☆ somedays you wanna die like a star and somedays-- ☆

[starrypoint]

Who: Everyone
What: Murder discuss
When: April 12th, lunch time
Where: School Library
Warnings: usual murder stuff



[Anyway. so. subaru knows dito did it, he said so on the network, but they have some important things on their hands-- mainly like... the fact that komaeda is Not waking up? and the last time someone was coma'd that music girl did a meeting and steph woke up so like? yeah maybe this'll work.

anyway it's on lunch because that's the easiest time that subaru can set something up, but it's in the morning after he's a li'l more recovered from investigation and highness there's a network mention--]

yo my detective peeps come to the library ur needed to solve a crime!!! (jk lmao but for real come okay)

[and then subaru conks out really for a lot of class until the time itself, wishing he had a little of that wake up pink void shit that was in komaeda's mouth..........

nonetheless. library is... suspiciously cleared out save the librarian, but subaru's got signs pointing to the back and he's sitting on a table himself, one leg pulled up to rest his cheek on it as he waves to seats. there's a lot of chairs here. he took them from tables.]

Everyone here that's gonna be here? Cool. Anyway, Addy's dead but for like real instead of bein' timeline dead I guess and Maddy's, uh... Sleeping Beauty right now, if you catch my drift. Nothin' seems to wake him, and don't try the whole kissing thing 'cause you'll die too. Don't ask me how I know.

[it's between them, two other people, the blind girl, and god now.]

I know that asshole Didi spilled the beans about his being armed and dangerous on the forums and all, but how about we nut up for once and do something? We know who did it, so let's just work ourselves out and then kick his ass.

[...

because no matter who he is right now, komaeda's been a valuable friend to him, and he's beyond seething.]

Comments

[shimashima]

[ It's unlikely that Midori is here to be helpful in any way, or so Alice believes. The smug tea-sipping is already proof of that! But since the fiend insists on taking up library space, and speaking of tea...

The sight might be the last straw, after everything. Alice stirs to march over to Midori's seat, though he knows that Midori is masquerading as a kind substitute school nurse, and he would look like the villain, if he were to lose his temper. ]

...You drink sweetened tea all day long, don't you? You or Maple must have observed something of use — so much sugar going to waste would affect you as well, surely.

[antitoxin]

Oh! That's so sweet, did you want to fill my cup a little more?

[ not him trying to say they're lacking sugar now, it's like the recession but on sweets! it would concern midori if he didn't have bags and bags of it in his room... always have to keep his crack in check. with one last sip, he looks up at alice with big ol' eyes... blinking once, then twice (which is odd for him forever unblinking monster that he is), and he holds out his tea. ]

You can put in extra, I don't mind how saccharine it gets. How lovely!

[ or alice can grab midori by the arm and drag him, which he's hoping for, and that's why he's holding his arm out the way he is. ]

[shimashima]

[ Perhaps this was a mistake. Midori's palate may be as bizarre as the rest of his body, welcoming impossible quantities of sugar, but the act he puts on for his audience, the entire school... It's sickening. Alice undeniably objects to this saccharine behavior, and he can't keep himself from staring at Midori — at those disturbing eyes, at his outstretched arm with its hidden rocket punch hand — even as he tries not to grimace visibly, or worse. He presses his lips together, makes an effort to wipe any expression from his face. Forcing a smile is out of the question; even if his mouth could attempt it, he refuses.

This must be a trap. If he seizes Midori by the arm, hauling him around the room like a suspect under arrest, some people here could definitely begin to think that he's the one who can't be trusted. Then...

Vaguely, he realizes that his hands are curled into fists at his sides. He slides them into his pockets, and nods into the direction of the gathered evidence. ]

So you didn't know that it was in the trash can...? I suppose you're free to help yourself to any grains in there.

[ One hand indicates the box that Nene brought to the meeting with her. ]

Fewer intact tea cups could become another problem at this rate!

[antitoxin]

[ aw, he won't take his arm when it's right there for him to take. well, it can't be helped if alice thinks midori has something to do with this with the excessive sugar, and tea cups. that's why he pulls his hand back to take another slow sip as he gets to his feet and spares a glance over to the contents hidden within nene's box. with a hum, he nods. ]

So you want an alibi from me and... what else? To identify the items? Sure.

