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

[theserpentsmiles]

Tell us. [He doesn't think he wants to hear the answer.]

[beguiledcard]

[ Nagisa's probably right, since: ]

Vita... sent me a note. She asked me to meet her in the theater. When I got there, she was hiding from me. She... attacked me from behind.

[theserpentsmiles]

....From there, there was a struggle, and....was it self-defense?

[backuphero]

No. No, no way...

[He shakes his head, slow at first, then fast enough that his hair ends up falling in front of his face when he stops.]

I can't believe this. I can't believe he'd - that she'd - why the hell did you leave her like that, then, wasn't killing her enough?!

[beguiledcard]

[ Self-defense...

... His hands are already shaking, even before Jonathan's question is asked. Just like that, Akira cracks. There's actual desperation, and there are already tears forming: ]

She was already wearing nothing but a sheet, when she attacked me! It came off during the struggle, so I-... I covered her body, so she wouldn't be left completely exposed!!!

[ But, then he takes a deep breath, trying to force himself to just... calm down enough to get the full story out. ]

The-... truth is, I'd already been... [ forcing it out: ] considering giving in. I had a weapon on me - a cord. And, I... suspected that Vita would be targeting me, just based on the timing. So, I went... prepared.

[ He holds a blink. ]

After all... if she was willing to target me, then she'd be willing to kill anyone... Plus, even if I just defended myself, there was no guarantee she'd stop, since I'd be able to tell people what she tried to do. Between that and... the motive... I made my choice.

[ It's a struggle to swallow past what feels like sandpaper. ]

I chased her into the bathroom, and... then I strangled her. After that, I- used tape to get rid of the glitter, took a shower in the male restroom, and then I tried to clean the door and wall. I... cleaned up the blood from my neck.

[ With that, he's showing a very thin, very clean cut that was formerly hidden by his clothes. One that could easily be taken for an injury with one of the animals he rooms with, at that. ]

... Then I went to my room, where I stayed for the rest of the night.

[ Those details tho........ ]

[crouching_sin]

And here I'd thought you just went to patrol.

[His voice is purposefully calm, keeping all of the emotion out.]

[beguiledcard]

[ Yeah, he's. Actually flinching at that... ]

[crouching_sin]

... You did what you felt you had to.

[beguiledcard]

[ The smile he gives is clearly one of self-loathing, frankly. ]

No... You can say it: I fucked up.

[crouching_sin]

[He grins and shrugs.]

Actually, I don't think you did. You were a bit messy, but... no. I don't think you fucked up.

[beguiledcard]

[ Some muscles in his face twitch a little and he looks away.

THEN AFTER THE WHOLE THING WITH YURICK....... he's going to move closer and gently tug Naoya's sleeve, just briefly. He's going to whisper low enough for only Naoya to hear him, if Akira can help it. ]

... Does it... hurt for long?

[theserpentsmiles]

[There are still details that don't fit in, but that makes sense of a significant amount of the case. But none of that is what gets Nagisa. He knows well just how tempting this motive was. No...he's not upset about the murder itself.

The motive.

He knows who Akira's motive was. Who it included.]

.....Was it....because I'm here? Because of Karma-kun?

[beguiledcard]

[ Another flinch. His teeth clench, initially. ]

Part of it... yeah...

[ He releases a tense breath, and then suddenly Yurick??? ]

[theserpentsmiles]

[He knew it.... He's just surprised Akira acknowledged it. He'd thought to have confirmation in the older teen trying to spare him.]

[1/?] you fuckin earned this

[losergod]

[ C doesn't say anything. He just stares at him for a moment. And after awhile, he begins to shake.

He'd... betrayed them all. Yes, Vita was going to kill him, but in the end, he was as willing to kill as anyone else. For such an asinine motive.

"You're worth helping", he'd said. ]

[2/2]

[losergod]

[ It's then that he realizes... he can't... look at Akira anymore. The way he looks has begun to distort to him. He can't see him as a person anymore.

