[Fin] Murder in the Mountains (End)

[PointMaid]

...Oh, we are cooperating. We've been discussing how things line up all day, what people say what. But Knuckles just gave us the last piece of the puzzle. Thank you, Knuckles. We couldn't have done it without you.

[door-kun]

"You're welcome. There's a reason I'm the guardian of the Master Emerald."

[Florien]

BECAUSE. YOU'RE ON. THE SAME. TEAM WITH LOTUS. KNUCKLES. YOU'RE BOTH SCUM, NO DOUBT! NO DOUBT! COOPERATE WITH ME, AND THE SEVEN CIRCLES WILL LOOK KINDLY UPON YOU AND NOT BURN YOUR FLESH FROM YOUR BONES WHILE YOU FEEL EVERY INSTANT OF IT!

[artsyGeek]

[. .at this point, Kondraki just. Kicks Malakhiri in the kneecaps.]

[Or at least, what he presumes to be their kneecaps. Hard to tell with a cloak like that.]

[door-kun]

"And why would you ask the person who you think is scum to cooperate with you unless you're scum!"

[Florien]

I'M ASKING OTHER PEOPLE! PARSE MY WORDS, SCUM! PARSE THEM WELL! KNUCKLES AND LOTUS ALIKE ARE TRAITORS, AND BOTH DESERVE DEATH! HEED MY WORDS! HEED THEM! HEED HARDER!

[Kennifer]

Amy just keeps... laughing at Malakhiri's increased level of "being an unhinged lunatic".

[Cassie]

(7/12 to confirm)

Nolim - Red
Malak - Kondraki, Knuckles, Nellie, Chip & Ada, Amy
Knuckles - Malak

[door-kun]

I'M ASKING OTHER PEOPLE! PARSE MY WORDS, SCUM! PARSE THEM WELL! KNUCKLES AND LOTUS ALIKE ARE TRAITORS, AND BOTH DESERVE DEATH! HEED MY WORDS! HEED THEM! HEED HARDER!


"Yeah, we get it, you're salty about getting caught, shut the heck up already! Frankly, we're sick of your crap! Or do you want me to punch your mouth shut? Cause if you're so interested, I'm inclined to!"

[Florien]

Oh, shut up Knuckles. No one likes you. You cannot harm me. Your blows only strengthen my conviction and how correct I am, that you resort to violence to silence your opponent like this. I suppose what I'm trying to say is... YOU'RE AN IDIOT, AND YOU'RE TIPPING YOUR HAND TOO FAR HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE, AND BE TORN LIMB FROM LIMB! YOU'LL DIE HORRIFICALLY, BLOOD SOAKING THE WORLD, AND IT WILL BE BETTER WITHOUT YOUR ILL-BEGOTTEN SOUL IN IT!

[door-kun]

> Deck Malakhiri in the face.
"Didn't I tell ya to shut up? And heard that before - threat's just that. A threat. It ain't gonna happen. Cause the only idiot I see here is you."

[Caret]

Now Malakhiri's spewing out even more insane ramblings? Enough is enough. Nellie decides to utter a curse in Angelic directed towards the cultist in hopes of making them shut up.

"JUH MALAKHIRI JUNDFT ZAXTXZ LUCIFER YANZIR INFERNIA! You understood what I just said, huh? If you didn't... then that was a warning to stop with your derange nonsense or else... something bad will happen. I don't know what... but... something will happen!"

[Cassie]

> deck

SLAM!

[Kennifer]

"Do you have anything to say to actually defend or explain yourself other than a role that you and your alleged fellow mason could be lying about and a bunch of insults and hilariously over the top spooky mumbo jumbo?"

[Zanreo]

"...Yeah, you haven't been helping your cause much, Malak."

/vote Malakhiri

[PointMaid]

Agreed. I don't think you've been helping us investigate. You're not defending yourself except with things that can't be verified.

[artsyGeek]

"Oh, and you're just a pain in the arse in general. I'm surprised Shrinking Violet and Red dealt with your shit a lot better than us all."

"Usually, I'd put in "no offense" in that, but you don't deserve that."

[Florien]

The blow catches Malakhiri in the face, but nothing comes of it. They do not spit and curse from the pain, instead standing still... until...