[ that's in a tone where alice could have used his big boy words to request a favor from midori, and so he plays it as so. ]

I don't mind doing favors, only if you do me one too.

[ probably hold one of the items for him to look over, it'd be something simple, but he needs the other to agree. ]

[shimashima]

[ That tone sparks a surge of loathing, but thankfully, now that Midori has withdrawn his arm, it's a little easier not to entertain pointless visions of strangling him with his own scarf. A favor, however... Again, Alice looks like a man forced to eat the most sour lemon imaginable, or someone struggling through a severe stomachache. ]

An alibi? I didn't even accuse you of anything... The invitation simply invited all "detective peeps" to attend the meeting. Shouldn't you contribute something detective-like to follow the rules, since you've cleared your schedule to come here today? That's all. I'm sure everyone would appreciate it... Yogen High Substitute School Nurse.

[ What sort of favor could Midori have in mind anyway...? ]

[antitoxin]

You're a pretty bad detective if you don't ask for alibis...

[ why is alice here... he's like a bystander, but it's fine, let's go see what we have here in the goody box. going through it, he'll see various bags of sugar, and i'm going to say there's the smashed tea cup, a half cup and one that's filled with tea.

...

once alice is beside him, he'll use a tissue to push a few things so he can look at a bit more of the evidence. ]

How strange... someone was truly invested in a tea party, now weren't they?

[shimashima]

[ Even getting away with insulting him... While Midori can use the moment to his advantage, likely making himself seem completely harmless, the picture of presentable and diligent, Alice can't avoid the resulting contrast as he hovers nearby, arms crossed, his hair still in dire straits. Nevertheless, he'll hold his tongue, concentrating on watching Midori examine the contents of the box.

It takes some internal wrestling with himself — there are a few things that he'd like to say aloud. Obviously he isn't pretending to be a detective! Even so, he had findings to report! That plushie in the trash can could be an essential detail, and there aren't many Star 4 residents left... ]

I won't stop you, if you have an alibi to mention. But I was prepared to treat any knowledge of such a tea party as a coincidence... As I said, you and Maple are fond of tea yourselves, yes? Therefore you require constant access to a location to make tea...!

[ Should he let himself think that Midori has dismissed the topic of a favor? The conversation seems to have moved on, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea to speak too soon. ]

[antitoxin]

[ oh no, he's waiting for that favor. which is why he's even here, and so he's going to wait as he looks through everything while alice speaks to him. he's not fond of alice given his ability to act so recklessly that it puts him in a bind, but he can make himself useful because it helps him in another way. ]

So about that favor...

[ with the bottle in hand, he's turning it over before sitting it back into the box. with a turn of his head to finally look the convict both up and down, he thinks that his body type will do just fine. ]

Are you ready to see it through?

[ why didn't he answer alice's questions? well, they're rhetorical!! ]

[shimashima]

[ Speak of the devil... What could Midori possibly want in exchange now? Here, and when he's already taken everything? And would he honor anything like a trade at all, useful — and truthful — information for whatever he's thinking? Being in his debt in some way can't be good.

Alice glances up, brow furrowed. ]

Hold on! You haven't said anything that helps the investigation progress! And you haven't even named any favor...

[antitoxin]

It'll help! I promise.

[ he points at the tea cup that is full, there's is nothing visually wrong with it because it's like a normal cup of tea. even though it's evidence, no one actually has the equipment to break it down. with a smile, he sets down his own cup of tea as he picks up the cup with the liquid.

he holds it out to alice. ]

If there's a tea party, it seems people were having a good time... so what other way to check than to indulge yourself? Drink this.

[ ... ]

[shimashima]

What?!

[ He's genuinely doing his best to maintain his composure, but this is too much! That's disgusting! For one, it's utterly unhygienic, how dare this insufferable lunatic ask him to drink unwanted tea from over a day ago out of a used cup?! Then there's the fact that it's part of the collected evidence...

Recoiling, Alice looks between Midori and the dubious cup of tea. ]

I'm not an idiot — everything there needs to undergo proper testing! Why don't you drink it? You're the one who likes tea and sugar so much!

[antitoxin]

You asked for my assistance, and I'm giving it as someone in the medical field.

