Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

[tape begins here]

“Dr. Asano Abi; leader of Session Scarlet, Log 1.”

“The newest study branch of our general organization, known as the Organization of Paranoia Study in Prodigal Youth, (or OPSPY, for short) has finally gained enough funding to start our first simulation on the study of the relationship between paranoia and prodigal skill in youth around the world. In the past, other organizations have solely pulled from Japan, but we’re going to be branching out. We want to take samples from various countries, as those will provide us with a decent set of data and avoid a confirmation bias. We know Japanese teens are pushed to work very hard, particularly before university, so I theorize that they are prime targets for anxiety and paranoia, especially considering all of them are at least 17 or will be turning 17 during this session; for this reason, only 8 of the 16 students we have chosen are from Japan. All of the students, regardless of nationality, have a proficiency in English that can equate to a relatively-intermediate level or higher in order for them to have a common ground of communication.

“Our location has also finally been chosen, or rather constructed; the students will be spending their time in a facility designed to resemble a high-class European manor of the Victorian Era and high school hybrid. We figured that we can simulate events that will very likely incite paranoia and anxiety very easily in an environment such as this, while still posing as a high school setting; I suppose it could almost be considered a boarding school or an elite academy you'd find in Europe.

“It’s quite an array of students that we’ve gathered and from a relatively-decent array of countries; the last one arrived yesterday morning. We wanted to give them at least 24 hours to acclimate to the facility (and for around half of them, the timezone) before being moved to another one.

“The mascot is preparing themself for the session and the final details are being plotted out as we speak. It would appear we're just on the tail end of finalizing everything. After months of planning, organizing, fundraising, and gathering data, Session Scarlet will finally be able to begin. Hopefully this will be an interesting bunch to study. I suppose I should begin uploading their files to the terminals and gathering them for pre-session interviews.

“This is Dr. Asano Abi; Session Scarlet, Log 1; signing out.”

[tape ends here.]

Chapter Text

学生1の監視。

202X年5月21日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所はウクライナのオデッサです。

[tape begins here]

[lock clicks, door opens.]

“Mama, I’m back!”

“Kateryna! Get into the kitchen!”

[footsteps]

“What?”

“What happened?! It’s a mess!”

“…Oh…yeah…I was experimenting before I went to school this morning. I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up; I’ll remember next time.”

[cupboard doors open, items being pushed around and grabbed]

“You say this every time and yet you don’t.”

“I know, I know, but…I’ve tried everything to remember!”

“Then try harder!”

[table being wiped down and something swept off of it]

“Mama, ugh! You know it’s not that simple for me!”

“Just…try. Please, Kateryna? You’re stressing me out with this business of yours; what if it suddenly falls through?”

“It WON’T, mama. I’m pretty well-established here.”

“And what if you miss another deadline?”

“I’ll take the fall as usual, problem solved.”

“Problem NOT solved, problem would still be there. And what about your weight? How are you going to lose weight if you keep testing—?”

“Mama, I’m not bursting at the seams; calm down!”

“You have some nerve talking to your mother like that.”

“And you have nerve talking about weight loss after papa—“

“Kateryna Valentyna Levchenko, DO NOT go there!”

[silence]

[sigh] “…I’m sorry, mama, I shouldn’t have said anything. I just…I’m sick of you fretting over everything about me; I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“I know, but you’re still my little girl; I only fret over you because—“

 “—Because you care about me, I know. You got that trait from Бабуся (Babúsia) and so did Olesia. But the end of the year’s coming up and I really don’t need more stress; I have deadlines to catch up on after this.”

[sigh] “I understand. Just…please try to improve your planning and focus; you’re going to be eighteen not long after.”

“But I’ll still be living here.”

“And that’s fine, but…you still need to learn to improve that sort of thing, even if you struggle with it. People aren’t going to go so easy on you as an adult.”

“And I don’t expect them to. I just expect reasonable accommodations.”

“Not everyone will give those, though. But I’ll have your back, I promise. Now finish cleaning up and let me know when you do. I want to start cooking supper soon.”

“I can help if you'd like.”

"Well, it's certainly always nice to have you in the kitchen, when you get your head out of the clouds, of course." [peppering face with kisses]

[giggles] "Mama, I'm nearly 17!"

"I know, I know, but you'll always be my sweet little dreamer; now let's get this cleaned up."

"Alright."

[tape ends here]

彼女がセッション中に殺人犯になるかどうかは分かりません。


彼女の態度は優しく思いやりがありすぎるように見えますが、確かに彼女の職業には合っています。

とはいえ、表面下にはもっと何かがあるかもしれません。

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士と話をする必要があります。

Chapter Text

学生2の監視。

202X年3月14日収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

所在地は東京都心部の霞ヶ関地区です。

[tape begins here]

[keys jingle, lock clicks, door opens. Magazine page turns.]

“Hey. You’re back late.”

[sighs.] “I’m so fucking over this case, and it’s only the first day.”

“What’s it this time?”

“Triple homicide; wife, mistress, and child. The dude’s clearly guilty and most of it was clearly planned out, but his attorney’s trying to push for an insanity plea. What a load of bullshit. Also here; I got some onigiri on the way back.”

[bag tossed and caught]

“Thanks. But anyway, there’s no way that’ll work, right?”

[bag crinkling.]

“It better not. I’ve already lost enough faith in the legal system as it is.”

“And what do you mean mostly planned out?”

“I mean…I’m not really supposed to discuss too many details on these cases, you know that. They contain sensitive information.”

[muffled] “That’s never stopped you before, Ebina.”

“Dude, don’t talk with your mouth full; you’re gonna choke on that shit one day. Anyway, this one’s different; it’s got a kid involved.”

[swallow] “And don’t you think that’s why I should know? It’ll let me know if your lack of faith is justified. Like…was the kid the unplanned kill or something?”

[heavy-ass sigh] “I really wish…no, it was the mistress.”

“So this guy’s a real piece of shit then.”

“Yeah, big time; but no more asking for details. That’s all I can really say about it until this shit blows over.”

“Fair enough; you wanna order take-out?”

“Nah, I think I’m gonna just grab something from the kitchen and crash. You should be getting to bed too, Tazawa.”

“You’re not my dad.”

“I’m the closest thing you’ll get to one, though, so be grateful. Don’t let me catch you still up tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

[tape ends here]

ワイルドカードのようですね。

どちらに転ぶか分かりません。

検察官は非常に独善的になり、自らの道徳観を破ってしまうことさえあります。

心理プロファイルについては[編集済み]博士の診察を受けてください。

Chapter Text

学生3の監視。

202X年11月25日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本の北海道です。

[tape begins here]

[upbeat music playing, upper-class laughter, drinks clinking]

“Lady Amane, I must say; you look as darling as always, pink is absolutely your color.”

[giggle] “Oh, you are too kind. I had help picking it out; I feel it’s usually good to get a second opinion.”

“Of course, of course; however, you always pull off everything you wear in such a lovely fashion.”

“Indeed, especially pink; you look like a darling little princess, even at such an old age.”

“Oh, I’m sure 17 isn’t that old.”

“You hardly look 17.”

“I was just about to say that! You look so youthful; any woman would kill for looks like yours.”

“I’m…sure they would; oh, if you would excuse me for a few moments.”

