THE THIRD TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE THIRD TRIAL

[It happens again, like clockwork. Once the final clues have happened, the elevator in the food court opens with a DING. It doesn't leave until everyone has gotten on, and the thought occurs to everyone that they shouldn't waste time.

An innocent man was ruthlessly murdered, after all. After everything that's happened.

Just as before, everyone who is still alive will find their favorite food and drink at their platform. And just as before, Akechi, Helena and Ren's platforms have now been lowered and covered with a white cloth, joining the increasing number of dead spaces in the trial area. Helena's platform, however, has an addition not present on any other deceased's platform: a single white lily, placed almost reverently on top.

Well. Whatever reason that lily is there, it shouldn't detract from the fact that there is a trial to be had here, once more. Its time to look at the evidence at hand, and to hopefully find whoever did this heinous crime.

So, it's time, Titled.

The trial for the murder of Ren Sanzashi, The Doorframe, has begun.]

Comments

[theirmagic]

... "Judgement". If you broke a rule... would you die as well?

[greatfascinations]

... L-Let's just, like, say that's a funny question where I'm concerned!

[beguiledcard]

Funny because the punishment is worse, or funny because you're already dead?

[ The latter would feel far-fetched if not for literally everything there is about this place.

WHAT OTHER REASONS COULD THERE BE...? ]

[greatfascinations]

...Huh! I guess ya did feel something other than breast back then.

Yup. You got me. I'm not actually alive.

[beguiledcard]

[ OH MY GOD ]

...

[ Congratulations, Coco-chan, you have earned yourself a Kurusu palm-to-the-face maneuver. Yep, he sure is just a tiny bit red. Why this. ]

I was trying to perform CPR. It's what silly humans use when trying to preserve a life.

[greatfascinations]

Really? Totes too bad. You're like, pretty cute. Not exactly my type though~

[She's just gotta get in some flirts before she possibly hecking dies gets erased, because we all know how Akira loves to have feelings for executed culprits]

[beguiledcard]

Ah...

[ COCO-CHAN PLZ... ...you better not get erased, or some shit. But, at least said flirts actually draw out a soft laugh this time. ]

Well, that's flattering coming from such a cute girl.

[ akira plz?? ]

so i had to dig for this, hope y'all are happy

[theirmagic]

... Did you know I have a good memory, Coach? Would you like to recall the First Trial? I remember what you said during the vote.

[ Really, she does. ]

I remember you telling Helena... you'd get erased if you tried to kill one of us. But in the same breath, you said you're someone you can't kill... yet, later, the very same girl you had that conversation with almost killed you.

... I think that... you're tied up in something. I don't... know what. I don't know if someone is framing you, or who it might be. Maybe it's the person who writes the motives; they seem pretty cruel. ... Are they trying to get you to do this? Or is it the real killer? I don't know, but... Coach...

If you were "erased", that doesn't sound like the same as being dead. Why not just say you'd die?

[greatfascinations]

[Well. Akira called her out. So.]

... Maybe I just wanna, like, make ya feel better when ya have to vote for me.

[theirmagic]

... I don't believe that. If you're not our person fabricating stuff, and it's one of us in this room...

Someone probably framed you. And you're just going along with it, aren't you? Why? I refuse to believe you'd kill any of us. You've been so friendly, so helpful, so kind.

[greatfascinations]

I also knew everything about the Doorframe's smoking habits since he totally relied on me for em'. And I was there at that party last night...

[theirmagic]

... Smoking habits... hey, Coach, did he roll his own cigarettes, by chance? I'm just wondering. Those tobacco flakes we found...

[greatfascinations]

H-huh? Well, like, no... he totally just went for the boxed kind? Is that, like, super important though?

[theirmagic]

... Yes, it is important. If you're self-rolling cigarettes, they tend to take a long time and aren't very easy to put together. It's really hard to cut open a prepackaged cigarette... I would assume, anyway. Especially the kind with the filters.

My father smoked, so...

[greatfascinations]

Well... it was done in advance. That's all.

[scienceofmagic]

...No, Ursula... She said she'd... Be erased if she planted fake evidence. I know... You don't want it to be her, but... There's nothing we know of that says she can't kill one of us.

[theirmagic]

She wouldn't do this, Croix! She wouldn't!

[ SLAMMING HER HANDS ON THE PODIUM. ]

Why do you want to believe so hard it's her?! Do you hate her or something?

[greatfascinations]

Omigosh... Chance, do you?

[scienceofmagic]

...No. But we have to make sure of everything.

[ She's very Distressed. ]

[scienceofmagic]

Because we have to follow the evidence to its end or we'll die, Chariot! This isn't... Something we can just ignore because you like her!

[ Croix looks pained. ]

You can't save everyone just because you want to or because you believe they wouldn't do something awful!

[theirmagic]

But if Ren killed himself and she's innocent, we're going to kill an innocent girl! How can you be okay with that?!

[thegreenhornet]

Uh, actually, we'd all die.

[SHUT UP, BRITT]

[theirmagic]

An added, unfortunate, unhelpful bonus, Mister Reid.

[ The venom in her eyes and tone right now could poison another person. ]

[scienceofmagic]

You wanted to believe Akechi was innocent, too! We can't... We have to look at all of the evidence. Even the evidence you don't want to admit is pointing in direction you don't want it to go in.

[ She's going to just. Look down, shaking. ]

...Please, Chariot. For once, you have to put your guilt aside and follow the evidence. If she didn't do it, she'll be cleared.

[theirmagic]

...

[ The glare she's giving Croix right now across the trial room? It has a lot of animosity in it. Just like the glares she'd given her when she'd stolen Atsuko. ]

So that's how it is, huh. We haven't even gone over all the evidence, but you sure seem ready to condemn her.