Danganronpa F6: Beneath the Surface- End

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Sun Sep 08, 2019 3:58 pm

"All I know is Rattlewater, so I don't have much to compare it to. Still, it's nice to hear that Brandy, I'll take your word for it," Seb said with a small smile. "Lately it's only seemed like Rattlewater's full of some pretty bad people, I'm happy to hear there's good there too.

"As for me, I... like school, I guess," he continued bashfully. "That's where I meet my friends. Or, met my friends, I suppose. In the year since I met Bennett I drifted out of contact with them. I hope to rectify that if I ever escape from this place."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Sun Sep 08, 2019 6:53 pm

"My favorite place in Rattlewater..?"

Ivan rubbed his baton.

"...That would have to be the police station. I think you all can understand why. We run a tight ship there. I feel like I have created something. A home, for many of my men who may not have had one before."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Sun Sep 08, 2019 9:47 pm

"My, ah, favorite place in Rattlewater? Well... I suppose the performance hall. I do enjoy performing there and seeing the smiles on people's faces, after all," Oliver answered, running a hand through his mane of red hair.

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:00 am

"See? I think that was more delightful," Enola said, forgetting about the people who hadn't said anything. "As for me, well...I haven't been out in the light in a while. But I remember spending time near a little marketplace that was always busy. It was a good place to read...and find inspiration."

Enola jumped to her feet, tossed the sharp latter opened to the floor, and walked away, revealing the wall she'd been crouching in front of. The scratches on it formed a crude drawing of a figure's head and shoulders. Based on the unshaded area in the center of its face, the others concluded it was wearing a hood.

"I thought you should see it for yourself," Enola explained, "That's the Boogeyman..."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 10, 2019 2:57 am

"The Boogeyman..." Brandy said quietly. "Who could he be? I feel like that's the last mystery we have to solve down here... he's gotta be the one pullin' all the strings."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:50 pm

"This 'Boogeyman' wanted to hide their appearance from Enola... Which means Enola can't tell us what they look like. That... might suggest that the Boogeyman is one of us," Seb said slightly nervously. "That would make them the 'mastermind' we've considered, the one who summoned Belphegor.

"Alternatively the Boogeyman is someone Enola would recognise, which would in turn be bad for some reason. Perhaps if they were the mayor, for instance."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Tue Sep 10, 2019 2:04 pm

"Obviously whoever it was anticipated us findin' Enola eventually," Brandy mused. "Maybe not at first, but they made a conscious effort to make sure even she didn't see their face. So this is likely still part of their game."

Despite the despairing subject matter, Brandy was grinning. "N' if they're one of us, then I hope they're ready for the biggest ass-whoopin' they ever did get once we figure it out."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:39 pm

"I dearly hope that one of us isn't pulling the strings... but if that is the case, then we will surely bring that dastard to justice, whoever they may be."

Oliver tried to crack his knuckles for dramatic effect, but failed miserably due to no audible crack coming from them. He sheepishly cleared his throat and hid his hands behind his back.

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Thu Sep 12, 2019 11:11 pm

Enola's head snapped toward the window. She slowly turned toward Oliver and stared at him uncertainly.

"I...think one of the ghosts just called you a wimp," she mumbled. "Ugh...that laughter...too loud."

She covered her ears and closed her eyes tightly.

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:53 pm

"Even in death, Matt is still calling me a wimp..." Oliver listlessly mumbled, before letting out a small chuckle. "Somehow, I am not surprised in the slightest."

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Sat Sep 14, 2019 6:38 pm

"I suppose that, if nothing else, he remains the same, whether in this world or the next."

Nail, as was his wont during the entire game, had decided to randomly appear, looking quite disgusted with himself.

"I should have thought before gallivanting off on my own," he muttered angrily, poking the wall. "Then it would've gone better... no, no, the end result would have been the same..."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:11 pm

Oliver jumped and let out a small, rather high-pitched yelp of surprise, alarmed by Nail's sudden appearance. After taking a moment to calm down, he sheepishly rubbed his fingers together, trying to pretend that didn't happen.

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:51 am

Enola's head snapped up to Nail. She didn't seem particularly surprised, but she rose quickly to her feet.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she cried, "Don't touch my walls with your dirty fingers! You're gonna get smudges all over the place. Didn't you ever learn your manners."

Enola batted Nail away pathetically and began running her fingers gently across the wall. "And quit mumbling shit to yourself...it's weird." She shook her head in irritation.

