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

[humanic]

How should I know? The universe isn't even supposed to have rules! Unless you're being sarcastic, which I'm usually extremely good at detecting, except you come from a place where your planet is balanced on a turtle riding an elephant so I honestly have no idea whether what you're saying is legit or not.

Rin wasn't wearing any black when she died, was she? Though I guess it'd be pretty stupid to hide the murder weapon in your room. And I'm intent on making sure we catch the right person this time.

[inthebones]

[Another heavy eye roll.]

Come along, then. I can't blame you for being thorough, even if I'm fairly certain this is out of nothing more than curiosity.

We can discuss the Rules if you have any questions.

...I hope you didn't stare at it.

[humanic]

Why can't it be both? Like yeah, you probably aren't hiding anything in there, but boy would I feel like the world's dumbest moron if it turned out that's where you stashed the key to turning this case around and I decided to let it go because a hidden compartment isn't worth looking into at all.

I have questions. I have so many questions I don't even know where to start. Oh wait, yeah I do - whatever these Rules are, are they important enough that you'd kill over them?

Um, mysterious script on some kind of super shady parchment? Of course I did. Didn't understand a word though.

[inthebones]

It isn't. The hidden compartment was announced to the public; I'd hardly be daft enough to hide anything relevant in there. As a matter of fact, I'd hide anything that needed hiding out in the open before I'd ever plac it into the compartment.

[Susan seems increasingly annoyed as they progress down the hall towards her room.]

And what sort of question is that supposed to be? They're important enough that someone would kill for them, yes; I thought these were all meant to be.

...Well, not for them, perhaps, but the chance to change them, which I assume is what they were offering.

[humanic]

Better safe than sorry. Is that why you think Poland's mystery box wound up in the music room too?

[A shrug.] Not really. Mine wasn't that big a deal. I know this might sound weird, but plenty of normal humans don't actually have an object like the rules to the freaking universe that they'd kill to own.

[inthebones]

I'd imagine so. Walking around with a mysterious box is far more dangerous than stowing it somewhere quite normal you hope nowhere will find - and even if they do, you hope they won't pick up on the significance.

And that's hardly fair if your item isn't on the same scale as the rest of us. What if you were the suspect this time around?

[what sort of universe doesn't have Rules god]

The Rules are an abstract concept, anyway. I've never imagined that they'd be presented like this.

[a slight pause]

...Well. No, that's not true. In so much as I'm human, I've always imagined them like this. That's why it's sitting in my cabinet, I suppose. Not even I can really comprehend the... reality of it. I admit I've occasionally indulged in flights of fancies about smudging out a portion here and there and wiping the Auditors of Reality from existence.

[humanic]

[He snorts.] Wait until you find out what Gundam's is.

Yeah, I understood about five of those words in that sentence, but geez. That thing's really that powerful?

...how the hell did they get a hold of it?

[inthebones]

Is it the world's finest hamster seed ground from the flesh of dragons?

[Susan thinks big.]

I don't believe what's sitting in my cabinet is that powerful, no. If anyone could actually change the Rules, though... It would be unimaginable. I don't know that I'd even dare to touch them.

...My existence itself is already a loophole in the Rules, really.

[Having reached her room by now, Susan will let herself in without bothering to use the key. It's her room, after all.]

[humanic]

See, that I could actually imagine him killing for.

Still have no idea what you're talking about, but I am fully on board with the no changing the laws of the universe thing. Except maybe to make curly fries both healthy and delicious.

[And he'll just stand back and wait for her to reveal the compartment.]

[inthebones]

[A slight sigh]

You don't know what you're talking about, either. The Rules are the Rules for a reason, but... Let's simply say that the Rules, as they stand, can be interpreted in a... certain way. A way that would prefer to see to it that humanity -- that all of life itself ceased to exist.

[That depressing topic aside, Susan will head for her closet and open it.]

Could you hold these?

[Please take the bag of bloody cloaks Stiles.]

[humanic]

Well, there's a cheerful thought. Even more cheerful is the fact that they're in your cabinet. Maybe we can use it to lure these life-deleters here so they can delete whoever's running this stupid place.

[squeaking] Can't you just...drop them on the floor? [but okay fine he'll gingerly take the bag with two fingers and hold it as far away from him as possible]

[inthebones]

They're wrapped twice over; don't be so juvenile.

...Though I'm depending on exactly that reaction to hide the compartment, of course.

[Susan will reach for the poker now and thrust it into the back of the closet, poking at... something. It gives way eventually and a portion of the back of the closet opens up seamlessly - like a second door.]

There. Investigate to your heart's content.

((I am totally making this up on the spot so let me know if any of this isn't OK.))

[humanic]

Geez, I'm sorry I'm not a big fan of blood from dead people. I've seen enough of it for a bajillion lifetimes here and back home okay, I'd rather not have to touch it unless I absolutely need to!

[cool in that case he will investigate to his heart's content]

[inthebones]

[Susan ignores that exclamation because she's busy replacing the poker and carefully not looking at Stiles and frowning severely at the wall as he discovers




chocolate

chocolate from the pantry
arranged in order of preference
the caramel boxes are on top
there's coconut and cherry cordial and peanut brittle and coconut
toffees and truffles and pralines and creams
mint chocolate occupies its own special section in the middle
special note there are no nougats]

...

Generally speaking, I should say that you're in the top quartile of People I Can Stand In this House if only by dint of possessing certain qualities that can be construed as intelligence.

Let's not do or say anything to change that.

[humanic]

[He opens his mouth. Closes it and bites down on his lip hard. Starts coughing loudly into his hand.]

...wow, would you look at this completely empty compartment! Looks like you haven't used it at all, huh. Sorry for all that nasty suspicion, you know how it is.

[inthebones]

[Susan carefully walks around him and slides shut the compartment once again. She'll even take the bag herself and stick it back in.

no one will ever know]

Oh, well, I understand how it goes. Smart young lads such as yourself can't be satisfied until they've examined every nook and cranny. ...Quite clever, indeed.

[The closet door is closed.]

Shall we report back, then?