round three - case wrap up

[mewreview]

blank state round three



day eleven

[After a certain point, late in the afternoon, the cat steps away from where he's been sitting, and meanders back towards the far side of the room, near the screens.]

Setting
Timeline
Cast

Voting is unlocked. Voting will close on April 12 at 9 PM EDT.

Comments

Solve the Case

[mewreview]

All right.

That's enough questions. Someone can try and solve the case. Tell me everything that happened. You can have two tries.

The better that you do, and the faster you do it, the better I can help you.

[You may now write up a summary of the case. You are encouraged to OOCly and ICly collaborate on this to make sure you get everything. The more complete the summary, the more hints you will receive.]

[volcanoes]

Several years ago, Viola Charm came home to find her mother hanging from the chandelier, dead. Her step father, Dr. Mortem, had killed her, but he convinced Viola that it was a suicide and to help him hide evidence, saying that it would damage her hopes of an acting career if people found out about the details. Viola helped and tried not to think too much about what happened from then on.

Then, later, when Dr. Mortem was just getting started as the Angel Killer, Annie Sims saw Dr. Mortem fleeing after a murder toward the university he worked at. She came forward to testify, but she was a nervous person who had almost no self-esteem at all, and in the end she was too intimidated by the interrogation and situation to clearly explain what she saw, and her testimony was discarded.

This allowed Dr. Mortem to continue killing people, including Samantha Pendrake's brother, Riley. Samantha left her family in order to track down the Angel Killer. Her son, Sheldon, stayed behind with her family. He didn't want anything to do with the serial killer case, although he did still care about his mother.

Samantha worked with Detective Paxton Green, an intelligent up-and-coming detective who attended the university Dr. Mortem worked at, being his top student. As Samantha gathered information that began leading toward Dr. Mortem, she held back that evidence from Paxton, since she didn't think he would believe that the professor he trusted so much was a remorseless serial killer.

Samantha ended up getting in contact with Viola and convincing her to tell the truth about what happened the day her mother died, appealing to her selfishness and desire for fame by saying that by helping, she could get her name in the newspapers. This provided even more damning evidence for Samantha to use.

Dr. Mortem caught on to this, and tracked Samantha down in her office. Paxton arrived in time to see this, but hesitated to shoot someone he respected. Dr. Mortem convinced Paxton to put down his gun in exchange for his putting down his knife--which he did, but only to get a gun to shoot and kill Paxton with.

Dr. Mortem then dragged Samantha back to her apartment, ransacking the place for information that would lead to him to get rid of it. He killed her there, as well, in the style of the Angel Killer.

Samantha's son, Sheldon, was also coming to Samantha's apartment at this time. He arrived in time to see the mess and his mother's body, and also before Dr. Mortem had left. Panicking when he saw the movement, Sheldon grabbed a family photo before running away. He was later able to unlock the safe deposit box his mother had left containing enough information to damn Dr. Mortem, but by then, Dr. Mortem had disappeared.

Theories of Blame

[mewreview]

[The cat licks its paws and waits.]

I'll be taking theories of blame now. You need four different theories for four different people. This isn't just what happened, but it's why that person is to blame. You can have two tries per person to get it right, but I won't tell you whether you completely got it.

The closer you get to the true source of the blame, the more I'll be able to help you find out who that person is.

[You may write up a theory of blame for a character involved in the case. The theories should involve these characters and the fictional case given by the cat, rather than any of the characters who are actually present. Please only make one theory for one character at a time, and put that character's name in the heading of your comment. You are encouraged to OOCly and ICly collaborate.]

Annie Sim

[souredsweet]

For Annie... She had the potential to end this entire situation before it started. If she had handled herself better during that interrogation, the police wouldn't have felt like she wasn't a credible source. Instead, her hesitation and second-guessing - her assumption that she would ruin this like she ruined everything else... It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. She hated herself for being unable to do anything right, for being too weak to act more quickly at the scene and for being too uncertain to recall the details of that night, and in the end, that prevented her from being a credible witness and catching Mortem.

