Editing Luke's Sweet Chapter 03-03

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|gameMode=Character Stories
|stageType=Story
|name={{PAGENAME}}
|previousStage=Luke's Sweet Chapter 03-02
|nextStage=Luke's Sweet Chapter 03-04
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===Script===
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Investigation Preparation (1): Luke's Residence 2F
|characterLinks=You!Main Character,Luke!Luke Pearce
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=|location=Time's Antiquities|image=Stellis - Time's Antiquities 2F RPG Map.png}}}}
''Preparations before heading out - Check the surveillance footage with Luke''

{{SL|You|Okay. That sounds like a safe plan.}}
To make sure you don't miss anything, Luke digs out yesterday's surveillance tape as well.

The camera at the front entrance of the antique shop is placed in a very inconspicuous position, and the image is crystal clear.

{{SL|Luke|Yup, and that's all we have here.}}
{{SL|Luke|The few suspicious individuals who were here this morning haven't been back since. The only other stranger who approached this place was Tony Lester.}}
{{SL|Luke|In other words, we can probably sneak out and start investigating. But...}}
{{SL|You|Are you concerned that they got here by following Tony?}}
{{SL|Luke|Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.}}
{{SL|Luke|But that's also just a hypothesis.}}
{{SL|You|There's a big chance that hypothesis is real though. Besides, Tony's symptoms are so similar to that of Rickmon's girlfriend...}}
{{SL|You|If he's also a victim of those unregulated medications, then the people following him are probably from Victoria Pharmaceuticals.}}
{{SL|Luke|Yeah...}}
The sound of a phone vibrating interrupts Luke. He picks up the phone on the table and checks it.

{{SL|Luke|It's Aaron. He probably has some new information — let me answer this.}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Suspicious Person (2): Detective Agency
|characterLinks=You!Main Character,Luke!Luke Pearce
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Detective Agency|location=Time's Antiquities|image=Time's Antiquities - Office Desk (Day).png}}}}
''Possibly new clues - Discuss the current clues with Luke''

Luke picks up the phone and listens intently. He then replies a few times before hanging up.

{{SL|You|That was fast. I thought you were going to have a discussion.}}
Luke grabs you and sits down, then puts the phone in landscape mode.

You note that he looks a little excited as if he'd just found a new puzzle.

{{SL|Luke|Aaron made a surprise find. He's sending a video over.}}
{{SL|You|He found something?}}
{{SL|Luke|Yep. Remember how the police have been investigating Victoria Pharmaceuticals?}}
{{SL|Luke|But those people were hiding too deep... We only discovered traces of their activities after Rickmon's case, but even then, we were too late.}}
{{SL|Luke|They've cleaned up a lot of important information already... such as the surveillance footage from back then.}}
{{SL|Luke|Therefore, based on just Rickmon's notes and the pieces of information we collected, there won't be enough evidence to convict them all.}}
{{SL|You|Does what he found have something to do with the investigation from before?}}
{{SL|Luke|It's more than that. Here, I got the video. Let's have a look together.}}
The video is just a little longer than one minute. Initially, the whole screen is dark and full of fuzzy specks — it's evident that this isn't just a normal surveillance recording.

Both of you wait patiently. At around 43 seconds, something different finally appears.

{{SL|You|That is...}}
You can vaguely tell that the area is in the older suburbs to the north of the city. A figure appears in the corner and approaches a pedestrian in front of him.

That figure quickly leaves after taking a few seconds to converse with the pedestrian. Then, the pedestrian starts to walk deeper into the dilapidated streets.

After about ten more seconds, the ever-blurry image shows someone emerging around the corner, bending down and dragging something. Everything turns dark after that.

{{SL|You|!!!}}
{{SL|Luke|This is the surveillance footage from the night Rickmon was discovered. Lots of the key images are blacked out, but we still managed to salvage some.}}
You suddenly remember some information regarding Rickmon's case.

{{SL|You|Is this the night when Rickmon was discovered? If I recall correctly, Aaron said a helpful civilian discovered Rickmon. Could this be...}}
{{SL|You|In that last image, where a person was dragging something... could that person be the helpful civilian?}}
{{SL|Luke|Yes.}}
As Luke says this, he taps to open the additional information he received and shows it to you.

It displays traits and other information collected by the surveillance camera. After some research and comparison, it displays the basic information of two people.

{{SL|You|...One is named Joe Stephens and the other is... Tony Lester?}}
{{SL|You|Why was he there? Was it a coincidence?}}
{{SL|Luke|Doesn't sound like one. I'm guessing... Tony is somehow involved with what happened to Rickmon.}}
{{SL|Luke|Based on what we saw from this salvaged footage, he might have said something to Stephens before Stephens went and discovered Rickmon.}}
{{SL|You|Besides, considering how Tony's physical issues are similar to that of Rickmon's girlfriend...}}
{{SL|You|Perhaps Tony has a certain level of understanding about Rickmon's situation. Or rather, about Victoria Pharmaceuticals...}}
You hear a dull thud as Luke slams his fist onto the table. The water in the cup shakes with the movement.