[ it's just cold, there's no markings indicating anyone has ever drunk it either from how midori holds it up between them so that the light can show that there are no lip marks. ]

Don't drink it all though, just... a sip should do.

[ just a quick taste, the lightest down the hatch he can muster. ]

[shimashima]

[ In what way is this assistance, and why would he ever trust Midori as someone in the medical field?! If no one wanted to drink this cup of tea, there must be something wrong with it! Even Midori's instructions are to take only a cautious sip...

It's clear that Midori wants to humiliate him somehow, yet again, still not satisfied. There's no other explanation. But if it could be useful—

All of these thoughts are a tangled knot, enough for a frustrating headache. Eyeing the cup, Alice abandons his efforts not to scowl. ]

...What do you expect it to reveal? You're the school nurse now, after all...

[ So Midori would want to preserve his reputation, which means that he has to answer honestly, right? ]

[antitoxin]

You were friends with that boy, weren't you?

[ friendships are such fragile, little things given the fact that people will do anything to protect another person. that's why ranger is probably here now, and why this meeting has even started. midori couldn't put himself in this position, risking his life for another person, or doing anything for the sake of protecting a friend.

he's too selfish, he only wants to protect himself, and that's why he uses the people around him. because he has no friends means he'll never be in the predicament that alice is in where there's a gamble for another person's life on the line.

his words come honest and clear: ]

It'll give you an idea of the scene, and you can help whoever was involved.

[ if there was good intentions, bad intentions, it all comes from a few, simple and sweet swallows. ]

[shimashima]

[ Friends... It's the twist of a knife, and the promise that follows drives it deeper between Alice's ribs, but he would be a fool to believe a single word out of Midori's mouth, again, like signing that damn contract. Today's words are what everyone assembled wants to hear, delivered sincerely. He wonders whether Midori spoke to Reko like this, back then, every time that she agreed to meet with him. He can't fathom how she could tolerate someone like this anywhere near her — but maybe that's nothing but hindsight, in the wake of learning the truth.

Questioning Midori was useless once. It's just as useless now. Someone like him could safely test whatever conclusions he's come to about this cup of tea, so it's suspicious that he won't do it himself. It's no less so that he hasn't offered any real answers, intent on persuading another person to act as a test subject in his place. ]

There must be better methods... You have some idea about this, so if you truly want to help—

[ Of course Midori doesn't, and someone would have carried out those better methods by now. Finishing that sentence is a waste of breath. At any rate, ultimately, what is the worst that could happen anymore?

Alice stretches his right hand out to take the cup. ]

[antitoxin]

[ it would be unwise to hurt alice in front of a group of people, especially those that know midori for what he could be. he can become a variety of people– the worst person, the most loved, it's just depends on what he desires. his irritation, and annoyance of alice is something he tempers even though if he wasn't under the illusion of amnesia, then his disgust would be visible.

sadly, it's not, but there's some weakness in seeing alice accept the request so readily as the tea cup slips into his hands. it's cold, because it's been sitting in the room for god knows how long, but it smells almost sweet naturally, and there's no visible grain at the bottom noting there would be leftover, undissolved sugar. ]

As the school nurse, it's my job to help whenever I can.

[ his hands drop down by his side, a reassuring smile after as he stares alice down before focusing on the cup in hand. ]

Two or three sips, but remember, not the entire thing.

[ it's a reminder if anything. ]

[shimashima]

[ This goes against all good sense! Alice peers into the cup with trepidation, his grip too tight. Despite making up his mind, he's not eager to do this in the least. And Midori in his disguise isn't helping, with his creepy smile, and his creepy eyes, and that warning!

For a moment, it's tempting to pour the contents of the cup over his head, like some absurd and inadvisable reflex. Alice resists it.

Slowly, painfully so, he lifts the cup to his mouth, lowering his head until his lips touch the cup's rim, and takes a tentative sip of whatever it contains. ]

thinking how I left you in tea limbo bc i had to SLEEP IM SORRYY

[antitoxin]

[ but clue time.

tentative sip is... he doesn't take anything but the flavor of the tea is quite sweet. it suits midori's tastes well, but when alice takes a second sip is when he starts to noticing something strange.

he feels woozy, a bit light-headed and he may just stumble if not careful. please don't bump into the table. he might even see something curling out from under the table to get at his foot...? or what brief made-up scenario you want him to see.