Cabinets

[mewreview]

[You still have access to the four unlocked safes should you need to review anything.

But if you would like to have a more specific look through anyone's cabinets, you can ask here.]

[vivillon]

May I have my cabinet key, Sir Meowington?

Viola's Blame

[psychup]

I think I'll submit a theory this time.

[She says it pretty matter-of-factly, but her tone is unusually serious, even for these trials.]

I have a good grasp on Viola, but is there anything anyone feels it's necessary to include?

[chiblocker]

No...we talked a little about her, already, and I think we agreed about it.

[ Although she's surprised Athena's actually submitting a blame theory. ]

Detective Green's Blame

[vivillon]

I'll take care of Detective Green's blame, but let me know if there's anything you think I should include.

[psychup]

I'm sure you can handle it, Serena.

Let's focus on getting the cat to tell us more about what it means by blame.

Annie Sim's Blame

[souredsweet]

If no one else wishes to, I'll talk to the cat about Annie's blame. Something like "the serial killer could have been apprehended much sooner if she was more sure of herself" should work, but please tell me if you would like me to make mention of anything else.

[obeytherod]

There's not much to add, except maybe that she loathed herself for own her weak disposition.

Dr. Mortem's blame(?)

[bloomnobly]

Are we really to give blame for Dr. Mortem? It seems far too easy, seeing as we very well know he was the killer. Seeing as the cat specified four different people, and the deceased haven't counted so far, he would be one of them.

[acemedium]

We should blame him!

Sheldon's Blame

[fjords]

This guy, too, right? I can work on something, just tell me what you think's important.

[acemedium]

He was too late to find his mom's killer. And he should have been helping her before, but he was too scared.

Blame (As a Concept)

[vivillon]

I had a talk with Sir Meowington about how blame works. He said that Dr. Mortem can't have a rotten heart, and he's immune. He also said that people with rotten hearts did something bad, and that's how the rot starts. He also said it's unlikely for it to happen accidentally, also. It comes from feelings that were caused by something else. It's not who has the most feelings about the situation, though--Sir Meowington just tries to arrange cases so we notice what he noticed.

[psychup]

Serena!

This is so great! Thank you so much!

The Person to Blame

[psychup]

We still need a summary, but...now that we have theories for everyone, let's determine who we would blame in the pretend situation Sir Meowington gave us. I think it's important we clear this up and get this out of the way now, while it's still pretend. Assume we can't blame Dr. Mortem, please.

[It's pretty uncharacteristic for Athena to be the one asking about this, but here she is.]

We have Green, who hesitated to kill someone he knew. This may or may not have caused Pendrake's death, it's difficult to say.

We have Sheldon, who may have done a little more to help Pendrake.

We have Annie, who may have been a little more confident and it could possibly have exposed Mortem sooner.

And we have Viola, who maybe should have known her father-in-law was doing something like this and should have come forward with it much sooner.

What do we think?

[chiblocker]

Well...out of those four, Viola. She was the one who had the first chance to stop the killer, right?

Viola's Identity

[courthouserock]

[Klavier stands up and snaps his fingers.]

Achtung! So unless someone else thinks otherwise, I believe Viola Charm is supposed to represent myself. Like her, I'm related to someone who turned out to be a killer, and like her, I helped him commit his crimes and refused to put together the clues until it was too late. [He smiles.] I'm also quite the celebrity and very charming.

At any rate, my cabinet will probably explain my history better than I can, but I don't mind answering questions if anyone needs me to clarify something.

[psychup]

Prosecutor Gavin and I discussed this.

I'm fairly certain as well. I tried to base my theory of blame on details from our conversation.

Annie's Identity

[heyheyimthemonkey]

[After disappearing into the blue room for a long period of time Ritsu's back. Fully dressed, fully human and straining to look calm.]

