WEEK 3 - 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....wait, no, he's asleep.

The doors close, and...nothing happens. There's still the box labeled 'VOTES' in his lap on the couch, but...

On the table is a letter, that reads 'Only one person may be voted for execution this week. Please figure out who that will be during the time limit.'

As you finish reading that, music begins to play in the room...


VICTIM: SHIROU EMIYA, HIMEKO INABA, AND MUNEHISA IWAI

23 GUESTS REMAIN.

Comments

[purrtagonist]

Nope. Not at all.

The third one would be some kind of animal, if it was following the theme. But I don't know which kind.

[tacticalespionageaction]

[We have a mammal, a bug...]

A bird? Reptile?

[Fish is a probable no.]

[purrtagonist]

No feathers, no claw marks.

[. . .]

Then again, if it's an animal, why does it need to use a sword?

[tacticalespionageaction]

[oh yeah there's that.]

Maybe it never "showed" itself, just kept possessing someone else.

[...]

Could be it doesn't even have the weaponry itself.

[purrtagonist]

It must not, if it had to borrow Owain's sword to attack Shirou.

[relentlesslyonwards]

Isn't it possible they just did that to frame Owain, though?

[purrtagonist]

That's probably part of it, yeah.

[moonlightbeast]

...

Tengu, maybe?

[tacticalespionageaction]

Tengu, huh? Of Japanese mythology?

[That's about as far as his knowledge goes.]

[moonlightbeast]

Yeah! They even fight with swords, if I'm remembering correctly.

[theycallhimmrpchan]

And before the Barghest showed itself - it didn't leave any of Escardos-san's scent on the boots... So the transformation should have remove all of the host's scent if it holds true.

[He tilts his head]

[purrtagonist]

. . .

But the only other scent beyond the Barghest and the Jorogumo on Shirou was. . . Owain.

[. . . . . . . .]

[latebluemer]

So either Owain-kun was really there, or the third monster did something different with its scent when it transformed, or... you said that it could come from the sword, but if Escardos-san didn't leave any smell on the boots, then that wouldn't be right.

Unless Owain-kun was the one who used it.

[It's a thoughtful sort of stream of consciousness. She's not accusing anyone at the moment, but rather cycling through all the possibilities.]

[purrtagonist]

. . .

Or the third monster transformed into Owain.

[there it is]

[latebluemer]

... So instead of erasing its scent completely, it changed its scent to disguise itself. That would also explain the sword, the footprints, and all the other evidence. But that's...

[That's a pretty fuckin' crazy monster, y'all.]

[purrtagonist]

[TERRIFYING]

Reeeeaelly not good, right?

[rosebridled]

That would probably make the most sense.

[purrtagonist]

It-- [huh. . . it does make sense, and it almost bothers him because somehow a monster that can take on their appearances to frame them sounds even more terrifying than the Barghest or the Jorogumo]

It does make sense, yeah.

[delusive]

Huh— wait. Like a doppelganger?

[theycallhimmrpchan]

Or a Kitsune or Tanuki.

But this really makes sense!

[purrtagonist]

[blinks her at her slowly, before nodding]

Yeah. Something like that.

A monster who, instead of transforming into a wolf or a spider, takes on the appearance of people here.

[13thpromise]

Doppleganger?

[ Tilts head ]

Is that some kind of animal?

[delusive]

The first two might be animals but that doesn't necessarily mean the third one is too.

[purrtagonist]

. . . you're right.

[HIS LOGIC CYLINDERS ARE CHUGGING ALONG]

[delusive]

It might have chosen another form— which in this case seems more likely.