round four - case begins

[mewreview]

blank state round four



day fourteen

[The cat doesn't come wake you up this morning; in fact, he's nowhere to be seen.

Once again, all of you are gathered in the central room. The two flat screen TVs asked for are turned on, and hooked up to the laptop over near the desk. At the desk, you can also find many notebooks, pens, pencils, and markers.

Finally, there are 5 scratch marks scratched into the wall.]

Setting
Timeline
Cast
Graveyard

Comments

The Cat

[mewreview]

[The cat is curled up inside his box tower. If you come closer, you may notice he appears to be injured.]

[vivillon]

[Oh no.] Sir Meowington! [Serena is startled into being louder than she might otherwise be, but she quiets down immediately after. She tries to get a better look at the injury.]

Are you alright? What happened?

[acemedium]

--Sir Meowington? [Approaching slowly]

(frozen comment) Cabinets and Safes

[mewreview]

[The usual array of cabinets is set out, each labeled with the name of one person here, and each locked tightly.

However, near the cabinets are four much smaller cabinets - they look a little like a miniature safe. All you have to do to open one is turn the dial, and it will open automatically.

Like the cabinets, upon opening the safe, you will be transported to a "memory." But this memory is unlike what you experienced before. First of all, only the person opening the safe, and anyone immediately next to them when they open it, will be transported into the memory. Second of all, rather than watching someone else's memory play out, you will be watching it from the perspective of a person living that memory. You will see through their eyes; you will feel what they feel and live through their emotions.

At the outset, there isn't much in the safes - at first nothing more than a feeling, then perhaps some sketchy visuals later on - but as you learn more, the memory will develop. ]

((OOC: These comments will be frozen so they can be edited for replies. However you may and are encouraged to thread your reactions to viewing these memories in top level comments.))

First Safe

[mewreview]

[The person opening the safe, and anyone immediately next to them and helping them open, will experience the following as vividly as if they were living it: ]

For now, when you open the safe, your senses are immediately swallowed by darkness. There is nothing to see, hear, touch, smell around you. All there is is a single emotion - pure terror. You're so frightened you can't move, you can't think straight.

Theories

[mewreview]

[The cat is still lying curled up inside his box tower. However, he seems amenable to hearing your theories.]

[misinforms]

[He doesn't look the best and she feels bad, but Naho just kneels and offers up the theory she and Kaoru worked on together. She adds a bit of her own thoughts along the way to flesh out the theory.]

Asami Murakami was responsible for petitioning to re-open an old case her father failed to close previously. However, something unnatural happened and there was an earthquake that trapped them all within the building. At first, she tried sending a text to her father telling him about the earthquake and their situation as well as including a warning that people were going to die. She had a theory of some sort regarding the case and whoever or whatever she was afraid of was trapped in that building with them and she thought it was a great threat to them and that people were going to die.

She carried a certain amount of blame with her for putting everyone in that dangerous situation and must have felt a great deal of guilt and desperation as she wasn't even able to save them despite seeming convinced she knew who or what was out there and that they would be killed. In the end, she was unable to solve the case or catch the perpetrator, not unlike her father and chose to hang herself.

Findings

[mewreview]

The laptop has been opened to a basic word processor program; anything entered on it will be automatically displayed on the flatscreens. You can write up any theories or the summary of the findings so far here.

(OOC: Feel free to reply to this comment with any theories or facts about the case that you've found; however, please do not thread under this subheading. This is just to provide a handy recap of the trial so far.)

misc facts

[obeytherod]

>At least most of the bodies were killed by restless spirits...by the victims from ten years ago.
>The person Murakami tracked down but ended up released was responsible for the murders.
>There was a lack of evidence and no witness testimony.
>Murakami forged evidence to protect Asami.
>The survivor and the witness are the same person.

The Scene; gore

[mewreview]

[Go down the hallway and open the first door to the right. You will step into what looks like another location entirely.

