FOURTH TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

FOURTH TRIAL

THE CONTAINMENT CENTER

((CW spiders))

The Principal's hateful dismissal of the latest murder still ringing in the halls, the students are ushered with much more force and hurry into the elevator this time. There's a certain amount of urgency to this descent that hasn't existed before, as if some great force is beginning to run out of patience with Ira Academy's slowly dwindling student body. The cold, pre-autumn gloom grasping at the upper levels has permeated these basement areas as well, and an uneasy chill wind rips through with no discernable source.

In their holding cell, the monsters all pace with more restlessness than usual. A bipedal crocodile monster tall enough to barely fit inside his cell without hunching rams his snout repeatedly against the front wall, blood stains gathering on the glass--and perhaps, if one looks close enough, some hairline cracks. A horde of black spiders with poisonous red markings spin nervously in the corners of their cells, wrapping up anonymous but distinctly humanoid figures in their webs. The clown makes everyone a balloon dog! How nice of him. He slits it open with his knife and leaves the shredded ribbons of rubber dangling from his fingertips.

Though the audio is clearly on and the Principal's view into the trial room seems undisturbed, the video feed on the projector screen is cut off today. Instead of the ram emblem or a visual on his firelit office, nothing but a wall of black stares back.

Nanami opens her mouth to introduce the case as soon as everyone is at their podium, but she's cut off by Father's angry, disembodied voice before a single world can leave her mouth.

"Sure, let's keep it up with the bread and circuses. If you don't get that then you should have paid attention in history class! I won't be surprised if you spend the whole afternoon trying to figure this one out, just to waste my time. Find out who killed The Dependable Dog, or you'll really find out where they all go."

Investigation | Podium Layout | Locations | IC Profiles | IC Rules | IC Evidence Presentation | Evidence List | NPC Questions | Labyrinth Map | Playground Map

OOC NOTES

Welcome to the fourth trial! Consider this your reminder to make sure to get in your Week 3 AC by tomorrow's weekly post and to start getting your Week 4 AC ready to submit. Make sure to get your regains in by tomorrow night!

Remember:

• If you can carry it you probably can bring it. While the body itself isn't allowed into the trial, most things are.
• If your character has access to a piece of evidence and you don't know if you can bring it in, you can either ask the mods privately if that's possible or by pinging them in the post itself.
• If a piece of evidence is forgotten, you can either assume retroactively that someone did or that the sheep brought it in to make sure that everything is tidy.
• As always, just put MODS in the header of your comment to get our attention for any clarification.

Good luck!

Comments

???

[holyironmade]

...if you had not suffered so much, then I would resist.

[Jeanne slowly unlaces the vest, her back to the circle as she addresses Yasu alone. It occurs to the astute watcher that there were twin flaps on the bottom of the white bodice under her black vest. Were. In a beautiful way, like everything Jeanne does, like a flower petal, only the one on the right falls down when the tightened confinement of the vest is undone. It is as if a pin can be heard dropping.

The vest falls on the podium, in a space leaving her red backpack uncovered, and she turns around to face the circle, with her hands clasped together eagerly.]

I know what you are thinking. Impertinent thoughts. Aren't those very bold thoughts to have about the savior who will resurrect everyone we have lost?

[LOGICAL ARGUMENT WARFARE START]

[temmapathy]

[Emma is...all raged out. She's just feeling numb now. She lifts her hands to sign, hoping that Jeanne will notice.]

Are you calling yourself our savior?

[Somehow, she manages to sign sarcastically.]

[holyironmade]

I have no choice. —I can write it down if you are tired.

I do not ordinarily reveal the full extent of my abilities to outsiders, but I am being suspected of murder, a gamble that I cannot make.

For I am not one in being with the father. Shamash is separate from me. I cannot revive myself; I am needed to revive the dead.

[spychic]

....

And she's lost it.

[She's just. Smiling.

She sounds like her Papa.]

[holyironmade]

So you do not believe.

[copycut]

Resurrect everyone...? [ Her voice is incredulous. Sharp. ] Are you— Are you delusional? How do you think you're going to accomplish that?

[holyironmade]

With Shamash's kiss. It is the last mission that I performed before being taken, so I know that it works.

[Shamash... Kuro is close by so she can sorta see the glow in the backpack. He is not floating around happily right now...]

[hashtagwoof]

Resurrect...?

[ Okay, better get everyone's attention. ]

HEY EVERYONE, I THINK JEANNE'S ACTUALLY LOST HER MIND.

[ Pointing at Jeanne and her clothes. ]

[holyironmade]

I know that a talking dog is not as hard to believe as what I am saying, but...

[She doesn't see his words as such a big deal compared to the others.]

[keyringwitness]

It was a cross, wasn't it? That's what Dylan was trying to tell us.

[There are still tears in her eyes that she wipes away as she turns to face Jeanne.]

Gallows aren't meant to be untied. That's why you cut them instead.

...made to bear all the world's sins on your shoulders, huh... no wonder you think you're the Savior.

[holyironmade]

A cross? What are you talking about?

However, when you said that it was strange for "such a small part of the lasso to have fur on it"... A gallows certainly makes more sense.

Re: ???

[lets_dewey_it]

J-Jeanne...?

_{[That's all he could muster.]}

[violence_ensues]

[Resurrect... like... like that one time Jeanne mentioned earlier.]

...But... how...?

[holyironmade]

With Shamash's kiss. I must be alive to send him to do it.

[shinedsobright]

Well don't I feel dumb again.


What are you, a Reaper?

[holyironmade]

A Shaman.

I have not heard the details of the distinction. ...it looks as if I will not have the chance.

1/?

[canreallymove]

2/?

[canreallymove]

["I trust Jeanne."

"...you have no basis for your theories, Sonic."

"Why can't you pay attention more!?"

"Chill, Sonic."

He had almost believed she was innocent. That he was wrong.]

3/?

[canreallymove]

["A- All of y'all are wrong.."

"Please tell me I'm wrong, Adorabat."

"NO MONSTER IS A GOOD MONSTER!"

"Aren't those very bold thoughts to have..."]

4/5

[canreallymove]

["...about the savior?"

Jeanne killed Dylan.

He was right. He had to be right.

She was content with sending Sonic to the slaughter, even expressing "outrage" as he sobbed, as Adorabat screamed and called him a monster, accused him of hurting his friend and then she sat baCK AND WATCHED HIM AS HE WAS WRONGLY ACCUSED OF MURDERING ONE OF HIS FRIENDS THAT WAY AND NOW SHE WAS CLAIMING THAT-]

5/5

[canreallymove]

[The only warning anyone gets as a scream of despair as Sonic lunges, throwing himself as he runs to Jeanne, tears in his eyes and his fists ready to punch her in her stupid smiling face.

Savior, she called herself. After all of that.

How dare she.]

[panglici]

Here? With what power? Even if your bargain with Shamash wasn't severed like everyone's tie to their own abilities - what, was that a lie, when you said what it was like?! Have you been able to speak to the dead this whole time, too?!

[holyironmade]

You are accusing me of making an enormous gamble while my powers are still sealed, it is true.

Kindness is a virtue. But idleness is a sin.

There is always Lamashtu out... there...

[romancing]

[ Koishi regards this with a neutral expression on her face, as much as she's been quiet this week. ]

Hmm, you were a different person than we thought, I guess. ♫

[holyironmade]

[It's. Been long enough. That it's just black comedy now.]

Oh, you have no idea.