Forgive me for interrupting.

[Ritsu laces his fingers together in front of him tightly, trying to keep them from trembling. He's doing his best to keep calm though. He's sure that it must be very obvious to everyone if he's realized it, but incase no one has it's possible that no one would believe him if he started acting out.]

I thought that maybe we could discuss who Annie could be...

[chiblocker]

[ Ritsu, it's different if you have actual REASONS to believe you're one of the characters...

Like the intense self-loathing memories. ]

Annie's the only one no one claimed, according to Athena.

Solving the Case

[volcanoes]

[Iceland reads off of a page of his notebook--it's case theory time again!]

Several years ago, Viola Charm came home to find her mother hanging from the chandelier, dead. Her step father, Dr. Mortem, had killed her, but he convinced Viola that it was a suicide and to help him hide evidence, saying that it would damage her hopes of an acting career if people found out about the details. Viola helped and tried not to think too much about what happened from then on.

Then, later, when Dr. Mortem was just getting started as the Angel Killer, Annie Sims saw Dr. Mortem fleeing after a murder toward the university he worked at. She came forward to testify, but in the end she was too intimidated by the interrogation and situation to clearly explain what she saw, and her testimony was discarded.

This allowed Dr. Mortem to continue killing people, including Samantha Pendrake's brother, Riley. Samantha left her family in order to track down the Angel Killer. Her son, Sheldon, stayed behind with her family. He didn't want anything to do with the serial killer case, although he did still care about his mother.

Samantha worked with Detective Paxton Green, an intelligent up-and-coming detective who attended the university Dr. Mortem worked at, being his top student. As Samantha gathered information that began leading toward Dr. Mortem, she held back that evidence from Paxton, since she didn't think he would believe that the professor he trusted so much was a remorseless serial killer. Dr. Mortem caught on, and found Samantha in her office. Paxton arrived in time to see this, but hesitated to shoot someone he respected. Dr. Mortem convinced Paxton to put down his gun in exchange for his putting down his knife--which he did, but only to get a gun to shoot and kill Paxton with.

Dr. Mortem then dragged Samantha back to her apartment, ransacking the place for information that would lead to him to get rid of it. He killed her there, as well, in the style of the Angel Killer.

Samantha's son, Sheldon, was also coming to Samantha's apartment at this time. He arrived in time to see the mess and his mother's body, and also before Dr. Mortem had left. Panicking when he saw the movement, Sheldon grabbed a family photo before running away. He was later able to unlock the safe deposit box his mother had left containing enough information to damn Dr. Mortem, but by then, Dr. Mortem had disappeared.

...Did I miss anything?

[psychup]

That works!

I think you should include that at some point, Pendrake did get Viola to talk to her, but it was through her thinking it would help her get her name in the papers.

Concept of Blame 2: Electric Mewgaloo

[volcanoes]

The cat said feelings of guilt are what rots a heart. With Youmu last time, she felt guilty, and maybe her heart could have been rotten, but there wasn't a "bad thing" in her.

Most of us have blame, some of us have rotten hearts, some of those people with rotten hearts are possessed.

mewgaloo tho

[bloomnobly]

It couldn't have been rotten. [ she's almost tired of arguing this, seeing as it's a lost cause at this point ] I think that's the distinction we're looking for. Regular guilt, and the kind of guilt that truly eats a person alive. Something one feels they can never repent for, or make better.

Unlock: Serena's Memory

[vivillon]

[Once Serena opens her cabinet, the setting around them changes into a cafe, decorated all in red. There's a man there--Lydsndre--speaking to Serena. "People can be divided into two groups. Those who give... And those who take... It's just as how the Kalos region's two Legendary Pokémon gave life and took life. I want to be the kind of person who gives... But in this world, some foolish humans exist who would show their strength by taking what isn't theirs." He speaks with determination, and his goals are obviously lofty ones--Serena certainly seems to respect him. She has every reason to, with what she's been told and how he behaves.

