The Living Room
It's...odd. The only door in this place that could possibly head outside is locked tightly, guarded by what looks to be a number code and an entire loaded machine gun. Surrounding this door looks to be a strange, almost expansive living space, leading to a door to the theatre room and access to the main hallway.
Stranger: By the time he makes it to the living room, he finds that everyone else seems to be here. MX-Z0 looks to be holding the conversation, explaining in her calm as ever voice the situation at hand. (Ah, yeah, most people were sleeping by the time the murder happened...)
He casts a quick glance at the mood of everyone around...it was mixed, to say the least.
Dax: People like Dax wore a frown on their face, and nothing more, but you could tell by the way they shifted their clothes and looked around uncomfortably that there was more feeling under the surface.
Seven Stones: Seven Stones, who was always the quiet one, even seemed to wear his face mask higher than usual...the exact reason Stranger was too tired to comprehend.
Gust: Others, like Gust, were tearing up and holding back quiet sobs. Stranger had never seen a nyric weep before now, and the melody that rang from her sorrowful cries was haunting...if he wasn't chilled to the bone by the unfortunate murder, he would be now.
Arsenic: But then there were those who interacted with anger. Critical anger.
Stranger was impressed that she was able to keep her rage back last night, but it seems like that didn't last to this morning. She looked seconds away from fuming at all times, looking at each and every person there with nothing but disdain. But when she cast a look at Stranger, that anger looked to dissipate for just a second-- replaced with a soft look of sympathy and pity-- before her usual scowl returned.
Paradi: And then there was....
....This guy.
By the time MX-Z0 finished recounting all they learned last night, they let out a yawn and a stretch.
"Well frankly, I'm not surprised. What I said would happen did happen, did it not?"
Bryan: "Gh- Man, could you shut up for five seconds!?"
Paradi: They do not shut up for five seconds.
"Besides, to all of your mourning or seething...isn't the killer already obvious?"
MX-Z0: "...Oh?"
Paradi: "Well well, put me in the hotseat why don't you! Well, then.
The culprit is Arsenic."
Arsenic: "!?"
The malice in her gaze turned to shock in that moment, only for the anger she held to bounce back tenfold. "What the fuck do you mean, me!?"
Paradi: "Look at you, you little short queen~! You look like such a seasoned veteran in taking people out, it's insane." Their wings twitch as they speak. "And obviously nobody would suspect the person who had the poor guy help her paint...but you were the last person seen with him, weren't you?"
MX-Z0: "...Those are some....assumptions you are making, Paradi."
Paradi: "It's not assumptions. Obviously a bad apple like you would want to leave this place bad enough, you wouldn't even need a truth or dare motive to-"
Arsenic: BLAM.
Arsenic: It happened in the blink of an eye.
Arsenic, who was moments ago completely normal, now bristled with actual fucking flames. Her body had combusted, and she cared not. She was instead more focused on punching Paradi in the face, striking them cleanly on the cheek as they fell to the floor, gasping.
Paradi: "G-Gghh....s-see....super strong...I b-bet you feel so good, taking your anger out on me, do you?"
Arsenic: "Shut the FUCK UP, you good-for-nothing abortion!" She screeched. "We know YOU'RE the one who actually did it, I saw you walk past me and him last night all cheery-eyed to go look at stuff in the backstage area. You were looking for the perfect frame, weren't you, you BITCH!?"
She was about to punch them again, when...
Lotus: "S-S-Stop! Please!!"
An unusual mediator arose, running towards the scene and blocking Arsenic's punching path with his own body.
Arsenic: "Whh-- G-Get out of the way, tall-ass!!"
Lotus: "I-...I- I- I-"
He was trying to get some words out, but Stranger could see how they were just getting caught in his throat...until eventually, they broke through.
"Would Jasper want us to be doing...t-this!?"
Arsenic: . . .
Her eyes went duller.
Paradi: "...Wh...What are you talking about? I'm sure he didn't want to die, did he?"
Lotus: "I know he didn't! But...but..."
As he watched Arsenic back off....begrudingly, perhaps only to hear his reasoning, Lotus shot a glance at everyone in the room...before his eyes stopped on Stranger himself.
"Jasper...h-he always talked about how much he believed in us..." He began. "H-He was so kind, and, and open, and...g-god, he made things feel like there could still be hope somehow, you know...? He even tried to help Rue, when Rue said it would be impossible to help them find their fears!"
