mortem | clue event three

As the months had passed, Indigo had found himself falling into a sense of normality. He hadn’t packed a whole lot of recreational substances, and as Adam was a stingy jerk, he’d had to carefully ration what he had left. As it was, he was down to emergency levels and he only had a little left because he hadn’t lit up in several weeks.

While the lack of a calming influence was bad for frequent socializing, he had to admit that it kept his mind sharp. He’d had a lot of time to study his competition, among other things. For example, he knew that his roommate was a morphling addict. Now, while Indigo enjoyed a bit of relaxation, that shit was way too hard. It was the kind of drug that got people killed.

How did he know? Well a few months ago he may have gone snooping through his roommate’s stuff in an effort to find some weed, but once he’d found one of those little vials he’d put everything back neatly and hadn’t even bothered Adam about selling him a joint or two since.

Adam had major problems and it was starting to show in his eyes.

And speaking of eyes, Indigo’s were currently enthralled by the cookbook in his hands. Cooking was a skill he’d taught himself, but only with rudimentary things. He could grill a good burger, make a simple apple pie, but this cookbook was enchanting. So many things that paired well with risotto.

A warm meal sounded nice; it wasn’t cold, but the air was cool as autumn was gently blowing in.

“It’s nice out,” Adrien said quietly.

“Yes, the wilted leaves on every tree in this courtyard really add to the mood.” Indigo quipped as Malcom approached them. Standing next to him as he was, it was trivial to see when Adrien’s stance changed, hardening immediately, and Indigo found himself wondering if was really the only one that had figured out what Adrien was hiding.

Their host greeted them cordially and announced the next challenge, one that elicited some wary looks and low murmurs. He had to give Malcolm credit, the little peer review was obviously intended to see how each of them handled praise and criticism. Could they stay humble? Could they handle criticism gracefully?

Perhaps Malcom saw in each of them one of the traits that had made him a successful business man.

Adrien said his piece and Indigo raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was kind of him. Less kind to Violet, but honestly, Indigo agreed. As everyone mulled over what to say, Indigo thought about what he’d noticed about each of them.

While he hadn’t interacted a whole lot with Harvey beyond mundane things like passing him the salt shaker at dinner, it was clear that Harv had a chip on his shoulder the size of a cornucopia. He was from the wrong side of the tracks and generally seemed to dislike the interns that came from the upper crust. He also seemed to think that being poor was why the average person wouldn’t like him. He was wrong about that.

It was probably more because he kind of came off as a dick.

Whitney was fun. Granted, he couldn’t remember their interactions all that well as he’d been high or had been drinking for most of them, but he knew that the artist was a blast to hang out with. Unlike say, Violet? In his opinion, Violet was a rare savant. Utterly useless for damn near everything, but unparalleled skill in one specific area. She also seemed to have knack for sort of stumbling across the solution.

Fiora was nice. But the whole supernatural thing? Come on, Malcolm didn’t believe in inane stuff like that, did he? Then there was Amrin. She was a pleasure to work with, but it seemed like she kept everyone at arm’s length; whether that was because she didn’t want anyone to see the real her, or she simply didn’t want to know anyone was up for debate.

Maybe it was just him.

Blaine was another intern he hadn’t really gotten to know, but he knew his type well enough. There was always anger in those eyes, hidden under a thin veneer of cockiness. Blaine was the type that hated himself more than anything.

Beryl and Coralie he had more or less put in the same category. Beryl was spoiled rich and dumb; also nice. Too nice. Like he practiced what to say in the mirror before leaving his room. Coralie was on the opposite end of the spectrum. She wasn’t dumb, she just didn’t seem to understand people that weren’t from the same social strata as herself. Hell, the first week, she’d mistaken him as a butler.

With all those thoughts swirling around his head he thought he was close to having an answer for Malcolm. He could return the favor and opt for Adrien, but how would the others view that? Was voting for those you were more or less friendly with frowned upon?