But as the scene changes, Serena's face changes from admiration to shock and terror as she watches Lysandre speak over what appears to be a portable holographic device: "Pokémon Trainers. I come to you by the Holo Caster to make an important announcement. Listen well. Team Flare will revive the ultimate weapon, eliminate everyone who isn't in our group, and return the world to a beautiful, natural state. Unproductive fools are consuming our future... If nothing changes, the world will become ugly and conflicts will raze the land from end to end. I repeat. We will use the ultimate weapon and wipe the slate clean. I'm sorry, those of you who are not members of Team Flare, but this is adieu to you all."

A third scene, now, in the basment of a laboratory. There's a very large man behind bars that seem to be covered in energy, but more importantly, Lysandre and Serena are here as well. Serena looks exhausted and frightened but still determined, with her Delphox just ahead of her growling at Lysandre--she follows him into another laboratory, where he speaks again.

"The only thing left to do is put the plan in motion. I'm counting on you. One push of a button, and we can activate the ultimate weapon from this room. I believe being a chosen one means you have the potential to change the future! Whether we activate the ultimate weapon or leave it safely underground will rest upon if you actually have this potential or not."

Serena is left with a scientist and a strange machine; she and the scientist enter into a vicious Pokemon battle, but Serena's Pokemon come out on top of the man. She's given her choice: there are red and blue buttons on the machine. Only one will activate it--and it's up to her to press a button. Serena's nervousness is obvious, and she looks from one button to the next with uncertainty. She swallows, glances at Delphox, still at her side, and presses the blue button.

The scientist responds to her decision. "You pressed it! Oh ho ho! You pressed the blue switch! Winner, winner! Congratulations! But I'm still going to activate the ultimate weapon! I know the boss promised that we wouldn't if you pushed the correct button, but I refuse to let the potential go to waste! I'll just use my remote, here! Click-click! And the power is ON!"

Serena's face flashes from confusion to terror--there's not enough time for anger at her mistake in trusting Lysandre's words--and, after looking at a weapon blooming out of a once quiet town, she takes off running as the scientist laughs in delight behind her.

Now she's in a new, glowing red laboratory--the heart of the weapon she failed to prevent from activation, staring at an enormous egg. The machine is draining the egg's energy to power itself. Serena approaches--and Yveltal awakens, an enormous bird of destruction with an ominous dark aura.

Finally, Serena is standing in front of an exhausted Lysandre, having just finished a final battle with him using the very Yveltal he was using to power up his weapon. Lysandre speaks one final time: "...But this ends here! I will show what its remaining power can do!"

The weapon is fired, and the memory ends.]

[vivillon]

[Serena is very quiet when her memory ends--she only crouches down to gather up a worried Sylveon, allowing her Pokemon's aura to calm her down.]

I can explain more details, if you have questions.

Unlock: Ritsu's Memory

[heyheyimthemonkey]

[Upon opening his cabinet, the setting shifts.

It's become the inside of a dark house, the only light coming from the front hallway. A group of people are talking in the doorway.]

"I'm sorry… Forgive me."

[A little boy peers around the corner within ear shot, clutching a ball to his chest as he watches his parents beg for forgiveness over and over again. The faces of who they're talking to are obscured, with the sense that it happens so often the people are actually interchangeable.]

"I'm sorry… Forgive me." [Her voice trembles, and she bows apologetically.]

"What a hopeless boy Ritsu is."

"I'm sorry… Forgive me." [His mother tearfully repeats it. Over and over. It's as if the only thing she can do is apologize, because there's nothing that can be said in defense of him.

Heartbreak is written all over Ritsu's face. He doesn't want his parents to to have to apologize for him. He wants to be a child they can be proud of.

He promises to himself that he'll work harder in school. But his grades never improve. If he can't be smart he promises to himself that he'll work harder in athletics. But his abilities never improve. No matter how hard he tries he can't keep up with anyone else. In everything he works at he's below average at best.]

