( TRIAL - WEEK 3 )

[abhoth]

At exactly 11:30 am, all residents who are still asleep will be jolted awake by a sharp, burning pain that spreads across their whole body. A simple look will reveal no visible injuries, oddly enough, and the pain will fade away as soon as they're properly awake. Those early birds who are already up and about will feel nothing — except maybe a strange, mysterious sense of relief as they go on about their business. Lucky them. Moments later, an announcement will come through the static-filled PA system: "This is Craftly speaking. My apologies for the rude awakening [not really], but your presence is required in the Dining Hall. Our second trial is about to begin. Please do try to be there before noon. My staff members have simply too many duties to tend to, to be escorting each and every one of you out of your quarters. Good day." And true to his words, anyone who doesn't make their way to the Dining Hall before noon will be dragged kicking and screaming regardless of where they've sequestered themselves. Sucks to be you, huh? Upon arriving there, however, residents will be given the menu, one copy of the rulebook, one pencil, one notepad, and a cheque folder. Lunch and dinner will be served at the appropriate times, and appetizers, desserts and beverages (of the non-alcoholic variety) will be available throughout the trial. All you have to do is ask one of the faceless men, and your food will be delivered to you in ten minutes or less depending on what it is. The Dining Room itself looks about the same as it does any other day — save for the fact that the lights have been dimmed. Why this, you ask? Because the projector is now in use. Transparencies containing each resident's profile will be displayed on the pull-down screen, with one of the staff members rotating through the images every minute. The profiles of the deceased are included, and if current discussion deems it necessary to focus on one particular resident, anyone is free to ask the faceless man to pause on the appropriate profile for a while. A small area has been sectioned off with a transparent, plastic curtain right next to the pull-down screen. Its use will become rapidly apparent once the victim's corpse has been wheeled in. Anyone who wishes to step into this area will be asked to wash their hands, and will be given a pair of latex-free gloves and a hairnet by a staff members who is stationed nearby. Residents are required to dispose of both items before returning to the dinner table; a trash bin is available outside of the curtains for this purpose. Evidence found during the investigation, on the other hand, will be displayed in the back of the room. Two, long tables have been taken out of storage for this occasion, and any items found by the residents on Friday will be displayed here for further examination. Finally — a clock above the pull-down screen displays the current hour. Please do remember you have until 9:00 PM to figure out whodunit and cast your vote. ( victims ) Characters will be given nine (9) hours to discuss everything related to the investigation to hopefully solve the mystery behind this week's murder. No one will be allowed to leave the Dining Hall, and all characters must cast their vote before 9PM EST. You may do so on this week's voting page. If you have any questions or doubts, shoot us a PM or a PP over at yuggoth. ( quick navigation ) voting | profiles | menu | locations | ic rulebook

Comments

[perceptions]

Well I had already gotten six of them. Considering how long it usually takes, I can't say I'm dissatisfied. [She shrugs.] I may never be able to have emotion or humanity, but I can always come close to that edge. That's why I do what I do. To get as close as I can, knowing I'll never fully make it.

[perceptions]

Hm. I didn't pick out of concern for my well-being. Truthfully there's two parts to it.

The first is that none of you have ever taken a human life. Yet, more than that, I think you all are the ones who wouldn't take pleasure in killing me. Plenty of people in the trial were ready to rip me to shreds. Denying them that chance is also my last spiteful play.

[She snorts a little.]

They really should have just voted for Craftly. I warned them, but ah well. Guess no one wants to listen to me anymore.

[potentite]

[Well. He can't argue spite as reasoning. Not that he would be stubborn about this in particular but he's done at least a few very stupid things out of spite.]

I know I argued against it but I am curious what would happen or if we should consider it. I just... didn't think the environment at the time was the best to discuss it.

[Since the ones on board for it were 90% on it because they wanted to brutally murder Mira themselves. It just did not seem like it would get well-reasoned arguments?]

What does it feel like to kill someone? Um, in case... tomorrow, it's me. I just... I don't know.

[lohengrins]

Six of what?

[ he leans back into his seat. ]

Humph. What a pointless existence.

[rextenebrae]

[ Knoll will step into the lounge, silent but for a moment. He'll just casually (more like make a valiant effort to) ignore the blood on the walls, his gaze on her. ]

You already finished the task? That was swiftly done.

[perceptions]

Washing clothes isn't a science.

[She says that, but if he goes to the laundry room later there will just be a giant mound of clothes soaking in water.]

I just need to clean up the lounge now, but my time limit is before the execution so I'm not too concerned.

[perceptions]

[Mira, conversely, leans into the table. She crosses her arms on the counter top and cradles her head into the gap of the arms, still looking at Percival.]

Percival, all existence is pointless when you boil it down. We as people try to create a purpose for ourselves, so that we can justify being alive. I was dealt a bad hand from the start, and I created what I could out of it. I don't regret my life... I don't think I know what "regret" even is.

[perceptions]

[Was it a bad environment? Mira didn't really consider that. In all situations, she always observes things from a rational standpoint. No matter how heated, or how intense something may appear to others... it never really clicks for her. She'll laugh at inappropriate times, or act sad only to realize there was no reason to. Some social cues just always get missed.