“Right,” he said loudly as Blaine finished. “If I had to choose someone deserving of the win besides myself, I’d go with Poppy Rohan.” It was a good choice, he thought. No one could deny that she was a fierce competitor— except perhaps Coralie, who she appeared to have bad blood with. Indigo went on to explain his choice, just as the others did.

“Does she come off as an acidic, entitled, venomous bitch with daddy issues? Well Yes,” he admitted, nodding sagely before rewinding his thought process a little and realizing that that was probably not the best thing to say out loud. “Er…no offense,” he added hastily with an awkward glance in her direction.

“But despite that,  her drive is commendable,” he went on. “How many of us can say we already have a successful business and want another one? You can tell she’s the kind of person who doesn’t quit, won’t take no for an answer and never begs. It’s— “

kind of attractive

“A good quality to have.” He finished, snapping the cookbook shut and tucking it under his arm.

“Now as for the other half of this peer review,” Indigo’s eyes flicked over a few of the other interns before coming to a rest on his roommate. He wanted to agree with Blaine about Adam, but he also slept only several feet away from him so it probably wasn’t the best idea. 

Indigo’s gaze moved over to Malcolm. If this challenge was intended to see how well people could handle criticism, perhaps he should play along and critique someone he knew had a problem with that type of thing.

“Blaine may not know who Adam is, but he doesn’t know himself either,” he began. “He carries himself like the bullies I had in high school, and trust me I had a few.” He added with a self-depreciatingly chuckle.

“And behind every massive ego, every aura of cockiness was a scared little boy out of his depth. Blaine could be a great leader if he tried hard enough, but a leader needs to command respect or fear; even a healthy mixture of both. For the last few months, Blaine has commanded neither.”

Was that coming on too strong? It might have been. These were the kinds of social interactions he had trouble with, not knowing when to stop talking. A little etiquette was likely in order, like the apology Adrien had mouthed or the one Blaine had half-assed to Adam.

“Uh… nothing personal, Blaine. I’ve just had a lot of experience dealing with people like you.” He said delicately, shooting some awkward finger guns in the other dude’s direction. His piece said, his mind almost immediately started drifting away from the current situation.

Hadn’t Adrien said before that being able to cook fancy things was an attractive trait in a man? Indigo reopened the cookbook and went back to memorizing how to properly get a soufflé to rise, listening intently as the others went on to give their reviews. 

I might be dumb, but I'm not stupid.

I know half of them are gonna pick me. I'm not here to bite everyone's heads off - sure, I've rolled my eyes here or there, but sometimes I get the feeling these kids would literally murder each-other in their sleep just to win this stupid prize. There's more to life than this big dumb house - at least, there's more to my life than this big dumb house. Maybe they've got nothin' else. But Harvey doesn't have much, and he's not an asshole.

"I guess I haven't been impressed with Violet, though,"

Yeah whatever, me too, get in line Mr... uh.....

I don't even know this kid's last name.

"I pick Beryl or Fiora," I announce when it gets to my turn. No more games, no more sugar-coatin', if these idiots wanna play dirty then fine. I'm not afraid to stick my hands in the mud.

It's why I'm here.

"They're the only ones here who have actually bothered to get to know me. And business is more than being the best - it's about relationships. Ya gotta know people, yknow? How to get along with people, in order to be successful."

I know it's the first smart thing to come out of my mouth but it's the most sure thing to come out of my mouth since I called Baxter my friend and called Beryl a pretty-boy. I know my worth. I know why my parents were famed around my part of the district. I watched them be sociable, be open, be kind, good people who weren't afraid to share their knowledge with others. And they knew how to turn a profit with what they had, too.

Maybe I don't know why, but I know how. I could at least tell you how they did it.

"As for who shouldn't be here, I dunno. Maybe this guy's right. Maybe I shouldn't be here. I almost wasn't invited."

I nod to him, Adrien, what's his last name? C'mon brain, wake up!

"But at least I know Adrien's name. And, uh," I'm getting embarrased now, word falling out of my mouth like they normally do.

