FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[Soon enough, soon enough.

The ticking doesn't stop by the time everyone starts to congregate at the temple. It's ultimately not hard to find; after going north for a little bit, it becomes all too clear where the temple is.]




[The very top of the temple has a room, one of cold stone and blood. There is a stone table at the center; there is nothing on it but dried blood. There are no chairs, no food, no coffins-only small, hastily-scribbled circles to indicate where people might need to stand to face their captors.

And stand they will need to, as they wait for the Stewards to arrive. The time for what will very likely be a final confrontation is almost upon them. Now it's just a question of putting together the clues they've found-and seeing if there truly is a way out of this predicament.

Only one thing is certain-at this point, anything is possible.]



[It's time! The objectives are simple in this trial. It's time to finally answer the questions the Titled have about why they are here, and what, exactly, the route they all intend to take after five long weeks - especially when the Stewards arrive.

GOOD LUCK, TITLED!]

[EDIT: VOTING IS OPEN! This will close at midnight EST on May 25th!]

Comments

[necroyalty]

Is this-

Is this a scrying vector?

[ WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE ]

[joinhands]

It's some kind of webcam, so I suppose yes.

Osomatsu, you found a mirror with a number, right? So you know there's precedent for what I'm about to tell you. I understand if you don't trust me.

How do you write on a mirror without breaking it?

Breathe on the glass and form some mist.

So you can write the number 48-47-3845.

And you'll find out why I knew that fighting Death requires being on the level of torture that doesn't leave behind a body.

[necroyalty]

[ well this is some shit that she's mildly terrified at ]

[incendiarize]

...Mirror...numbers... She did it. The girl with the angel soul, she used something like that - and saw another her, in a different timeline or something, in a world that wasn't doomed!

[necroyalty]

[ wait tell us more about this aasimar girl WHAT ]

...go on.

[joinhands]

Yes, the angel girl and her little friend Soul. They communicated with Shinigami. That's why I ended up so familiar about them.

That "not-doomed timeline" you're talking about? It's one where Shinigami rules the world!

And sends weapons like us, whenever he pleases, to their torturous deaths!

[relieable]

[the word Shinigami is not lost on him]

How do you know all this?

[joinhands]

Ugh! I always have to do everything myself! That's exactly what that bastard believes, that's how I got into this mess! He just splits people off into solos and pairs so nobody's left alive to complain when they don't survive doing his dirty work! It's nothing like Arachnophobia's loving family!

[She's huffing and puffing with anger until she finally starts doing that breath mist thing described, big letters with the side of her hand like trying to smear all the foam off a winter car window]

CW: possibly epileptic colors

[15unknowns]

[As the mist clears, something happens.

Strange glitches fill the mirror's relfection.]

[joinhands]

[GOD DAMN IT????

PICKS THE MIRROR UP SO IT'S NOW STANDING UP HEIGHT-WISE ON TOP OF THE ALTAR

PLEASE WORK??????????????????????]

[15unknowns]

[As she does so, she will hear the ticking noise grow in her mind, ever louder. But distorted. Strange. Echoing.

Then, suddenly, pure blackness begins to spread through the colors with each tick, followed by a faint, mechanical voice breathing. Almost salivating.

Then, the blackness completely engulfs the mirror. Nothing but a howling silence accompanies the ticking that echoes through Krone's mind-and the minds of those who might be nearby.]

[joinhands]

[CRAMS HER HANDS OVER HER EARS??? WELP???????????? Time to DIE????????]

[15unknowns]

[The ticking just seems to get louder in Krone's ears. It's like something is trying to claw into her mind, something more insidious and terrible than anything she could imagine, to take her into its fold. Something beyond comprehension. Beyond this world.

Her mind has been open to it most of all, ever since she agreed to its demands, and her actions allowed it to watch her. It is pleased with her. It is pleased with this. It wants more from her, of course. It will always want more. It wants all of her. All of them.

A̸l̀l̴ of̶ t͡he̴m t̢o t̸heir ̛l͟ast̡.̛ T̸he͜y̡ ̛w̛i̴ll c͠ome tơ it.̛]

[joinhands]

[okay well whatever the fuck this thing is it was COMPLETELY indistinguishable from Shinigami in its basic motivations, methods, AND knowledge so SHE'S SCARED BUT SHE'D RATHER GET MORALITY MACHINE'D BY ARACHNE AT THIS POINT THANKS???

WHERE IS THAT THING]

[relieable]

[what... the fuck.

Osomatsu pulls out the mirror frame, and he looks at the number on it.

he's scared, but he moves over to the mirror to blow on it. if he can, he'll enter the number he found: 4242564]

[1/2]

[15unknowns]

[The mirror's image warps, glitches.

Then.]

[2/2]

[15unknowns]

--the Scythes ready. Now that we--

[Oh. wait. Hm!]

Ah! I see. The ones on the island. How have you managed to gain my number?

I certainly do not give it out freely.

[He looks very...angry. Or maybe it's just his mask. Though he does sound just a tad upset.]

[relieable]

[WHAT. Osomatsu is surprised that that even worked. he stares dumbfounded, mouth open like a fish]

U-Uh...! Sorry. I found your number...! My name is Osomatsu! Can you... tell me who you are?

[joinhands]

IT'S YOUUUUUUUUUUU! SHINIGAMIIIIIIIIIII!

[SHE'S JUST LOSING IT AFTER THE WHOLE MADNESS INCURSION SO]

YOU'RE TOO LATE! I ALREADY SET UP THE BEDS OF NAILS AND IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THAT HELPED US! WHATEVER YOU WANTED OUT OF US SUFFERING LIKE THIS WAITING FOR YOU TO COME RESCUE US I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY BECAUSE I AM NEVER, EVER OBEYING YOU AGAIN!

[15unknowns]

I am Shinigami.

[As if it should be obvious. Do you not see the scary mask?

After Krone speaks, he looks over to her. His voice sharpens, just slightly.]

Suffering? Waiting? What are you talking about!?

I have never seen any of you before this moment! What has happened!?

[yonosoymaria]

[Eric laughs, for almost too long. It's a high and wild sound, nothing like what he's loosed on everyone's ears before. Finally, he calms himself.]

There's still so much I don't know, and you claim IGNORANCE?

[relieable]

[just going to ignore Krone's outburst. okay. so this is Shinigami]

A lot has happened! We were kidnapped by some Lady who wants us all to go mad so she can use us to fight. And be weapons for her?

[incendiarize]

So that's who she meant by her boss... That's a thing about these visions. I become the person. So I see everything, feel everything, and I get their thoughts too. And I've been her three times now.

And she was suffering so much, in the doomed timeline. Starving. Scared. Hopeless. And she was alone, except for her partner. The her we saw in the mirror was so....different. She didn't really look like a soldier at all.

...And just 'cause a leader sends them on missions that get them killed doesn't take blame for their deaths off the people who actually killed them.

[necroyalty]

[Ambro's gone very silent here, mostly because out of all the current survivors, she's had the most experience in sending people out on missions that can get them killed. ]

It's...

I'd like a few words.



[She only ever used adults what the fuck ]

[incendiarize]

Uh, sure.