The Art of Murder

[profkowalski]

[Jared has been trying to keep everything normal, despite all the hallucinations. Which is why he's up late at night, slowly playing through Hatoful Boyfriend. Honestly, the current bonus route he's playing through isn't helping, which is why he jumps when he hears voices behind him.]

Jared? What're you playing? [He spins around, grinning quickly at Sammy and June.]

Oh-oh, nothing! This isn't something you kids should be looking at! [He pauses at one particular scene, standing up to grab their hands, Mr. Fish tucked under one arm.] Hey, how about we head to the crafts room?

[They're soon settled there, as he starts working on cutting out more felt shapes to work on another stuffed animal, occasionally stopping to entertain the kids. Something about this doesn't feel quite right, but he's not sure what.]

Comments

[profkowalski]

Why are you doing this? [Jared still can't clearly recognize any of the figure's features, except...long hair? That doesn't narrow it down at all.] Just-stop! [He backs up as the sword swings again, but somehow manages to bring the bat to deflect it by the flat again, nails clacking off smooth metal.]

[arentyou]

I have to!

[ Another swing, another miss. This is getting ridiculous. Harumi takes another swing at the bat, still blinking bubbles out of her eyes. ]

[profkowalski]

You don't! You don't have to listen to him! [Jared keeps backing up as they swing bat and sword against each other, each step backwards bringing him closer and closer to where he placed the bubble trap and the highest concentration of said bubbles. Of course, it's throwing off both their aims, this way. His arms are growing more and more sore from blocking each of those strikes. But he doesn't need to be precise, he just needs to keep the sword off him-

-and then there's a clatter, and his ID drops out of his pocket, falling to the ground.]

...no! Lala! [And he spins to smash the device in half, giving his attacker the perfect opening.]

[arentyou]

Even if we escape, I don't have a future unless I can get Lord Garmadon to love me again! So yes! I have to, or it's going to be worse for me and for everyone else!

[ And just like that, an opening. Barely even thinking about her movements, Harumi thrusts the sword forward, deadly accurate, straight through Jared's heart. ]

At least I can spare all of you his anger. I can do that much.

[profkowalski]

[Oh. For a moment it doesn't even hurt, as the bat clatters from Jared's hands to roll across the floor. Slowly, he becomes aware of the pain, leaking out through his chest.]

...sorry...I couldn't...stop...

[And then as the sword slides out, he falls sideways, landing on the bubble trap to leave it releasing more and more bubbles into the room when Harumi leaves. He blinks once, and then goes still.

Jared Kowalski is dead.]

[arentyou]

[ The last thing she hears from Lord Garmadon, as the hallucinations wear off, is laughter. Horrible, echoing laughter. Then he leaves her. And she's alone, with only her sins for company. Again.

How many times is she going to mess up? Well, this is the last one she gets, she supposes.

She spends a minute or so just standing there, watching the blood drip off the sword, mind a million miles away. She stumbles through the room, bubbles surrounding her, eyes just... empty, before she lets out a guttural scream and just. Lashes out with the katana and slashes deep across... oh, the tree.

Harumi turns, using the tree for dead reckoning, and just. Stumbles to the door to get out, to get some air, to do something that isn't stand here and scream at a crime scene.

When's the last time she felt this much?

Harumi has been dead for six years. She just managed to forget. ]