( INVESTIGATION - WEEK 1 )

[abhoth]

Promptly at 8:00 AM, both of the Grandfather clocks will begin to ring, the sound traveling to every corner of the motel. All residents will wake up as if it was any other morning. There's the usual hum from the air conditioner units and the sound of harsh wind blowing against the windows. While the sun may not have ever set, the amount of times the Grandfather clock rings makes it clear: it's time to get up and greet the brand new day. However... something seems off. Maybe it's a shiver of cold leaving a trail of frost on your skin or a burning sensation in your chest — but it feels like something is drawing you out of your room and into the outdoor hallways. Where will you go? Welcome to the investigation log! Please put the name of the location your character will be exploring in the subject header. If you plan on grouping up with someone else for a location, we ask that you keep it to 2-3 characters maximum. Once you're all set and ready to rumble, mods will be here to provide evidence if found and set the scene for investigation events. Happy body hunting! ( quick navigation ) ic rulebook | locations | statuses | room assignments private conversations | ic profiles | graveyard | full navigation

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second floor outdoor hallway

[parodeity]

[ almost immediately upon waking the door to 112 slams open and dave and kaito spill out; dave drops to a knee in front of their door after they shut it just as fast, running his (...non-broken) fingers over the knob and looking even more remote than ever.

he's mid-sentence even as he does this. ]

- in my life have I ever not. It wasn't natural, fuck, why am I even - you know locks, what's your take?

[ he bounces up out of the way in a second and stands to the side as kaito takes his turn to check the lock, automatically angling his back towards the other boy to watch his blind spots, even though it doesn't look like anyone's preparing to attack. ]

[nowyouseeit]

[DAMN RIGHT HE KNOWS LOCKS, and as soon as Dave steps away he kneels in front of the door, looking for scratches or other signs of tampering]

Did someone try to break in? Hell. . .

And where's Jason? Did he tell you he was going somewhere last night?

[parodeity]

I don't know. That's what it sounded like.

[ a slight rise in his voice and it's bitten out as he scans the hall. ]

And no, he didn't. Why the fuck would he break the curfew rules willingly?

[splinten]

[What's that sound? It's the sound of someone racing up the stairs and down the hall. HI GUYS. It's Dirk Strider stopping in the middle of the tracks, seeing Dave looking very annoyed and unhappy, and legit actually pressing his face to his hands and seeming to unwind in some relief. The sharp brief painful tension washes out as he has confirmation that Dave is, in fact, alive.]

Oh thank fuck.

[It's muttered to his hands more than anything. He doesn't expect Dave to talk to him, after all. He just wanted to know that Dave was alive.]

[parodeity]

[ dirk earns an irritated glance that is supported by a battle-ready tension in dave's posture before he says, to kaito: ]

We should split up after this so we can find...y'know faster. Wait, shit, don't they take evidence for trials? Is this evidence? Do they not take it if we don't report it?

[ sudden realization he may be doorknobless: super fun way to continue the morning. ]

[abhoth]

[Hey, kids. There's something on the doorknob. Hold your murderhorses.]

[parodeity]

[ wow!!!! kaiba is checking it dave can fret all he likes, after his quick cursory scan. he knows who the expert is, ok. ]

[abhoth]

[Well, then.

If they take a closer look, they'll notice there are thin scratches around the keyhole.]

[nowyouseeit]

[GREAT!! JUST GREAT!! what do the scratches look like? are they jagged or smooth?]

[abhoth]

[The scratches are pretty smooth, all things considered.]

[nowyouseeit]

[okay. jiggles the doorknob to see if it works, and then investigates the door itself next. any damage to that? or perhaps the door frame?]

[abhoth]

[The doorknob works as it should, yes. But there doesn't seem to be any damage to the door itself or the doorframe. Seems like someone was focusing on the keyhole, specifically.]

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . glances from Dave, to Dirk, and back to Dave, and then back to Dirk. his eyes narrow, and he addresses Dave first as he returns to inspecting the lock]

There's no way they'd leave us without a doorknob, right? We'll probably just get a picture or somethin'.

[and then, to Dirk]

Why are you here?

[splinten]

[Dirk is kinda snappy @ Kaito because he didn't sleep at all last night freaking out about this so—]

Because I wanted to make sure my brother wasn't a goddamned corpse. Why else, asshole?

[So honestly, fuck you. His eyes flicker to the knob though because uh. Yeah something is off there apparently?]

[parodeity]

Not your brother.

[ SNAPS @ DIRK. ]

I thought somethin' was up but I'm not you. What's the prognosis, Doc Lock?

[ glances up i guess it's "If they take a closer look, they'll notice there are thin scratches around the keyhole." ]

[nowyouseeit]

[snorts, and it's Dave's question that prevents him from snapping back, honestly. they're all tense]

Thin scratches around the keyhole, like someone took a lock pick to it. Someone definitely tried to break in this morning.

[splinten]

[Dirk isn't responding to Dave's retort because honestly, he rejects it. His heart is still pounding something crazy from fear, and as the Designated Heart Player he has decided that in fact means Dave is his brother.

He will however stand back at a reasonable distance, looking all kinds of tense and jittery and ready for a fight, but his posture has changed like he's ready to attack anyone who comes near them.

Sorry for the unwanted guard dog.]

[parodeity]

[ can't attack them if dave does it first! he's still standing pretty close to kaito to watch his back. ]

I should've been awake immediately after that. [ it's something he's already said but he mutters it again, glancing down at kaito checking over the lock. ] Either they succeeded or Jay didn't get hit with whatever that was.

[nowyouseeit]

. . . me too.

[there's no way that sleep was natural. no way. he's moved his investigation from the door knob and lock to the door itself, searching for more signs of damage]

His pillow was thrown off the couch bed this morning. It looked like he left in a hurry. If someone actually managed to break in, why only target him and not all three of us?

[parodeity]

Maybe they have a kill limit. Or maybe they're gonna try to bat clean-up later.

[ thanks for the cynicism, dave, ]

But yeah. Either he left on purpose or someone made him leave on purpose. Either way, chances are -

[ jason todd is dead or a killer. dave thinks he probably isn't the latter, given what he knows about the guy. ]

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . one hand clenches into a fist at his side, knuckles white. he shakes his head, then stands up]

Nothin' else was done to the door. The lock is the only thing that's damaged.

C'mon. Let's go find him.

[parodeity]

You got it, bro.

[ he'll at least make sure their door is locked FOR HOWEVER LONG THAT LASTS before they go on JASONQUEST which i guess is. doomed to end in complete failure, god fucking damnit jason. >/ ]

Where to first? We can check all the other locked doors are still, y'know, locked.

[splinten]

[Uh Dirk is stalking you guys by the way. It looks like he will possibly attack anyone who looks at Dave wrong so.]

[nowyouseeit]

[at least there are now the appropriate number of beds in room 112? HA HA HA. . .]

Maybe we should ask the other residents of this floor if they saw him.

[he's, uh. kind of hoping that if they did, they saw him alive, but you know. god damn it Jason Todd]

[parodeity]

Door to door knockin' sounds fine to me.

[ and actually 111 makes the most sense to knock on first so.

let's just get told about jason before we go find clues ]