...

he'll find that it disappears in a few moments though along with the sickness, but it was such a light amount of it coming and going that if he probably drank the tea to its entirety, he would probably take a nap more or less. it's light that it wouldn't do him any harm, or knock him out for the long term, a cat nap if you will. ]

Tell me what you feel.

[ i think maple's killing so they can ignore it, but alice will see midori's fingers using a napkin to move a cloth over and over on a specific bottle to draw his attention to it. if alice dares to pay attention, this bottle will appear familiar to him, and maybe a few others. he'll notice it as one of the items that went missing from komaeda's poison shelf around february 1st, and if anyone encountered joe...

what were those symptoms? ]

NO WORRIES sleep is necessary and the tea limbo suspense made the whole thing funnier

[shimashima]

[ What does he feel, besides annoyance? The first sip seems innocuous, albeit almost nauseatingly sweet, making his apprehension excessive and ridiculous — but there must be something to detect. A little bolder, reassured at least to some extent that nothing immediate would happen, save the possibility of uncovering answers worth knowing, he tries again, only to regret it as that dizzy spell strikes to tilt the floor under him. He sways on his feet, sees a glimpse of things that can't be there. The remaining tea threatens to spill over the sides of the cup, trembling in it with the force of Alice's sudden movement; he sets it down hard, fingers clutching at the edge of the table to steady himself.

The dizziness passes as quickly as it came, gone after Alice blinks against it a few times, and he shakes his head before he lifts it. His gaze lands on the bottle, pausing there. Something is familiar — the item itself, and this unease. ]

...What was the point of this...? It's... not a good feeling, obviously!

[ Is he supposed to keep going, take a third sip, or is that enough to tell someone what they need, another piece of the puzzle to place beside the others? Studying the mysterious bottle, straining to connect all of the dots doesn't feel good, either.

He thinks of that worrying shelf, and the gun there, too. ]

PLEASE I WAS CRYING I TRIED SO HARD TO STAY UPP

[antitoxin]

[ if he drinks this whole cup he's going to feel like he needs a nap, not going to lie, and that's due to both his weight and height. now think if someone his height, but even lighter drunk this? then they would be out for who knows how long? ]

To check the side eff—

[ there goes shin getting yeeted like a football, and midori's eyes follow until he plops on the ground... wherever that is. ]

Oh. That was real! So don't think that's out of the ordinary.

[ flying shin is rare, it's like finding a four leaf clover... so they cherish that wishing star energy that he has. ]

There's no label, so I need you to tell me everything that you feel to pinpoint what it could be.

[ the sensation leaves, but it doesn't stay away for too long. alice will find that his vision has begun to blur, so maybe he can't tell that shin went flying, but the world melts together, drizzling into a thick fondue, and it's sweet thanks to the tea—

hm. ]

I'M GLAD YOU GOT SOME SLEEP!!!

[shimashima]

[ Side effects of what? What would the intended outcome be, then? The questions prod feebly at Alice's attention, drowned out by the rising commotion somewhere in the background. Eyes wide, he labors to make sense of the latest developments through a fresh bout of disorientation, but it turns the room into nonsensical images.

Isn't that Maple? And— Not Naomichi Kurumada. That was Shin Tsukimi's voice, wasn't it? ]

Wh... What was thaaaaat?! Like, you saw it, too! You saw iiiit!!

[ Real and not real are challenging to distinguish, like this, when the world is drenched thickly in syrup. It's far from a good time. Progressing to rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes, Alice shakes his head again, forcefully and several times in rapid succession, staggering a couple of steps away from the table. Then that hand drops to reach for nothing, in an attempt to push aside the strange, dizzying view. ]

Why would they drink this...?! I don't like it at all!

[ Did Komaeda finish an entire cup...? ]

THANK YOU I REALLY NEEDED IT

[antitoxin]

It makes you stupid, well that's nice to know.

[ said kindly as possible, but it's not like alice was smart in the first place.

if he won't confirm what's wrong with him, himself like all good patients should, then midori watches his body to understand the pace of his breathing. he reaches out, fingers wrapping around the idiot's arm as two fingers press against the wrist to check his pulse. ]

Hm... suffering from dizziness, warped vision.

