( TRIAL - WEEK 5 )

[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, children. As the Dining Hall is still under reparations — today's trial will take place by the pool. 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 Outdoor Dining Area 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. Due the Kitchen and Dining Hall getting wrecked, lunch and dinner will mostly consist of grilled and barbecued menu items. Hamburgers, hotdogs, salads, and items that require little preparation — all the residents have to do is ask in order to receive. Similarly, all beverages will be retrieved from a hundred quart cooler that has been placed by the side of the pool. Not as fancy as usual, but at least the pool is clean now. Some inflatable pool toys lazily swim in the water, along with pool noodles. A single towel that still has sludge on it floats among the accessories in the pool. Looks like no one bothered to really clean it up from Friday. Every now and then, the waters will vibrate to the sound of buzz saws and assorted power tools. Looks like the Disposal Room, Dining Hall and Kitchen are under reparations still. A tent has been placed over the area to shield the residents from the sun, and to make up from the lack of transparencies everyone will receive a small booklet containing each resident's profile. They look a little bit like shitty PowerPoint presentation handouts, but maybe it's part of the charm. The profiles of the deceased are included, as always. A second tent has been set up in the parking lot, complete with an air conditioning on the inside. Its use will become rapidly apparent once the victims corpses have 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 their table; a trash bin is available outside of the tent for this purpose. Evidence found during the investigation, on the other hand, will be displayed in a table by the pool shed. Any items found by the residents on Friday will be displayed here for further examination. Finally — one of the grandfather clocks has been kidnapped from its respective floor to show the current hour. Please do remember you have until 9:00 PM to figure out whodunit and cast your vote. And if anyone tries to leave the area before the trial is over? They'll discover an invisible wall blocking their path. ( 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 Pool/Outdoor Dining Area (the pool shed will also be locked), 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

ACTUALLY IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT BEING ALIVE

[potentite]

[Ugh, why does he have to say something, jesus.]

Anyhoo, we wanted to talk to Mot— Erm, the Unclean today using Tsurugi's statue, get the scoop on how we can tease some answers out of her but that'll have to wait until later, I guess. [Though he'll give Clem a thumbs up? She didn't do anything bad.] Sooo, people good at riddles should think of shit to ask, since the hunters didn't bother to. We can figure out what's going to help us decide our fates and, rather more importantly that again the Hunters gave no shits for, the fates of loved ones who would eventually come to fight for their own lives in this game.

[g101]

[ since this isn't andersen saying everything she knows already and isn't kaitou with a death wish, hajime is listening! ]

What'd you guys already ask her?

[potentite]

[Thank you, Hajime. He's just tired and wants this solved.]

Well, from the sounds of it? They haven't asked much. One thing we were thinking is if there is anything at all we could trade to her in exchange for ending the games here. Of course, ideally, we'd want to simply have a survivor wish in a way that was carefully crafted to end things without a sacrifice, but I insist we have multiple possibilities and multiple things to ask.

[g101]

What idiots.

[ YOU HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE THING KEEPING US HERE AND DONT TALK TO IT??? hajime is so disappointed ]

That makes sense. Is it like... her, or a phone to her? 'Cause there's a difference and depending on that difference I might want to try something?

[potentite]

[Jake nods at the first part.]

I'm not sure exactly. The statue method seems like a phone? An eldritch horror sort of phone but a phone. The other method apparently we'd need Girge for, so don't vote for him by the by, but it involves a mirror I suppose.

[g101]

Ah, but I thought Girgey is looking to die? Oh well. I guess we have to be a little bit selfish.

[ but. hummm. ]

We should decide on metaphors and how to use them. An alien sent riddles to my soul which was a notebook, so I might be able to help out.

[thawedheart]

[icly yukina isn't touching this with a 10-foot pole and i'm sorry

oocly i didn't feel right just... ignoring this...

go jake go]

[potentite]

[It's okay Yukina at least he feels a little bit better about you knowing you did not in fact chainsaw Nagasone to death?? So he doesn't actually want you to die now so uh Good job kinda??

[thawedheart]

[we have achieved one (1) small victory!!

i'm sorry for being useless]

[splinten]

[Dirk sees that.]

If you want to actually save people instead of just enjoy masturbatin'—[wait she doesn't know that word]—I mean indulgin' in your own self-righteousness while you let everyone else hang, say what you've gotta say. Give your fuckin' protips, I don't care.

You wanna save Ryou? Take the heat and say anythin' that's worth sayin'.

[thawedheart]

There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said.

[Yukina shakes her head, heaving a sigh.]

We've been looking for a way out since day one. We thought we had one, and we were working toward it, but then we found out it would mean leaving the dead behind. We found another, and... you're all mad at us for keeping things to ourselves, but we were told from the start that we weren't meant to share it. When we decided to go against what we were told, and did share it, to see if bringing it up to the group at large was even a possibility...

