[ Suzune - Andrew ] What's inside the mystery box? The first clue is....

Chula - Suzune

Oh!! She turned around at the sound of a new voice, perking her ears up. This was… The one who seemed awfully silent at the earlier announcement, right? That had made her worry, even if only a little. Sometimes the quiet ones have the toughest battles!

"Oh! Right, right, that's a good idea, actually!! It was just that, umm… Bow-Wow-san tried to reach his hand in and found nothing inside before!! So I'd wondered, 'Maybe it's like a coin slot instead and you need to put an object in!' Hahah~ Seems like that's too easy of an answer, huh?" She giggled, feeling awfully silly after having even tried it. "I wouldn't mind going on an adventure together to find a warden to ask!"

Oh! Right! Before adventuring, it was only normal to introduce herself. "Right! Hiii, I'm Suzune Gikou! I'm a model, it's great to meet you!!" She bowed politely, with a wide smile.

Andrew Edgeworth

Right, this woman was one of the ones to publicly confess her guilt. She certainly seemed the type to keep up a happy attitude to compensate for inner turmoil, but it was far too early to assume it was sincere just yet. Even if it was an act, Andrew wouldn't fault her for it, anyway.

"It's good to have some sense of curiosity and experimentation as long as it doesn't distract you too much. Bow-Wow?" Hopefully that was a nickname and nobody had sincerely given that name to a poor soul. "I don't believe I have met him yet. Good thing nothing happened to his hand…"

He gives her a brief nod of acknowledgement in return. "Andrew Edgeworth, accountant. I would return the pleasantries in a less harrowing setting, Suzune. Alright then, though I hope our little 'adventure' isn't too eventful."

"Is there any particular warden you feel most comfortable approaching? I would say Sie since they seem the most amenable, but we may have to be gentle if they end up being skittish."

Chula - Suzune

She nodded in agreement. Andrew got it! "Yeaahhh, there's just so little we know about this whole place! And the wardens don't seem to know much about anything, either. It kind of makes me wonder how they even got here? … Ahaha! But one question at a time should suffice, I think! Because, like, sometimes the little problems are more within our capabilities to solve, as long as they don't explode!" Though she wasn't entirely sure what experimentation would be distracting her from in this particular case.

"Oh, Bow-Wow! Ummm…. He's hard to miss! He wears a dog mask, it's totes adorable! I think you'd like him, he's an absolute sweetiepie." She tilted her head for a moment, thinking. Bow-Wow also surprisingly kept up with some of her conversation topics, too. She didn't think much of it at the time, though. "We have quite a bit in common, actually!" Overall, she quite liked the guy. She just hoped no one messed with him.

"Oh, Edgeworth-san! An accountant, huh? I've worked with a few talented ones, it can be soooo hard to headhunt a good one, you know?" There was a loooot of organizing and tiny numbers to keep track of in a way she personally struggled with more. She had to respect someone who could do it well! "Mmm… you're right, though! It is pretty scary, since it's kind of like we got kidnapped, really. None of this is legal, I'm pretty sure." Though, she couldn't say she wasn't grateful to have the opportunity to face SOME kind of justice.

Well… As far as her opinions on the wardens go? "I haven't talked to Sie-san yet! They seem nice, yeah! And kind of like a small, shivering puppy, I think. It would be nice to check in on them, I wonder if they're scared too?" She clapped her hands together. It seemed like a decision was made! Though, uh! Now to hope she didn't break the machine by putting a book in there. "Have you seen them recently? I know the wardens aren't down here, like, allll the time."

Andrew Edgeworth

"Bea went as far as to say that none of them even remember their personal history before being put in charge. With names like A, B, and C, it begrudges me to say that that makes sense if so. Their personalities are quite…distinct for supposedly blank slates, though." He belatedly realized that he doesn't know how familiar Suzune is with the English alphabet. It's fine, he can just explain if she's confused-

"Dog…mask…?" If she didn't sound so sincere, he fully would have thought she was messing with him. "He really won't be hard to miss, then."

