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

MILGRAM

Warden Bea raps her knuckles on the door to Sylas's cell.

"Prisoner 005, Sylas Grey... Can I come in and ask you some questions?"

Sylas flinches, startled to see the warden making an appearance. “Whoa! H-hey! Is it my turn? Uh, to go in the Matrix thing? Am I allowed to call it that? Aw, shucks…”

Bea laughs. "Call it whatever you like, pumpkin. We do need to get through the formalities, though... Is there anything you'd like to discuss about your crime?"

Sylas shakes his head. He seems for all the world completely, utterly, unfathomably clueless about what crime he may or may not have committed. Hands clasped tight, sweat rolling down his nape, lips raw from nervous chewing. If Sylas isn’t innocent then he’s a remarkable liar. Or perhaps something else is going on with him? But the answer is clear. He doesn’t want to discuss the crime because, it would seem, he does not believe there is anything to discuss.

"If that's the case…" She clicks her tongue. "Then we'll just find out on our own, I suppose. Come along now~"

“Ah, well, I- I guess let’s get this show on the road, eh? I don’t even know what we’re gonna find out, uh… man. If this really is all about the milk thing then that’s gonna be mad embarrassing, aye?”

He gets to his feet and follows Bea out without any resistance. Even though he’s dumb as a brick, he’s compliant at the very least.

---

Despite the promise (implication?) that the rest of you would be free to watch, Bea shoos you away so the chosen prisoner can be guided down the long hallway alone. Once they reach the courtroom, though, the wardens are too occupied having the prisoner sit in the lone chair properly to keep you away.

So a few of you make the trek yourselves, finding the hallway only marginally less lonely with your company. The walls still seem stifling, their silence somehow out of place.

But the courtroom is wide open, if barren, and there's not much to be uncomfortable about until the prisoner of the day is secured in place. A strange...—machine? Somehow enough of it remains in shadow to obscure any useful details—emerges from the wall to hover around the prisoner's head, then everything but you and the wardens is swallowed by utter darkness.

It only lasts a moment, though. Once the shadow subsides, you find yourself seemingly somewhere else...

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.

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]?