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foundationmods ([personal profile] foundationmods) wrote in [community profile] thefoundation2019-04-13 11:21 am
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WEEK 3 TRIAL

It was noon on Saturday.

No matter where they were, no matter what they were doing...the moment the chimes rang out through the hall, they felt a change.

The world...began to expand, as they felt themselves leaving the world they were on, and towards another, much larger world...🗈



...As always, the courtroom was there - along with the audience, watching, waiting for the entertainment before them.

The Witch - Nirrti - was there, sitting in the most important place, watching all of them with a sharp, cruel gaze, a smile of pure delight on her face.

Watanuki was also there, but he merely lounged in the back behind them, smoking a kiseru pipe in silence.
...It seemed as if he was content to watch - that he had to watch - as part of the rules of the game.

There was no music to be heard, but... perhaps on another plane, in another place, someone else heard music as they gazed upon the proceedings.

Again, their forms had changed - perhaps into something different than last time, but...still a change, no matter how dramatic or inconsequential it was.

...There was a deep silence in the room, one that no one wanted to break. It was the faint tension in the air, like the moments before a race or a competition begins.

They had found the truth last time....but now, two people had died.
Was it possible for them to find the culprit this time?
A culprit that....had...

No, it had to be.

For the sake of the dead...and the sake of them all.
lutea: (this voice of mine)

FANTASY RETELLING

[personal profile] lutea 2019-04-13 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
It was a calm night, like any other.
Even though it was Thursday night, neither Akira nor Ryuji were worried.

They had plenty of time before midnight came - and they’d soon be safe in Ryuji’s room, where they would all chatter and laugh before falling unconscious the moment the new day came.

Indeed, they were looking forward to it - like they always did.
The companionship was always a comfort, before the day came, and they would find another of their number dead…

...But as they were almost there, something stopped them.

A black flame floated past them - and even as they stopped and stared in a kind of shocked horror - the two teenagers found themselves turning to follow it automatically.

No matter how hard they tried to go back, they couldn’t.
It was as if something had taken control of their very legs, forcing them to walk up the stairs to the second floor, out towards -

The flame fluttered just ahead as the glass doors to the balcony automatically opened, returning like a beloved pet to its owner - who smiled and lifted her hand to it, letting it sink back into her body.

Neither of the boys could speak as they were forced to sit down on the seats already there, automatically lifting up the teacups that were placed on the low table, smelling of fragrant tea…

The one who had called them there smiled - but it was sharp, and hungry.
The smile of a predator who knew it had their prey in their claws…

“Welcome to my Tea Party, you two. Won’t you join me tonight…?”

There was a pause, and she looked confused for a moment - before shaking her head.

“Ah, forgive me. Let me return your voices back to you.”

With a wave of her hand, Akira and Ryuji found they could speak again...and even move, though it was impossible to get out of the seats they found themselves in…

At seeing the situation before them, Ryuji immediately spoke, his eyes flashing in anger.

“Just what the hell do you want with us?!”

“What do I want with you? Isn’t it obvious?”
The Witch grinned, her eyes glinting with that same wicked delight they’d seen before.

As she said that, Akira’s eyes widened - his hand moving over to grip Ryuji’s shoulder.
Much like his dear friend, his own eyes blazed with a deep set determination at the Witch, looking defiant.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re in the business of misery, I get it, but you must be outta your damn mind if you think you can get to us! So just run along before I show you what a mista--”

The Witch laughed, the noise stopping Ryuji from speaking.

“You’re the ones mistaken, my dear pieces. I am the one who now has control over your very lives.

After all…you crossed paths with my fire. And so….
...I will be killing you tonight, of course.”

Ryuji let out a harsh ‘tsk!’, narrowing his eyes at her words.

“Going all out tonight, ain’t ya? Well, you can fuck right off! We’re not gonna be your furniture for you to abuse.”

“Ah, but - you will. By the end of this….both of you will be.”

With an amused giggle, she suddenly waved her hand in front of them - stopping the conversation effortlessly.

“Well then. I think that’s enough conversation for one night, don’t you think?”

Suddenly, just like before - they found themselves standing without meaning to, walking towards the balcony ledge.
As if they were puppets on a stage, they clambered onto the railing, stopping at just the right place, Akira coming in close to Ryuji.

And then….with a single flick...she sent them careening off the ledge.

“Shit, Akira!”
Grabbing onto Akira - whose own eyes widened in horror as he realized they were falling - Ryuji held him close, hoping to protect him.
Even if he died...if he could just protect Akira with his body-!

