THE SECOND TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE SECOND TRIAL


[Soon enough, once the final clues have been uncovered, the telltale DING echoes through the Mall. The elevator in the food court has opened once more, and it will not close until all of the remaining Titled have gotten in it. And, as before, a thought comes to them, the realization that they needed to get on the roof, and get to the bottom of this.

Soon enough, everyone is back on the roof, and they will find that their platform arrangement has changed to reflect those who had died since last week. The podiums of Dio, Torri, and Yuuri are each all lowered and covered with white cloths. Otherwise, everyone else's platforms also have food and drinks, just like last week.

It's probably still not much comfort, especially with what everyone knows must happen. They must look at the evidence they have gathered, and once more, they will have to figure out the truth, putting their lives on the line to do so. Hopefully, their luck will hold.

So, get ready.

The trial for the murders of Torri Feiji, The Bliss, and Yuuri Katsuki, The Future, has begun.]

Comments

[byanyother_name]

[There is nothing of Shuuichi here now. The person who raises his voice to be heard above the shouts, slaps, and chaos is most definitely Kurama. He is wounded, and cold, and old.

Ancient.]

Why, Goro? I suppose I could say it's because your own life depends on your secret not getting out. That would be an easy answer. But I think instead, I will say that it's because you were already expecting all of us to condemn you.

[foolishjustice]

Who says it isn't both, Shuuichi-san? Condemned by the people I considered friends and left at the mercy of a coldhearted father whose reputation I had just ruined...what hope would I have?

[theirmagic]

[ ... Yeah sorry to interrupt, but-- ]

You'd have us. I would never condemn you, Goro. I... I care about you.

[byanyother_name]

My name is Kurama! [It's not quite a scream but it's definitely not calm. He can't bear to be called Shuuichi by this person, at this time, for those words. Shuuichi is not a persona built for pain and betrayal.

That has always belonged to Kurama.]

Despair is a poison. You could have trusted us, Goro. You could have believed that enough of us truly cared for you. Some of us would never have left you to that. I would never have left you to that!

im so sorry i keep threadjacking jaslakjlksj

[theirmagic]

... He's right.

[ It does hurt. But she's going to... give Kurama a look, here. ]

But I think, on some level, he must have been trained to believe this way. Please... don't be so hard on him.

it's a special day

[byanyother_name]

I trusted him.

[That's...really all Kurama has to give her.]

[theirmagic]

So did I.

[ ... It does hurt. ]

... I wish it didn't have to be this way...

[comesaround]

Nobody wants it to be this way, but it is. We have to accept it.

[ Going to finally speak up but he's not happy about it. ]

[theirmagic]

...

[ She looks at Akechi. ]

Goro... does this count as your confession? Or are you still going to... to fight it?

[foolishjustice]

...Yes. I killed Katsuki-san and Feiji-san. It was a crime of opportunity, Katsuki-san was my first victim, when he put himself in a position where he would be easy to throw to his death. I cut his throat to make sure he would die quickly, instead of suffering until his internal injuries finished him off.

That's when Feiji-san saw me, and I had to chase her to remove her as a witness. So I guess Akabane-san was right, it was an amateur mistake. I was only caught because I decided to take extra time to make his death faster.

[beguiledcard]

[ This doesn't make anything about it feel any better...

God... damn it... ]

[foolishjustice]

I'm sorry, Akira.

[theirmagic]

[ She winces. ]

Oh, Yuuri... Torri...

[ It hurts. ]

At least they died quickly...

More spoilers and TW: suicide mention

[foolishjustice]

I know that. I've known that my whole life, ever since it killed my mother in front of my eyes. It's something that rots you away, until there's nothing left but bitterness and hatred. Nobody cared about her after I was born, and nobody gave a shit about me, either. Not before Akira, anyway.

[byanyother_name]

Is that what you think of me, too? [It's sharp and demanding. The look in Kurama's green eyes is almost wild, like a dare from a wounded animal. Challenging Akechi, no, challenging Goro to say yes.]

Akira loves you. Truly. Deeply.

I considered you a friend. [He isn't genuinely sure he still doesn't. He knows the lengths fear can drive a man to.]

[foolishjustice]

...No, you're one of the few I'm sure did care. But there's only so much a handful of people can do against seventeen years of isolation. I was beyond saving by the time we met, Kurama-san.

[byanyother_name]

No one is beyond saving. It's never too late to change, Goro, I should know.

Major LWA spoilers from this point onward!

[scienceofmagic]

[ Croix is. Forcing herself to calm down. ]

...Akechi. Do you want to know my secret?

[ She won't give him a chance to answer. ]

Croix Meridies is responsible for Chariot du Nord's disastrous last show, as well as using what she learned there at Luna Nova Academy later to harvest the negative emotions she herself stoked in the people of England and Ireland in order to obtain the Grand Triskellion.

[ There. Everyone knows how awful she is now. She'd hurt so many people. ]

...I wouldn't have judged or condemned you. Not after how many people I've betrayed, including Ursula.

[theirmagic]

... Croix... you... w-what did you do?!

[ SORRY THIS IS DERAILING SHE KNOWS BUT--this is the first she's hearing of it. ]

Is that why you kidnapped Atsuko?

[scienceofmagic]

...I wanted data on her. I wanted to know why it picked her.

[ Why it picked you. ]

...That's all.

[theirmagic]

... Croix... were you still trying to obtain the world-altering magic?

[ She bites her lip. ]

Please... tell me you weren't.

[scienceofmagic]

...I didn't need the Claiomh Solais anymore. I had my own way of getting it.

[ Magic was disappearing.

It would be gone soon.

They were running out of time and options. ]

[theirmagic]

Croix...

[ It's all she can say. Here isn't the time or place, obviously. But since she's still close from earlier with Helena? She's going to hug her. ]

I can guess why. But you need to talk to me about this all later, okay? When... when it's not... all of this.

[scienceofmagic]

[ Croix won't... Really react. Sorry. She's kind of numb right now after everything. ]

[theirmagic]

[ ... Deep breaths. ]

... I still care about you. That isn't... going to change.