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

EXECUTION: I Love to Laugh (cw: clowns, blood)

[whimsicalism]

"Miss Aoki, you've been deemed too unruly for the Academy by your peers. For that, I must expel you but an adult keeps their promises. Let's see... "

The Principal's voice booms through the trial room as the sound of papers being flicked through is heard, too. He seems to tap on his microphone. He laughs deeply."Oh, yes. I know who to send you to. Prepare the extraction procedure!"

There's a heavy grinding of gears and concrete as the ceiling of of the trial room slides away and a clear container, the size of a dorm room descends. A thrumming warning siren blares as Reika--who was standing among you just a few seconds ago--vanishes. She appears, confused, in the container. At first it looks like she's completely alone as she walks the perimeter of the room.

A large clown seems to shimmer into existence right behind her. It's the gap-toothed monster you saw on your descent. This time, the clown doesn't have any balloons. It grabs Reika by the shoulders who jumps in shock. She moves quickly into a fighting stance, fists raised if she needed to attack. The monster steps back, putting a finger to it's massive grinning maw. Reika seems to relax slightly at the touch. It reaches out and pulls a quarter from behind Reika's ear. She seems still puzzled by this.

This continues for about five minutes. The clown keeps doing magic tricks, running around the container, falling over itself and generally fairly harmless. Juggling, a few card tricks... for a while it might look like that the clown is trying to make her laugh.

Although the container is silent, Reika eventually laughs. It's hard to tell, really, but the grinning clown's reaction is clear. Clapping it's hands, it pulls out a magician's hat and starts helping her pull numerous scarves out of the hat.

It all seems fairly harmless until Reika comes to the end. A large knife is tied to the end of the scarves. Her confusion quickly melts to fear as the clown grabs the knife and slits her throat, letting the blood spray messily against the clear wall of the container. As Reika collapses, the clown raises a hand towards the students below. It's hard to make out at this distance but it's mouthing something (Thank you for the meal) as the container is pulled up to the rest of the holding cells.

Reika Aoki is dead. The Little Brothers worriedly shepherd everyone back into the elevator to return to the Academy. Today was a long, horrible day but at least it's over. You can practically hear the Principal roar with laughter as you leave.

[spychic]

[Anya is dead silent. She's still clutching to Dewey and Sonic's hands tightly, tightly. She can't let go. She feels safe with them.

This can't happen again.]

[lets_dewey_it]

_{[He's trying to shield Anya from having to witness it, but, perhaps he was failing. He was shaking like a leaf. Too jittery to keep her sight blocked off consistently, so all he could do was beg.]} Don't look... Don't look...!

[spychic]

A...Anya isn't looking. Anya won't look. [She shuts her eyes. All she hears...is laughter.]

[bellabellabella]

[Edward looks down, and moves in front of her, blocking her line of sight.]

[spychic]

[She opens one eye, then sighs quietly.]

Thank you, Edward.

[canreallymove]

[That was not an execution. That was not an execution.

This was something worse. So much worse. And the Principal was laughing. Laughing. He tries to use his other hand to cover her eyes but...he's not sure he succeeded. He was too busy staring in horror to see where his flailing hand went.

He lets the Little Brothers push him, but he doesn't let go of Anya's hand. He does quickly look over at Dewey, though, then at everyone else. At Thomasin, Adorabat, Koishi now that he knows her name. At Yasu.

This was awful.

He almost wishes Buttnik had been brought in.]

[spychic]

[Anya doesn't let go, either. It wasn't an execution. From what she could tell before Edward blocked her sight, it was a nightmare. A monster - not a nice one, a real monster was unleashed...and it hurt Reika. Reika, who had picked her up and tried to help her. Reika, who...didn't trust anyone, but...

She's ushered over to the elevator. She's shaking like a leaf, but she's going to try to remain strong.]

This can't happen again.

[Her small voice rings out in the elevator. A little melancholy bellchime.

She won't let it.]

[cellpreservation]

[He watches the whole thing, wincing at the throat being slit and- wait, what was it saying...?

...

Oh. He looks furious.]

[violence_ensues]

[This... is a wrong. Reika should not have been put to death. This is unjust. But it seems like everyone else is fine with letting this happen! Is...

Is Adoraat alone...?]

[lets_dewey_it]

<sub>[Trust me Adorabat literally no one is okay with this, the voting is just a formality.

As can be evidenced by Dewey going into a fetal position on the elevator.]</sub>

[holyironmade]

[Jeanne watches this like a bloodless stone. Then she raises her chin to the others and points at the ascending container.]

An enemy.

[She turns around slowly, still barefoot so it hurts to pivot too fast, and walks into the elevator.]

[romancing]

[ Thanks, she hates this. ]

[britbrat]

[ Valmont claps a hand over his mouth to keep from shrieking as he watches his classmate bleed out in front of him. Luz's corpse was bad enough, but he's never seen someone die with his own eyes before. When he said "serve her right", that's... that's not quite how he expected her to be served.

He is very pale for the duration of the ride back upwards. ]

[curdle]

[ It is horrible. She cannot look upon it, and she cannot look away. Thomasin watches all of this in silence, though when the clown indicates them she very nearly cries out, and she stands still at her podium for a good while before starting to move back to the elevator. ]

[gotnothing]

[ sort of gently. Sets a hand on thomasin's shoulder for a moment. ]

C'mon. Let's not give this creep any more attention.

[curdle]

[ She starts at the touch, turning on its source without thinking — and it's Ava and not a clown with a knife, so you know what, it's fine. ]

... Aye. Let's quit this place.

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Dylan watches.

He did this. He needs to watch it. That's how it works, right?

And so he watches.

He's confused by the clown. It's weird. It's not right. It's-

It had a knife.

He flinches when the blood splatters.

And he stares.

He doesn't even notice the words the clown says, just staring at Reika.

And he stares.

As the container ascends out of sight, he stares.

And he stares.

And he doesn't move, unless prompted.]

[violence_ensues]

[poke]

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Absolutely nothing.

Your brother is broken, Adorabat.]

[bellabellabella]

[Unless anyone else does, Edward will move to physically pick the puppy up and carry him out. He doesn't try to say anything.]

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Dylan doesn't say anything. Just still staring at where he last saw Reika's body.

He probably appreciates it Edward, he's just...

Distracted.]

[gotnothing]

[ it's a little fucked up, ava thinks, that this isn't the most fucked up thing she's seen. ]

Tacky.

[ that said, she's not made of stone, she's moving rapidly towards being Outie!!! ]

[hashtagwoof]

[ Hunter has no words.

He just witnessed a merciless creature slaughter a fellow human being.

How is he supposed to react other than scream when the clown goes in for the kill? Did it just... IS IT GOING TO EAT HER?! ]

No... No, WHY?!

[ The principal is laughing. Hunter would love to be anywhere else but this school... He's standing there, staring wide eyed at that disaster, but when the little brothers come to nudge him in he snaps at it. ]

I'M GOING! I'm... Going... [ He hugs his shoulders as he staggers along with the rest of his class. The kid's shaking like a leaf... ]

[temmapathy]

[Emma watches until the knife comes out. She instantly realizes what's going to happen, covering her face tightly with both hands until she feels everyone start to move around her. There are tears trickling down her face.]