Imprints in Stone [AU]

[GamesMaster]

Ari shakes her head. "Explosions are big, messy. And it happened in coalside, framing a cat. Might be a political thing. She I guess came down here to visit orphanages, so maybe someone who is... against.... poor people? Poverty? Orphans?"

[Bethany]

"Maybe it's more about who's getting blamed," Beth says slowly, brow furrowed. "Assassinating a Light is just about the biggest... social impact for resource output you can do. What if this was about blaming the cats? Wait, no, then why would they arrest D-Dad?"

[GamesMaster]

"Yeah, your dad makes no sense. That's the opposite of us: he's a rich dwarf. How do you blame a dwarf after a cat? If he did it that'd make sense, rich people fight all the time..."

[Bethany]

Bethany shakes her head. "No, if he'd wanted to kill her, he wouldn't use his well known and moderately rare skill set to do it. So... "

[Tethras Clan]

"Maybe they just wanted to ask him for help? Because he knows bombs and helped with the the other thing that just happened?" Merrill frowns, eyes crossing as she tries to make her brain go twisty. 

[Bethany]

"No... they weren't asking him for help. Dad looked worried, which for him..." Nope, can't think about that for long or I'll start freaking out again. "No, I almost... what if... what if Nikolaos was a mistake? I mean, what if Dad was supposed to be blamed?"

[GamesMaster]

"And, what, the guard changed their mind? Without a suspect in custody? They'd have to have new evidence, but then, why chase Nikolaos? What changed?"

[Bethany]

"Something must have happened since last night that makes it more likely that- that points away from Nikolaos." Bethany huffs. "Of course, there's no way we can find that out. The only people I know who could get us that info is Dad, which duh. Helene, who we can't find and Andy, who's a friend but wouldn't tell us that. So... we have to back our way into it. Somehow."

[GamesMaster]

"We're sure they didn't catch him?" Ari says, slowly. "I expected more guards by now..."

[Bethany]

"I don't know... I just don't know! Something happened that made the guard switch from thinking it was Nikolaos to Dad. It had to have happened since this morning, probably in the afternoon, based on when they came for Dad. I doubt they found Nikolaos, because if they Truthed him, they'd know he was innocent and if they didn't, they wouldn't know to go after Dad. So... so..." Bethany closes her eyes, scowling as she thinks furiously. "So... so it must have been something from the bomb site. Or from Huntinghawk. Either they resurrected her or similar or found something at her house or... something like that. I just wish we knew someone that knew her!"

[Tethras Clan]

"Anders knows her," Merrill offers brightly, happy to be able to help.

[GamesMaster]

Ari blinks. "If Anders hangs out with Lights, why is he so broke?"

[Tethras Clan]

"I dunno, but he wrote her a letter earlier today. He asked me to have Chirples put it in her desk," the elf explains, expression faltering at the expression Beth is giving her. "...what?"

[GamesMaster]

"What... did the letter say?" asks Ari slowly. 

[Tethras Clan]

"I dunno? It was all sealed up in a tube and stuff. It was a really fancy one he got at this stationary stall in the bazaar. Just by the sparkly fountain with the winged fishies?" Merrill replies. "I really like that fountain, it shimmers really nicely when the sun-"