You can walk around and interact with the scene, but you cannot take anything, destroy anything, or alter anything. When you're ready to leave, if you step back in the direction you came from, eventually you'll find the invisible doorway leading you back into the hallway.]

You're inside the hallway of a dusty hospital. The corridor is dimly lit with no windows; only one light is still working, flickering on and off. The walls are peeling with old yellow paint, and there are deep cracks in them, as well as a deep crack running through the floor. The room smells of blood and no wonder - it's splattered all over the walls. At the end of the hallway is a doorway that looks like an exit, though if you touch it, it doesn't budge. There are two corpses in police uniforms lying next to the doorway; they each seem to have bled to death from a bullet wound, and their guns lay by their sides. The corpses are, in fact, the realistic dummies you've seen before.

There are five other doors in the hallway. Four lead to patient rooms, clearly abandoned. In the first one, there is the corpse of a young woman hanging from a noose. She's dressed in business clothes, but she has a police badge that identifies her as a detective. In her pocket you'll find a cell phone, and her badge reads 'Det. Asami Murakami'.

In the second and third rooms, you'll find scenes out of some sort of horror movie. There are other police officers, or men and women in plainclothes with badges that either identify them as detectives or forensic investigators - ten individuals in total. All have been killed in particularly gruesome ways. Some seem to have been stabbed, others mauled, and one seems to be nothing more than a spray of body parts on the wall. All of these individuals are particularly realistic dummies, of course.

In the fourth room, you'll find the body of a boy who appears to have bled to death. Part of his skull seems to be missing, though it's not clear exactly what happened to him - possibly blunt force trauma, possibly something else. He's sitting, wide eyed, in a pool of blood, and on the wall next to him, also in blood, is written: 'You Forgot.' This is the body of Satoshi Fukube. If you look in his pocket, you'll find in his wallet a high school student ID card identifying him as Junji.

Through the last door, you come to something like a reception area. There is another dummy lying in the corner of the room with his throat cut, his head resting in a pool of blood. Beside him is a smashed camera. Next to him is a corpse with its eyes gouged out and a massive, gaping wound in his chest, as though he's been torn open by some sort of animal. This is the body of Shouhei Akagi. In his pockets, you'll find a notebook and an ID card identifying him as 'Koji Kabayashi'.

(frozen comment) Asami's Cell Phone

[mewreview]

[In the jacket pocket of the detective hanging from a noose, you'll find a cell phone. Looking though it is mostly fairly mundane, and she doesn't appear to talk much about police work.

Four days ago, it seems the owner of the phone made a number of attempts at an emergency call, but each time, the call failed to go through.

She also has two unsent text messages, both of which failed for lack of service: one, from four days prior, says 'trapped by earthquake at scene send help' and the other, dated three days ago, says 'please please people will die'. The messages were meant to go to her father.]

(frozen comment) Profiles

[mewreview]

Koji Kobayashi (deceased): A filmmaker who is becoming increasingly well known in certain circles for his horror films; however, he still hasn’t achieved much commercial success. Petitioned to be allowed to film a documentary when he came to learn the police were reopening a famous old case.

Asami Murakami (deceased): A junior police detective working the case. She received an anonymous tip that there was undiscovered evidence to be found related to a series of murders that occurred ten years earlier. Although the tip was considered to be a little shaky, she passionately argued that the case be reopened.

Kayako: A teenage girl at a local high school. Ten years ago, her sister was murdered at the old hospital in a high profile case. Kayako had been brought along with the older children, but had been waiting outside and was not considered a witness.

Sadako: A teenage girl at a local high school. She’s a massive fan of Koji Kobayashi’s work, and snuck into the scene with her friend Junji shortly before the earthquake. Sadako seems to have been the lone survivor of the incident.

Junji (deceased): A teenage boy at a local high school, and a childhood friend of Sadako. He and Sadako snuck into the hospital to watch the investigation. His body was discovered at the scene.

