A motive? You look down at your ID and sure enough, there's a message titled MOTIVE TWO on there.
You click on it and two sentences come up. But what do they mean?
"Well? Aren't you excited? Where'sss the applaussse?"
Nobody says anything.
"I sssuppossse I ssshould explain what your messssagesss mean!
"They're sssecretsss!"
"One isss for the perssson behind you in the circle, and the other isss your target'sss sssecret! I'm not ssspecifying which belongsss to whom. It'sss up to you to ussse your dissscretion!"
Well, this isn't good.
People start to drift away when he calls out one last thing.
"Oh, and if you want to know which of your sssecretsss were given out, jussst asssk! I bet you're dying to know, kekekeke...."
The mods will be messaging you your secrets through your blog's ask box as well as Skype. If you want to know what your secrets of yours were used, just PM one of us on Skype.
If you're interested in being a murderer or victim, please ask!
Nothing seemed to be amiss Malwart. You and the others were falling into a normal routine, when out of the blue your IDs pinged. There was a message beckoning you to the cash registers, where Monocobra awaited.
Oh boy. This couldn't be good.
"Hello, m'ssstudentsss! I've noticed this environment isssn't ssssparking you into murdering! Well, I've decided to up the ssstakesss, ssso to ssspeak!"
He flicks his tail and everyone's IDs light up simultaneously.
The day's events were so exhausting, everyone ended up falling asleep by midnight. Yes, this included even the most nocturnal of the students. Everyone's beds felt even comfier than usual...
"Wake up!"
Were's that voice coming from? Are you dreaming?
"Get up already!"
Your bed feels cold and hard, like a floor. Your head is pounding and when you open your eyes, bright lights blind you.
Upon sitting up, you see others scattered about, all slowly coming to. Monocobra is off to one side, looking aggravated.
"Finally! Took you long enough! Now we can get down to busssinessss."
You look around. It smells like cleaning detergent and bubblegum. There's some cash registers off to the right and a large brick wall behind you.
Where are you and why does it smell so weird?
"I'm sssure you're wondering where you are!"
Well, he's not wrong.
"Let me explain! You're at a brand new location... the famousss sssuperssstore Malwart!"
That sounds oddly familiar. Another ripoff?
"The theme park wasss getting old, wasssn't it? Thisss location isss much better! Take a look around. You'll be ssspending a lot of time here, after all! Kekekeke..."
And with that, he slithers off. Before you can wonder where he goes when he leaves (since you can never seem to find him), your ID pings.
KAGOME SETSUKO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY... COMMENCING EXECUTION
Dousing the Last Spark
The screen flickers on and is fuzzy at first, before finally focusing on a classroom. The chain that originally drug the lyricist, Kagome Setsuko, to her doom had been wrapped around her, binding her to the desk near the center. Nobody else but her, how lonesome. Wasn’t this something she was always used to, though? Maybe it was the idea that she was dying. It didn’t seem to phase her much though, as her naturally tired expression was plastered on her face. No squirming nor any attempts to fight back against the execution were present, as if she either hadn’t registered what was happening or that she just didn’t care. Most likely the latter.
Out of nowhere, a paper plane lands in her lap. Though a bit hesitant at first even for her sloth-resemblance, she is able to unfold it despite the restraints. Squinting at the note contained inside, she averts her eyes back to the side and discreetly shoves it off her lap, it landing on the floor beneath her.
“You’re just like that girl!”
She has nothing to do with such a terrible person.
Within the next minute or so, everything suddenly became silent. Glancing around at her surroundings, nearly buried in paper planes as more had piled in in the next minute or so after, with who only knows what written on them, it was hard to even see her legs anymore. Without warning, the floor slowly started to crack, giving away as Setsuko soon plummeted to her new fate. What could possibly be awaiting her underneath the ground?
A watery grave.
Landing in the pool of water, almost resembling a chamber, she floated to the top while wrestling with the paper planes that occupied any extra space. Being detached from the desk that had already began sinking to the depths, she was able to move freely. It seemed there was a shimmer of hope, as there seemed to be a dock just ahead. Blinking, but not hesitating, she started to doggy-paddle towards it, a look of determination now plastered on her skin. Would she make it? If you said yes, then you are in for a rude awakening.
