fourth 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. Karamatsu Matsuno, the Champion of Painful Secondhand Embarrassment That's So Cringe Inducing, Narcissistic, And Eye Blindingly Glittery It Makes You Wish He'd Go Away, Korra, the Champion Avatar, Yuri Plisetsky, the Champion Figure Skater and Max Olguin, the Champion Portrait Artist.

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. He's also sporting a black eye patch with a flaming snowflake embroidered on it over his left eye. 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 ten of you here but, if things go correctly, only nine 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

cw: fingore

[in4apounding]

[Penny shoots Rox a withering glare as they file into the courtroom, before quietly placing a jar on her podium. The label has been mostly removed, and the inside appears to be full of small balls of gauze fabric.]

Um- Mister Thomas and I- in the sewing room- we found- ....um. Pieces.

[playthedamncard]

...There were several 'pieces' missing that we couldn't find in the infirmary.

cw: all the fingore

[in4apounding]

...the tips of his fingers, right. Off one hand. And a bunch of teeth.

[w h y]

We. There were some scissors, too, but. They weren't used for this, probably. No blood.

[She sets the fabric scissors on her podium as well.]

[karappo]

[...]

I found bloody shears and pliers in the Greenhouse. I did not bring them with me, but...

[You know. Considering all the pieces we have...]

[in4apounding]

Oh.

[She can't actually go pale, but the implication is kind of there.]

That. Those would probably- yes.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu nods, looking down.]

I thought it curious to note that they were still hanging up on the wall. They were not hastily put back or hidden...whoever did this just casually placed them back where they found them, completely covered with blood.

[He says that with an edge to his tone. It's...disturbing, really.]

[le_mat]

They didn't care if we found them. But it's weird- if they cared that little, why not just leave them with Max?

[karappo]

I...could not say. They had enough foresight to mutilate him, then go and put them back. Whoever did this clearly not only did not care, but...they wanted to be neat about it as well. Left the blood at least to show what happened, that was kind of them.

[immaculacies]

I guess there wouldn't be any need to examine them here, if we have such a good idea of what they were used for. Though... Karamatsu-san, was there any blood smeared on the handles, or just the ends that were, ah, used?

[karappo]

From what I saw, the blades of the shears were bloody. The pliers were just...bloody in general. I am sure they were used for something needing a bit more finesse.

[He hates this he hates this he hates this]

[immaculacies]

Mm, I see. Well, I suppose it was only intellectual curiosity in the end. Even if the handles were bloody, it isn't as though we're allowed the tools we'd need to take fingerprints.

[karappo]

No, we are not...if anything, we would need to search hands for blood, but...I figure the culprit would have at least thought to wash them.

[Probably??]

[immaculacies]

If they thought to clean up even that much, I would assume so.

[karappo]

Did anyone find any signs of blood being tracked elsewhere, by the way? Nothing in the hallways or on walls beyond...the Infirmary?

[immaculacies]

Mm... I didn't see any, but I stayed on the first floor. The only things I found were a painted canvas and used paintbrush in the art room, though the brush didn't look like it had been used for that painting.

[andjerry]

...what did it look like it was for? [please don't say something extra]

[immaculacies]

Ah! I just meant that the color of the paint on the canvas and the brush were different. The brush in the sink hadn't been washed and had blue paint on it, and the canvas had only black.

[She smiles at Thomas. Are you reassured yet??]

[le_mat]

...do you have the painting with you?

[andjerry]

[well, that isn't extra, but.]

...where would that paint be. That's strange. It might not mean anything, but...

[dejabrew]

...Blue paint?

[karappo]

Could that mean that...Max-san was up painting, and was caught...?

[Hm...wait.]

That is...strange. What makes you think it was a different brush?

[immaculacies]

I suppose, but the canvas didn't look like anything Max would paint. It was just splattered in black, without any real shape or anything. The other brush still had a different color of paint on it.

[karappo]

[...Yikes.]

That is concerning.

[Karamatsu shifts, folding his arms across his chest.]

So this differently colored paint brush...there was no signs of it having been used on anything else?

[le_mat]

...probably the teeth and tongue.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu swallows thickly, nodding.]

Y...yes, no doubt. It is sickening.

[And from the sounds of it, Max's tongue didn't get cut out...it was torn out.]