...But…

Before they could hit the ground…

A miracle happened.

Right...before their eyes...was the metal spikes on the gate, things that would have pierced through them easily and killed them so quickly…

But, those spikes didn’t come up to meet them.

Because...they were hovering in the air, still clinging to each other in fear…

Suddenly, the laughter of the witch could be heard, ringing shrilly in the air.

“Kyaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa! Did you really believe I’d make it that eaaaaaaaasy? That simple? I am the Witch of Misfortune! And this night….ohh, this night! To celebrate my power, I will make you suffer horrible deaths, one after the other! Heeheehee….ayahahahah!!”

All of a sudden - the two were wrenched skyward, at a force so hard it felt as if their bones were breaking...and then suddenly, without warning, they were flung towards the sea-!

The impact against the blue waves instantly pulverized their organs, turning their insides to so much hideous red soup, leaking out of their ears and mouth.
An instant death, like one of jumping off a skyscraper…

And the Witch, floating high above, laughed and howled in delight.

“HAHAHAHA!!! Look, look! They died just from being thrown in the seaaaaaaa! What are you, fragile creatures who can’t even take a little speed? Hyahahahaah!! Come now, come now, you can’t rest yet!”

With a look of sheer, unbridled joy, the Witch flung her arms up - and the two sodden bodies rose, dripping out of the surf, limp as dolls.

Nirrti tsked, wagging her finger in front of their limp forms.

“I can’t have you sleeping on the job, you know! Come now….tell me.

What misfortune did you suffer? I will reverse it for you. Was yours a cruel death? I shall make it so it never happened. Hurry, hurry, remember….”

At the Witch’s sing-song chant, the two corpses...slowly returned to life…

Their organs inside knit back together, bones un-snapping and fusing.

Unlike the magic of those who had reached the level to be called ‘Endless’, her magic did not return a being to the state they had, after they had been destroyed.

It merely…erased the past event, making it so that the being had no reason or logic behind being in the state it had come to.
This...was something that not even one who was Endless could do.

After all, Endless magic made it so something would continue on forever, without cease, despite what happened….but this power went back instead of forwards, destroying that very moment and returning it back to Zero…!

...One could use a tape recorder, and record something - and then decide they didn’t like it.
One thing they could do is record whatever they wanted to record again, and not delete what had originally been placed there.
That would be akin to Endless magic - though something new was now what everyone ‘saw’, it didn’t remove the attempt that had come before it.

...However.
One could easily rewind the tape - and then record over the previous thing they had placed on it before.
It would be gone, without a trace - with only the re-recorded thing on record.
That was the power of the Witch of Misfortune...a power that was so deadly, and cruel that her fellow Witches looked in anticipation to see what kind of terrifying heights she would achieve.

And now, using that power...Ryuji and Akira returned back to life, gasping and sputtering.

“Welcome back~~ How did you like your first taste of death...?”

Normal people would have wept and cried, dealing with the sensation of death, and then returning from it - an unnatural sensation no human would ever normally feel in their lifetime.

...Yet, they still struggled, as if they had never died.

Perhaps...the shock of that death….was too unreal to really be felt…

“What kind of sicko are you?! Just let us go!”
Ryuji, ever defiant, called out to her, gritting his teeth and glaring at her in fury.
He had been through so much in his life - seen and suffered at the hands of so many adults - and yet, Nirrti was a level above them in her cruelty.
But…
He could still tell that just like them, all she wanted...was to exert that terrible power of hers over others, and control them.

His friend at his side was silent, yet also glared - sharp and defiant, like the razor edge of a knife.
He would not back down, not from her.

“Aaah, you’re still so lively~~ How wonderful, how wonderful! I’ll be able to play with the both of you for a while if you keep this up~”

Without warning, and in the middle of whatever they were about to say next…

Something wooshed by Akira.
And...something wet...and hot...fell on him from above…

Instinctively, Akira looked up...and turned white.

There, above him...was the head of an enormous black dragon.
And trapped inside of its jaws….dripping a bright red liquid that gleamed in the moonlight…

Was what remained of Ryuji’s body.
Aaah, only his legs were hanging out, and as the dragon moved its mouth, Akira could see in the pale moonlight...the upper half and guts of his friend, being sliced and mashed apart by sharp, deadly fangs…!!

Though he trembled in fear, shocked into silence….he knew that he was next.
And he was still held in place by the witch’s magic, even as that horrible mouth...suddenly opened and leaned down, still coated in blood-!

