulps as his hands reach for the screen as he reads out the name.

“Syobai Hashimoto”

Syobai…?

Was his name Syobai?

It didn’t sound or feel right but if this is the only other empty podium with a name then…

Then it must be-

“Oi.”

He jumps at the sound of a harsh voice, whirling around with wide eyes. It was the guy from before, messy appearance and all, but with a scent of fresh cigarette smoke lingering on him now. His nose curls up at the smell on instinct. And yet his expression did nothing but harden the guy’s glare.

“...You’re in my spot, dumbass.” He said, stepping into the space of the podium and nearly shoving him out of it. He then turns his back on him with a huff. Upon putting his hand on top of the screen, it lights up with a beep as if confirming something before going completely black.

…Oh.

Now this is just embarrassing.

Feeling his face burn with a harsh blush, he turns away and mutters an apology. Setsuka seemed disappointed by this turn of events like he was. Her shoulders were even drooping in sympathy.

But…as he looked around the rest of the podiums, there were only three left. One of them would obviously be Mikado’s, but there were only fifteen of them in total. So one out of two of them had to be his, waiting to reveal his name to the desperate amnesiac.

…At least he finally found out that guy’s name.

Syobai Hashimoto.

He didn’t know his talent but that was something he could reveal in his own time later.

Right now, they had a class trial to get through.

“It didn’t start without me, did it?”

He jumps, feeling like he was going to go right out of skin as he turns around again. It was Mikado, but this time he had taken off his cape and wrapped it around something that was long and thick in his arms. It seems to be sharp in shape but he couldn’t tell what it was without unwrapping it. The lack of a cape also revealed that Mikado’s button-up shirt had some of the buttons near the collar unbuttoned, revealing quite a bit of his collarbone and sternum. He politely brought his stare back to Mikado’s face.

“Not yet. We just need to find our spots.” He said before pointing at the object in his arms. “What’s that? A clue?”

“Assuming what the announcer said was true, then yes. After all, there is no way an object like this would be in good condition given how close it was to the ocean for who knows how long.” Mikado shifts his hold on it with a grunt. “I will reveal it when necessary. For now, let us go to our spots.”

“In that case, c’mere, Kado. I think this podium is yours.” Setsuka said, patting the empty podium next to her. As Mikado passes by, he grabs his sleeve and tugs him along. The amnesiac hesitates but decides to follow as there was another empty podium right next to Iroha. It was worth checking it out since his name could possibly be there. The wizard settles into his podium, activating the clearance before putting down the object across the surface. The amnesiac checks out the podium next to him.

Only to realize that the screen was completely blank.

He scrunched up his eyebrows, his confusion plainly written on his face.

Why is it blank?

Is it because they’re missing a sixteenth student?

There’s only fifteen of them after all. So it’d make sense that one would be blank.

He turns to Mikado, setting his hand on top of the screen as he opens his mouth to speak.

Only for the screen to light up and then go dark.

He looks down at the screen with surprised eyes. Mikado similarly tilts his head at the sudden clearance but before either of them could say anything-

“Ah, good. You’ve all found your spots. Now it’s time to get this class trial started.”

He looks up at the sky, his mouth slightly agape as he searches for the voice. Of course, he can’t find any signs of the speakers but it didn’t matter.

The podium’s screen was blank when he touched it.

And yet, it turned on and accepted him without another thought.

Why?

Does…the kidnapper not even know his name?

Does no one know his name?

The disappointment and despair he felt in his chest was immeasurable.

“Firstly, allow me to briefly explain the rules of this class trial.”

He snaps out of his thoughts, his hand on the podium instinctively tensing into a fist upon those words. Regardless of how he feels about his current circumstances, he couldn’t spend all this time self-pitying himself. He had to focus on this trial and help out when he could.

He scans the trial, watching everyone’s agitated figures as they all process what was happening right now. They were all scared. Worried. Perhaps even angry for this confusing mess they’re being put through. They all had to take part in this class trial like it was some sort of game. And for what? He didn’t know.

