THE FIRST TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE FIRST TRIAL

[Minutes after Detective Beauford Bottson rumbled off, an alarm suddenly starts to go off, complete with flashing red lights. This is followed by the very unwelcome sound of you-know-who.

Oh, what fresh hell is this.]

ATTENTION PRISO--GUESTS! GO TO THE ELEVATORS IMMEDIATELY! IT'S TOTALLY AN EMERGENCY! AHAHAHA!!

[And indeed, the elevators are open and ready for fast travel. Only this time, the elevator immediately takes the Strangers downwards, and into a large room of controls with a force field in the center of it. Beneath everyone is a semi-translucent floor, revealing a massive, futuristic engine beneath them. Despite how giant it is, it's unnervingly quietly, only letting out a hum that can just be heard.

The controls are beyond the force field in the center, so there's no way to get to them without naturally passing through it first. And as everyone enters into the force field - complete with a slurping sound as they pass through it, they will realize two things.

The first is that any weapons on them are somehow gone.

The second is that they can't get out of the force field once they've entered it. Instead, they will have to stand in a circle, with Bottson in the middle, transmitting the evidence found to the wristwatches.]

bASed on tHe inFormATion I have hEre IS...the suspects who stole my HnduyFDUFB mu-uu-U-rdered!



tHeRE yoU Go!


[Finally, above everyone and beyond the force field is Marie, flying around on a floating platform. She looks smug as ever as she leans over, chuckling.]

WELL, SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HIGH AND MIGHTY RESOLVE, RIGHT?? SO GO ON, JUST TRY AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHO KILLED THAT WOMAN! AND REMEMBER...IF YOU VOTE WRONG, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF KILLING SOMEONE INNOCENT, WON'T YOU?

AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Comments

[beguiledcard]

[ Well, while some of you guys are acting calm, someone looks briefly pissed off. ]

What the hell...

[ But... he closes his eyes a moment and takes a deep breath. He rubs a hand through his hair, his head a bit lowered. ]

Fine... Let's just... [ jawline briefly tightening ] get through this. Ask me whatever you guys need to.

[backuphero]

You looked as sick as I felt. There's no way - there's no way in hell, God damn it, this is ridiculous!

[beguiledcard]

[ Maybe, for a moment, he looks torn...

Possibly as though he can't decide between walking over to give Jonathan a hug for comfort, or... focusing on verbally comforting. ]

... There's no way most of those people could have done it.

[backuphero]

There isn't, but... what's missing, I... damn it, if I could calm down, this...!

[He's not making sense and he knows it, but damn it, all of the whips? The whips he didn't even know were there, all missing? Sure, he made that crack at Marie during the cooking thing,but...]

[beguiledcard]

[ There's a shake of his head. ]

You'll be okay, all right? I don't... believe for a second that you could have done this.

[backuphero]

So what if I am, what about you?

[...yes that was his voice cracking nothing is fine right now nothing is okay even if someone else believes he didn't do this -]

[beguiledcard]

[ He holds a blink, shaking his head, a slow breath escaping. ]

What about me?

[backuphero]

You said you'd keep me from getting myself killed, remember? Don't... I....

[He is Bad At Feelings, and this is agony. For all that he might talk of not being a kid, there's a whole lot of him that's still a scared, hurt little boy... and it's in a tone better suited to that child, what he says next.]

Please don't leave me here.

[beguiledcard]

[ That... visibly rattles him...

... Akira is now pale as he looks away... ]

[toushiro]

[ ...hitsugaya's right next to you, he can see that. ]

You don't look so good, Kurusu.

[beguiledcard]

[ He doesn't respond, at first. ]

[toushiro]

If there's something you need to tell us, now would be the time.

[crouching_sin]

[Akira nO.]

[beguiledcard]

[ He's avoiding looking at Naoya. ]

[mementodagger]

....

[Yurick's voice is quiet.]

You're one of the people here I respect. Tell me you had nothing to do with this.

[theserpentsmiles]

...Kurusu-senpai?

[Nagisa's gaze isn't suspicious...but it is questioning.]

[backuphero]

[Jonathan doesn't want to think about what that might mean, but he can't leave the question unasked, even as his voice shakes -]

Akira... my head's a mess right now, I can't... how much did I tell you about my family?

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya doesn't say anything, and he doesn't move from his spot. But he does catch Akira's gaze for a moment. There's... well. As little malice in it as Naoya can have. It's an attempt to look comforting, at least?]

[beguiledcard]

[ That look is definitely noticed. The returned look involves some considerable - possibly understandable, right? - tension on Akira's end, but he will be giving a nod of appreciation for Naoya's efforts. ]

[tiefleaf]

Alright. I don't wanna jump to conclusions, but.

You and I were in the hallway together after the announcement. Where were you before that?

[beguiledcard]

Mess Hall, with Naoya and The Baku.

[crouching_sin]

I can confirm, he was there. Though I was half-asleep since I didn't have coffee yet.