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

[kingshaming]

It is a flaw my father has tried very hard to scrub out of me. But I've known people that are born unable to feel much of anything.

Still, I'm starting to wonder if this is even worth discussing: you've practically already walked us through what happened this whole time, haven't you?

[misplacedxsheath]

I've also known those who respond to forming attachments by deciding nobody but them is allowed to harm the subject of their fondness.

[kingshaming]

As have I: my own sister is very like that. I've heard her say she would rather break her retainers' leg then let them leave her service.

[misplacedxsheath]

And Richard grows quite defensive whenever someone else places his servant in harm's way. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine someone with that mindset killing someone they've grown to consider important, rather than leave them for someone else to target.

[cyan_maid]

[!!!]

He has been quite quick to supply good hypotheses - what if they weren't hypotheses at all?!

[stitch_in_time]

Nothing that couldn't be reasonably assumed, if someone were clever enough. But he's been stating 'em all as fact, not questions.

[kingshaming]

Exactly- if he was trying to hide he wouldn't be finding all the clues on the body. Or would try to misinform us about them. Few of us know biology well enough to refute him, other then yourself, Doctor.

[stitch_in_time]

No point in hidin' the clues on the body, too much of a risk of someone else seeing them and gettin' caught in a lie. He's been awfully quiet about those notes though, hasn't he? The thing that pointed us to him in the first place?

[kingshaming]

Indeed, he has. Is there something you noticed, Doctor?

[stitch_in_time]

Just that everywhere else he was jumpin' on the chance to explain how things happened, until we got to the one piece of evidence that could actually point his way. All he said was that it'd be easy to fake because Angelica was so to-the-point.

[kingshaming]

At this point I almost have to wonder if it was meant to be a suicide note at all. It never said 'I want to die' or the like. Just that the writer refused to play any more.

[yukionna]

What did it say exactly?

"I'm sorry. I refuse to play this game anymore."

That could mean any number of things, but you're right--we all assumed it was about suicide.

[kingshaming]

I wonder if he was more interested in us figuring things out then actually escaping. A microcosm of why we're all 'supposedly' here in the first place.

[refusedtoleave]

Did anyone else check to make sure that he was being truthful?