"If he's going to be possessed by a monster, there should be one redeeming thing about him to compensate for it. Like all the other children."

[The feelings of uselessness and hopelessness eat away at him. He grows up timid and shy, looking as though he'll collapse entirely with the slightest touch. His heart pounds, his stomach clenches with dread, and his lungs seize in his chest. He's not smart, he's not athletic, he's not talented at all-- why is he here? Why was he born?

And then suddenly it all stops.

For the first time, Ritsu looks almost relieved. The memory pans out a little to reveal him standing in a dress. It doesn't fix everything, but it's comforting to him and that small comfort was something he desperately needed. For a moment there's less pressure. There's less expected of him, at least in these clothes. He clings to the feeling.]

"I'm so sorry! Forgive me! I apologize! I apologize..."

[It's short lived.

The comments to his parents about him become more and more disparaging. His parent's apologies just increase. Over and over and over again. It's a vicious cycle. The more they apologize for him, the more insecure and unconfident he comes, the more he needs to wear girl's clothing, the more they need to apologize for him.

The thing that gives him comfort, really just makes everything worse. It prevents him from ever being the person his parents should have had.

His parents didn't deserve a child they had to hang their heads over. They deserved a different child.

A better child.

As long as he's alive, he will always be a burden on his parents. If he weren't here anymore things would be better wouldn't they? If he could just bring himself to end things once and for all...

But he can't even do that.]

"I'm sorry." [The ball drops, rolling away from him. This time the voice that apologizes is his own.] "I'm so sorry…"

[bloomnobly]

Sohma-san, your own parents... [ Yuyuko's eyes narrow in sympathy as she clutches her hands to her chest ]

Sheldon's identity

[acemedium]

[Well, after the two memories that were shown, Maya's grown quiet. She keeps glancing over to the cabinets, then finally, clears her throat]

Um... I'm pretty sure that Sheldon is me. I can open my cabinet if you guys want.

[It's only fair, since two people already have. She doesn't seem to have anything else to say]

[psychup]

If you want to. I think we have a good idea who's to blame this week, but it can also help us if you open it. It's your choice, Maya.

Unlock: Klavier's Memory

[courthouserock]

[Klavier's cabinet opens in an office room decked with guitars. Klavier stands in the middle of the room, fiddling with one of the guitars. He's clearly much younger in this memory, his hair cropped short and his face more boyish than usual.

A man enters the office; judging by the similar hairstyle and features, he's obviously a close relative. Klavier looks up, addressing the man as 'Kristoph' and expressing surprise at seeing him at the Prosecutor's Office the night before the trial. Kristoph says that there's been a change in plans and that he won't be facing off against Klavier in his first trial, but that he brought information in exchange.]

"The attorney who'll be there in my place tomorrow is not to be trusted. Don't even give him the benefit of your respect." [Kristoph then proceeds to explain that this new defense attorney will be using forged evidence, and that Klavier should call a special witness in case he tries anything.

The scene shifts to a courtroom. Klavier, still a teenager, stands behind one bench; facing against him on the opposite bench is a defense attorney in a blue suit with spiky hair, Phoenix Wright. The two are locked in a heated battle over the testimony of the witness. As it's the middle of the trial, it's hard to determine what exactly is going on here, but the basic gist seems to be that the victim had been a famous magician who ordered his two pupils to shoot him in the forehead, with whoever succeeding in killing him being named as his successor. The defendant, Zak Gramarye, is accused by the prosecution of murdering his mentor. The witness currently on the stand, Valant Gramarye, is claiming to have walked in on the victim's corpse; however, as his testimony is riddled with contradictions, the judge is about the end the trial for the day so the two lawyers can investigate the case more thoroughly.

