Chapter Text
One nice winter day in 1970’s America, a month after a certain trial involving a certain Group 14 of jurors…
“Adi, I think you blew a circuit.”
Winnie was the first one to speak in the silence after Adisorn Moore’s electrical system went kaput.
“What a great observation, Winnie! A blown circuit in the midst of a blizzard, too…” Coworker proudly exclaimed, patting the shorter man’s shoulder amidst the sheer darkness of the room.
It was so dark he didn’t actually know whose shoulder he was patting.
“...Mr. Coworker…” Dr. Albert Krueger gently brushed the man’s hand off his doctor’s jacket.
“My apologies, colleague!” Coworker still proudly exclaimed.
“Does anyone have matches??” June gulped, keeping her eyes glued to what little she could see of her shoes. She took a step forward and bumped into someone.
Fwoosh.
All of a sudden, everyone could see each other’s faces.
Adisorn was smoking.
“Sorry about that,” he casually said, as if trying to operate a game on the latest model of work computer was a perfectly normal idea. (It was the 1970’s and the man was still addicted to gaming.)
“It’s awfully cold in here,” Winnie sighed, digging into his back pocket. June blinked and did a double take as a cigarette materialized in his hands.
Adisorn lit the cigarette.
“I see we have some smokers among us,” Dr. Albert Krueger, or just Albert among his fellow jurors (or ex-jurors, as their time in court evaluating cases was already over), sighed. “As a doctor, you may expect what I am going to s--”
Coworker lit his cigarette.
Albert glared at him.
“Hello,” Coworker cheerfully waved before placing it into his mouth.
“Um… shouldn’t we be doing something a little more productive than this?” June tapped her foot against the floor. “Adisorn, did you… prepare for this blizzard at all?”
“Of course I did,” he frowned, glancing down at her. “Don’t open the fridge though. We’re eating canned food tonight.”
“A surprise sleepover, huh…” Winnie murmured.
“Canned food,” Albert repeated in disbelief.
“Do you have Chef Boyardee’s?” June blurted.
“Uh…” Adisorn blinked. “I have cookies from my girlfriend--”
“Wait,” Winnie gasped.
“What?” Adisorn and June asked in unison.
“Where did Benny go?!” Winnie shrieked.
~
“I almost forgot who that was,” Albert muttered, Winnie at his side. The duo shared a lantern, searching Adisorn’s surprisingly luxurious house for a certain fiery redhead who survived the world renowned death game show ‘Bet and Forgive’.
“Really?” Winnie tapped his chin. “He’s kind of unforgettable.”
“I only remember what he looks like because he looks like my therapy client, Rody Lamoree,” Albert shrugged. “And both are… adrenaline junkies, so to speak.”
“I see,” Winnie nodded, a smile on his face as they wandered around… the basement.
“One of the friendliest basements I’ve ever had the pleasure of inspecting,” Albert hummed, raising the lantern over a framed photograph of Adisorn and someone who was presumably his girlfriend. Against the wall was a pink couch with colorful plushes and throws on it.
“You inspect basements for a living besides being a doctor?” Winnie raised a brow.
“...Don’t worry about it, dear,” Albert stiffened for a brief moment before offering the college student a suave smile. “How has college been lately?”
“So hard,” Winnie sighed. “I tried to get my friend Augustine to help me with the workload, but--”
“Albert! Winnie!” a voice shouted from the top of the basement’s stairs.
The two whirled around to see June speedily descending the staircase, raising her lantern.
“June!” Winnie exclaimed, dashing over to meet her. “Did you try the Chef Boyardee--?!”
“I lost Adisorn!” June cried.
Albert hastened over to where the other two were.
“You lost Adisorn--” Winnie began.
“I lost him!” she trembled.
“In his own house?” Albert’s brows were furrowed.
“In his own house!” June sank to her knees.
~
“So you tell me why the hell you got ropes underneath that bed, Moore,” Benny held a gun to the man’s head. “And also where the hell you got that ugly little flamingo floatie in the closet.”
“You’re in the closet,” Adisorn frowned.
“Yeah, babe. Wearing your ugly flamingo floatie, putting a gun to yer head.”
“You didn’t survive Bet and Forgive for no reason, huh…” Adisorn scoffed.
“You don’t have kinky うんこ under your bed for no reason either, eh?” Benny tapped the tip of the gun against Adisorn’s forehead.
“How did you even hide the gu--”
“I’m asking the questions, baby. And you’re gonna fudging answer them.”
“Fudge--?”
“Oh, shut your trap,” Benny lowered the gun slightly. “If you’re planning to kidnap anybody I need to know now.”
“And if I lie?” Adisorn folded his arms. Benny was a bit surprised by how unfazed he was.
“If you’re lying I’ll just spread rumors about what kinks you have,” Benny shrugged.
“You’re a freak,” Adisorn wrinkled his nose. He still had a bandaid over it all this time.
“You’re a freak for wanting to kidnap someone. You think I don’t know what you’re plotting?” Benny rolled his eyes. “Babe, you’re soooo obvious. This room locks from the outside, is decorated all colorfully-- come on. I saw your room. You just have that stupid computer in there and your posters and whatever.”
“That’s some stupid evidence,” Adisorn retorted. “For all you know, this could be the room I’m renovating for myself.”
“You literally told us the other room was ‘my bedroom-- I sleep, eat, and code here for most of my off days’.”
How in the world did Benny remember that whole sentence? Adisorn blinked. “I’m not obligated to tell a bunch of people I met on jury duty about the fact that I have a room like this, buddy.”
“It’s Benny, actually,” Benny crooned. “And Adi, just fess up already. You’ve seen what I can do to other people-- you saw me on the big screen, right babe?”
“I’m not your baby--”
“Everyone’s my baby. I’m a pretty fatherly person when I’m drunk. And I know you saw that episode,” Benny stepped out of the closet. “And I know you know that I can shoot a gun… or use my charm to shoot down your good name.”
“Say that last part agai--”
“So, who were you planning to kidnap tonight, eh, bigshot?” Benny brandished the gun once more. “Was it Winnie?”
He placed his finger on the trigger.
“Albert?” Benny checked his aim.
He snorted. “June?”
Benny tapped his chin with his free hand. “Oh, shoot. There’s someone I’m forgetting…”
He quietly listed off names with each of his fingers. “Winnie, Albert, June--”
CRASH!
“You’ll shut up if you want to make this out alive, Benny,” Adisorn sent the redhead to the floor. “And. Give me back my pool floatie.”