{{SL|Luke|Just like Rickmon's girlfriend, Kilner...}}
{{SL|Luke|Tony might be a victim of the unregulated medications from Victoria Pharmaceuticals.}}
Both of his hands are clutched into fists, and his knuckles are turning red.

The similar symptoms between Tony Lester and Olivia Kilner might have made him recall some of his buried memories.

{{SL|You|Don't worry. We can start our investigation ASAP now that we have this new clue.}}
{{SL|You|We'll definitely find Tony and ... prevent a repeat of Kilner's tragedy.}}
Luke lets out a long breath and takes you into his arms.

{{SL|Luke|I don't want to see anyone else suffering from those unregulated medications...}}
{{SL|You|Yeah, I understand.}}
Laughing softly, he rubs the underside of his chin on your hair.

{{SL|Luke|Sometimes, all my worries just go away when I hold you like this.}}
{{SL|You|...}}
{{SL|Luke|...}}
Suddenly, as if he just remembered something, Luke turns and picks up the phone he had set aside.

{{SL|You|What's wrong?}}
{{SL|Luke|I'm texting Aaron and Officer Day about a crucial point I just figured out.}}
{{SL|You|What is it?}}
{{SL|Luke|If Tony's symptoms are related to the unregulated medications, and he knows about Morten Rickmon and Victoria Pharmaceuticals...}}
{{SL|Luke|Could the police trace the investigation backward, then? Once the police can ascertain that Tony investigated Victoria, we can resolve numerous uncertainties.}}
{{SL|Luke|As for us, we'll focus on other clues so we won't waste any time! Okay, I'm done sending the message.}}
{{SL|You|Awesome! Tracing everything backward to the source sounds like a pretty good idea. I hope it yields good results!}}
{{SL|Luke|Yep. Let's get ready and head out.}}
{{SL|You|Let's go!}}
Luke nods and saves the surveillance footage from before. Then, the both of you head downstairs.

After getting prepared, you and Luke plan to head outside to look for Tony Lester.

As you are about to head off, Luke looks at the antique that's still on the table.

{{SL|Luke|Now that I look at this antique again, it feels different from what I felt this morning...}}
{{SL|You|I agree. Knowing how Tony suddenly disappeared and how he also deliberately brought this thing to you to get fixed... The story behind this antique might not be as simple as we initially thought.}}
{{SL|You|By the way, what did you think was odd about the antique this morning?}}
{{SL|Luke|Well, based on experience, I suspected this antique has some sort of mechanism inside it...}}
{{SL|Luke|But if we think about how he left the hospital as soon as he woke up, went somewhere to get this antique, and then brought it to me...}}
{{SL|Luke|If there is a mechanism in there, I will need time to both find and dismantle it.}}
The words that he doesn't get to finish instantly make you understand Luke's worries.

He needs time, but it's precisely what you lack. An urgent investigation is pushing you forward, and also...

No one can be sure whether spending time and effort on this antique will lead you to the young man.

You stand on your tiptoes and softly smooth his furrowed brow with your fingers.

{{SL|You|If we still don't have any clues, then let's start with the most simple part.}}
{{SL|You|Otherwise, we're going to get tangled in a mess of clues, and we won't be able to prioritize them properly. Isn't that how you taught me before?}}
Luke nods and deliberately moves his head to have your lifted fingers on his skin.
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Suspicious Person (3): Time's Antiquities
|characterLinks=You!Main Character,Luke!Luke Pearce
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Antique Shop|location=Time's Antiquities|image=Stellis - Time's Antiquities 1F RPG Map.png}}}}
''A tiny point of suspicion - Discuss what's suspicious about the antique with Luke''

{{SL|Luke|I'm being too impatient.}}
{{SL|Luke|Sometimes, I wish that our guesses weren't so accurate...}}
{{SL|Luke|But I'm a lot calmer now. Thank goodness you're here.}}
{{SL|You|I'm the one who should be thankful. It's good that you didn't push me aside and investigate on your own this time.}}
{{SL|Luke|Because I know that I won't be able to prevent you from going to investigate even if I tried. Seriously, I never know what to do with you.}}
{{SL|You|Then why don't we go investigate the boy's address and where he usually goes?}}
{{SL|Luke|Sure. After that, let's go talk to that helpful citizen, Joe Stephens, about what happened that night.}}
{{SL|You|All right! Let's go.}}
}}
|summary=
|characters=
{{Character|name=Luke Pearce|image=Luke character icon 1.png}}
|locations=
}}