Forum Thread

Lucian Arbred's POV

"...that is possible. I thought it unlikely, but you're right. It could've happened. In that case, who could've done it? Was it someone who helped move the objects in the room?"

Darcy Harper's POV

Darcy clenched their hand to their chest. I'm so useless. So... so useless.

They closed their eyes, and remembered that day.


I remember, Grandpa was dying. I'd gone to the church to pray for his safety. I was crying...
And Si- Sawyer was there. Well... Simon at the time. That's not their name anymore.
"Simon?... What are you doing here?" Darcy had asked, in puzzlement.
"I just... saw you crying in here. Are you okay?"
"...I- I don't know. I don't know if he's going to make it. I don't know what to do."
"Hey... it's okay! I'm sure he'll be fine!"
"...y-you're sure?" Darcy sniffled, wiping her tears.
"Yeah!" Simon tilted his head and smiled at her. "Just trust me! Everything will be okay."
Si- Sawyer hugged me, and... for a moment, I thought, I just thought, everything might be okay. I almost made myself believe it.
But he wasn't okay. He... he died. I couldn't do anything... and he was just... gone. Just like that.
But I wish I could have been like Sawyer back then. I wish I could have believed everything would turn out okay, and... that in my mind, it would have actually turned out okay.

---

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Miyako Hiroto

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"That makes sense." She nodded thoughtfully. "Was it possibly in one of the crates? I bet you could pack her lower body in there."

"But could you pack everything else?" Kubo spoke up suddenly.

"What?" She turned to him.

"The murder weapon. It had to be taken out."

Setsuna looked struck by lightning.

---

Idris Kallikrates

"Setsuna? You alright?"

He frowned.

"You realised something, didn't you?"

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Setsuna Jun

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He didn't know. He should say it- but he also shouldn't. But he'd been asked, and surely if it weren't the case, then she could defend herself...

"It's just-" Setsuna faltered. "I think I know how the body was transported. And if it is, the way I think it is- then that would mean..."

He gulped. "Kaoru... the coffin... I never tried to open it." He looked at his hands, which were shaking. He didn't know what to say. This was... he didn't even know what he was saying. "You're the only one who did."

...

....

.....

Then she started laughing.

A long, long laugh. As if he had said something particularly funny, as if he had not just accused her of murder.

Setsuna looked back and forth, bewildered. Every eye was fixed on Green Hair.

"Kaoru Kajiwara," Kubo said calmly. "Is the killer of Horatia."

Kaoru's laughter cut off. "You always knew me so well, Kubo." She smiled a twisted, sad smile. "I should've known. Did you know from the start?"

---

Lucian Arbred's POV

Lucian's face fell. His eyes widened. His stomach sank.
"...wh-what..."
Oh my god.
No.
This couldn't be real.
"...Kaoru... why? Why the hell?"
All of a sudden, without him even realizing it, the tears pooled in his eyes.
"I never thought, you would- I-"
Lucian erupted into sobs. "...oh my god... no. Please. Tell me this is a joke."

Darcy Harper's POV

Darcy's eyes widened. "KAORU? Kaoru of all people? B-But... why?!"

Sawyer Laurens's POV

"K-Kaoru. H-Hey. Please. This is a prank, right? You didn't kill her! You never would!" Sawyer actually looked absolutely crushed. "...you're... you're joking. joking. What a fun joke! Good one, Kaoru!" Their voice was wobbling. "Good joke! Good one! Now tell us the real killer!"

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Kaoru Kajiwara

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Kaoru had always been a good girl.

Kaoru, this is your seat. Kaoru, this is your class. Kaoru, these are your friends, and this is your life. Everything had come together in her perfect life. She listened to her parents. She listened to her friends, and to her teachers, and accepted it all.

Until one spring day where she found a boy hiding under the Catholic Church organ.

Kubo had ideas she had never even dreamed of. He lived at the edge of town, a group she'd been warned off from.