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:26 am

"Hmph." Nail dusted off his suit, frowning at Oliver. "Do try not to make it too easy to mock you. I am certain Matt also got a kick out of that, though. So perhaps you should continue to be so amusing."

He practically ignored Enola, as if she wasn't there. Clearly he had no interest in her, which seemed to be reciprocated.

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:15 pm

"We are only guests here," Seb pointed out. "Or at least Enola believes we are: it's not yet clear if this is really her house or merely a duplicate like the town segment from before. Either way however it would be best to respect her wishes."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:57 pm

Enola glowered at Nail, only for her face to grow uncertain. She turned toward the others.

"Umm...I'm sorry," she mumbled, "But can you all actually see the tall man? He doesn't seem to...fit in with the rest of you. I can't tell if he's a spectre or just some asshole."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:17 pm

"He's a shapeshifter," Seb explained as though that were normal. "The shapeshifter, in fact. He can transform into a crazy woman named 'Haley', though we've yet to find out how or why."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:18 pm

"To be honest, I don't really care to find out how or why... the less I know 'bout Haley, the better," Brandy said.

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:20 pm

"So...an asshole that can turn into a different asshole? Okay..." Enola seemed unimpressed.

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:55 pm

Spoiler: 9:50 AM

[Please wait for all alibis to be distributed.]

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:07 pm

Spoiler: 10:25 AM

Spoiler: Inside

Spoiler: ???

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:28 pm

"A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED. A TRIBUNAL SHALL BEGIN SHORTLY."

A voice like an asteroid in deep space, floating and drifting in utter coldness.

"Please start investigating to those of you that remain. I eagerly await the process of deduction on this one."

Spoiler: Teams

After investigating, everyone starts making the trek to the tribunal area.

The magical path of colored stones leading up to the house disappears behind them as they leave.

They feel it in the air... This was shaping up to be something more than the last trials. Somehow... Ever since Enola appeared... Everything's felt different. They're getting to the core of things.

They enter the tribunal area solemnly, shadows of torches dancing across their faces. The five take their places, dragging Enola behind them.

Spoiler: Helpful Stuff

"It's time for the fifth tribunal. You all know what must be done."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:35 pm

Enola trembled as she stepped into the trial room. Tearstains snaked down her face. The vacant look in her eyes and bloodstains on her dress made her look even more like a ghost.

She stumbled into the center of the room. She slowly spun around in a circle, staring at all of the podiums and the people that occupied them.

She smiled. "Everyone's here..."

Her eyes stopped on Daniel's podium. "I hope he's happy now...getting to sleep...forever." She giggled.

She gently swayed back and forth, her expression faint. Then her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor with a thud.

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:56 pm

Brandy looked exhausted and her hand hurt. A lot. Her breathing was unsteady and she looked like she was ready to drop dead entirely.

"Another one... here we fuckin' go again. I feel like I'm gonna hurl..." she groaned.

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:04 pm

"Are you okay, Brandy? How bad is the injury?" Seb asked, concerned. "Bear traps are vicious, I hope your hand is still working properly..."

He didn't pay Enola much mind for the moment, focused instead on Brandy. He probably thought it was just more theatrics, anyway.

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:12 pm

"I-I'm well enough," Brandy said through clenched teeth. "Thank you for your concern, Seb... Let's jus' get through this, now. I have a funny feelin' this is the big one..."

She could feel the color drain from her face as she spoke, but God damn it, we're in the endgame now. No quitting here!

"I'll go over my alibi n' investigation soon enough, jus' gimme a minute here..."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:29 pm

Luckily for a very rude Sebastian, Enola eventually rose to her feet. Or she at least tried before pitching forward, her hands landing flat on the floor. She collapsed sideways and lay curled up, still sobbing.

"I-Investigations..." she mumbled, "We have to find the one who...stole Daniel's soul...right? O-Okay..."

"Me and...whoever it was investigated the bedroom," she explained, "The body was there, under the sheets. His neck was stained with dark bruises...like something slammed into it over and over again. The top of his head was burned red; his skin bubbled like a fucking cauldron. The missing hat and that megaphone...they were just on the bed...undamaged." Her words were gruesomely methodical, but she had to stop frequently to dry her eyes or suppress vomit.

"His fist was like the hand of a statue. Inside we could just spot a small dowel with a chain on one end. There was also a newspaper clipping...a picture. We couldn't open his fist though.

"Also, his ankles were bruised. Unlike the head and neck wounds, it couldn't have ended him...we thought. But they were swollen and bruised. There's no way he could have walked...or even risen from his final resting place."

