Castle W Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
whimsicalism) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
castle_whims2022-09-03 12:00 pm
whimsicalism) wrote in castle_whims2022-09-03 12:00 pm
SECOND TRIAL
SECOND TRIAL
THE CONTAINMENT CENTER
Once all of the relevant rooms have been searched, it's time to dry tears and gather up evidence. The sheep, whirring dully and many of them hanging their heads, gradually round the remaining children up and begin herding them to the elevator doors. Even with only two extra people missing, it's much roomier inside once the doors are closed. Once everyone is loaded, the car begins its shrieking descent, lights and sounds grating equally as the students are once more shuttled down to the containment area.
Some of the cells on the way down contain familiar charges, but other denizens seem to have been moved. Or perhaps the layout of the containment area changed recently? Today, a large cell is home not only to an elderly woman but her large rickety home. She sits on her porch with a certain grace, even if there's a glint in her eye that feels more malicious than kindly as she beckons at you with a gnarled finger. The sudden scrambling of her home's talons might startle the unprepared. Another cell contains nothing more than a constantly roaring fire, the blaze stretched wall to wall and pulsing rhythmically at its core every so often, as it if it had its own beating heart.
For anyone worried the clown wouldn't be returning: Have no fear! The gang's friend is here again, though there are two fewer intact balloons now gripped in his hand. He's even taken efforts to look beautiful for everyone observing through the cell doors, and the red makeup around his lips is bright and freshly applied. Beautiful! Until he draws the flat of his knife across his mouth, and the source becomes obvious, just as bright as it was a week ago.
In the courtroom--the depressing, angular nightmare that passes for one--the stone podiums stand waiting for their respective students once more. With a couple more empty than the last time the group was down here, they're looking more and more like gravestones.
The desk is still down here, albeit empty this time. But the projector screen is exactly the same, the ram's head looking out at the sick entertainment on offer. For someone who's turned all of this into his own person theater, one would think he'd sound delighted by the death and destruction. Instead, his strong voice is just as clipped and angry as it always is. He barks out a command.
"Time to actually use those minds of yours! I guess this witch hunt is about to begin. Find out what happened to Thomasin or it'll be your necks on the line!"
OOC NOTES
Welcome to your second trial for Round 2! As we know that trials and any afterparties can get busy, we'd like to quickly remind everyone to make sure their Week 1 AC is squared away by tomorrow's weekly post and to start collecting their Week 2 threads to submit. Make sure to get your regains in by tomorrow night as well!
As a clarification for what evidence can be brought in, a rule of thumb is that if you can carry it you probably can bring it. We mainly want to discourage corpse desecration, if we can, so while the body itself isn't allowed into the trial most things are. 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, 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!
EXECUTION: A Conflagration of Devils (CW: burning to death)
There's no laughter in the Principal's voice this time. Only rage and malice. As with the previous week, the room of the trial room slides open and a large clear container descends. For just a moment there's an unmistakable air of pure malice that floods the room. The hatred so intense that it practically burns the air around you making it crackle. That's when Edward disappears into the clear container.
Edward seems resigned to his fate when he enters the container. It turns into resolve when the air in the container shimmers. A tall man appears before Edward, seemingly continuously in shadow despite the harsh lights on the container. He places his pipe in his mouth as seems to glare at Edward. This time, some words are heard from the container. "Shall we begin?!”
Determination newly restored to him, Edward leans forward, preparing for the fight. With catlike speed and grace, he lunges toward the man, feral and poised to rip into him. He moves with control and precision that are clearly weaker than he’s used to, but he looks like a real predator when he runs toward the Principal, teeth bared.
Edward meets not skin, but an entire wall of flame as the fire wreathing the Principal pulses outward in a powerful blast, growing to twice its size and repelling Edward’s attacks, sending the young vampire flying.
For just a moment, Edward almost seems to glow in the firelight—which should be impossible. Then he hits the wall behind him in the corner of the cell, where he sits dazed for only a moment before struggling back to his feet. Another blast of flame erupts from the Principal’s hand, and Edward is no longer maybe-glowing, but on fire—at least, his clothes have started to catch.
