FIRST TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

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!

Comments

catherd-ish???

[keyringwitness]

[Yasu is still shaken from showing her scar to everyone, but she's apparently recovered enough to keep thinking. And so, she hesitantly opens her mouth to speak.]

There's...

[Deep breaths.]

I think the culprit came from a world where magic exists. Or... at least something l- like magic. Otherwise, Luz throwing out those glyphs wouldn't be a credible threat. It's just... paper, to most people. B- But, there were lots of slashed pieces, right? Not just one or two? S- So they thought for a little while that they'd work.

That's all.

[violence_ensues]

Yeah! I saw a bunch of 'em cutted up in the gym. Are they really magic...? But paper doesn't power magic. Gems do! Like the Ruby Pure Heart!

[noblesnow]

It seems evident that not all worlds' magic works the same.

[noblesnow]

[...

Yasu's podium is pretty near Reika's. So maybe she can just wander over a little and stand near her?]

[copycut]

Right. So, everyone: fess up! Who else have you heard talk about magic?

[ This isn't a Please volunteer your personal experiences request. Kuro is saying it's time to straight-up start ratting each other out. ]

[britbrat]

That one's met the Devil.

[ Pointing at Thomasin without hesitation. ]

[keyringwitness]

U- Um... you, for one...

D- Don't you also know how to use knives... you talked about sword-bows a little while ago, so...

...er, come to think of it...

Wouldn't a projectile hit Luz dead-on like that regardless of who fired it?

[noblesnow]

It might not necessarily be someone who has talked about it.

[spychic]

[Anya remains silent, struck with uncertainty. But she shakes her head.

Magic isn't really real where she comes from.....]

[normalnotroyal]

... not just magic, but magic that looks like the type Luz practiced.

[hashtagwoof]

[ YES, NEVERMIND ALL THAT WE JUST SAW. ]

Yeah, plus if they were slashing at paper, that means it has to be someone who's good with a knife... Like, fighting with it. Like they do in films and video games.

[keyringwitness]

Y- Yes, I thought as much a while back...

[panglici]

How many of us knew they were magic until this, though? How many of us have experience dealing with magic?

[normalnotroyal]

I do not. [A beat.] I have some experience with mysticism, but it is not the sort of magic you wish to hear about in this case.

[lets_dewey_it]

In my world, I've seen Magica De Spell, but she uses like, shadow magic and not glyph magic.

Thomasin asked if Luz was conjuring when I brought up the glyphs on the playground and I wanted to ask what exactly that entails other than... the obvious. _{[That is bringing a demon or such thing into the world.]}

[bellabellabella]

[Edward just shrugs.]

It's certainly not something I've ever had encounters with.

[Shapeshifting and vampires sure but those are different]

[curdle]

[ She interprets this as "who here has made deals with the Devil, the only way of getting magic?", and shifts uncomfortably at her podium. ]

I never thought there could be a world without such faith.

[ In witches, she means! This is not particularly clear! ]

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

Unless you count RPGs, none.

[...]

And by that I mean role playing games, not rocket propelled grenades.

[He knows someone (Adorabat) would think the latter.]

[cellpreservation]

I could have tried guessing, but... I've never seen a glyph like this in my life.

[romancing]

There are magicians in my universe, but I'm not one of them. I only have the powers I was born with~.

[canreallymove]

Um, I do?

But I've never really seen the stuff that she was doing.

[violence_ensues]

I already said gems power things. Mao Mao's got a gem to power his cool aerocycle, and the Ruby Pure Heart powers Pure Heart Valley.

[Totally not gonna mention any astral projection cuz astral projection is dumb and boring.]

[canreallymove]

. . .

[Does he even have a right to respond to Yasu after what just happened?


Does he have a choice?]

I mean...magic's real in my world, but...

[He doesn't know much. He uses Power Rings and he goes vrooom. He uses the Deep Power Stones and he and Sally go vroooom. Oh and Lazaar and Naugus.]

Sal'd know way more than I do.

[She'd have probably figured this out in ten minutes. Without...without hurting anyone-]

AH CHOO

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Dylan is slowly getting out of his abuse-based mania/hysteria when it comes to Yasu and and Jeanne, so he does get a response out.]

That-that sounds like it makes sense, yeah.

Any ideas how many people that is?

[Probably Carrie and Thomasin, considering the base things he's learned about either. And Yasu herself of course, but again, he's pretty certain it's not the nine year old.]

[bellabellabella]

I know that, in my world, several hundred years ago they used to burn people for being witches, but I don't think any of them actually had any... powers.