Enola stopped and just breathed for a while. At least the most painful part was over with. She eventually managed to sit up and face the others. She wrapped her hands around her chest.

"We checked the debris near the bed," she continued, "We're pretty sure the attic shit all of it onto the floor. The boards matched, the cases had junk I know used to be there - like Christmas trees and bowling balls - and there was an old, dead rat missing its tail. The cases seemed untampered with though.

"Next, we looked over the little table. The inside of the drawer had been defiled. The papers had been turned all about...but none of them seemed important. All we cared about was the pliers and can of paste inside...I'm sure the latter was used to give Daniel's hand its early case of rigor mortis...

"There was a picture frame lying face-down on the table. The dust on the back was moved and there was a single piece of tape on the other side...so it had been gutted. There was some paper left behind. I think the newspaper clipping used to belong there.

"Then, the dresser," she said, "The lamp next to it was missing its pull switch. Most likely the dowel in Daniel's hand...The dresser was also ransacked. The top of one of the drawers was stuffed with those cult robes...nothing too strange. Above the dresser, some fishing line hung down from the boards in the ceiling with a wooden dowel on one end. I got no fucking clue what that was for. Pretty hard to spot though..."

"Near the dresser was a loose floorboard. It tilted down when we stood on it, like some kinda seesaw effect." Enola sighed, for some reason. "Anyway, on the bottom of the board was a notch like something was meant to sit in it. There wasn't anything in the crawlspace of note though...and no one could have fit there."

Enola trailed off and lay back on the floor again. "I'm exhausted..." she gestured vaguely at Oliver. "You handle the rest."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:36 pm

WinterCoat wrote:"I-I'm well enough," Brandy said through clenched teeth. "Thank you for your concern, Seb... Let's jus' get through this, now. I have a funny feelin' this is the big one..."

She could feel the color drain from her face as she spoke, but God damn it, we're in the endgame now. No quitting here!

"I'll go over my alibi n' investigation soon enough, jus' gimme a minute here..."

"That's good to hear. But you're right, for now we have to focus on this," Seb said, getting serious.

"As you know, Nail took charge of the investigation. Um, that is, the investigation to find out what the deal with Enola's box was, before the investigation surrounding the subsequent murder. I was chosen to go to the attic, so at 10:00 that's where I went. It was very cramped up there, he was right to send someone short like me. It was lit only by a single small bulb hanging from the ceiling, and there were rats everywhere. Filthy creatures, but they're somewhat nostalgic now...

"Well, anyway, I started searching the place. There were boxes everywhere, most empty or otherwise irrelevant. I also noticed a single, thick electrical cable trailing along the floor, which seems to supply the house with all its electricity, coming from some outside source. It connects to a fuse box which then relays the power throughout the house. Around 10:05 I noticed I could see the library through gaps in the floorboards. Brandy was searching through the books in there. I then heard the squeak of another rat... though this one was a bit strange somehow. Its tail had been cut off, too.

"I kept searching after that. There were a bunch of heavy boxes, too heavy for me to even move, full of bowling balls, weights and other heavy items. The floor had a large gouge in it right by them, maybe eight or so feet across. Nearby there was a jar of some clear liquid, resting on another box. The top of the jar had holes in it; when I smelled it, it was acrid and made my eyes water.

"At 10:15 was the blackout. I'm sure you all noticed that. At that moment I heard sparking sounds from one corner of the room: I think something had happened to the power cable. I stumbled around in confusion, but before I could get my bearings a deafening whistle rang out, so now I couldn't see or hear. Again I'm sure that happened to everyone. I was worried someone might attack me: after all, it seemed likely that someone had snuck up into the attic while I was there to cut the power cable, so they would have therefore still been in there with me. I have a different theory about that now, but, at the time I wasn't in much of a position to be thinking logically. I hid myself, hoping this 'intruder' wouldn't be able to find me in the dark.

"At 10:20 the whistling finally stopped. I almost immediately heard Brandy screaming, something about getting stuck in a trap. Ivan called out to her, then I shouted down to them that I was going to try and restore the power. I could still hear the buzzing of exposed, severed cable, so I had to move carefully to avoid electrocuting myself. Before I could really move, however, I heard creaking, followed shortly by tremendous crashing and thudding sounds. Whatever happened was enough to cause the house to shake a little: it was as though a tree had fallen onto it or something.

