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

QUESTION FOR SOME FOLKS

[joinhands]

There's been no innocent explanation for the piano wires. And Kirogi hates having people in there—he must have changed his tune only because the intruder pleased him even more by having their hand in a murder. So we know that someone was in the secret passage shortly before that loud noise we heard. Perhaps they shot through the window, perhaps something else happened. This even could have been Jun himself setting up the trap right before what happened, though I doubt it personally.

Is it possible that this exonerates the people who first investigated the library? I wasn't there myself - please sound off, who was?

[notadinosnack]

I arrived in time to assist Eric with lifting the bookshelf off of Jun.

[hexposition]

U-um... Eric... Osomatsu... Ambrosine, Arthur, and Mr. Beldine? I... I think that's who I remember.

[whiterosefoes]

I was there as well, thank you.

[only the mun was late!!]

And for the record, the golem was still there when I arrived later, and it let me in.

[hexposition]

[Emma kind of shrinks in on herself.]

I— I'm sorry if I'm misremembering.

[relieable]

Oh, I think Arthur and me were the first ones there. And then Eric?

[necroyalty]

I was there.

[ SHE'S BUSY MAINTAINING CONCENTRATION ON THE NECROMANCY WHOOPS ]

[joinhands]

But you and Miss Vaughn were there after Arthur, Matsuno, Eric, and Beldine—by their own description. By widespread conjecture the pillowcase was marked by the dark-haired person who set it up. And by Jun's own [LOL TERRIFYING] description he didn't see the face of the physically weak archer who shot him...

I don't want to... I don't want to do what I did again, though...!

[necroyalty]

Do what you must.

I always told the lot of you that I have little to hide anymore.

[joinhands]

[Krone... smiles. It's too beautiful, looping back around to discordant.]

"Fear of pain or death."

[necroyalty]

I feared it once. I was dying.

The prospect of lichdom, when faced with your existence snuffed out too soon, is almost too tempting to resist.

[joinhands]

There are times in life when we just don't have a choice! It's a choice to drown or swim, instead of a choice to not fall into the river.

I think I might know what it's like, to have my heart outside my body.

...maybe that's why... I'm so glad I met you.

[necroyalty]

No matter what happens ahead of this, Krone...

I can just as easily say the same for you.

[incendiarize]

I was running there before I was fully awake.... Adventurer thing. Labyrinth habit. I don't really remember who else was there right away, to vouch for them...

[yonosoymaria]

Arthur -

[WOW that came out in a squeak, let's try that again, maybe with less... emotion.]

Arthur. Myself. Mister Osomatsu. Thanatos... just behind. I don't... Ambrosine, when?

[necroyalty]

Not long after. Thanatos was already moving the bookshelves.

[ She knows this doesn't make her look good, but better to have the truth out now than to fuck things up with lies later. ]