THE SECOND VICTIM

[airlockedmods]

[It's been one week since Mikaela and Mai died, and so far, it looks as though this week should have been safer than any. Everyone's been bonding closely, and though P.A.L. attempted to hand down secret motivations for murderer, they've been undermined somewhat by your willingness to share secrets.

You've all been doing well.

Nonetheless, something is amiss somewhere in the mansion this morning.]

Comments

[honoraryembryon]

[ Okay so he can imagine some shit is going down because Takumi would not be racing off like this if it wasn't, and having come this way for coffee he just happens to be in here. Good thing too, seems like Takumi's in a real hurry.

Guessing someone's dead. Someone Takumi ain't happy about. Gonna try to catch up to him to slow him down--he's seen that look, that's upset. ]

Takumi!

[ He's gonna try to catch him if he can. ]

[desperateprayer]

[ Clarith had been on the way to breakfast when she saw Takumi running that way, so now she's right after him and Roland. Something is... Very wrong. ]

Takumi!

[ ...She doesn't know who, yet, but that doesn't matter. She knows of one very big reason someone upset would be going to the kitchen. ]

Takumi, wait!

[tacomeme]

[Unlike Queenie, Roland is a bigger man and can at least slow him- though Takumi wretches his arm away like he's been burned]

Don't touch me. I need to get something.

[Oh, Clarith. Like Queenie she is outside the Possibilities. ]

Don't get in my way.

[shikosuki]

[ Choromatsu was here with Yuuri when he hears all the commotion and sees... Takumi and people trying to stop him ]

Takumi?

[ WAIT OKAY GOING TO GET RIGHT IN THE WAY OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE KITCHEN SO TAKUMI CAN'T PASS AFTER HEARING THAT COMMENT ]

What's going on?

[desperateprayer]

Takumi, please...! I know that look, don't... Don't do anything...!

[ Since Choro has you stopped right now, she's going to be trying to cling to you. Because don't do something stupid. ]

I don't know what's going on... But please... Please don't... Don't add your blood to this, too...!

[serrata]

[ she just wanted to tidy the kitchen!!! oh my god!!!

but here is Yuuri, brow furrowed and making her way over to all the commotion with a frown. ]

Just what's going on...?

[ even though she has a real nasty feeling that she maybe already knows ]

[tacomeme]

[He could easily move Choromatsu if he had to. And Clarith is an easy weight too. But instead of struggling harder he just snarls.]

I said move damn it! I don't want to hurt either of you but I will!

[honoraryembryon]

[ Brow raise. ]

I'M not going anywhere, Takumi, even if you move them. I think you should sit down and calm down. I don't want to have to hold you down. You're being irrational. You're emotional--I get it, but if you let those emotions rule your actions you're going to make a mistake.

[tacomeme]

I know EXACTLY what I'm doing. Someone... someone at that party, someone that laughed with us for hours walked right out and killed Finn! They were there with us and knew what they were going to do the whole time!

[Or so he assumes. Maybe it was impulsive. But the idea of this is too deep in his mind to argue right now]

For what? To escape? For money?! I can't... I can't forgive that. He... he never hurt anyone... I don't care if that means I'll be punished, I can't- I can't let that stand!

whoops puts this here 1/2

[shikosuki]

[ Oh just try it, he is splaying himself out and holding onto the wall like a monkey. You know, a typical sibling tactic. ]

I'm not moving either! What's--

[shikosuki]

[ and then he hears Takumi say it, and the announcement following soon after

For a moment, he slackens ]

...Oh no...

[desperateprayer]

[ She hears it, too. So that's why... If he hasn't pushed her off, she's going to cling tighter. Now she's getting worked into a panic. ]

Don't leave me, too!

[ It's a shriek. She doesn't want to lose anyone else she cares about. ]

[serrata]

No one is leaving anyone!

[ Yuuri's white as a sheet and she's shaking so hard she looks like she might be about to keel over. But that doesn't make her voice sound any less forceful. ]

We will all drag you out of here if we have to, Takumi-san. Do you understand me?!

[ someone is dead but she needs to deal with that... later. when she has the stomach for it. now, here, they need to make sure they don't have another fatality added to the mix. ]

[tacomeme]

-!

[That's what finally cuts into his righteous fury. It was the Hoshidan way to die for justice if that's what was what you had to do. Better to die then to fail. But...

... her cry is too familiar to him. Reminds him of Sakura. Of his younger self. He makes a low defeated sound- Choromatsu isn't moving, and Roland is too strong and... he just can't.

He isn't strong.

So he stops, sobbing]

I could have... if I hadn't been so scared I could have stopped this...

[If he had managed to talk to Finn last night about whatever it was that was building up between them then maybe he wouldn't have been alone]

[honoraryembryon]

[ Long sigh. Here, he's gonna try to help Clarith. ]

Hey. Clarith, just... breathe. It'll be all right.

[ Pausing to glance to Takumi. ]

... Takumi... I'm sorry. Look, we'll... we'll do what we can. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself.

[shikosuki]

[ Choromatsu puts his arms down and looks at his room mate quietly. Eventually he steps out of the kitchen entrance, trusting the others to keep Takumi out if he tries to bolt in again.

When he reaches Takumi and Clarith he just. Wordlessly wraps his arms around what parts of Takumi Clarith isn't already clinging to and hugs him tightly. ]

Enough... it's just like Roland says.

It's not your fault.

[tacomeme]

[He hugs back, hiding his face against the side of Choromatsu's head and neck.]

Whoever... did this- they better hope we convict them. Anything PAL has planned will be kinder then what I would have done to them.

It... it's okay Clarith, Roland, Yuuri... I'm done. I won't do anything.