"In hindsight, however, I think it was the sound of heavy boxes breaking through the floorboards and crashing into the bedroom. I say this because as I moved towards the now-quieter buzzing sounds, I felt a large hole in the floor in front of me. I felt around some more and it was clear both severed ends of the cable had slipped down the hole, muffling the sound they were making. I carefully pulled the two ends up and put them back together, which seemed to do the trick. Power was restored and the light switched back on. That would have been at around 10:25, when I looked down into the bedroom and saw the state of the room..."

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:18 pm

"Well, isn't this an unfortunate turn of events," Nail commented, not seeming too sad about it all. "One final murder, one final trial. Let's begin.

"I suppose I'll start with my alibi for once. As Sir Sebastian stated, I decided to take over the investigation of Enola's Box, which was not met with much opposition. I believe I won't have to go over everyone's positions, but just in case, I shall cover them here; Sebastian was to examine the attic, Brandy the library, as I had found a book with the cult's symbol on it, and then I requested that I be left alone with Enola, as her safety was and still is our topmost priority.

"Once the lights went out, Haley took over. She has a much better handle on stressful situations than I do, considering her specialty. Once she took over, she immediately took stock of the situation, and decided that the best place to be was, of all places, the bathroom." He shrugged at that. "What her fascination is with bathrooms, I couldn't say. But it was a rather safe location.

"As for my investigation, I shall cover for Brandy in this case, should she wish it."

He cleared his throat, bending his head as he recalled the events.

"We investigated the living room and the kitchen. The first thing of note is a number of blood flecks, but it did not seem concrete enough to be useful information.

"We then saw a small silver marble. It wasn't very big, but it was quite dense for its size. No telling where it came from, though.

"Then there was a can of oats missing its top. There was also a dent in the can, and it was on its side on top of the fridge. More than that, there was a loose plank that Miss Brandy stepped on, and it seemed to bend like a fulcrum beyond the wall.

"After that, we investigated the stove. The teapot didn't have anything of interest, nor did the dining table, which only had tea-making supplies on it. Sir Oliver was most likely surprised in the midst of his preparations once the lights went out most suddenly.

"However, in the living room, there was a number of things of interest. There was a pile of old Rattlewater Tribune's. The first one we saw was one on our resident police officer, praising his abilities on being an excellent police officer. Then, we saw one with our former resident drill instructor, and it noted that he had broken out of a burning building... but Belphegor noted that he had only meant to save himself, and not anyone else. There was a final one on Oliver, noting how he had done a charity drive to get his name out, which was apparently fairly well-received.

"Beyond that, I have nothing to add. If Brandy so wishes, she may fill in the gaps in my story."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:37 pm

"I see..." Enola mumbled, "Another board on a fulcrum...Perhaps the two are one, bridging the barrier between the bedroom and kitchen."

"Of course, none of us could have used it," she added.

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:26 pm

Brandy nodded as Nail went over their investigation. "Right, thanks, Nail. That's a big help... I best be gettin' to what I was doin' the whole time 'fore the body discovery.

"At about 10:05, I was lookin' through some books in the library. I closed the door behind me when I entered, too. I was searchin' for what felt like a while, but then the lights went out at 10:15. I couldn't see anythin', except for this one stupid book... its spine was glowin' in the dark n' it had that damn symbol. It was the book I was lookin' for!

"But, of course, because shit's always hittin' the fan for me, my God damn hand got caught in a trap. Should be noted that I heard the teapot whistlin' 'round then, but anyway, it hurt. It hurt like Hell. I could feel the bones in my arm grindin' against the trap. As if havin' one arm wasn't bad enough, my Dumb Bitch Disease kicked in n' I really went n' wrecked it. Really screwed the pooch... fuckin' useless...

"I was cryin' out for a while, felt like I was gonna pass out from the pain alone. At 10:20, the teapot apparently stopped. I dunno, I jus' kept screamin' n' yellin' for help... I heard Ivan through the walls sayin' he was comin' to help. He must've been in the living room. I also heard Seb up in the attic, like he said.

"There was a loud crashin' and thuddin' noise and the house shook a little, like if a tree fell. I heard movement in the house, like somebody was definitely bumpin' into stuff. I kept callin' for Seb n' Ivan, but then the window opened n' Oliver came to my rescue. He pried open the trap with his bare hands... honestly didn't know he was that strong, to tell the truth. He started makin' a bandage with strips from his sleeve, n' then the lights came back on at 10:25.

