first trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement, the Champions are free to decide amongst themselves what order the groups leave in. Once that's done the process of teleporting is automatic and happens in the blink of an eye. Once second they're in the center of the cafeteria before a soft blue light surrounds them and then they're standing in the middle of a circle of podiums.

The room itself it the same shiny, chrome-covered atrocity as most of the rest of the ship save for the sections of floor that aren't the teleporter: those are thick clear glass that show nothing but empty space and stars beneath the Champions' feet. As for the podiums they're the same sort of garish chrome with a digital screen facing toward the center of the circle. The screens each have a name and title associated with a Champion written in green block letters, all save for Chloe Price, the Champion of Max Caulfield, Miki Naoki, the Champion Support and Chitose Karasuma, the Champion of Mediocrity. Theirs are a striking red and, floating above their podiums, are greyscale portraits framed in some kind of bold, mechanical-looking frame.

The Overseers are waiting when they all arrive, standing on a floating platform just high enough to be out of reach and back far enough toward a far wall to have a full view of the courtroom. Both are dressed well, Rox in a pressed grey dress jacket and skirt and Blaze in a black suit with the sleeves rolled up to expose his numerous tattoos.Rox is again the one who speaks up.]

Welcome, Champions, to the courtroom! Twenty of you have entered, but - in the best case scenario - only nineteen of you will leave. The goal here is to compile the evidence that you've gathered and figure out who the killer is. Once you think you have an answer, we'll call a vote where you'll use the podium in front of you to vote on the title of the Champion who you all agree has broken the peace. If you're correct, the culprit will be executed and the rest of you will be allowed to go back upstairs. If you're wrong, however, the killer goes free and the rest of you take the punishment in their place.

There's no time limit, but we reserve the right to call for a vote if things drag on too long. Now let the first trial begin!

Comments

[batfortheprincess]

[There's quite a bit to take in here. All this talk about punishment and the possibility of only 19 leaving... it's unnerving, but not beyond what they should have expected things to go here. But either way, they had to find out who did this, for Miki and Chitose's sake too.]

...I found several things out of place in the storage room. First, there was some sort of purple splatter on the ground. Um, I cannot say for sure that I know what it is, but I'm certain it isn't paint from the art room. I brought some of it along in case anyone wanted to look at it.

[And here's a little plastic bag with some purple flakes of whatever it was.]

Also, one of the cameras on the ceiling was destroyed, which left broken glass on the floor and the top of the shelves. There were also a large number of cardboard boxes scattered on the ground. I believe... that is all.

[lovecolored]

A purple splatter? Was it already dried, then?

[batfortheprincess]

Yes, that's how it is when I found it.

[playthedamncard]

Someone destroyed a camera? But that goes against Rule 6-A; they would have faced a punishment for that.

[in4apounding]

Would we even be here if there had been a punishment?

[That's. Weird.]

Are they ignoring their own rules for this?

[lovecolored]

Not if the camera-smasher is already dead, maybe. Coulda been Miki or Chitose who broke it.

[in4apounding]

...You think it might've been broken in a struggle.

[batfortheprincess]

It was... quite high up. While it may have been possible, it seems like it would be difficult to accomplish.

[lovecolored]

No. Like Slaine said, it's a pretty high camera...someone may've intentionally smashed it. Maybe they didn't want anyone to see what they were doin', or they got angry at this stupid "competition" and took their anger out on it. But gettin' a punishment wouldn't matter if they were already dead.

[keepmeinyourheart]

If the camera was destroyed... wouldn't that be breaking a rule?

[Unless one of them didn't do it...]

[discalibur]

Right... And after the punishment we've already seen...

[...Let's not think about Chloe too much.]

I doubt they would've just let that go, right?

[keepmeinyourheart]

No, they wouldn't have... There would have been a punishment, but they never said they had to announce when someone is punished. We'd never know since it would be between the Oveseers and the punished. [It's just a theory, though.]

[karappo]

I do not believe it was paint, either. And from what I could tell that purple stuff is not blood. At least...not any blood I have ever encountered.

[batfortheprincess]

I could not recognize it by smell either.

[yeah he sniffed that shit... cries...]

But wait... isn't there one person we know of that has purple blood...?

[quadjumps]

...That piece of shit.

[ aka rox. ]

You think Miki might've broken the camera and Rox came for her as a punishment?

[batfortheprincess]

...Earlier in the week, I saw Miss Miki climb up on a stack of cardboard boxes to examine a camera in the storage room. It... seems possible.

[andjerry]

...we saw how she kills people before. [chloe, shot down in front of all of them...]

I think she'd have made Miki an example too.

[karappo]

[SLAINE DON'T SNIFF THE PURPLE STUFF]

Mmm...yes. But that is a lofty thing to assume, considering...

[...what happened to Chloe.

He's scared of them alright.]

[batfortheprincess]

[look it's cool he'll take one for the team!!]

Yes... and we have no solid proof of it.

[Sigh... what should they do...]

If... if we can find any traces of that purple residue on anyone else, then that might help clear things up, but... [He'd honestly prefer it if Rox did it, really.]

[lovecolored]

Well, let's try to reason out what it could be, if it ain't blood.

Someone said it ain't paint, either, so lesse...something from the first aid kit? Space soda? Somethin' from those powdered packages of food?

[batfortheprincess]

It didn't smell like anything I could recognize, and while I haven't sorted through all the food in the kitchen, it... doesn't seem likely.

[But he's got a small sample of it with him right here, so anyone else could examine/sniff it if they want!]

mods!

[lovecolored]

...hm. I got an idea.

[ Alright. She's just gonna taste it. WHAT DOES THIS PURPLE STUFF TASTE LIKE, TO MARISA "IMMUNE TO HEMLOCK" KIRISAME? ]

[playthedamncard]

Petuu's blood is purple. [With a glare up at her.] Though unless she's been sneaking around at night, no one else would have had a chance to do more well-deserved damage to her.

[in4apounding]

I've been patrolling after the nighttime announcements. I haven't seen Miss Petuu or Mister Blaze, ever.

[photoshooter]

I... Chlo and I waited all night once for them to come out of that door, too. And they never did.