FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Quite the spread of evidence, isn't it? You have all you need, make your way to the vault door at once.

[ Once you're all at the door, Angel lets you through and into the elevator as always. And speaking of that elevator... your space to roam inside has grown again as you head down. Four is a heavy number to lose in one week, isn't it, between Nova and the three bodies you've just found? Though the number of things to discuss might be weighing heavier on your mind, if you're one of the investigators. The elevator might seem bigger or smaller than usual, despite the increase in space.

The trial room is as it is most weeks, apart from the newly-red podiums, so at least that's not a surprise by now. The screens are lowered, the familiar spiral displayed as ever. ]

That's three down this week. Up to three parties can be found responsible, when all is said and done - so go forth and find whoever did this, won't you? And to whoever did this... as always, best of luck to you as well.

[ The screens raise.

Welcome to your fifth trial. ]

Comments

NOBODY SAW ANYTHING

[hardnosed]

[ Jasper is bad and scary in a completely unique way today, from the moment she goes through the vault door to the second she takes her place next to Rhea. There's something behind her eyes that's hard to put a name to — there's still fire there, but it's as if the lens she refracts her anger and determination through has been cracked. Like all of the emotion that she's relied on lacks an outlet, and now it's trapped inside her, running circles through her.

She opens the big ochre fist her left hand is currently clenched in to reveal a bunch of mildly bloody pink shards. AND SINCE VINCENT HAS ANSWERED THE QUESTION ON THE PREVIOUS ITERATION OF THIS COMMENT: ]

So someone separated her.

[emberserker]

What, did they think she was just going to pull herself back together? With what magic?

[hardnosed]

... maybe she did.

[emberserker]

Is that possible for your sort?

[hardnosed]

It's why what she did was unforgivable. If you destroy a Gem's physical form, she just retreats back to her gem and reforms later.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Della stares across the room at Jasper, very...concerned. This isn't going to go well. Anyone could know that. ]

How many people have you talked to about...how shattering words? It could be whoever did this thought...well, this wasn't enough.

[hardnosed]

[ She pauses, chewing this over. ]

Shelley. Rhea, but I didn't say much. Rose probably shared more.

[nothingcanstop]

...And we can't expect everyone Rose talked to to just volunteer that information.

[ladygeryon]

[Nira's voice is quiet when she speaks up.]

Jasper...were there any other Diamonds with pink-colored gems?

[hardnosed]

Obviously. Most of Pink Diamond's court was close to her shade. What are you really asking?

SU SPOILERS BABEY

[ladygeryon]

Not her court. Diamonds, specifically.

[Nira holds out both the vending machine diamond and the shard from Vincent.]

Everyone, listen to me! [Aria leans against her as she speaks up.] This shard was able to both scratch and be scratched by a diamond. And that implies it itself is a diamond.

...I'm pretty sure this is Pink Diamond's gem.

[emberserker]

So either she got it out of the machine, or... no, it's not that at all, is it?

[hardnosed]

[ oh thank God, another opportunity to lie to herself ]

What makes you so sure? It wouldn't be the first morbid thing to come out of it

IT'S HAPPENING

[hardnosed]

You don't know what you're talking about. She shattered Pink Diamond. Her whole retinue saw it happen, she couldn't just fake that.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Some horrible things are setting in. ]

Jasper, our first day here... She told me about how Gems can shapeshift. Could it... Could it be possible...?

[hardnosed]

No. No, it's not. She wouldn't.

[nothingcanstop]

[ She continues: ]

The other day, she- she got something...some drawings from the vending machine, and- and she was sure they belonged to Pink Diamond. She was... I'd never seen her like that before. She was scared, and upset.

[ ...why, Rose? Why didn't you talk to any of them? ]

She's dead...and this is a diamond, not a quartz. Maybe...

[hardnosed]

Rose Quartz started a rebellion that lasted a thousand years. Gems died in numbers you can't imagine. They made more of us just to fight her, you don't know what it was like -- and you want to tell me they were the same person this entire time?

[nothingcanstop]

[ A moment, to consider. ]

I think there's something else going on here. Something none of you knew. I think we have to consider that possibility, if we want to acknowledge that gem is hers.

[emberserker]

Shut up, Jasper!

[Anna slams her hands down on her podium.]

You aren't the only one whose life and purpose were a lie twice over, and you need to stop acting like you are!

[ladygeryon]

...did anyone actually find any of Pink Diamond's shards after the fact?

[hardnosed]

They did. It's all she left.

[ladygeryon]

...did anyone actually test them, to see what they were made of? And...was it all of her shards?

[hardnosed]

I don't know! Everyone saw her do it! Why isn't that enough?

[ladygeryon]

From how close?