Second Trial

[rech]

[Once everyone makes it the portrait gallery again, they will hear Randall's voice echo through the room.]

I'm not sure what everyone expected. There are a lot of children here and given the situation it was only a matter of time they started dying.

[Charming.

The floor descends once again as Randall begins his speech.]

Our tour begins here in this gallery where you gaze upon the sweet innocence of youth. Ah, but things are not always as they seem. Can it be this room is actually stretching? And notice this: this chamber has no windows and no doors, which offers you this chilling challenge… to find a way out.

Of course, there’s always my way.

[The floor stops again and doors open to the trial room.

At least the trial room doesn't look terribly different, although there are strange burn marks in the summoning circle now. And now, along with Mim, now Woody and Noby's podium has a lit candle and a voodoo doll resembling them (which is perhaps a little redundant in Woody's case).

Randall is already standing within the summoning circle, holding his stick with Facilier's head on it.]

Now then, I hope everyone has fun today.

[Trial Start]

Comments

[tanukey]

What I don't get are where the scratches fit in. An' why they're so low. I mean I don't think Remy or the detective'd be physically capable of this, an' they're about the size we'd be lookin' for if one of us made 'em.

[sharpasanarrow]

Maybe they were caused by some kind of object instead?

[tanukey]

Only thing I've seen that looks likely is that weird tile thing, and that was left with Nooby.

[hasit]

The tile...could Spinny have used that like we thought? To make the scratches? And if the killer found her, and took it away....

[The timeline isn't coming together, and that's really what's bothering her...]

[tanukey]

And just dropped it by the body? Could've happened, I guess. Dunno why they wouldn't have just hid it, though.

[hasit]

If they were in a panic...it's an easy thing to forget about.

[astronomics]

They're just on the doors, right? What if his pets were... trying to get help?

[not_over_yet]

...I believe someone who examined the body also found odd scratches on the steps.

[ No additional suggestions for causes, though. ]

[bestchefinparis]

Like something small is struggling to get up the steps?

[not_over_yet]

Unless I had something to use as a tool, what pass for my "claws" wouldn't leave notable marks, no. Not on wood. Why scratch all the doors, though?

And what is this "piece of sky"? I seem to be the only person who's not seen one yet.

[bestchefinparis]

...

[Well he's not wrong, but...still, there's something...]

What about a cat?

[That's the only animal he can imagine would be able to do such thing. It's a long stretch, but maybe if it was a small cat and it didn't stand on its hind legs...

And there's one around, isn't there?]

[not_over_yet]

Cats can scratch higher than that... [ Not discounting it though. ]

There are several cats here, I believe.

[madeofpine]

There's Figaro, but he was in my room all night. He couldn't've done it.

[kickbuttseatnuts]

Same with Mew Mew. She's kinda scared of y'all.

[bestchefinparis]

I know, but...it's the only way I can think this can work. We're running in circles at this point, anything that could fit should be considered.

[Not that Rémy feels very confident about this suggestion. He's grasping at straws and he knows it]

[lostbutnotaboy]

If it wasn't a cat though... could it have been some other little animal?

[upgradeit]

Cats don't usually scratch like that. They -

[Please imagine Hiro stretching his arms upward and dragging them down an imaginary couch. Dignity? He doesn't know her.]

[not_over_yet]

Perhaps trying to catch some...thing? one? [ That's kinda just down to him and Remy at this point, though... ]

...Can any of us change form?

[upgradeit]

But the walls weren't scratched, right? I dunno, if a cat were trying to scratch something I'd expect the marks to be a lot more random.

[not_over_yet]

...

[ Well fuck.

Finally gets out his pipe and starts pacing the top of his podium. ]

[upgradeit]

[He's been marking his map with all the locations of clues people have found and is staring down at it.]

. . . Okay, someone who saw the claw marks and actually looked at them this might sound weird but . . . did they even seem like an animal made them? Because I dunno - it feels like a weird red herring.

Mods?

[kickbuttseatnuts]

...I'm a bit of an animal expert myself. I could probably ballpark it.

[She closes her eyes to try and remember what what it looked like.]

[bestchefinparis]

Like the culprit is trying to frame Basil or me?

[Because there has to be better people to frame than the two small animals, so Rémy is a tad skeptical about that possibility, but eh...]

I guess it's possible they may have been made to distract us, but it's a bit risky to be making scratches at people's rooms over and over. What if someone heard them and opened the door?

[...]

When were they made, too? Before or after Noby died?

[Maybe they should have considered the possibility the marks were made before the death instead of after]

[bayoublues]

Do you...hm.

I know we talked about it earlier, but...maybe it was from the rock tryin' to wake people up? Tryin' to get help?

[tanukey]

[what the heck is a cat]