“Of course!”

“Take your time, Lady Amane!”

[footsteps, audio swaps to different room; door opens and shuts.]

[sigh of relief.] “Finally, a moment alone…”

[footsteps, book pulled out, chair creaking, book opened, inhale, sigh, pages turning, slightly humming, suddenly door opens, footsteps, door shuts]

“Himari!”

[squeak with a start] “M-mom!”

“What are you doing in here?! You’re missing all of these connections you could be making.”

“I-I’m getting exhausted, and I just…I need—“

“What you NEED is to get out there and showcase your charm; you know these connections don’t come easily.”

“I-I’m doing alright right now; I just—“

“Alright? Alright?! Alright is practically failing, Himari! These events need excellence!”

“But…they’re so…they’re so draining. I just…I want some time to—”

“What is that in your hands? [beat] Don’t tell me you’re reading NOW.”

“I-it helps me unwind—“

“You can’t unwind right now! You need to impress these people; there are many young and well-off bachelors and it’ll be best for you to secure a match as soon as possible.”

“A…A bachelor? Like…a boy?”

“Of course! That’s who noble ladies go for, of course. Now put down that book and get back out there. You only have a few more hours to make a good impression.”

“But…[sigh]…very well…just…give me a minute, please? To put the book away and recollect myself?”

[huff] “Very well, [footsteps] but no longer than a minute. Your future is at stake here, Himari, and I won’t have you messing this up.”

[door opens, footsteps, door shuts. Big sigh, book is reshelved, slight whimper and sniffle.]

[softly] “No…I can’t…not right now…”

[footsteps, deep breath, door opens, footsteps, door closes.]

[tape ends here]

一見、この学生は殺人を犯すようなタイプには見えない。

彼女は物静かで控えめに見えるが、外見は人を欺くことがある。



社会のエリート層にはしばしば隠された目的がある。

彼女は一体何を隠しているのだろうか？

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士に尋ねてみる必要がある。

Chapter Text

学生4の監視。

202X年6月15日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所はアメリカ合衆国マサチューセッツ州のセーラムです。

[tape begins here]

[typing on laptop, door opens]

“Hey; you’re still working on that paper?”

“Yeah…I swear to God, these teachers just want us to regurgitate everything they tell us.”

“How so?”

“Like…I just wanna type up a paper on witchcraft for sociology, but I get marked for ‘using outside sources’. What do they want us to do? Use books only in the school?”

“Oh…yeah, I get that, it sucks…anyway, by the way, are you gonna go to that grad party this weekend?”

“Which one? There are like four-dozen.”

“Kelly Madison’s?”

[typing pauses] “…Oh…um…no, I think I’m gonna hang back.”

“Oh c’mon, Lydia! You’re such a hermit. You almost never leave this place; you need to socialize, maybe…find some other people who love all of this witchy, mystic stuff.”

“I’m not really someone who shares that kind of thing with other people…”

“Then maybe you should start; you could probably find someone at Kelly’s grad party, I know she’s into crystals.”

“I mean…I dunno; I might have a text session with a client this weekend; this woman wants to know if her ex is stalking her and whether they’re a danger to her. Apparently she heard some rumors that he’s related to a serial killer.”

“You’re still doing that?”

“Just as a part-time thing. It’s a decent way to make money, and I do send in proof of having done it.”

“And…they fall for it?”

“I…I mean…I’ve had at least a handful of people say that…I…that I was right; apparently my session I did with one client lead to them getting their lymph nodes checked after they were there for two months after an infection; they kept getting brushed off by family members, so they wanted to ask me what their next move should be. I thought I saw a sort-of…I dunno…halo around the lymph nodes, but…it wasn’t a good one. Anyway, I told them that and they went and got it checked.”

“And…what did they find?”

“Stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma; she's not in remission yet, but she's doing pretty well, I'd say.”

“…You’re kidding....you probably just got lucky.”

“I mean, even if all of those times have been sheer luck, at least it did something good. Plus I guess some people get some reassurance over these things. Just…I’ll probably just get Kelly a gift card. If you could take it to her when you go, that’d be awesome.”

[sighs] “Well, it’s your loss. Oh, by the way, I found this weird blog that I think you’d like, what with you having all of this witchy stuff.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah; it’s got all these posts about divination, tarot, crystals, they even talk about trying to directly communicate to deities.”

[typing stops]

“…What’s…the blog name?”

“Oh, I have it on my phone. I’ll show you. [footsteps, typing.] Here.”

[pause.]

“…How did you find that?!”

“I…kinda just…stumbled onto it—“

“—Exit out of it. Block it.”

“Wha…what are you—?”

[frantic] “—Just do it!”

“Can you just explai—?”

“JUST…don’t go back on it…please.”

“You always do this; you freak out over the tiniest things, but you never tell me why you’re freaking out.”

“I have my reasons.”

“And yet you never *tell me* these reasons.”

“Do you not trust me?”

“No, I do, but you can’t deny that this is sketchy as hell.”

[huff] “Look…I know I’ve said these things before, but I seriously need you to listen to me for this one; STAY OFF of that blog. PLEASE.”

[silence, big sigh]

“Fine…if it gets you to calm down…anyway, I might order take-out; lemme know if there’s anything in particular you’re craving.”

“Yeah. Sure. Just text me when you decide.”

“Will do…but seriously; you need to get out of the house and talk to people.”

[resume typing and huff as door shuts] “I know, I know…[pauses, laptop pushed aside, quieter and more melancholy] I’m just…not sure I...can afford to...not anymore…”

[tape ends here]

この女性には殺人を犯す可能性があると感じています。

彼女について私が知っていることを踏まえると、誰かが彼女を暴露すると脅迫すれば、彼女が殺人犯になる可能性は十分にあります。

もちろん、確実ではありませんが、かなり妥当な可能性はあります。

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士に相談する必要があります。

Chapter Text

学生5の監視。

202X年8月16日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所はスペインのバルセロナです。

[tape begins here]

[keyboard typing with the occasional crunch]

“So far, so good…oh, I love the animation style!”

[voice over computer] “You do?”

“Yes! It reminds me of one of those creepy claymation films; it fits the tone so well; these CGs are also really well-designed. You never fail to surprise and impress me.”

“I mean, you always have amazing visions for these projects; how can I not? Anyway, not to defer to small talk, but how is the weather over there? Staying cool this summer?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty hot, no surprise there; we might get some storms, though, so that’ll be exciting. It’ll give me time to jot down ideas for the OST.”

“I’ve gotta say; your ideas always seem to get more ambitious.”

“I have a bit of a whirlwind brain, I s’pose. People should get their money’s worth and then some.”

“That’s why they’re so popular; anyway, Holly wanted to report on a complaint that we got.”

“Oh? A complaint?”

“Yeah, some girl apparently got a corrupted version and it destroyed her entire computer.”

[pause]

“Wait, her entire computer?”

“Yeah; wiped her hard-drive clean and then just disappeared from it, she had a lot of stuff saved up, lots of photos.”

“Oh wow...is it, like, still functional?”

“The laptop? No, it’s basically fried; can't even turn it on, according to her."

“Oh…that’s unfortunate; are you sure she didn’t…y’know…pirate it?”