Takashi Murakami: The former lead investigator on the incident ten years ago, and Asami’s father. He was fired after the man he arrested was let go.

Something's Missing?

[psychup]

[Athena is normally an early riser, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary not to see her in the room in the morning. But today, in the yellow room, when you wake up, you're likely to see that the room has been torn apart - drawers emptied, Athena's bed cushion pushed off the bed, and she isn't there.

Fortunately, on your way down to the trial area, you'll see that Athena is alive and well, albeit looking incredibly upset and frantic, and making her way like a hurricane through every room as though she's looking for something.

She's also not wearing Widget.]

[volcanoes]

...Are you okay? [She seems to be in quite a mood, so Iceland is a bit hesitant to approach her, but he's worried, too.]

Safes

[vivillon]

[Serena is looking at the safes a little nervously. She's already had hers, though, so she wants to help everyone else and check these.]

Does anyone want to check the safes with me?

[souredsweet]

[well, he can volunteer for this, at least, since he failed the Widget Search Party.]

I can help.

Koji Kobayashi

[obeytherod]

Okay, there's a lot going on here... [Malik waves his hand dismissively, his frustration obvious even now.]

So let's start with Koji Kobayashi. He makes horror movies, and I've watched Cabin in the Woods, so I'd say this scene looks like one at the very least. [Watching one horror movie makes him an expert, by the way.]

But Koji is dead too. In the same place he was filming a documentary about another murder. I'd say maybe he was trying to set them up to get some footage, but not with the way he ended up...

[souredsweet]

[there's only confusion present when he mentions cabin in the woods BUT OKAY he'll just roll with it...]

Kobayashi's body is in a particularly bizarre state, isn't it? Junji is the name of the other, I think... The one with the message. Still, even his body wasn't as badly damaged by comparison. I would almost say that Kobayashi hadn't been an intended victim, or was perhaps killed by something else. ...Going for his eyes seems to be a very intentional decision, though.

Asami Murakami

[souredsweet]

It looks like Murakami is the woman who hung herself. I found a, ah... [HE FORGOT IT'S CALLED but gestures over to wherever Klavier is.]

In her pocket there was a device that Gavin-san said she used in order to try sending a message to her father about being trapped after an earthquake, and saying that people will die. The circumstances of her death are extremely bizarre if that's the case, though...

[acemedium]

...You mean a cell-phone?

Camera

[misinforms]

I saw the camera and... I have an acquaintance who used one a lot like it. The camera itself looks like it's in pretty bad condition but the memory card looks like it might be okay.

If we put the memory card in the computer we might be able to see something.

[Someone come watch it with her - if it works, she's pretty sure this is one movie that she wouldn't want to watch alone.]

[bloomnobly]

A...'memory card'? I thought cameras used rolls of film. [ technology level: not adequate ]

Kayako

[psychup]

[After being gone for the beginning of the trial, at a certain point, Athena comes back in. She's still missing Widget, and her red eyes reveal that she's been crying, but she isn't crying anymore.]

Let's get to work!

I think it's interesting that we have the profiles of so many teenagers, don't you? But Kayako especially, because based on her profile, it doesn't seem that she was anywhere near the scene at all.

[souredsweet]

[he offers her a fleeting, somewhat grateful smile, but buckles down to work almost immediately too.]

Mm, it seems like her only connection to the case at all is the fact that she was outside of the hospital ten years ago during the initial incident that was reported... Her sister died that night, but there must be a reason she's tied to the most current tragedy.

It was ghosts.

[heyheyimthemonkey]

[Are these cases just going to get progressively more horrific as they go...?]

Is it possible... it really was haunted?





[Is it also possible this is dumbest idea ever put forward?]

[bloomnobly]

[ SITTING OVER HERE IN THE CORNER GIGGLING ]

Tabloid Clipping

[fjords]

It's difficult to say how true this is, but it gives us some background.

