castle_whims | FIRST TRIAL

Honestly, if all you're going to do now is try to smoke out the castle I think it's time for a trial.

A trial, yes, a trial, Alice! Let's find out who it is. Come to the stairwell, everyone. I'm feeling better so I'll even be able to meet you there.

[The wall at the top of the stairwell is gone by the time everyone arrives. In it's place is a giant teacup being held by a doll's hand. For some reason it has a hinged door that swings out and closes shut once everyone gets in. It's big enough to hold everyone inside comfortably. Well, at least, as comfortable as you can get with a possible murderer in your midst.

While there are buttons for various other 'floors' in the castle none of them currently work. It takes a moment before the giant doll arm begins lowering. The visible area around you is just a dirt hole. It's as if you're descending down a rabbit hole as the teacup starts to descend quickly.

Eventually the teacup lands with a thunk in a room that's definitely more suitable as a place for a party than a park. It's a large outdoor room with great hedges surrounding the entire area. White roses dripping red paint (blood?) stand out among the green foliage. In an elevated area, safe from any potential angry 'friends, the Alices can be seen behind a desk emblazoned with a familiar symbol.

Down on ground level, though, there's a circle of podiums with a copy of your portrait to tell you where to stand. Both Ib and Violet's portraits are currently crossed out in red.]

Welcome to the trial room! Well, trial court? Mm... doesn't matter, I guess. I'm feeling better today so I'm glad that I can at least make sure that someone doesn't mess everything up for everyone.

[The cat, in Alice form, looks away.]

That said, time to find out who killed Violet. Trial, begin!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You care about that, but you're so into making little girls cry that it's a matter of life and death? Well, we have a majority already, so it doesn't matter.

I never said anything like that! What I care about is the truth, and doing things like this right, and punishing criminals properly!

The matter of life and death is staying trapped in this awful place you fool!!

This is how trials work in these games -- and it is a game, in case you're forgetting. Your concept of justice didn't mean anything in the first place, and it certainly doesn't here.

Life and death is not a game!!

[He is absolutely getting whipped with her riding crop but after she spins around and goes to her podium and votes with no hesitation for Cori, focusing to keep herself shaking with all the emotions, all at once, as she does so.]

None of this is right!

Franziska!

[She isn't doing great]

[Yeah she... sees that. Where are some social skills so she can use them to be helpful?]

[ ... ]

[Yawns.]

But a game is life and death right now, especially judging by the way you're yelling. Didn't I say that running your mouth won't get you anywhere?

But that's really all you know how to do, isn't it?

So the truth matters to you, but not all the evidence that this rule has been enforced before and will be again? Are you thinking you'll talk Alices out of it right now?

Sounds more like you want yourself to be right.

What ideas do you have to try and keep us all alive? It seems like you've been a useless fool, playing meekly along, playing their foolish game!

You're as bad as they are, I don't know why you haven't killed someone already if you're so ready to follow their foolish rules to get out.

I could say the exact same thing to you! Here you are going on about how you're telling them murder is wrong and then one of our own did it just because she was stupid and scared! She doesn't even care about the prize! The culprit and victim never attended the sleepover. Working together is working for us!

You're right, it's worked so well that two, almost three people are dead already!

Believe whatever foolish dreams you're foolishly holding onto, but three people are going to be dead, and all the people who were here before, and you've done nothing to try and stop it but hope no one will die.

I hope you enjoy being trapped here until you lose every one of your memories. Why don't you keep playing your game and tell me when you have a good idea? I'll be helping where I can with that, but also with trying to get us out of here and back home!

We attempted to set up a universal accountability structure to do just that, and we've all been investigating things here just as you have. Your entire plan thus far has been "yell at a child until she feels bad enough to stop", which clearly hasn't happened so far. Stop pretending you're of any greater value to this group than anyone else is.

And how has that worked so far? Don't pretend your plan has done anything!

Hence "attempted". We can't judge whether it would have truly been effective or not because of a lack of participation, including from you. I can at least say that Allen stayed by my side last night and he's fine.

And what is your plan beyond all that, even if it worked perfectly? As far as I've seen you don't have one.

If we say here forever we will stay until we lose all memory of who we are, and at that point who we are will still be dead! There is no way to survive except get out, and I don't want to have to kill someone to do that!!

If you have the slightest inkling of a plan other than foolishly hope for the best, wait and see what happens, then you certainly haven't done anything that I've seen for it.

I've been speaking to the Alices civilly, getting information from those interactions, and organizing meetings to pool information.

Those new nonfiction books you were so excited about are there because the Queen asked me if I'd like to have them, by the way.

[She casts him the barest scornful glance but has already turned and walks away.]

[ Bye. ]

FIRST TRIAL

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject