week 4 - trial

[productions]

week four 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, as long as you are accompanied by a partner.

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.

At 7 PM, the trial will adjourn for the day. Players will be escorted by the Hostess to the ballroom, where dinner and wine will be served until 10 PM, at which point players will be required to return to their wings in groups with their wingmates and will be locked in their bedrooms until 8:30 AM the following morning.]

victim



suspects



Character Statuses
Setting
Manor Rules
Cheat Sheet
Voting

Comments

[inthebones]

...They might have been a little more considerate and murdered her in her room at night when I had no chance of catching them like the last two murderers.

I'll have to change up my times. Perhaps check at 27s and 13s instead of a round 15 minutes.

[aozaki]

The most considerate murder might've been last week's, haha.

Or you could pull the next set of deadweights aside and arrange the times with them privately, keep everyone else guessing.

[inthebones]

Or perhaps I'll do absolutely nothing but sit and think about the deadweights all day.

Perhaps I'll be murdered instead while I'm distracted. It would be a bit of a relief.

[aozaki]

I'm sure they appreciate it.

You did choose to take on the burden. [this is a fact ok.]

Some relief would do you good, the only question is if you can afford to. I don't know how you stand it, personally, willingly stepping up to claim responsibility for so many lives inside a murder game. There are such things as downsides, in being too involved and responsible.

[inthebones]

At the end of the day, someone has to tip the wee out of the shoe. It might as well be someone who's accustomed to the smell.

I've played cleanup and nursery maid for the entirety of my adult life [so like three years] I don't see it changing anytime soon.

[aozaki]

And what about that someone? Accustomed to it or not, they're still a person too, with their own limits and needs for space and support. What's going to happen to them, if they do come to overload themselves past breaking point?

[She shrugs.] Well, hypothetically. Some people have staggering mental fortitude, and some people do things even when there's nothing in for them, because they really don't need anything in return. I won't assume, I'll just settle on saying that in any case, playing mother hen over this whole manor is still a little too gracious of you.

[...]

Do you drink, Susan? Humans do it to unwind, sometimes.

[because surely Susan doesn't know what that is. she probably doesn't know what 'relaxing' and 'fun' mean, either!]

[inthebones]

As much as I appreciate the concern, I can assure you that I'm far from my breaking point. I would be pleased beyond all measure if I could assure the safety of the remaining... 'participants' here, but to be perfectly frank, it remains a lesser load than the responsibilities I'm accustomed to.

[Susan does appreciate it. She's just the worst person in the world at showing these kinds of things.]

...You can't imagine how messy small children can be.

[haha and all of that]

And I do, on occasion, of course. I don't think substance abuse is quite the appropriate answer to limited mental fortitude, though.

[aozaki]

['That's rough, buddy.'

No really what else are you supposed to say to that]

Being used to something doesn't necessarily mean you have to like it, is all. Well, magi are selfish people, so I probably can't tell you anything else even if I tried.

[She chuckles at that.]

It could be worse. They could be actual adults and yet act more entitled than children. Thankfully we don't have any of those here, as far as I can tell.

[not like she's speaking from personal experience or anything.

...maybe.]

Of course, all in moderation. [Says the woman who smokes like a chimney...] What do you do then, when your nerves are being stretched more than you would liked? Please don't tell me that never happens, I'd rather have my idle curiosity be ignored entirely if an answer on that line is what you're planning.

[inthebones]

I see you have yet to spend quality time with the adults who claim to be over a thousand years old.

[cough poland cough]

I never said I enjoyed it, either. It's simply something that is. Or perhaps has to be - the sun rises in the East, the oceans cascade off the edge of the Disc, and I arm myself with the paper towels and the cleaning solvents.

[A slight sigh now.]

And if you absolutely must know...

[here it comes her greatest secret]

...I shan't tell you unless it becomes relevant to the trial.

[aozaki]

I had to stop one from nearly killing himself, but he's harmless, well enough.

[cough latvia cough

but no, apart from joking about how cute his POLAND TTLY DIDN'T DO IT note was, she had the fortune not to. The upsides of being a hermit and mostly keeping to yourself.]

It doesn't mean it's right, either. Some trees grow crooked simply because they are, too. [She does raise an eyebrow at the 'ocean cascades off the edge', but wisely chooses to not comment.] As the saying goes, 'whatever floats your boat'.

Praying is free, however, as long as you wouldn't hold it against me to hope for such an occasion?

[inthebones]

...You're going to pray that my responsibilities will be relieved?

[Susan frowns slightly at that.]

While the gesture is appreciated, I expect that the only permanent solution to my difficulties would be my death, which I would prefer to avoid, all in all.

[aozaki]

[She laughs.]

Are you taking it personally for the sake of being contrary? Or would this be a form of break, after all?

You've presented yourself as omniscient and unshakeable already, invincible isn't too far off. The only thing capable of killing you may be the weight of responsibility taken up by your sense of duty, but it sounds like you've already got that covered.

[inthebones]

If I were omniscient, I wouldn't have had Ukraine executed during the second week. I make no claim of the kind.

[That she does seem to take personally.]

I simply mean that as long as there's something I need to be responsible for, I shall maintain my role.

[aozaki]

[It just goes to prove the point, tho... FLAGRANT SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, it's the sum of that blame that could get large and ugly.

Leaning back, her shoulders drop and she cants her head sideways, half dismissive and half disengaging.]

Best of luck, then. There seems to be a commotion over there; if you'll excuse me for now, maybe they've made some progress in theories.

[or maybe it's sonia and belarus getting catty. either way, they've about more or less done enough small talk.]

[inthebones]

[Flagrant sense of responsibility is a good way to put it. But until someone else steps up to the plate, it's her responsibility nonetheless.

The problem was that nobody else in the world could even make it out of the dugout, let alone to the plate.]

It doesn't sound like progress more than it does something I have no inclination of involving myself with, but. Goodbye.