He wouldn't be surprised if Suzune was some kind of go-getter small business owner, he's met several like her in his time. Generally not this chipper, though. "What do you do that requires several accountants?"

Andrew's face turns grim. "…I have no grounds to complain, but I'd certainly hope this wasn't legal. Invasions into people's minds when we're already so biased and easily misled could hardly count as 'evidence.'" Though his countenance quickly shifts to tired upon changing the subject to the wardens.

"Eager to please, at the very least." He was a little surprised that she openly characterized Sie in a rather uncharitable way, but, well, it was true. "I have not, but I imagine the wardens all have offices for a reason."

Chula - Suzune

"… You know, I hadn't even considered that might not be their real names! Ei can be a name on it's own, even if the other two are a bit more weird." She couldn't think of anyone she knew who'd had the name Bea or Sie. She sort of assumed it was an English thing. Thankfully, though, A, B, and C are borrowed terms in Japanese enough that she'd at least recognized the pun of it! "I sort of assumed they were just like real people who had amnesia and stuff. You know, I know medical technology's gone a long way, but I've never heard of something that like… induces memory loss outside of sci-fi movies." Still. It was more realistic than magic. Wouldn't be too weird if the government was working on tech like that and just not telling people about it.

Small business owner was a but of an understatement. She laughed lightly. "Well! Currently I'm the CEO for my husband's fashion brand, HaruGi! Basically he does all the art and I do, like… the social and organization stuff! I work as the face of the brand as the main model and do a lot of staff organization and planning. Thankfully I think I have a really good team! I don't know how well-known we are outside of Japan but we're doing pretty well, I think!" She clasped her hands together with a wide smile. Point was: She was pretty well-off at this point. "My husband's SUUUPER talented! He actually made the outfit that's under this straight-jacket too!" She tapped her jeans and the straps of her tank top. Laundry was weird here, though.

No grounds to complain, huh? … Neither did Suzune, really. She tapped her heel to the ground with a satisfying little clack sound. "The only way I could imagine it like, MAYBE being legal if it was our own government, but everybody's from different countries, so I don't think so. Like, if you think about it, wouldn't this cause some kind of international crisis?" A bunch of people up and disappear at once. So far it didn't seem that too many of them had much in the means of power or political sway, as far as she knew anyway, but practically being spirited away?

"… I guess I don't mind being judged personally, though. I feel like SOMEONE has to do it, if the law won't."

"Yeah!! They seem super sweet… Wait, those are offices? I thought that was where they were sleeping! Ooooh, do you mean the big tower, actually? I guess we could knock, huh? In that case, I'll follow you!" With a grin and a pep in her step, she trotted behind Andrew.

Andrew Edgeworth

"Mostly, they could be names on their own - no one would bat an eye at a woman named Bea in the states - but putting them all together is…frankly, comical." Andrew shortens his stride a bit, so as to not make the petite Suzune sprint to keep up- "…unfortunately at this point, I'd barely bat an eye if it even turned out that the three were made in a lab."

"You seem to still have life and energy about you, so I wouldn't have guessed a full-fledged CEO." His voice takes on an almost reminiscent quality. "Sounds like you two are having fun with the company."

"…I wouldn't go so far as to assume this would be the best route of judgement for everyone here - there'd be no need for this elaborate song and dance if everyone were a cold-blooded serial killer or the like. Still…some selfish part of me feels relief that I'll be condemned." Even to say something vulnerable, he sounds like he's giving a presentation.

Andrew looks to the side, uneasy. "No, I get the feeling it'd be a bad idea to touch the tower at all. Let's just stick the warden's room to look for them first."

Chula - Suzune

"Oh!! Ok, ok, so they can be English names." She nodded. That was good to know!! "Sort of like people named Ichika, Nino, and San being friends, huh?" Suzune giggled softly. There was probably a better I-Ro-Ha joke she could have made but that would've taken a little more mental digging.

