Heliodor + Turquoise

[dramatispersonae]

Through the doors, you find yourselves in a small circular room that seems to be decorated much in the same way as the ring is decorated today. The curtains are in alternating colors of your teams, and in the center stand are three surprisingly lifelike, but faceless sculptures. They stand with their backs to one another, facing out to the chairs. About each of their necks is a cord that holds a sign written in a fine, looping cursive.

Comments

Instructions

[dramatispersonae]

As soon as everyone has entered the room, Mother's voice resounds from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Mother understands very well That her children do grieve so over what has been done to them. Yet although your voices may raise in demand for retribution, for punishment, do my dear children know the price that must be paid to mete such actions out? If I were to place such power into your hands, how would you weild it? It is quite important to know the weight of such things.

The first task before you today is arbitration. Before you stand three criminals, so accused by their actions that have run contrary to the laws of the land and common decency. It will fall to you to determine a suitable punishment for these criminals. Though you be of different colors you must speak with one voice. Mother does so despise dissent among the masses. Please be mindful as well that a punishment not delivered from your own hands will hold no weight at all. The actions you choose must be those that lie within your power as you stand now. Also do try to be quick about it, Mother would so hate to be kept waiting."

((OOC: The first task is to decide punishments for the three crimes listed. The punishments decided must be a consensus of everyone in the room. They also must be something that someone can physically carry out. Punishments like community service and imprisonment aren't valid.))

The Signs

[dramatispersonae]

The three signs about the necks of the statues read as follows:

Assault on a minor, Attempted Murder, Destruction of property and crimes against peace

There is a small table before the stand with a pen and a small sheaf of papers to be used to write out punishments.

Re: The Signs

[familyjewels]

[For the person who committed the assault, Erika gets to punch them since she's a minor, and they also get a stern warning about being more communicative with their kids.

For the person who attempted murder, they get a haircut because it's a sign of loss and a reminder the person messed up until it grows back.

For the person who destroyed property, they get to hear the group sing to them about being more optimistic, since their pessimism will only cause suffering--much like how the song most likely will.]

Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Discussion

[familyjewels]

... Mother, huh.

Re: Discussion

[oceansflower]

[I have so many terrible words I want to say right now.]

Re: Discussion

[wouldntkilladragon]

Another game like this...

Re: Discussion

[lifeistooshort]

. . . more of this, huh.

Re: Discussion

[knighttoremember]

[WELL HELL]

... We're supposed to decide punishments?

Re: Discussion

[redblossoms]

...

Someone explain the first one to me.

Re: Discussion

[brociopath]

Ugh. [makes a face] Things like this make no sense.

Re: Discussion

[familyjewels]

Hey guys, me and Naoto figured that since we're not qualified to deal out punishments like this and that all the reasoning this lady's been giving us sounds bogus anyway, we came up with some ideas.

For the assaulter, they get a bucket of water poured on them. For the attempted murderer, they have to turn their shirt inside-out and walk around like that for a day. For the disturber, they gotta sing a song about how sorry they are.

Not bad, right?

Round One

[dramatispersonae]

Once the last punishment has been decided the room comes alive with whispers and murmurs, all indistinguishable from one another, but growing in intensity until the entire room is drown out in white noise.

Just as suddenly as they began, they stop and the room goes black. When the lights come on again, TK is gone and Erika appears before you wearing a neatly written sign over their neck that says Assault on a minor with the punishment decided written in fine letters below.

Instructions

[dramatispersonae]

There's not even a moment's pause before Mother's voice cuts in again.

"Come, children, that wasn't so difficult, was it? Now we can begin the true lesson of the day. It would truly be a weak willed individual who would determine the suitable punishment for a crime and not be able to carry out that action with their own hands. Mother didn't raise you to be that way now did she?

All that I ask of you are two tasks. First, determine an arbiter who shall carry out the punishment that you have seen fit to assign the crimes this individual has committed. Second, that arbiter must carry out the punishment to its full extent. Do try not to be sloppy, Mother is watching.

If you should fail in this task, well, Mother will have no choice but to see that you are suitably punished. The failure to give a criminal what they deserve seems to me that it would serve as tacit consent of the crime in question, don't you think? Therefore, though it pains me to speak as such, if you cannot carry out the task that you have laid before yourselves, both the arbiter and the accused shall suffer it. Should you fail to even determine an arbiter then it shall be meted upon every member of your parties who is present.

Now then, doesn't that sound fair?"

Round One - Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

((The accused may speak but they'll find themselves unable to use any skills or touch the other teams in any way.))

Re: Round One - Discussion

[thinkoutsidethebox]

[IS HERE, looking kind of woozy, like she may or may not have just regained consciousness. She also has an Emerald cravat stuck in her mouth as a gag.]

Re: Round One - Discussion

[brociopath]

Well, since her crime was the assault one, I think you're up as the arbiter. [looks at the other Erika]

Round One - Decision

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round One - Decision

[oceansflower]

[PUNCH THREAD]

Round Two

[dramatispersonae]

Once your punishment is meted out, the whispers begin again, faster this time. When the lights flicker on and off, there's a sinister chuckle that emanates throughout the room, for a moment it seems like one of the statues has moved, shifting to look at you with an empty face, that of a woman with fine features and a crown of black feathers. TK has returned but Typhoon is now gone. Erika has disappeared as well but now Sasuke appears before you wearing a neatly written sign over their neck that says Attempted Murder with the following punishment written in fine letters below:

Loss of a hand (it will grow back)

A knife sits on a table before the stand.

Round Two - Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Two - Discussion

[knighttoremember]

... Wait, we didn't choose that—

Round Two - Decision

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Two - Decision

[redblossoms]

[ TSURUUME CUTS OFF SASUKE'S HAND. ]

Round Three

[dramatispersonae]

As before, the whispers build in intensity and the lights flicker. Sasuke is taken from you as well as Naoto. The laughter from before is back increasing in pitch and cadence. For a moment the curtains are gone, the ring is bare and black before you, and in the stand before you is a sobbing figure, or is that a head of bright red curls? The images flicker so quickly it's hard to tell, but just a quickly as they began, they end.

Typhoon returns just as Jaina appears before you wearing a neatly written sign over their neck that says Destruction of property and crimes against peace with the following punishment written in fine letters below:

Twenty lashes as you sing to the accused about being more optimistic, since their pessimism will only cause suffering

A cane sits on a table before the stand

Round Three - Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Three - Discussion

[familyjewels]

[looking disoriented, rubbing his cheek that has a mild bruise on it]

--where's Naoto?

Round Three - Decision

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Three - Decision

[familyjewels]

[Bart gives Jaina 20 lashes that are fairly mild and everyone sings a song about optimism and being rude to Mother.]

[Endgame]

[dramatispersonae]

Once your punishment is complete, the lights go dark again. Both the whispers and the laughter returning, one layering over the other in a deafening din. From the darkness around you, you feel like you can see faces, twisted smiles and small, bright eyes watching you. You feel them on your skin, prickling, the scrutiny so intense that it might reach to your very core, exposing every deed, ever aspect of yourself for all to behold. The discomfort mounts, building, but just as you feel that there's no part of you that will ever be safe from their gaze you see a flash of light and find yourself back at the ring.