CRUNCH. CRACK, CRICK…

The witch howled and howled with unrestrained laughter, twirling in the light of the moon in utter joy as the dragon chewed the remains of Akira and Ryuji up - mingling them together so no one could ever tell where one stopped and the other began, like some kind of hideous ground meat…

“Aaaah, how I’ve missed this! More! More! Let me bring you more misfortune, more pain, more suffering! Spit out those lumps of meat, and let me revive them! I’m nowhere near done, let me play more with my new toooooys!!”

The dragon did as it was told….and vanished, leaving only behind a mass of shredded meat that you couldn’t even call two humans anymore.

Again, the Witch chanted. And again, they were brought back - muscles and bones reforming before her eyes, her magic thrilling in her body as they coughed and spluttered and wheezed from their second death.

“Ah, no more talking, no more chattering!” She giggled, moving her fingers across their mouths and silencing them as they hung in the air itself.
“Now then….what next? Aaaah, I know-”

Bringing forth a small lick of black flame, she made Akira open his mouth, and…

“Say aaaah~”

Slid the flame down his throat, closing his mouth with her hand and stepping back.
At first, it seemed like nothing was happening - but then Akira began to scream, bringing his hands to his throat.
His eyes bulged, even as his limbs trembled...and that same black fire began to creep from his eyes, his nose, his mouth…

Ryuji could do nothing but watch in horror and silence as Akira burned alive from the inside, eventually exploding into black flame - and before his dear friend’s body could even hit the floor, Nirrti was there, making him open his mouth as well…

...And then, there was no escape.

Over and over, they experienced death and being brought back to life.
She gave them no rest, nor hid any of her delight at their deaths.
To her, they were her dolls to play with - and she had waited so long to play like this.

How many times?

How many times had they died in this unending night?

They had been drowned, crushed, burned, slashed, hung, smashed, decapitated, cut in half, ripped apart, chewed, ground, eaten, destroyed…!

It seemed….like it would never end.

...Finally, the Witch brought them back once more.

“Hm, I’m beginning to run out of ideas….Ah, I know!”

With a flick of her wrist, she gave them back their ability to speak.

“Tell me. How next would you like to die, hm…?”

Now, surely….their wills should be broken, she had thought to herself.
Perhaps they would even suggest deaths in the hopes of pleasing her, and ending the torment…
Though obviously, she had no plans to do such a thing.

But the words that came next…
...were wholly unexpected.

“Do whatever you want with me, but leave Akira outta this. Just let him live, ya hear me?”
...Even now, he was still struggling.
Even after dying multiple times, in horrible ways…
...His defiant spirit had not yet broken, as he stared down the witch.
“You got your jollies from the both of us, but finish it off with me,” he demanded.

...And though Akira remained silent, he still also struggled.
He, too, was still filled with that determination that raged within Ryuji, united in their will to never give into her.
He would never, ever...give this Witch the satisfaction of seeing him beg and plead…!

“...Hm? I asked for your suggestions, not begging.
...Are you really trying to bore me now? Come on. Tell me how you want to die.”

“Fuck you!”

Without caring about what she would do to them - Ryuji spat at her, the spit landing on her cheek.

Akira, in stark contrast, was still quiet - refusing to give in to her demands, staring at her with all the angry defiance he could muster.

The Witch...looked displeased, sighing, wiping off the spittle on her face with a sleeve, in a somehow elegant motion.

“You can’t even give me a simple suggestion…? How disappointing.
...I suppose it’s time to end this, then.”

Conjuring up a pocket knife, she flung it at Ryuji - and it buried itself into his abdomen, another hit of pain to go along with everything else he had suffered this night.

Slowly...they lowered from the sky, until they were at the balcony again, hovering over the garden as the two teenagers clung to each other…

“...Thank you for the fun, pieces.”

She let them go...and they obeyed gravity.
After all, they had been denying it for quite a while now, and it wanted to take its due.

WHANG.

In no time at all….no, only in the moment it took to blink...they were impaled on the fence, just like they had almost been all those deaths ago…

...But, unfortunately, Akira had not been so lucky as to die instantly.
The spikes had only punctured his lungs, so he would be condemned to a slower death.

Now, alone on the fence, facing the garden...he allowed tears to slip from his eyes, unbidden, as he stared at the broken body of his best friend.
He knew he was dying.
Even now, blood filled his lungs, closing off his breathing…
But even if there was little time left, he would not let anything of hers defile his friend’s body.
Even if it was a useless act...and only one done on a corpse...he still refused to let her win in any way.