"Lord, there was blood everywhere... makes me sick thinkin' 'bout it... Oliver had blood on him too, I think. Most of it was probably jus' mine, but anyway Ivan came in, n' even he was covered in blood. That's where the story ends, really... pathetic, isn't it?" Brandy was swaying from side to side slightly as she spoke. "It was so dark..."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:35 am

Oliver glumly looked down, his clothes splattered a bit red -- likely blood accumulated from helping Brandy out. "Another damned murder... Just as I thought we were done with that." He looked over to Brandy and gave her a weak smile.

"I'm, ah, glad I found you. Truth be told, I had no idea I was that strong either... but that's besides the point. I'm just glad that you were able to be freed. When we get out of here, hopefully you can get your hand looked at by a medical professional."

He absently ran a hand through his hair and listened to Enola tell him to recount the rest of the investigation. "Alright. I'll do that."

"Picking up where Enola left off, we went to the attic, where the rest of our investigation took place. It was rather cramped up there, and there wasn't too much of note -- just rats and various boxes. We did notice that one box, however, had been opened. It was about ten inches on each side. When we looked inside, there was nothing in there except for some padding. Perhaps it held something else at some point."

"After that, we found a main power line that contains all of the electrical wires for the house. It entered the house through the corner, and the cable snaked over to the fusebox. The cable had a cut it in -- likely the reason the power went out for a brief period of time. Belphegor repaired it with electric tape, however, for the sake of the investigation. ... That's a sentence I'd never expect to say. Anyway, we then found that one outlet in the attack had something plugged into it. The wire snaked from the outlet, between the floorboards, and seemed to lead to the library."

"Next was the colossal hole above the library. It looked like several boards splintered and snapped on one side, while on the other side, there seemed to be a jagged cut on the floor. Oh, and something to note is that the main power cable was right by that hole."

"The last thing we found in the attic was a jar laying on its side. It was mostly empty, and had a few holes in the lid. The smell that came from inside it was... ugh. It was acrid and intense, to say the least. It burned our noses. We also noticed that, tied around the back was a fishing line that seemed to disappear underneath the boxes. It was rather subtly placed, but thankfully, we found it. We also found that there was a block of wood taped to the bottom of the jar, which definitely made it seem like it didn't sit balanced very well."

He sighed, thinking to himself for a moment before shrugging. "In any case, that's all for our investigation. Oh, actually, Enola noticed that I was carrying a rolling pin with a bit of blood splattered on it -- it's likely Brandy's blood got on it from when I helped her. I took it for self-defense during the blackout, just in case. In any case, that's all. I'll recount what I did in a few moments, just give me a minute..." he said, catching his breath, and his creator wanting to clog up the post with the alibi.

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:48 am

"I should add my investigation results now, I think," Seb said. "We investigated the library among other locations.

"In one corner was a pile of books, and the area was bloody. The shelf had a bear trap sticking out of it, surrounding a strange book. This must have been the book Brandy found. Inside it said 'The Demon Handbook - All you need to know to get worshipping!' It was mostly a collection of entries about various demons:

"Belphegor is the 'helpful' and 'slothful' demon, apparently. He wants people to take the easy way out, and is always ready to offer tips and advice to advance that goal. He's honourable, though sometimes sadistic. His expansive knowledge makes him powerful, but he doesn't tend to exert that power over others. His actions 'always lead people to power'. So far nothing interesting, but, the book also detailed how to summon him. It claimed you needed the blood of a 'freshly murdered person', a vial of which could be taken to an alter with the right runes on it and kept inside the central compartment in a bowl. With some magic words he'll be summoned. A lot of that lines up with what we found regarding the altar, but... the strange part is that the blood is needed 'after' a murder.

"Satanael is the 'chaos' and 'freedom' demon. They want everyone to be free and make their own decisions, and love watching people do their own thing, following their dreams. They don't like it when morality gets in the way of people's desires.

"Ha-Satan is the 'adversarial' demon. They love providing challenges for people. Apparently when we encounter difficulty, that's Ha-Satan's influence. Ha-Satan doesn't have many followers, but the book claims it's good to be on their side.

"Lastly... Lucifer, the 'first' demon. The original ruler of hell, he looks down on us all and despises our imperfections. He makes people pay retribution for their sins, and is in general always eager to punish people. The only way to please him is to enact 'justice' on the human race... though even then you need to be 'perfect' in his eyes."

After saying all that, Seb shrugged helplessly. "That's about all there was. It's all a bit absurd and culty, but then, that's life in these caves I guess.

