graveyard.

[foxhounds]

You remember dying. In fact, you remember the exact feeling and fear of how you died, and yet in the next moment, you're suddenly standing in a cold room. You're not sure how you got here at all, but it's as if you were suddenly put here the moment after you died. As you look around, the first thing you'll notice is that you're standing in front of an open casket. And you're inside. The corpse inside the casket is definitely you, and it's also definitely dead, which certainly makes this confusing. Luckily, here's someone here to explain. When you wake up, there's footsteps walking closer, and then a familiar face appears. Iván is here, or someone that looks very much like her is. All she starts off with is two simple words— "You're dead." Which would seem obvious, but she explains that you have been before you ever arrived to the island. The shipwreck and the island are't real, after all. This is purgatory, and the Hunt is a way to judge the souls of the living. People show their true nature when they're put in a stressful situation, so it was deemed that this was the way that these judgements would be passed. She explains that you'll know your fate when the game ends, but if you really can't wait that long, you could always ask, but hope isn't lost. After all, the "killers" are on your side. If they can win the game, then everyone can come back to life. They know this, and it's why they're fighting so hard to win. It's a shame that the odds don't seem to be in their favor, but that's also part of the Hunt. — Exploring your new surroundings, you'll realize that you're likely at the bottom of that giant sinkhole, at least if that light far above you is any indication. You no longer feel the need to eat or sleep anymore (technically, you never did, but the habits of being alive are hard to break), so it's a good thing there's enough to do while the game continues. You can watch the proceedings of the Hunt in one room where there's plenty of comfortable couches to sit in and lounge, as well as a fully stocked bar, if you feel like indulging. Another room offers a game room with cards, billiards, and any other games you'd like to play in a group. If you ask your host nicely, she might provide more, but for now, there's not much to do other than to watch and wait for the Hunt to end.

Comments

[snackoosniper]

[ Hmmmmmyeahhhh she's gonna assume he was way ded before he hit the ground.

They never let her poke around the bodies too much at crime scenes back home -- if anything, they had to monitor her like an overbold toddler -- but she did learn a thing or two in Europe. An aspiring forensic scientist doesn't live with a coroner and let opportunities go to waste. So Ema pokes around Royce's body with at least a small degree of professionalism...

... Not that there's much to deduce besides the obvious. ]

Two stab wounds, one to the side and one to the throat. It's likely someone threw him in to dispose of the evidence in his wounds.

[inspiritus]

Perhaps nervous that someone would try to deduce from the stab wounds as to who out of the remaining it may have been. Interesting.

[ Tone impassive, but he is possibly slightly impressed at the thoughtfulness. Although, it is surprising no one had thought of it earlier... ]

[snackoosniper]

Right. I expect someone up there will guess that the body was tossed in here, though. Who knows what they'll try to do about it?

[ inb4 someone comes parachuting down ]

[inspiritus]

After a general amount of the usual useless conversation, I imagine. They might just leave it as is, if they are still wise enough to do so.

[ Or gets dead. But he doubts that... ]

[snackoosniper]

It might seem a world of importance to them, especially if they don't have any more leads. A body goes missing completely -- it must have carried a decisive piece of evidence! After all, it's a startling new break in the pattern.

[ this is a lot of casual talk over royce's horribly mangled body... ]

[inspiritus]

Thus making events pass by on the topic, and by the time they figure it is unreachable, hours will have gone by. Unless the Fox successfully looked into a General.

[ He may find this a very interesting topic. Talking about dead bodies is always fun. ]

[odagumi]

[ One of a few resident uchigatanas here though Souza wasn't too concerned with what just happened and he's hardly concerned with looking over the body either. Yet he figures he might as well since it's at least something to do while they all wait out the not so uneventful night until the sixth day. Perhaps, he's more curious to after hearing about the stab wounds too. ]

Hm...the stab wound in his throat was from an Uchigatana blade. There's certainly no shortage of those with the living so it's hard to say who did it exactly but. [ Hand to chin. ] Only Kashuu and Tsurumaru had those. Kashuu had himself and Yamato, and Tsurumaru had my own Uchigatana blade there was also Kasen himself...though he's far the less likely.

[snackoosniper]

[ ... Dare she ask what an Oochy-whatever blade is? While that list narrows down the suspects, it's still an awful amount. ]

You know, I expected the Generals among you sword folk to ditch the swords by now. While killing, anyway. It would be a little too incriminating for my tastes.