Reaching a hand out to grab onto it, her hand seemed to collide with something. The dock and scenery around it went fuzzy. Quickly backing away from it, Setsuko’s eyebrows furrowed as she realized just what she hit. It became painfully obvious that there was no way out of this execution after all, and suddenly she was mentally kicking herself for thinking there would be. No, she knew what she did, and now she was facing the consequences.
The screen depicting the dock blacked out for a second, before showing another video similar to the one presented along with the motive. The girl shown in what seemed to be a surveillance video didn’t resemble Setsuko all that much though, as the hair was shorter and she was a lot less developed. No way that was her, but why was she being shown instead? From what was visible, she had a baseball bat in her hands, and had smashed windows open in what looked to be a hallway in a school. Not long after that though, she soon faded from the video, as if she were never there. It looks like it did strike a chord with Setsuko, as she started flailing in the water, getting farther away from the screen. It was obvious that she was screaming something, most likely profanity, but the background noises as well as the splashing and carrying on muffled whatever she had been saying for the most part.
It looks like screaming and shouting did her no good, and soon within a few minutes it ceased, as well as the flailing about. Barely holding her eyes open, she soon quietly disappeared underneath the surface of the water. One last camera switch showed her in her final moments. The paper planes and chains from before got wrapped around her legs, and there was no doubt her arms were tired from trying to keep herself afloat. The last look on her face was either one of fear or pure anger. Whether it be due to her death, or perhaps that she was drowning in return for the cleansing of a certain other’s crimes, would remain unknown.
Kagome Setsuko, the lyricist also known as ‘Kagome’ throughout the internet for her intensely soothing singing voice, has been successfully executed.
There are several different components to trials, so let's start with how they work!
How Trials Work
In the trial room, there are podiums set up in a circular format. Monocobra is outside the circle, watching. He's in charge! He'll be dictating when the trial is over and when to vote. He also may make snide comments and answer any questions you have.
Now onto the mechanics.
It'll be chat-based in a separate chat on Skype, with people presenting evidence and debating with each other. Things may move quickly (especially during the first couple trials when there are more people), but don't worry! The topic will be posted in the chat title, and it will change as the topic changes. And if you need any help, please feel free to ask Mod Chase or me.
At the end, people will vote for whoever they think is the culprit. The person with the most votes will get executed, regardless of whether or not they're the culprit.
If you get chosen and don't have an execution ready, that's okay. Just make sure to type it up as soon as possible.
There are rules to make trials run more smoothly. Here they are!
Trial Guidelines
Let everyone have a turn. If you've been talking a lot, allow others to contribute as well.
Try to stay on topic. This may be difficult, especially because of the cast, but try your best!
Keep OOC talk to a minimum in the trial chat. You are certainly allowed and encouraged to talk and commentate in the OOC chat. Just don't do it in the trial.
Use "Quotation marks" when saying something, and use /me to indicate an action.
Don't information dump unless absolutely necessary -- such as explaining your motivation or giving an alibi or explaining your motivation for murder. Please refrain from giving all your evidence at once. This makes things difficult and will usually cause confusion. After all, this is a chat-based system, not a paragraph-based system.
Have fun! If you're starting to feel stressed, feel free to take a break. One of the mods will keep you updated on what's going on, so when you're ready to jump back in it'll be easy to do so.
We've discussed the matters with those in the group and we had no intention of sharing it with those not involved, but since you asked, I suppose we should explain.
She was a major player in cultivating this game, but due to a variety of reasons, she left. We miss her and there's definitely a hole where she once was. Unfortunately, these things happen.
Hello! I'm Mod Rebecca and I'm here to talk to you about alibis.
Here's what they mean!
Alibis give characters a canonical series of events which outline what they did on the day the murder occurred. They include who they interacted with, what they did, and where they were at certain times.
Here are things you can do with alibis!
LIE about them
Just because the were actually what the character did doesn't mean you have to tell everyone that's what actually went down. If you're the culprit or someone who has something to hide, feel free to lie!
Give a TESTIMONY
Testimonies are submitted to the blog and published to the blog. These are optional, but also a way to tell everyone at once what you were doing. These can be truth or lie.
