PROLOGUE : TRIAL

[themodsgrimm]

The Story Continues... PROLOGUE - WEEK 037 Narrators Remain ; Wakey wakey, naughty murder children. It's a lovely Saturday, after all. Breakfast is served piping hot at its usual time and all of the evidence has been removed from the scenes of yesterday. No matter how you choose to spent your morning though, the clock will begin to chime the moment both hands reach the large, ornate twelve. Before your eyes materializes a door...but not just any door. Unlike the door leading to the festival, this door sits primly and properly right in front of the foyer. Whether you exit the castle on your own or you feel a friendly, invisible push, you begin to walk under an arc of wisterias. Behind you, the clock continues to chime with every step you take. By the time the time the clock strikes twelve, you've entered a beautiful garden. In front of you is a long table, 19 seats on each side. Around the garden are several glass cases containing evidence collected yesterday. As noon intensifies on the sun-shaped clock, you'll find Dragon at the head of the table, a glass-covered rose near her right hand. Tick tock, Narrators. You have nine hours to deliberate. Welcome to your first trial post! Please see here for the OOC summary of events from yesterday's investigation. In addition, please be sure to vote! Please see the voting page on how to vote, as we will have two special things to vote for. Voting will close at 9pm EST/6pm PST! If you have any questions, please ask on our Discord server or ping us on plurk. Please direct pings for the NPC to Dana (decals), as she will be taking point for today's NPC, and the moderator team will be on deck for all other questions. full navigation. locations taken (statuses) stories (profiles) info & faq wishing well private conversations

Comments

[disilluded]

I won't deny that it is far more conclusive than anything else we have.

But why give us the knife then?

[What is it for? Why is it here?]

What was her motive in doing so? How did a young teenage girl civilian get her into that suit of armor? There are too many questions for me to call this trial done over something like that.

[faceripper]

[ Fane does pause to consider what Sousei says, but it's followed with a sigh ]

If that is the case, then we've still a great amount of work to do. I suppose I can entertain the idea that there is more to it, I can also answer your first question with an observation in turn. We can hardly guess at motives, since we're all perfectly strangers to each other. Perhaps there isn't a motive. Perhaps whoever killed that woman simply enjoys killing. It's not as if we would know.

[disilluded]

[... A nod. He'll grant Fane that.]

It could very well be that the culprit simply enjoys killing. It could also be that they felt she would be an easy target for her age--but there are far easier targets here beyond a woman noted plainly for her rebellion and piracy.

... There are simply a number of choices in who to kill.

[Did they just draw out of a hat, or was Gi-gan convenient for some reason?]

[faceripper]

That I do agree with. Considering the tapestries that proclaim our various talents and sometimes weaknesses, there are easier targets. But, who knows? It may have been convenient, comparatively.

[ He shrugs ]

Or she was surprised. One poor move at the beginning of a fight can easily cost you your life.

[disilluded]

Indeed. I suppose either way, we are simply stuck hypothesizing until we have more evidence, or stumble upon something else.

It was simply something I am still personally concerned with.

[faceripper]

Fair enough. You've presented your concerns more reasonably than some [ he says, looking at natsuo... ] so I these criticisms are more valid in my eyes.

[ He looks back to Sousei and sighs ]

Though for the sake of hypothesizing... If you were to identify those with more suspicious circumstances than most, who would you pick?

[disilluded]

[More suspicious circumstances...]

... Without the motive, it is truly impossible to say, as you've said before. The motive to murder this week could have been presented as a threat or a reward--or both.

[...]

Still, I believe the point that Gi-gan would have fought back more fiercely against those who were not women and children is something to be kept in mind. If it was one misstep that cost her her life, it could have been because she was not prepared to fight.

[faceripper]

[ Fane was hoping for an actual list, but he nods, since that's at least a good point to consider. ]

I see. Then... Hm, a question for my own edification to clarify that: at what age are your people no longer considered children?

[disilluded]

That would depend on the culture, but generally speaking, the range would be from sixteen to twenty years old, I would imagine.

[faceripper]

[ He brings a hand to his jawbone and taps a bony finger against it, which is definitely a distinct clacking noise. But eventually— ]

So twenty of you, as I recall? Well, regardless, Sharpay would certain qualify in that definition.

[hakodate]

The knife seems easily explainable enough. Confuse the issue, take our attention away from the details that are more important.

Like how she got into the armor. Of the things you've mentioned, that's the first one I'd worry about.

[sanguinairy]

If Tiger-san may have had a hand in moving around the unconscious people, putting Gi-gan into the suit of armor may have been her work too, right?

[Because otherwise yeah THAT'D BE A FEAT.]

[hakodate]

Could be. We don't really know exactly how far they're willing to meddle with what actually happens here.

[ Like. Obviously they'll meddle enough to set up this entire goddamned situation in the first place, but they're not making a great case for being hands-off after that, so... ]

[sanguinairy]

I could try asking and see if we actually get an answer.

[WHO KNOWS maybe they will, so away he goes to do that...!]

[hakodate]

[ It's probably a given that Souji is a better person to ask questions than Hijikata, so...go forth and ask, deathcoughing friend. ]

[sanguinairy]

[DEATHCOUGHING FRIEND RETURNS.]

She said that Tiger-san isn't responsible for where Gi-gan's body ended up.

[hakodate]

[ Hm.

On one hand, he's reluctant to believe anything from either of them.

On the other hand, he also realizes that assuming they're automatically lying is as bad as taking them at their word, so it'd be wise to at least consider how else it could've happened. ]

[disilluded]

... Yes. Unless our hosts were willing to do that for the murderer as well, I believe that narrows down our suspect pool considerably.

[hakodate]

Which they may well have been, but I don't think we can do much to prove that one way or another.

[ It mostly comes down to their word, and he's not trusting that, so. ]