“She’s claiming she didn’t.”

“Okay, well, did Holly catch a name?”

“Yeah, umm…Maria Rivera.”

[pause]

"Do you...do you know where she's from?"

"Ummm...I think she might be in Barcelona like you."

[pause, hesitantly] “Umm…okay…just…tell Holly to forward the email to me along with the serial number.”

“…You okay, Nadia?”

“Yeah? Why?”

“You usually don’t get this nervous about a complaint.”

“Well, it…you said it wiped her entire computer clean! Why wouldn’t I be anxious?”

“I mean, I guess that’s true…”

“So did she get the physical or digital copy?”

“She was gifted a digital code.”

“Okay, tell Holly to ask for the code and I can try to look into it. Is there anything else you wanted to show me?”

“No, I think that’s all I’ve got; I think we’re gonna be closing in on trying to recruit voice actors soon.”

“Great; let me know when you can meet next; I’d like to gather the entire team for a full progress report.”

“Gotcha. Stay cool.”

[exit out of video call, pause, deep breath, growling exhale]

[bitterly] “…Maria Rivera…God, I hope that game wipes your new laptop clean too…let’s see how you like it…”

[tape ends here]

この生徒も感情的になりやすいようです。

リベラ先生に対して何らかの恨みを抱いているようです。

生徒5に精神疾患の既往歴があり、それが彼女の怒りを増幅させる原因となっているかどうかは分かりません。

[編集済み]医師に心理鑑定を依頼する必要があると思います。

Chapter Text

学生6の監視。

202X年4月20日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本、関東地方の文京区です。

[tape begins here]

[fancy classical music, glasses clinking, footsteps, whispering and giggling, more footsteps]

“Good afternoon, ladi—“

[excited] “Where is he?”

“…I-I’m sorry?”

“Yes, where is he?”

“Who?”

“Tetsy, obviously!”

“Tetsy?”

“Don’t you know who he is?”

“I…I apologize, I joined the club a few days ago. I-I really don’t know who—.”

[footsteps, excited gasps]

“Kodama?”

“Oh! I-Isozaki! Is there something yo—?”

“Ladies, how lovely it is to see you once again; Ayuka, you look breath-taking in pink, like a sakura flower come alive. How’s Rumi doing? Has your mother recovered from her head cold?”

“Oh, Rumi’s doing quite well; she’s at the top of her class. And yes, my mother’s much better! I must thank you for the tips you gave me for her.”

“No need; I’m always happy to help. Haruhi, did you get your hair trimmed? I know those bangs have been troubling you; the stylist did an amazing job! Who did it?”

“Oh, they have been troubling! But I went to Hashira Clips.”

“Ah, yes; I’ve heard wonderful things about their skills. I’ll have to stop by sometime. Worry not, Kodama; I can take it from here.”

“Y-you know them?”

“They’re a couple of my regulars. I’ll be taking them to my usual spot.”

“But what if more girls ask for you?”

“If it’s someone new, ask for their contact information and I’ll get back to them to arrange a first meeting.”

[phone notification, phone checked]

“Oh dang it! Sorry, Tetsy, but I have to get home; my parents are going out and need me to babysit.”

“U-Uh…are you sure, Haruhi?”

“I promise I’ll stay next time, but I can’t right now. Au revoir!”

[footsteps, silence]

“S-so…do you want me to—?”

[nervously] “You know I can’t meet with just you, Ayuka.”

“Wh-what? But I’ve been waiting for weeks!”

“I’m sorry, but you know—“

"You can't just bail on me now, Tetsy! This is my birthday reservation and I specifically requested you! You don't want me to be lonely, do you?"

"I-I'm sorry, but you know my policy well--"

[footsteps]

“I can accompany you two.”

[relieved] “Oh! Aotsuki! R-really? Are you sure?”

“You know it’s my job, Isozaki. Now are we going or not?”

“Oh, thank you; yes, right this way then.”

[three sets of footsteps leaving, one entering.]

“Kodama, hey; how’s the shift going?”

“Oh! Hey there, Umeji! Does he always do that?”

“Who?”

“Isozaki; a girl in the pair had to leave before the reservation and he didn’t want to be alone with the other.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s pretty normal for him now; that’s why we hire people like Aotsuki.”

“You hire girls to be stand-in guests?”

“Well, specifically for Isozaki; I dunno what happened, but he just came in one day and insisted on meeting girls in pairs, at minimum.”

“Maybe he thinks they’re scared of men.”

“They wouldn’t be coming here if they were; this is a club of mainly men. Anyway, can you pass the greeter job over to Amami for now? I need you to organize out these reservations and make a few calls; it appears we have conflicts with scheduling.”

“Oh! Yeah, sure; hey, Amami! We need you at the greeter spot!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Don't get your dress pants in a twist!"

[tape ends here]

彼は礼儀正しく、威厳のあるティーンエイジャーのように見えます。

殺人者でさえ礼儀正しくあることはありますが、確かなことは言えません。

彼は一人の女の子とだけ時間を過ごすことはなく、少なくとも二人の女の子と一度に時間を過ごすことに非常にこだわっているようです。

彼が遊び人なのか、それとも駒なのかは分かりません。

心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士にご相談ください。

Chapter Text

学生7の監視。

202X年6月03日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本の渋谷です

[tape begins here]

[Rain drumming on window as pencil scribbles on paper; door opens.]

"Why are you still up? It's...2:30 am."

"I'm working on conjugations."

"You've been working on that stuff since you woke up this morning; that was nearly sixteen hours ago!"

"Because I need all of the time I can get; there are still some verbs I'm having trouble with."

[groans] "C'mon, big bro, there's a fine line between genius and insanity and you treat that line like a challenge."

"Haruka, you know how important this is to me; I have less than a week to compile master lists of each language from A to Z."

"It's a model UN competition; so what?"

[pencil scribbling stops, pencil down on the desk] "So what is I have things to make up for, changes to make, diplomacy to create, and one of the ways I can do that is to properly conjugate Finnish verbs."

"You're...you're already on Finnish? The competition isn't until Saturday; you need to get sleep!"

"Sleep can wait; world peace treaties can't."

"It's not even an actual summit! It's all fake; cut yourself some slack."

"It helps me to treat it like a real one. Now please leave me be; you have your own things to worry about." [pencil scribbling]

[groan] "Roku, I swear; you're gonna collapse from sleep deprivation one of these days, probably during a real peace conference."

[chuckles] "Me? Never. I have impeccable endurance and superhuman stamina."

"Oh good grief! Please don't give into your God complex."

"I do not have a God complex; I just know my own strengths!"

"It's the same when it comes to you; look, can you just go to bed soon? If mom finds out you're still up, you'll get another lecture."

"Don't remind me; it's bad enough that she doesn't understand my passions. Why isn't she happy that her own child wants to create positive and peaceful relations with other countries? I could be doing a lot worse than staying up late studying languages. I just want to benefit the world. Why would she be so upset about that?"

"Maybe stop staying up until 6 am and she won't be so on-edge."

"You know I don't mean to stress her out; I just happen to function better outside of what she considers to be an 'acceptable' schedule; I'll be fine." 

"Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that. Anyway, please just go to bed."

"I'll go to bed when I feel the time is right."