"Next up, we found another of those damn spellbooks. I wrote the spell down so we'd have all the details:

Possession: Requires drawing a magic circle and standing in it. Allows someone to possess another living being for 5-10 minutes. The possessor has to distribute 50% of their soul to take over the being and for that time being the possessor can only perform simple commands both in the body they’re possessing and their normal body. This does not include talking and so they will not be able to communicate. Performing rite for the spell requires something that belongs to the possessee as well. The possessee will not be in control of their body for the time period and will be unable to recollect what happened during the time in which they were possessed.

"We found some other books with similar patterns as the spellbook, but inside were only unrelated topics. After searching through the book pile some more, it became clear that there were too many to have just come from the one shelf they were next to. We then checked out the bear trap. It had a copper wire around it, and a cord connected it to the ceiling for some reason.

"We didn't find anything else in the library, so we checked out the bathroom next. There was literally nothing interesting there, so we moved on. We checked outside the building, and noted that the windows can be easily opened from the outside: none of them have locks or anything. There wasn't anything else of note out there though."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:40 am

"I apologize for not coming to your aid sooner," Ivan said to Brandy regretfully. "I will now divulge into my testimony."

Ivan sat there in thought.

"Well, after everyone was sent to their respective locations, Enola, Oliver and I stayed in the living room. We were asked by Nail to keep an eye out for Mrs. Gardner. As she is...in slight culture shock, I might say. At around 10:05, I requested Oliver put on some tea for a sore throat I had. But then ten minutes later, the lights failed."

"At around 10:20, I had heard Mrs. Henn scream, as Sebastian had mentioned. I believe the lights were turned off in an effort to harm Mrs. Henn greater than what she had already experienced...but it was so dark, I was never able to reach her in time. I do apologize again..."

Ivan bit his lip. "I believe that's everything relevant to the case at hand. Oh, and at 10:25, I met with Oliver in the library with Mrs. Henn."

Planetbox · Post by **Planetbox** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:37 am

KamiPanda wrote:It claimed you needed the blood of a 'freshly murdered person', a vial of which could be taken to an alter with the right runes on it and kept inside the central compartment in a bowl.

Enola flinched at that. She looked down solemnly. "D-Daddy...? Dizzy?"

Once the others finished speaking, Enola stood up again. She stared blankly at Ivan for a second before turning away and addressing the others.

"That poor little rat..." she sighed, "He was very old, so I'm sure he was already gone from this world. But just imagine it...first some maniac rips his tail off, and then they send his corpse parading around like a marionette. Assuming that's how that ridiculous possession spell works anyway."

"Speaking of which, those strings were likely used in relation to the rat. Perhaps to pull something? Or maybe to scurry under those floorboards?" Enola shook her head. "There's too many options...We don't even know where the damn circle is. Oh well."

She seemed to get distracted by her dress and started smoothing it out, as if that would remove the bloodstains from it.

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:57 am

Ivan turned away from Enola, visibly distressed.

Southern Corn · Post by **Southern Corn** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:25 am

[The trial will end on 20th September sometime. Good luck to all.]

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:38 am

"Anyway, I am sure you all are wondering what your debt will be should you get the tainted wrong wrong, huh? Well, here it is:"

Spoiler: Debt

They hear a quiet laughing with a soul-sucking twinge to it. Each laugh seems to move more of the earth into the void.

"H....h-h...."

Belphegor fixes his mask.

"I am sorry. I feel a little bit of personal investment in this case, and so it makes me laugh for some reason. I shall get rid of those feelings so we can enjoy ourselves in the usual manner."

"Anyway, I suppose you all are looking for some things to discuss, here is what I would suggest, you may follow this or disregard it:"

"One. How did the blackout occur?"

"Two. What do the details to my summoning ritual imply?"

"Three. What did Daniel do when he entered the bedroom?"

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:29 am

"Well, at least there won't be a repeat of last trial with a debt like that..." Seb muttered drily.

"To begin, I agree with Enola about the rat," he then said. "I think someone cut off its tail and used that as the rat's 'belonging', allowing them to possess it. They then made it move up to the attic, where it gnawed through the power cable to sever it, electrocuting it to death in the process. How... dishonorable. This is why I don't think there was anyone up there with me after all, and it's why the rat was found dead after it subsequently fell through the hole in the floor right next to the severed ends of the cable. As a side note, they presumably used the can of oats as rat bait: rats and mice love grain."

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:14 pm

"Hmm... I do not think there is a single piece of evidence that suggests such a thing was done... Aside from the rat of course. Is it not possible that a rat simply caused the blackout?"