THIRD TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ Two bodies this week. As a result, it's a little longer before Mayor Fontaine's voice calls out over the loudspeakers. ]

All right, that'll do, all of you. Get to the bathyspheres. Trial time.

[ There's fewer bathyspheres this week, aren't there? It's starting to get really noticeable. One by one, alone or in pairs, you descend into the depths. The bottom of the seafloor, a place no human life was meant to travel to unassisted. It's dark, until it isn't, the same bio-luminescent slugs as before lighting up the area and revealing the great glass dome in which the trial takes place.

Within, three more podiums have gone dark. They remain empty as you all gather around into the circle.

The projector clicks on, and you see the silhouette of Mayor Fontaine above you. ]

We all know why we're here. Florida Man and Cryptobro got themselves got. Up to you to figure out who did it, or... well, you know by now.

[ Welcome to your third trial. ]

Comments

[specialyellthing]

Ya tryin to shrink me down? [because… that’s what happens. She takes off her boots and is two inches shorter. But she accommodates, handing them off, and the it’s pretty quickly evident—-

It’s soda.]

[pairtner]

[Oh, my]

...if only that were the only result of me asking for this.

[Let her juuuuust get her little paw against this, test stickiness, find sugars, it's...]

Zinda, this is soda. There's a 99.99% chance this is soda of some variety.

[Can't guarantee it's the exact same soda without an analysis of its composition, but Aiba amps up the percentage anyway]

[hotpaprika]

[Jonathan stiffens hearing that, feeling his heart stop.[

Th-there is no way that Zinda could be behind this! She would never kill two innocent people! [He looks at Zinda, eyes full of worry.] ... Right?

[vholran]

[ ohi it's that time again ]

Why not? Anything is possible, isn't it?

[hotpaprika]

I did not ask you.

[vholran]

You didn't, but I answered.

[buriedstar]

[ It should be a surprise to no one but he's laughing at this. ]

[specialyellthing]

Not on purpose, or without a real good reason! [girl that is a whole lot less reassuring than you think it is——]

[hotpaprika]

... Zinda

Just please tell me you did not kill anyone.

[specialyellthing]

Uh, Champ? You know I was in a literal war, right?

[hotpaprika]

I-I mean last night, Zinda!

[That was probably much louder than he intended but

He's scared.]

[specialyellthing]

Yeah. It’s soda. No alcohol or ice cream mixed in, either.

[pairtner]

So you're aware of it. Does that mean you know exactly when and how you got soda on you?

[Was it during an encounter in the arcade, perhaps?]

[specialyellthing]

Yeah? I’m the one who told y’all about it! I found it in the arcade. Got close up to see if it got spiked or if it was onna Scamps floats.

[pairtner]

[Is the soda only on the soles, or is there any anywhere else on the boots?]

[sastruga]

Oh. Did that happen while you were investigating the arcade?

[specialyellthing]

Yeah! Of course——

[specialyellthing]

… Were y’all suspectin me?

[sastruga]

I wasn't. It seems other people were, though.

...They kind of jumped to a lot of conclusions.

[hotpaprika]

[Jonathan feels as though a weight had been lifted and he exhales loudly, moving to gently rest a hand on her shoulder.]

I swear to God, Zinda, never scare me like that again.

[fuckingguy]

No, they were not, because if anyone here was suspecting you I would cut their fucking hands off at the wrists.

[howveryglib]

[SIGH OF RELIEF...]

It is purely the nature of this beast, unfortunately.

[fuckingguy]

The fuck is that supposed to mean, Aiba? Any of us could have walked over some soda.

[pairtner]

That's true. However, we're handling a case where a culprit most likely encountered Yasuhiro and Jason in the arcade while they were having nachos and soda. It's circumstantial at best, but at this point that might be a starting point for finding a decent lead.

[Can't get somewhere if you don't have a starting point, after all]

[howveryglib]

[


aw this sucks actually]