"Uh, and I know, uh, I know he doesn't have a dad."

I might be dumb, but I'm observant too.

She moved through the motions of the day, a journal in her hand and a pencil in the other, taking notes as she walked through the house.

She was the type of girl that did not stop for anything, because stopping meant that she would probably raise suspicion, and the last thing that she wanted was to draw attention to herself. Amrin had always been known as a quiet observer, the one that no one expects to be watching.

She couldn’t help but take notes about her experience here. Maybe she would save them, publish a novel for the ages and show people that she was more than just a brain.

People didn’t need to know though that she was capable of emotion, the interns here haven’t given her a chance, or a reason for that matter, to let her guard down.

Everyone here had made it very clear that they were not interested in anything more than getting the prize at the end of the title, and Amrin could not lie that she thought the same thing, and while some of the people here had tried to at least give Amrin a chance to converse, she wasn’t going to hunt anyone down.

It just wasn’t worth it to her.

She spent most of her time here exploring the layout of the mansion, and while she wondered why people didn’t question her for doing so, she did enjoy the solace. Being hidden, after all, wasn’t a bad thing to an ice queen. It gave her time to cultivate information that she felt she could use later.

And a queen would simply shrug off the people that didn’t understand her anyway.

---

She was sitting around the room she was called to with the rest of the interns, and as they followed suit, like lambs to the slaughter, but she was no better.

She wanted this just as much as they did after all.

She knew it was best to behave, her hands clutching her journal as she crossed her legs and pulled her sweater around her tightly.

The periwinkle color popping out like a sore thumb.

Good.

She wanted to be noticed.

And Malcom Nox came out of the shadows and started to insinuate another activity for them to participate in.

The first one proved to be sort of lack luster in Amrin’s case, but that was her fault, there was no denying that. She could have been a bit more domineering, something that she could tell that Adam wouldn’t have minded. Besides the point, Amrin could admit that she didn’t mind the conversation. After all, she was always down to have a chat with any of them, it just took a certain type of person to be able to handle her straightforwardness. Indigo tried, Adam succeeded. Whitney was direct, and after that, there wasn’t much.

She didn’t care though, because she wasn’t going to seek out them, she was going to wait until they proved to give her something she found valuable, and whether that be information or company. Amrin wasn’t going to turn down either, as long as they could handle her.

And something told her clearly that some of them couldn’t.

---

Her pencil tapped against the leather journal as she listened to Malcom drone on and on, and then all of the sudden he cut to the juicy details that Amrin was waiting to here.

It was time to start throwing the lambs into the ether.

She knew her play from here. Wait for the sheep to oust to hyena’s and vice versa, then take notes as they went along. Amrin knew that she hadn’t done much to set herself amongst the pack, which she had already been thinking about.

She had just been doing enough.

However, like her invitation said, she needed to do more than just do enough.

---

Adrien started, not to her surprise of course.

Indigo for best, Violet for worst. An interesting parallel that Amrin noted in her journal. Indigo was impressive, Amrin couldn’t fault Adrien’s choice. Violet though she did have to wonder a bit. Sure, she seemed a little air headed, but Amrin knew that it was hard to underestimate people, and Violet of all people was the one person she could apply that too. While she might be spacey, Amrin could see that she made up for it in earnest.

She ticked the note in her head and continued to listen.

Blaine was next, and that was a bit surprising.

Coralie for best, Adam for worst. She mentally shrugged, questioning both of his picks. It wasn’t her place to mention, not here at the least. Coralie seemed like a spoiled brat, but with that, she did seem like she knew something about business, which is what Malcom said he was looking for. Adam on the other hand was eloquent, which led Amrin to believe that he could sell anyone, anything. A trait that would be exponentially useful in any business Mr. Nox started. Coralie wasn’t the best, and Adam wasn’t the worst. In Amrin’s eyes, they both ranked in the middle.

Indigo spoke up next, and Amrin mentally turned the page in her head.

