15strangers | THE FOURTH TRIAL

THE FOURTH TRIAL
(~SK. 24-25)

[There's no announcement informing the Strangers to come into the theater. There is only the sound of the doors opening, beckoning those left to come inside. It's best not to tarry-really, do you want to know what happens if they refuse to go to the trial?

When they enter the theater, it's...different. Sort of. Maybe it's because the area where the podiums are covered in donuts (and yes, Roland will see the little white animals pop over and pinch a few off the top). Maybe it's the fact that more spaces are draped in black. Maybe it's the fact that Zack's podium is also missing from where it sat, leaving nothing but donuts-in fact, that's where the primary pile of donuts are. Digging through that pile will only yield donuts, and nothing more.

(Some of the animals try to approach Akane. They disintegrate before they get two steps. Apparently they're better off eating the donuts.)

But-most of all-it's the fact that Zero is not on the screens that pop out through the theater. There's nothing but static. And while the curtains are closed, you know you are being watched regardless.

Uh. So. Maybe it's not worth waiting for Zero on this.

The trial for the murder of Zack Prince, the One, has begun.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...perhaps that has something to do with the listed causes of death. The fact that there are two of them.

That would make as much sense as anything in this situation possibly can...

Are you implying...? But...that's not possible...is it?

I can not say. But what reason would Zero have to list two when he never did such a thing before?

That's true... And so much about Zack...didn't make sense...

Dad...said he was stabbed. And...shot and strangled. And poison. ...So there were...four attempts on his life? Or...the sword...maybe five?

So many rooms were disturbed, and so many holes from the... bullets?

[look he still doesn't know much about guns]

The entire affair reads as chaotic.

What I want to know is where the killer got the gun. I've been checking the weapons room on a regular basis, and while I've found no shortage of bullets, I've never seen any guns to go with them.

[Hermes scratches at his front leg.]

Don't look at me! I haven't gone in that room since our first week here! I don't want that blue thing to kill me!

That blue thing?

[Is he talking about Nero?]

Yeah, it was blue and floaty and tried attacking me and...

[Hermes glances over to Hubert]

[Also glancing over to Hubert now...]

(no subject)

superstylishsquid - 2023-07-15 18:11 (UTC) - Expand

...Zack had a gun...last week. I tried to...teach him to be careful with it... He didn't tell me where he got it.

... did he.

[Hmm, interesting.]

I wonder if it came from our friend downstairs.

Probably from Charon. Remember I said he gave me a shotgun?

He also gave me that...ridiculous chariot. And...what I think is a bomb. ...I think it's safe to assume...the gun came from the Gimme, whether...it was Zack's gun or a...different one.

Oh! Yeah! I was also teaching him about that revolver he had!

A revolver? The whole...'six bullet capacity' thing from Western movies?

voidseeing - 2023-07-15 18:05 (UTC) - Expand

superstylishsquid - 2023-07-15 18:18 (UTC) - Expand

voidseeing - 2023-07-15 18:23 (UTC) - Expand

superstylishsquid - 2023-07-15 18:34 (UTC) - Expand

voidseeing - 2023-07-15 18:38 (UTC) - Expand

superstylishsquid - 2023-07-15 19:00 (UTC) - Expand

voidseeing - 2023-07-15 19:07 (UTC) - Expand

pegasinister - 2023-07-15 18:47 (UTC) - Expand

superstylishsquid - 2023-07-15 19:12 (UTC) - Expand

somuchshipping - 2023-07-15 18:07 (UTC) - Expand

onychomance - 2023-07-15 18:30 (UTC) - Expand

[Dad...? But it wasn't Aoi who said those things, it was Roland. Meaning...just a moment as Alastor processes this.]

[ Yeah your boyfriend adopted the robot zombie daughter! Surprise? ]

[He manages a faint smile and a tired chuckle.]

Well, I have wanted kids for a long time...not quite the circumstances I'd imagined for it, though.

The same can be said of me as well. I didn't think these would be the circumstances where I realized I wanted to be a dad, but here I am.

[ He nods a couple of times, smiling softly. ]

Ritsu needs good parental figures. Now is better than never to give her that.

I kinda also have a child! Before Aphrodite died, I just combined the names of her and myself!

[...He still needs to apologize for that.]

Edited 2023-07-15 18:21 (UTC)

I've known I wanted to for millennia, just didn't want to be going it alone.

godspiousjasper - 2023-07-15 18:34 (UTC) - Expand

superstylishsquid - 2023-07-15 18:35 (UTC) - Expand

[ Just Roland over here being absolutely happy for a minute amongst all this mess. Don't mind him. ]

What it appears to me is that Zack wasn't like any normal individual. He had apparently the best tasting blood out of anyone else, could lift a slot machine like it weighed nothing and then not seeming to know anything that should be at least common knowledge.

[ Ah he doesn't like where this is going but hey. Here we are. ]

I suppose we could add in now that he clearly wasn't human, or that at the very least it took a LOT to actually kill him and our culprit wasn't expecting that.

Plus, I saw him move faster than any human should've been able to, during Val's rampage.