SECOND INVESTIGATION

[bathymetric]

Your third Friday in the facility dawns like the last two, where you've historically had a 50-50 shot at not, you know, having someone be murdered somewhere. Needless to say, the atmosphere is probably tense. You've already lost someone, but... is that enough? There's a whole chest of maybe literal pirate gold at stake, here, and for all of you who have derided the motive there's no doubting that money isn't exactly something that nobody out there kills for, right?

The lights of the facility click on to signal the end of nighttime, and one by one you start to wake. Things seem pretty normal as you all leave your rooms, but... didn't you feel this way last week, too?

Comments

[nothingcanstop]

[ Sure, why not.

Della's here, without coins, because when things start popping off, you gotta...start looking at all the angles. Take the unexpected places. This is how a duck gets up close and personal with the vending machine, examining it very carefully. ]

[bathymetric]

[ Well the first thing that careful examination nets her is a partial handprint on a metal panel near where the vending machine spits out all its vaguely useless garbage - not nearly enough for a full reconstruction, but enough to tell it was someone with hands on the smaller side. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ ...Don't really have to ask if this is a four-fingered or five-fingered hand-print but that's sure something that crosses her mind, automatically, because Ducktales is just like that and we all have to live with it.

It's a little useless to try and get a comparison since all handprints will be small compared to hers, so instead... What's making it stand out (eyyyy no oh my god I can't do this EVERY TIME)? Is there, like...powder, a smudge, what's the residue look like? ]

[bathymetric]

[ Nah, mostly it just looks like this is the kind of metal that's really good at keeping smudges. Everyone's favorite.

There's also, it looks like, something in the slot of the machine. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Cleaning crew too busy picking up after falling books they can't wipe down the vending machine, huh? I see how it is. #DuckCrimes

It's not that hard to put a coin in the machine, though, come on. What's in the slot? ]

[bathymetric]

[ It's a small sphere, red on top and white on the bottom, with a small white button on the front! You may or may not have seen one before, Della. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ .......................................

DID YOU MOTHERFUCKERS STUFF A FUCKING POKEBALL BACK IN THE--

no, it's fine, i'm cool, i'm calm. Della certainly doesn't know what this is, so. She just kinda takes it out. ]

...Huh.

[ And presses that button. ]

[obstagoodboy]

[And out pops a giant badger monster.

... and he comes out bellowing. And swinging. You might wanna move Della]

[ladygeryon]

[Nira's also been looking for that Pokeball, and that noise is familiar.] Slade! [She starts hurrying as fast as she can in that direction, but Jewel is ahead of her and faster. So the first one who happens upon that scene is a giant garbage monster.]

Dor! Gar gar! [She lifts her hands, waving them as she tries to get Slade to calm down. Della's not the killer here!]

[obstagoodboy]

[He bellows in her face, slobber everywhere. Let him through!!!]

[ladygeryon]

[She's just going to stand there, continuing to block him until Nira arrives. She doesn't want to get violent, but she doesn't think he'll help right now.]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Hey, what. What.

Della none-too-gracefully sidesteps the Launchpad McQuack-sized badger and lands on her behind. ]

Whoa- whooa, now, I-I'm not gonna hurt you!

[obstagoodboy]

[He was clearly about to claw her... but thanks to Nira and her Pokemon he's distracted]

pretend this is a simultaneously angry and sad expression okay

[ladygeryon]

[Nira rushes closer, watching as Jewel continues trying to calm down the angry badger, calling out to him as well.]

Slade-Slade I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened, this is so unfair!

[obstagoodboy]

[Between Nira and Jewel he stops trying to attack Della or charge down the hall. But he's still clearly angry. But with her knowledge of Pokemon Nira can probably tell he also seems confused.

There's a real chance that he doesn't realize Piers is dead.]

Grrrooon...

[ladygeryon]

[Oh...oh no. Nira reaches out to gently hug Obstagoon.] Slade, Piers-Piers is-he's gone. [She buries her face into his fur, letting the tears trickle where they won't be seen.] Rhea and I found him in the chapel...you-you can come see him, if you don't attack anyone there. We-we're going to find who did this, so we have to look closely at everything...

[obstagoodboy]

[He allows it, and honestly it's like holding a trembling puppy during a thunderstorm]

[ladygeryon]

[Yeah, Nira's going to stroke his fur and hold him tightly through this. After a bit, Jewel moves in to join the hug, and even Aria winds herself around their legs slightly so she can give Slade some comfort.]

we'll find them...whoever did this...I promise...

[nothingcanstop]

[ Thank goodness for little victories. ]

Quick question, what's going on?

[ladygeryon]

That's Slade! Piers' Pokemon partner, probably his starter if I'm guessing correctly-no wonder he's so upset! He probably saw what was happening and didn't manage to stop it! And people were thinking he might have done this!

[nothingcanstop]

[ A lot of information here, but- ]

O-okay, angry Pokemon. That makes a bit more sense.

[ If Della had ever seen a Pokeball before maybe she wouldn't have PRESSED THE BUTTON. ]

[ladygeryon]

I can't believe someone dragged his Pokeball all the way over here...they could at least have left it in the chapel...