>Throw a heavy ritual candle at knuckles

The throw is sudden, overly fluid.

I lay a curse upon you. No one likes you already, but they will see you for what you are, truly. A twisted husk, puppeted by wickedness, avarice, and obsessiveness. A guardian? Nay. You are a hoarder. A hoarder of a single item, but a hoarder nonetheless. I would hear no more of your incoherent words.

To Amy, Malakhiri speaks again, this time positively shrieking. It's a jarring shift from the hoarse whisper they used to curse Knuckles.

NO! THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING I CAN SAY THAT WOULD "PROVE" ANYTHING! I'M A MASON TRUE, AND THUS, I CANNOT VISIT PEOPLE TO DISCERN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU SEEK FROM ME! THERE IS NOTHING I CAN SAY TRUTHFULLY THAT WOULD PROVE I AM ANYTHING OTHER THAN A MASON! I AM THE OPTIMAL TARGET FOR SUCH CHICANERY AS KNUCKLES AND HIS CO-CONSPIRITORS ISSUE FORTH HERE, AND THEY KNOW THIS! I CANNOT SEE YOU PEOPLE AS YOU SEE OTHERS! I CANNOT TAKE ACTIONS TO PROTECT YOU, NOR CAN I PROVE A THING, BECAUSE EVERYTHING MY ROLE IN THIS STORY PROVIDES LIES WITH MITSUHA, AND HERS WITH MINE!

Malakhiri then turns to Chip and Ada, Ada specifically.

YOU. I HELPED YOU INVESTIGATE! I INVESTIGATED THE HAIR FOUND AT THE SCENE OF THE VERY FIRST MURDER! WHEN NO OTHER COULD DISCERN ITS ARTIFICIALLITY, I LIT A STRAND ABLAZE, PROVING IT TO BE TRUE HAIR!

[door-kun]

"One hair ain't much."
The echidna adjusts his hat.

[artsyGeek]

YOU. I HELPED YOU INVESTIGATE! I INVESTIGATED THE HAIR FOUND AT THE SCENE OF THE VERY FIRST MURDER! WHEN NO OTHER COULD DISCERN ITS ARTIFICIALLITY, I LIT A STRAND ABLAZE, PROVING IT TO BE TRUE HAIR!

". .you. . You burnt a crucial evidence. Even if it's just a strand, that's just bloody bullshit."

[door-kun]

YOU. I HELPED YOU INVESTIGATE! I INVESTIGATED THE HAIR FOUND AT THE SCENE OF THE VERY FIRST MURDER! WHEN NO OTHER COULD DISCERN ITS ARTIFICIALLITY, I LIT A STRAND ABLAZE, PROVING IT TO BE TRUE HAIR!

". .you. . You burnt a crucial evidence. Even if it's just a strand, that's just bloody bullshit."

"Also yeah, how in Chaos' name is burning evidence helpful!"

[Kennifer]

"Wow, a lot of that was the same stuff only louder. Are you one of those people who thinks shouting things or saying them a bunch of times makes it true? 'Cause that just gets really annoying."

[PointMaid]

...Yeah, and almost got my husband convicted over it, and we still haven't figured out for sure where it was from! It could still have been an actual hair just dyed or something! Wonderful help there! Many thanks for that! Not!

[Florien]

I FOUND PROOF OF SOMETHING AND THERE WAS MORE OF THE SAME HAIR! KONDRAKI! I DID NO HARM, AND I OBTAINED EVIDENCE YOU WERE UNABLE TO! WHAT ENVY MUST WRACK YOU THAT YOU INSIST ON THINKING THIS AN ISSUE!

Malakhiri spits at Kondraki.

I HELPED! I HELPED SO! I AIDED IN THE INVESTIGATION AS BEST AS I WAS ABLE WITH NO SKILLS BEYOND THOSE CONFERRED UPON ME BY THE SEVEN CIRCLES! YOU WERE ALL CAUGHT UP IN WHETHER OR NOT THE HAIR WAS ARTIFICIAL OR REAL, AND I FOUND A WAY TO TEST WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS ARTIFICIAL OR REAL! AND YOU JUDGE ME FOR IT?!

[psychedelicate]

...Mitsuha hides in a corner and covers her ears due to all the shouting.