FIFTH TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

FIFTH TRIAL

THE CONTAINMENT CENTER

There are two more dead this week, and some unusual locations led to some unusual and interesting evidence. Once the students have had time to scour the affected areas and collect their clues, Kakuya's lilting telepathic voice guides them back to the elevator. Everyone now has plenty of elbow room - and plenty of carrying space to bring down the evidence, living creatures and all.

In addition to the constant strobing of the lights and the scream of metal chafing against metal, those who can tune into the softer noises in the background might hear snippets of a song on their descent. Though the lyrics are garbled and unintelligible as any other song playing in the soda fountain, a muffled crooner keens in the distance. The familiar clown whose presence is a constant despite the shifting cells, however, is 32 22 flavors and then some. He precariously balances a multi-scoop ice cream cone in one patient hand, all of its assorted scoops unpleasant and sickly colors. Multiple punctured balloons hang down from his other arm, wrinkled and dripping what is probably chocolate sauce. A cohort of aliens that look like every mid-century American fantasy of the little green men from outer space hone their weapons in silence. For the most part, every monster looks less restless now, but the hunger hasn't faded from any of them. If anything, it's intensified. If anything, it looks like they're biding their time.

There is, however, no sign of Father in his new prison. If he's suffering from the consequences he faces, you won't get the satisfaction of seeing that just yet.

Without the stark light of Father's telecomm screen, the trial room is a little bit darker but no less brutal. There's no longer a Prefect's desk visible by the podiums. Nanami, with nowhere to go, stands around aimlessly for a few moments, fidgeting, before finally taking a petulant seat on the open floor.

Kakuya, herself, is no where to be seen but the faint sound of flute music announces that she is watching. A voice echoes in the back of your mind as you return to your familiar podiums.

"It... looks like two of you are gone... Find out who killed... Koishi and Carrie, won't you? Kakuya... won't mind if you don't but don't... give up right away, okay? That would be no... good."

She laughs in her familiar, childish way. "Kakuya... wants to see what... you do this time... friends. Let's... start."
Investigation | Podium Layout | Locations | IC Profiles | IC Rules | IC Evidence Presentation | Evidence List | NPC Questions

OOC NOTES

Welcome to the fifth trial! Today's trial image is the famous eldritch cafe illustration by Jeff Paul Johnson. There are two dead this week, and success will entail solving both murders. Despite the shakeup in the management recently, there are still NPC question sections available.

Evidence Reminders:

• If you can carry it you probably can bring it. While the body itself isn't allowed into the trial, most things are, including live animals.
• 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 or the original finder otherwise can't present it (an emergency, etc), 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

[canreallymove]

...

[He rips his up. Obviously, he's abstaining.]

I don't like this game.

[whimsicalism]

You... said you... weren't my friend so... should... Kakuya care now?

[canreallymove]

You're not exactly givin' a majority of us a reason to be happy about this or be friendly with you, y'know!

How long are you gonna keep us for? And what're you gonna do when we're all dead? Or heck, if we just stop killing each other because we're sick and tired of killing each other! You can't just keep us all here forever!

[whimsicalism]

Kakuya... can control ghosts. She hasn't...yet because... you are friends but... if things stall... she can just possess someone, too.. like Ao...

Bold of you... to assume.. that Kakuya can't.

[canreallymove]

So you'll just cheat to get what you want? Yeah, real fun game for no one except you!

You call us friends? That not what friends do! A real friend would let us go after watchin' us kill one another week by week! But you don't really care about us, do you? You just want your stupid game to keep going!

[He's. Just. Done.]

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat will attempt to cover Sonic's mouth with a wing.]

S- Sonic doesn't really mean it, hahahaha...

[canreallymove]

No, kid, I do. You know it's the truth, too.

[violence_ensues]

You're going to make her mad and then she'll kill you...! Please...

[canreallymove]

Kid...we already know she's gonna kill us all anyways.

[And there it is.]

1/?

[violence_ensues]

2/?

[violence_ensues]

3/4

[violence_ensues]

...We...

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat gains a small grin. She puts a wing on Sonic's shoulder.]

I won't let her. Sheriff's promise. Let's make this the final week.

[Adorabat does her Jelly Handshake.]

Now, gimmie some jelly!

1/2

[canreallymove]

[He's not sure. This place has done a number on him. Killed his friends. Made him think twice about humans. Destroyed his entire worldview. Made him question his own sanity. Made him think.

He hates it. He'll always hate it here, and in truth, he doesn't know if they'll find a way before they're all dead or worse.]

2/2

[canreallymove]

[But hope is infectious, and hey, who can resist a jelly handshake.]

I'll hold you to it, Sheriff.

[whimsicalism]

...

[There's a long pause. Anger stirs in the air. Anger and sadness.]

Dolls... are friends... Friends... are dolls...

[canreallymove]

But we're not dolls! We're people! We have thoughts and feelings, and lives that you can't just...pretend don't exist or...or use like it's just a game!

If someone hurt you, or did something bad to you it would hurt way past bad, wouldn't it? It's the same with us! You've been hurting us with this game!

[whimsicalism]

I... will kill you. Is... that... clear enough? ...if Kakuya needs to grow up, she will... you can just go. I don't need... friends.

[canreallymove]

...You were already going to kill us anyways, though. Whether you killed us all because we got it wrong, or if we kill each other, or if you get bored of us.

What part of this lets us live in the long term and go home? Or just out of here?

[whimsicalism]

I will kill you.

[When she says that, the very malice in those words is tangible. It uh. Probably feels terrifying.]

[canreallymove]

[It is. It's horrifying. Honestly, Sonic feels it in his bones.

But he's been horrified these past weeks. He's more tired than horrified or terrified, though it still shines through in his eyes as he responds, doing his best to stand his ground.]

Why?

[keyringwitness]

...Am I...

[There's something horribly broken in Yasu's voice.]

Am I just a doll to you too, Kakuya?

[whimsicalism]

You... are like a daddy but not. Kakuya likes you. Kakuya loves you.

[Friends are different.]

[keyringwitness]

I love you too, Kakuya.

[There's no hesitation as she says that. If Yasu could speak in red, she'd do it here.

But there's a hint of sadness, too.]

That means I love your game too. It's part of you, right? As much as talking is for a human.

And it's because I love you that I'm not going to hold back trying to beat you. Anything less than that would be the same as giving you only half my heart, wouldn't it? [That, too, would be in red.]

[whimsicalism]

Right... and even if Kakuya ends up killing you, it's... not personal... you won't be gone. She'll win... she promises.

[She does sound a bit different, even to Yasu. The anger hasn't calmed. The anger of the dead.]

...Playing is love. If... no one can see that then... doesn't matter. Kakuya will show... everyone. She'll... grow up... beautiful and strong.