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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DECISION;

[themodsgrimm]

[The final petal of the rose in the glass case falls as the clock chimes 9 PM. All throughout the garden, it rings, rings, rings nine times to let everyone present know that the trial has concluded. The light from inside the case dims and all the flowers begin to glow softly from within.

The Tiger uncovers the rose and picks up the petals in her hands. With an elegant flourish, she scatters them onto the ink table where they turn into ink splatters and a message:]



[She clears her throat, and speaks.]

Narrators, you have voted in the majority for Ann Takamaki and decreed her fate Happily Ever After. You have done well as she is indeed Guilty for the murder of Soo-Won. Two of you cast a vote for yourself--but as one of them was Ann Takamaki herself, only Natsuo shall therefore be facing punishment for the breach in contract.

Tomorrow she will face the ending of her story. Be content in a mystery well solved.

[A wave of her hand.]

Ann Takamaki, darling, if you have any last words, now is your time to speak.

[Ann will have time to speak, but once done, she will find herself surrounded by two suits of armor and escorted away to a night spent in the dungeon.]

((ooc: As the Happily Ever After mechanic has been chosen, please proceed to the ooc sign-ups here on the voting page if you would like your character to partake. Please only sign up if you will be present for tomorrow's execution. We will RNG results tomorrow morning. Thank you!))

1/?? i don't even. just. give me a moment

[doublecrows]

[white noise]

[all he can hear is white noise, all he can feel is his heart fluttering frantically in his chest. he gasps for air, but can't seem to fill his lungs, no matter how hard he tries]

[doublecrows]

[he ducks his head, fingers curled tightly into his shirt]

[doublecrows]

[. . . . . . . he laughs, wry and self-deprecating, exhausted and breathless, but growing louder by the second]

H-ha ha. . .

[doublecrows]

-- HAHAHA!

So this is-- [another sharp inhale, he looks super pale, guys]

This is my punishment. . .

DONE. . .

[doublecrows]

[and then he stumbles back, trips over himself, and passes the fuck out]

[anyone want to catch him while he falls]

[thesettingsun]

[no]

[finethanks]

[Eichi is just as shocked, honestly, but that loses priority to catching Akechi. He does it with ease and with flair, catching him with an arm too smoothly and without any issue.]

Ah... Akechi-kun? [IS HE OKAY??? He'll just be fretting over him, now.]

[disclosures]

[She didn't mean to but he flopped on her.

Rebecca with her slightly bleeding ears.]

Somebody take him.

[okitactless]

[Honestly Yasusada is gonna be surprised if he survives the night]

[function]

He should've saved his breath.

[axilium]

[while akechi has his mainpain,]

... So this means we failed to get Dave's killer, huh?

[asswipe]

... We did.

[axilium]

Great.

[fonlines]

He was forgotten when Miss Ann came forward, I believe.

[ but well he did ask earlier if they confessed to Dave so ]

[axilium]

In other words, we've still got a murderer running around freely.

[hairbrain]

[ there's a lot to unpack here... dave's killer going free, ann actually being guilty, akechi............ but:]

..... What punishment is Natsuo going to be facing?

[ she's worried. ]

[themodsgrimm]

...Nothing too severe.

[She actually looks a little sad. She likes Natsuo...her darling, her light, her treasure.]

[hairbrain]

Please go easy on him. He didn't mean it! He's just been through a lot this week.

[varas]

[ So... That's it, then.

She still can't breathe all that well, but it isn't so bad as long as she doesn't speak and only exerts herself minimally. What more can she do now? They made their choice. What happens next... Well, she can't begin to guess. It isn't her story anymore.

Maybe Akechi will save Shiho. Maybe he won't.

Face scrunching up miserably, Ann buries it in her hand. She still can't breathe well enough to cry, but who cares? Nothing matters now.

She's off to live Happily Ever After. ]

[vigilantics]

[ she'll slowly walk up to her. she doesn't get close enough to invade ann's space, but she's there. ]

Hey.

[wearys]

So, Ann...

[ what the fuck, partner, ]

Why'd you do it?

[hairbrain]

Ann..... Why?

[ she approaches her, speaking lowly -- she's sad but her voice is firm. ]

[londonstar]

[ waver also feels like he has a curse in his chest. only now he’s realizing that reyna could have died, and that weighs on his shoulders and chest heavily. he probably won’t relax for the rest of the night, either.

but that doesn’t matter. he needs to have a word with ann... for reyna’s sake. ]

Miss Takamaki... you need not talk if you don’t wish to. However... [ he frowns ] I believe Lady Reyna deserves an apology.

[ he closes his eyes, regretful ] It’s a shame that things turned out this way.

[finethanks]

I have a question.

[With Akechi in his arms, it's fine. His eyes meet Ann's, if he can, a little uncertain, but firm in some way.]

Why target Soo-Won? Was that your intention all along, even while he was someone so quiet and reserved? I never saw much of him at all.