Klavier then interrupts the judge with another piece of evidence - the victim's diary. He points out that the diary ends with the victim claiming that he intends on writing more if Zak should fail in killing him, and that as that is the last page in the diary, Zak must have succeeded. Phoenix counters that he has evidence proving the victim had actually continued writing. At this point Klavier cuts in, telling him it's not too late to rethink this, but Phoenix persists. He presents a torn out page, claiming it to be a continuation of the diary and therefore proof that the defendant hadn't shot his mentor -- and Klavier's fist slams into the wall behind him, his lip curling with disgust.]

"You just couldn't resist, could you, Herr Wright?" [He requests that the current cross-examination be put on hold for a new witness and for the next proceedings to be held in private. The judge agrees.

The audience leaves, and a new witness takes the stand. The new man introduces himself as Drew Misham. Klavier asks him whether he's ever seen the torn out diary page before and Drew says he had - he'd made it. Klavier then reports that the Prosecutor's Office had received a tip the other night that illegal evidence had been prepared for this case. Phoenix protests that he hadn't hadn't prepared anything, but the prosecutor objects - after all, hadn't Phoenix himself been the one to present it? The judge asks Drew who had commissioned this forgery, but unfortunately Drew answers that he doesn't know - most of his clients are anonymous. The judge, coldly furious, now turns back to Phoenix and accuses him of presenting illegal evidence to the court while Klavier watches with barely-veiled contempt.]

[The memory fades out and a new one takes its place. The scene is still set in a courtroom, but Klavier now appears to be close to his current age. Standing across from him is the spiky-haired defense attorney from Athena's cabinet last week and a girl in a magician's outfit. The two lawyers quickly summarize the current case - Vera Misham is accused of poisoning her father, Drew Misham, but is currently in the hospital after somehow succumbing to the same poison while testifying yesterday. The defense attorney, Apollo, then makes a bold claim - he accuses Kristoph Gavin of poisoning Vera via nail polish he had given her seven years ago. The judge is shocked by this accusation, as Kristoph is currently behind bars, but Apollo points out Klavier's incredibly distraught expression as proof that Kristoph's own younger brother doesn't seem to find the idea inconceivable. The judge asks Klavier what his decision is and he hesitates for a long moment.]

"...Fine. I've known for some time that an impenetrable darkness lurked at the bottom of this." [And with a smile, he summons Kristoph Gavin to the stand.

Klavier starts the cross-examination off ferociously defending his brother, a far cry from his usual easygoing attitude, but it quickly becomes clear that this relationship may have a few problems as Kristoph begins subtly sniping at Klavier's abilities and talking over him. Apollo proceeds to accuse Kristoph not only of poisoning Vera, but of Drew Misham's murder as well via a poisoned stamp found in his cell. Kristoph counters that there was no way he could have manipulated Drew into using that stamp at the time of the murder and that he'd expected for Klavier to see through the defense's bluffs by now; however, Klavier responds by pointing out that Kristoph is the one who's bluffing, as they only need to prove that he had poisoned Drew at all.

The discussion now moves on to motive. Apollo claims that the motive was to silence the creators of the forgery seven years ago in Zak Gramarye's trial; Klavier objects, pointing out that Phoenix Wright had been the one to commission the forgery. Apollo retorts that Phoenix hadn't had time to commission the forgery, as he'd only been requested as the defense attorney the night before the trial, and the only person who could have done so was Kristoph. However, Kristoph claims there's no concrete evidence that this is true or that he had been the original defense attorney on the case, as the court didn't keep records.]

OBJECTION! "...Herr Forehead. Are you sure you don't have evidence...? Evidence that shows this man, Kristoph Gavin, requested that forgery seven years ago! Just... prove it! Clear up these doubts now, or I swear, I'm off this case!"

