Danganronpa F6: Beneath the Surface- End

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:31 pm

He smirks, purple flame flickering around him.

"There is. The jar tipped away from the fishing line, not toward it."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:40 pm

"Oh, it did? The line isn't marked on the map so it's hard to visualise. Is it possible the rat pushed it over? Or maybe if you give the jar a gentle tug so it doesn't fall the one way, it'll tip back forwards again and then tip over the intended direction?"

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:30 pm

He smirked.

"The rat was not involved with the acid, nor was the string pulled by someone."

"Interesting theory, though. Unfortunately, not quite good enough."

He then thought for a moment, and nodded.

"You know what, I'm feeling generous. I'll throw you another bone."

"There was only one possession circle used. Furthermore, it was not used on any human being."

"There. That should be enough to work with for now. Do try to think this through."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:46 pm

"Well if it wasn't a human, n' it wasn't no rat... then could it have been on an object? Wait, Nail, you ain't fuckin' human. Could you have been possessed?" Brandy asked. "I know you ain't the killer, probably, but is that a thing that might've happened?"

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:49 pm

"No."

"Another fair and interesting guess, but no. I suppose I should also mention that Sir Sebastian was closer to figuring out how the power was cut before the rest of you shut him down."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:50 pm

"Fuck you. I'll fuckin' kill you, man."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:51 pm

"Can an object be possessed?" she asked, double-posting.

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:52 pm

He laughed at that. A true, honest laugh.

"I'd like to see you try, but perhaps you could give it your best shot after the trial is over." He smiled. "Just know that if you ask Me any question, I will use My Truth to reveal more of what I feel necessary."

"As for that..."

"Whether it is or not, it was not used to possess an inanimate object."

What? He didn't remember the effects of every spell, either! It's a really fucking long list! So, easy out.

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:01 pm

"Possession: Requires drawing a magic circle and standing in it. Allows someone to possess another living being for 5-10 minutes. The possessor has to distribute 50% of their soul to take over the being and for that time being the possessor can only perform simple commands both in the body they’re possessing and their normal body. This does not include talking and so they will not be able to communicate. Performing rite for the spell requires something that belongs to the possessee as well. The possessee will not be in control of their body for the time period and will be unable to recollect what happened during the time in which they were possessed," Seb quoted from the note he'd made of the details in the book, with added emphasis.

"Anyway, it sounds as though we're back to square one. A rat was possessed after all."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:16 pm

"Well you didn't have to put so much emphasis on that one part..." Brandy muttered. "Anyway, great! Belphegor jus' went and mislead us, I guess."

This was not great.

"Anyway, why don't we try thinkin' bout who stood to gain from killin'. We're all gonna die anyway, so what was the point in killin' this specific time? Maybe if we look closer at the suspects, we can have an easier time placin' them at the crime scene. I can't help but feel like they might be important, so let me tell you, in detail, 'bout the newspapers I found with Nail."

Spoiler: Officer Ivanov Saves The Day Again

Spoiler: Local Retired Marine Saves Day: A New Star Citizen?

"At the bottom of that page, it said 'HE DID NOT INTEND TO SAVE ANYONE OTHER THAN HIMSELF.'"

Spoiler: Local Childhood Sweethearts Marry In Rattlewater

"And, finally..."

Spoiler: Oliver Abrams Charity Concert Resounding Success!

"Maybe there's some clues hidden within these..."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:21 pm

"So it was...exactly what we said earlier?" Enola mumbled, "Uhh..."

"Wait...but if the possession occurred during the blackout, then the rat must have been used for some other purpose. But if it wasn't the acid..."

Enola trailed off. Then she suddenly shot upward, exclaiming, "Oh, the acid! Maybe it was knocked over using the floorboard? The notch on the bottom could have fit the wooden dowel...so if someone stepped on the other side, or maybe if the rat pushed up from the bottom, the force of the dowel being released could have spilled the acid...Maybe..."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:24 pm

Seb seemed surprised by one of Brandy's statements. "The picture was cut out? That must be the picture Daniel took out of the frame and had in his glued-shut hand. But why would anyone need to hide it by gluing his hand shut? Was there something incriminating about the best man?"

