thefoundation | WEEK 1

TRIAL

It's been a long night, with the knowledge burning in your brain that one of your number has died. Even if the victim wasn't known very well, this dangerous game of Mafia was still played, and that might be the worst of all. Not only that, but the Apprentice's warning still rings heavy in your minds - especially after seeing the state of Szayel's body.

The Lady appears for once when everyone is gathered, leading you all up the stairs to the third floor, past whatever glimpses of the upper floors you might get. The room she takes you to is, frankly, extravagant. There's snacks and drinks waiting inside, along with....a new person? It's a man, and as The Lady leaves and closes the doors behind her, the man tilts his head up and speaks.

"You can call me The Captain. Since one of you have died during the game, it's your responsibility to try and vote someone out. You have six hours to talk about it, but then-"

He taps on a box on the table in front of him, labeled 'VOTES'

"-you'll have to put in your vote so someone can be punished. Not voting, well...That's a lot like not playing. And trust me - you want to play."

The man sits down at the table, leaning back and placing his feet on the table while crossing his arms.

"So get to it."

As he says that, music begins to play in the room...

VICTIM: SZAYELAPPORO GRANZ

30 GUESTS REMAIN.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah. We all did.

[his mouth twitches a bit too, before he pulls his hand back and adjusts his glasses]

. . . you didn't hear anything outside your door before midnight?

Nope, nothing! But actually...

Even when everyone was trying to get me out, I only heard something hit the door. I think Kohaku tried something to get it open?

I shot the lock, but the webbing blocked it.

[glancing between them, thoughtful]

And that was the only noise you heard at all, Yoshi-kun?

Yeah! If I heard their voices it might have been better, but since I just heard the sound, I thought the killer was coming for me next. That's why I hid!

[AS IF THE DESK WOULD HAVE SAVED HIM MUCH, BUT. Y'KNOW.]

[. . . nods slowly]

Okay. Sorry for all the questions.

It's okay! I don't want people to keep getting hurt, either.

If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it!

[mmmm]

It's more than just not wanting people to be hurt for me.

Do the people who're possessed even realize they are?

I don't know... It would be pretty creepy if they didn't.

[Finding out you're a monster who killed someone after the fact...]

Yeah. It'd be pretty traumatizing, to hear that some kind of spider creature took control of your body to kill someone else.

. . . I don't know what the monsters want. I don't know why they're doing this. But I want to find out who they're possessing so we can save them, too.

[they're just as much of a victim as people like Szayel, in Akira's eyes]

[He doesn't say anything, but Atsushi is giving Akira a look of appreciation there. Because honestly he feels the same way: he would rather help the people who are taken over by monsters, not hunt them down.]

[definitely catches Atsushi's gaze from across the room, nodding a little when he does so. he doesn't smile, but his mouth twitches just slightly. so he probably wants to]

Do you think we can really do that?

We have to try.

[at the VERY LEAST they could neutralize the monster by like, idk, locking them in a room while they figure out how to exorcise them]

If that's what you want to do, I'll do whatever I can to help!

(no subject)

purrtagonist - 2018-12-01 18:23 (UTC) - Expand

Yeah, I agree, too.

...I mean... I know people back home who can turn into different forms if they use a special stone? Like, a friend of mine is a Taguel, which means he can turn into a giant bunny, and another friend of mine is a Manakete, and she can turn into a dragon. They can control when they transform and what they do while they're in a different form.

And I don't even know if that's at all like what's going on here period. It seems pretty different, but I figured I'd just throw it out there in case it is.

[h-heh]

Thanks.

[she gets a nod of acknowledgement]

It's a pretty horrible game all around. This way, there isn't even an option not to start playing.

[There hasn't been a choice since the blizzard. It's Not Great. But also:]

And since it's a possession, we don't even know if it'll ever stop, no matter what happens to the people being possessed. That's why... I think we'll have to lure them out. Eventually.

[. . .]

Lure them out. . .

latebluemer - 2018-12-01 20:23 (UTC) - Expand

purrtagonist - 2018-12-01 20:24 (UTC) - Expand

latebluemer - 2018-12-01 20:28 (UTC) - Expand

purrtagonist - 2018-12-01 20:38 (UTC) - Expand

latebluemer - 2018-12-01 20:46 (UTC) - Expand

purrtagonist - 2018-12-01 20:48 (UTC) - Expand

latebluemer - 2018-12-01 22:31 (UTC) - Expand

According to The Captain All of our rooms are soundproof. If that's true, none of us would've heard anything.

[He sounded pretty frustrated]

Edited 2018-12-01 17:45 (UTC)

No. . . that's not right. Yoshi-kun heard it when Kohaku-san shot at his door. Wouldn't he have heard the thud of someone throwing a giant ball of webbing at his door too, then?

[. . .]

[then again, he didn't see the webbing either. he knows it was gold, which makes him think of metal, which. . . yeah someone should hear metal being thrown against their door?? but. . .]

I mean, It's possible The Captain could be lying, but what would be the point of asking him questions? And also why would he lie.

[So something isn't adding up here!]

Edited 2018-12-01 17:52 (UTC)

[aha]

Got me there.

Just because something's soundproof doesn't mean You don't hear vibrations when something hits the wall. Even if he couldn't hear it, he could still feel it.

...Oh.