Poppy for best, Blaine for worst. Interestingly enough. Amrin could admit that Poppy was fiery, but she wondered if there was too much passion behind those bright blue eyes of hers. As for Blaine, another that hasn’t shown too much of himself. Amrin was having a hard time pinning him down, which made her worry. On this critique, Amrin could agree with Indigo. She would remember to draw a huge question mark around Blaine when she finally entered him into her journal.

Fiora, at least that is what she thought her name was, commanded the attention of the group. Amrin took note of that and listened.

Whitney for best, Beryl for worst. Whitney was an interesting pick, one that Amrin though couldn’t contest, as she had only taken so much time to speak to her. It was clear to her that she might have come off the wrong way to the girl who embodied the color of white, but there was time to try to fix that. Only a short time had passed anyway. As for Beryl, he was an enigma. Amrin had no clue who he was, and she had a feeling that was on purpose. After all, it was easier for a snake to attack its prey when it couldn’t be seen.

Violet stammered in, and Amrin braced herself from impact. It was clear she was coming into the atmosphere hot. Hopefully she wouldn’t burn up before.

Fiora or Beryl for best, Adrien for worst? Maybe? Amrin couldn’t tell, and to be honest, she didn’t feel the need to try to force her to pick one or the other. Amrin sighed as Violet did exactly what she hoped she wouldn’t do. Set herself up for a great landing, but ate it on the dismount.

Beryl thought it was wise to weasel his way in, and Amrin simply flipped another page in her mind.

Adam for best, which something told her that was a personal thing. The way his voice flowed was nothing but smooth, and the tone didn’t change one bit. There was more there, and Amrin could spend hours trying to decipher the hidden meanings behind the sickly boys answer, that was until he decided to unlatch his jaw and go in for the strike.

Amrin for worst.

That little fucking garden snake. She thought to herself, trying her hardest to not crack.

She had worked so hard to prove that she was made of ice, but it was clear that wasn’t working for her. If they wanted to see her break from her crystalline form though, the snake was going to have to do a lot more than just a mere mention of her name.

It was a good play though.

Maybe it was feeding time.

”Nothing personal? Sure.” Amrin’s ice wall came down, ”I don’t even know you, but thanks for giving me an example of your character.” Amrin remained composed.

”Well, now that I have finally opened my mouth,” she pursed her lips for a moment, trying to figure out what was the best way to approach this.

She wanted so bad to throw Beryl to the wolves, but something told her that wasn’t the right play her. Diplomatic choices would do her much greater justice then passionate ones. However, if they wanted her opinion, she was more than willing to give it.

”As much as I would love to throw the snake under the bus, he did a good job of unfurling me. ” She admitted calmly, ”Besides, I wouldn’t even choose myself for the best, being the best brings too much attention to yourself.” Amrin crossed her arms, her journal pressing against her torso as she scanned the room. ”Indigo on the other hand has heeded my words from day one, and so for that, I have to commend him. He’s showing up to play and win.” She admitted. Yes, it was a risky choice, and her words could very well screw her for the rest of this game, but if she was going to speak, she was going to be honest.

She was playing her own game anyway.

”Coralie’s silver tongue though is going to be her undoing. Greed has no place here. We are all here because we all have talents, and from our dinner event, the only thing that Coralie seems to be talented at is coming from an already affluent family.” Amrin didn’t miss a beat. ”She’s already had a taste of success, now it’s one of our turns.” Amrin crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair as she finished her piece.

It wasn’t a soap box she was willing to die on, but it was something she did believe in.

It was also clear that people were already drawing lines in the sand, but Amrin had a feeling that some of them thought they could do the same thing in ice. Her translucence shining in the sun they tried to bring over her.

Amrin would laugh to herself as she watched them fall flat on their face.

---

dars

She has always been a people person.

In a sense.

Others either respected or feared her. Coralie always knew that ruling with a crown required one of those just as much as the other.

Her life was filled with parties and soirees, where careful words and watchful eyes were required. Mother would always quiz her at the end of the night, even about the most minute details. And at first she failed.

And then she learned.

