FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ It's not terribly long, once everything has been found, before Davy Jones heads out to round you all up once more and take you into the theatre. At least plenty of you are around the same area, so it probably doesn't take terribly long.

The ride down to the trial room is the same as ever - a blast of the organ, a slow descent. It's really starting to become clear, though, just how your numbers are decreasing. You're already down three, counting the absence of Chloe, potentially more when you come back up.

The crew of the Dutchman is singing as Jones lets you out into the trial room. ]

To business, passengers. I am about if you need guidance.

[ The circle of podiums is less populated than ever. So many of you are islands now, so to speak.

The song dies down, the waters quiet.

Welcome to your fifth trial.. ]

Comments

[guffawsungraciously]

...

Was there much of a difference between the depictions of your ideal futures, may I ask?

[dokkalfheimr]

Yes, there was. But this one didn't affect me like a couple of weeks ago did; you all saw it. I'm not good at covering my emotions, if they're strong.

[ltcommandroid]

As I recall, you largely seemed confused.

[And of course, he doesn’t misremember things.]

[dokkalfheimr]

Of course, it...seemed pointless for him to target me in the same way a second time. It was the same thing he promised me in the third week.

[ltcommandroid]

I do not think that would be surprising at all. That incentive was extremely effective on you. If Plumeria had not acted, would you not have?

[dokkalfheimr]

...I wouldn't have. Because doing so would be to kill Plumeria.

[scouserer]

It wouldn't be your intention. But if Decus acted against Plumeria first, well--then you wouldn't have a choice but to try and protect her.

[dokkalfheimr]

...So what are you claiming I did now?

[scouserer]

I'm claiming that you met with Plumeria that night. That you were there to see what happened. That you took action against Decus in retaliation after he had slashed at Plumeria.

[dokkalfheimr]

We've been over this.

I couldn't have fought Decus on my own. Not without sustaining grave injuries.

[silentscout]

What if he fought Plumeria first and was already injured before you stepped in?

[dokkalfheimr]

He wasn't moved. The only injury he received that seems to have stopped him was the killing blow. So again, that doesn't make sense.

[silentscout]

[He considers that for a moment, and then he nods. It makes sense, so he'll accept it.]

Do you think Decus killed Plumeria? Or did Decus just injure Plumeria and something else happened?

[scouserer]

Of course you couldn't have. But it wasn't you that fought Decus. If we follow this line of reasoning, Plumeria is the only one who was visibly injured by the sword, which means she could have attacked him.

[dokkalfheimr]

Decus was attacked from the front, remember. Which means he likely died in the confrontation, but I wouldn't know, because I wasn't there.

[ltcommandroid]

Plumeria's death means that, if you did kill Decus, there is no further reason not to try and escape detection. It would also explain the excessive amount of stabbing.

[and like, Plumeria's whole deal]

[dokkalfheimr]

Again, for those of you not listening:

I could not have fought Decus, nor did I. Not without getting eviscerated myself. Besides, I don't have that many knives - I only kept one, and I don't carry it on me.

[scouserer]

But Plumeria carried knives on her, didn't she? You said it yourself at the beginning of this trial.

[dokkalfheimr]

I don't recall anyone saying that her clothing was rummaged through? I'd think that would have been obvious, and not in a "someone allegedly laid her down but we're not actually sure of that" sort of way.

[ltcommandroid]

Decus was not well during the fight. He had already been poisoned, and potentially sustained injuries from his attack on Plumeria as well. If he was experiencing the symptoms Scott has described, he was certainly not fighting at full capacity.

[dokkalfheimr]

And yet you aren't sure of any of what you're saying - injuries he "potentially" sustained? He killed my retainer. I did not fight Decus, because I'm not interested in dying here.

[magycks]

Mmm, but points against Zero aside, you don't know that. You don't know that someone in this circle didn't find Decus and Plumeria, those two morons, engaged in combat, and that they didn't engage the former whilst the latter dragged herself off. And you don't know that they, or someone else entirely, didn't feed her cyanide as she lay about at the brink of death.

Also, did you stick six knives into his chest postmortem? Just, you know, wondering.

[jibunwo]

[wow, fuck you too]

[ltcommandroid]

If you have another suggestion, I would be glad to hear it. The evidence against you at this moment is only circumstantial - I do not believe we can make conclusive statements about your involvement. But I also do not believe we can take your word alone on the matter. He did kill your retainer.

[leaveittomother]

Exactly. If Freyja is innocent--and I want to be clear that it's still up in the air--that point shouldn't be forgotten. As Alice herself said it's easy to stab a non-moving target.