Regardless, they all had no choice but to participate. They all had to work together to solve this case and hope they can escape.

Hope that this is all they have to do.

Hope that someone has noticed their kidnapping and is searching for them.

Hope that no one will get hurt once this is over.

[molonara]

Life update:

So my life has been very hectic, and what was supposed to be a transition to me living in a new apartment and getting started on commissions has been put on hold because just found out the damaged popcorn ceiling has Asbestos that I may have been exposed to.

For those of you waiting for more art on my part, I will need some more time to sort things out.

Details and venting under the cut. If anyone has advice I will take it.

So yeah, I got a nice apartment that I've not fully moved into because getting furniture into the space has been a trial. But now I don't feel safe at all to fully move in and sleep there knowing that the ceiling contains 6 percent of Chrysotile Asbestos, which wouldn't be complete issue if it was properly sealed and non damaged, but in the kitchen that isn't the case, as when I go into the apartment I noticed that there was a damaged and cracked patch of it on the ceiling. Having heard that popcorn ceiling could contain Asbestos I contacted my landlord on the matter. He sent over some local health inspector consultants to take a sample of the spot. Unfortunately, as I later learned, these people were as familiar with dealing with Asbestos, and their extraction method did a number of things wrong: Mainly they did not where protective masks (opting instead to hold their breath), they did not properly wet the extraction area (which I later learned is what professionals do to avoid kicking up Asbestos), and finally they vacuumed the debris with what I suspect was a vacuum without a proper filter (HEPA filters are what professionals use and talking with this inspector he didn't seem aware that there was a specific filter for treating Asbestos and double checking the type of vacuum they used, that model cannot have HEPA filter installed). So I am very much fearful that given I was present when they were doing this, and because there was damage present to begin with, that I have been exposed and breathed in this toxic material. Additionally, trying to negotiate with my landlord to get the air quality of the apartment tested, filtered and the ceiling encapsulated by a QUALIFIED Abatement professional, is proving to be a bit difficult as be believes (talking to the initial albeit incompetent investigators) that testing air quality and filters isn't needed. I've at least convinced him that he need to contact an actual Asbestos Abatement contractor to repair the ceiling and clear the apartment of any lingering contaminates, but ultimately what happens will be up to him. As for me, I at least have people I've been staying with in the mean time but I cannot stay with them forever, and my things are now moved into that apartment and the prospect of either leaving them there or having to move everything out again is giving me such anxiety and dread. I'm not sure what to do if the landlord doesn't proceed as I would like, if I should take legal action or not. Stuffs been so fudged. And on top of all that, a coworker of mine tested positive for Covid and came to work anyway without a mask on. I CANNOT GET SICK NOW ON TOP OF EVERYTHING!?

If anyone has any advice for me in this situation, I would appreciate it.

I just want a place that's clean and stress free so I can make art for a living, is that so much to ask?

[noddytheornithopod]

gosh danganronpa despair time has me legitimately on the edge of my seat, so many characters seeming to have their own agendas and ulterior motives i don't even know where to start, i can't wait a whole week for the next part of the trial aaaa

also teruko is uncannily savvy for a danganronpa protagonist, like she might be cynical and distrusting but if you've wondered why a character doesn't do X in an investigation or trial in a DR game, teruko will do it

my gut is telling me hu, someone not so overt but could still be a part of things, and like the julia things plus being adamant about hiding her secret and being weirdly defensive of nico even after they seem to have attempted murder is something

my only other real guess might be arturo, him going after J might build to something, and despite J being in the title card all she's really done is just been chased by him... also with his weird worldview i could see him being into killing lol

i COULD see it being david, but i highly doubt it because he fits in the danganronpa role of what i call "too interesting to die", he seems to have a lot built up around him and i feel if he lives on that could become even more so

anyway eden and whit are acting sus over something too, seriously something funky is happening and i've seen people say teruko isolating herself might have caused her to miss out on key developments with everyone else that might inform what's happening

anyway gosh i really cannot wait to see how this trial plays out, the suspense of not getting the full story is working its magic on me lol

[libertyreads]

March TBR--

My goal for the month of March is to read a few preplanned books while also making room for some mood reads. I'm also going to be on vacation with my husband for about 10 days so there were probably be a few days in there without any reading.

