Season 1 / Sylas - “In Sickness and In Health” [The First Trial Projection]

Sylas Grey

You find yourself standing in, of all places, a church. The atmosphere is so serene that some of you perform a genuine double take. A gust of crisp air wafts past your ears, brushing your hair and carrying the scent of flowers with it. The myriad colors of the stained glass windows tint your skin as you turn to gaze at them, neck craning up, up, up- up at the windows, up at the organ, up at the banners and balloons and [flower bouquets] and chiming bell, and-

And you’re at a wedding, aren’t you? Yes, you are. The carpet underneath your feet, the [ceremony pamphlets] on the pews, everything points to this being a very happy day. But something seems amiss. What could those [church doors] lead to? What lies at the top of the [bell tower]? And where, oh where, could our bride and groom be? Perhaps you should start your adventure by inspecting the [altar].

Shiori Yoshida

Wow, someone's on a projection streak, huh? It hadn't been all that long since Akemi's projection, and now, seeing, someone that she was slightly more familiar with be summoned for their turn, Shiori was marginally more curious about what the content of his projection would be. And thankfully, this time she'll have a better time being directed through the projection now that Nobuko was going to accompany her for this one.

As they enter the courtroom and the space transforms, Shiori doesn't show much reaction, not that she does most of the time anyway. She gazes blankly at the church, humming in vague interest. Well, this environment at least seems more peaceful than the last one. And once again, her focus turns to the flower bouquets before anything else. What can I say, this lady likes flowers.

Sylas Grey

Shiori Yoshida

Lush bouquets of fresh flowers fill every spare spot in the church. Tied up with ribbons and arranged in [elaborate configurations], it’s clear that no expense was spared when it came to these… or any other decoration in the place, really. (You do find yourself wondering why the bouquets are of tropical flowers when the rest of the church seems to have a very traditional wedding aesthetic. But you brush the thought from your mind.)

Andrew Edgeworth

Andrew was far from eager to attend another projection after his experience with the first, but his luck was truly not on his side. He had noticed Sylas trotting somewhere out of the corner of his eye and followed, not having looked up in time to notice that Warden Bea was alongside him.

And now here he was stuck, sucked into a metaphor for this near stranger's personal life. He couldn't avoid projections forever, especially with his own at some inevitable time, so he might as well make the most of any information it could provide. Knowing Sylas was a carpenter though, he just hoped this place wouldn't fall on top of them. Mostly, he had too much pride to ask if he could leave like some toddler.

When the projection started up proper, Andrew almost felt nostalgic. A wedding venue, huh?

He looked around and noted with relief that the sisters would be joining him. Bar the projection itself turning hostile, it should be a relatively calm event. Andrew then simply picks up the nearest ceremony pamphlet to read.

Sylas Grey

Andrew Edgeworth

You might have seen this sort of thing before, if you’ve ever gone to a wedding. (Have you?) These pamphlets are usually just general guides to what’s going to happen and when, some mushy garbage about the couple, lyrics if they want you to sing along with a song, more mushy garbage, and a registry listing at the back. Or… at least, that’s what they usually are. Did you want to [read it]?

Andrew Edgeworth

Sylas Grey

Yeah!

Sylas Grey

Andrew Edgeworth

…This is all just stuff about how great the BRIDE is. The GROOM is barely mentioned.

Nobuko Yoshida

Another projection, and it seemed off to a better start than the last. The area was nowhere near as outright hostile as the laboratory, almost to the point of being serene. How pleasant. Doubly useful was that Shiori was here along with her, so she knew there would be at least one person she could rely on. Not that she didn't think the others here weren't capable, she just had a better understanding of what her sister was capable of.

While the others inspect various decorations or informational sources, Nobuko moves to inspect what seems to be the centerpiece of this place, checking out the altar.

Sylas Grey

Nobuko Yoshida

A beautifully set altar flanked by [elaborate wooden carvings]. They’re of chess pieces, but each of them is almost as big as you; it’s a good thing that they seem to be hollow inside or else you wouldn’t have a chance of moving them. There are two chess pieces on the groom’s side, both KNIGHTS, and seven on the bride’s side, all PAWNS. They seem to be hand carved despite their impressive size.

Shiori Yoshida

While her sister moves towards the altar, Shiori idly follows behind, awaiting her next order. In the meantime, at least being closer to the altar will put her in closer proximity to those beautiful flowers. Taking advantage of that decrease in distance, Shiori lets her gaze wander back over to them to examine the elaborate configurations present in the bouquets more closely.

Sylas Grey

Shiori Yoshida

Oh, they're so lovely! It smells just like the tropical holiday of your dreams. But…

…One of these bouquets still has the receipt tucked in the back of it! That’s a bit of a sloppy oversight. You pluck the receipt and attempt to read it, but the ink churns and twists into unpleasant shapes. Eventually, one sentence becomes legible: BILL TO GROOM.

Andrew Edgeworth

Andrew puts the pamphlet back in its place. Marriage favoritism was never pretty, but how was Sylas involved?

Since the two women already had the alter and decorations covered, he goes to inspect the bell tower. Pointedly not directly under it, should the bell inside fall.

Sylas Grey

Andrew Edgeworth

The spiralling stairs of the belltower take you past the organ and up into the rafters of the church itself. The architecture is truly beautiful, but- that’s not what you’re concerned about right now, is it? Didn’t think so. The belltower culminates in a small room that holds the [titular bell].

Nobuko Yoshida

Nobuko glances at the handcrafted wooden chess pieces. Fascinating. She looked them over, deciding that it was best if she left the physical labor to the expert.

"Shiori, the chess pieces if you would."

Shiori Yoshida

Shiori nods, ever the obedient follower, and heads over to the elaborate wooden carvings, inspecting the chess pieces closely and trying to see if they can be moved.

Sylas Grey

Shiori Yoshida

A cursory examination of the chess pieces reveals that all of them have been placed on small “X”s on the floor.

They're all quite light and you can move them around, but you do feel compelled to return them to their original position.

Further from that, it would appear that there are three “X”s on the floor that don’t have corresponding pieces to match; two directly in front of the altar and one behind it.

Wait! We’re missing the BRIDE, the GROOM, and the PRIEST to marry them!

Andrew Edgeworth

For some reason Andrew can't place, seeing Nobuko order Shiori to do such a simple task made him really uncomfortable for a moment. He shakes off the feeling and persists up the stairs, coming to a stop in front of the bell to examine it.

Sylas Grey

Andrew Edgeworth

The bell itself is shaped strangely. It’s more cylindrical than anything, and it glows from within. But stranger than that is the fact that it keeps ringing even with the wooden [PRIEST] (well, a BISHOP) tangled in its ropes. You can extract the PRIEST safely. And you probably should!

Nobuko Yoshida

It seems like there are some missing pieces that need to be recovered. Well, that wouldn't do at all, a set should be complete, no? With the main area fully searched, and Mr. Edgeworth working on the bell, Nobuko moves to the church doors, looking to see what lies beyond the bounds of this area.

Sylas Grey

Nobuko Yoshida

The church doors have been thrown open, sunlight and wind filtering through the open threshold. Cracking them open further allows you to head into the garden at the front of the church. There’s a driveway, some rows of roses, and a small gazebo. Everything else is covered by a strangely dense fog that blocks your way forward. Oddly enough, the fog doesn’t rise all the way into the sky. You can see… something moving in the distance. Maybe you can get a better look from the [gazebo]?