Use them as EVIDENCE
Some alibis the characters come up with will be fake, though the ones I hand out are what actually happened. If you're able to figure out what's fake and what's not based on who was doing what at what time, be sure to exploit it! Be careful, though, some things are just naturally fishy.
Use them to create a SERIES OF EVENTS
Like the prior point, if you can piece together of what went down, you're more likely to figure out who's the culprit.
I will be handing out alibis both through both Skype and tumblr. Please be sure to HAVE YOUR SUBMIT BOX OPEN.
I'll also be going over investigation information during this time. Here's how it'll work:
Send your questions to Mod Rebecca or Mod Chase over Skype. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Examples of questions include: Are there any other wounds on the body? and What is the state of the victim's bedroom?
You may investigate with others through tumblr threads, MSPARP, or Skype. If you choose Skype, please add a mod to your private chat. That way, we can answer questions more easily as well as monitor your activity!
If you want to ask a person about their alibi, ask them directly. We strongly encourage you to interact with others during investigations.
Don't talk about the investigation OOCly. Brief mentions are fine, but please refrain from going in-depth about evidence found.
You may speak with Monocobra as you please. Send an ask to the blog if you want to do so and specify if you want it answered publicly or not.
Sure enough, there's a new section on your ID card screen.
MONOCOBRA FILE 1
VICTIM: Nagata Mizuki, SHSL Matchmaker
CAUSE OF DEATH: Broken neck
TIME OF DEATH: 12:06 am
LOCATION OF BODY: The base of the left staircase
BODY DISCOVERY TIME: 1:21 am
STATE OF BODY: The victim is dressed in unusual clothing. His head is tilted at a strange angle, as are several other limbs. There’s also something tangled around his feet.
The built-in speakers all around the theme park emit an almost comical jingle as soon as Keiki lays eyes on the body.
DING DONG DANG DONG.
Monocobra's voice rings out over the quiet area, his voice reverberating in all the rooms.
"Would all ssstudentsss come ot the bottom of the ssstaircase immediately? One of your peersss hasss left you ssssomething!"
Everyone stirs and slowly trudges downstairs. And there it is, along with Yuurei, Alice, Keiki, and Monocobra. A corpse.
The snake grins cruelly.
"Isssn't thisss wonderful? Sssomebody murdered! What a lucky break! But not for him, I guesss."
He flicks his tail in the direction of Mizuki's body.
"Now, let'sss get down to work. Sssince sssomebody hasss died and the killer wasss next to Good Sssir Nagata in the circle, you will have to invessstigate. In about eight hoursss there will be a trial. If you find the killer, jussstice will be delivered. If you choossse inccorectly, then an innocent isss going to die and the killer will have gotten away with murder. And that wouldn't be fair! Ssso good luck! And to help, I've added a file to your IDsss. It will give you a sssort of advantage in figuring out who did it. All doorsss have been unlocked asss well."
"And I alssso got that damn roller coassster working. In cassse anyone wantsss to go for a ride inssstead of helping out."
Seven hours have passed since Monocobra supposedly destroyed Kazeno's fame. Now it's almost 1 in the morning. Yuurei is up and at 'em, of course. She leaves her bedroom to get a midnight snack, since she just woke up. She clomps down the stairs, grumbling to herself, when suddenly she trips over something and goes flying. She lands on her hands and knees and shrieks. Looking behind her, she sees what looks like a dead body. Eh, whatever. She continues on her way.
Eventually she makes it to the dining room, where she sees Alice Emblin Emory sleeping. Her head is face-down on a plate of mashed potatoes. And finally it dawns on Yuurei that she had, in fact, tripped over a dead body. Of course the occultist starts screeching at Alice. The blonde girl stirs. Yuurei tells her in a very high-pitched and annoying yelling tone that someone was dead. Annoyed, Alice follows her out of boredom more than anything else.
They make it back to the castle staircase, where sure enough, there's a body. Alice springs into action. She hurries up the staircase to wake the others when she hears Yuurei shriek. There's someone standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs!
Oh wait.
It's just Chiba Keiki. He starts yelling at Yuurei. Honestly, does he not notice the corpse? No, apparently not. Alice literally slaps some sense into him and finally he sees it... really, how could he have missed it?
