week one: trial

[cyclists]

Week One: Trial
27 in Competition

It may be difficult to sleep with the light shining so brightly throughout the night, but the participants can rest easy knowing they will not be plagued by unwanted, disturbing dreams. Early the next day, a bell chimes and all will feel compelled to enter the main meeting hall.

The hall looks mostly the same as it always has, the two thrones for Lune and Sol at the head of the room and scrolls hanging from the walls. The metal box sits on a table near the front, along with a glass box perfectly centered before the benches in the room. Now that the trial is in session, Tokidoki, Nana, and Junna's coffins are open, and their bodies will be available for examination.

Lune and Sol are seated in their thrones, patiently waiting for the last participant to settle. Sol remains quiet, looking over to Lune to allow them to speak first.

"Even if it is a rather daunting task ahead of you, I hope that each of you will not lose hope. One step at a time, one step at a time. It is not hopeless."

When they finish, Sol sits up a little taller in their seat to address everyone.

"I'm only going to say this once. I know it's not an ideal situation, but...the votes count, and the universe only gives one warning. Can we try not to repeat last week?" There's a pause. "You have nine hours. Let's start."

✩★✩

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second trial!

We'll go over a few notes briefly as we will be playing this trial a bit differently than other games.

As noted, there was no investigation period on Friday. However, today participants will have the chance to investigate areas in the game setting as they see fit! This can be done by providing the name of the location you want to visit to the host header comment. To help with the ease of the trial and for IC mechanics, only one location may be visited at a time. In addition, these locations can be manipulated and adjusted upon request to test theories and solve puzzles, so please feel free to ask if you're searching for clues! Your host will also be accompanying you on these visits.

Most importantly, before the trial is over, please place your character's vote over on the voting page. Voting will close at 9pm EST/6pm PST, and will serve as our activity check for the week, so please be sure you get your vote in before it ends unless you have contacted us previously.

If you have any questions at any time, please let do us know by pinging us on Discord! Dana and Ty will be in the chat and available for all questions. Thank you, and have fun!

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Comments

[unfriendliest]

Don't be so sure. If it was self-defense, they could say so. They wouldn't need to be "purified" for that.

[ that's a respectable reason to murder, after all. ]

[twinsightful]

No, but do you think every single one of us would be alright with it being self-defense? Some may still see it as murder regardless of intent.

[See: Akane.]

[unfriendliest]

You'd rather they stand by and let themselves be killed?

[ your morality isn't worth someone's life, kid. ]

[twinsightful]

That's not what I mean. I'm saying I could see exactly why they wouldn't speak up at all.

[unfriendliest]

[ hmmm fine but kara doesn't agree. ]

If it really was self-defense, not saying so is only making this more difficult.

[twinsightful]

I know. And it's only going to make it more difficult in the coming weeks if they continue to use that excuse. [...]

But you heard. [A nod toward Xion.] People will worry about what happens if we let them live. Others will say we shouldn't let them die because it was self-defense.

So what's the answer?

[unfriendliest]

Then the votes will decide who dies, even if they're innocent.

[ kara does not think much of this process, clearly. ]

[twinsightful]

...have we asked what happens if we vote for an innocent person? [Because yeah, suddenly this sounds Bad.]

[unfriendliest]

If they have, they haven't told the rest of us.

[ or kara hasn't been paying attention which is. just as likely. ]

[twinsightful]

It could be helpful to know...if not now, at least for the future if we're to continue this. [Yeah, Kaoru might not be paying attention either, it's fine.] Maybe someone else will ask.

[unfriendliest]

[ after a while, he'll return here to say: ]

If we vote for someone innocent, they die.

[ he looks. a little bothered by that. ]

[twinsightful]

Are you serious? [Excuse?] That isn't fair though!

[...but no pressure. Sure.]

[unfriendliest]

None of this is fair.

[ a little girl killed someone against her will, and she died for it just last week. and this is when he realizes it isn't fair? ]

[blackcoats]

...even if letting them live would just mean even more killing later?

[twinsightful]

[See, proving his point right here.]

...well. What do you think, Xion? Do we think someone who killed in self-defense would be likely to kill again?

[blackcoats]

. . .

If we had to choose, I'd rather vote for someone who willingly killed than someone who was just trying to protect themselves or someone else.

[twinsightful]

Even if that person doesn't remember how it was done? [This is all a morality clusterfuck.] ...I think I would, too. I can't think of a lot of people who would blame others for protecting someone, but I also don't think that will change we're losing people that were liked.

[blackcoats]

The other part of it... is the corruption. Lune and Sol both said that if we leave a corrupted person alone, the darkness within them will just grow until we can't stop it from completely taking over. So, in a way... [ she frowns ] We'd be saving them, too.

[twinsightful]

By then, it would be considered a mercy kill. [He frowns, too.] This sounds worse and worse the longer we discuss it.

[leaberator]

[ this has now been brought up enough that he's got depression again. ]

The possibility's there, too, yeah. Not to mention if a corrupted did kill Tokidoki, all they'd have to say is they did it in self-defense.

[unfriendliest]

[ nods. ]

It would give them an advantage, if it meant we stopped looking into it.