[ not letting him go, he tries to keep count as he listens to the rambles of an insane man about seeing something. midori spares a glance behind him to look at what's going on before turning back to alice— they were in tea limbo, and they can't save anyone. they're both free and exempt, and no one will blame them so it's fine.

alice's heart is probably racing, wanting to beat out his chest, and if that isn't fun — let's make it even more fun! the chest pain, and shortness of breath will be a little difficult for alice if he's tense, so he should relax to get himself back together. ]

Oh, it's racing... I need you to sit down.

[ and pray nothing is under the table, or something. the only way midori is getting though this because it's interesting to see alice suffer. sometimes the little things make you happy. ]

[shimashima]

[ I don't like it swiftly becomes I absolutely hate it as Midori touches him, and Alice reflexively jerks in the grip, even more tense. Now his hands make to grab Midori, forgetting good sense altogether, but instead, they soon grasp the front of his own shirt in a frantic motion. It hurts, as if there are claws squeezed around his heart to wrench it out of his chest, and its pounding is the beat of someone using his rib cage as a drum kit. As the minutes pass, it's harder to breathe — his body remembers that in a blur of mounting panic — but on his way to sinking onto a chair, he presses out the jumbled things surfacing from the sludge clinging to his senses.

Dimly, he's aware that it's beginning to sound like he's the lunatic, the more anything said devolves into incoherence. ]

H-He'll die, you know...! With a hole like that!

[ Or is he dying, even though they're dead? In the distance, Add speaks.

Slender fingers brush against Alice's ankle; the hand protruding from beneath the table is clad in a fingerless glove, exposed skin pale and wax-like. It silences him until he gasps aloud, out of his seat in seconds to drop to the ground, on his hands and knees there to stare at nothing. ]

She isn't here...!! No matter how many times—

[ All the same, yet another inconceivable scene looks real. It's a pool of blood this time, dark stains on the floor, and Reko's cold hands close around his throat. ]

[antitoxin]

Oh... no one will die.

[ oh, he's reflecting on old memories, well maybe this poison is pretty good, or maybe seeing maple expose her jumping-spooder legs has brought back unwanted memories. midori doesn't care about that, but the thought of shin with his chest impaled by them, and stretched open until ripped apart with organs falling first onto the ground— sighs, he thinks he would be sad if maple did such a thing. as much as he's happy for her to kill, because what's an obstructor who can't kill? less than mere garbage.

but shin's his kill if he decides to go for it, but smacking him away like an annoying bug is fine. he's seen worse. ]

...

[ thinking about her... evil reko. with alice's little fit of stress, and plea to be unbothered by some unknown force. ]

Perhaps you've drunk too much, quite the dose to give someone... you're managing quite well, but if that person had a lighter weight then...

[ he's managing even though someone isn't here, and he thinks this is enough to put ideas to his suspicion. ]

Who isn't here?

[ it's like drawing out someone's pain and suffering, but he's being a doctor about it so it seems normal. hm, okay, maybe he should get alice a bottle of water because he's been a good guinea pig. ]

cw: hallucinations, blood and death mentions

[shimashima]

R-Reko... You're not here...

[ But her lips move, shaping words, and her voice mutes the rest to fill his ears. Her too-pale face is a mess of smeared makeup and blood, her hair matted with it. As her thumbs dig into his neck, Alice gazes down at his sister, transfixed. His own hands are slick with blood; the spreading puddle of red is seeping into his clothing, but he can't find its source.

What killed Reko...? He doesn't want to see it, his sister's corpse, and he supposes he didn't see her die (did he?) — choking him until he gasps for air, she might have been bludgeoned, or stabbed, or hanged. Not knowing leaves it open-ended, too many possibilities condemning him for the choice he made. ]

Reko...

[ If he weren't in the middle of falling apart, he'd like to give Midori a piece of his mind, or the remainder of that awful tea, but even coping comparatively well thanks to his build doesn't keep him from shaking where he kneels on the floor, nearly curled up under the table himself. Reko's name is a plea itself, shattered sound; it contains every apology that can't reach her. Alice squeezes his eyes shut. ]