#j4ck4l

A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED

[ Body Discovery Art by Anya! ]

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[cw; Head Trauma]

It’s surreal to find J4CK4L’s body sitting slumped against the wall, creating an identical match to the image on your Rosepads. With a towel crumpled beneath them, the copious amount of blood caking their hair and head have only transferred onto the wall behind them. While difficult to discern in the picture, the large wounds on their scalp seem to be the source of the trauma. However, J4CK4L’s corpse isn’t all.

[Head Trauma cw end | cw; Eye Gore ]

Eleanor lies prone just beside the entrance to the Sports Shed, screeching in pain. While there’s a considerable amount of blood around the Deepfake Producer’s corpse, a smaller and fresher splatter is present at the entrance and on the grass. While you can’t get the best look with her thrashing, it seems it’s for the best.

The True Crime Podcaster holds her hands to her eye while half of her face is smeared with bright crimson. A look past the door reveals a strange device hanging in the room, its nozzle poised to fire directly at the door. Luckily for all of you, it seems to be disarmed now. The scene around the two is just as busy as one would expect.

"Oh... Oh my god-!" Katrine's voice rings out as she moves over to Eleanor's side. Shakily offering her white wrap as she keeps looking back and forth between the two scenes, clearly frightened.

Meanwhile, Fuyu is disappointed. 

The previous motives were all too fresh of a reminder of what someone would kill for. Selfishness. For people near and dear to their heart. It was a matter of time for another body to fall at this rate -- no matter how much they cared for some of the people here. 

Wonderland only asked for a single body to fall. So as their mind races to catch back up with the present as Eleanor’s screams echo, something seems to click.

This wasn’t for some great cause on any spectrum. Someone just wanted to hurt. 

...Welp, any other introspection can wait until after the trial.

The small bundle of clothes leans down beside Eleanor, shrugging off a layer or two before they begin to reach out. Gentle but firm, they reach out to grab at her hands to try and heal what’s left of her eye.

And as for Meili, they're standing closer to the body. They flick their attention backwards towards your arriving group, then downwards towards Fuyu and Eleanor, expression neutral. The astute in either hearing or seeing can pick up that he mumbles something under his breath along the lines of "welcome to the club" in regards to the unfortunate eye incident.

He turns back to J4CK4L after. Tipping his head downwards, he opens and closes both gloved palms several times. His shoulders rise and settle once in an incremental movement as he gives an equally tiny sigh. Then he stills completely.

"A shame," he says, even-tempered, and it's the first time most of you have heard him speak since initially receiving the motive. Turning round again, he faces Eleanor once more, as if preparing to try and help — but pauses upon seemingly remembering the rest of you are here.

Despite casting you a warm, easygoing smile, it's a bitter juxtaposition against the agonized cries ringing out and the newest body right behind him. It might just be funny were it not for the brutal reality of it all. 

"Well," he continues, and it's a little quieter. He tilts his head an inch to the side, like he's considering you thoughtfully. Everyone's here.

"Shall we begin?"

[cw; head trauma]

Far from ordinary.

The message you’re sent is from J4CK4L. Or, in the least, it was definitely from J4CK4L’s Rosepad. The text contained nothing but one, grainy image of the person you had learned was underneath the helmet. You couldn’t tell where they were, but the photo captured the Deepfake Artist’s head bowed and ashen as what was clearly blood plastered their scalp and carved rivers down their face.

No words were attached; only the terrifying image of a peer who… well, you couldn’t be sure they were dead until you found them. There might still be time, though it was unlikely.