15strangers | THE THIRD TRIAL

THE THIRD TRIAL

[The Conductor doesn't meet them when the chime rings. Instead, it is the Smiling Priest.]

Come. Though betrayal waits for no one, she is waiting for you.

[He motions towards the Synod, beckoning all to follow. Soon, everyone passes, almost painfully slowly, through the Seven Stations. They come to the sherd of the Mountain. Beyond that are 15 podiums, illuminated by its light. Around those are pews, with many hooded figures already sitting.

The Conductor is in a chair in front of the step to the well, looking absolutely angry and miserable. She speaks the info into her phone, but she sounds like she is being forced to say it, as opposed to simply going through the same rote routine. She takes deep breaths as the suspect list loads on everyone's cuffs.]

THE BRIGHT	THE WATCHFUL	THE DEIDRE	THE BRITTLE
				THE HALVED

A member of my crew is dead alongside your dead. Justice shall be served. I do hope you are proud of yourself, whoever committed this crime.

[She says nothing else. She looks like she's on tenterhooks. Looks like there's no point in delaying.

The trial for the murders of Konawa Talimo, The Deidre, and Zack Foster, The Watchful, has begun.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

But- she's-!

She's relying on us because she trusts us. So we need to rely on her too. We... we have to support each other. All of us.

She's right here.

[Smiling, softly. Frightened, really.]

I can't believe this, I mean, you're wearing her ribbon, you'd be good to each other, I tried not to do this...

[And she kisses him.]

Trust me, okay?

[woah]

Huh...?

[The ribbon? What's that got to do with anything? Towa likes McBurn...

He goes stock still as their lips meet. He feels like even his heart has stopped. Everything goes silent inside, because some things just cannot be, and yet, and yet....

By the time she pulls away, there are tears running down his cheeks. He...he hasn't cried in years, not really. Teared up, yes, but never let them fall...not since the crash, not even at the funeral.]

Charlotte...

[For once? He sounds like a scared kid in way over his head.]

[It takes too long to get himself responding again, and his heart is seized with panic.]

Charlotte-- Charlotte, don't do this, please--! Shouldn't be you.... Should be my name up there, should be me it should be me!

[ Minato ]

But it isn't so what's the point? Would you be okay if I started spewing the same nonsense you're spewing right now? I am up there, after all.

It's not--

None of the suspects planted the bomb!

...What do you mean?

[Oh, he does not like where this is going...]

[He's been slapped, he's still crying....his knees give out and he slumps to the ground, defeated.]

I......almost killed all of us... Do as you will with me.

No. No, that... that's wrong, you couldn't have - no!

[He looks up at her, broken and miserable....and tosses a small, cracked mirror onto the ground before him.

Mirrors are banned on this journey.]

(no subject)

charmingheroine - 2019-08-11 01:37 (UTC) - Expand

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 01:49 (UTC) - Expand

charmingheroine - 2019-08-11 01:53 (UTC) - Expand

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 02:27 (UTC) - Expand

[Uh.

Don't mind the rat flying at you Minato.]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!!

[There's a cat attempting to intercept the rat in mid-air.]

[Don't mind the suddenly much longer paw grabbing you, Rat]

You will let this be, or you're going to see Orpheus again. Are we clear?

strangerpeople - 2019-08-11 01:29 (UTC) - Expand

unwittingking - 2019-08-11 01:34 (UTC) - Expand

charmingheroine - 2019-08-11 01:38 (UTC) - Expand

unwittingking - 2019-08-11 01:40 (UTC) - Expand

charmingheroine - 2019-08-11 01:51 (UTC) - Expand

Stand down!!!

[ ...

Is he... understanding this correctly...?

Uh oh. ]

What'd you just say?

....I....wore that face. I was "Gary".

otherworldlyking - 2019-08-11 03:06 (UTC) - Expand

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 03:32 (UTC) - Expand

otherworldlyking - 2019-08-11 03:42 (UTC) - Expand

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 03:54 (UTC) - Expand

otherworldlyking - 2019-08-11 04:01 (UTC) - Expand

Minato. Stand. Up.

Wasn't told it was a bomb.

katzenpfote - 2019-08-11 01:36 (UTC) - Expand

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 02:41 (UTC) - Expand

Minato Arisato...

[Even though she just slapped him... she's also going to be the first to grab his hands and holds them in her own.]

My wish for you is the same as ever. I want you to live. I want you to survive with the rest of us. And if you feel that you owe us something, then do it with your life. So please... stop trying to pay for your mistakes with your life.

Edited (I forgot basic facts WHOOPS) 2019-08-11 01:29 (UTC)

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 01:30 (UTC) - Expand

eternaldivide - 2019-08-11 01:33 (UTC) - Expand

biddentodance - 2019-08-11 01:52 (UTC) - Expand

eternaldivide - 2019-08-11 02:05 (UTC) - Expand

overworker - 2019-08-11 01:37 (UTC) - Expand

[He says nothing. He can't. He feels... a little betrayed, to be honest. But mostly?

Mostly he just bleeds sorrow.]

[She kind of. Froze. When he started shouting. She'd had this all figured out.

Except she didn't, did she?

And then Towa slaps him, and it's as though she was hit herself. Everything is too loud and too real and - ]

Why'd you have to say that?

[Towa has taken about all of that she can take. Right now, she's like an exposed nerve. With all the strength she can manage in an instant, she slaps him. It's a poor solution but if the fact that tears have broken out of her eyes as well should say it all.

She can't take it anymore.

Please don't say that.]

[oh, okay]