( 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]

I don't know what time everything happened at, but I figure it must have been pretty close to the 8am grandfather clock ring? [Her eyes downcast, hand going to cover the stitched scar of her stab wound.] I would have definitely died had Girge and Aloy not helped me when they did.

[bownthisway]

[nodding!] We heard a woman screaming around ten minutes before the clock struck - I'm guessing that had to have been you. Lucky the Ghost cut it so close - if they'd struck any earlier...

[g101]

Maybe they couldn't have struck any earlier?

[ just a thought. ] Miramirakku might be reeeeeeeeeeally lucky then.

[bownthisway]

The knife barely missed her heart. If the Ghost had been in a rush, it could explain why they got sloppy and why they left her there without being sure she was dead.

[She frowns.] But then that brings up another question. Why did they have to cut it so close? And did they expect Mira to show up at all? You'd think if they planned it, they wouldn't have messed up.

[g101]

[ there's a moment as the gears in her brain start to turn. ]

I think it's more likely that it took longer than we are thinking to kill Racchi, and that's why you are thinking that right now. Racchi's murder could have taken ten minutes for all we know! If that's the case, it was probably closer to 7:40am that she died. If that's the case, when does the Ghost possess someone? It might be earlier than even that. It's all pretty fuzzy, but it looks like it's a really tight timeline.

[bownthisway]

So you think the Ghost themselves killed Racchi - uh, Rachel - and then possessed Marty? Or that they were the one who moved Marty up to the Dark Room instead of making him walk?

[g101]

Ohhhh, you're so cute! You're so adorable! [ hajime is regretfully one with her desires and wastes no time attempting to pull alloy in for a hug. cute girls get hugs. ]

I think Martymart killed Racchi, otherwise Miramirakku wouldn't have seen him. That would be too much coordination, and how would they know she'd be there? Or anyone at all! Maybe she was just ultra mega lucky and got a bad card. But then if Racchi died at 7:40 or so, that means that every moment with Miramirakku is wasted time.

[ a beat. ]

Also, if you're not the killer, why have him hit her with the taser? Aren't those good at knocking people out?

[ungodly]

Why was Mira there, anyway? She said she woke up in the lounge, but it seems like she just ended up complicating the ghost's plan. And if Marty was possessed, it's not like she could be ghostwalked there. Mira's placement here makes no sense at all.

[splinten]

The "Three people are going to die" line is suspicious. The Ghost likely counts Hana in its kills, based on what it's been saying. I expect the 'three people' line is meant to include whoever we execute tomorrow. That accounts for Rachel and Marty, and not Mira.

Of course, all this bullshit could be meant to make us frame up Mira and hang her for the crime she didn't commit. That's in the Ghost's line too.

[bownthisway]

[suddenly being hugged??? just...awkwardly pats hajime on the shoulder there there please get off her tiny girl]

Think it had to be more than bad luck, seeing as how she says she was forced there. And I'm not sure what a taser is, but if it's anything like a shock wire, it should have at least paralyzed her for a minute or two.

[g101]

[ oh my god..........a cute girl is patting her on the shoulder. thank god hajime doesn't become useless when gay things happen to her despite HOW gay she is. ]

Who told her to go there, then? The Ghost can only control one person, right? ...And yeah, that's what it does. It shocks someone. I like to shock things to sleep instead of hurting them! It's way more helpful. So a taser does the same thing. Why hit her with it when you could shock her and then stab her?

[vitamin_a]

If the scream we heard not too long before 8:00 AM was Mira, then the Ghost controlling Marty had to rush because otherwise they'd have no time to make Marty be in the Dark Room, since it takes a few minutes to die in the Dark Room.

[That'd mean the attack on Mira and Marty's death happened not too long before 8:00 AM]

We all rushed out of our rooms once it was 8:00 AM, of course they'd be rushing to do whatever they wanted to do!

[bownthisway]

Right. But in that case, why have the murder take place so close to 8AM at all? Mira said she felt some kind of...voice in her head forcing her to leave. If the Ghost, or someone working with them, had the power to control her movements, why wouldn't they have set this whole thing up earlier - like at around 6 or 7AM? They wouldn't have to worry about all of us finding them or Mira surviving her wound.

[potentite]

The voice bit bothers me. It doesn't make any sense, does it? Vincent clearly fought back. He seems to have been lured. Rachel, too, seems to have been brought out rather than mysteriously teleported, yes? So... Why only Mira?

[bownthisway]

That's what bothers me too. There aren't any other roles that can control people, are there? Other than the Copycat, but Kaito seems pretty sure they're not in play here.

The only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with Omega's deal about making it easier for us to catch the Ghost. From the way she was just stabbed and left there, I'd guess the Ghost wasn't expecting her to show up.

[potentite]

Copycat could copy the Ghost, yes, but that line of thinking would quickly become convoluted. Let's avoid it without further evidence and stick with the fact that the Ghost, the original, did possess someone, probably Marty. It leads to questions like why use gloves to write the message? Marty's hands wouldn't have mattered.

[perceptions]

[she makes a weak shrug when she hears Jake's speculation.]

I can't answer anything about the voice that I haven't already, but I did try my best to get the knife away from Marty. I just didn't realize he had a second weapon on him.

[potentite]

[He flashes an apologetic smile.] Frightfully sorry for fishing for doubts on your story, or at least I'm sure that's how it sounds, I just... Well, you know what happened the first week. It's best that we're thorough, for your sake as much as anything.

[vitamin_a]

...

[Apollo crosses his arms]

I don't mean to cast doubt over Mira's testimony, but there's always the chance part of it is a lie.

[Or all of it. They can't know for sure]

We're completely relying on her words here.

[potentite]

No, I... agree and... I think, in these situations, at least I would forgive anyone doubting me, just because it's best to consider everything and analyse it all.

[perceptions]

You sound grim. [She says with a weak flash of a smile. It doesn't bother her to be doubted - if she were in their position, she would certainly do the same.] I know how it all sounds, but all I can do is recollect the best I can.

[g101]

Yep, that's when everyone was running around, I bet. Maybe they were hoping you'd bleed out before the ring, but it wasn't so lucky, huh?? Good job.

[perceptions]

I don't know if you can say "good job" to me. Girge and Aloy are the ones who saved me.

[g101]

Yeah, but it's easy to give up? What if you just decided you had enough and died before they showed up? Now you're here to help us find the killer, which is pretty great.

[perceptions]

I was passed out, so I didn't really... [she sighs.] Whatever. I can tell you're just trying to be nice.