[odagumi]

[ Just a type of blade really, one of many that are floating around up there. ]

Hm, me as well. It may be why we've always been so suspected all those days. It would have been nice if they changed it up at some point, they're only hurting themselves since eyes are already on Tsurumaru after the last trial.

[snackoosniper]

Too bad you weren't a General after all, hm? They might've had something to gain from you.

[ you have a wonderful criminal mind, souza, CONGRATS ]

[odagumi]

It might have taken longer for anyone to suspect me and my friends if I had been a General. [ Perks of having spent a long, long time with someone dubbed the Demon King, he supposes but he appreciates the comment none the less. ]

[wartorns]

[chiming in:]

We've only ever targeted one of the swords. I can't speak for what happened after I came here, but it sounds like Gi-ne and the rest went after Jason last night. I don't think any of the other swords were on our list of targets, but who the hell knows.

["List of targets" said with a bit of vile behind it. He really hates referring to it like that.]

[snackoosniper]

... Oh! No, I meant swords as weapons, not as people.

[ darn sword boys gotta b so confusing sometimes ]

Actually, I expected the swordfolk to take minimal casualties. With so many of them around, there was a high probability that at least one of them would be a General... and we've seen how protective they are of each other.

[inspiritus]

[ Well why not. ]

It was likely Tsurumaru's, then. Since he is a General, he would have had to have been involved. Regardless, this is certainly quite a way of finding out our first casualty for the next day.

How long do you think it'll take for them to find out the body was hidden?

[meatery]

[Been sitting here watching Royce's body and the far better investigation than any of the other corpses got- man, it's lucky they killed Ema early.]

I don't think we were going to go after Royce tonight though. [Frowns.] Unless they changed their minds... Or he just ran off and stabbed him on his own...

[Always a possibility with Tsurumaru.]

[odagumi]

It's...very possible that it might have been Kashuu though I wouldn't claim to know how deep his grudge after what happened to Yamato went.

[meatery]

I know he was mad as hell at me. But we'd agreed to leave Royce alone for now. [Because Gi-ne likes him.] Though Tsurumaru did think he was a problem... Argh, I wish I could have at least watched the meeting.

[odagumi]

If I know Tsurumaru... [ Thoughtful hum. ] It's likely as possible that he killed Royce to frame Kashuu after Kashuu made it known he held an obvious grudge against what the village did to Yamato. But...we can only make guesses at to what happened.

[inspiritus]

It could be either of those two, although I confess I do not know that man too well, and you may have a better idea of how he'd act than I.

[ He starts to figure that Tsurumaru is more unpleasant than just with his words, now. He never got along with him very well... or many of the other swords, considering his actions, but still. ]

There is always the chance someone else could have used a blade in that style to kill Royce as well, I suppose.

[meatery]

Tsurumaru's a little weird, so it's hard to know...

[If there were more signs of torture on Royce's body, she'd say it was him for sure. But the mess makes it hard to tell.]

Royce was on our list, I guess. They might have picked him to dodge the Rainsford.

[odagumi]

Most likely. Ah, he's using my blade to kill people now then. [ He's not sure how he feels about that. ] Depending on how many bodies are going to be found tomorrow, I can only wonder.

[yasusada]

[ As quick as Yamato would possibly say "That may be it!" he is a little concerned about how many times Kashuu's name had appeared. Then again, it doesn't sound too unlikely that Tsurumaru wouldn't use Souza's blade for something like this. ]

They did find Tsurumaru Kuninaga likely of being .. General so someone could be checking him tonight, right? But in the end.. [ A pause, he can only shake his head. ]

I hope it doesn't look that bad for Kiyomitsu.

[odagumi]

[ He is too, don't worry. He really HOPES that this isn't the case but the odds have not been in their favor and Tsurumaru isn't exactly being subtle if it was him. ]

I believe he's being checked after being one of two suspects yesterday. It wouldn't make sense Not to check him. [ LONG SIGH. ] I hope Kashuu will be...alright.

[inspiritus]

[ There is probably a saying involving swords that would be perfect for this, but he just can't recall. ]

And I suppose it would also depend if someone else has the same bright idea to kill another as well as dispose a body the same method used with Royce's.

[odagumi]

Judging the fifth day's findings...not likely. A lot of the bodies were left plain out in the open except Mitsutada's that was left out near the ocean. [ He doesn't want to recall it, just thankful he wasn't there to see it. ] No one's really tried to get rid of the evidence until now, how strange.