Futureverse

[oneblackcat]

PSL with Athena. AKA That Game With Insane Amounts of Worldbuilding.

More here later, yada yada yada.

Comments

[rookieoftheyear]

Naru is probably right. Hange is quite suited to her job-- some might say too much so. She has a natural fascination and curiosity in matters of dead bodies. It seems like her to want to investigate this one considering the unique cause of death.

"It is strange that the equipment doesn't appear to have any malfunction in it. Naru, did you find anything amiss with it?" Naru was more of a gamer-- Ran suspects he's given it a more thorough look already, and would be better equipped to know when something was off with it.

[plastiqc4]

"You don't have to be so dramatic about it," Naru says teasingly to his sister. But this is pretty typical of her. She always had a flair for excitement and drama, which would be cute if it weren't for the fact that blood and guts were mostly the things she found so fascinating.

He turns back to Ran.

"I'm still running some tests! But these things have lots of safeties in place, you know. I haven't heard of one frying a brain since they've come on the market for mass consumption."

"Which is why I have to open his head and see what's happened to it!" Hange interjects. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

[rookieoftheyear]

Ran nods to Naru's explanation. That sounds about right. Consumer markets are regulated fairly well when it comes to health and safety. It technically isn't impossible, but it would certainly be bizarre if the machine were somehow responsible.

"We should check for foreign substances, too." Another point in favor of an autopsy, though certainly a more mundane one than Hange's angle.

[madcurious]

"Mmm, foreign substances," Hange muses, like it's something she dreams about. Things that don't belong, she loves that kind of thing. What is it? What's it doing there? What does it mean? Nice puzzles to figure out. Every little stray piece of hair or body fluid has a story to tell.

She steps in and throws her arm around Ran's shoulder and grips it.

"Find me something special, Ran. I'm dying to run tests."

[rookieoftheyear]

Ran briefly spares his sister a soft sidelong glance. He's less concerned with her eagerness and more concerned with the case itself. That said, he's inclined to recommend an autopsy anyway. They were performed on bodies whose cause of death was far less mysterious than this one. To him, finding nothing would be the strongest argument for taking a deeper look.

"We'll see what we find."

[plastiqc4]

"That's my brother!" Hange exclaims, smacking that shoulder with great enthusiasm. "You've got good instincts, I'm counting on you."

Naru pouts with exaggeration.

"What about me?"

"I count on all of my brothers! And partners of brothers!" she says, raising her voice in Yagyuu's direction.

Yagyuu cocks his head from across the room and grins.

[rookieoftheyear]

It's a good thing he's used to those hearty claps on the back... Hange is stronger than she looks, and possibly stronger than she realizes. After a moment of considering his younger brother's bid for attention and Hange's response to it, Ran's eyes twinkle in Naru's direction, and he passes that shoulder smack on to him.

"So you better get to work."

[madcurious]

"Yup, get to it, kiddo," she says teasingly to their younger brother. Naru pfffts and turns back to the machine and starts fiddling with it.

Meanwhile, Yagyuu has popped over like a very clever partner and is arching his brow at them.

"You want your partner back? Go, go. Do your detective things!"

"Don't mind if I do," Yagyuu answers smilingly. "I hope I'm not intruding on your family reunion."

[rookieoftheyear]

Ran inclines his head towards Hange in a gesture of parting and turns back to his partner.

"What did you find?"

[vicaire]

"Nothing particularly obvious," Yagyuu says, his expression sobering a little.

"But that doesn't mean there's no foul play. I think we'll have to wait on the forensics for this one. Your brother and sister seem to have things well in hand. Perhaps we should do some canvassing of the neighbors while we're here."

[rookieoftheyear]

Ran nods his agreement to the suggestion.

"I want to speak with some friends and family, too. At the earliest opportunity." They would be more likely to know about any conflicts in the victim's life. But for details pertaining to the immediate environment, like suspicious presences or unusual details, the neighbors were a better source. And it was practical to speak with them while they were already there.

[vicaire]

"I think so, too. Perhaps first thing in the morning. Meanwhile, shall we get started on this floor? I imagine the commotion has woken a few of the neighbors, at least."

Yagyuu smiles. Banging on people's doors at this hour of the night is not particularly gentlemanly, but this is a possible murder investigation. Yagyuu can be quite firm about such things, when so much is at stake.

[rookieoftheyear]

"If it hasn't, that's about to change," Which is Ran's way of saying Yes, let's.

He turns from the apartment entrance immediately to the left and bangs on the nearest door.

"National Police Agency." Because at this hour, no sensible person should be opening the door to anyone else.