day four.

[foxhounds]

SHIP-TRAP day four 28 players remaining The sun rises, and with it comes the loud gong of a bell, which signals that you're able to return to the grounds of the mansion. In fact, it seems like that same unseen force is compelling you to, since the longer you stay in the jungle, the more you feel the unsettling feeling of being watched. When you arrive, Iván is waiting at the foot of the stairs to greet you. "Good morning. Breakfast is waiting in the dining room." You have until 6PM to explore the grounds of the mansion and talk amongst yourselves. In addition, you can see the paper votes from the previous night's trial laid out by the guestbook if you want to confirm what you saw yesterday. rulebook character statuses character profiles private conversations graveyard The trial will start on August 20th. Though a special post for discussion will go up for voting, you are encouraged to discuss who to vote for throughout the day.

Comments

[meatery]

[Gi-ne has been combing through the jungle since leaving breakfast. After talking to Matt she's keeping a particular eye out for Orion, but obviously the other two are also a concern.]

Who knows? [Hops over a tree root.] We've got a few people to look out for so we're bound to find at least one...

[yasusada]

That would make Yamato frown up and pass his plate to her for her to eat!! Because he wants her to eat.

And he'll say things about how they'll figure this out so she doesn't have to be sad anymore! And that maybe she should close her eyes for just awhile and he could stay by her while she sleeps!

[foxhounds]

[ Well, Gi-ne isn't wrong, which is why after a bit of walking, the foliage gets particularly thick. There's a lot of undergrowth here, but there's a very vague path that can be seen in it where someone had walked through. They'll have to take care not to lose the trail, since whoever walked through the brush seemed to be good at making their trail as light as possible. ]

[foxhounds]

...Is he going to stab her if she takes him up on that offer...

[yasusada]

Oh! Hey!!

[ Pointing down at the light tracks on the path, he looks back to both Gi-ne and Hijikata. ]

Huh.. do you think someone already been through here? Maybe one of the missing people.. it was three right? I hope we find them, they shouldn't have wandered out this far.

[hijiwanwan]

[ Stopping in his tracks, Hijikata leans down to take a closer look at the makeshift path. He nods. ]

Yeah, looks like it. It's best if we follow this for now.

Make sure you all don't lose track of this or we'll be getting lost too.

[yasusada]

Well.. he could set his vessel with someone trustworthy if she's THAT worried. :)

[meatery]

[Gi-ne crouches down briefly to get a look at the path as well before standing up to start following it.]

I'm sure with you big, strong boys here we don't have anything to worry about. [Pushes aside some branches in her way.] It's not obvious, so maybe they were just trying to hide.

[foxhounds]

[foxhounds]

(that's an okay but yes he has to give his vessel to kashuu or something)

[foxhounds]

[ They'll have to follow it for a little bit, but if they're diligent, they'll find what they're looking for eventually.

There's an indent in the brush, and laying in it is Horikawa Kunihiro. He at least seems to be intact. ]

[yasusada]

Oh course, we're here to protect people so we have to be strong!

[ That's what Yamato and Hijikata are here for! One of the many that you could call the Shinsengumi's finest! Anyway, as they continue to follow.. it isn't long until Yamato's movement stops and he freezes. ]

ー !?

[ There's shock that evident on Yamato's features, his eyes widening as sudden realization hits. But no, no! That can't be it.. It can't.. It can't be and he knows it! ]

Why.. is he laying there? [ Looking towards both Gi-ne and Hijikata to check to see if they see what Yamato sees. ] Horikawa Kunihiro? Are you OK? As much as you've gotten on me, you should know better than to sleep there? [ Got to watch after him, after all! ]

[ Ugh, guys, is Horikawa Kardashian OK. ]

[hijiwanwan]

[ There's my son, Horikawa Kardashian. ]

... Ah...

I always tell him to report to me immediately every morning, so I know he's okay. [ He pushes some of the brush out of the way to get a better look at the body. ]

Hey, pull him out. [ At Gi-ne. Then he looks down at Horikawa. ] Ahh... Geez... It's really him, isn't it...

[meatery]

[Sighs. It's their friend...]

Yes, sir.

[Gi-ne kneels down and lifts Horikawa out of the bush so he's more easily viewed, trying her best not to disturb him as she does.]

[foxhounds]

[ I was totally kidding about him being intact, because this is murder island, of course he's not.

It's not as obvious as some others though, since when approached, he too has been decapitated. It's just not as obvious from a distance, since his head is lying neatly just above his body. His face is almost painted with blood, on his cheeks and neck especially, but also painted across his lips like a grotesque lipstick.