Rue: Rue, who had remained quiet this entire time, blinked as they gave an almost shaky nod.
Lotus: "A-A-And...well...seeing all of you guys fight...h-he wouldn't want that! He would say what I'm saying right now, but,, uhmm....b-bbetter, probably. So...So if he can't say it, then I'll try....because if we want to figure this out, we have to work together still."
Stranger: "...The kid's right, you know."
Stranger finally felt it was his time to speak, as the group was overtaken with silence. "I...don't really got a lot of energy in me. And right now, my faith is even less...but fighting right now won't do us any good. There's still some evidence we might've not found, or somethin' or other...and punching an asshole in the face won't help anyone."
Paradi: ...A look of ecstatic bliss creeps on their face as they're indirectly insulted. Arsenic and Lotus walk even further away from the wobbly prota.
Bryan: "Yeah, yeah, I agree with him," Bryan speaks up. "I'm not sure where more evidence could be, but we have until 8 PM, don't we? Probably should use that time well, and then argue when we actually get to the trial..."
Rue: "...That would be the smart thing to do."
He looks to Arsenic. "And, Arsenic, if it makes you feel any better, feel free to beat me up. I would not mind."
Arsenic: ...Well, before, she was simmering with rage (and also on fire)....but now she's just confused...guess the situation is defused?
MX-Z0: That aside, MX-Z0 talks. "There are a few things I wanted to talk to you about considering, Stranger. As for everyone else...probably go search for things if you can. And if you need time to relax...you may as well. Whatever helps you prepare."
Her words punctuate the debate, putting a pin on what the next course of action would be. Some blabber raises from the group as they go their separate ways, going off to do their own thing...Arsenic leaves with Lotus and Rue, who both seem willing to help with her explosive rage in different ways.
All that remains is MX-Z0, Stranger, and a still-on-the-floor Paradi by the end of it.
Stranger: ...Sigh.
He walks up to Paradi, offering a hand for the idiot to take. "Maybe keep your mouth shut until the trial, Paradi...even if you have some things to share."
Paradi: They take the hand, slowly rising to their feet...before they let out a soft laugh.
"Ah, but, but...if we are in a game of punishment, I wish to help, you know?"
Stranger: "...What??"
Paradi: They twirl like a little girl flaunting her fancy dress, staring up at the ceiling as they let go of Stranger's hand.
"Oh, well, it's a duty protas of my faith must carry...those who sin must be punished. And, oh...looks like I've done a good job punishing both myself and others. Though I could do so much more..."
They speak nonsense as they dance off to who knows where...
Stranger: "...That guy makes less and less sense as days go by," he comments to MX-Z0. "Bet by the end of this they'll have developed a whole new language."
MX-Z0: "They are...not normal, to say the least," she nods, "but I choose to ignore them for now. There are more important things I must call into question, Stranger."
Stranger: "Go on."
MX-Z0: "You received a note from someone telling you they were Jasper, and to meet at the pool...right?"
Stranger: "Mhm...it obviously wasn't him though, because he's dead."
MX-Z0: "Correct...so how did the culprit know about you and Jasper's little friendship?"
Stranger: His eyes widened.
"That's true...we mostly talked one and one or with you, Mixzo. And...I trust you didn't do it. You did your truth card and have helped us all this time...if things fall on you, I'll be by your side."
MX-Z0: A small smile. "I appreciate it...with that said, can you think of any way the kill could've gotten that sort of information? Any time where they could've spied on you?"
Stranger: ...Think, think...
...!
"...Actually, following the meeting Rue held...perhaps someone could've heard us speaking."
(That...that time with the door, more specifically...could someone really have been planning this that early...?)
MX-Z0: "Exactly...that aside, there hasn't been much else I could deduce yet. I was made to be a spy, not a detective."
Stranger: "Yeah...we'll sort it out when time comes, I'd say. How are you doing yourself? I haven't seen you too distressed since...he died."
MX-Z0: "...It is normal for me to bury those feelings when I am needed to help."
Stranger: "...Makes sense...I'm gonna go sit in the theatre to think a bit."
He walks over to the theatre room door, looking back to MX-Z0 as he does. "If you ever need to talk to me though, feel free. You're my friend, you know."
MX-Z0: (...Friend...)
She steps forward. "Actually, can I go with you...to think?"
Stranger: ...Hm. He smiles.
"Help yourself."