WEEK 3

[whimsicalism]

WEEK THREE

Two weeks, two trials, four deaths.

One thing is certain: The monster in charge of this place knows enough about everyone here that he also knows what can drive some of them desperate enough to kill. He is powerful, and he has access, and he despises the whole student body. The face of the class' captor has been revealed now, in a sense, and the flames of his hatred for children have turned out to be very real.

At least, for now, the students of Ira Academy have one another to lean on. Some might have found the post-trial camaraderie a comfort. At least everyone hasn't given up hope. At least many students are still finding their anger and their will to fight back.

There are fewer pretenses this coming week. Classes proceed as normal; the school day still functions as normal, but the further everyone comes from that first fateful meeting with the man in charge of this school, the further away and more incomprehensible the thought that there was ever really a chance of going along with the original plan, completing reeducation, and staying safe.


...Of course, you could still try. There'd be nothing stopping you.

But you won't, will you? That's just how the students of Ira Academy are. You'll visit the third floor of the Academy, ascending the newly opened flight of stairs. Maybe you'll investigate one of the new rooms, dwarfed by the echoes that bounce of the uninvitingly tall ceilings. There's probably still something in this place on your side.

Will you work together, or will you grow further apart?

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday
Regains | AC | IC Profiles | Locations | Mystery Information | A Contact | Sheep Contact | Nanami Contact

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Week 3! New locations have been added and the third floor is now open for exploration. The library is a very large space and more than one person can investigate it throughout the week if you'd like. If you want to investigate one of the Floor 3 rooms, please hit the mods with a ping in Discord and put INVESTIGATE in your subject line.

As a reminder, AC runs Sunday to Sunday concurrent with these posts and is collected based on the prior week; this means you have a whole week to get in AC for the week prior. AC for week 2 should be submitted no later than this coming Sunday. Remember to submit your regains, and sign up for a spot exploring this week's mystery if you want to!

Comments

Very Late But Important

[keyringwitness]

[Yasu is quiet throughout the meeting, like she usually is. This time, though, there's an intent to her silence. It's less that she's naturally fading into the background and more like she's struggling to say something.

And when she does, it's clear why she was having a hard time wording it.]

So. Um.

[Deep breaths in and out.]

Considering the m- motive this time around, I think...

[And then she grits her teeth and forces herself to just say it.]

Somebody is going to get murdered. There. There's no avoiding it this time. Even with everything that we've stocked up, there's... seventeen of us left? We're not going to last that long.

It's not an option, like w- what it seemed the last two times. Either somebody does the dumb, heroic thing and tries to get away with murder—or, er, does it for less heroic reasons, I don't know—or we all die.

So... we need to start laying the groundwork for our investigation now. We can't slip up during the trial; the Principal is clearly at his limit with us and there's a chance he won't be satisfied even if the culprit confesses. We need to be prepared to thoroughly prove it.

[hashtagwoof]

. . . I didn't think someone would just come out and say it.

[ Great. There's the elephant let loose into the room. He had a feeling people would die this week for sure, but that's not the sort of thing you just blurt out loud! It's not! ]

Honestly, I doubt that Father is gonna be satisfied if we were all either brainwashed or dead. The monster's clearly only in it to make us suffer... Which means our best chance of survival, worst case scenario, is focusing on that trial...

But how are you supposed to solve a crime that hasn't been committed yet?

[keyringwitness]

Buddy system. It's that simple.

[...wait, she actually needs to explain, doesn't she.]

There's no motive for being someone's accomplice in a crime. Only one person can complete the "alternative capstone project," after all. The rest of us get executed. So there's no reason to fake an alibi for someone who disappeared right before the murder. Choosing one person and sticking with them no matter what is our best option.

[Yasu pauses.] O- Of course there's some, um, [and blushes,] awkwardness in... sharing a room... but it can be worked out!

[violence_ensues]

[Almost immediately...]

I choose big bro. Um, Dylan.

yes this is super late but bear with me

[hashtagwoof]

And if someone kills their buddy? Or worse, they kill each other?

[cellpreservation]

...I mean, you're probably right. It's not like we have a good track record so far.

What are you suggesting?

[holyironmade]

[Jeanne... really thinks this is the least scary motive so far and has faith in the second coming on Friday. But she doesn't want to start shit.]

I think... at the very least... we must be aware that Edward Cullen's inextinguishable love for Bella Swan was a unique case. As well as the calling card of his strength.

Reika's crime is a better prototype to study. I think we can reasonably conclude that the revelation of the lingering scent was the most critical step in the process. And if she had to do it all over again... I think she would expect Father to judge her for taking that risk.

[cellpreservation]

[Ma'am not all of us are used to fasting for religious reasons.]

Risk?

[keyringwitness]

If we go everywhere in pairs, then we can secure alibis for everyone since there's no motive to be an accomplice.

Bedrooms may be... difficult... but I'm sure we can work it out.