Oh, well… She was probably more casual than your average CEO, thinking on it, but. "We're a company of creatives, you know? Like… artists, designers, seamsters, and stuff. Even advertisers are creatives, really!" Being a part of the process of making art WAS fun! "So… That might make a bit of a difference. Fashion is just wearable art if you think about it! Some companies are just less… Ethical, I guess? Also since my husband and I are the founders, we're still in the first generation. Maybe Hazuki can take over some day, when she's all grown up, but neither of us are trust-funders or anything. We're self-made!" Plus… they weren't a MASSIVE company. That probably also made a difference, she assumed.

Oh, so… Actually, they were a little of a similar mindset, huh? "Of course! I'm not out here to defend a serial killer." Suzune may have been filled with forgiveness, but even she had limits to what she was willing to forgive. "And I also think abusers are the worst, you know? But, like…. some wrongs just can't be handled by regular prison or court. You don't seem like the kind of person to have done anything that bad, though, at least on first impression!" But yeah, that was indeed first impression. He seemed nice!

… Oh… would it? Suzune started trotting out into the hallway and looked at the tower with curiosity. "Huh! I wouldn't have thought that touching it all could be a problem, but… Maybe you're right! Like… It might be a good idea to not push the rules that much." She didn't want to cause trouble for the wardens, either. In the meantime, she instead turned to the direction of the warden's room and began walking over.

Andrew Edgeworth

He's just going to assume there's some numerical pun there in Japanese and nod- "If you are able to make it out of here, I sincerely hope you keep that spirit alive in HaruGi…"

"That's certainly part of it, but mostly the psychology that the architecture is designed to evoke makes me apprehensive of approaching it. It may be called something different in Japan, but in English, the tower combined with the layout of the cells strikingly resembles the panopticon. In its original concept, the tower is surrounded by an entire circular arena of cells; often depicted with a spotlight that scans the area. The goal was to have the prisoners always feel like they're being watched, day in, day out - even if they never interact with or see anyone in the tower."

It's not like it was a long way to walk to the warden's room - the two made it in barely a few minutes. Andrew raises his hand to knock with his knuckles before lowering it as a thought enters his mind.

"…it takes very little effort to be nice to someone, especially to someone as pleasant as yourself. It's another thing entirely to carry that energy into every decision you make, every day of your life. 'Appearances can be deceiving,' and all that." Andrew turns his head slightly towards her to gauge her reaction. "You don't have to give any further details, but tell me one thing if you're comfortable enough to, Suzune. You personally knew who you killed, right?"

Chula - Suzune

If you're able to make it out of here. Suzune hasdn't even considered the possibility that she may be stuck here forever, actually. Maybe it was that inherent desire for optimism in her, even when knowing the world is terrible and horrible things happened all the time. "I'd certainly like to, though… I also might need a couple of weeks off, after everything. I just have to hope things aren't turning upside-down without me… Haruki isn't the best with other people, so he's never been well-suited to management." Haaahh… At least he could answer emails normally.

"Panopticon….?" Oh, that was something new to her. She'd have to go out of her way to remember that. She closed her eyes and pictured it, a little. "… I guess the feeling of being watched constantly isn't new enough to me to make a difference for me, huh?" She was a public figure, after all. It was better for her to be watched blatantly than to be watched secretly, regardless. "I hope everyone's holding up ok with that, then. I know some people handle it better than others." So it was some kind of psychological prison experiment. Wasn't the term MILGRAM already something similar? Things to research with her newfound free time. That thirst to know things was everpresent.

Oh…. You know, "That's actually really nice to hear. It's kind of similar to my own philosophies, just… Trying to be kind to everyone, no matter their background or experiences." She may have had a few personal limits, but no one was beyond redemption, she felt.

… The follow-up question caught her a little off-guard, sure, but not so much that she wouldn't answer. Suzune grabbed her arm and averted her gaze to the floor. "Ah… Well. Yes. I… assume most people did. Most crime victims are harmed by people they knew, in general, but I…. [REDACTED]. I… failed her, you know? … I need to face justice SOMEHOW." She paused. "Was it the same for you? Um… If that's ok to ask."

