WEEK ONE, SATURDAY

[killerwaves]

INVESTIGATION(?)

Exciting night, no? Were you able to get to sleep, or did you stay up into the wee hours, seeing that far-off shimmer near the gazebos and listening to the rising rumble of whatever-that-is and wondering when it would come for you?

At least, when dawn finally comes and the shimmer is overcome by the rising light of the sun, it seems that last night wasn't the end. For you.

Instead, once it's morning proper, there's a shift -- like the breeze and the smell after a bout of sudden summer thunderstorm without the storm: the pressure and the oppressive atmosphere of yesterday is gone, just like that. But also: accompanying it a few seconds later is a clean whipcrack of sound, like giant hands clapping together. And a moment after that, you'll feel something pass overhead -- you won't be able to see anything, but anyone outside at the time will find themselves staggered by what seems to be a small shockwave spreading throughout the island.

That's not the only change that awaits you this morning, however.

You might want to get out of bed, if you haven't already, and take a proper look around.

(( OOC: Welcome to our peace week Saturday event, islanders! Please note that this will be run similarly to a normal investigation, but will not be a full investigation. As such, everyone is welcome to explore for the first part of the event, and then we will take a limited amount of people for the second half, investigation-style. ))

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POST-INVEST MEETING

[dupiety]

[Once everyone has had some time to regroup and attempt to retain some semblance of their morning routine, Temenos shoots a message to network, requesting another meeting in the same spot as the last one.

This is very much impromptu and as such, he hasn't done as much setup as he had the previous time. He also cuts right to the chase.]

While it's clear that our dear captors took matters into their own hands in this instance, I would still like to hear what the investigation team found at the scene of the murder.

In addition...I believe we ought to discuss the recent update to the rules. The implications are dire, to say the least.

[immortalpoet]

[His eyes are glowing as he approaches...]

It's just nonsense they threw in to make it better for them. Does anyone really think to take it seriously? "Perks for getting away with it"? Give me a break.

[passetemps]

Regardless of whether the rewards are real, or even whether anyone acts on the assumption that they are, it seems that lives are also put at risk if we all simply look the other way.

If someone did not kill for the sake of a reward, they may do it for the sake of the majority of the people on this island, if they are of the mind that the lives of many outweigh the lives of two.

[dupiety]

I wouldn't even go so far as to say for the sake of the majority. It's purely for themselves. If we do not act, it's likely that they will choose two at random, or perhaps whomever they feel like disposing of.

[passetemps]

It is helpful to have seen the manifestation of the island's instability firsthand, and to have confirmation that these sacrifices do indeed seem to reverse it... but accepting that as reality puts us in a difficult position.

[divector]

I suppose you could say it's trying to shift the focus away from those two. Yes, the island is unstable, but that's only a problem if we're still here at its end.

[passetemps]

Yes, finding out how to leave — short of whatever they are professing to offer — should be our first priority.

[dakicover]

I think they realized that simply telling us to keep the island stable via blood sacrifices ain't gonna cut it, so they're trying to sweeten the pot.

[ he chuckles. ]

Sounds like a honey trap to me.

[conceivesfrenzy]

Seems like it'd be a lot easier for them to just kill the two people they need themselves and not worry about the stupid handwringing, right?

[ She pushes her hair and stupid hat ribbon thing over her shoulder. ]

I mean, this is probably the better way to do it in the long run, but it kind of seems like a lot for something they could do themselves in the long run.

[divector]

It is a lot of extra steps. Didn't they say they had to do this themselves before?

[finalmix]

They're probably just in for the dramatics of watching us try to figure out who killed who and how someone would get away with murder. Must be boring wherever they are.

[ mildly condescending ]

[passetemps]

I agree, it does not exactly seem logical. Simply making their own sacrifices would be much more straightforward.

[dakicover]

It might be a lot, but aren't they depending on too many variables? What if we all were to just say 'fuck it' and let this place be disintegrated?

[ mind you, he's not in any mood for this place to fall apart, but still. ]

"Please help us kill, we'll give you a treat if you do and get away with it," is the stupidest sales pitch I've ever heard, if you ask me.

[dancing_flames]

Unless they aren't capable of it. Not everyone has the strength - or the will - to be able to kill.

Investigation results?????????

[gluttoning]

[He has so many turkey legs with him right now, but that's not important because he also has investigation results.]

He was covered in wounds all over his back. Round ones. The sizes looked like they were all over the place.

Under him were a bunch of ring shapes, outlined in blood. They were definitely bigger than his wounds. All over the place around him and even partially into the crater. [He'll hold up a smartphone.] We checked the size off of Billy's crowbar. I have pictures.

All he had on him was his key, and a rose, and his network device. Billy found a message from Merlin to the administrators asking for a meetup last night. That was the most recent thing on there. No other damage to him.

There was a body-sized crater in the ground immediately next to where he was sitting. Whatever caused it might have started at the entrance. There was a fissure in the ground leading from there straight to the crater. It damaged a lot of the statues, but it doesn't look like that's where he died.

...

Oh. Alice got jumped by some sort of white animal while we were exploring. I don't think she caught it, though. So I'm not sure what it was.

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ Alice is about to get offended about Beel's wording, but she realizes this is probably the most generous description of what happened, so she leaves it be. ]

No, I didn't get it. It disappeared in a flash of light before I could get my hands on its grubby paws.

[chrysaline]

[ Look. She will look at gruesome pictures shortly, but... ]

White animal... did it have long ears like a rabbit, and a big fluffy tail?

[diabolizes]

I wonder if it was Fou. Merlin had an animal with him last night.

[passetemps]

Then you were unable to identify the type of weapon that was used?

[gluttoning]

That's right. We didn't find anything left behind in the area.

Billy thinks it could have been something like a stake. The wounds on Merlin were a lot smaller than the rings left behind.

[dupiety]

Bravo, Beelzebub.

[THAT...should not be his initial reaction, but it is. He is very proud.]

You said you have...pictures? Could you show me what you mean?

[gluttoning]

[He shrugs, though there's a brief little roll of his eyes.]

Wasn't just me. Billy took care of the body, Alice looked at a lot of the grounds.

[As for the questions, the redhead simply nods, turning on his D.D.D's screen and flipping to his photo gallery, before holding it out to Temenos.]

Here. Billy's crowbar is there, too. He's got it on him if you need a better idea of the size.

[There's one photo of the rings left behind on the ground, and one of the bloodied back of Merlin. The wounds are much smaller in circumference than the circles on the ground.]

[chosenwang]

Ah, so he decided to try something after all. [ He sighs as he shakes his head ] I suppose I'm equally at fault for not discouraging it.

[ It feels bad to be honest, but he's trying not to show that ]

Invest results + General theorizing

[butcherspice]

[Billy has been here for a moment listening to everyone discuss the latest developments and decides to chime in now.]

Beel got the gist of it—-the stiff didn’t have any wounds on the front of him, so we can guess whatever shish-kebabed ol’ Merlin weren’t long enough to run him through. No sign of a weapon aside from the rings, so guessin’ Hoho or Raptor have some kinda power that lets ‘em do that.

From the mess and the shockwaves, hunch is tellin’ me that Merlin was setting out to try and kill ‘em. Guess they answered the telegram to feed the island and set an example: “fuck with us and you’ll end up in a box.”

[microtransactions]

The shockwaves weren't that long ago ... Are you saying we might have only just missed all this going down?

[ was the blood fresh. ]

Hey, was there a timestamp on the message to the admins?