[groans] "You are insufferable! At least go to bed before the next year..."

[door shuts, footsteps fading away]

"Hmmph; it's not my fault I think better at night. Anyhow, where was I? [beat, nervously] O-oh... [pencil scribbling] 'murhata'...I...[papers shuffling] maybe I'll come back to that one..."

[tape ends here]

テープを締めくくる面白い動詞ですね。

次の生徒の出身国と関連しているので、この動詞の由来言語も言うまでもありません。

この生徒が殺人者になるかどうかは、まだ分かりません。彼の傲慢さが邪魔になれば、もしかしたらそうなるかもしれません。

[編集済み]博士の心理プロファイルを参考にさせていただきます。

Chapter Text

学生8の監視。

202X年7月18日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所はフィンランドの北カレリアです。

[tape begins here]

[stove running, door opens, footsteps]

"I'm back!"

"Leo! You're late; was the flock extra stubborn today?"

"Ah, you know sheep. [chair pulled out, he takes a seat] They can be quite unpredictable."

[wood board pulled out, drawers opened.] "Your papa used to say the same thing about his parents' flock. I still get a bit worried when he's not back for dinner."

"He's strong, like you. I'm sure he'll be fine. Anyway, do you need any help?"

"You've been working all day; are you sure you don't want to relax?"

"Ah, I've still got some energy in me; you know I always do."

[carrots being chopped] "I do...but you know that I've started to notice the dark circles, Leo."

"Dark circles?"

"Under your eyes. Have you been sleeping or eating?"

"...Well...I...I drink tea every morning."

[chopping stops, footsteps, chair pulled out] "Rakas, that's not sustenance; [sits down] you need to have food, not just drinking tea and coffee. I worry about you sometimes, you know."

"Don't worry about me; I'm strong."

"I know you are, but even the strongest people have their limits, especially when they're so into caffeine."

"I need to stay vigilant for the flock. [beat, slower and quieter] I...I can't let it happen again..."

"...Rakas, that wasn't your fault."

[voice trembling] "I...I should've been more...careful, more watchful."

"You can't undo the past, you can only learn from it for the present...please, try to forgive yourself."

"But...she was important...we all loved her...and then I..."

"I know, and it's sad it happened, but that doesn't mean you deserve to neglect yourself. You're human like all of us; you make mistakes and you need to care for yourself. [beat] Please just...eat something substantial and get some rest; if not for yourself, then for me please?"

"[sighs]...A...Alright. I'll eat something."

"Something substantial?"

"Yes, of course, mama."

"And water."

[chair pulled out, bleating, jumping, hooves clopping over]

"Huh? Helmi, honey, what are you doing out of the pen?"

"Seems she wants to be around you tonight."

"[gently with a smile in his voice]...Aww...she knows I can't say no to a face like hers. Alright, let me grab something to eat and drink; then we'll go and cuddle."

[happy bleating]

[tape ends here] 

この男は絶対に殺人者ではない。彼の道徳観はあまりにも絶対的だ。

もし彼が本当に人を殺したとしたら、私は非常に驚くだろう。

また、彼は自分の欲求よりも他人の欲求を優先しているように思える。魅力的だが、同時に退屈でもある。

いずれにせよ、私は彼の心理プロファイルについて[編集済み]博士に相談するつもりだ。

Chapter Text

学生9の監視。

202X年1月05日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本の名古屋です。

[tape begins here]

[gears turning, ticking, occasional coughing and wheezing throughout the interaction; door creaks open]

[quietly] "Yoshi? Onee-chan?"

[gear set down on table] "...Rina? Why are you here?! Mom and dad'll catch you!"

"No, they won't; they have a major client looking at one of the pieces today, [footsteps clicking on the cobble, wrinkling of paper bags.] and those take ages to get through."

"...Okay? That still doesn't explain why you're here."

"I got paid my allowance in advance after...[hesitant]...making it in the top five of exams, along with a little extra."

"...Exams...I...I kind of miss those...but what does your allowance--?"

"I got you a few things." 

[wrinkling of paper bag]

"You...you really didn't have to."

"Of course I do; you're helping our family, this is the very least I can do."

"...It'd be nice to tell someone...to finally be able to get out of this basement..."

"I know...but...we were finally able to afford a nice house after your talent blossomed. We don't have to live in that cramped cabin anymore...anyway, I've got some cough drops, a thermos of tea, some hanabira-mochi, saka-manju, nerikiri, tou-manju, a scarf, a coat, and...something I've been saving up for for weeks...and got Christmas money for."

[wrinkling of bag, raspy gasp] 

"R-Rina...is that--?"

"I went to the doctor's and just imitated how you sound, and it was like they practically shoved it into my arms."

[voice shaky] "Y-you lied to them...to get me an inhaler?"

[slow progression to tears] "...You...I got really scared...when you had that really bad coughing fit a few days ago...you...you were turning blue...and we had to break the rules to get you fresh air...I was scared I'd lose you...so I had to do it..."

"But Rina...you could get in trouble! You could go to jail!"

"I won't. I'm small, fast, and trustworthy. And I have a plan; I'm gonna run for class president next year and then...then the teachers will listen to me and help us get out of here...though our current class president is..."

"...Is what?"

"...He's looking really sick, Yoshi...at this rate, he might have to drop the position. And if that happens, someone's gotta take over; why not me? That way I can tell the teachers about what's going on and we can get out of this house sooner, and then we can get you an inhaler all your own."

[quiet, raspy chuckle] "...You're either really brave or really stupid, you know that?"

"Ehh, I really don't care, just as long as I can do something to get us out of here. I can help you catch up on what you missed in high school too."

"...I think I'd like that...you should probably go, though."

"No way! I know they won't be back for a while, so I wanna stay with you for a little longer."

"But...what if you breathe in the fumes?"

"A little exposure isn't gonna hurt, and it's the least I can do."

"...There's no way I can change your mind on this, huh?"

"You've known me for fifteen years, Yoshi; I'm not gonna back down."

[raspy sigh] "Alright. Just be careful..."

"I will, I will."

[tape ends here]

この子を推薦してくださった海馬博士に感謝します。

あらゆる状況を考慮すると、彼女を救出するのは困難でしょうが、彼女の状況は無視できないほど深刻です。

彼女の妹はまだ幼すぎますし、才能もまだありません。

今後のセッションのために、彼女を候補リストに加えておきます。

いずれにせよ、姉は殺人犯になるほどの絶望感に陥る可能性は十分にあります。

[編集済み]博士に彼女の心理プロファイルを確認させてください。もしそうでなければ、彼女を評価することになります。

Chapter Text

学生10の監視。

202X年8月24日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本、関東地方の文京区です。

場所はチェコ共和国プラハのバランドフスタジオです。

[tape begins here]

[humming, shuffling of makeup, door knock]

"It's open."

[door opens, papers rustling]

"Miss Petrová?"

"I've told you multiple times, Svetlana; Andrea's fine."

"Sorry, it just feels wrong."

[chuckles] "Why? We're best friends, you know. Top performing and composition students at Pražská konzervatoř? We're basically equals. You know me well, we've known each other since we were kids, I don't expect you to start getting all formal on me. I'm not that much of a diva, am I?"

