T͜H̶́͏E̵ ҉̡F̛ÍRS̸T͏̴ ̶̀T̢R̵͠͞I̢AL̵͜

[strangerpeople]

T͢͝H̶͝E̵͞ ͜F͞͏IRS̛͜͡T̢͞ ̸͝T̵̶̢R͠IA҉̵͜Ļ̷

[As soon as the investigation has wrapped up, the voices of the Hosts suddenly echo through the City.]

Hi, Strangers! You remember what happens if you don't show up at the trial, right? Maybe we'll have every single one of those things done to you this time!! Don't worry, it's right up the elevator.

You all could have avoided this, you know! But now we have to follow procedure. Only registered residents will be allowed inside - please leave all animal or other companions in a safe location.

[When the Strangers go to the elevator, they are suddenly plunged down once they get in. The doors open, and they are in a massive metal room, where fifteen cold, metal pedestals wait them. Each podium has the individual's name and room number splashed in a dot matrix green on a small monitor on the front, as if they were contestants on a game show. Two of the pedestals-9 and 14-have instead a red X in their computerized name slot, as opposed to a name.

In the corner of the room is a large area cordoned off from the Strangers by what looks like glass upon first look, but is, in fact, a force field. There is little doubt what that area is for, unless one is truly naïve.

Once everyone has finally gotten into place, five of the podiums' dot matrix name plates suddenly flash with a red border.]

THE BAD LUCK	THE BRITTLE	THE EMBARRASSING	THE NAGGING
				THE UNKNOWN

For some of you, this is the first time dealing with a double body discovery announcement... How does it feel? You don't want to... be emotionally numb or anything, do you?

They look so unhappy, Hiyori. It didn't have to be this way...

Hey, Link. Whose arms do you think they're going to rip off if they vote to convict one of the kiddos left in this game?

They'll probably try for ours, but that won't happen. But probably whoever argues for one of them the hardest...

[At this, the ever-present ticking suddenly grows louder. On one of the walls, a dot matrix clock comes to life, counting down the time everyone has until the Trial has been scheduled to end. You have your evidence-only you know what to do with it.

Well? The clock is ticking.

The trial for the murders of Akira Kurusu, The Nagging, and Kazuaki Nanaki, The Embarrassing, has begun.]

Comments

[carryabigstick]

Akira was shot from up close but there were no signs that the same was true for Nanaki.

One of them... might have witnessed something... That may be why we have two victims instead of one.

[illusionarymelody]

Perhaps the taser was used on Nanaki. You might not be familiar with them, but there were plenty of them on the plane. They emit an electric shock like some wind arts when touched to a person. That could cause what happened to him.

[carryabigstick]

I can't imagine it wouldn't leave at least some kind of mark if it's that powerful...

[unwittingking]

It...actually might have.

[As much as he doesn't want to agree with Vita-]

The battery in the taser is dead. Either it got used multiple times, or it got used once, and it was extremely powerful.

[carryabigstick]

Yeah... I was thinking that seemed a bit much to use it just once. Unless it was SUPER powerful. And then... they might have been out for a while if they got hit with that.

[unwittingking]

Yeah, or...

[Suddenly a thought hits him and he feels a little weird, before looking at the taser.]

Or maybe enough to kill?

[carryabigstick]

I mean... I don't know a lot about those things but I thought they weren't really used for that?

[unwittingking]

They're not, they're usually made for self-defense, but...I have a feeling that anything from the weapon room can be used to kill, here.

[Probably everything here is made to kill. Even the books.]

[carryabigstick]

[Good thing she hates hitting the books.]

If you knew how to use it at max potential... probably...

[comesaround]

Actually, metal counts as an amplifier to electricity, so if the taser was used at the same time as he got that injury in his gut from possibly a knife, wouldn't that explain why there's no other visible marks where the taser could have been used?

[unwittingking]

Great, so the knife was used like a reverse lightning rod. 'Cause it's not like things can be simple, can they...

Either way, you're one of the people that have more...experience, with this kind of thing. You think that might be what happened to Nanaki?

[He's not sure how to mention finding an electrocuted person any other way than an experience.]

[comesaround]

[ It's more that he did a lot of studying when it came to the ways to assassinate someone, and not that he specifically found someone electrocuted. ]

Nope. If it were simple, these trials would be much shorter and easier to figure out.

[ He lets off a soft hum in thought. ]

It seems to be the only plausible way so far in my mind.. If Nanaki died right away because of that shock, the blood trail to his house and to where he is could just be a result of someone carrying him over there.

[illusionarymelody]

That I admit I'm not so sure about. I do know it is a weapon more intended for self-defense though and typically the shock isn't enough to kill. Electricity still confuses me sometimes because it's so different from orbal power.

[carryabigstick]

Yeah... my exposure to it is pretty limited too but if you think about it the same way as orbal energy, you'd think it would at least stun the heck out of them. But if they used all the energy in one shot-- there's a chance it might have left an injury of some sort.

[incendiarize]

Some of my formulas cause electric currents, and getting hit with electricity can definitely leave marks. Pretty cool-looking ones, actually, and very distinctive.

I dunno what a taser does, exactly, though, but it should've left a burn where the current made contact with skin.

[carryabigstick]

That helps a lot. So that's what we need to look for-- a burn mark that looks pretty distinctive...

I can say for sure that neither of Nanaki's wounds were like that.

[incendiarize]

Either a burn, or like.... You know how lightning bolts look, all zigzaggy? Like that, but red lines on skin, and radial. I might still have a few if you need a reference, but I'd need to check. [His profile did mention extensive scarring...]

Electrical currents, even strong ones, don't necessarily kill unless they pass through the heart, so... I'd think that'd be what happened, but if there's no signs then I dunno.

[touchsensors]

Lun. If they're weak you can even use them for things like massages as long as you keep them away from the heart-lun.

[byanyother_name]

...a direct enough or strong enough shock to the heart can cause it to start or stop. It's often used medically to save lives but it can also induce a cardiac arrest.

[carryabigstick]

Huh... I didn't know that...

[Hmm.]

But if it was that strong and that direct... I can't believe Nanaki would come out of it without some kind of mark.

[byanyother_name]

[After checking on the taser, Kurama frowns and shakes his head.]

It's a wire taser. I think it's possible the end of the wire was forced under his skin. If the contact point was interior, then the burn might simply not be visible externally.

[incendiarize]

[uh, hey this is offtopic but. You.]

Uh.... If it helps, at all. It was quick. He didn't suffer.

[byanyother_name]

[Pain pinches Kurama's features for a moment at the words.]

It's better than the alternative, at least.

[touchsensors]

[Listening with interest.]

There was something like that-lun?

[illusionarymelody]

Yes, and Jonathan and I confirmed that a taser, handgun and small knife were removed from the weapons storage.