Sterling + Onyx 1

[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:

Perjury, Harassment, Jailbreak and obstruction of justice

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

[legitimizes]

[Taking a pen, and writing in neat, legible writing.]

For the crimes of perjury, harassment, jailbreak and obstruction of justice: the same punishment for all.

Each criminal is to be brought before us and have something precious and important taken from them forcefully, that thing to be determined upon appearance of the criminal.

In addition, should criminals resist, additional precious things will be taken from them, at the discretion of our judgment.

Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Discussion

[prosight]

Um, we threw out the case last time . . .

Re: Discussion

[reknight]

Seriously?

Re: Discussion

[antreegonist]

Not this again...

[godcomplexed]

So we're playing Judge today.

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, Serah is gone and Meadow appears before you wearing a neatly written sign over their neck that says Perjury 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

[sightunseen]

[. . . glances down at the sign, expression unreadable, and then lifts her chin and smiles at them]

Hello, sir knights.

Round One - Decision

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round One - Decision

[antreegonist]

*as the chosen arbiter, going to REACH OVER AND HUG NUNNALLY VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY AGAINST HER WILL 9_9*

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, one with pointed cat ears and a wide grin. Serah has returned but Bowtie is now gone. Kira has disappeared as well but now Battler appears before you wearing a neatly written sign over their neck that says Harassment with the following punishment written in fine letters below:

Five lashes, theft of a precious and important item

A cane sits on a table before the stand.

Round Two - Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Two - Discussion

[itsalluseless]

...Huh?

Re: Round Two - Discussion

[reknight]

. . .

Re: Round Two - Discussion

[prosight]

[pausing in rubbing her arm . . . um]

What?

Re: Round Two - Discussion

[antreegonist]

*=_(\*

Round Two - Decision

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Two - Decision

[prosight]

Here goes.

[stealing a hug from Wing~ then stepping back]

Round Three

[dramatispersonae]

As before, the whispers build in intensity and the lights flicker. Battler is taken from you as well as Mithos. 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.

Bowtie returns just as Yuri appears before you wearing a neatly written sign over their neck that says Jailbreak and obstruction of justice with the following punishment written in fine letters below:

Twenty lashes, theft of the accused's air

A cane sits on a table before the stand.

Round Three - Discussion

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Three - Discussion

[godcomplexed]

[sitting down and wincing, looking sort of pale.]

Round Three - Decision

[dramatispersonae]

Re: Round Three - Decision

[legitimizes]

[Twenty lashes and stealing Yuri's breath with a kiss.]

[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.