"Yeah, but...this industry is just...it's so conservative and formal when it comes to stuff like this; the director keeps insisting I go formal."

[unscrewing cap, huffs] "Don't I know it. Some of these people lack the ability to have open minds; you'd think having us of all people filming and composing together, people would realize that times are changing. We're the next generation in entertainment; why should we have to stay stuck in the past by always being formal?"

"I...I know, but you know I've never been one for being assertive to authority."

"That's where I come in."

"You don't care about those who are saying that you're 'bossy' or 'a total diva'?"

"I don't see how setting boundaries for you and me to the cast and crew makes me 'a diva', but whatever. Anyway, why are you here?"

"O-oh, right. Umm...I just got the director's notes back for the next scene we wrote; they...they changed it."

[pause] "...You can't be serious."

"I...I am...take a look."

[papers shuffling] [agitated] "...Are you fucking serious?! He...he removed the entire goddamn core of the scene--of the movie!"

"That's what I said, but he said it was too 'progressive'."

"He's been directing us for three years; what the hell did he expect?! [groans out in fury] The entire movie's ruined now! What the fuck are we gonna do?!"

"Well, he keeps suggesting that we try writing more conservative scripts--"

"And you think we should just throw in the goddamn towel and do what he says?!"

"That's not what I said at all; I'm just telling it like he said!"

[cries out in frustration, slamming script down on table] "I need a piece of gum. Now."

[reaching into pocket] "Here."

[crinkling of wrapper, gum chewing] "Thanks...God! I fucking hate that bastard sometimes! Three whole years, and he thinks we can just adapt the entire movie...great, that's fucking amazing! First my therapy appointment, now this? Just the icing on the cake."

"What about your therapy appointment?"

"...You know how whenever changes are made to these scripts or just changes in general, I get tense?"

"Yeah?"

"...Well, she thinks it's not just an anxiety disorder."

"What?"

"She thinks it's...I don't even know if I want to say it; what if this makes other people look at me differently or treat me differently? What if it breaks everything we've worked for?"

"You don't have to tell me here and now; we can wait until we're heading back from the shoot."

[huffs] "I'm not even sure I want to finish the movie now...but there has to be a way to get the message across without some mediocre privileged man vetoing it all."

"Then let's brainstorm an alternative."

"Sensible. You have your notebook?"

"You know I never go anywhere without it."

"Alright then; let's get to work."

[tape ends here]

興味深い事例ですね。

彼女の精神科医が「不安障害」と診断した内容を正確に把握することはできませんが、ある程度推測はできます。

この殺人ゲームがさらにエスカレートした場合、彼女が殺人者になる可能性もあるでしょう。

計画が失敗すれば、思わぬ形で正体が露呈する可能性もありますが、結局のところ、何が起こるかは分かりません。

彼女の心理状態について、[伏字]医師に相談してみようと思います。

Chapter Text

学生11の監視。

202X年10月31日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は北海道岩見沢市の万年寺の外にあります。

[NOTE: 万年寺内に録音機器を設置することはできなかったため、情報の多くは、当日寺を監視していた私たちが雇った情報提供者によって口頭で伝えられました。]

[tape begins here]

[footsteps]

"You're back?"

"Yes. [long silence] May I? I have a bouquet."

"Careful."

[footsteps, taking something out of pocket, humming, taking something else out of pocket, inquisitive sounds, pencil scribbling] 

"18.415...nearly 18 and a half. That's up from 17.1196 the previous month. Over a centimeter of growth. Intriguing." [footsteps] 

[More scribbling, nature sounds, quiet inquisitive sounds]

[NOTE: これは3時間近く続きます。]

[sigh, footsteps.] "Thank you; I'll be heading out."

"Hang on a moment; happy birthday."

[exchange of some kind]

"...'守'. Thank you."

[footsteps]

[tape ends here]

この録音から得られる情報は非常に少ないため、断定的な推測はできません。

彼女は集中している時は極めて静かになることがあると聞いています。

もちろん、殺人犯も極めて静かになることがあります。

敬意を表して、寺院に盗聴器を仕掛けることはできず、山中博士は彼女の携帯電話に盗聴器を仕掛けるのを忘れていました。

彼女についてさらに情報が必要になるかもしれませんが、彼女が16人の学生の1人であることは確認できます。

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士に連絡を取る必要があります。

Chapter Text

学生12の監視。

202X年7月12日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本、関東地方の文京区です。

[tape begins here]

[alarm goes off loudly multiple times]

"Hey. Ji-Soo? Hey!"

[pause, groan, something tossed, hits, angry exclamation]

"Ji-Soo!"

"What?!"

"C'mon! You've gotta get up."

[groans]  "...Fuck...what time is it?"

"6 am; we need to go."

[groans, turning alarm off] "Go where?"

"You don't remember? We need to get to the park early; there's that one-on-one with the little kid who made a wish to meet with Boni Laebis."

"...Oh, right. Give me a second; [pulling off covers, tired groans] what's her name again?"

"I think it was...Park Cheon-Sa."

"Oh, was that the little girl who came in with the bunny ears? [slight chuckle] That was kinda cute."

"Yeah; it sucks what she has to go through."

"For real; no kid deserves that shit. You think she'll make it through this?"

"I'm not a doctor; I wouldn't know."

"Right...[dressing sounds, footsteps, pause] You think Seong-Gi will be there?"

"Ummm...I'm not sure; why?"

"I'm planning to meet him in the back; we have...business to settle, if you catch my drift."

[silence]

"Please tell me you're not gonna hurt him."

"...I mean...I won't tell you that, but..."

[gasps] "Ji-Soo!"

"Oh c'mon! You know he keeps hitting on all of the girls, even Yoon-Mi who wears her engagement ring like a goddamn trophy; what the fuck am I supposed to do? The managers don't do shit and corporate writes the reports off just because he 'gets the job done'."

"Have you gathered evidence to give to corporate?"

"...Well no, but--"

"Then do that. You do remember what happened back at--?"

"I know, I know, okay? But this is different; I actually have a good reason for it. Plus it's not as though I'm gonna do it during work hours."

"You'll still get in trouble."

"For what? Making sure a creep doesn't get away from work without a well-deserved black eye?"

"I can't have you making a scene! [sighs] Look, have you tried just...talking to him about it?"

"Thousands of times, and other girls have been polite, trying to get him to take a goddamn hint, but it doesn't work; either he has no nunchi or just doesn't fucking care. That's why I've gotta do some direct confrontation."

"Then just tell him to fuck off; you don't need to give him a black eye."

"He doesn't take anything seriously if there's no action to back it up, you know that. If I've gotta get fired for giving him a black eye, so fucking be it."

"But then you can't stop him anymore; they might put a restraining order on you and ban you from there, and then he'll just be able to keep on harassing the others."

[silence]

"...Fuck, I hate that you're right; but I don't want this shit to fly under the radar."

"Then be subtle; like I said, gather evidence, document everything and then show it to corporate. They've gotta at least speak to him if there's evidence to back up the claims."

"I know, but you know subtlety has never been my strong suit."

"Don't I know it, but it's plausible...c'mon, we can figure all of this out on the way to work. We need to get going; Cheong-Sa's not gonna wait forever."

[heavy sigh] "Yeah, I know; let's go make her smile...I guess."