That's when mother taught her how to demand respect, and how to threaten them if they refused. Mother was respected because she knew what was going on, she knew about people's lives, and that's why they listened. If there was one good thing Mother did for Coralie it was that she passed on this skill.

Because now her crown could not be threatened.

And now was her chance to prove it.

She stood in the line along with the others, waiting to see what their next task would be. The light breeze tickled her nose and tossed her hair behind her while the sun warmed her skin. She was becoming impatient, but stood there silently with a smile on her face, watching the others, gauging their reactions.

Finally Malcom arrived and gave directions for today. Her eyes flashed around, some people were wearing faces of horror, but hers was nothing more than a smile.

Adrien started, and she surprisingly found herself agreeing with his choices. Coralie never thought they day would come. She made a mental note to seek him out later, to see exactly what he's all about.

She smiled gratefully at Blaine when he chose her, and gave him a slight wink under her hat. She would make sure he was rewarded properly for choosing the rightful winner. Indigo continued next and she couldn't help but roll her eyes when he picked Poppy to win.

She wondered what Poppy could possibly be paying him to say that.

Whatever it was she could top it.

Coralie listened carefully as the others talked. She decided not to speak up quite yet, as these answers were very insightful as to how the others brains worked. It was far too interesting to interrupt, and she needed to know who to look out for.

Finally, it seemed to be her turn. She took a step out from the line, distancing herself slightly so that it was clear she was the one who would be speaking. She gave a quick smile as she made eye contact with everybody in line.

"Well, even though he unfortunately seems to have very poor taste," Her eyes quickly glanced at Indigo. "I would have to pick blue boy over there to win. He's smart, no one can deny that. And thankfully taste can be taught," he winked at him then laughed, knowing damn well he was going to take a lot of convincing.

"Now my heart is telling me to give one answer," her eyes connected with Poppy's as she took a pause to glare at her. "But my brain is telling me to choose another," she started to pace the line, only stopping when she came across her choice. "Amrin. You weren't my first choice, but your little answer just changed my mind. Not everyone deserves success in life. And the fact that you think that coming from a well-off family is useless makes you naive. If anything, it gives me an advantage. You would break into a million pieces from all the stress of being successful, I on the other hand would thrive," And with one final smile she turned and walked away.

Head still high.

Crown still intact. 

Malcolm Nox wanted drama.

Sink or Swim. That's what this whole thing was about. Pitting interns against one another, set the teams up until they knock one another down. Eyes glance to all of them, all of which he's only starting to get to know. Sink or swim. Take the chance. A hum of silence in his mind as he silent stares in the background, where he can see everything happen. People at one another's throats with words that will cut down one another. No smile on his face as he watches.

Harvey's never been on anyone's team. Always alone in a world that feels so cold, but the chill stills his heart. Anger seems pointless in this place, but his annoyance didn't have to be mean. Harvey's always been an honest person, but here and now, he knew what honesty does. Honesty gets you killed among the orphans that he once lived with. This whole internship wasn't any different. Eyes raised as he silently waits with his cup of tea on the edge of the group. No one had noticed him coming on time or patiently waiting for this whole thing. Only the small smile that he had shared to Fiora, before focusing on listening to each person before them.

Names filling the chilly air.

Indigo. The first name to be praised. An interesting guy for sure, despite Harvey's own coldness, Indigo had caught his interest. Smart, but not exactly business smart. Definitely a good choice in the internship, but Harvey would not say him. Indigo wasn't exactly all there, but who knows, things seem to be changing. After all, the start of autumn always meant change was coming. Violet. The first name to discredited. Violet was not a good choice. Handy in situations, but not exactly dependable. He's seen her talk to that damn cat a few times. Though, Adrien was a little too serious in this whole thing.

He had his guesses on why.

