THE SECOND TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE SECOND TRIAL

[Soon after the failed attempt to contact the dead, the tell-tale alarm suddenly rings out, rattling everyone's teeth alongside Marie's voice.]

ATTENTION! EMERGENCY ALERT! PLEASE GO TO THE ELEVATORS IMMEDIATELY!! HMHMHMMM! I WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF SAYING THAT...!

[And so, once again, the elevators bring everyone back down to the trial room, where the table has been...altered, slightly, color-wise, to reflect those who are no longer among you. And once more, upon entering the force field, weapons disappear - and powers fail to work.

Bottson hops up onto the center of the table, transmitting the evidence found.]

heRe yOU Are eVerYBOdy! THe sUsPECt lISt!



YoU cAN Do THiS!


[Above everyone once more is Marie, floating around in her hover platform.]

WELL, WELL! FANCY MEETING YOU ALL HERE AGAIN! I GUESS YOU ALL FAILED TO KEEP THAT GUY ALIVE, HUH?? AHAHAHA!!

WELL, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN GET WHO DID IT THIS TIME, HMM??

Comments

[vividsins]

A little blood wouldn't need too much to stage it. Leave the first bit with Rosenkreuz, then, while we're all busy there because someone dying would be everyone's immediate concern, leave the second bit elsewhere.

[mementodagger]

Then the question is, who left the onsen? I stayed there to check the room, I didn't leave.

[vividsins]

Not everyone was there to start with. Molly and Naoya both were missing at the initial discovery of Rosenkreuz in the onsen, for example.

[mementodagger]

Did either of them enter the onsen after the investigation began, then?

[vividsins]

What I'm suggesting, Sir Yurick, is that the initial drops were left on Rosenkreuz and then, while we were all in the onsen, the other blood evidence was planted. There'd be no need to return.

[mementodagger]

[Yurick sighs and holds out his hands. Other than a couple of bloodless paper cuts, he's unmarked.]

These came from me reading in the library most nights. As you can see, there's no blood. And it's pointless to strip because planting blood would be difficult from other areas besides the hands.

[fashionfever]

It would be difficult, but wouldn't the whole purpose of planting blood be, like, hiding things? Not something obvious? Do any of us even wear freaking gloves?

[mementodagger]

I have an armored gauntlet and a chainmail sleeve but I haven't been wearing them. If you really want me to strip, then fine.

[So he starts taking off layers: jacket, hip scarves, boots, leather breeches, until he's down to just that elaborate beaded hairstyle, the eye patch, and a pair of snug gray undershorts.

Enjoy the eyeful, Angela. Mage is short but toned... and gifted. He's also free of bruises or new scabs, though he has lots of old, pale scars.]

[losergod]

[ UM ANGELA IS NOT THE ONLY PERSON HERE? JFC, looking to the side. Why so many naked people today. ]

[fashionfever]

[Honestly. Honestly? She looks at that blessing with a sigh. Not like lust but like just. everything. has happened. so much. today. and now she has this knowledge that she is not sure whether or not to treasure.

She looks up at his face.]

Thank you. Yurick.

[theserpentsmiles]

Tealeaf-san was sleeping in this morning. I left the room when I heard Rosenkreuz-san scream. He only left after me.

[fashionfever]

Is there even any way to get up there besides the path you all took? Like, through the elevator?