[tape ends here]

ええ、今回のセッションで彼女が殺人犯になる可能性は高いです。

彼女はかなり気まぐれな女の子ですが、強い道徳心を持っています。

正義の復讐心から殺人を犯すようなタイプだと思います。

「あの時」に何が起こったのか、また「あの時」がどこで起こったのかは正確には分かりませんが、何か恐ろしいことがあったのは間違いありません。

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士に相談するつもりです。

Chapter Text

学生13の監視。

202X年11月26日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

所在地は日本京都市下京区です。

[tape begins here]

[humming in the next room, door bell jingle.]

[slightly muffled] "Oh! One second! [footsteps rushing out] Hello and happy unbirthday, Ririko! What can I do for you today?"

"Maki! You know my little sister, Kyoshika; do you wanna explain?"

[beat]

"...Um...well...I'm gonna have to go to the hospital a lot soon...because I'm getting needles...but the things the needles give me...they're gonna make my hair fall out...and wigs are itchy...so..."

[trails off, slight silence]

"She's worried about being made fun of; would you be willing to make a hat for her to help distract from it?"

"I'd be delighted to! Lemme go grab my catalog."

[rushes out, comes back with catalog, gives to Kyoshika]

"Okay, you look through that and pick what you want; I'll get to work on measurements in a bit and then I can cook you and Riri up something to eat."

"Thank you!"

[running footsteps, bringing Ririko to the side.]

"How is she?"

"She's...anxious; Kyoshika's never been a fan of needles, but now she has to get them everyday. Poor girl's gonna be a wreck of anxiety."

"And she's only...what? Eight?"

"Just turned eight not too long ago; she was looking forward to going to the Christmas Market, but the chemo's gonna make her immune system weak, so I can't risk her going out in public."

"...I wish I could take the pain from you and her. I can only imagine how stressful this must be. I'll work extra hard on the food this time."

"I appreciate your concern, but you don't need t--"

"Riri, I want to; I'll even make extra portions."

"When?"

"Today, when you come to pick up the hat, any time you need it."

"But...what about you? You need to eat too."

"I'll be fine; I've gone through worse."

[silence]

[softly] "...You don't have to keep depriving yourself, Maki...food is a right, not a luxury."

"...Well, [sad chuckle]...you know what they say; old habits die hard...and it happened for...y'know...over a decade...[beat. mood picks up] But seriously; you're my best friend and she's like my little sister too."

"But...you do this all the time for people."

"Yeah, so? Plus she looks so adorable with her little mochi cheeks! I always wanna just poke them and pinch them and--[squeals excitedly] Oh! And what tea do you want? Matcha? Sencha? Gyokuro? Mint? Gen Mai Cha? [gasps] Or kombu--cha! I'm pretty sure I still have fresh kelp!"

"Okay, okay, I'll make a deal with you; I'll let you make extra portions if you eat with us. And I mean a full plate; you deserve it."

[softly] "...You...you won't be mad if I...?"

"...I can imagine that sort-of thing is difficult to unlearn; why would I be mad?"

"...I don't know what I'd do without you. [beat] The hat's gonna be 50% off and I'll throw in extra accessories; non-negotiable."

[giggles] "Alright, alright. Let's go see if she's picked out what she wants."

[tape ends here]

興味深い職業ですね。この慣用句は学生に合っているでしょうか。

彼らの過去は非常に興味深く、家族には数々の秘密があります。

彼が殺人犯であるかどうかはまだ分かりません。

[編集済み]博士に彼らの心理プロファイルについて相談してみます。

Chapter Text

学生14の監視。

202X年2月22日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所は日本銀座の「ハシラクリップス」の店舗です。

[tape begins here]

[music playing in the background]

[muttering to self] "Okay, I'm live? Fantastic. [louder] So, here's the tea; Makino Kiyohira? I don't give two shits about his 'criticisms' of me, if you can even call them that. He's a total sham, a disgrace. He wouldn't know a good style if you toss-tossed it in his face. His 'haircare tips' are a-tro-cious, absolutely hideodeous; conditioning the roots? Using hot water? Tearing through tangles? Oh, I'm sorry, Makino; are you styling hair or gathering hay? Because you're acting like you were born in a barn. Not to mention, he uses generic-brand products with synthetic fragrances and sulfates. He can't even tell a blending and texturing scissors from short-blade cutting scissors. [a few beats, mutter] What? [louder] Of course it all matters. You wouldn't use short-blade cutting scissors on the end of fine hair. You're not trying to chop off an entire lock, you're trying to refine and texturize. Keep. [clap] Up. [clap] People. [clap, beat] Seriously. 

[silence]

[pause, muttering] "'Why are your products like 50,000 yen a piece? In this economy? Be so fucking for real lol.'  Oh I'm sorry. I actually care about your hair and don't want you to end up with unbearable dandruff or an a-tro-cious cut. Forgive me for wanting your hair color to be as fresh and vibrant as the day you dyed it. How terrible of me for wanting you to not experience recurring acne near the hairline. How very terrible. [huffs] You've seen the product comparisons; mine come out on top every. single. time. Top quality, top efficiency, top result. Unlike Makino I don't skimp on the ingredients of my products. Makino? More like Maki-no fucking way are you getting near my hair with that flamethrower hairspray. [pause, beat] ...No. I am not overreacting! How about you go study Cosmetology, take full courses on Chemistry, pull all-nighters, nearly blind yourself through chemical mishaps, have your family call you constantly like 'sweetheart, just come back to the family; it's safer', try blocking their number only for them to call back and--[deep breath] Do all that and more, and then talk to me about overreacting about this shit. Better yet, try to prove you know more about it than me; see how the fuck that works out.

[silence]

[muttering] "'Why are you so protective over this shit? It's just hair lmao'. [sputters] Just hair? JUST HAIR?! Are you fucking serious? It's not just hair! It is never 'just hair'! Any stylist worth their salt knows hair isn't just hair! You had better be rage-baiting me because I SWEAR TO GOD--!"

[hissed and slightly muffled] "Mitsuru!"

"I'm live right now, Nozomi!"

"That's why you need to calm down; just...turn off the live."

"I barely started five minutes ago!"

[muffled] "And you're close to getting yourself in hotter water than you already are. Turn. It. Off. Before you say something you'll regret later."

[growls and huffs] "...We're picking this back up tomorrow. In the meantime, educate yourselves. For fuck's sake!"

[live off sound] 

"God, what the fuck is wrong with them?!"

[tape ends here]

彼女は興味深い子です。かなり気まぐれで、自己主張が強いです。

彼女が殺人犯になるのは間違いないでしょう。

自信はありますが、そう単純ではありません。

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士と相談する予定です。

これで8人目、そして最後の日本人学生です。残りは2人です。

Chapter Text

学生15の監視。

202X年5月15日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所はアイルランドのダブリンのクロークパークの近くです。

[tape begins here]

[a bunch of older teen boys kicking around a football and laughing]

"Oy! Send it this way, MacDonald!"

"Nah, kick it my way!"

"You can't kick to save your life, O'Malley!"

"Shut up, Finnegan; keep your eye on the ball!"

"That's not the only thing Finnegan's got his eye on, am I right, fellas?"