Nagata Mizuki lay before the three. He was still, with his eyes closed. Something was tangled between his feet. Based on how still he was, it was clear he was one thing.
The next day, sometime in the early evening, your Student ID summons you to the ballroom again. Monocobra awaits. Everyone files in, looking pretty irritated. The robot, on the other hand, seems pretty upbeat.
"Greetingsss! It'sss five o'clock sssomewhere and it'sss time to ruin sssomeone'sss life. And that lucky sssomeone isss... Toyoguchi Kazeno!"
The screen and projector descend from the ceiling. It looks like he'll be delivering the news in the same way he did Tokiyo's story. The projector revs up and the picture begins.
3... 2... 1...
Monocobra begins to speak as a high resolution video is displayed on the screen. It shows what looks like a hobby convention. Slowly the camera zooms in on Kazeno, who is making his way through the crowd. He's talking to everyone who looks like they might have something he wants.
"Good Sssir Toyoguchi isss known asss the bessst pin trader out there! Hisss collection of pinsss isss unrivaled! But wait, where did he go?"
The picture starts to blur -- no, that's not quite an accurate description. Only Kazeno's image starts to blur. Everything else seems as detailed as it ever was.
"Who caresss! Nobody, that'sss who. Thossse in the pin trading community have never even heard of the name Toyoguchi Kazeno. Why would they? He'sss jussst an average Joe."
And like that, the image of Kazeno disappears.
"An average Joe with no pinsss at that! He now hasss none outssside of what he hasss here. And who knowsss, maybe he'll lossse thossse sssoon asss well!"
The video continues for a few more seconds. People flow through the convention center as normal, filling the void where Kazeno one stood. It was like he was never there.
And finally, it shuts off.
"Poor Sssir Toyoguchi! And poor M'Ssshiro Yo, who will be next if no one getsss going!"
A day passes by and Monocobra's promise holds true. You're summoned to the ballroom once more. Monocobra's waiting quite impatiently. His tail flicks back and forth and he's hissing. This is surprisingly snake-like of him. As soon as the stragglers file in, he begins.
"Ssso no one hasss killed? I sssee how it isss.
"But that'sss... unacceptable. I'll just have to ssshow you what the reprocussssionsss will be if you don't kill!"
He grins deviously and a screen lowers down from the ceiling, as does a projector. It whirs to life and on the screen flashes a few numbers.
3... 2... 1...
Monocobra begins speaking as the projector displays a video of a 4/5 Dentists concert via the video channel Tokiomusic. It zooms in on Murakami Tokiyo, who obviously is rocking and rolling on that bass guitar.
"Murakami Tokiyo, Sssuper High Ssschool Level Rock Bassssissst. Look at talent... that finesssse. But not anymore!"
The video begins to blur. Well, not exactly. More like the Tokiyo in the video begins to blur. The rest of the footage seems as clear as day.
Bassssissstsss have never been very recognizable, and now M'lady Murakami is more facelessss as the ressst of them! Had ssshe ever been part of a band in the firssst place?"
And just llike that, Tokiyo seems to be erased from the video completely? There's just an empty part of the stage where the rock bassist once was.
"Did ssshe even exissst, for that matter?"
The Tokiomusic channel glitches and is replaced with an error screen.
Monocobra laughs and the screen goes black.
"Well, wasssn't that fun? It'sss your turn tomorrow, Toyoguchi Kazeno, my good sssir!"
The castle's ballroom is starting to become crowded as students trickle in. The lighting is a dim red, which is creating an ominous mood. Monocobra is already onstage, a smile on his robotic face.
Once the remainder of your peers enter the ballroom, the doors automatically swing shut behind them. Monocobra then begins to speak.
"Greetingsss! How isss everyone doing today?"
A few people who think they're clever respond, though Monocobra dismiss their sarcastic responses with a flick of his tail.
"Whatever you sssay doesssn't matter, essspecially sssince none of you are murdering!"
"I'm very disssappointed in you all. Do you not want to leave? How about I give you sssome motivation?"
Huh...? What does he mean by that?
"Lisssten up, idiotsss! You don't want to missss what I'm about to sssay. Kekekekekeke!"
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