CHAPTER 1: TRIAL

[themodsgrimm]

The Story Continues... CHAPTER 1 - WEEK 134 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 Tiger at the head of the table, a glass-covered rose near her right hand. Tick tock, Narrators. You have nine hours to deliberate. Throughout today's trial, the snow continues to fall as it has all week, though it's gentle and soft. Instead of tea and crumpets, today's snack bar includes the makings for s'mores, including sharp metal skewers. A fire could be built, should anyone have anything flammable. Additionally, every now and then, the howls of a group of wolves will penetrate the silence that occasionally falls on the the group...and sometimes even in the heat of the moment. Welcome to your 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 Danielle (entrappings), 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

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TRIAL SUMMARY

[londonstar]

So we've been investigating the murders of Dave Strider and Soo-Won for a few hours now, and I believe that merits a moment to summarize what we've found.

[ waver speaks calmly, as if giving a lecture to the rest of the narrators ]

Soo-Won was found in the maze that was protected by the Minotaur, his death from a cut to the neck, while Dave Strider was found hidden in the garden bushes, his death being a broken neck.

In Soo-Won's case, they found specks of golden ink and some long, dark hair also covered in the ink, that seems to match... [ he glances at reyna ] with Lady Reyna and blonde hair that belongs to Lady Takamaki. In addition to this, the cut on Soo-Won's was clean, which means that there was either little resistance, or our killer was simply that skilled.

[ whatever. next topic. ]

Besides this, Soo-Won's ability appears to be related to plant growth. Due to this, it's suspected that he defended himself before being killed and, in doing so, injured his assailant, since they found blood in one of the branches. So we suspect that at least one culprit, since we may be looking at multiple, must have been cut or stabbed in some way.

[ he pauses, taking a breath before continuing. ]

For Dave Strider, we have figured out that he had the role of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Considering that he bleeds crimson ink, which led me to confirm the fact that Heroes bleed gold, Civilians bleed red, and Villains bleed purple. However, we have not known much else about him.

[ a shrug. it's unfortunate, but that's how it is. ]

Besides this, it is imperative to note the fact that someone tried to break into the Earth dorms the night of the murder, which is the dorm where Soo-Won resided and possibly the culprit. Besides this, Lady Takamaki and Dave Strider were both in the same dorm as well, the Fire Dorm, although this one was not broken into.

If anyone else has any information or theories, please feel free to say.

[axilium]

While there's no definite proof, we seem to be leaning towards the idea that Dave might've been killed pre-curfew, which is why his killer hid his body in the bush. It'd also explain the lack of footprints, since the snow could've covered them up by the time we found him.

[londonstar]

Yes, that is correct. Did anyone find any other bruises or any signs of a struggle on Dave?

[axilium]

Nope, nothing like that. Just the snapped neck.

[wearys]

So, the hair is framing them-- Reyna and Ann.

[ he's sliding up to a defensive stance near ann now. ]

There's no way either of them would just leave their hair around. It sounds like an obvious diversion by the killer or killers to me.

[toughchoices]

What I want to know is how they managed to get their hands on it.

[Reyna frowns.]

We'd notice if someone took our hair, unless they did it while we were asleep.

[randori]

The bathrooms, right? Hair just falls out when you brush it.

[ girl problems, especially ]

[wearys]

Couldn't it have just... fallen out? Girls lose strands of hair all the time, right? All over the shower walls and stuff.

[fonlines]

Are there any titles that would have to do with hair?

[ Earth fairy-tale peeps, this is your job to handle :/// ]

[londonstar]

Perhaps not, Lady Reyna.

[ he looks thoughtful, obviously racking his brain for something that may excuse her from guilt ]

During spars it might be possible to lose some strands of hair and not notice.

[varas]

[ Ann looks a little grateful for Magnus's presence. ]

Yeah, isn't it a little too obvious?

[ And, for what it matters-- ]

I didn't kill anyone.

[wearys]

Definitely too obvious.

[ gives her a shoulder bump. ]

Don't worry, I'm sure no one really thinks you did.

[alchemenace]

... I don't know that Soo-won died from that throat wound. [ he looks pensive as he says it: ] I'm not a doctor, I'm an alchemist, obviously, so I could be wrong, but the wound didn't touch any major arteries and it's pretty shallow. There's also no sign of a fight on Soo-won, no bruises or cuts or anything. I-- I guess he could've bled out from even that wound, but there's not a lot of ink in the first place. It doesn't look like the wound was wiped or anything, either. Not to mention the Minotaur didn't attack him, which as far as we know, he tries to do to anyone who moves close to him.

His tapestry said he was an expert swordsman. A guy like that would've put up a fight, right? And with more than just the one branch. Unless... Um, well, the point being, I think he might've been drugged or poisoned?

[asswipe]

... Sanji said a cup had been used in the kitchen. It could be related.

[londonstar]

Yes, perhaps that is the case. However, then the question would have to be where or how did this person procure some poison? Perhaps their ability?

[vigilantics]

Whoever picked the lock had to be good at it, since they did it without damaging the lock.

The only other explanation is that they like, an actual lock pick, since you don't have to be as good using one of those versus having to come up with other tools.

[hairbrain]

I'm not --- I'm not accusing them, but both Cardia and Kyouka have thief skills or infiltration on their profiles.

I wonder if the killer could have gotten a lockpick from somewhere --- would the well be that helpful?

[fonlines]

For Soo-Won's assailant... Was it blood, exactly? Considering that we seem to have confirmed that we all bleed ink, regardless of who we are...

If it truly is blood, it may simply be that the blood on the branch belonged to the Minotaur.

[psychedelica]

[ hikage has the branch!! he's offering it to Ion 2, actually. ]

If you want to check, be my guest. Do we know that the minotaur bleeds regular blood?

[function]

It was blood for sure.

Remember last week? [ when she and varian cut yall ] It's true that we still don't know the exact circumstances that cause us to bleed ink instead of blood, but we're still capable of bleeding blood.

[psychedelica]

[ interesting. Hikage is returning from talking to Tiger with a stick. You might recognize it!! ]

Akechi, come over here. You too, Ion. The one Stephanie shot with her grappling hook.

[ his tone of voice doesn't brook any disagreements... ]

[fragileprophet]

O-Oh, okay.

[He stands from his chair and wobbles, but with his walking staff in hand he's able to stabilize himself and heads over obediently.]

How can I help?

[doublecrows]

[TAKE A GUY TO DINNER BEFORE YOU POKE HIM WITH YOUR WOOD, HIKAGE]

[eyeing that branch warily, but he does approach]

What do you intend to do with that stick?

ANN

[psychedelica]

[ also, he can't believe nobody's really questioned this girl yet! Hikage's never talked to her, but that doesn't give him any hesitation in approaching her with a serious look on his face. ]

Hey, you. Do you have anything to say for yourself?

[varas]

[ Ann meets his scrutiny unflinching. Her expression is calm and a bit combative, although that has to do more with the sudden confrontation than anything. Regardless, her tone is even. ]

The hair was too obvious, right? It was clearly a frame job. I never went out there and I certainly never killed anyone.

Plus, I shed like crazy. Look.

[ She plucks a stray blonde hair off her lap and holds it out for him to see. ]