THE THIRD TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE THIRD TRIAL

[After the finale clues are found, the ticking which we totally didn't forget to add to the investigation post in everyone's head stops, and the Elder Steward's voice echoes through the webs.]

Excellent. Now, please, proceed to the ossuary! Do not tarry.

[Just like before, the Ossuary rumbles upwards to accept the remaining Strangers, with bats hassling those who take too long. Just like before, chains drag everyone to their respective coffins, and in the center are souls for sustenance. You might expect the only true difference to be that piles of skulls now replace the coffins where Zelda, Bangladesh, and Jun might have otherwise stood when they were alive. However, one more change has been made - Eric's coffin is now quite a bit fancier and even a little less coffin-looking. For example, it has a nice chair! Apparently there's some favoritism afoot.

Once everyone is in place, the Elder Steward strolls forward to the edge of the circle, hands crossed beneath his robes. The scrolls glow to reveal the evidence and the suspect list as this happens.]

THE OVERBOARD	THE CIRCUIT	THE RUBBER	THE NEON
				THE ENEMY

Now. Let us get started, shall we?

[And with that, the ticking begins anew. Someone killed. It's time to decide who's responsible.

The trial for the murder of Jun Ushiro, The Launcher, has begun.]

Comments

[necroyalty]

We'd need more details surrounding the vision Arthur had...

[incendiarize]

I can uh... I can try to show it to someone else. Like I did for Thanatos.

[He'll have to relive it again, but he can handle it.]

[necroyalty]

If it suits you.

[notadinosnack]

If Arthur wants that I can pass him over to you.

[incendiarize]

Only for anyone who's okay with it. Since it's not just watching. It's experiencing.

[SO UH, IF ANYONE WANTS TO BECOME INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH HOW JUN DIED... He'll become wepon, just in case. Also because maybe it'll get him out of these shackles.]

[notadinosnack]

She said she's willing and she's one of few people I'd say would be able to handle it.

[So once Arthur becomes wepon, Thanatos will pass him over to Ambrosine, assuming he did free himself of the shackles.]

[15unknowns]

[Yeah, about that.

The good news is, spectacles get!


....the bad news is, he is still shackled...as glasses.]

My my, were you expecting to get free that way?

I'm afraid these shackles are specifically designed for weapons who try to change into those forms. So, when you become weapons, the shackles will change to accommodate.

[With a flourish he walks over and kneels down.]

Now. I shall let you be used, but if you attempt anything, you will regret crossing my generosity. Do you understand this?

[incendiarize]

[He needs an adult!]

I understand!

[Sucks that they can't get free, it could've been useful, but maybe they can find a way around it for next time. If there's a next time. He hopes there won't be a next time.]

No funny business. Got it.

[15unknowns]

[With a thoughtful hum, the Elder Steward snaps his fingers, and the shackles on the glasses fall-though not before he's grabbed him roughly by the nose of the frames.

He presents the glasses to Ambrosine without comment, but hovers close by, watching.]

[necroyalty]

[ She's gonna put the glasses on, then! ]

[incendiarize]

[Well that's some decent compatibility! Since they were speaking of the bookshelves, he'll play the second vision for her.]

Let me know if you want the other one, too.

[necroyalty]

If you don't mind. I'm still not entirely sure what that drawing is supposed to be.

[incendiarize]

[It was much cuter in that vision, wasn't it?

So now he'll play the first one, with shooting the arrow.]

[necroyalty]

[ She opens her mouth.

Then closes it. ]

You know, I can't believe I'm bringing this up, but...

If the archer in the vision succeeded, wouldn't you agree that the cause of death would say that Jun was shot?

[notadinosnack]

That is quite a good point. But then how would someone have stabbed him and not ended up caught in the fallen bookshelves?

[yonosoymaria]

They told us "stabbed".

Couldn't find the arrow shaft. Just this.

[He holds up the arrowhead between two fingers, like a high-stakes gambler with a poker chip but for his completely blank of expression face.]

If he was shot, it would've been - I couldn't have gotten at it.

[hexposition]

[just gonna throw herself under the bus again don't mind her—]

Is it possible that the arrow was in the bookcase? So that when it fell, it stabbed into him and shattered the arrow shaft?

[incendiarize]

No, I don't think so. He was stabbed before it fell. Not long before, but before.

[Stop looking for ways this could still be your fault, Emma.]

[notadinosnack]

The other issue is in the vision, he doesn't really see anyone come up to him before... well you get the drift there.

MODS...

[joinhands]

Hmmmm... Hang on, allow me—

[Krone decaptchalogues the bow and arrows near Ambrosine.]

Is it similar to what was in the vision?

[strangerpeople]

[Ambrosine will be able to confirm that the bow and arrow are not the same set in the vision.]

[necroyalty]

No...

But allow me a hypothesis.

Most of us had been seeing things, and we all know that Jun's mind was not at its peak before his demise.

Could it be that the archer was also an illusion?

[notadinosnack]

Then why did we find a bow and arrows? There's no way the culprit could have known in advance what Arthur would see. I know I brought this up with Arthur in the first trial that perhaps Felicity tried so hard to get his vision dismissed because it was the one piece of evidence she couldn't control.

[incendiarize]

I mean.... The vision was from the archer's perspective. Maybe it really wasn't connected, and maybe they were seeing things, but someone definitely shot an arrow after saying they wouldn't "accept this ending".

But that doesn't change that a bow was found, and there was an arrowhead in him, so what the hell?

[necroyalty]

Very well. Arthur, whenever you're ready...