Hand trembling, he used the last of his strength...closing his shaking, bloody fingers around the knife...and ripping it free.
And then….he tried to throw it, as far as he could.

...It landed only a few inches away, but...that was enough.
He...could barely tell where it landed anyway, at this point..

...With that task accomplished, Akira let the blood flow freely from his mouth and nose, even as his breaths became choked and wet with blood, frothing and gasping for air.

And as his vision faded, as he died for the last time….he could hear the low, happy chuckling of the Witch, high above him...
Edited 2019-04-13 15:41 (UTC)
lutea: (from someone's make-believe.)

THE WITCH

[personal profile] lutea 2019-04-13 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[This time, as the retelling fades - Nirrti laughs, in a horrible delighted manner, just like she did in the story.]

Welcome, pieces of the Witch of Dimensions! Welcome to your true battle! I, the Witch of Misfortune, will face you with all of my strength!!

...Of course, just because I'm different doesn't mean the rules are. Just like before, you have many, maaaaany choices.

You can submit to me and admit I did this~ Ah, but, if you do, that means you're mine. Just like them....I can play with you however I waaaaant! Heeheehee...

Or, you can wrack your brains and find a human Culprit, and offer that truth up to me. Ah, but I won't mind if you just decide to sacrifice someone if you can't figure it out, like all humans inevitably do.

In six hours, if there's no truth I accept, then I automatically win~

[She cackles for a moment, then continues.]

Can you solve this? Now that I'm getting serious, and facing you correctlllllllyyyy...? I don't think you caaaaaan, *cackle cackle cackle*!!

So tell me! Tell me, tell me, tell me, I'm dying to hear it -

Was Akira and Ryuji's deaths a Mystery, or a Fantasy?
Edited 2019-04-13 15:40 (UTC)

[personal profile] excavated 2019-04-13 03:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's. . . quite a bit about this retelling that he wants to ask about, irrelevant to the trial itself, but he'll save that for later.

After everything's said and done.

And again, Syaoran looks significantly different this week in terms of the outfit he's wearing, his shoes also not included. He can't help but comment aloud, musing more to himself than anything. ]


. . . She really put a lot of extraneous stuff in her retelling this time, huh.
anonnomnomnom: (Friends are like potatoes.)

[personal profile] anonnomnomnom 2019-04-13 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Have a round of applause from Anon after that, because boy she really went all out, damn.]

Ahaha, what a fantasy! Hey, Nirrti, you actually liked those guys pretty well, didn’t you? You gave them such dramatic deaths, after all.

[He’s here to call out your AkiRyu fanfic, girl.]

I’m glad you’re facing us properly this time.
Edited 2019-04-13 15:58 (UTC)
aleph_armed: (Kali: Angry)

[personal profile] aleph_armed 2019-04-13 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Tch, this is disgusting. Let's try to get this done quickly.
improbablenotimpossible: (You see but do not observe)

Evidence Herding

[personal profile] improbablenotimpossible 2019-04-13 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sherlock Holmes seem to have change little from last week, but the changes were more subtle, the bright blue underlining of his coat had darkened, and instead of the cane from last week, a crop appears in his gloved hands. His voice has an icy edge to it]

Now then, before we tackle this delusion, let us gather our evidence.
Edited 2019-04-13 15:59 (UTC)
lutea: (In this dream)

[personal profile] lutea 2019-04-13 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[wow??? she's more of an AkiGoro fan, thanks.]

It felt good to properly stretch my legs, Anon~ I look forward to a good fight from you all, so don't disappoint me...*giggle*

[personal profile] excavated 2019-04-13 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I checked out the kitchen. There was a teapot full of water - it was probably hot at some point, but wasn't now, and I found two boxes of tea.

They were tea bags, and one box was of chamomile tea and the other was Valerian root. There were two tea bags missing fromt he chamomile box and one from the Valerian root.

And there were two teacups missing as well.
chaoscontrol: (what u say.)

[personal profile] chaoscontrol 2019-04-13 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[From the peanut gallery; ]

Ahem. BULL. SHIT.

