FIRST TRIAL

[umbralant]

Trial I

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The opera house doesn't seem to have gotten any changes. There are no lights on the windows, the lobby is dark. Only when everyone is gathered there something does happen: Rembrandt appears, opening the main stage doors, the large and heavy doors creaking when they open.

Rembrandt herds everything together, guiding them down the halls of the seating area. You better not stray from the hallway -- there's a very palpable sensation that something's deeply wrong about this place. You may perhaps see the form of something moving, blending with the darkness. Wait...it's several forms. A few pairs of intensely blue eyes, eyes that so far only Ango may have seen before, gaze at everybody. You really shouldn't try to approach. At least they don't try to come closer, cowed by Rembrandt's presence.

The main stage is the objective here. It's lit rather brightly, with the spotlights the Lady had used for her introduction a few days ago, illuminating the stage. In what's a rather ominous touch, the backdrop depicts hellfire. There aren't any props around, other than a few seats that seem to be spares for seats in one of the minor auditoriums, not even enough seats for everyone. Rembrandt blends into the darkness.

"Welcome!"

That's the Lady's voice, coming from high up. Looking up, you'll find a balcony to a side, large and with two seats. There's the Lady, wearing her dress, visible even in the darkness. She's standing up right now and leaning on the railing, shouting at them.

"Let's try to make this short and sweet. We figured it'd be fun if you all got to discuss who killed dear annoying Elliot. Give us a name, and we'll execute that person. Nice and simple, don't you think?"

"So, culprit who saved so many people from us...now you have to struggle for your own life. Oh, we never told you about this before? Don't feel bad, there's a lot we don't tell you all about. She sits down, adjusting her dress.

"I'm not going to pretend I care about you all catching the right person. Just give us a name and let the culprit go free, for all I care. Get started, we don't have all day to do this! You only have seven hours! Get moving!"

Here you are, all the actors in this impromptu play about justice, and the audience is...well there certainly is an audience larger than you were expecting. Everyone will hear the noises of those things moving around in the seating area, from time to time directing their eyes at the group, but they still make no attempt to approach. Looks like the audience that really matters is up there, in the balcony.

Let the trial for the death of Elliot Schafer begin.

[OOC NOTE: From the halfway point of the trial and onwards, you'll have the option to ask the masterminds for the chance to get a hint! Be warned, though: the price will involve some body horror for your character. Keep that in mind when deciding to use this option!]

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Comments

[twoasone]

[ He raises his eyebrow at that. ] Straight lines and geometric shapes? Do you suppose someone was trying to draw a larger image of some sort?

[deadlygoals]

It's really weird, right? They went through the trouble to dragging a bucket full of mud and water to the fourth floor to draw shapes on the fourth floor.

[twoasone]

[ Shin gives Dazai a very confused look before looking over the papers Rembrandt just gave everyone.

... Which don't help. At all. ]

You're right. There must be some reason for them to do that.

[deadlygoals]

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Why not just grab a pencil or a pen?

[notbymyside]

Perhaps it had to be mud because it's related to someone's new powers? I've heard of weirder required mediums for power-use.

[Hello, Kajii "Lemony Asshole" Motojiro.]

[pr159]

[ Looking back over the power list they just received... ]

None of them really sound earth-related.

[twoasone]

My guess was they wanted their drawing to be seen from a distance, and we don't exactly have access to large paint brushes or paint.

[baitless]

I wonder if it was simply meant to attract and hold someone’s attention? It could lead someone to puzzle out the meaning of... whatever it was, and then the culprit could hit them over the head when they are distracted.

[deadlygoals]

Wasn't it drawn on the inside of the clock tower though?

[notbymyside]

Doppleganger, perhaps? There are many tales of people being made of mud and clay.

[pr159]

Hm... I'm not too familiar with those, but I suppose that's possible, then. Though it seems a little odd that their plan wouldn't have been to use the double in place of the statue in that case, if they wanted it to still look convincing once he got close.

[noellemadic]

That'd need a lot of mud, right? Unless the doppelganger was much smaller than the person who made it.

[But she's giving it some consideration]

[raventhaw]

It was hard to tell. I suspect nobody but the artist themselves would know what those symbols all mean.

[inordertobelieve]

Did you happen to copy the shapes down regardless?

[raventhaw]

As a matter of fact, I did.

[ she pulls out one of the notebooks she snagged from the bookstore and hands it over to mikami. squares, triangles, circles and lines are all connecting together. the drawing is messy but it's as true to life as it's gonna get. ]

I couldn't fit all of it on one page, but this is what I had to work with.

[inordertobelieve]

Thank you.

[ A quick study of it later. ]

It means nothing to me, but it might mean something to others here. Especially those from magical worlds... A ritualistic purpose is the easiest answer I can imagine for the purpose of this... whatever it is.

[ordealia]

May I take a closer look?

[she'll just wait]

[inordertobelieve]

[ He'll hand it over. It's all gibberish to him anyway. ]

Please do.

[p_q]

If it was a message of any sort from the killer, it was a useless one.

[wishuponazoi]

Perhaps they meant to distract us with this useless speculation about its meaning in the first place.

[p_q]

Not a difficult feat. I daresay they worked too hard.

[He's just here to judge. But also looks at this cast, looks into the camera is his constant mood.]

[raventhaw]

It sure was.

[p_q]

Are you giving up, then?

[raventhaw]

Did I say anything about giving up?

[p_q]

And if it is a distraction?