Planetbox wrote:"So it was...exactly what we said earlier?" Enola mumbled, "Uhh..."

"Wait...but if the possession occurred during the blackout, then the rat must have been used for some other purpose. But if it wasn't the acid..."

Enola trailed off. Then she suddenly shot upward, exclaiming, "Oh, the acid! Maybe it was knocked over using the floorboard? The notch on the bottom could have fit the wooden dowel...so if someone stepped on the other side, or maybe if the rat pushed up from the bottom, the force of the dowel being released could have spilled the acid...Maybe..."

"I'm not sure about the specifics of that, but you may be right. That might allow someone to activate the mechanism from the kitchen instead of the bedroom."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:26 pm

"What if Daniel was the best man?"

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:27 pm

"When was this marriage?" Seb asked, hoping Enola could answer. "I was under the impression Daniel only moved here recently to retire."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:31 pm

WinterCoat wrote:The details of the newspaper aren’t of this one aren’t that interesting, it only seems to be about a small town marriage. That said, it is interesting that the subject of this paper is the Gardners. It’s kinda weird to read about them in their house. Additionally it looks like the picture was cut out from the article. Under it has the caption; “The new Mr. and Mrs. Gardner and their best man.” The Gardners presumably cut the picture out to remember it.

"My parents...?" Enola mumbled, "Why...was this unmentioned?"

"Err...Anyway, that picture must be the one in the frame...that's now trapped in the darkness of Daniel's fist," Enola continued with a sigh. "But why put it there? Was the best man someone Daniel recognized? But...surely everyone here is too young...unless it was that bastard." She cocked her head towards Lucinailey.

KamiPanda wrote:"When was this marriage?" Seb asked, hoping Enola could answer. "I was under the impression Daniel only moved here recently to retire."

"I don't fucking know. I didn't exist yet," she replied, "It must have been over twenty years ago though..."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:31 pm

“It was definitely old... what if he somehow knew the best man? Or the Gardners?”

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:37 pm

"Perhaps Daniel's aforementioned instincts of self-preservation are worth noting," Enola said, "If him being the best man is incriminating for some...strange reason...maybe he went to desperate lengths to keep that information out."

"Still, he's the victim...and Nail only indicated that he helped the killer. So they had dangerous intent anyway."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:41 pm

"Over 20 years ago... then it's impossible it's any of us other than Daniel or Nail, at least," Seb concluded. "But as I said Daniel retired to Rattlewater. 20 years ago he was probably still in the army. It strikes me as rather unlikely that he'd be the best man at that wedding."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:50 pm

"Oh wait...I forgot that Nail actually left the living room to go to the bathroom," Enola said, "So I suppose the books were stashed there and then returned to the library later...which is why the pile was so large."

"So in the end, a possessed rat caused the blackout..." Enola mumbled with an irritated sigh. "Let's move on to something less irritating, then."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:58 pm

"Well, after thinking about it some more I think your theory about the board and the fishing line is correct," Seb said. "Here's how I imagine it. The wooden dowel on one end of the line was held in place under the floorboard in the bedroom. At the other end the string was preventing the jar from tipping over. That is, it was already slightly leaning towards the gouge, and the wire was tense as it held it back: the jar was like a dog straining against its lead. Someone stood on the floorboard in the kitchen, causing the whole board to pivot about the wall. The end in the bedroom went up, the dowel was released, the string lost its tension and the jar fell over."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 9:00 pm

Oliver smiled a bit at mention of his successful concert, but didn't let his ego get to him. "So that only leaves Nail, then. It surely could not have been anyone else, yes?"

"Oh, and also, I had an epiphany! Could the acid have possibly been the cause of the burns atop Daniel's head?" He nodded towards Seb. "And your theory makes sense to me. It could have eaten through the wood and fallen right atop Daniel's head, perhaps, thus causing the burns?"