So perhaps that was why she swept forward. She wanted to know what had produced the boy with stars in his eyes and scuffed jeans and a thick winter coat, even in spring.

She became friends with his friends. She became friends with everyone, including Mikio.

Mikio, oh sweet Mikio. Who's only crime had been oblivion.

And as she stared into Kubo's amber eyes, devoid of spark, dead and hateful, she recognized that-

"This is your punishment," he whispered. And she wasn't sure if anyone else had heard it.

"I didn't know you'd all die!" she blurted, whipping to Lucian. "I didn't know, I swear! I wanted you to live!" She began shaking. "Please, don't vote me- I swear, I didn't want to hurt you."

---

Lucian Arbred's POV

Lucian's hands clenched into fists, and he walked over to Kaoru. But he didn't punch her. He hugged her, and the room was filled with his sobs.

"...I'm sorry. ...I'm so, so sorry."

I'm sorry you have to die so that we can live.

"...I wish you didn't have to go. I... wish you didn't do this. I wish you didn't do this for me. This is my fault. And if I could, I'd die in your place."

His voice was hollow, and full of sorrow.

"Thank you... for everything, Kaoru. I wish it didn't have to be like this. You... you mean a lot to me. You know," he choked out. "You were one of the few people I felt like I could count on. You were... someone who actually cared about me. And you cared about us. About all of us."

Sawyer Laurens's POV

"...you... you tried to frame me. Why?" Sawyer choked out. "Kaoru... I loved you. I trusted you!" they sputtered. "...and you... you wanted... to let me die..."

Darcy Harper's POV

Darcy hugged the crying Sawyer, and glared at Kaoru. "...I... I don't think I can possibly forgive this. You hurt Sawyer. You tried to get them killed. You tried to GET US ALL KILLED!" they shouted. "SHAME ON YOU. SHAME. ON. YOU."

But Darcy didn't want Kaoru to die. They didn't want that.

Maybe this was justice, but they didn't want that...

---

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Setsuna saw it too, didn't they?

Now it was all obvious, and the confession made Mei ecstatic once again. This was... Fun, interesting, a real mind-worker. Too bad Mei couldn't do jack s**t, or at least not as much as she wanted to. Oh well, maybe next time she could turn things around.

"Oooooh look at THAT Lucian! You slept with a killer! How scandalous, I can't IMAGINE how you must feel!" She started laughing along with Kaoru, then looked over at her. "Framing the kid that doesn't even think this is real... What kind of scum do ya have to be? I like it, Kaoru, don't get me wrong, but geez..."

Claps ensued, and Mei was jumping with joy.

"Great job, too bad it wasn't good enough~"
"But seriously, I have to applaud you, that was surely a ride! Too bad the next time I see you will be in hell, I'll miss you!" She giggled, then looked at Darcy.

"Seeeeee? Sweet little Kaoru was a devious murderer after all! And they're laughing about it! How horrible must a person be to do something like this?!"

All of Mei's respect for her went down the drain as soon as she started begging. Seriously? You admitted to it and... Now you're begging? How pathetic.

"Heh, too late sweetheart. Why don't you grow a pair and live up to it, huh? You knew, you were just being selfish. You're done for Kaoru, accept it and don't live your last moments begging like an idiot..." Mei's voice was stern and cold, her expression no different. Oh well, hell wasn't all that appealing to everyone.

Ah great, Lucian had to ruin the moment... What a sob story... Ugh, why were people so damn emotional...

---

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Kaoru... That... Seemed almost impossible, but based on what he had heard...

It was true. All of it. Kaoru had blood on her hands.

Now, she was going to be punished.

"Wait... Kubo... How'd you know? Do you have some info we don't? What.... What's going on here?"

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Kubo Atsushi

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"Darcy's right," Kubo said calmly. "And your friend Lucian is wrong, blinded from the facts. No, you knew all right. You knew, exactly as you knew that you were locking Sawyer out. You knew you doomed someone, if not everyone. And yet you didn't care, because all that mattered was your own agenda. You're selfish Kaoru."

