third trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement and the evidence, 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. More portraits and names in blaring red have been added this week. Slaine Troyard, the Champion of War and Zombina, the Champion Rotten Girl.

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 smiling like that cat who ate the canary while Blaze is standing a little farther away than normal and looking uncomfortable.]

Welcome back, Champions! There are fourteen of you here but, if things go correctly, only thirteen of you will leave. I don't think I have to explain at this point what will happen if you choose wrong.

As usual there's no time limit but be sure to keep things interesting. [She folds her arms across her chest, looking down on the Champions with a grin.] Let the trial begin.

Comments

[dejabrew]

Then we should start with the people she mentioned by name. If you have an alibi that someone else can confirm, you should say so now.

[le_mat]

Last person I talked to last night was Thomas. We were cleaning out the freezer. But that was long before Zombina would have died.

[andjerry]

[this guy is obviously Not Okay over here, a combo of preservative fluid smells and a failed last minute attempt to stop her, but he looks up at Akira to confirm]

We were both there. Penny had told me something and it was a last-minute idea, just to make her stop breaking down...

She'd already chosen, though, I guess. [and he's got the list apparently?]

[le_mat]

[...okay, Akira sees that list and can't help a sad little laugh]

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if she had decided since Tuesday.

[andjerry]

...and picked a way to keep one of us from going with her. [zombina you're a good bean]

[in4apounding]

I- what? You figured it out from our talk?

[Are you a wizard Mister Thomas]

[le_mat]

...you're not a great liar, Penny.

[Said with the utmost fondness]

[in4apounding]

..Oh.

[She didn't think she was THAT bad...]

[andjerry]

[penny. penny you're the cutest ingenue.]

...you looked like you needed to know right now, and you were worried about a friend, and, um... I almost took her up on letting her make me a zombie before... before I found out about the preservative.

[in4apounding]

[Also she was looking up corpse preservation.]

Oh. I just- ...I told her I wouldn't tell anyone.

[andjerry]

[yeah that mostly. and he feels you there on the "keep a promise versus someone coming to harm" spectrum]

You kept your promise.

[in4apounding]

...Thank you.

[dejabrew]

I checked on Zombina and spent some time with her, but last night I was in my room.

[He, uh, glances at Jamie, subtly enough for pretty much only Akira to notice.]

[le_mat]

[He notices, and arches a brow. If he was in a better state he'd smile. But just seeing and acknowledging the alibi is enough for now]

[dejabrew]

[It should also be noted that the black collared shirt that Jamie's wearing is definitely not something that Jamie owns. Lynny's said it's white but I just checked the reference image]

[le_mat]

... congratulations.

[Even Akira can't give them a good tease right now. But he's pleased.]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton clears his throat and glances away.]

[unhappylittletrees]

[C o u g h s.]

[theundertaken]

[snrk]

[in4apounding]

I knew. She told me after Mister Karamatsu's performance on Wednesday. But last night- I was in my room, with a bunch of books from the library. I'm sorry.

[playthedamncard]

We don't even know when she died last night. Seeing as she was technically already dead.

[titularly]

Me and Karamatsu were makin' a ping-pong-ball ball pit in the kiddie pool he got in our room last night.

[He says, with a dumb grin on his face.]

[karappo]

I can confirm, that is what we were doing last night.

[It was a rad ballpit]

[in4apounding]

...oh, that sounds really fun.