RECORDING 12: THE FOURTH TRIAL.

[foundationmods]

The worst has happened... and now you're all here, in the living room where all the trials so far have taken place. As all of you enter, the Vessels are there - Flayn in her darkly pious glory, and Haku, ever the perfect shadow at her side.

On one of the tables away from the center is a small enclosed box entitled 'VOTES', with slips of paper nearby and a pen. It's sufficiently away from what will be the 'main' action, but not enough to really give anyone complete privacy as they vote.

Once everyone is inside, the doors automatically shut and lock themselves, leaving you trapped in here with the Vessels...and each other.

One of you is a murderer...however, in this game, the guilty do not need to be voted out. As long as there are enough people voted out that matches the victims...then it will be accepted.

...But, can you really let someone get away with murder...?

The choice is up to you.



VICTIM: Ango Sakaguchi
PEOPLE TO VOTE OUT: 1

WEEK 4 VOTING

Comments

[noneforall]

This is... what I chose to be.

[He uncurls a little, coughs a little more, wipes it off with the ease of long practice.

It doesn't look like he'll be getting up anytime soon, but he puts himself back together, little by little.]

I don't think there was anything else I could do.

[There's even a hint of his usual sardonic tone there, even if he then coughs again.]

[eyeforai]

[He looks down at Subete with more wariness than sympathy here.]

So why now? Why not before, if you could've done all this?

[noneforall]

[There's a quiet hum; Date's expression goes unremarked upon, because Subete isn't looking at him. He can probably read plenty from his voice, but it's not that big a deal, really.]

... Because everything has a price, of course.

[Exhibit A: everything he's got going on right now.]

And we didn't have enough information. I might be powerful, but even I can't just go up blind against something like this. Verbalism is... versatile, but still requires finesse.

[eyeforai]

[...]

How good did you think your odds were when you attacked them?

[noneforall]

Hmm. Maybe 60-40? I have confidence in my abilities, but...

[He pauses for a moment, and then just shakes his head.]

Still not as much information as I would have liked, but it was enough to move. And far better than waiting.

[eyeforai]

[Better than he thought...]

Yeah? And what told you that this was the time? And why during the trial?

[noneforall]

[He did say he was confident. That and he had about a billion contingency plans in the form of kanji and shields and more besides, but that's what happens when you're paranoid and made even more paranoid by miasma mansion.]

I decided for myself. But we had three weeks' worth of rations, Date-san. Think about what that means.

[There's something ironic to his voice, and he muffles another few coughs.]

... The Vessels will always assemble during trial, along with everyone else. The incentive would come to fruition at trial, should it ever do so. [...] This was one of the surest possible places to have all the options at hand.

[eyeforai]

[...]

I know what it means, but we had just found some food in the pantry. [Even if most of it was really shitty.] If that was the main factor, you could have waited an extra week or two for more information. Like a weak point.

[His frown deepens a little at the coughing though, narrowing his eyes in... well, it's certainly not concern, but a sharp focus.]

And you thought killing the Vessels would end it all.

[noneforall]

It's not about the food. It's about the planning, the overall amount of resources allocated to this mission... And the fact that we've far more weak points than this thing does, and it would only have gotten worse.

[His own expression darkens as he stares down at his hands, seemingly ignoring the intensity of Date's stare. There's momentarily something not quite steady in his voice, though it passes quickly.]

What do you think would have happened to our abilities if we waited a week? Two?

The Vessels might not necessarily end it all, but they're our most direct conduit to whatever is running this thing. It was worth a shot.