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.

[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.

[steelmagnolias]

[When it looks like there's a moment to get a word in, Ren pulls two things from his pockets: a braided gold chain and two rectangular cufflinks.]

I found these at the steak place. Whoever did this probably took them off to avoid getting the shit fried out of them.

[notgentle]

The second you see something shiny, you latch onto it and don't let go... no wonder the motive this week was greed.

[Dio steps in front of his podium, leaning against it with one hand and using the other to dramatically gesticulate. His legs are crossed jauntily.]

I want each and every one of you to really think about what you're looking at, here. This is a premediated murder, you know? Wake would never give anyone a reason to defend themselves from him. Someone spent several hours gathering supplies and then took a few more hours to get that boy alone in the perfect location. The culprit had minutes on end when nobody saw them. [A cutting aside that really strikes him as an opportunity to mock, not to grieve.] Especially not Ursula with her precious little patrol! [Anyway, he's building up momentum here to something he finds simultaneously infuriating and funny.] They brought a change of clothing - which doesn't even fit me, by the way - so they were obviously thinking about the way they would look after getting into this whole oh so heinous crime action, and you're telling me they didn't pick up a LITTLE FUCKING PIECE OF ROPE?

[He lets that hang in the air, then waves outward with both index fingers pointing out of curled fists, continuing with cool determination.] No. Not in a million years. Either there's a damn good reason I couldn't just tie the chain right the fuck back onto my shoe where it belongs, or someone put it smack dab in the middle of the crime scene on purpose and is trying to kill me. The same person who fed trusting old Wake sleeping pills and then struck him on the head - from behind, for some reason, so it's not as if he were standing up straight to run away at that point. And who had a radio handy to drop into the tank even though they were carrying all these other tools. Come on. I've seen lots of courts and lots of circuses. There's a difference. Show me which one this is supposed to be.

[ FRANTIC TALK SHOWDOWN BEGIN ]

VOTE

[lifecoach]

[The Life Coach has been listening for the most part except to offer clarification. Suddenly, her phone beeps, so she jumps up again for attention. ...Maybe a few times, like she's used to that from being short.]

Time's up, everyone! Now, go ahead and like, cast your official vote... who killed Wake, the Feeling?

EXECUTION: Soul Freed [TW: Trampling]

[strangerpeople]

[Once the final vote is cast, the Life Coach very quickly flutters off the platform, planting herself closer to the elevator.]

Well, ok! Totally got a 13-1 vote for the Bodacious locked in...well, you, like, totes tried? But in the end, you were kind of right?

Someone was motivated by greed - you. Even though it wasn't, like, shiny, the second you saw the opportunity, you latched on, and, like, totally didn't let go.

[She presses a button on her phone.]

And now it's totally time to pay your dues.

CULPRIT INPUT: THE BODACIOUS
AWAITING VERIFICATION. . .



VERIFICATION APPROVED.

[Instantly, everyone - save Dio - finds themselves unable to move. Some kind of force is keeping them suctioned to their place; there is no way to escape. Dio doesn't even have a chance to try and struggle; the floor beneath him suddenly slides open, and that, combined with the suction, forces him down into the hole, the floor sliding back into place above him.]

RUNNING EXECUTION PROTOCOL...
[Then came the rumble beneath their feet, as the platform they are on begins to descend around the central platform. Soon enough, the Titled are beholden to a giant glass cynlinder, a shocked Dio shooting out of a hole in the middle of the floor, and landing on his feet.

Not that it means much with the giant shadowy figure standing in one of the corners. A massive, golem-like thing with an unusually small head with two triangle ears on it.

Britt will recognize what it is instantly, as it opens its bright hate orbs and focuses on Dio.]

EXECUTION ACTIVATED.
[Quick as lightning, one of the creature's hands shoots out, and a dart barrels towards Dio. Dio, meanwhile, was just as quick, and, his eyes wide, manages to roll out of the way in time.

The creature's eyes widen as the dart embeds into the glass.]

ERROR! EXECUTION FAIL...SECONDARY PROTOCOL SHUTDOWN ACTIVATED--
[The creature abruptly stops, shutting down. For a moment, nothing happens, save for Dio staring at the creature as he slowly stands up.

He doesn't notice the wisps of black smoke forming behind him, and from the shadows of the golem creature. At least, not until one of them starts to neigh.

On everyone's phone, the following text suddenly flashes:]

Bodacious Secondary Protocol Activated. Enjoy.

[A half-dozen shadowy horses with strangely stencil-like manes - and one giant elephant with a stencil-like tusk - form all around Dio. Their eyes all open, revealing bright, red eyes.

After the shock on his face passes, Dio smirks, shakes his head, starts chuckling as they all, in unison, begin to charge. There's not enough room to avoid all of them, and he knows it. Even his power can only toss so much at once. So he makes his choice - and runs to the elephant.

The elephant lets out an eerie toot as it stampedes, and with Dio going towards it, it doesn't miss its mark.

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

Even after Dio is underfoot, and clearly not moving, it keeps stomping, and soon the horses join in, ambling and trampling with triumphant, terrifying whinnies. They keep going, the black smoke of their forms emitting thicker and thicker from their nostrils and tusk, until the entire interior of the cylinder is plunged into inky black.

It is then, and only then, that the suction on the feet of the Titled dissipates, and they are at last free to return to the elevator - and to their continued confinement in the Mall below.]