castle_whims | FIRST TRIAL

Entry tags:

r2,
trial

FIRST TRIAL

FIRST TRIAL

THE CONTAINMENT CENTER

After all the evidence is collected, the students themselves are as well. The Little Brother units gather them up in orderly fashion, encouraging the line to proceed two-by-two up the hallway beyond the music room and into the newly opened area. When grouped up together, the class just barely fits into the glass-paneled section of the decontamination chamber. It's hard not to wonder if the entire student body was never meant to make it this far in the first place. A short burst of pressurized air later and the panels lift - and, for the first time, the door to the containment facility opens before you. Behind it, an elevator beckons the class in. A Little Brother unit reaches inside, pushes a button, and the lift's real, see-through door closes before the lift begins to lower.

As the elevator descends, the car passes floor after floor of cellblocks. Start florescent lighting casts stark highlights onto each of them, and in those closest to the elevator car, shape after shape is visible. A wolf the size of an elephant with blood-tinged saliva dripping from it's massive fangs. A clown holding 20 multicolored balloons in one hand, a popped and shredded 21st hanging from the other out to you with a gap-toothed grin. A pit of writhing snakes with no beginning and no end. The feeling is comparable to the hungry, lingering gaze from outside the academy's fence. Looking out at the many cells, it's as if there's no barrier between them and the assembled students at all.

The car's moving too fast to see all of them clearly, but careful attention reveals one final detail: Some of them are completely empty. The other noticeable thing is the noise. Snarls, roars, sly chuckles, hissing, and even someone humming a haunting lullaby... they all mix together into a cacophony as you near the final destination.

When the elevator comes to a complete stop, the group is let out into a black-floored room illuminated by the same stark florescent lighting. Luckily, as soon as you go through the doorway the noise suddenly stops. The steep walls extend some two or three stories above without interruption, throwing stern, exaggerating angles reminiscent of brutalism. 21 stone podiums stand in a densely illuminated circle in the center of the room. Each one bears a name of one of the students in the class.

The Prefect is already waiting for everyone, sitting at a long desk backed by a projector screen bearing the same ram insignia from the post-spelling bee dance. Her hands are folded in front of her, and she barely moves.

"Looks like somebody attempted the alternative capstone. A week ago, I never would have believed it... but I know better now. Those who fall behind... just weaken the herd.

Luz, The Owlette, is dead. What a stupid title... I really hated it." The Prefect's expression staggers for a moment, then settles again. "Her murderer's still here, and the only way to prove that you deserve another chance in this school is to find them. Get the exam started."

There's a flicker on the screen behind her as the Principal speaks. "You heard Miss Kiryuu. We're beginning the exam, don't just stand around staring at each other!"

Investigation | Podium Layout | Locations | IC Profiles | IC Rules | Evidence | NPC Questions

OOC NOTES

While played out OOCly on Saturdays, trials ICLY take place the afternoon after investigations are concluded. This means that characters will have only a brief period of rest to gather their thoughts before being brought down. While the podium layout graphic shows room numbers, the real stone does bear characters' names.

The victim's body will not be available for reexamination during the trial but other pieces of evidence small enough to carry/move with you can be brought down into the trial. If you need mod input or NPC input in the middle of a thread please put 'MODS' in the header so we can see. Trials play out until the killer is caught or until around 8pm Eastern, at which point we'll try to wrap up. Good luck!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

DUDE! WHO CARES ABOUT THE TURTLE?! We have a blinking murderer to catch!

Edited 2022-08-27 16:13 (UTC)

I know that!

[ But only one of those things affects him personally! ]

But as we're already in... what passes for a court of law, I see no harm in killing two birds with the same stone.

[ He groans and pinches his nosebridge... ]

Dude. You're trying to murder a metaphorical finch at the same time as the metaphorical hawk that's about to metaphorically eat us if we don't focus on it. Get your priorities straight for five minutes!

You're torturing the metaphor. And it's not as though we have a time limit.

[ Wait... ]

Miss Prefect, do we have a time limit?

Going by the tone of the rules... I think that "no time limit" is a very unsafe assumption...

[ The Prefect looks over her shoulder at the projection, then turns back with that same slightly neutral expression, like she was really delivering proctor notes. ]

The Principal has places to be, and this is a one-day exam. It's in your best interest that you find out who did it by the time my usual hours are up. You probably don't want to break curfew either, right?

Do you really have time to argue about all this?

No, we don't.

[Congratulations Nanami and Hunter, you are not the annoying platinum blonde kid the dog is glaring at this time.]

Oh dear, I thought I heard something, but it seems it was just a mutt barking.

[ i g n o r e ]

Everyone BEHAVE! In this TRIAL!

No one asked for your delusions, Corgi!

[You want to press buttons? He can press buttons.]

DYLAN!

[Ahem.]

(no subject)

canismajorcontrolfreak - 2022-08-27 17:14 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

violence_ensues - 2022-08-27 17:16 (UTC) - Expand

That was a poor choice of words.

Aye, it was.

[ there's multiple birds in this very room! and one speaks English! ]

Edited 2022-08-27 16:26 (UTC)

I'll lock her up as soon as this trial's done, so please focus on this...!

...Oh.

[ Maybe the psycho bat is good for something after all! ]

I'll hold you to that. Well then, carry on.

Lock him up first! He was going to kill the turtle!

Only if no one bought it!

[She snorts, looking back and forth before lifting her hands to sign slowly.]

You know, the only reason I didn't do this after seeing your sign is because you were gone for some reason.

[And then she runs around the platforms to try and karate chop him in the face.]

E...Emma? Maybe that's not a good idea--

[oh no they're fighting oh no]

[ YES LISTEN TO THE TODDLER ]

[at least it's not a good idea until anya does it first]

[Which of us punched a rich brat in the face hours after meeting him?]

[point taken.

proceed.]

Wha - ?!

[ If their podiums were a little closer, Emma would be feeling the satisfying squish of rich boy face under her hand right now. However, fortunately(?), Valmont has a moment to at least try to flee. He makes it a couple platforms down, shrinking behind ~~his girlfriend~~ ~~his meat shield~~ Jeanne as Emma advances. She wouldn't hit a girl, right? ]

[She does slow down a bit as she approaches Jeanne. However, in the end, she simply signs at the girl a quick:] Sorry [before starting to circle around her to approach. Unless, of course, she wants to get out of the way.]