week five: trial

[cyclists]

Week Five: Trial
18 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 the glass boxes perfectly centered before the benches in the room. Now that the trial is in session, Shirasu, Lili, Miki and Minato'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. It's only when everyone has gathered that Sol speaks first.

"Nine hours. Don't forget."

They stop, glancing at Lune and gesturing for them to say their piece.

"Face the truth directly, and don't turn away from what you may find."

✩★✩

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the fifth 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

shrine time

[foodbin]

[Here come three adventurers, back from the shrine. Emma is carrying some scraps of red and black fabric, and Xion has a boxcutter. It's fine.]

So... The shrine. There were broken lanterns all around, and there were a lot of trees broken, too. Something big must have happened to them, because they were pretty smashed. There were scratches in one of them that looked like they were caused by some kind of animal. [...] But Shirasu had a scroll that would allow him to summon a kitsune for fifteen minutes to do whatever he wanted, including attack or defense, so that might explain where the scratches came from.

[Anyways.]

The bell was buried in the rubble of the trees, and the water basin inside the shrine was tipped over. There were footprints and paw prints, and there was blood on the ground. The footprints looked about the same size as the ones near Shirasu's house did. There was more blood by the trees than anywhere else, though. We found some black and red fabric near the trees, too, and based on the damage to that area... It definitely seems like there was a big struggle. Also, Xion found a knife in the water.

[that's all folks]

[blackcoats]

Under some rocks in the river by the shrine, specifically. [ wherever she is... ] Akane, Milla said it's yours?

[specialdog]

Yeah.

[ She holds her hand out expectantly, because she would like it back. ]

[tothemaxwell]

Akane.

Why was your boxcutter there.

[specialdog]

I lent it to him, so that he wouldn't be unarmed if he got attacked.

[foodbin]

When did you give it to him?

[specialdog]

Mm... Earlier this week?

[blackcoats]

[ she hesitates. ]

Did you lose it?

[specialdog]

No, Kinjou-san did. But it's mine.

[blackcoats]

[ it takes her a second to remember that sometimes people have first and last names, ]

...

Sorry, I'm going to hold onto it, or at least give it to Lune until we figure out if it's related to any of the killings or not.

[specialdog]

Fine.

[blackcoats]

Oh, and...

[ she takes out a wooden quail and a dog from her pocket ]

Did you make these?

[specialdog]

Those were gifts for Minato-kun. I made them for him - with my boxcutter, you know? It's for carving.

[blackcoats]

Yeah... I remembered you telling me that you liked to make things, back when all of us first got here. They showed up in our house on Friday morning.

[ ... she pauses again for a moment, then holds them out. ]

I think you should have them, instead of me.

Re: shrine time

[tothemaxwell]

But the fur was white.

[She holds it up.]

Is that the color of kitsune? How large are they, normally? The pawsprints were quite large.

[She measures off the prints against her own hands.]

[nonbelligerent]

Why did Shirasu still have that scroll?

[tothemaxwell]

Ah, yes. Did he hide it, somehow? It certainly wasn't on his person.

[foodbin]

What do you mean?

[nonbelligerent]

Wasn't the point of confinement that we removed anything that he could use as a threat?

[autocatalysis]

... Given that Axel said he probably broke the window to get outside, and that his legs were healed and no one mentioned it before now, how secure was he really?

[ did y'all not take everything of value off of the known threat. ]

[tothemaxwell]

Seeing as the house was secured by our hosts, you would have to ask them as to the details.

[leaberator]

[ um. ]

Shirasu had that scroll?

[foodbin]

...Yeah, since Tuesday.

[leaberator]

... 'Course since Tuesday.

[ he just. sighs. ]

[foodbin]

...Not that it helped him too much in the end, apparently.