SECOND TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Time's up, boys and girls. Please gather up your evidence and make your way to the vault door.

[ The process of heading to the elevator and crowding in remains the same as last week - Angel leads you all to the elevator car, then stays behind as you make your slow descent to the dome below. You might not even notice if you aren't paying attention, but... the cart is already less crowded than it was last week. You certainly won't be able to avoid noticing it if your numbers dwindle too much further than this.

When the doors open on the trial room, it's just as bleak a place as last week. ]

Take your places, won't you? And this time, you all know what's at stake. No more... funny business.

[The number of podiums displaying that red light is higher now - Damien, Lif, and Piers are all represented by blank spots now, no tasteful covers or anything normal to mark their passing, just a red glow and a gap in your number.

Cheery!

The screens raise up to the ceiling to give you all room to see, and the Professor's final words before the trial begins ring out: ]

Find the killer, leave alive. And killer? Try a little harder to stop them from doing that than the last one in your shoes. Call out for me if you require anything.

[ Welcome to your second trial. ]

Comments

[fivestagegod]

...Does it really not occur to you that we've been letting the undead wander around unchecked, we have literal magical rock people in the room, and no one is questioning the 99-year-old twentysomething with a 204-miles-per-hour baseball pitch about exactly how and why that is? We literally don't care that you're ancient.

[drladysounds]

Besides it's not like we don't have more important things to worry about, like the murder mystery extravaganza we're trapped in.

[People's ages would be so much fun to prod and poke about if it wasn't for the deth and terror]

[emberserker]

Though if Dr. Birkin's right, and I hate to admit that, it may well tie in anyway.

[precognit]

If you have something you'd like to say to me, William, you can at least use my name.

[fivestagegod]

I actually didn't until you said something, and was using you as an example of things we don't have a lot to say to - but since you're here, sure. Why not. What are you.

[precognit]

[Well, fuck. Alice steels herself.]

An immortal.

[It's true!]

[fivestagegod]

Thank you, Alice.

[Using your name, since that's apparently what got you all huffy in the first place.]

How'd you get that way? If you don't mind my asking.

[precognit]

[Her mouth is a steely line.]

I...I'm not sure. I don't remember it.

[Also true.]

I was in a hospital, at the time. ...An asylum. Please, I really don't want to talk about this.

[Even eighty-odd years later, it's still painful, because she doesn't remember any of it. Everything she knows comes from her own research.]

[fivestagegod]

Then maybe don't get my attention and practically beg to be asked about it next time. I'll let it go for now, but I imagine the others are going to have questions for you now that I've started.

[Especially since they're going on about vampires and dead apostles and shit up there.]

[baitless]

...

Is it, perhaps... particularly unusual to say that I am the elder brother of a teenager instead of any other familial relation....

[blackmass]

[seteth, jesus christ]

[even kirei's trying not to openly laugh at your dumb ass]

[fivestagegod]

...How happily married are your parents.

[baitless]

...that’s... a bit of a difficult subject....

[HE DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PARENTAL SITUATION AROUND RHEA, MOM GIVE HIM STRENGTH]

[archboxer]

[She certainly perks up at that. MOM DID SOMEONE SAY MOM]

[reallyhatesharks]

Listen, that's your biz? But it makes you look kind of like a creep.

[like if no one else is gonna say it]

[baitless]

There is nothing untoward about it! I simply thought we looked too close in age for anything else!

[reallyhatesharks]

[oh my god she's not equipped for this]

Yeah, but it's like. There's a line between "this is my sister" and "my underage sister is everything to me, a grown man" and you're definitely stepping into that second one. Which is creepy.

[baitless]

...Would not most well adjusted siblings be willing to lay down their lives for their family!?

[reallyhatesharks]

Listen, I known someone who invented time travel to save his family and he still trash-talks his sister.

[bolderfell]

[Yo, check your well-adjusted family privilege.]

[archboxer]

...

[And you got on her case for saying she's closer to a hundred than thirty? You have no room to talk, Mister.]

[baitless]

[YOU ALREADY PUT IT OUT THERE, RHEA!!!]

[archboxer]

[NO ONE HERE KNOWS ABOUT FLAYN YOU OVERPROTECTIVE FOOL]

[baitless]

[HE WANTS TO KNOW IF PEOPLE BACK HOME ARE JUST HUMORING HIM WHEN HE SAYS HE’S FLAYN’S BROTHER!!!]

[archboxer]

[OF COURSE THEY WERE, EVEN RHEA HAD A HARD TIME CALLING HER HIS SISTER]