Andrew Edgeworth

"From the sounds of it, he won't be completely alone, at least. It speaks a lot of how much work you two do if there truly is no other management underneath you…" Andrew doesn't even want to think about running the massive corporation he's already in with no other managers.

He breathes out a small laugh. "Never been a fan of the spotlight, so I can't personally relate. Though, we do all have bigger priorities than an empty tower at the moment."

Suzune certainly didn't want fake assurances or platitudes. "Negligence becomes no excuse when the consequences are grave enough, but clearly, you didn't want her to die due to your actions. There isn't a clear answer here, especially with your guilt coloring how you view it. Just from instinct, I don't feel that you're evil."

"…it's perfectly fine for you to ask, especially since I asked you first, but I can't answer. The situation is completely different for me." His entire disposition turns bitter as a lump forms in his throat. "There's an almost impossibly low chance I killed one person, and a much more likely chance I could have killed thousands. I did not learn the count before my arrival here."

Before he can lose his composure, Andrew lifts his hand back up to knock on the wardens' room door.

Chula - Suzune

"Oh! Yes, I do have managers underneath the two of us and people in corporate who can pick up the slack, but um…. It's a little complicated because, um… Like…. My husband has only left his house like twice since middle school, once when we moved and once when we got married. He's a shut in and kind of um… like, shuts down when he's perceived by a lot of people." And THAT was were the complications came in. He was not a people person to an extreme.

Never been a fan of the spotlight, huh? "… There's parts of it I don't like, either, if I'm honest. I'm just used to it."

… Actually, it was kind of nice to hear that. Someone who was willing to acknowledge her concerns and not brush her mistakes under the rug, but also still come out on the other side of the tunnel thinking she was still an ok person. … Somehow that was exactly what she needed to hear. "… Thank you, Edgeworth-san. That means a lot, actually."

… HUH? THOUSANDS? But that was… Not even…. Not even bombers killed that many, generally? That was usually in the hundreds max! She blinked, an in an entirely delayed response, started out with a "Not intentionally, I would assu--?" But before she could conclude that question, or even spend too long thinking about the answer, there was a knock on the door and she shut her mouth.

That was Andrew's privacy to be had. He didn't necessarily volunteer for that information to be handed to the wardens, so… Another time.

Andrew Edgeworth

Chula - Suzune My husband has only left his house like twice since middle school, once when we moved and once when we got married. He’s a shut in and kind of um… like, shuts down when he’s perceived by a lot of people.

And Andrew thought he didn't like too much attention, damn. Even those that naturally gravitated towards it didn't have it easy either, a fact he knew all too well.

"…you're welcome. It's simply common sense."

Unfortunately, he didn't catch her question because of Sie opening the door.

MILGRAM “Mr Edgeworth, Mrs Gikou… How can I help you?”

"Yes, we happened to be looking for you. We were just wondering if you knew what the machine in the warehouse does and how it works; particularly if it'd be wise to use it to begin with." Business as usual.

MILGRAM

Sie looked a little tired when they open the door. A lot of people seemed to be talking to them - which was good, they were happy to help - but they were also wondering why them and not the other wardens. What could possibly be the reason for that?

"Mr Edgeworth, Mrs Gikou… How can I help you?"

Chula - Suzune

Common sense… Well! She supposed she couldn't argue with that. Suzune let out a little giggle. Returning the kindness you receive, or giving kindness to people who don't seem to expect it. What a much nicer way to live. Still… thousands would weigh on her mind a bit, even if it wouldn't change her treatment of Andrew in the slightest. She was mostly just… curious, she supposed. Best to not theorize while knowing nothing.

Besides, Sie is here now!! And Andrew didn't offer that information up to them. The conversation would thus remain where it was until a later date. The last thing she wanted to do was affect his judgement results without permission.

"Hiiiii~ It's nice to see you Sie-san! Um! Also, as a warning, while I was trying to figure out what it, like, did, I dropped a book into the slot." Best that be shared, in case it caused any issues. She wasn't super sure if her hand would fit in well enough to pull it back out. "Sorry if that causes any problems, by the way. I can make it up to you if you need anything!"