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller-- Sallot Leon is a thief who wants to audition to become a member of The Left Hand--the Queen's personal assassins--in order to infiltrate the court and get revenge on the people who destroyed their home. But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared them for the trials. I love the idea of these trials and I'm just imagining scenes like the first Throne of Glass book or even the first Nevernight book. I really need to get to this one.

2. The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu-- In this one we follow Ropa who dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. She speaks with the dead and passes on messages to the living. But what she once thought of as harmless turns anything but as the dead whisper that someone's bewitching children--leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. Rosa feels honor-bound to investigate, but what she learns will change her world.

3. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke-- This is a well loved book at this point and I picked it up at a library sale over a year back (I think) where I got it for less than a dollar. It's a middle grade novel about Meggie whose father reads aloud from a book called Inkheart which somehow allows the villain to escape the boundaries of the book and land in their living room. Meggie is soon embroiled in her own adventure, the kind she's only read about in books. It seems fun and I want to see what all of the hype is about.

4. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers-- Book #2 in the Monk & Robot duology. This is a quieter sci-fi/futuristic story about what happens when robots choose to leave humanity in order to do what's best for them. But one day a tea monk meets a robot with a question: What do humans need? I didn't love the first book the way I expected to given the way others talk about this book. But I realized that it was probably a me problem based on IRL issues at the time. So I'm giving the second one a shot.

5. Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken(NetGalley)-- Another one that I absolutely cannot wait to get around to reading. This is the first book in a series inspired by Arthurian legend fueled by love, revenge, and adrenaline. We follow Tamsin Lark is a mortal with no magical talent who was never supposed to break into ancient crypts or compete with sorceresses for the treasures inside. But it's the only way to keep herself and her brother, Cabell, alive. There's more to the synopsis about a ring that could cure a curse and what Tamsin must do to get her hands on it, but I feel like this is more than enough to go on. I still want some surprises as I'm reading.

6. Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia(New Release)-- Another entry in the Teen Titans series. We follow Raven, Garfield, Maxine, and Damian as they are on the run from Slade Wilson and H.I.V.E. But Dick Grayson just wants to know what happened to his brother. Does he need help? Why hasn't he been in contact? Why did his tracking device go silent? I love me some Wayne family so bring it on. When I started the Teen Titans series I was still pretty skeptical about graphic novels and comics so seeing myself so excited for the new installment makes me happy. We call that growth.

7. Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker (NetGalley)-- Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen. On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover isn't sick--she's cursed. Another New Orleans set story with magic at its center? I will take it!

[diminuel]

SPN story set in season one where Sam and Dean are investigating a small town and when they think that nothings really going while doing their own research separately they decide to meet up and turn back before Dean sees an old woman at a spindle and she gladly teaches Dean before he pricks his finger and falls into a coma and Sam is going to meet up with Dean before he comes across an old woman who after helping her gives him an apple which surprised puts him into a coma too. As you can suspect the old woman was a witch who decides to make Sam and Dean her own personal Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and puts them in a tower far in the woods (with them wearing princess gowns of course) while she decides to wait for John and test him to see how much he really does love his sons (this is PATERNAL/FAMILIAL love were talking about) and John going through trials to save his sons

Like Monster Movie but with fairy tales just with a witch whose hobby it is to make fairy tale scenes with sleeping people for display in her basement?

(We're still in the US, right? Are there towers far into the woods?)

Is there a particular reason the witch does that? It sounds more like a trickster's work! (Especially putting two dudes in a dress. And a trickster could make a random old fairy tale looking tower in the middle of random woods in a random state in the US. I know very little about US geography so I cannot offer anything more specific than "somewhere".)