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 9:01 pm

"Yes, that sounds right," Enola mumbled, lying down on the floor. "But as for who actually stepped on the board...Well..."

"Oliver had left the kitchen by then though, I think..." Enola said, "So I can only imagine Haley simply stepped on it...as part of her plan to assist in the murder. No one else really has the opportunity..."

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 9:02 pm

"An interesting supposition, Sir Sebastian." He laned to the side, resting His head on His fist.

"Do tell, however. Who could have been standing on the board? Wasn't it already rather easy to move about to begin with?"

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 2:38 pm

"We can come back to that later, I suppose," Seb said after a long silence. "I have had a thought about something else though. The burn on Daniel's head... I believe it may have been caused by one of the trailing, severed cables. The hole in the floor meant both sides of the cut cable fell through, and were dangling there for a period. Only the cable end on the north side of the house was live, but this is also the end that would have been hanging right over Daniel's head as he was on the 'north' side of the bed. Enola didn't enter the bedroom until after the blackout, so she wouldn't have seen either cable nor been at risk of touching the live one.

"This raises a new question as to whether he was electrocuted to death. However it seems more likely to me that the electrical cable was hanging against his already-dead body, otherwise it's hard to imagine he just allowed that to happen to him. Even if he couldn't move his legs he'd still move his head, I think? Though it's hard to tell, we don't really have any solid cause of death yet.

"In any case, this would be proof that he was already in bed when the crash happened a little after 10:20."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 2:43 pm

"Come to think of it, doesn't electricity make the muscles contract?" Brandy pondered. "Maybe that's why his hand seemed unable to open. Like when you put soy sauce on a dead squid, n' it dances. His muscles were still being affected by the electricity."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 3:11 pm

"Was it already confirmed that it was glued shut?" Seb asked.

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 3:22 pm

"The hand had glue on it, yes. The burn was caused by the live cable. The burn would be fatal for Daniel," He leans back in the large, imposing throne.

"I think it would be best for you if you complete the picture of why the ceiling caved in."

"Certainly, I never stepped on the board. It would not have taken much to weigh it down."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:07 pm

"Could the marble have weighed it down? Or did you use that to turn the stove on?" Seb asked. "Alternatively I suppose the can of oats might have had something to do with it."

Southern Corn · Post by **Southern Corn** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:33 pm

He smirks. "Hmm, you're quite close."

"Certainly, the bowl of oats would have been enough to weigh down the board, but only if it fell from a height onto it."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 5:59 pm

"Well, it was dented," Seb shrugged. "Maybe you threw the marble, it hit the stove to turn it on, and then ricocheted into the can to knock it down onto the board."

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 6:54 pm

"Hmm, perhaps. Obviously something knocked over the can of oats from the other side of the fridge. What could that have been, I wonder?"

He smiles viciously, His eyes catching the firelight.

"Nobody threw a marble, though the dent on the can matches the shape of the marble."

"It would be too... extra, don't you think? I mean what advantage would throwing the marble have? You'd have much more luck knocking it over with your own hands, especially if it was dark at the time."

"No, it was all part of one dramatic setup."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:08 pm

"Turn on the kettle, the marble is in the spout, when it gets hot enough the pressure ejects the marble at the can?" Seb suggested.

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:49 pm

"That makes some sense, I guess," Enola said, "Didn't someone hear a whooshing sound that could be attributed to a marble?"

"Though surely Oliver would have noticed that when he went to make tea...unless he was the one who set it up."

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 8:15 pm

"Maybe, maybe not."

"A marble in the spout of the tea kettle would not be easy to notice even for someone filling the pot and setting it on the stove."

"But regardless, Oliver is implicated in the crime through the act of turning the stove on."

"Now how does the crime all work together?"

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:06 pm

"Really? I'm compelled to doubt that you would set all this up just so you could punish someone for a crime they didn't really commit," Seb said. "After all we've been through, what would even be the point?

