second trial

[airlockedmods]

[Like last week the announcement sounds, the Champions with their gathered evidence file once again to the teleporter where the courtroom waits for them.

The a circle of podiums has changed since last week. The Griffin, Toby, and Angelica's floating portraits have joined Chintanda's above their respective podiums as well as the bright green having been changed to a glaring red.

The Overseers are waiting on their floating platform when the first group of Champions arrive. They're back in their black suits, side by side. Jamie's expression is grim but he looks more mentally present than the last trial. Bolton, on the other hand, looks stern but not grim, arms crossed over his chest. Once again, he's the one who makes the announcement.]

Welcome, Champions, to the courtroom. Sixteen of you have entered, but - in the best case scenario - only fifteen of you will leave. Compile your evidence and figure out who the killer is. If you vote correctly, the culprit will be executed and the rest of you will be allowed to go back upstairs. If you vote wrong, however, the killer goes free and the rest of you take the punishment in their place.

Remember, there is no time limit but keeping things interesting is in your best interests.

Comments

CW: Emetophobia

[stitch_in_time]

[Okay, first things first.]

Angelica wasn't strangled or hanged. There were burns around her mouth, and it looked like she'd vomited. I'd say odds are she was poisoned, and choked on the vomit.

cw: emetophobia

[fatherofsin]

I can corroborate this. Xander can, as well, because he fetched the gloves that I used to investigate her mouth. The burns were likely chemical.

[ Seth is... Visibly upset still, but holding it together. ]

[cyan_maid]

[A shocked look.] But with what? Do we even have access to anything poisonous?

[kingshaming]

Agreed. The bruising around her neck were too light for her to still be alive when she was strung up. Not only that, but unless their necks are snapped, most will claw at the noose to try and escape- even if it was their intention. Her neck was too... clean.

cw: suicidal imagery

[damnfourthemerald]

[Shadow decides getting straight to the point is the best bet.] There were notes in Angelica's room. On top was one that reads like a suicide note. [He'll show it to anyone who cares to read it, of course.]

[misplacedxsheath]

[He reads it over with an unimpressed scowl.]

Convenient that it's so generic. There's nothing to either confirm or disprove who wrote it.

[voltrounds]

It's fake.

[She says this without having seen it, or any other relevant evidence.]

[imnotfat]

Were there any chances of comparing her handwriting?

[Togami doesn't have any hopes there was, but better to ask than make assumptions]

[almightyconflagration]

Doesn't take much to know it's fake.

[bylight]

The message matches these scraps I found in the diner, though not the handwriting on most of the pieces. [She'll pass the pieces around if asked.] I think someone was practicing counterfeiting her writing.

[Maybe someone wanted the Champion of Counterfeits title instead of their own? :D]

HAND CHECK

[ratherdoweddings]

[After a reason came up...]

Everyone, line up! We're checking hands!

[Yurika holds out her own hands too. There might be a weird marking on one of them, but both hands are clear of any bleach smell.]

[kingshaming]

[Xander offers his- there's a mostly healed bruise on one of his knuckles, but no burns or smell]

[fatherofsin]

[ Seth's hands are free of both chemical burns and the smell of bleach. ]

[yukionna]

[ Rukia's are clear too, though her soul will never be free of a certain chemical disaster............ ]

[stitch_in_time]

[The Doctor holds out his own hands for inspection. They're free of any chemical burns, and may smell like self-loathing and regret, but not bleach.]

[cyan_maid]

[Jane shows her hands, both sides. No burns, no smell.]

[almightyconflagration]

[McBurn holds out his hands. No markings, scars, burns or smells of bleach are present.]

[misplacedxsheath]

[Once again, people will notice various scars on Margulis' hands, but no chemical burns and no bleach smell.]

[refusedtoleave]

[Natsuhi holds her hands out. There's a few mostly healed papercuts on them. But otherwise they're normal.]</>

[overears]

[Clear hands! ... Her fake nails are staring to grow out though. Sad day. ]

[voltrounds]

[Ricky's clean. Feel free to notice that her fingers are slightly darker than the rest of her hands.]

LET'S DO THIS

[fatherofsin]

[ Seth is eerily quiet after the scraps of handwriting are analyzed. He keeps his frown, but there is something decidedly off... ]

..You truly believe that evidence? When we already have a forgery present? Other people had access to the same handwriting samples. Now, then...

Where's your actual decisive evidence and why would I even kill her?

[ Let's start. ]

[yukionna]

Maybe you were just bored.

[ Rukia looks him straight in the eye. ]

There wasn't even a real motive this week. No one would have a good reason, so maybe you just wanted to stir things up, you slimy bastard.

[ Someone's mad ]

[almightyconflagration]

[Somewhere during this clusterfuck, McBurn starts growing bored and it's evident with the fact that he yawns loudly and starts playing with a fireball.

Seriously, it's obvious who did it, why do they need to argue semantics? Just let them vote already.]

[misplacedxsheath]

[Oh for the love of...Margulis is not feeling patient right now. Have a small fireball tossed at your face.]

This argument is tedious for all of us, we don't need that particular brand of theatrics.

Voting Time

[theoverseers]

[Bolton claps his hands and rubs them together.]

It's time once again to place your votes. Use the podium in front of you to select the image of the Champion responsible for the murder of the Champion of Counterfeits.

...This one should be over pretty quick.

[almightyconflagration]

[The moment the voting is announced McBurn will vote.]

Champion Serpant

About time we could vote.

Execution: Unmasked (CW: Space death)

[theoverseers]

[Once all the votes are tallied, Bolton straightens his lapels.]

Attention, Champions. Now that the votes have been tallied, please stay close to your podiums.

[And on cue, the mechanical voice comes from around them:]

Input tallied. Culprit identified. Execution Protocols initiated.

[Slowly, each podium encases its occupant. Like the week before, as soon as the hard bubbles contain each innocent party, the glass floor opens. There's no bleeding heart to try and save the culprit this week. As the floor begins to open, Seth laughs and laughs.

[[Explicit Content Warning]]

He can be heard until the whoosh of the vacuum of space sucks the breath out of his lungs and the sound out of the courtroom. He floats out into the void with no resistance, as his body spasms with his last attempts to laugh and blood spurts from his mouth with a dying gurgle. His skin flushes red, then crimson, then begins to blacken and blister and peel as his body expands, stretching the champion unitard to its absolute limit until the seams strain against the pressure.

[[Explicit Content Done]]

The floor closes over top of the body, and the protective bubbles begin to recede again. Next to the body, appears a mask that looks about as evil as you can imagine a mask to be.

Bolton nudges Jamie with his elbow, and Jamie, the one who stays normally quiet, speaks with no small amount of venom.]

Not today, Satan.

[Bolton cackles and presses a button on his PIP. A bright light manifests from three different points underneath the space station, coalescing into three laser-bright streams of light that vaporize the body, mask and all.]

[kingshaming]

...

Was that the real Serpent?

[Speaking of that evil af mask]