[It's at this point that Klavier's demeanor finally cracks as he realizes the truth of what had happened seven years ago and how badly he'd been manipulated by his own brother. He overrides Kristoph's protests, giving Apollo the chance to present any evidence that would prove Kristoph's link to the forgery. Apollo responds with a copy of a letter the victim had sent Kristoph that Phoenix had found in his cell; Kristoph, clearly angry, retorts that a recording and copy made by an ex-attorney suspected of forgery cannot be accepted as evidence. With Klavier silent, the judge is forced to agree and end the cross-examination until--]

OBJECTION! "...Frankly, I'm relieved. This has been bothering me for seven whole years."

[Klavier, the smile back on his face, finally speaks up. Kristoph attempts to shut him down, telling him to think about his fame and reputation, but his brother ignores him. As Klavier begins to describe the events from seven years ago earlier seen when the cabinet had first been opened, the memory ends.]

[psychup]

[Well, she's already heard all of this, but it's different to see it for herself. Of course it makes her feel a little angry, to see the position he put Mr. Wright into, but it also wasn't his fault.

What's worse is actually seeing Kristoph. Frankly, he makes her skin crawl. His attitude in general is terrible, but the way he talks to Klavier is absolutely horrible to watch.

She's clearly furiously angry when the memory finishes, and staring down Prosecutor Gavin.]

Answer me one question. Do you think what I said about Viola was fair?

The Plan

[psychup]

[Now that the investigation seems to be out of the way, Athena looks like she has something to say. She's visibly tense, with a nervous buzz of energy running through her system, and she's clenching her fists tightly. She's standing near the bench where the laptop is set up, resting her hands on it for support - it just feels better, knowing she has a desk to slam if she needs to.]

All right. I want to discuss voting today. Last week, we had a discussion about whether or not we should vote. And I...I was premature. Everyone who was saying that it was more important we find the real person to blame was right, obviously. Youmu definitely did not deserve what happened to her, and I shouldn't have insisted we avoid voting without a plan.

[And she'll take that desk slam now.]

But this time, I do have a plan! The cat told me that if the rot in someone's heart was removed, there would be a chance that person could be saved. He might think it's impossible, but he's never met me.

I'm not going to insist no one vote. We've identified fairly unanimously that Prosecutor Gavin is the person the cat would want us to vote for, so if you'd like to vote, then do so. But I do not believe Prosecutor Gavin deserves to be found guilty.

If I can convince everyone that Prosecutor Gavin isn't to blame, that I can save him, then please, vote no one with me this week. If there isn't anything we can do, I'll never ask you again. I'll put everything I have into finding the possessed person each week instead. We'll never know unless we try!

[chiblocker]

If you can save him, shouldn't you try to do it before the vote? If you can do it before then, then...there wouldn't be a reason to vote. If you can't, it'd...be having him live with the fact that he could very well be made to murder again. Because if he's to "blame", he's the one who murdered Satsuki, isn't he?

If you can't save him before the vote, I don't think it'll be something you could do in the next few days before this happens again.

[ She doesn't believe he deserves all the blame in what happened to him, but that's not really what this is about. ]

...It's not like we believe that he deserves to be found guilty. That's...not what this is about.

Unlock: Maya Fey's memory

[acemedium]

[As soon as Maya opens the cabinet, the setting changes. It's a law office, and Maya is eagerly walking, a bounce in her step. Her sister had called her again to hold some evidence, and then they were going to go out to burgers with her junior partner. Taking a break from Kurain and everything expected of her was a guilty pleasure, and whenever things got tough at home seeing Mia would make everything better again. Even as she excitedly makes her way to the office, she's not in any particular hurry, getting distracted along the way and arriving at the door a few minutes after she's been expected.]

[But the door is open while the lights are off. And suddenly, Maya has a bad feeling. She starts to hurry, calling out to the dark office, 'Sis?', and that's when the smell of blood hits her. Her eyes widen, she's suddenly terrified, and she calls out again as she outright rushes, but there's no response.]