He starts to feel sick, putting a gloved hand over his mouth and turning away. No matter what Akira says after this, C will refuse to look directly at him.

He's just as bad as any of the others. A parasite. And so that's all his mind can conjure up in his place. He only hopes he won't need those pills he'd brought in his pocket. Eventually, he manages to force out: ]

... You said you wanted to help. You knew better.

[beguiledcard]

... You told me, early on... that if someone ever went after you, you wouldn't fight back.

[ His laugh is tired... weak... ]

And you were one of the people I felt were worth protecting from her. No matter the cost, in the end...

[ Really, he has no intention of forcing him to look his way. He just whispers, quietly... ]

I'm sorry I let you down...

suicide cw

[losergod]

You don't have to protect me!

[ It's said shakily. ]

This body isn't mine! I'm supposed to die! It should've been me she killed! You're useful! Why would you... why would you protect someone like me... you... you idiot...

[beguiledcard]

[ It's said without hesitation, his smile sad: ]

Because... like many others here, you became important to me.

[losergod]

[ Wow, this is not okay. He is not okay. He wants to be sick. ]

... Liar. If I was important to you, you would've trusted me. Now you're probably...

[ Just like Vincent. It's going to be just like Vincent all over again. What... what is he supposed to do? God. He can't save anyone. Everyone he cares about always dies, right in front of him.

Now it's going to be Akira's body that's a bloody mess on asphalt. It's all his brain can conjure, right now. ]

Part 1/2

[earietale]

['Did you know the Akita Inu looks completely different in Japan, in two thousand sixteen, than it did almost sixty years prior?'

'Barbara is in pink, and it's her and a burning pile of bread with a sad smiley face on it. In red ink, there's an Akita Inu with a paw against her leg, looking concerned.'

'That's what my friend from home looks like... His name is Morgana.'

'I trust you, and I hope that you trust me.'

At first, Barbara can't even speak. It's like a punch to the gut, actually hearing it.

Then, she manages to stammer something out.]

Y-you...you...

Part 2/2

[earietale]

You idiot!

You knew what would happen! You knew Vita was unstable! You knew what would happen if either of you died! You should've known that it wouldn't work out even if you got away with it! I told you what would probably happen! And what did you do?! You did it anyway!

I hate you, you stupid, stupid idiot!

[She's screaming. Tears are pouring out of her eyes. She hates it. She doesn't want to believe someone, anyone here would really do this, let alone him. But when he says it...it just breaks her a little bit.

When she's done with her rant, she collapses to her knees, teeth gritted as she continues to cry. She hates this, God does she hate this.]

[beguiledcard]

[ Akira's going to approach her, but not get within range of touching her. He lowers himself to his knees in front of her, his expression strained. ]

... I was scared... she'd come after someone like you, if I let her--

[ He's actually tearing up now... ]

You're right. I'm stupid. I'm stupid and I should have- ...

[ There's no finishing this. He lowers his head, his eyes tightly closed. ]

[earietale]

[And in that moment, she remembers her talk with Vita before her death. They barely knew each other. She was so nice. So...charismatic. If she'd asked to see her...

She would've probably gone without a second thought.]

I...I...

[Before she knows it, she's throwing her arms around him. A boy that she didn't know existed two weeks ago, now someone she wish she could save so badly. She wanted to scream more. She wanted to cry until she couldn't cry any more. But instead, she says something to him.]

I...I understand. I just...I wish we had more time.

[beguiledcard]

[ This hurts.

It hurts so much he can barely breathe, and there's an awful and sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, but... not from the hug. Not even from the words.

He's leaving people like this behind. He's doing exactly what was done to him, and he doesn't think he could possibly hate himself more than he does right now.

With a thick swallow, he firmly wraps his arms around her, tightly clutching onto her - not enough to hurt, but enough to try making sure she knows that, in spite of what's going to happen, she's protected... just for now.

Just... for now, let him make her feel safe... ]

So... [ the laugh is pained ] ... So do I, Barbara... You deserve... to be happy, you know? You're a really great person, and anyone would be lucky to have you.