week 1 - trial

[productions]

week one trial



[At 9 AM precisely, the old grandfather clock chimes once again, and the doors to the drawing room are opened. They will remain open until everyone has come inside, after which they will shut behind them. It is not possible to leave on your own, although perhaps if you have a specific purpose the hostess will allow you to go. The room is set up comfortably, with several tables by the fireplace set out to assist with the trial. The Hostess will also remain in a seat near the fireplace, next to the scales on the mantle. At lunch, the doors will open to bring in a large meal on an automatically rolling buffet, and at 3 PM, tea and finger sandwiches will be served. You'll be able to enjoy the trial in comfort, of course, but the information cards set out on tables will not allow you to forget your true purpose here.]

victim



suspects



Character Statuses
Setting
Manor Rules
Voting

Comments

[inthebones]

I expect it would have made a fair din if it were pulled out with bare hands. I'll ask the girl whether or not the strings were cut.

...I suppose I should mention that I have the musical aptitude of a doorpost and just about as much knowledge of related subjects.

[throe]

Oh, don't worry. [ Her lips curl into yet another smirk. ] I can explain it for you.

[ She puts both of her hands forward, one closer to her waist and the other closer to her shoulder. ] The tuning for a guitar is typically at the... [ On the hand closest to her shoulder, she wiggles her fingers a bit, finding it strange she's forgotten the word. ] ...at the top. Once you tighten the tuning machines... [ The hand at her hip trails a bit upward, signifying the strings. ] The strings get tighter for more vibration.

Typically, you tune with a piano. Minx always played her synth to help us tune, but anyway. You tighten it too tight and—

[ When she lets her hand hover above her waist, she freezes. Something is so terribly off and... she can't help but frown. Rapture tries to push past it and continue with her example. ] —you play. [ But no song is coming to her, no example of what she's played for the Stingers before... the things that were once so mechanical to her are never there. She tries not to show too much anger or disappointment. ]

And... it snaps.

[inthebones]

How very kind of you.

[Susan observes the following performance with a slight frown, but then, that's probably her default expression. Rapture was certainly making pauses in some unusual places. Perhaps for dramatic effect.]

In other words, a string could easily be snapped by anyone after being sufficiently tightened. Snapping should leave different marks from cutting as well.

[throe]

I— Yeah. [ She pushes herself to focus more on her intent about the wires than the weird faltering she just showed. ] The elasticity of the wires is bound to break sometime. Piano wires might be a bit sturdier, but if the strings haven't been changed for some time then they'll have a greater chance of snapping.

[inthebones]

In any case, it would be difficult to test for a lack of knowledge. Any of us could lie and say we hadn't the least idea how a piano worked. ...Unless you have some sort of clever plan to lead us into admitting we have some intricate knowledge of instruments.

[throe]

How do you know I don't have a clever plan?

[ She presses her lips into a thin, knowing smile. ]

[inthebones]

Well.

Then I'm fully prepared to be dazzled and amazed. ...Again.

[Susan sounds like she has never been dazzled and amazed in her life.]

[throe]

[ Well then, hopefully Susan won't end up being executed so Rapture can appropriately dazzle her in the near future with a lyrically relevant song about how dazzling the Stingers are.

She just raises her arms in the air. ]

That's what us Stingers always intend to do. There wouldn't be a show without us!