15strangers | THE FIRST TRIAL

THE FIRST TRIAL
(~SK. 3-4)

[When the investigation wraps up, there is a low, rumbling <D O N G, which vibrates throughout the ship. This is followed by the sound of creaking doors opening on the D Deck-the locked doors at the end of the hall.

Zero's voice speaks through the ship once this happens.]

The Investigation has ended. It is time for the Trial. Please proceed into the theater.

I suggest you be quick about it.

[And when you do...you will find a completely empty theater. There is a higher level, but this is currently blocked off by ropes, as is the stage itself. Anyone who attempts to jump the ropes will find themselves knocked on their butts; it seems there's no choice but to go to the podiums, located in the orchestra area of the theater. Notably, the podiums for bunks 6 and 7 are empty, draped with black crinoline and adorned with a photo of the deceased. And in the center of the podiums is...a birthday cake with some confetti surrounding it, along with some drinks. No indication whose birthday it is, but that's pretty much all you'll see in this otherwise very bare, quiet place.

CW: animal death

Unless, of course, you're the Eye. If you're the Eye, you will see every seat filled, if not by a root or vine, then by a...thing with glowing red eyes. One of these...things tries to move towards Anya-and immediately, after suddenly glowing red, thunks over sideways, it's head popping off with an almost comical P O P. The majority of the other...things stare at it before resuming their...whatever they're doing, while one of the things sitting next to it looks over, then towards the stage, then slowly hops off the seat and out the door.

Oh, and he doesn't even get his own podium. Aoi and Makima, good luck to you-Roland's been squeezed in between you, forced to take podium 3. You get to also see what he sees.

Once everyone's in place, A large wide screen....screen schlllorps from the stage, and Zero's face pops in once it turns on.]

Welcome to the Trial. Please, enjoy the refreshments. You will be here until you have either convicted the correct culprit-or, the culprit successfully gets away with it. If you have not familiarized yourself with the guidelines, I suggest you do so now.

All evidence is also available for review on your watches, if need be. Take your time, but...do not delay. Justice must be served.

[Well? No reason to delay. Power is dead. Very dead. And now it is time to figure out who would kill her with explogurt for a cheeseburger-if that's even what happened.

The trial of Power, The Drop, has begun.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dude.

[Kaito speaks up.]

Back off of her a little bit. She's stressed. There are some things you don't have to say, yeah? She's confused, and scared, and she's a kid, jerk.

Cool it. We know what we have to do, you can leave it at that.

[Brain snorts at that, not bothering to look away from Anya]

I am simply telling her the truth. Child or no, she has avoided our evidence checks and is trying to divert because she knows that these are the rules. She is trying to save her own skin. I am trying to save mine. Being anything less than frank about that is not kindness, it's folly, because at the end, you are still going to vote for her.

I, at least, am being honest about that.

We know what we're doing! It's rubbing salt in a fuckin' wound! Just because you're salivating at the thought of being superior to someone doesn't make you some honest paragon of virtue! There's no goddamn good or bad here, there's no folly, there's just a scared kid that has to be put to death and some spectacled arrogant dick who wants to look down on her for doing something that seems, more or less, to be SELF DEFENSE!

[He slams a hand on the podium.]

So save your holier-than-thou shit until after the trial! Do it in private, AT THE LEAST.

So it is worse for me to be honest with her about how this works than lie to her sweetly while planning to send her to her death, like you?

My. How noble of you.