SECOND TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

SECOND TRIAL

THE CONTAINMENT CENTER

((CW implied cannibalism from monsters, clowns.))

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!"


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

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!

Comments

EVIDENCE PRESENTATION

[whimsicalism]

[At the end of the day, who will be caught red-handed?]

NPC QUESTIONS

[whimsicalism]

[The Little Brothers will clarify what they can if necessary or may be able to retrieve items forgotten outside the courtroom. The Principal, per the rules, is under no obligation to help]

[hashtagwoof]

[ So, not only has Hunter smuggled in a nail bat from the vending machine in a rolled up comforter from his bed, but he's also brought along the parcel he got on Tuesday. He leaves that open on top of his podium so everyone can see: Some pictures of his hairless cat, some nail trimmings, and some cat food.

He is prepared. ]

MOTIVE CHECK

[copycut]

Jeanne told everyone to bring their parcels, didn't she? [ To command attention, Kuro taps her own against her podium. ] Let's get a jump on things by going over them now. Everyone, line up and present them!

BATHERD CATHERD

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat frowns.]

I'm confused. Very, very confused. Anyone else besides me?

I mean we have a body that was likely killed in the hallway and then moved to the art room and we have the workshop being a mess, possibly to make it look like Thomasin was killed in the art room. There's no wounds on her besides the broken neck, so was the dent on the paint can apposed to mislead us?

And something else bothers me, too. The candles found in Thomasin's room might be what was in Thomasin's parcel, with the killer melting one down to create the fake goat toy. But why would they do that?

And the saw and drill were covered in red paint. Could they have been used by a weakling to help move the body? The killer coulda dumped red paint around everywhere and then used paint thinner to try and make it look more like Thomasin bled out.

But the most confusing thing about that is the paint on the wall. Why would the killer be covered in paint? Did they try rubbing it off, only to just throw it in the kiln when it didn't work?

Something He Just Thought Of

[canreallymove]

D’oh!

[Actually, as they are talking about this.]

Um, so I just remembered somethin’ from, uh, earlier this week. About…about Thomasin.

Theorycrafting

[hashtagwoof]

[ Hunter sighs. ]

Okay, it feels like we're going around in circles here. How about we start actually trying to piece together what happened instead?

Like, someone give a timeline! Theories! Anything! I'm not asking for names yet, but at this point we need to start throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks.

ACCUSATION: EDWARD

[keyringwitness]

...Edward.

[Yasu is terrified.

She felt that fear, from the start. Ever since she saw him, saw how he just didn't move, felt the presence of a predator... she's avoided him, that terror hounding her almost every time she looks at him.

But...]

You could explain the shoes, and I'd accept that. Everyone makes mistakes, after all.

Yet you match the silhouette almost perfectly. And... you're the only one here who has the physical strength to snap Thomasin's neck cleanly.

Your motive is also... it's strong.

Do you have any rebuttal?

[Despite the fear, though, despite all the quavering in her voice... there's iron in Yasu when she turns to Edward.]

VOTING

[whimsicalism]

[There's a silence before a growling voice slams through the trial room as ballots with pictures of each student are distributed.]

Enough! This game is going on too long. Little Brothers, distribute the ballots. It's time to bring this little sob story to a close! Vote! Majority rules.

EXECUTION: A Conflagration of Devils (CW: burning to death)

[whimsicalism]

"Mister Cullen, your response to my Academy is disappointing. Little Brothers--ugh, I hate that name--Brother Units, set up the Extraction Procedure. I'm heading down to the Containment Room myself."

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.