[Well. Look what happened.]

Andersen-san didn't record this part, but we talked about telling more of you when we met with him. He ended up doing it himself before we could, though. He... also told me not to tell someone, when I mentioned a specific name I wanted to talk to. And he had his reasons - but to act like we were never going to tell any of you is unfair. I can understand your frustrations with us for keeping as quiet as we have so far, but... this is getting to be a little much.

[Yukina sighs again.]

...I told you once before. If there is another way out of this, I would love to take it. But there isn't. Craftly-san has confirmed it, and I can't leave the people here in front of me behind.

If you're really that mad at us? Let one of us take the deal and be trapped in their service for eternity. You'll all be free, and if you want to live or die, you can make that decision yourself once you're not bound to this place any longer.

[splinten]

None of you matter right now. [Like. He doesn't care. Period.] It'd be a cool revenge, but I don't care about that. I don't think any of you three are suited to being Innkeeper. My choice is Andersen.

He never once saw you as villains or portrayed you that way. He just wanted to give us a choice.

I'll say the same thing to you as I said to Kaito: stop thinking about this as you guys and us guys. We need to work as a team to work this out. Offer what you can no matter what and take the eyerolls or the scorn or whatever. Whether or not people are mad doesn't matter when this is probably going to be our last chance to decide things as a group.

[thawedheart]

...Dirk-san, my point is that when we took the first steps to it possible for us to work as a team, that backfired. We'd love to work with you as a team now... that's why we're actually talking now.

[She was keeping quiet before because based on Jake's reaction to Kaito earlier, it did not seem at all likely that they'd be listened to.]

Looking at it from the standpoint of trying to stop all of this... I think that right here, right now, there is no other way than to take the deal. But that's for while we're trapped here, while we're subject to their power.

From the outside, someone like Andersen-san may be able to assist in ending this permanently, especially if others from here who also escaped were willing to lend their power. He's too valuable to be left behind as an Innkeeper.

[disinterested]

[Girge's not cooperating with anyone unless the Hunters give the okay for it, so.

Have fun, guys.

aka yeah icly not touching this sorry jake]

[ninjay]

[ jay also is physically getting nowhere near this discussion (for now) but know that he's judging jake for wasting time. ]

[splinten]

What I said for Yukina goes for you too.

[He's actually looking at Jay with more anger than he directed at Yukina]

Stop being a smug fuck. If you think there's somethin' to say, say it.

[ninjay]

I already told Jake, at length, that there is no other way to end this. He is only getting everyone's hopes up by "insisting" that there must be one.

[ his expression is neutral. ]

[potentite]

If you're fine with not exploring other options with the remaining time and allowing your own loved ones to carry on this glorious tradition, that's fine. I'm not insisting there is one. I'm insisting we try. Only fools give up as easily as you.

[ninjay]

Fine, then try. I just don't want you all to work hard towards an ending that's going to disappoint you, Jake.

[splinten]

You mean he offered you kindness and you spat in his face because you think you're smarter and wiser than him. Come on, bro, you thought Yukina could kill a dude with a chainsaw. You're a fuckin' idiot and I don't think any of you are smart enough to be Innkeeper.

[MOVING ON]

This isn't about hope, dude. This is about making sure we ask all the questions so we know absolutely what we're doing when we make our choice.

[ninjay]

Yukina asked for a weapon and that was what she was given. She used it because she was worried of what the Unclean might do to everyone if she refused to touch the "gift." So no, we didn't think she could kill someone with a chainsaw.

[ but whatever. ]

Considering you have four people in this room who have spoken to the Unclean, if you wanted to be absolutely sure of how to go about it, then shouldn't you ask us how to go about it? And don't say we were welcome to share our input, as Jake flat out said he didn't want it.

[pinesfortruth]

According to Craftly, what the Unclean wants is human suffering.

[which, y'know. is kind of a hard thing to bargain with]

[potentite]

Oh, that's easy enough, then. I already had an idea for that. Of course, that idea might not be very acceptable, so there is that.

[pinesfortruth]

That's the least reassuring thing I've heard today and I have heard a lot of bad stuff.

[potentite]

That's why I'm not suggesting it. The Hunters would piss all over it and it's something I'd rather they not be privy to, since they decided we're not allowed to be privy to anything. Still, just because their lot hasn't been able to think of something doesn't mean much. They were going to let Yukina of all people use a chainsaw. Craftly is a good resource, though, and what he says certainly must be factored in. But we'd be remiss to simply jump to the conclusion that everyone must die and that we'll be off the hook while people we love are eventually dragged into this game.