15strangers | THE FIRST TRIAL

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!!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Softly, flatly:]

You're only a child. You shouldn't even be here, much less offering yourself up like a sacrificial animal.

... Really? You're using that as a defense for him? In this place?

Not all children have hands stained with blood. The ones that don't... deserve to remain that way, as long as they can.

[He sounds faraway, disconnected.]

[....Oh.]

I'm not one of those, Yurick-san.

[A tired sigh.]

What are you talking about?

I killed the person I respect more than anyone else.

[He doesn't sound happy in the least about it.]

[Yurick's slouched posture jolts upright and he stares at Nagisa from the floor with his eye wide.]

No....

It was....maybe two hours at most before I fell asleep, and then I woke up here. We were out of time and out of options.

[If Jonathan is listening - about the same time Kayano was killed.]

[Yurick doesn't say anything else, not until Marie orders them to vote. He quickly jabs at the buttons on his wrist and enters his choice, then turns his attention back to the Commander.]

I said let us out now! You have your blood and your suffering, let us out!

OH NO, NOT YET!

ONCE VOTING IS DONE, WE STILL HAVE THE EXECUTION!!

[Now his expression turns to horror.]

You'll force us to watch him die?!

WHAT? PEOPLE PAY TO SEE MURDERERS GET EXECUTED ALL THE TIME!

THINK OF IT AS GETTING A FREE SHOW HERE!!

(no subject)

mementodagger - 2018-07-28 21:01 (UTC) - Expand

commandurr - 2018-07-28 21:05 (UTC) - Expand

mementodagger - 2018-07-28 21:27 (UTC) - Expand

commandurr - 2018-07-28 21:40 (UTC) - Expand

mementodagger - 2018-07-28 21:48 (UTC) - Expand

commandurr - 2018-07-28 21:51 (UTC) - Expand

mementodagger - 2018-07-28 22:07 (UTC) - Expand

What is chronology? A miserable little pile of secrets!

backuphero - 2018-07-28 22:05 (UTC) - Expand

[Oh, he's listening all right. He's deathly pale, and biting down on the first joint of his index finger, part of the fist he's got pressed to his mouth, but he's listening....]

Isn't Akira literally like one year older than him?

Akira's no longer innocent. That's all.

I... I definitely don't wanna do anything to an innocent person...

[ A bitter laugh. ]

Humans aren't innocent. Nothing really is.

I mean those who haven't taken a life.

[He pinches the bridge of his nose. There's a headache starting.]

What does it matter now? Akira is doomed.

Not taking a life doesn't make anyone innocent. From the moment a person is born, they will be stained in sins.

Aren't some sins more equal than others!? Why can't we have sharks and fish?

Yes, we can. Just because you're a fish only means you're not going to kill.

Can't you accept at least some people don't wanna murder anybody.

Again: just because you're a fish it only means you won't kill. Lying? Stealing? arrogance and pride? Avarice? All of those are sins, too. Just not everyone is willing to kill for those.

So, what, everyone is a sinner because sometimes I might not give the barista a tip?

...Have you ever coveted something that wasn't yours, Milady Angela? Hated someone? Wished horrible things, for even half a minute? There's a lot of sin out there. It's all too easy to fall into it.