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

[lifecoach]

[The Life Coach is there, walking around. Once everyone is in their podiums, she jumps to the empty center area, and strikes a quick pose, leg up in the air.]

Mmmk! I can, like, answer questions you might have about this? Most of them, at least. And take your time! This is totally not timed or anything.

[incrediblystressedout]

[Somehow, the posing is way less endearing when someone is dead.]

Did you have anything to do with this? Or whoever you're working for? Couldn't the people who brought us here have just murdered Wake and tried to make it look like one of us did it?

[thegreenhornet]

Yeah, do you guys have proof someone here did it?

[Nobody here seemed like the type that'd kill someone for millions of bucks]

[lifecoach]

[S-sorry, Joey. Life Coach can't help it sometimes. Still, she shakes her head.]

No? That's, like, totally not cool? Or, like, really allowed. They can't kill you guys without reason.

[eyesofdespair]

So what's the punishment for being caught and for the rest of us if we don't catch them?

[May as well get that one out of the way even if he has his suspicions.]

[incrediblystressedout]

Oh, "without reason". That's nice to know. Do people still do that thing with their hands to indicate sarcastic quotation marks? Because I'm doing that right now.

[She takes a deep breath. Focus, Joey.]

I'm guessing, on the flip side, that they can't be persuaded to share surveillance camera footage with us?

[lifecoach]

[The Life Coach seems slightly more subdued as she responds.]

Um, well, it's...like, execution. You know?

[lifecoach]

Well, like, they really can't kill you unless you give them a reason. Like, if you attacked me or them. That rule, y'know?

[A sheepish shrug.]

No, they can't, sorry!

[eyesofdespair]

And it truly was someone among us and not you or whoever you work for?

[incrediblystressedout]

Is this all about this being "fair"? Oh look, there go my hands again.

[byanyother_name]

How is this to be decided? Obviously we want to find the real murderer, but what is the system?

[foolishjustice]

[Akechi glances at the bento and drink on his podium as he walks in, still finishing off half a mini-sized cinnabun Kurama had brought him, and...nah. Even if they do have the right beans, he doubts they brew it right. So he'll just be creating a cup of his own coffee to sip at, because he gets the feeling he's going to need it.]

I've developed some theories regarding this case already, but I believe the first thing I should mention is that Archus-san likely did not feel the electrocution. The wires were wrapped around him far too tightly for them to have been slipped onto a resisting subject, which makes me believe he was first rendered unconscious.

[Flipping through Xamine...yeah, he thought he saw something about that in his earlier review.]

Likely through a combination of sleeping pills and repeated impact to the facial area.

[theirmagic]

... Is it definitely someone here that did it? Do you already know who committed the murder?

[ She really can't eat when she's nervous, so she's just sipping her drink. ]

[theirmagic]

... S-so then... why was there a wire when I went to find him? The one I tripped over. You saw that happen, right?

[thegreenhornet]

So...someone knocked him out with pills and then hit him in the face many times? Why'd you do that if he's already asleep?

[Britt doesn't see how a person would take something with sleeping pills after being beaten up. It's not like a killer would forcibly cram pills into Wake's mouth]

[foolishjustice]

The electrocution was most likely used to finish him off after he was rendered unconscious. Why they chose such a complicated method, I can't say, but it was certainly the final cause of death.

[eyesofdespair]

The pills may reveal something if we can figure out how he ingested them. Were they given to him by force or was it possible he may have trusted the person who gave them?

[lifecoach]

I can totally say it was one of you guys.

[foolishjustice]

They may not have taken a large enough dose to fall unconscious immediately. Considering the rule against sleeping outside, the first thought of someone who feels too drowsy to stay awake would be to return to their room, correct? If they did that, they would be safe from their assailant. The killer most likely drugged him enough to make him groggy and unable to resist with his full strength, then hit his head against something until he fell completely unconscious.

[byanyother_name]

I believe that Wake was already dead by that point. The wire that you tripped over may have been suspending him, with a different wire around his wrist the genuine point of contact for his electrocution.

[notgentle]

Obviously he trusted the person who gave them! There was a glass of water, but no mess on his mouth. That means nobody crammed dry pills right in his mouth or even forced him to swallow the water. He just drank them right down... [wistfully] Wake was really open to everyone.

[lifecoach]

It's, like, complicated?

[Do you need something for that Sarcastic Quotitis, Impossible?? Is it contagious????]

But you'll, like, totally know. No trial or anything.

[totalbullshit]

Additionally, he wasn't drugged up within the Crab restaurant. There were rubber scuff marks around the entrance area, likely from something - or someone - being dragged. I found Wake's shoes in the trash - rubber soled.

Which makes me wonder... was the body wearing shoes?

[incrediblystressedout]

Um. Yeah. In the steak place, the drawer near where Ren found the pills was covered in blood specks. It was really gross. There were also a lot of bloody napkins in the trash nearby, like someone tried to clean up after a messy fight.

Oh, and there was a half-empty glass of water with something in it. I guess someone could have ground up sleeping pills in that? It's sorta how we give medicine to the dog at home, so...

[foolishjustice]

It was Sanzashi-san who recorded that piece of evidence, correct? We should allow him to speak on details that may not have been recorded.