[Then he proceeds to lie on the floor near Watanuki with a full bottle of whiskey. ]
cryosurgeon: ([rongeur] cut away my framework)

[personal profile] cryosurgeon 2019-04-13 04:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Erhard's appearance has changed as well, his plague doctor robes now seem to be made entirely of blood that moves as if it were both fabric and liquid. The black shackles have grown but they seem to float around his wrists rather than actually restraining him, their broken chains now long and waving like banners in the air around him. His mask is further tarnished, almost blackened, and the beak has partially opened to reveal jagged teeth made from shards of ruby. Behind the smoked lenses over his eyes comes a sinister crimson glow. Two black iron spikes pierce his chest.]

It's all to torture us with gore and to show off her supposed powers. We know none of it is real.
keydomhearts: <User name="skymiracle"> (🌟 doo de doo)

[personal profile] keydomhearts 2019-04-13 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Here's Sora. ]

Do you think she really liked them or maybe liked whomever pushed them?

[personal profile] excavated 2019-04-13 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
. . .

[ Syaoran wants to be concerned, but also he isn't sure about what to feel after what happened yesterday. He's conflicted, really, and it shows in Syaoran's deep brown eyes. ]

Yeah, you're right. I think it's definitely a lot of smoke and mirrors... to hide the truth that's behind the curtain.
aleph_armed: (Kali: Flustered)

[personal profile] aleph_armed 2019-04-13 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[...I'm sorry, that look is such an abnormal amalgamation of Abnormalities that Gebura gets distracted slightly. You like you're a member of the Extraction team.]
foundfate: (more drink!)

[personal profile] foundfate 2019-04-13 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[Shadow will get a light bonk on the top of the head from Watanuki, who has also changed appearances again.]

You don't get to participate anymore. Here, have some sake.
youkaiwatch: (being a vet... is not great)

[personal profile] youkaiwatch 2019-04-13 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Emi looks her usual age this time, and more like a piece of art than a youkai. ]

You really went all out with this one.

[personal profile] excavated 2019-04-13 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
She might have liked the act itself, considering not only one person died... but two. I don't know, really. I don't think I can truly get into Nirrti's mindset.
improbablenotimpossible: (My mind rebels at stagnation)

Body Evidence

[personal profile] improbablenotimpossible 2019-04-13 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately there were no tracks visible around where the two were found, given the chaos of the discovery, it is possible they were covered up in the confusion.

Secondly - for those who had not seen the scene themselves: the fence is dented, which would be caused by a great fall, Kurusu was face down, and Sakamoto Face up and to Kurusu's right, left arm extended out and impaled on the post between the two.

[He closes his eyes and exhales]

Sakamoto died instantly, severed brainstem, the shallow stab wound above his kidney was postmortem. Kurusu was not so fortunate... Both lungs were pierced and he... suffocated as blood filled his lungs. Neither young men have signs of being in a fight or struggle.

There was a bloody knife by them, it had Kurusu's prints on them, and the young man's right hand was bloody as well. I can't match the knife to the stab wound on Sakamoto with a hundred percent certainty.
Edited 2019-04-13 16:14 (UTC)
keydomhearts: <user name="cupcake_graphics"> (🌟 only the cricket loves me now)

[personal profile] keydomhearts 2019-04-13 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Riku and I went to Akira's bedroom, and we found shredded papers and a recipe for a sleepy time tea! The shredded paper was a letter to Ann and Ryuji about how he's glad to be here with them. I feel like it might have been in case something happened to him.
lutea: (Just now in full bloom)

[personal profile] lutea 2019-04-13 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I figured it would be a fitting introduction~
anonnomnomnom: (What a moron.)

[personal profile] anonnomnomnom 2019-04-13 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[Of course she is.]

I guess this is the kind of quality we’ll have to expect from you from now on, huh? I’m looking forward to it too.

[He laughs back, a clatter of rattling teeth in his trial form.]
chaoscontrol: (it's a nice rock)

[personal profile] chaoscontrol 2019-04-13 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I’m not “participating”. I’m heckling.

[ But he’ll never say no to free booze]
byanyother_name: (Youko time)

[personal profile] byanyother_name 2019-04-13 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kurama's trial form...

There's nothing of his human identity left in it now. Tall, golden-eyed, sharp featured. Only Youko Kurama remains, cold and harsh with rage.]

We will never give in to you, you soulless bitch.

[personal profile] excavated 2019-04-13 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
What teas were in the recipe?

[ Syaoran's asking just in case they utilized different teas than the ones he found. ]
cryosurgeon: ([retractor] pry apart my secrets)

[personal profile] cryosurgeon 2019-04-13 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sorry, Gebura. He's in a Bad Mental Place right now.

And Stuff Happened in a private conversation, so....]

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