WEEK 2 - TRIAL

[foundationmods]

TRIAL

The morning seemed so far away yesterday - yet, it also seems too soon when morning comes and you are all yet again ushered to the third floor by The Lady. The Captain is there, in all of his....glory? It's hard to tell.

The doors close, and he speaks up, this time reclining on one of the couches in the room.

"You know the drill - 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 coffee table in front of him, labeled 'VOTES'.

"-you'll have to put in your vote so someone can be punished. You all saw what happens when you refuse to play, right?"

He leans back, placing his hands behind his head.

"So get to it."

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


VICTIM: YOSHI NANASE

27 GUESTS REMAIN.

Comments

[foundationmods]

[I mean

It's wet?

What did you expect here.]

[duskhound]

[Hey, you never know. The point was to see if it did something that wouldn't be normal "wet fur" reaction. But yes, bringing it out and putting it on a separate cofee table, and...

...Time to see what this taser thing does to the next sample of fur.

...How do I even use this thing...?]

[resortghosts]

[he notices her fumbling and pipes up;]

There is a switch on the handle. A small arc of electricity will form between the prongs, there.

[duskhound]

Th-thanks.

[Let's try this again! Doing it properly this time!]

[foundationmods]

[The fur just.


Smokes.


Like any kind of hair would when burnt?]

[duskhound]

[...Well I mean. Considering that fire couldn't burn it, this is still something.]

...Hm. I think that's all the ones I can figure out how to test, at least... Do you have some other ideas for tests, or should we move on to tissue samples?

[resortghosts]

No, I can't think of anything else. As much as it pains me, we need to move on to tissue samples. Please wait a moment.

[the imprint on the couch disappears. A few minutes later, a floating surgical kit comes back into the lobby and is set down on the coffee table]

Now then. I will sedate the pup and remove a small sample of skin and subcutis from the baggy areas on the torso and abdomen.

[Wherever the puppy is, it is slowly lifted up again. And this time, something invisible seems to pierce its skin, down into the muscles of the haunches. Sorry, Duke Pinkington -- at least this is his good painkilling toxin?]

[duskhound]

...I'll. I'll go ask for whatever bandages we need for him.

[Yes, I'll just. Focus on that instead. You do your surgery thing, I'll make sure we have the supplies to bandage it up after.]

[resortghosts]

[squeamish, hm?

Either way, once the puppo is nappin', Szayel gets to work. A pair of clippers from the surgical kit floats up, turns on, and clips a small patch of fur on the pup's neck, where it seems to have the most extra skin. An alcohol pad swabs the area, and then some unseen force cuts through the skin and subcutaneous tissue, seeming to cauterize the wound edges as it goes. Szayel removes an oval / football-shaped piece of skin and fat, about three inches long and two inches wide, and places it in a petri dish. Thanks to the laser-like nature of whatever he's cutting with, bleeding is minimal.

By the time Ellie gets back, the piece is neatly excised, and the wound is being sutured shut as if by magic... but actually just by deft, invisible hands]

[duskhound]

[...Honestly, that is really impressive. That went... a lot faster and cleaner than she was expecting.]

So I guess we just need to make sure nothing tries to open the wound, then?

[resortghosts]

[it takes Szayel a few more minutes to finish suturing, but since they're buried in the skin, there's pretty much nothing to see. But, to be extra sure (and because this is a wiggly puppy, monster or otherwise) he uses a little skin glue to cover his work. The bandages are grabbed from Ellie and he wraps them lightly around the pup's neck. Pup gets another invisible poke with a reversal drug, and is held close to Szayel's chest until it wakes.

With that done, he can type on the tablet again]

Those sutures shouldn't open, I'm quite good at what I do. But I'll make sure it doesn't run about and tear it open. I chose that spot because the skin is very loose, and the puppy can't chew there.

Now, please proceed with testing. I recommend you use small, individual pieces.

[duskhound]

Got it, I'll try what I can.

[Then, step one would be turning this piece of skin and fat into small individual pieces, which will be done... very carefully...

...And with that done, it's time to test once more. Let's pick up one of pieces, and... apply the lighter to it. Does it burn?]

[foundationmods]

[it does not.]

[duskhound]

No response to flames on the skin or fat, either...

[Then, time to set this piece down, and get a new one. Next is... The knife once more. Let's very carefully do this so it stabs from the skin through the fat and see if it gets stopped anywhere.]

[foundationmods]

[I mean.

It goes through.]

[duskhound]

...It goes through both skin and fat, then...

[Hm... Well, time to remove the knife, and set this piece down, too, and... Time once more for the test that will probably not have any results!

One more new piece, being placed into the water. Is anything unusual happening to it?]

[foundationmods]

[It just kind of....floats? But then after a while, it sinks.]

[duskhound]

[...Well, for now, let's pull it out and fit it on the table with the wet fur and get one more piece.

Now, it's time to test an electric current again. Let's get this taser working on it, and see.]

[foundationmods]

[It sizzles, but it's hard to tell if that's because of the skin or anything special.

end result:

You can't really tell anything beyond that fire doesn't work.]

[resortghosts]

[if you listen closely, you may hear a distant sigh]

Well. I suppose ruling out one is better than none.

[duskhound]

It might have been better if we had a sample from a more adult version, but I doubt that's possible while it's possessing someone.

[resortghosts]

I doubt the Barghest will let us do any experimenting that might eventually lead to its undoing. We will just have to make an educated guess.