"G’way outta that! She's none of your business!"

"Ahh! But maybe her sister might be, am I right?"

[raucous laughter]

"Hey, Clancy! Get your arse on the field; we need someone who can actually kick."

"What? Nah, not right now."

[ball stops, first word overlapped each other]

"What?"

"Quit coddin' us!"

"Are you right in the head, Clancy?"

"Yeah, you're our best central midfielder! We need to cream those Brits right into the ground, so we need you!"

"I said not right now; are your ears for decoration?"

"Oh c'mon!"

"Then who's gonna cover for you?"

[footsteps] "Pardon me, boys. I think I can handle it."

"Aoibhe? Why are you here?"

"Mam and dad haven't finished editin' your photos yet; figured I'd stop by, see how the primates are doin'. Anyway, tag me in, boys."

"You? In Clancy's place?"

"You got a problem with another Clancy takin' his place for the time-bein'?"

"You're a girl; don't you have your art class or whatever?"

"I can do both; paint the Mona Lisa and score from midfield, kickin' your arses as a bonus. I got my boots ready for the field, so are you gonna just stand with your trousers in a twist or are we gonna play?"

"Play against a girl? Ha! Easier than playin' against babies; you girls're all weak as--"

[roughly] "That's my sister you're speakin' to, MacDonald."

"Clancy, what are you--?"

"She can take my place 'till I'm ready, and I know she'll do a damn good job at it."

[silence]

"C'mon, boys. Hustle up...[pause]...wait...brother?"

[something snatched up]

"Whoa, Aoibhe! Hey, come back!"

[footsteps rushing behind the bleachers, bag filly unzipped, voices quieter]

"Ned! What the fuck? [sound of something rattling against a bottle] You told me you'd quit!"

[exasperated] "Don't act like you don't know the pressure I'm under."

"And so you figured this would be the solution? Are you mad?!"

"You know how they are about this sort-of thing! I'd rather not get the belt again."

"You're gonna get a prison sentence if you're caught!"

"I won't get caught!"

"Everyone says that and then they end up in a holdin' cell!"

[groan and swears under the breath] "Look, we're winnin', aren't we?"

"...Yeah, but--"

"And mam and dad are happy, aren't they?"

"Well, of course, but--"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Well, for one, it's illegal. And two..."

"...What's two?"

[softly] "...I don't want you to become like Uncle Patrick."

[huffs] "He only ruined his life because he used the hardcore stuff; this is dryshite, just for strength and agility. [beat] Look, I just need this win for the championship; after that, I'm never doin' it again."

"...I'm seriously worried about you, you know?"

"Don't be; just focus on yourself. You may not be as sporty, but you're the scholar of the family."

"That doesn't negate--"

"Just...please...let the team have this. We need this win or you know what mam and dad'll do. After we win this, I'm done. For good."

"...I..."

"Just...trust me."

[silence, then a reluctant sigh]

[tape ends here]

興味深い少年だ。何かを隠しているようだが、私にはそれが何なのか、ほんの少ししか分からない。

彼は殺人者になる可能性はあるか？ もしかしたら、本当に切羽詰まれば、そうなるかもしれない。

[編集済み]博士に彼の心理プロファイルについて話を聞いてみる。

さて、これが名簿に載っている最後の少年だ。このセッションの最後の生徒は、このゲームにかなり…適した才能を持っている。

Chapter Text

学生16の監視。

202X年12月12日に収集。

内容は視聴後、セッション・スカーレット・データベースにアーカイブされます。

許可されていない職員の視聴は禁止されています。

場所はドイツのハンブルクにあるオールスドルフ墓地の近くです。

[tape begins here]

[sound of something being wheeled in]

"Hey; we got it; Sabine's sorting through the personal belongings."

"Hm? Ah, yes. Thank you, Gerde. Just leave it there. I'll see to it myself."

"I'll start logging what I observed there."

[footsteps, picking up something, typing sounds]

"Hmm...[pages flipping] Robert Erhard...87...died 7:23 am...suspected cardiac arrest...hmmmm...interesting...[beat]...wait...is it...?"

"What? What is it?"

"The name...it sounds familiar...can you cross-reference Robert Erhard? I want to be sure if he's the same man I'm thinking of."

"Yeah, no problem. What about you? How's this one going to be handled?"

"Depends on what you find on him."

"And if he's...one of those?"

"Accidents happen. [silence, then typing, pages being turned.] Is the table ready?"

"Yeah, Yvette cleaned it up last night; that final one was a mess."

"So I heard. If only I could have seen it myself."

"...I don't know if I'll ever get used to how morbid you can get."

[pen scribbling] "I've never been one to fear this line of work; even as a child, I found myself quite fascinated with it. It also gives me the opportunity to enact some...poetic justice, in a way."

"Poetic justice?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll let you uncover that yourself."

"...You're so cryptic."

"Good."

[long silence, quiet typing]

"If he's...one of those...are you going to tell the family?"

"Of course not; you know my policy."

"Your policy talks about respect--"

[pen scribbling] "I don't respect violators. They didn't respect people in life; why should they get it now? Let the family believe what they wish."

"What about those who want open--?"

"Mannequins do quite well in their place."

[typing stops, brief silence]

"...Mannequins?"

"Yes, they look quite believable if you get the right kind. Most people are too emotional to notice the minute differences, anyway. Yet as I've stated before, I reserve that for the worst."

[nervously] "Good to know? I guess..."

"How long have you known me for again?"

"That doesn't mean I'm used to it."

"I don't expect you to be; I just expect you to be aware of it."

"Is there a difference?"

"You can be aware of something your whole life, and yet never become desensitized to it, so yes."

"You're quite the semanticist."

"It's not an issue of semantics, Gerde; it's an issue of--"

"Whoa, hang on!"

"What?"

"Look at this."

[footsteps, silence]

"How many?"

"39 reports, all thrown out for 'insufficient evidence'."

"I hate being right sometimes..."

"Nearly 10 of them died afterwards."

[long silence]

"...Well...in that case...[footsteps]...we may need to do a more thorough job on this one..."

[tape ends here]

彼女は本当に謎めいた人物だ。エアハルト氏は彼女にとってどんな存在だったのだろうか。

機会があれば殺人を犯す可能性が高いと推測する。

綿密な計画性はあるものの、その倫理観は予測不可能なようだ。

彼女の心理プロファイルについては、[編集済み]博士に相談してみる。

以上で16名。そろそろ面談に呼ぶ時間だ。

Chapter Text

[8:00.

8 hours until transport.]

[tape begins here]

??: “Thank you for coming in today, Miss Levchenko. I hope you’re settling in well.”

Kateryna: [anxious] “I-I’m not! I was told we’d be going to a school; this is not a school.”

??: “Yes, that much is fairly obvious.”

Kateryna: “Then where are we?!”

??: “I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information. Regardless I just need to ask you a few questions and then we’ll get you back to your room.”

Kateryna: “I don’t want to go back to my room; I want to go to the school I was promised! I was told they’d have state-of-the-art technology for my craft.”

??: “You’ll get your answers in due time. Now can you please state your name, place of residence, and occupation for the record?”

Kateryna: “For the—is this being recorded?”

??: “Your answers are being documented, yes. Your name, place of residence, and occupation, please.”