Poppy. Poppy is an enigma. He's avoided her more times than not. She seems to be the fiery type that blazes her own paths. Definitely someone he would consider, but there's always something that makes him not want to admit that. Blaine. The guy was obnoxious and made his blood boil. If Harvey were an icy chill of passive aggressiveness and stubbornness, Blaine was the opposite. The massive ego that set a tone in the room. Blaine was fiery and could lead, but always pushed too hard. Blaine was a solid choice for someone to put down, but he's still thinking.

A sip of tea as he focuses on Malcolm and then back to the group.

Coralie. Entertaining. Not exactly, he couldn't stand any rich woman who thought she deserved everything. A roll of his eyes as he waits for Blaine to continue. Adam. Not exactly someone who's outspoken, but definitely interesting in some form. A mysterious man with something up his sleeve, he's silent, but nothing seems to knock the guy down. Eyes look to Adam for a moment as he contemplates the guy. Definitely has something up his sleeve.

Another sip of his tea as the world continues to move.

Fiora is next to speak. With the ever so interesting way she moves, he can see the thoughts coming through her head. Whitney. Surprise hits him, but he can feel the calm in his chest. Sink or swim. Let the competition tear one another apart and watch the explosion from the background. Interesting. Fiora was impressing him more and more by the day. Whitney was a solid choice for her passion. Not his choice, but a decent safe choice. Beryl was also a safe choice. The nice guy who was too condescending in every way. A shrug of his shoulders as he doesn't even want to think about them.

Out of the people left, he doesn't listen. Attention seems to not be on him, which is exactly what he wants. Under the radar, with moves he can make. Ma used to tell him that arguing with fools was useless. An innocent bystander couldn't tell the difference between a fool and an intellectual. You'd both become the fools. A small frown fills his face as he sets the empty cup on a courtyard table and crosses his arms looking at the group of people left that he hasn't thought of.

Amrin. The girl was always on the edge, sometimes with a careful eye. Harvey's seen the observant types, none of them do well, but it's not bad to have one in your back pocket. An instant smile fills his lips as he silently continues to look. Last, but definitely not least was none other than Adrien himself. Never one for showing his hand, takes things too seriously, but has a quick mind on those shoulders. Always seeming off in some ways, but he's got a way to him that Harvey would be interested in seeing what goes through that head. Eyes glancing from all of them as he moves back to Malcolm.

The leader of this crazy internship, as if he were just toying with them. This whole thing was a game of cat and mouse, just waiting for the interns to weed one another out to the leader. Pull the weak ones from root and stem from the ground and pit the strong ones against each other. Dislike on the tip of his tongue was washing away with every moment of this entire thing. Malcolm Nox was smart in some ways, but this was just adding strife to a group that was already at one another's throats.

Malcolm Nox liked drama.

That's all there was to this.

Harvey knew he wasn't the first choice. Abrasive to many, he's not exactly the kindest of souls, but he's got his own determination to come out of this with an escape from the impoverish life he lives. His name hadn't been spoken once. No one wanted to speak his name, which he understood. Better to be in the background than on the front lines. He could pick them off one by one from here. Fiora had made a decision to benefit both of them in a way. She had a way with figuring out things that not many of them see. Interesting for sure.

As he steps forward with a blank stare, he can see them all. Adrien. Indigo. Blaine. Fiora. Violet. Amrin. Coralie. Adam. Beryl. Whitney. Poppy. Who was the right choice? He didn't know. A hum on the edge of his tongue as he looks to Malcolm and then back to the group before speaking with a neutral tone. Honesty gets men killed these days.

Sink or Swim.

He wasn't going to get involved in this drama.

Better to let the big dogs fight and swoop in with the surprise ambush.

"Adrien."

A moment.

"Adrien is going to win in the end. He's got a certain presence about him that makes him approachable, but serious. I would trust his judgment more than most. A quality that anyone should have when dealing with a company like yours, Mr. Nox."

Eyes glance to Fiora.

I trust yours too.

"Amrin."

Don't show your hand.

Always have to be a step ahead.

"She's more of an observant type, not a leader type. No hard feelings, Amrin, but you need to start putting some of those observations you have to use."

Sink or Swim.

Harvey would survive.

No matter what it takes.