Kaoru went very, very still.

"Selfish?" she echoed. "Did you just call me that? Did you, Kubo?"

She laughed, shaking her head from side to side. "Oh, I should've killed you. You should've been my first hit. I should've told Horatia 'thanks but no thanks!' and gone straight to your dorm, and plunged that knife through you."

Kubo went still.

"The motive, the motive. Horatia handed it to me, and do you know what my first thought was? I was going to protect you. I was going to keep everyone from killing you."

She smiled crookedly. "And yet, it doesn't matter, does it? Because I'm selfish. Because I plunged that axe through her and I thought of you. And I thought of Sawyer, and I thought of spilling their guts all over the floor." She laughed once more. Tears were streaming down her face at this point. "I didn't want to kill anyone. I did it for YOU, YOU HEAR ME? I DID IT FOR-"

Her single outstretched hand slowly fell to her side.

"He's the Ultimate Detective. You should kill him next. He'll be your greatest adversary in the trials."

She shook her head. Her cat hairpin was loose in her hair now. She swept a hand through it, and the pin dislodged, hitting the floor with a quiet thunk.

"Lucian-" she said softly. "I don't hate you. I just think you're a fool."

"I don't think a murderer's opinion matters too much, in the grand scheme of things."

Kaoru's eyes snapped to look at Miyako. A deadly hate burned in there. She smiled, slow and dangerous. "Fine, then. Vote me. I don't care. Because in any case, anyone who does isn't getting out of here."

"Puhuhuuhuh~ Is everyone ready for voting time, then?"

---

Akora's head was pounding. She was seething. "Shut up Mei. Do you expect he KNEW?" Akora growled. "Do you expect he thought 'Oh, this could be a killer? Or even is now!' No! Lucian can trust. You might trust, despite being me doubtful you'd like anyone for a purpose other than being able to manipulate them for an alibi, but nobody would trust you enough to let you in their dorm." Akora narrowed her eyes. "You need to shut up." She said quietly, so low, barely audible. "Or find yourself being murdered - or suspected." This girl could be the death of us all.

"Yes." Akora and Solaro said in unison.

Lucian Arbred's POV

"...Kaoru. I... didn't tell you everything about my past. At all. And yet I trusted you more than anyone else in the world... I was foolish to do that. I should have known. ...no one is any different from them," he choked out. He seemed to be talking to himself now. "...yes. There's no one you can trust." He hugged himself, the tears slithering down his face, a sad smile upon his expression.

His fists readied, he glared in Mei's direction. "...I didn't f**king sleep with her, and it doesn't f**king matter, you got that? And if I didn't have a heart in my goddamn chest I'd probably f**king kill you!" he snapped at Mei. "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU! Not her!"

Sawyer grabbed Lucian's arm. "L-Lucian- calm down-"

"NO! I'm not going to calm down. I- I-"

He inhaled. "...you're right. I'm sorry, Sawyer."

He looked over at Akora. "...thank you," he choked out.

"...and... you're right, too, Kubo. I was so blind."

He remembered she told him she hated everyone. But he never thought--

"...Kaoru. It's hardly appropriate, but... I- I'll miss you."

I've forgiven those who have done far worse, and thought far worse.

"I wish I could have helped you. I wish... I could have saved you."

Sawyer Laurens's POV

Sawyer's eyes widened. It's okay, this wasn't real anyway! No one here was real anyway! So...

Why did they feel.... So hurt?

Sawyer just hugged tightly onto Darcy, in the desperation of something familiar, no matter how much their other arm ached.

It's okay. This wasn't real. It wasn't real.

Darcy Harper's POV

"Shut it, Mei. SHUT. IT," Darcy snapped. "You might just be the sickest one here. And I hate you "

I don't have any love in my heart for that person. Of course not.

And there was no way in hell they could forgive Kaoru... Despite hardly knowing her before in the first place. She had tried to kill SAWYER.

Darcy was shaken by Lucian's sudden outburst. But... They supposed it was a normal grief reaction.

