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

2/2

[stitch_in_time]

They were actually clever.

[misplacedxsheath]

[That line? Gets a chuckle out of Margulis. One of his meaner sounding ones.]

I assume they at least would have had the sense to leave the failed forgery attempts in their own quarters?

[stitch_in_time]

And they'd manage to not, say, deface paintings of the dead if they were trying to feign some modicum of empathy.

[misplacedxsheath]

I can say reasonably well that Albedo would have done a better job feigning a hanging, as well.

[wrathfulambitions]

And yet, I had you fooled. All of you... Thought I could actually connect to anyone.

[ That has him laughing again. ]

[cyan_maid]

Does it count as a successful fooling if we figured you out before all was doomed?

[stitch_in_time]

Yeah, I'd almost hoped.

[Before this? He'd actually done a decent job of showing the Doctor just enough of himself, even if he's never going to admit that.]

Those paintings? That's cruel, an' painful, an' human. But then you went and oversold it, like any hack actor with a rubber forehead.

[wrathfulambitions]

I've seen people who actually cope like that. Oh, it's hardly "healthy." But it's amazing. Still... It was never about emotions. I was planning on putting them in my room until Miss Yurika gave me such a lovely reaction!

[ratherdoweddings]

What I did was tell you how disgusting you were, and that someone might target you just to spare the rest of us! And you thought that was fun!?

[damnfourthemerald]

Yurika--don't! Don't let him get to you. This person...was never a person at all! He just wants to see you suffer...

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika slams a fist down on her podium and breathes.]

I know. There are people like that out there, and they're the ones who want the rest of us to be like them or die.

[damnfourthemerald]

He's so much less than human. If there's such a thing as evil, then he's it.

[cyan_maid]

[Brusquely,] That's what people like him do. They...they literally don't care, Miss Yurika...

[ratherdoweddings]

Well, we will. Even if he's more terrible for it.

[stitch_in_time]

It's not your fault. Even if he hadn't done it with the paintings, he would've found some other way of makin' everyone else feel awful, it's what people like him do. They're just schoolyard bullies on a bigger scale, enjoyin' any kind of power they can get over someone else.

[ratherdoweddings]

There are always people like that, right? It's why we have to try, even when people say it's the reason it's no good to try.

[stitch_in_time]

That's what a good crew does, right?

[fatherofsin]

...You all had such fun reactions. It was almost as fun as when Levia sabotaged the HERS scanner so she could bring her own infected alternate self to the Third Period.

[damnfourthemerald]

Was there ever a real Seth, or was it just some persona you adopted?

[stitch_in_time]

Does that really make you proud? Jabbin' an open wound to make someone hurt? What next, you're gonna show us what a great marksman you are by shootin' at a barn?

[refusedtoleave]

I think we're done here.

[theoverseers]

[Bolton, who looks less stern now than before, begins humming something half under his breath.]

[kingshaming]

...

[If he knew the song he might find it funny. Instead he just gives Bolton the stink eye]

[stitch_in_time]

[Okay you're still on his shitlist, Bolton, but you're a shitlister with good taste in music.]

[bylight]

[Well, she could connect her fist to your face. That enough of a connection?]

I don't really care who you connected to. You killed a girl who trusted you.