"Still, I'll play along and go over the mechanics of this strange Rube Goldberg machine. It all started with Oliver switching on the stove to make tea as Nail asked him to. As the water began to boil the pressure inside the pot rose, until it reached a point high enough that the marble inside it shot out of the spout and knocked into the oat can, denting it in the process. The can fell off the fridge and onto the floorboard, tipping it so the other end in the bedroom rose up. This released the dowel that had been trapped underneath it, causing the fishing line it was attached to to lose tension and stop holding the jar in the attic up. The jar, which was already tipping over just a little due to the wooden block stuck underneath it, fell over and released acid onto the floor, which flowed down a long gouge in the wood. This slowly burned through the floorboards, until a few minutes later when the boards were weak enough that the weight of the heavy boxes on top of them caused them to break. The boxes fell through, creating a hole which caused the trailing end of the severed electrical cable to slip down, where it came into contact with Daniel's head and (allegedly) electrocuted him to death."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:34 pm

"This is just completely absurd enough that it has to be true," Enola mumbled, "And yet...I'm not sure why it matters."

"Even if Daniel were electrocuted this way, that doesn't explain the neck wounds or why his ankles were broken. Unless the boxes just happened to fall on only those specific areas...It sounds like this was set up to cover for the real killer, not to just make them guilty."

Enola hoped no one noticed that she had no idea what she was talking about.

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:43 pm

"It sounds like you have some doubts..."

His hand curls around a scepter and he swings it into his hands.

"Of course, it would be unfair to condemn Oliver for his role in a trap he did not know about, but if he knew.... I think that's a different story, isn't it? Maybe Oliver noticed the trap yesterday and decided to become a willing part in it...."

"Does this not make him the culprit?"

His words make everyone's stomachs curl.

"Here, I'll say it simply:"

"If Oliver knew about the trap when he activated the trap and if it killed Daniel, then Oliver is the culprit."

He grins, pleased with himself.

"Do you suppose it's time to vote? Or should you all discuss whatever this is that is making Enola feel uneasy? What can be proved and what can't?"

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:51 pm

Oliver glared at Him with piercing red eyes, clenching his fists tightly. "You bastard... You bloody used me! You had me make tea so that trap would activate, didn't you?!" he hissed, his face as red as his hair.

"Tch... If that is the case, then the woosh sound I heard ten minutes after starting the tea was likely the marble being launched, and I heard it hit the oat can... That's the only explanation in my eyes, really." He looked around at the others.

"In any case, while I certainly know that a killer would say this, I... I genuinely had no idea. This bloody bastard," he spat, thrusting a finger towards Lucifer. "used me to assist with the actual murder! Remind me to never make tea for anyone again," he stated with a huff.

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:09 pm

"Deny, deflect, and blame..."

He looks down his nose at Oliver.

"Actually, you remember the paper describing Oliver's charity concert? Well, I think I could use that to make a point about him..."

"His primary goal at that charity concert was to expand his fanbase and get more people to love him. Like Me he feeds off of worship," He pauses, letting the words sink in.

"So he feels flustered right now is that he sees this as a threat to his reputation."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:18 pm

"Perhaps that is the case... no, it definitely was the case. I wanted fame. I wanted fans. For people to love me. I'll admit that I was selfish, no doubt about that. But I at least tried to do it for a good cause -- I didn't take a single cent. It was a charity for a reason. Does that excuse my past actions as a cowardly bully? And does it excuse me wanting to gain a positive reputation, or my selfishness? No, it doesn't. Not by a goddamn long shot. I'll admit that. No excuses."

"Oh, and the only reason I'm flustered right now, Lucifer, is because you made me unwillingly assist in the murder. So yes, naturally, I'm going to be fucking upset. Just about anyone would," Oliver retorted, having calmed down a bit. "And my reputation? Pah. At this point, I could care less about my damned reputation. All I want is for everyone left to get out of here alive. And we'll do that by finding the murderer."