[Then she sees her. Slumped against the wall near the window, completely motionless. The office is a wreck, furniture overturned, glass shards scattered on the ground, a small statue next to her body with blood on its base. Mia almost looks as if she's sleeping, aside from the blood dribbling down the back of her head]

[Maya crosses the room to crouch by her, openly crying as she tries to revive her, calls her name, pleads for her to wake up. Nothing. She's gone. Her body's still warm, but there's no life. She's hit by powerful disbelief, and horror – how could this happen to Mia, Mia was so strong, nothing could ever hurt her--]

[There are footsteps and maybe words, but Maya barely makes them out. “Sis...” she sobs, and suddenly, a man's voice is calling out to her. She turns to stare, her eyes wide – who could it be? Was it the killer, back to take care of her? She wants to move, she wants to do something, but her fear overtakes her, and she blacks out entirely]

[The scene shifts to a cell in the Detention Center. Maya's locked up, head lowered, talking to a man across the glass, her only visitor. He's asking her about their mother, and Maya quietly repeats what she'd learned from Mia. That their mother had been involved in an unusual murder case, that she'd been called a fraud because of a blackmailer, a man who drove her out, that she had fled when Maya was very young, and that several years after that, Mia had left to find the man, to become a lawyer and find out the truth]

["White", she says, feeling helpless and alone. Without her sister, the world is so much more terrifying – nobody will help her, and all she wants to do is run into Mia's arms so that everything can be okay again, "That was his name. My sister told me." Was it the same man who killed her? She doesn't know. She tries to wrack her brain for any idea of who it can be, and nothing comes to her. All she really knows is that she was too late]

[psychup]

Maya...

[This is really painful for Athena to watch, as well. It brings back her own memories of feeling helpless.

Also, wow, there was a murder inside the office she works in every day, that's also sort of upsetting.]

Remaining Hints

[volcanoes]

[Things are getting really heated and emotional for obvious reasons, so Iceland wants to talk about something more objectively practical to all of them.]

We've got two hints to use and this case is figured out. What should we use them for?

[chiblocker]

We need a way to find out if someone has been un-possessed, or Athena's plan is kinda pointless anyway.

[ She can't think of anything else off the top of her head... ]

I don't think Sir Meowington knows a lot about why we got here. Maybe he can give us hints about who we paid our tolls to, or who he has to pay his to? If he has to pay any.

VOTING RESULTS

[mewreview]

[Once the votes come in, the cat places the sheet of paper back in the box. You can get a glimpse of the number of votes for each person, but won't see any names. With a swipe of his claws, the tape on the box seals again, and then, abruptly, the box vanishes.

The cat remains sitting on his box, his back arched, looking angrier than you've seen him.]

You failed. Again. All of you are too stupid for this! You're just going to keep losing and die! What's wrong with you?

[At that moment, you may notice that Klavier Gavin has fallen to the ground. You recognize the symptoms from Youmu last week - clutching his chest and clearly going into cardiac arrest.

However, he won't die from it. After a few minutes, the symptoms fade.

Six scratch marks remain on the wall.]

Re: VOTING RESULTS

[chiblocker]

...I don't think we did fail.

[ There's one less scratch, after all. ]

AFTERMATH

[mewreview]

[The cat hisses and darts into his box as soon as the voting is done; you'll find him in there pacing and twitching his tail.]

[vivillon]

[Serena is pretty stunned about all this--unhappy, but with a very confused mix of feelings.

She crouches down near the box Sir Meowington is in, though at a bit of a distance, so as not to make him feel crowded or trapped.]

Sir Meowington? [She speaks quietly and calmly--as if she were talking to an upset Espurr. He's always reminded her of a temperamental Espurr.]

Requests

[mewreview]

[The cat seems to be in a grumpy mood, but you can still approach him for requests.]

((Requests will be open until 12 AM EDT or once 5 requests have been made; whichever is sooner.))

[obeytherod]

...Hey, cat. I want a motorcycle, somewhere to fill it with gas, and somewhere long and paved to ride it.

[Gonna try his luck. YOU CAN'T STOP HIM.]