Kateryna: [sigh] “K...Kateryna Levchenko. I’m...from Odessa, Ukraine...I’m a student and...confectioner.”

??: “A confectioner? Can you elaborate on that?"

Kateryna: "...Um...well...I make...sweets...cakes, cookies, candies, pies..."

??: "And it appears you've done well for yourself."

Kateryna: "...I mean...as well as it can go..."

??: "Of course. Now moving on; do you have any pre-existing medical conditions that we should know about?"

Kateryna: "...Like...physical? Mental? Emotional?"

??: "Anything that you feel is relevant to your time here."

Kateryna: "I...I mean...I have trauma from...you know...everything that's been happening...also ADHD...I'm not sure what else..."

??: "Any allergies?"

Kateryna: "I...have a slight intolerance to dairy and gluten, but...I think that's it."

??: "Any phobias?"

Kateryna: "...N...No...I don't think so."

??: "Excellent. I just have one more question."

Kateryna: "And then...I can go?"

??: "Back to your room, yes."

Kateryna: "At...home?"

??: "The facility?"

Kateryna: "B-but why?! Why can't I go home?!"

??: "Please answer."

Kateryna: "...What's...the question?"

??: "If you could have any superpower of your choice, what would you pick and why?"

Kateryna: "...That's it?...I'd choose the ability to change my superpower at any time."

??: "...Umm...that...doesn't count."

Kateryna: "Well, you never specified, so it does count."

??: "No need to get picky with the semantics."

Kateryna: "Are you just upset you didn't think of it?"

??: "[huffs] What would be your second answer then?"

Kateryna: "...Time manipulation or telekinesis...probably telekinesis."

??: "Why?"

Kateryna: "I...feel like it could probably make executive functioning a lot easier for me...just...being able to summon what I need at will...it...sounds kind of nice."

??: "I see. Now if you have nothing else to add, I'm going to stop the recording now. Dr. Kaiba will escort you back to your room."

Kateryna: [panicked] "But I-I didn't give permission to be recorded!"

[tape ends here]

Chapter Text

[8:30.

7 and 1/2 hours until transport]

[tape begins here]

??: "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Mr. Ebina. I just have a few questions to ask you and then we can send you on your way; is that alright with you?"

Ebina: "Do you actually think I want to be here? I was promised the chance to go back to school full-time; does this look like a goddamn school?"

??: "You're not the first one to point that out."

Ebina: [huffs] "Can we just get this shit out of the way? I'd rather not be here for any longer than I have to."

??: "Of course. Can you please state your name, place of residence, and profession for the record?”

Ebina: [deadpan] "Ebina Shiki. Tokyo. I'm a prosecutor."

??: "What kind?"

Ebina: "Public, mainly for homicide cases; I've taken on a few custody cases before, but not as many."

??: "You're not a student?"

Ebina: "Part-time."

??: "Is that legal?"

Ebina: "Is lying to over a dozen goddamn teenagers about where they were gonna be going legal? What moral high ground are you trying to fucking stand on?"

??: "...Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions?"

Ebina: "I'm not answering that."

??: "Allergies?"

Ebina: "Why are you asking these questions?"

??: "We'd like to make sure we're not killing you."

Ebina: [sighs] "I have a mild allergy to peanuts, but that's all I know of."

??: "Mild?"

Ebina: "Yeah, it's just like--I dunno--if I touch it or eat it, I get hives and shit, but I'm not gonna fucking die. I'd just need some antihistamines and hydrocortisone. Like, I did get an epipen, but that's more of an emergency thing. That's all I'm saying."

??: "Phobias?"

Ebina: “What the fuck did I just say?”

??: "Alright, and if you don't mind, I just have one more question for you."

Ebina: "I do mind, but I don't have much of a choice here, do I?"

??: "If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?"

Ebina: "...What does that have to do with this shit?"

??: "It's customary to ask an extra question before the interviews finish."

Ebina: "Why?"

??: "Can you please answer me, Mr. Ebina?"

Ebina: [scoffs] "Jesus fucking--...umm...I guess...I'd want pedophiles and child killers to get the death penalty, no matter where they are."

??: "Why is that?"

Ebina: "...Are you shitting me? It's because those are kids. If you're going around touching or killing kids, you've basically revoked your fucking humanity."

??: "Do you have any experience with that?"

Ebina: "I'm a prosecutor; what do you think?"

??: "I was just wondering if perhaps you yourself had been--"

Ebina: [pissed] "I don't have to be a victim or know a victim to be pissed off about some 45 year old dude touching or killing kids; I have basic fucking human decency. I don't trust anyone who thinks pedos and child murderers are still human; they're not, they're monsters, full fucking stop. [beat] Are we done here?"

??: "If you have nothing else to add, yes; [beat] I'm going to turn off the recording now. Dr. Kaiba will escort you back to your room."

Ebina: "I can find my own way back, thanks."

[tape ends here]

Chapter Text

[9:00.

7 hours until transport.]

[tape begins here]

??: "Thank you for agreeing to speak with us, Lady Amane. You're looking quite lovely; the pink ensemble goes well with your hair."

Amane: [giggles] "But of course! Pink is such a delightful color, my very favorite, as you're likely aware."

??: "I'd be surprised if there's someone native to Japan that doesn't know that. But just in case and for the benefit of those outside of Japan, I just have a few questions to ask you and then we can send you on your way. Would that be alright with you?"

Amane: "Oh, most certainly, darling! I'm quite the Q and A Queen."

??: "I have no doubts there; would you please state your name, place of residence, and occupation for the record?”

Amane: "My name is Lady Amane Himari, the Precious Pink Angel of Hokkaido. I'm quite the socialite."

??: "What exactly does a socialite do?"

Amane: "That's certainly quite the query. Well, I throw lavish parties, attend lavish parties, network with people, update my social media, set the trends, all the bells and whistles."

??: "And you're quite charming while you do it all."

Amane: "Oh, stop it! You're making me blush."

??: "Just stating the facts, Lady Amane."

Amane: "Well...Miss Amane's also fine."

??: "If that's what you'd prefer. Now do you have any pre-existing medical conditions?"

Amane: "I don't believe so."

??: "Any allergies?"

Amane: "None that I can think of."

??: "Phobias?"

Amane: "Not particularly. I wouldn't say I'm a fan of spiders, however."

??: "I see. Now I just have one more question for you; it might be a bit of a shock, though."

Amane: "Oh, trust me; I've heard it all. I'm quite certain I can handle it."

??: "Well, if you're sure; if you were to create a non-profit organization, what would you want it to be for?"

Amane: [a bit quieter] "...A...non-profit?"

??: "Yes. I know socialites tend to do philanthropy work, so I was wondering exactly where your priorities stand."

Amane: "...Well...I-I guess...I'd love to have one that would...it'd be for...education."

??: "Education?"

Amane: "...Yes."

??: "Why did you pick education?"

Amane: "...Well...there's still...you know...barriers and stuff...like in STEM. A lot of girls are discouraged from STEM roles...it's...it's not fair..."

??: "...Alright then. If you don't have anything to add, we can end the recording here. Dr. Kaiba will escort you back to your room."

Amane: "Thank you...for that question..."

[tape ends here]