MILGRAM

"A book… It doesn't seem to have caused any trouble so far. Thanks for the warning, Mrs Gikou, but you don't have to offer anything like that."

At least when it came to Sie, it appeared that favours weren't really in their mind when it came to exercising their powers.

They nodded politely to Andrew.

"It drops off items that apparently come from outside. Some are… a little weird… but if I'm there to supervise as they come out, it should be fine!"

Andrew Edgeworth

MILGRAM "It drops off items that apparently come from outside."

He raises a brow at the wording. "Saying that instead of just 'items,' what's so special about them…?"

"…I suppose we'll see what you mean when you come over with us." Andrew certainly didn't trust Sie, but the smallest threat is the smallest threat.

Chula - Suzune

"Oh! That's good, I wouldn't want that to be an issue for anyone." She breathed out a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't a bother, she was fine! "But really, I don't mind doing anything that needs to be done, it's just like… you know, it's also something to do!" There were sure a lack of activities present, and a lack of places to explore if you weren't lucky enough to catch a projection on time.

"Umm… Stuff from the outside…? So like… A mailbox or something similar to that?" Suzune laced her fingers together and tilted her head, angling her vision to focus back on the hallway from whence Andrew and Suzune came. "Ooh, I hope it's like, a TV or something!! I'd love that, really!!" Just, anything that gave them more things to do. She'd enjoy the heck out of that.

"Well, then, let's hop to it!!" Suzune broke out into a trot towards the warehouse. They NEEDED supervision for it, huh? She'd keep that in mind. "Is there, like, a limit to how much we can use it?" She pivoted her head while walking, just so her voice traveled towards those behind her.

MILGRAM

"They're not really… anything predictable. It's not stuff you'd expect to find in a prison, more… items that seem personal? I'm not sure to whom… it seems a bit random."

But they were right; the easiest way for Sie to show what they meant was through a live demonstration, so she trots alongside them to the warehouse and then goes up to the gacha machine.

MILGRAM Synthesizer - A Moog Minimoog Model D tabletop analog synthesizer. There’s so many knobs and sockets sticking out of this thing that it barely looks like a musical instrument– only the small piano keys along the bottom clue you in.

Something nice! Sie doesn't feel in any way disturbed or bad about giving this one over.

"I think that right now the plan is to give everyone a chance to get one item per projection… I guess it's fair? That's probably what Ei would say, at least."

Chula - Suzune

MILGRAM Synthesizer - A Moog Minimoog Model D tabletop analog synthesizer. There’s so many knobs and sockets sticking out of this thing that it barely looks like a musical instrument– only the small piano keys along the bottom clue you in.

"Woooow!! I think I know EXACTLY who would love this, actually!" Suzune cradled the synth gently, pressing one button to play a singular note, eyes aglow with admiration. "Thank you, Sie-san!! I love this!" It was no TV or exercise item, but it still was something to do and admire.

She turned her head to look at Andrew's item with a small head tilt. Hmm…. That seemed a lot less fun in comparison, actually. "Loans….? Yoshida? … Oh!" Well. She knew that last name, but… What an odd choice in item to bring in from outside. A loan application wasn't even that weird or anything, people got loans for plenty of regular reasons. "That's unfortunate."

As for fairness, though.. "Yeah! I get it. I guess I can come back next time, then!" She'd wonder if her luck would be better, but given the other item pulled here was a loan application, a synth was clearly a good haul.

Andrew Edgeworth

MILGRAM

Loan Application - A paper document written in Japanese. It is an application for a loan of 10 million yen from Tanaka Bank. It seems to have been filled out and signed by one Tani Yoshida.

Imagine he instantly loses 50 HP when the document falls out, but sans Undertale style where it's minus 1 over and over - other than the slightest eyebrow twitch, Suzune and Sie wouldn't be able to tell a thing.

"…yes, that does sound reasonable."