Okay. Taran and Fenna both complied! That brightened Viper’s mood considerably. She did fully go through Taran’s things, even placing it back in his bag neatly for him before handing it back.
“Good. Thanks, Taran, Fenna.” Viper nodded gratefully, “…But don’t blame yaself, Fens. You either, ’ran.” Two new nicknames for the collection.
R.N.A. I was attempting to patch a wound for Matsukaze.
Viper glances over at Matsukaze sitting beside her. Maybe she seemed just a little hurt by the fact she had so easily been replaced in her doctor role. A shame.
But she quickly snaps back as RNA continues speaking.
R.N.A. Can anybody account for your whereabouts during this? You may be just… making this event up.
“When have I, like, ever told a lie? Ever?” Viper starts, but she’s quickly shut up by Jack’s confirmation of her alibi, scoffing and leaning back against the edge of the jury box. He didn’t have to say it like that! …She couldn’t even deny the fact she was stamping around at this point. So, she’s gonna pretend she didn’t hear it at all!
R.N.A. “I can also confirm… I have watched my own tape. However… The only other person present was Atsuko herself… Who obviously cannot verify that I did so.”
“Yeah, ’cause that totally doesn’t make you suspicious at all.” Viper rolls her eyes again, folding her arms across herself.
Roadie 🪶Jack “Hey, if you ask nice, even I might give ya some medical supplies, but I wouldn’t hand out my knife.”
“…I mean. Ya also ain’t as nice as Comedy. Fella seemed lonely, stuck in that hut with no one to talk to but murdercat if they even stop by.” Viper shrugs. “…Or maybe good looks and charm could win ’em over.” She seemed unpertubed by Jack’s amusement about her thoughts, “Or maybe Comedy would want ta give out a knife ta try ‘n encourage somethin’ like this.”
“Eh, maybe just a lil’. But y’all wouldn’t’a changed the vote anyway, ’cause it’d have been 3-2? Democracy sucks, kiddo.” …Sorry, Arty!
Arty Takenaka “I don’t know who did that, but if it’s true it can’t be Comedy, and I don’t think Atsuko would shoot her own space heater since she was so attached to it. So… a third person then.”
“Bingo. It has ta be someone else. Atsuko was so attached to that thing, she wouldn’t’a destroyed it.” Viper pulls Atsuko’s lighter from her pocket. “An’ her lighter still seems ta have some gas in it, so… doubt it was used ta set the fire.” She folds her legs up onto the chair.
“Guarantee the fire was caused by someone shootin’ the space heater when Atsuko was prob’ly tryin’ to recover from her injuries. There was a bloody handprint on the tree beside her body, an’ it had no fingerprints. Tellin’ me Atsuko was at least alive by the time she collapsed under the treevee.”
Viper continues,
“…I think Atsuko prob’ly collapsed to the ground an’ wanted ta keep warm as her body was drainin’ of blood. She prob’ly knew she was gonna die, but didn’t want ta feel the cold set in. Soooo, when someone shot the space heater, it sparked ’n malfunctioned ’n set the fire.”
Taran “Actually, I’m not sure whether the gun could be fired without drawing attention. I was up in the open air but I didn’t hear it fire. It had a cobbled-together silencer on there, but the whole thing was in bad shape even before the storm.”
“…I mean, they prob could’a used somethin’ as a makeshift silencer, those are a thing… Or even somethin’ like clothin’ if it’s thick enough could prob’ly make a difference.” Viper shrugs- “People use pillows when murderin’ all the time.”
“…I also think ’Suko might have been shot. Which… is kinda weird, ’cause if the gun only had one bullet, perhaps Nekoneko was involved.” She looked over at the cat.
“Oi. Would ya interfere in somethin’ like that, kitty cat? Seems like somethin’ more your style.”
