THE FIRST TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE FIRST TRIAL

[Almost as soon as the investigation is over, a loud DING echoes through the mall.

The elevator doors in the food court, before completely inaccessible, have now opened for the Titled. It will not close until every last Titled has gotten in. Nor will everyone have to wait long for potential stragglers; a thought comes to everyone's mind, a realization that they need to get into the elevator. They need to go.

They need to find out who did this.

The elevator is a small freight elevator inside, and its just big enough to fit everyone in it. After a short ride, the elevator opens...

And they are on the roof. Despite it clearly not being that late in the day, the roof seems to be surrounded by an air of cool, perpetual sunset. Beyond that, good luck making out what's beyond the roof - there seems to be a city, but it's utterly unidentifiable. Not that anyone can jump off the roof to try and get closer - there is a translucent barrier surrounding the roof that is utterly impenetrable.

The main attraction of the roof, however, is not the fuzzy landscape beyond. It's the large, stepped circular platform which is a mere ten paces from the elevator. On this platform are 15 podiums, surrounding a large, empty, circular floor. Instantly every phone pings, giving everyone their platform assignment based on their bedroom number. And - upon arriving at their designated podium - they will find a dock for their phone to slide into. As soon as they do so the XAMINE app will pop up, revealing everyone's findings regarding the murder.

Not Wake, though. His podium is lower, and bare save for a white cloth.

Still, everyone - including Ren, who will find that whoever arranged this whole deal has given him a chair to sit in - will need their strength. Which is why each Stranger also has a bento box lunch, carefully prepared, waiting for them at their podium. Each meal is tailored to every Stranger's specific tastes and allergies, as best as a bent box meal can be. It even comes with a cup of their favorite drink.

So, take a few bites, take a few breaths, and get ready, Titled.

The trial for the murder of Wake Archus, The Feeling, has begun.]

Comments

[theirmagic]

Hmm...

[ She frowns. ]

Mister Dio, do you mind if I ask you something?

[notgentle]

Uh, okay. Hit me with your best shot, Ursula.

[theirmagic]

... Is it all right if we compare the chains you wear to the one here, in evidence? I'm sure you didn't do anything, but... it would be helpful to know what kind of chain we're dealing with.

[notgentle]

Ummmmmmmm......... sure...

[He turns his back to her and sets to unclasping the chain around his neck. A little lobster claw.]

I've been meaning myself to get a look at the one in evidence after this is all over, actually.

Mod ping

[theirmagic]

Thank you.

[ She'll walk over and look at it and bring up the picture of the chain on Xamine. Do they match? Or are they at least a little alike? ]

[strangerpeople]

[The chain does not match, and doesn't have any real similarity to the necklace.]

[foolishjustice]

[Do the necklace and the chain on his leg match, though?]

[notgentle]

[Dio stays close to her. Joey can be over there, that's fine. He's just watching. Waiting.]

You see... last night I had dinner at Unsteak My Heart, and when I woke up today, I noticed that one of these chains I have on my shoe is gone. I didn't think anything of it when I looked at the photo that didn't really show the size, but now...

[theirmagic]

... Is that really it? You simply lost it?

[ Color her unimpressed. ]

Around what time did you have dinner?

[steelmagnolias]

That's awfully funny.

[ Hey, he finally managed to follow on something. ]

Joey-chan and I were investigating behind the counter.

[theirmagic]

... You found it back there? That's... awfully strange. Why would someone eat dinner behind the counter?

[totalbullshit]

Why would you lose something from your shoe in a cupboard?

If Dio isn't lying, then that just means the chain has been moved by someone else.

[steelmagnolias]

Beats me. It was underneath one of the cabinet drawers along with the cufflinks, so that's an odd place to end up if you were just stopping by.

Come to think of it, the bottle of pills? That was wedged near the soda machine.

[pinnately]

...I didn't think you were careless, you take pride in your appearance for the animals.

[ She may have gotten the reasoning wrong, but Torri actually has pretty good eyesight. ]

[notgentle]

[sweatdrop..................... she can see through the tears now... he has to be careful]

Yeah, but there are even more important things to worry about sometimes. Like the safety of the audience members. One time I lost a whole shoe when a bear grabbed my ankle while I was helping a girl choking on popcorn in the first row.

[pinnately]

[ .... ]

That's something a good person would do, Mr. Dio.

[beguiledcard]

[ Quietly: ]

Or a very convincing story...

[scienceofmagic]

Ha! You really expect us to believe such a coincidence? Awfully convenient for the killer, isn't it, then?

[ Croix has a playful smirk right now. ]

[totalbullshit]

[ Helena's been silent for a good while now and she doesn't sound as certain as usually when she speaks, but here she is. ]

However, the chain was found in the cupboard. If it came off without the killer's notice and was only not removed from the scene for that reason... how would something from his lower leg get in there so conveniently?

[ ... ]

Unless Wake managed this somehow. Unnoticed.

[scienceofmagic]

He might have. But more than that, why didn't Dio claim the chain earlier if he figured it was his? Seems to me he was hoping none of us would notice. The only reason I can think of someone not claiming something that's misplaced and so easily explained is that they have something to hide.

[totalbullshit]

[ Okay, at this point she'll just turn to Dio with an exhausted look. ]

See?

[theirmagic]

The necklace doesn't match our little chain at all, but...

[ Fancy that. She'll hand the chain back to Dio... and then she'll look at his boots. She'd come over here for a different reason--examining the chain was just pretense. She wanted a good look at Dio's whole body. To rule him out, if nothing else, but it seems more like... it's ruling him in? ]

... Tell me, Mister Dio, why is there only one chain on your boot? Wouldn't they match? Isn't that a bit odd? The right boot's chain is missing, you know.

To be honest, I wanted to get a good look at you. I'm sorry, but I really do think you're hiding something from us, so why don't you tell us why that chain is missing? No one else here wears so much gold but you.

[incrediblystressedout]

[Joey takes a look at where she's standing, and at Dio's accoutrements, and ever so subtly scoots to the left, to get closer to Ren and Ursula than Captain Bling over there.]

[theirmagic]

[ She might be giving Joey a look of concern. Please scoot closer, by all means. ]

[scienceofmagic]

[ Croix might. Be giving Joey a look that's meant to convey "please get yourself and Ren to the other side of Ursula if possible." Whether Joey picks up on it or not....... ]