Fifth Trial

[bathymetric]

[ There's a long while of examination before the Mayor speaks up. There's plenty of evidence to pick up yet again this week, after all. ]

Annnd that's going to do it. Wrap it up and head to the bathyspheres, kids, you've got some business to attend to.

[ The bathyspheres take you all down, down, into the now-familiar dome below the city. The similarly familiar red glow persists until the lights properly turn on - the projection of Fontaine's silhouette is gone, of course, replaced by that same flickering "please stand by" message. But your mayor's voice is still the one that speaks over the increasingly empty circle of podiums. ]

If you somehow need a reminder of why you're here, three of you are dead. Get away with it, killer or killers, and the execution room gets to really work overtime today. But I guess if you wanna live, you should find who murdered three people. Could be important for you guys.

[ Welcome to your fifth trial. ]

Comments

[sastruga]

Mhm, I don't think all of us here would be capable of that. Only a few, actually...

[honeyedtea]

I think it goes without saying that it's not something I or Mafuyu would have been able to do. And I don't think Joy could have managed it, either.

[allatonce]

I don't really know if we can rule that out? If someone caught Misfire by surprise and charged him, as long as the pitchfork was pointed enough, I think it would have pierced.

[inaclearing]

Was it that sharp?

[specialyellthing]

I’m out, after this week. Ain’t done much of that.

[inaclearing]

Oh, Zinda...

[He hesitates, torn between wanting to comfort her and belatedly realizing that this could also be interpreted as putting her more on the suspect list.]

[allatonce]

I'm not talking about sharp. It's about the force being able to concentrate into a smaller point. Physics, you know?

[inaclearing]

I...guess...

[specialyellthing]

It’s fine. [Its not, but she’s resilient, and cozied up to her dead beau.]

Sides. If we’re rulin out based on the letters, I’m out. Unfortunately, so would the other people Id think of.

[allatonce]

I'm just saying that the pitchfork almost seems more like something one of us shorties would use, because anyone who was actually strong would probably also be skilled and determined enough to use a sword or something for the same purpose. It would also explain the wood chipper: no need to use that if you're strong enough to actually overpower him.

[inaclearing]

[Brett sighs, peering back down at his notebook for a moment.]

If we think this and Hild's murder are connected...Hild had blood under her nails. We should check for injuries again.

[onemillion]

Yes, I think that's a good idea. Should we start with defensive injuries on hands and arms?

[Or should we just skip ahead to the "everyone strip" portion of the trial.]

[sastruga]

...We may as well be more thorough.

[fuckingguy]

I mean, could any of us overpower him without that stuff? He was a giant guy made of metal.

[specialyellthing]

Get it out of the way, right? [Shes shrugging out of her jacket already. less people to appreciate it now. it’s real sad.]

[onemillion]

...Yes, it would be best to get it out of the way so we don't have to revisit it later.

[He sure doesn't like it, but here we are anyway.]

INJURY CHECK

[inaclearing]

...yeah, I guess you're right. Might save us time later. I can do it again, and someone else can check me. And, uh...Zinda or someone can get you all.

[He means the girls, clearly. It's still pretty listless, he seems a lil out of it, but here we go...]

Shirts off. And anything on your hands or arms, this time. [we all remember what happened with seo dawon]

[allatonce]

You'd be surprised how many people are used to that sort of thing.

[onemillion]

[Rossiu still doesn't like it, but he's not actually going to argue this time. He's exactly as much of a scrawny string bean as you'd expect underneath that uniform jacket, but aside from that there are no injuries or anything else of note! His hands and arms are likewise injury-free.]

I can check you, Brett.

[sastruga]

[Mafuyu will let Zinda check her without any fuss. She's wearing her dress today, so it's a bit more of a production to check her, but that does mean it's... pretty thorough.

...Looks like there are no injuries on her.]

[specialyellthing]

Thanks Sparkles.

You can check Mielle for me. I’m sure there’s nothin to worry about, but… fairs fair, right?

[fuckingguy]

[ AND THE RIGAMAROLE BEGINS.......

Nandor is, once again, wearing that thing he showed up in! Only this time it's got Hild's blood all over it! The white cuffs of his undershirt have some transfer on them, even. Defensively, he says: ]

I do not enjoy this any more than you all, okay? After last week, it seemed like changing clothes would be more suspicious.

[ Once he's shirtless, it's obvious that he's unhurt. He even takes off all the rings and the little chain necklace he's always wearing! Nothing doing. ]

[asymptotes]

[ Shirtless is his natural state, and Drakkon is free of scratches or other similar injuries!

... His knuckles are, admittedly, lightly bruised, but. ]

I don't think my knuckles have been flawless since I had enough materials to make training dummies, but... no scratches.

[sastruga]

Mm, of course. I'll take care of it.

[fuckingguy]

[ he's not saying anything, but he is making a face! ]