---

Akora nodded, anger replaced by sympathy. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Lucian." She said, dipping her head. If Mei doesn't stop, I'm a criminal. She snarled, looking in Mei's direction.

Idris Kallikrates

Idris was shocked.

I thought it was Darcy. Damn.

"That's all of my social interactions done for a lifetime. Good luck with the next trial."

Kaoru...

She seemed....so nice.

He glared at the floor.

Can't trust anyone.


"Oooooh look at THAT Lucian! You slept with a killer! How scandalous, I can't IMAGINE how you must feel!"

Idris suppressed a smile.

Even during the trials, Mei didn't fail to annoy everyone.

It was hilarious.

---

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"You're right Miyako, a murderer's opinion doesn't matter in the end" Wait did Mei... Did she look sad? That grin... it was now a sad smile, one full of understanding. But she couldn't mean it... Could she?

Nah, of course not.

"Aww, thanks for the compliment sweetheart (Darcy)!" That momentary expression of emotion was now gone from Mei, back to the sadistic, psychotic freak we go. "Gotcha, kill the detective, your wish is my command!" She jokingly did a salute before giggling.

Kaoru was talking to a specific person, someone else who hid behind a mask. She specifically requested the death of Kubo, but... To who? Ahh, another mystery... This was fun!

"Hmmm... But Akora, isn't that exactly what I want? A murderer's opinion doesn't matter in the grand of scheme of things, right? So.... That means I have no say in anything! Yup, that means I'm completely useless, which means death is the perfect option for me~ Good luck to anyone who tries to kill me though, I still wanna put up a fight!"

More giggles came out of her wretched mouth, and the disgust towards her in this room was growing with every word she spoke.

"Should've been me? Ooooh harsh words there Lucian, aren't you supposed to comfort people? Hehe, aaaanyways, you're right! It should have been me!"

"But y'know what? It doesn't f***ing matter. More deaths are on the way, and I think you know that very well. You can't stop time, you can't divert fate. In the end, nothing matters, we're all gonna die and this damn game is gonna continue. So I suggest y'all start getting a backbone and prepare for the worst, 'cuz it's gonna get bad. If you wanna live, stop being such a b**** and toughen the hell up. Crying doesn't stop s*** here, and you know that very well." She was dead serious this time, we've gone in about 7 circles with all the 180 personality flops she has done since this begun.

"But oh well, I don't think a murderer's opinion matters too much, in the grand scheme of things." Seriously? How many times did she have to say it, rubbing it in and trying to drive a point home. Mei shrugged and gave a chuckle before finishing her rambles.

---

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

As much as Akari hated this, the sadness in the atmosphere, the frustration, the anger, the hatred, everything, he couldn't help but to feel bad. So this was only the first one, huh... He wasn't sure if he was going to make it out of here alive... He couldn't stand this any longer... He held his hands over his ears and closed his eyes, not saying a single word as the bickering and emotional moments continued. He wanted so badly to scream at Mei, the cause of all their problems, but his mouth wouldn't even open.

---

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Sutaraitsu Umemoto

Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Cinderella Cage ~ Kagome-Kagome
[Ambient Version]

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"I- What?"

Sutaraitsu plunged into the depths of ignorance and confusion.

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Mika Uyehara

Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom - Eternal Spring Dream
[Orchestral Remix]

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Mika rolled his eyes.

"Look, weird person that I don't know the name of. If you really want to die that much, you should've asked earlier."

He took one of his silver throwing knives and threw it at Mei, only barely grazing her neck.

---

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Rumia

Touhou 6: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil - Apparitions Stalk the Night
[Rumia's Theme]

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"Are you the kind of person I can eat?" Rumia sai- WAIT RUMIA ISN'T IN THIS ROLEPLAY WTF BRAIN

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Futatabi Akarui

Futatabi was silent. She wasn't sure who was good, who was bad, who was neither...

and she didn't care. For once, she didn't care. She didn't have the time, the patience... and most importantly, she didn't have the luxury to afford to care. Not without allies.