[gotnothing]

[ Ava nods. ]

And if it's for that... nobody give the murderer shit for it, okay? They're not our enemy this week.

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat thinks this is mostly directed toward her.]

[gotnothing]

[ In fairness it is mostly for Edward Cullen's memory, but getting upset at the murderers here in general doesn't sit right with her! ]

[keyringwitness]

[Yasu nods along with Ava, lips pressed in a thin line.]

We'll all do our best. There's... no other option if we want to get out of this.

CW: THE SELF-MURDER OPTION

[panglici]

You deserve better than all of this.

[Carrie's been quiet this whole time, horror overriding any urge to scream curses at the creature that calls himself Father speak. But this... Yasu gets it. She knows what it is they're up against.]

I wish I could get all of you out of here, but you get it. At this point, either someone kills somebody else or someone commits suicide to save the rest of us, like Rosalinda asked about at... back at the last trial. Either way, we need to know who did what so we can put their name in when we're asked.

[cellpreservation]

Are you stupid?! He said we only get food if someone commits a murder and the trial finishes.

I bet he wouldn't even count suicide.

[The snark is betrayed, however, by the tension in his voice.]

[shinedsobright]

Either he doesn't at all, OR to commit to the bit enough you'd have to go so extra with the framing we could all wind up getting killed hating each other, trying to catch a killer that doesn't exist. Real salvation there.

[please snap a picture of this Rare Serious Fret, this got under his skin too]

[spychic]

Don't hurt yourself!!!

Anya will cry if you do!!!!

[holyironmade]

...

But it cannot be you. If it could, Reika would have confided her plan in someone, anyone. The culprit, no matter what they have done, must hide their heart from the beginning to the end. That is the most important rule.

[keyringwitness]

I...

[Yasu pales at the mere thought of Carrie doing... doing that. She feels like she's drowning.]

No. No, no, no, no, you can't- you'd have to make it look like murder, and, and-

[A lightbulb goes on above her head, and she reaches for it to pull herself above water.]

I don't think that would work anyways! It wouldn't fit the parameters for his plan, or, er, at least what I think his plan is...

[copycut]

There's something else we have to consider about that, too. Hunger leads to exhaustion, and exhaustion leads to slipping up. Even if no one intends to commit murder this time, we still might see an accident.

Personally, if that happens, I really doubt "Father" will be lenient enough to let us off without another trial. We had better prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario now.

[keyringwitness]

Exactly. I, um, didn't really... get much food back on the island, so I can attest to how much hunger can make you sloppy.

[In case anyone has forgotten that Yasu's life back home was awful.]

[holyironmade]

I will cooperate with a partner in shifts should the schedule be levied, but it is far from an infallible method. For Reika and Edward comprised multiple people in our midst who felt that hiding their hearts was the only option for our group to survive in part. Furthermore, if we reject the scenario of Carrie's sacrifice, what awaits us on Friday morning and Friday night is multiple members of the few sacrificed for the many.

We also suppose that Carrie could not sacrifice herself because the emotions involved would be inaccurate to Father's goal. That may be the case, and —[she does have to check the rules at this point]— the rules describe killing another student, but an unfortunate death involving a single person was still admitted as a possible scenario.

I feel the likeliest scenario in the buddy system is that of parallel homicides. That possibility is not ruled out in the handbook, is it? But there is also liberty to add and remove rules. We may only be able to use the buddy system once before it is forbidden. And though I think there is a limit to the amount of attrition that will entertain that man, we cannot take for granted that this third motive is a final one.

In my opinion... If Father is truly seeking a protege... Then he is culling the decisive and noble with these first motives, as well as the indecisive and violent who become fearful seeing the risk of their actions. He is lulling us into a sense of false security with these sticks as he calls them, and then he will bring out the carrot for the decisive, violent student who has earned the trust of the class. I think we should save the buddy system for that more dire time.

[cellpreservation]

[...Also...]

We... have an odd number of students.

[He should know, he prepared the food for them after the trial on that basis.]

[canreallymove]

Uuuuuugh. I hate that you're likely right.

[Speaking of which.]

Ok, but Dylan and I also had an idea that we might patrol Thursday night. And even if you're right, and even if Yasu's right this week, we should still at least try to do something on Thursday night to attempt and deter anyone who might be desperate enough to be like that.

...even if it's likely...not the best idea this week.

[He hates everything about this. He hates these kids are going to starve. He hates that Yasu and Jeanne are both right and-

Look, he hates everything about this whole situation, if it wasn't obvious enough.]

[keyringwitness]

R... right... Right.

[This is why Yasu shared her insights with the group first: she may be intelligent, but she's not infallible. Having someone to check her ideas to make sure she didn't mess up was something she needed.]

If we're saving this idea as our trump card, then we have more time to improve it and work out any problems rather than throwing a list together now and making a mistake.