CHAPTER SEVEN ; TRIAL

[themodsgrimm]

The Story Continues... CHAPTER 7 - WEEK 711 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. The garden is strangely silent and there are no snacks today...it seems as though you'll be left to your own devices. 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 or sooner if the game ICly elects so. 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

[melancoffeea]

[Treasure inspectors. Hm.

Sandalphon's gaze slides down to Stephanie's fake leg.]

How's your leg?

[vigilantics]

Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it.

[ ... it's cool shirasu is very aware of what steph's limits are with the lack of leggy. they're fine. ]

[wagashis]

I can carry her if I need to, but she can move fairly well, actually.

[she's proven that...]

Here. You two convince him to give something up in exchange for being led to an exit, and I'll do the leading. I can lose him and return to you quickly enough.

[and with that he just

fuckin turns into a cat.]

[melancoffeea]

[Wait, he has to do the talking? Ugh. Fine. A man turning into a cat is perfectly normal in this realm, so Sandalphon doesn't bat an eyelash at the transformation. He paces himself by Stephanie's side as they search for the traveling nobleman.

Someone who's lost and unused to traveling would surely stick to some semblance of a trail. Is there even anything like that around here?]

[vigilantics]

[ the only reason steph is not alarmed is because she already knew shirasu was the cat. thanks, belph.

well. maybe. after some searching, look! they find the trail! because we're not going to do ten comments of them searching for it.

... even more, they spot a carriage. it looks fancy. ]

I guess that's him? Let's go.

[wagashis]

[damnit belph he told you not to spill

but also he figured people knew by now just because of how few civilians were left... process of elimination.

anyway shirasu meows and trots ahead toward the carriage! yep, this looks like him for sure, let's go for it.]

[melancoffeea]

[Is there a special etiquette they must observe when interacting with noblemen? Sandalphon isn't sure. Regardless, he doesn't hesitate to walk up to the carriage.]

Don't stray.

[This is directed at Shirasu, if only for the sake of putting on a show. Upon hearing the noise of their arrival, the nobleman pokes his head out of the carriage window. Sandalphon responds with a practiced smile, his voice light.]

Ah, good day to you. We didn't expect to run into anyone here. Are we in your way?

[vigilantics]

Ah, hello... sir.

[ this is so stupid. ]

This forest is very dangerous! We were wondering if you needed some help or something?

[wagashis]

[since shirasu is a cat (who's side eyeing sandy, but allowing this)--

the nobleman looks relieved at the offer! "I thought no one would come along-- you see, I veered off the path through these woods, and now I just can't seem to find it again... have you come from there?"

shirasu watches curiously, head tilted. just a perfectly normal cat!]

[melancoffeea]

[It's all a part of the play. Sandalphon sounds much livelier than he did before to sell the story.]

Yes. We'd show you the way, but it would be remiss of me to separate from my companion [he gestures to Stephanie's legs], nor can we afford to leave this path. Perhaps our guide can escort you back? He may be a cat, but he knows the woods better than us.

[vigilantics]

[ she immediately latches onto sandalphon's arm. ]

Ah, yes... I'm quite weak. Please, take our cat.

[wagashis]

[shirasu is giving them both the most unimpressed fucking look, which, as a cat, he's still pretty good at.

'are you forgetting something', it seems to say. 'maybe i should not have let you handle tricking someone into giving up their stuff'.

the nobleman, meanwhile, still looks quite grateful!]

[melancoffeea]

[Patience. Sandalphon doesn't even look Shirasu's way.]

Of course, we can't simply let you take our only guide. How about a trade? Surely such a valuable service merits payment of some sort. We've been running low on our funds, you see.

[vigilantics]

Oh, sweetums [ she's sandy's beard now ] can we please ask for some nice jewelry? It'll go lovely with my wedding dress.

[ i'm sorry ]

[wagashis]

[hey thanks shirasu hates this. sweetums...

the nobleman considers for a few moments... then finally nods. "Yes, that seems fair to me-- here, take this in exchange."

they receive a very pretty necklace as their treasure since steph asked for jewelry! there's a charm on it that looks like a key. because it is a key.

shirasu, meanwhile, is going to escape their fake relationship by heading off to lead this poor sucker astray somewhere in the woods! he'll be back shortly.]

1/2

[melancoffeea]

[What is sweetums?]

[melancoffeea]

[Once Shirasu disappears from view with the nobleman in tow, Sandalphon, back to his deflated self, turns his attention to Stephanie.]

You can let go now. [He holds the necklace out to her.] Here.

[vigilantics]

[ she will take it and also let go. wow. ]

That was fun!

[ that's not the point, steph. ]

[wagashis]

[and a little bit later, here comes a cat again, with no nobleman!

he shifts back once he's rejoined them, looking tired.]

That's one down, then. I think I saw something metal on my way back; it may have been one of those axes?

[melancoffeea]

[He wouldn't call that fun, but whatever pleases her. Sandalphon is already heading in the direction that Shirasu's indicated.]

Most likely. Let's go.

[vigilantics]

[ and she will just follow along! let's go, s club 3 ]

[wagashis]

[shirasu will lead them along to where he spotted it! the woods are a little hard to navigate, and it takes an extra turn or two, but they make it eventually to a half-buried pickaxe!]

Do you think we ought to return them a few at a time, or can we carry all seven as we find them...

[melancoffeea]

[Sandalphon grabs a hold of the pickaxe, plants one foot on the ground beside it, and pulls the tool free.]

There's no sense in holding onto them if we meet the dwarfs along the way. [And if they don't—] There are three of us. We should be able to handle seven.

[vigilantics]

Yeah, let's just keep moving for now.

[ ... she's not volunteering to carry this one. ]

[wagashis]

Well, it seems number one is yours.

[threading out the discovery of seven entire pickaxes is going to take so long so should we just assume they find and deliver like six of them (and make sandy carry as many as possible) and go to The Hunt For The Final Axe.]