Shi no shiryō

Shi thought for a moment, before speaking up.

"I hate you. I hate everything you've done, but... I can respect you. You wanted to protect someone."

She paused, staring the murderer dead in the eyes.

"That's all I want you to know. I hope you burn."

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The throwing knife didn't even faze her, she just stood there, doing hardly anything. "Oh but I did, edge-lord~"

"Who said I was begging for death, hm? I'm just willing to do whatever it takes for an end goal, unlike you guys. Besides, I just said I wanted to put up a fight! Asking for it is boring, stupid, and anti-climatic, I want to have some fun with it! My death has to be special after all, can't leave my 'legacy' on such a dumb note!" She smiled deviously, taking the knife out of the wall it had landed itself on with ease.

She let the blood run down her neck, seemingly not able to notice it. She already had her hands dirty anyways, why add more blood to it, even if it was her own?

With a single flick of the wrist, the silver knife flew back at Mika, grazing them in the exact same spot she had been hit. For someone who played board games all day, she had surprisingly good aim. "Funny that you would use silver, it's my least favorite kind after all~"

She left that on an odd note before returning to her podium. She was acting slightly off, but it didn't really matter... Right?

---

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Title: Kaoru's death made Lucian too sad to buy BBCode

Lucian Arbred's POV

"...no. it shouldn't have been anyone, except me," he choked out. "Some therapist I am. I should've died. Not Horatia, I--" He wiped the tears off his face.

"...never mind. I'm fine. Everything's fine." He smiled sadly, but he was shaking.

Darcy Harper's POV

"Love your enemy, love your enemy, love your enemy," Darcy muttered. "Turn the other cheek, turn the other cheek, turn the other cheek."

They proceeded to ignore Mei, trying to comfort Sawyer. But Sawyer smiled and gave a thumbs-up. "Hey, thanks, dream-girl, but I'm fine!"

Darcy flinched. They felt sick. Dream-girl... Ugh...

A sadness settled into their face.

"Dacey-mace? You okay?"

"...Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I just want to get out of here," Darcy whispered.

They slowly pulled away from Sawyer, feeling awkward from hugging them so long. Their face felt warm.

"...are you sure you're okay?"

Sawyer Laurens's POV

"Of course!" Sawyer chirped with a smile. "I'm fine. I'm great! I'm always great! Whoosh. When did my glasses get so misty? I can hardly see a thing!"

They stumbled, and patted Darcy's shoulder. "What was happening again?"

"...Kaoru is about to be executed..."

Sawyer's face fell. "Oh. Right. Well, anyway, good thing the real Kaoru's alive and well! Haha! I mean... If she exists. This dream is confusing!"

"Yeah." Darcy avoided their eyes. "Yeah, yeah it is."

---

Akora snarled angrily at Lucian. "Don't say that!" She clapped a hand over her mouth, guilt flooding her facial details. "Sorry." She said quickly, shaking her head. "You shouldn't have died. You're a nice person Lucian - Most of us" She flashed a glare at Mei, smirking and being all stupid and infuriating. "respect you. You're a good person, and undoubtedly a just-as-good therapist. Stop taking it out on yourself because you didn't realize. Trust me, I didn't either." Akora admitted quickly.

Sutaraitsu Umemoto

Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Cinderella Cage ~ Kagome-Kagome
[Ambient Version]

---

"Wh-execution? What's going on...?"

Sutaraitsu curled up into a ball onto the floor.

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Mika Uyehara

Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom - Eternal Spring Dream
[Orchestral Remix]

---

Mika instinctively covered his wound with one of his hands.

He flipped his noteboook open, "Let's see...how to get rid of an annoying person that can deflect knives and hates silver..."

-sigh- i don't have any laser cannons around me. oh well, i should've brought Luka with me anyway

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Rumia

Touhou 6: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil - Apparitions Stalk the Night
[Rumia's Theme]

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aggressive t-posing beause they're definitely in this rp

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