fourth trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement and evidence gathered, the doors in the pool area are the next destination for anyone who doesn't want a repeat of witnessing PAL's brand of punishment.

In the slowly emptying circle of podiums there are two more added since last week, Roland, the Champion of Lokapala and Angel, the Champion Traitor. Their names and titles are brightly displayed but the harsh red is a painful contrast to the lively green of the living Champions' podiums. In the place Kip used to stand there is no floating portrait frame, no memorial, no indication he ever set foot in this courtroom.]

Welcome, Champions, to the Rose Ceremony. Weed out the true culprit and they'll be eliminated, vote incorrectly and they'll be allowed to go home at the expense of the rest of your lives.

Oh, and don't bore me. You know by now I cannot stand being bored.

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

There's...there was some stuff missing in her room. It's open now, since she and Mary are--yeah. I'll just get that out of the way now. [He holds up her collar, or what's left of it.] This was that collar she was wearing, at least...I think it was? It's really banged up and was stashed under her bed.

We know what the autopsy report said, that she ODed on oxy. She had some, on her list of things she got out of the dumbwaiter I presume, but, well, 's gone now.

But that voice modulator of hers is also gone. And a...skin mask thing? They're not marked off on her list, and those were gone, so those are missing.

[daughterofthemark]

A... skin mask?

[???????????? why does she feel like she is going to regret asking about this]

[goteachother]

She would never have taken off that collar willingly.

[Queenie just shakes her head and touches her own throat nervously.]

When I got her powers... she-

She was very very adamant that I wear it. It took a lot of convincing for her to back down. She was terrified.

[desperateprayer]

[ ABOUT THAT MASK ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

You're boring.

[Says Junpei, a mature twenty-two-year-old man. Anyway.]

...I have a brief question before we start going over evidence. Who all was at Queenie's sleepover last night? I'm not asking to accuse people, I just want to know. Angel wasn't there, right?

[goteachother]

No she... didn't want to stay.

I thought she'd be with Rhys. Like you were with Rii and Nari was with Cece.

I think Ardyn was the only other person that didn't come... I'm sorry.

[scourgingstars]

I wasn't there myself, so I wouldn't be able to say.

[everylittlesecret]

I've been with Cece every night this week, so that's why I wasn't at Queenie's sleepover.

[buddyoldpal]

Well, ya know wherever she goes, I go.

[shikosuki]

[ Choromatsu's quiet and out of it all trial (occasionally eyeing Rhys whenever he talks weird) but he speaks up here ]

I was with Queenie.

[desperateprayer]

Um... Queenie and I found... A lot in the kitchen. But really, the thing that sticks out most right now is...

[ Yeah. Clarith brought the fridge face. She wrapped it up in paper towels and is. Going to hold it out so someone can take it. ]

[plugout]

Yeahhhhh, that's it! That's the thing I was talkin' about, Airy!

[ arianna.... her name is arianna. ]

[buddyoldpal]

Fuck, that's gross even fer me.

[everylittlesecret]

That..... is both so damn gross, but really artfully made. Props to the maker. Creepy as fuck.

[goteachother]

There was flour all over the kitchen but there was also one really distinct footprint. I couldn't bring it with us but...

Can everyone take off their shoes?

[She is here for inspecting treads and looking for flour.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Only if you want me to strip the whole hell of the way out of this undersuit. I'd make a lewd joke, buuuut somehow it doesn't seem like the right time for that. But you can check my feet all you want.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Uhh. Okay.

[Junpei takes off his sneaker and--okay, there sure are a lot of dead people between him and Clarith and then Clarith and Queenie, so maybe he'll actually hand-deliver it. There is no flour on it, though his foot is certainly much bigger than Angel's.

It's also such a fugly sneaker, seriously, Junpei, it matches NOTHING YOU OWN.]

[scourgingstars]

[god why he's got like a million layers to this thing]

[But his stupid terrible idiot boots are clear.]

[plugout]

[ He'll go ahead and take off his shoes.

It's a match. No flour, but the size and tread is right. ]

[buddyoldpal]

[ Nishitani shrugs. As usual, he's only wearing socks. ]

I ain't ever worn shoes indoors. Slippers though...

[ Yes, he has slippers but they're pretty obviously not a match. ]

cw: drug overdose

[everylittlesecret]

So I checked out Angel's body. She was positioned to look like she was sleeping. [Nari holds up a unicorn, which Rhys should recognize.] This was in her arms. Pretty ugly, but that's not the point right now.

Her fingers and lips were blue, which falls in line with the death. She was likely asleep when she just... stopped breathing. So it would have been fairly painless. There was a plate of brunt cookies and a empty cup of hot chocolate nearby, and when I checked, the residue in the cup lines up with being poisoned. Someone snuck the oxy into the drink. That's all I got.

[serrata]

I found an empty bottle of it in the store room and that's definitely not where it's supposed to be.

[ she lifts the cardigan wrapped bundle ]

It's in here, if you want to see. I've tried my best not to touch it with my bare hands.

[buddyoldpal]

[ Dutiful as ever, Nishitani is here to help. He might not have gotten along with Angel, but he liked her. A little. ]

Anybody know where these weird ass silver slivers coulda come from? I found 'em on the ground on the ol' crime scene, figure someone else mighta fuckin' recognize 'em.

MODS

[motherfucking_ghost]

Here, catch. [He tosses over the smashed collar.] Could be bits of that, and then the culprit stashed it in her room after she was dead.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[This is bad. He was angry earlier, but this is a colder feeling, brought on by some of the details coming up.]

Guys... wait. Wait, something's weird. I mean, besides Rhys's shitty attitude.

There were two mugs of hot chocolate at the scene. But there was oxycodone residue in both of them.

[everylittlesecret]

That's what I was curious about... that means either someone is high as fuck right now-[Staring at Rhys]-or ready to take a nap.

[plugout]

[ There's a long, long silence before he runs a hand through his hair. It's a slow gesture, and he drags his human hand over his face before he straightens up. Crosses his arms, draws his shoulders back.

It's a gesture that makes him look more... Handsome.

He laughs, and when he talks, it's Rhys's voice. But Rhys has never sounded so manic, so unhinged, has he? ]

Good job, kiddos! You figured it out! I'm pretty impressed. Though I guess Rhysie telling you about our little thing here helped you out so, really, the little bastard shot himself in the foot. He was really friggin' broken up about lying to y'all, though, gotta admit.

You guys think you're so smart, don't you? What d'you think happened, anyway? I'll answer any questions ya got.

[ MACHINE TALK BATTLE: START...? ]

[everylittlesecret]

[WELL THEN]

Uhm... You know, I really miss Rhys right now.

[Give her a moment to get over this shock of whatever this is.]

[plugout]

[ It's harder to breathe now.

A mouthful of spiked cocoa is more than enough. Rhys knows he doesn't have a lot of time left. Gripping the podium, he glances at Queenie and Nari, and his hands tighten. ]

I'm-- shit --sorry I didn't tell you guys. All of you, I... goddamnit.

I just... Thanks. Everyone. For... for everything. Seriously. [ He draws in a labored breath, hand to his forehead; Jack's cursing at him. ]

Wish we... could've all made it out of here. [ But that seems to give him strength, and he manages to straighten up. ] Don't-- don't let PAL win. Kick that bastard's ass in any way you can, and st-- stick together.

[ He looks like he's about to say something else... but his arms give out. Rhys's legs give out. If anyone looks closely, they'll see the nails of his human hand are blue.

This time, for real, Rhys is dead. ]

[desperateprayer]

[ ...No. No no no no no. ]

Rhys!?