MOCK TRIAL WEEK 1

[consolemods]

So, after the sheriff's little introduction, you've got a better idea of why you're here... and outside of the more bloody-minded players present, it's probably not one you're terribly enthused about. Nevertheless, you're here, you're not leaving, and you've got a few rules to follow... but aside from that, you're basically left to your own devices. You can visit any of the locations in the town, and you do get complementary meals at the inn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... but the question of whether someone will go ahead and kill hangs over the town like a dense fog.

Well, nobody's dead yet. But how long, exactly, will that last?

25 PLAYERS REMAIN

Comments

FRIDAY

[consolemods]

Interactive Cutscene: Castle Doctrine

[exclusiverelease]

[A little after sunrise, the Sheriff's voice awakens anyone who isn't an early riser, a call to "Come on out to the square, rise and shine" irritated and pointedly sarcastic. This time, he isn't remote like Monday, or even yesterday afternoon, but tapping his foot as he waits next to the stocks. There's a woman dangling inside them, head covered by a black hood, and the way she's positioned it's hard to see anything else about here except the streaks of dust and blood all across her body.

Once enough players are gathered - and he skims the crowd to make sure everyone is there - he begins, much less of the impenetrable wall he was on Monday.]

Let's start with the little problems. I expected to see all twenty-five of you out in that paddock yesterday. Even the pup. This time, I'll let you off easy, since nobody knew the consequences, but next time... you're gonna find yourselves right here. I'll build a whole street if I have to for everyone that breaks the rules.

Now, some of these rules, they don't get punished by you sitting out in the heat all day. We call what happens in those cases "natural consequences". When somebody takes the window instead of the front door to come visit me, I don't think they're looking for a nice conversation.

[Yeah, there's broken glass in a second-story window of the courthouse, but that isn't what he's trying to draw your attention to. He snatches the top of the hood and pulls it from the woman's head. Makoto Niijima is dead, limply hanging from the frame.]. That was a bold move on her part. Bolder than brass, she could have had a real future in this game.

If anyone's looking to learn some secrets: next time, don't get caught. Are there any questions, or are you people going to keep assuming you know the answer?

[thegoddamnmissile]

[ Today, Missile's tail isn't wagging. The smell of blood is something far too familiar. How many times had he smelled it in one night? Instead of raising a fuss, though, the sad pup just peers through the crowd for Sissel as if imploring him if there's something he can do. ]

SORRY SO LATE

[cantread]

[Sissel is there, near the body. The others might have trouble reading Sissel's body language, since he's a cat and all, but Missile would be able to tell right away that something is up. Namely, Sissel is somewhere between 'concerned' and 'bothered'. Probably a mix of both.]

I can't see any core.

IT'S FINE I MISSED ALL YESTERDAY

[thegoddamnmissile]

...What?

[ Can't... See any cores? That's... Mmmm. That's. Worrisome. ]

...There's... No core?

[cantread]

Not that I can see. But I can't see the ghost world at all here. I can't even see cores on objects I should be able to move.

[helldestiny]

Heh. What a waste.

[She folds her arms, looking up at the dead girl. Sure, she's not entirely enjoying being stuck here, but she's also not an idiot. No powers, no way to outright get out of here.

Maybe she'll get lucky and everyone else will do something stupid, too. Leaving her standing alone.

Speaking of which.]

So. I'm claiming dibs on what's in her pockets, if that's ok. Waste not, want not.

[stavros]

What is wrong with you!?

[helldestiny]

What? She's dead. It's not like she'll be needing those things anymore. Better someone who actually intends to survive has it than it get buried.

[stavros]

I don't believe you know the meaning of respect for the dead.

[helldestiny]

Oh please, it's not like I'm spitting on her grave. Besides, what else is there to do with what she has but to use the tools she had for a better purpose in the future?

[Like, for example, to get her out of here eventually, of course.]

She made her choices and met her own Destiny. That it ended in her death is just a consequence of that and nothing more. Let it serve us all as a lesson, hmm?

[stavros]

What do you know about destiny?

[Kokoro looks at her seriously, fists at her sides.]

Yes, it's cruel and ends in too much death, but you're simply making light of it.

[beguiledcard]

Don't even think about it.

[ If looks could be accompanied by giant, flashing signs, the one she'd see with this one?

F U C K

Y O U

He's not. Letting her anywhere near the body. ]

[carbide]

[Olympia arrives fairly quickly, in contrast to (and making no acknowledgement whatsoever of) her total absence from yesterday's events. She looks at the dead girl for a moment.

Then she addresses the Sheriff cheerfully.]

Since we've obviously caught you, does this mean you won't be allowed to leave?

[exclusiverelease]

[There's a clear effort to be chivalrous and humor her here: but it's obviously an effort.]

And what, miss, have you caught me doing?

[carbide]

The rules state that if we kill a player without being caught, we can leave. You've killed a player, but all of us clearly know it was you.

[...is she trying to be funny]

[exclusiverelease]

You're right. Miss Niijima and I had a little scrap when I found her intruding on the locked premises you see before you. As you can see again, I had the best of her. If I was playing the game, there'd be a problem, but I'm not.

[carbide]

Then you are permitted to leave.

[exclusiverelease]

...what makes you ask that?

itt dito being dito

[flagrants]

Oh man, that's great! [ Don't mind him as he starts laughing over here, hard enough that he has to bend over and hold his stomach. ] What kind of idiot would go and get themselves killed over a little—what, breaking and entering? That's a fucking riot!

[ He gets as close as he can and starts pacing in front of her. Are her eyes open, is her mouth open? Any drool, does she look gross!! These are all things Dito wants to know because he's the worst. ] Look at that face! Damn, what a great expression! Hey, moron, was it worth it? ... oh wait, you can't hear me!

[ Can he touch her? He totally wants to touch her. He reeeaaches out to poke her, if he can. Part of him gleefully wonders if this is his fault, at least in part. He did tell her to break down a door instead of trying to pick a lock, after all. Encouraging her to keep going instead of discouraging her means he's somewhat to blame, right? He peers at her happily for a little while before focusing on the sheriff. ] Old man! I've got a question for you. What are you going to do with the body?

[stavros]

I can see that somebody here would be at home in those games of his where everybody signed up to die.

[flagrants]

Uh, no. Dying in a game like this would be la~me, who the hell would want to sign-up for any of this? [ He shrugs, then gets excited again all by himself. ] This? This is something completely different. This is awesome! Just look at her, that far-off stare, that empty husk of a body...! She looks terrible!

[stavros]

Such a fascination with death and defeat... It's disgusting.

[flagrants]

[ Way to ruin his mood. ] Whatever. I don't remember asking you for your opinion, hag.

belatedly posts reaction oiskjdh...

[beguiledcard]

[ Frankly, everyone's words are nothing more than background noise once the face is revealed... except the words of the man revealing her.

This time, the daggers he's glaring? Well... there is a certain saying about looks and them being able to kill...

And it's possibly clear that he's torn -- in truth, he is. He wants to rush forward and punch this guy, but more than that...? She deserves to be buried. Not gawked at and left as nothing more than some example.

He's going to move forward and look between her and the man. ]

Are you done? I'd like to bury her.

[ For now, his tone is firm. For now, he's the guy doing his best to protect what remains of the one person who knew him here. ]