However, his chest is a far different story. With the amount of blood all over his chest, it would be difficult to tell what happened from a distance, but up close, it's a mess. There's a long, vertical gash in his chest, and the viscera that's exposed is torn, as if it had been ripped it out. If someone wants to confirm that, there are indeed torn pieces laying amongst that mess. ]

[yasusada]

[ Of course, Yamato's young and peaceful and nice mind!! Has to be broken at the moment as when Gi-ne pulls it!! His head had to fall off..

Yamato is having a hard time.

He does begin to fall silent at the condition of the body before him, maybe in the back of his mind — pieces of his mind is probably cracking but OK. OK.

At this moment, there's nothing he can actually say, his words caught deep within his throat and he's trying to be fine, he's fine. As much as he said that he would protect Horikawa, because it was his responsibility but it seems like he can't even do that. Sapphire falls down upon the head on the ground, it hadn't came along with the body upon Gi-ne's pull so he decides to get it himself. Bending over to place his hands on both side's of Horikawa's cheeks and raises the head up — getting a good look at his final expression. ]

I failed you too.. huh?

[ Ugh..... where's my closure. ]

[hijiwanwan]

[ Hijikata inhales, then exhales. At a loss for words, so he just watches as Yamato mourns Horikawa's death in utter silence.

Well...

Comfort isn't his forte but... ]

You haven't. If you continue to live for him then maybe you can make it up. Giving up now is just going to be an insult to him, Yasusada.

[ Geez... This is awful. ]

[meatery]

[FUCKING SPACE CHRIST HIS HEAD JUST FELL OFF]

[Gi-ne freezes in place when Horikawa's head fails to follow the rest of his body before she finally finishes slowly putting it down.]

Ah... I'm sorry...

[She's not really sure what else to add to Yamato's grieving. He has, however, clearly laid claim to Horikawa's head so... She'll examine his chest. She runs her finger across the large gash and pokes around a bit to see how things have been torn apart. Ew.

She glances up at Hijitaka, unsure whether or not to interrupt the men talking and point this out. Probably better to give them a minute.]

[foxhounds]

[ His expression is one of pain. Yamato may also notice the faint indents of where something was wrapped around his neck, but also fingers.

Maybe that something is laying around nearby... ]

[photoshoot]

Is she.. [ of course she is. Max approaches, gasping a bit. ] .. One of us should go back before we start investigating. This might have been an accident..

[yasusada]

[ UGH GOD IS CLOSING HIS CLOUDS ON US.

For now, Yamato's voice falls silent as he can't help but see this as his fault, with the look on Horikawa's face it's enough to contradict Hijikata's words. Analyzing it as one of his hands moves to the severed neck, running his fingers along the skin and it's makes hum curious. ]

Huh..

[ He's going through loss from a comrade! That he was to protect and here he is, having failed him! It's true, Yamato has laid claim and he holds the part in his arms, hugging it to his chest with a smile on his features. He isn't OK. Ugh, I'm sorry. He's really fucked up and I'm sorry he's here but anyway. ]

I don't want to insult him.. so I'll do my best. I'll protect him, even like this. I'll find out who did this and I'll kill them myself, to do this to someone of the Shinsengumi.

[ A pause as he looks towards Gi-ne, seeing that she had been analyzing the body. Maybe she sees something that they don't and it brings Yamato to face her direction now. ]

You shouldn't have to apologize, it's alright. Did you find anything?

[ He's fine. ]

[hopefragment]

I don't know if it's possible to get down there to investigate.

[Since plurk is a butt a mod pm revealed that they can't get to the body so...]

If you wanna head back and tell the others, I'll keep looking around here. Or if you'd rather stay, that's fine.

[hijiwanwan]

[ Well...

Better? Sort of. ]

Right... I wouldn't want to insult Horikawa either- or the Shinsengumi. Giving up now isn't an option.

[ Yamato please fucking let go of Horikawa's head jesus christ.

ANYWAY. ]

Huh... Should we look around? [ Turns to Gi-ne. ]

[meatery]

You... [-ever gonna let go of that head, buddy- no, no, that's okay. Gi-ne eyes Yamato a little wearily for a moment.]

... Yeah, probably. His chest is kind of- well, it's nothing on yesterday so I suppose I shouldn't complain. [STOCKING...] It looks like they just slashed him open and then, um... Tore into him a little? Something was ripped out so watch where you step. Other than that it looks pretty simple.

[Other than that... Well, nothing huge is missing, at least. ]

[foxhounds]

[ There's some rope nearby! It's pretty bloody, so it's easy to assume that this was around Horikawa's neck and is the source of that impression. ]