But, like any wild animal chasing a bit of hope, Edward isn’t deterred, his fast motions becoming more and more desperate and violent as he runs forward through the blast of flame and directly at the Principal, whose hands do not even flinch. Edward flies away again, runs back again. He’s completely covered in flame now.
At the very last, he makes it through the fire and reaches the Principal, his burning hands extended to claw and tear at the Principal’s arm.
The jet of flame strikes him square between the eyes, and Edward finally hits the ground in a way he doesn’t rise from. The flames still lick at his body as grey, heavy smoke starts to fill the container. Even though he continues to move slightly for a few more minutes before eventually stopping. Edward Cullen is dead. The Principal takes out his pipe, taking a moment to laugh. "That was better! I needed some stress relief after your miserable performances."
The Principal glares down from the container, placing the pipe back in his mouth as he crosses arms. "I am the Principal, Father, and I am very disappointed. Go back to your rooms! I'll be seeing you all later."
The Little Brothers glance at each other as the Principal vanishes from the container as it lifts the still burning, slightly moving remains of Edward towards the rest of the Containment Room. They slowly usher everyone out for another long elevator ride.
no subject
And then she stares, pure hatred in her eyes.]
...
We will kill him before we leave here.
[She states, tersely. Unable to be budged on this point, she's slowly ushered out.]
no subject
no subject
Yeah, but how are we supposed to kill that? He's, like, a living fireball or something!
no subject
[Anya states firmly.]
We'll drown him if we have to. Anya doesn't care. Anya...
Anya can't take someone mean like this.
no subject
[Fuck this guy and fuck this place.]
no subject
no subject
no subject
[He wants his pins back...!!]
no subject
[At least Adorabat knows who should have every single bone in their body be ground into dust. The prissipull isn't deserving enough to have any of HIS bones end up in her bone collection. After the execution is finished, Adorabat glances over to Edward's podium. She flutters over before retrieving the photos of Bella and putting them away in... somewhere before being escorted out.]
no subject
THE PRINCIPAL IS A SHADOW PERSON THAT IS ALSO ON FIRE?!?
Thanks, Hunter has a lot to think about as he takes his still rolled up comforter and goes to the elevator. Any residual shame from the dog episode is now gone and replaced with abject terror.
Why is dealing with downright terrible "parental" figures his life. ]
no subject
But he doesn't. And they can't. And, with teeth grit, he turns to leave.]
no subject
Valmont's head snaps up, and he's not really sure what he's looking at. Just a shadowy figure and a whole lot of fire. And Edward. Burning. Hastily, he averts his eyes again. ]
no subject
Dylan didn't listen.
At first it was just the natural instinct, curiosity, to watch. Then it was hope, or something resembling it, when Edward fight's back. He tries, he tries so hard, to fight this...man? Creature? He didn't know.
By the end, why he watches is obvious. The horror that comes with watching train crash-so horrific, he just can't look away.
He doesn't wait for someone to pick him this time. As Father-whatever that thing is-yells at them to leave, he sprints back to the elevator, beating everyone else as the first one there.
Adrenaline is a hell of a drug.]
no subject
It's the opposite of Robotnik in every way. But it is no less evil.
After the execution, Sonic simply turns and walks off, his eyes furrowed. He says nothing. He only glances over at the Little Brothers, his face, for the first time, completely unreadable. There's no comfort, no anger, no sadness. Completely and seemingly unlike him.
But in truth, his own stomach pooled cold fire. It's taking everything to not just scream in the elevator, because now. Now he knows what they're up against, and it's...so many things at the same time. Terrifying. Sobering. Only a little thrilling.
Father.
Finally, a name and a form to the real monster.
Sonic will remember this.]
no subject
Fa... ther...?
[Is this actually the malevolent god that Thomasin wondered about? That much seems unlikely, but it is different from the others.]
When... when I said we would all burn if we believed in miracles as he wished... this was not precisely what I imagined.
no subject
Get snuffed, idiot!
[You're not our real dad!!]