So they arrested someone, but he was let go. I'd guess it was a lack of evidence... so when Asami heard about evidence that might redeem her father, she pushed to investigate.

[souredsweet]

Mm, Saenoki-san confirmed that her suicide was likely because she felt she had failed her father, too. It sounds like that might have been her main motivation... Though the cat also said that we need to figure out why she in particular was offered the tip.

The suspect that was released may be important, as well.

Asami's identity

[bloomnobly]

A-Ah, there is probably more to discover about Asami-san's death, but from what we know about her, at the moment...there is a good chance she represents myself.

[ if one looks closely, it's obvious that Yuyuko's hands are shaking terribly ]

If she is meant to be one of our four persons of interest, there are s-some, ah, unnerving similarities.

[vaccinations]

Can you give us an idea of what to look for?

...

If that's cool with you.

THE GHOSTS DID IT

[obeytherod]

[Well Malik's found out something new. He smugly presents the new information for discussion.]

So I went to the cat with a theory. As it turns out, the haunting rumour was true, but it wasn't spirits that killed those people ten years ago.

[Pause for effect...] ...But it was spirits that killed most of our victims this time around. Keh keh, and who better to exact their revenge than the victims from the last murder, right?

Now we just need to find out why. [Among other things...]

[psychup]

So if we solve the mystery from ten years ago, we'll solve why the ghosts wanted revenge!

First Safe - Asami

[heyheyimthemonkey]

Forgive me for interrupting.

According to Sir Meowington-san, it seems as though that Asami Murakami-san was sought out by the anonymous tip, because she had been the survivor in the initial incident ten years ago.

Oh and. The first safe is her safe. If anyone... wants to look inside it.

[volcanoes]

...Good job. [Ritsu being helpful?]

Fourth Safe - Takashi Murakami

[volcanoes]

Takashi forged evidence to try and get the murderer convicted and protect his daughter, I guess. We can check his safe now.

[souredsweet]

I can check it with you, if you'd like another person.

Another Theory of Asami's Identity

[scientificinvestigator]

[Ema's been listening to the conversations and reactions that the safes for Asami and Takashi Murakami have gotten out of those who braved them. She's tempted to look into Asami's safe for herself, but she's pretty sure that she doesn't want to see what's in there based on what she suspects and on the reactions of those who already have looked.

As it is, she looks about ready to be sick. After a deep breath, she speaks up.]

I don't know if Yuyuko still believes that Asami might be her. But I'm also starting to think that Asami might be me, too.

[vivillon]

Are you okay with telling us why? [She can't offer Sylveon, but she can offer her concern.] It's still early, so if you don't want to yet, it's okay.

Sadako and Junji

[misinforms]

This... case is starting to feel a little too close to home. [She's still smiling and she laughs, but it's nervous and awkward for her.]

Okay so we've pinned down two of the safes. However, something is still bothering me.

There are two other high school students listed among the profiles. Neither of them were supposed to be there and one even survived although the other died. I wonder if their being there was really just the act of foolish teenagers or if there was something more to it...

[Her face is scrunched up uncomfortably.]

[souredsweet]

Iceland-san and I were trying to figure that out earlier. The circumstances of Junji's death in particular make it seem as though he wasn't just an unfortunate victim, but a rather intentional one...

Kayako - Third Safe

[heyheyimthemonkey]

Ah... it seems that Nagumo-san's suspicions were right. Sir Meowington-san confirms that Kayako-san had known that the hospital was haunted before hand.

If anyone would like to look, Kayako-san's safe is the third safe.

[volcanoes]

I'll look, I guess. Are you going to? [They've already been through Ritsu's at least...]

Safe Two

[misinforms]

Will someone open this with me....? It'a Sadako's... and I think it' mine too.

[She just... doesn't want to look alone but... she needs to see it for herself.]

[psychup]

I'd be happy to.