castle_whims | FIFTH TRIAL

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Things are a little different this time. There's no alarm, no Father yelling in triumph or anger. Just a young girl laughing from nowhere as Kakuya speaks up. "...good job. This game is over... let's break Ava and then start over..."

The only thing that's the same is that the ceiling of the trial room opens and a container descends. Ava vanishes and appears in the container. She doesn't look happy at all, trying to glance for a purple glimmer in the glass. When she finds one she extends a middle finger at it.

For the longest while the container seems completely empty except for Ava herself. Then her shadow stretches across the wall of the container behind her. A vague humanoid shape appears, tilting it's head in indecision. It takes a few moments but a woman steps out from the shadows.

There's a wry smile on her face as Ava finally realizes someone is behind her. She turns--only for the woman to grab Ava by the throat. She snarls as the woman tries to strangle her. The struggle is fierce but brief. The woman leans in closer, long hair brushing against Ava's shoulder, as she whispers something in her ear. That gets another snarl before she gives her executioner another weak attempt at a middle finger before collapsing.

The woman shrugs before melting into the shadows. Ava doesn't move for a while but it's clear that Ava is dead, her defiance silenced.

Kakuya is quiet too. "Leave. Now... Kakuya needs to think."

[OKAY YES, MAAM, ADORABAT SKIDADDLES OVER TO THE ELEVATOR.]

FIFTH TRIAL

EXECUTION: Who's that Beside You? (CW: Asphyixiation)

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