To his question, she taps a couple fingers on the table in thought.]

Can't say. Whenever I kill someone, I don't really feel anything from it. It's just a means to an end for me, in order to get what I want. I've killed a lot of people though, so maybe the novelty of it has just worn off on me.

However... I remember the first person I killed. I selected her at complete random in a park. Killing her, and taking what I wanted from her, made me understand the fragility of human life. How... simple it is. You just do it and then it's over with. The only difference afterward is the absence.

[perceptions]

[She raises an eyebrow.]

What do you get out of that? It's just extra work for you.

[lohengrins]

That wasn't the question I asked for an answer to. Ha. Nihilism is the most baseless school of thought. It's easy to think that — to scoff at humanity when you've never been able to feel anything such as inspiration, motivation, and concern for other peoples' wellbeing yourself.

I know what my purpose is. Nothing will change that.

[ a sigh. ]

There's something I'm curious about, however: you possessed and killed both of my roommates. How long would it have taken for you to try it with me?

[potentite]

[That does actually make sense to him in a strange way.]

Um, when I was little, my grandma died. And, um, it was... a complicated situation, but— I was the one who had to take care of it, because I was alone at the time. So I thought... I'd seen in movies that you could burn a corpse? And I remember, when I tried to move her... it was really strange, because she was just so heavy. Like a sack of bricks. [While the memory is painful, this part isn't one he usually shares with the story.] You know, corpses in movies, they never really look as dead as real ones, I guess. Or move like them. In movies you can always sorta go, "That person was alive" you know? They still feel like a person. But... that absence, I guess, what made them alive... when it's gone, it doesn't seem to leave anything at all behind. Just... literal dead weight.

[Since it isn't something he usually mentions, he doesn't quite know how to word it.]

[thawedheart]

[OH BOY

Yukina is, at least, polite enough to keep from interrupting her - though her expression becomes more and more disturbed the longer L'Arachel talks. By the time she's finished, the trembling in her hands has become full-blown shaking, and she laces her fingers together - ignoring the pain of the burns on her palm - to try and stop it.]

If you don't wish to be treated as a child dealing in absolutes, then perhaps you should not act like one.

[She raises her gaze to meet L'Arachel's eyes, then shakes her head.]

I know where the light and darkness in my own heart stands. And I know that you believe your intentions are good. But I think perhaps you have been blinded by the light you defend so fiercely.

I speak to you of regrets because I am certain that if you continue on the path you have chosen, you will have them. You've said that you have fought alongside others who have been born monsters, who embraced the darkness for the sake of defeating it - why, then, are you so quick to condemn Craftly-san before you've truly gotten to know him, on the say-so of a murderer?

...I don't want an answer from you. Just... think about it.

[She turns to go again. L'Arachel is welcome to continue the dialogue, if she wants to get the last word - but Yukina will not respond.]

[putrefied]

Oh? [wtf more reason to be bummed Mira's dying.] That's no fun. I'm going to feel disappointed if the room isn't unlocked next week.

[rextenebrae]

[ Mira. Pls.

It's not like he'll check anyway. ]

...For some reason I don't picture you as the type to be all too concerned about anything. Or am I wrong in assuming such a thing?

[perceptions]

[She huffs.]

Man, that seems like too much effort. What if I just answer whatever questions you have and you clean whatever you can reach?

[she's too lazy for riddles.]

[perceptions]

[She just snickers a little.]

Too bad. Now you'll never know. My power only resets Monday evenings, and I'm not going to live that long.

[perceptions]

[After a long moment, she nods.]

People weigh a lot. Even a lightweight adult is still usually over a 100 pounds. When someone dies, all that weight becomes stiffer due to rigor mortis. [Her hands fold on top of each other.] It doesn't sound like an easy task. Did you bury or burn her? ...Is it insensitive for me to ask that at all?

[She doesn't know. She isn't sure how to react to all him saying this.]

[perceptions]

Well yeah, but that took me forever to make up. You guys solved it faster in comparison. [She crosses her arms.] If you really want to make me solve your riddles I'll try. But don't expect much out of me.

[potentite]

Oh, no, well— [Actually, is it?] Maybe? I'm not really the best at social cues myself. But it doesn't bother me. I burned her. It took forever. They really lie about that in murder movies. Burning a body is a terribly long way to get rid of it and you can't really afford to let the fire die out for the duration, either. I guess I just meant... I get what you mean? I don't know what makes someone human but I know... when you see their body and you can vividly see that it's gone.

[perceptions]

I'm concerned about certain things. Things that actually matter. This ritual isn't one of them, not anymore at least. Kind of a relief really.

[perceptions]

Yeah, you need a large fire or a powerful machine to get it right. But it's probably easier than digging a giant hole and just rolling her into it. [So yeah, burning may have been the best route depending on how young he was when it happened.] I don't think there's such a thing as someone "being human" though. There's too many interpretations to humanity for anyone to subscribe to. That's why I live as I wish.

[And, well, she's a serial killer.]