Fifth Trial

[airlockedmods]

[You get a little time after your investigation is over, but not too long. PAL gets bored easily and doesn't like to be kept waiting, after all.

When everyone has gathered at the elevators, the one going down turns on automatically. It...it looks like you're taking a leap of faith into an elevator shaft, not gonna lie. But the first person to step in finds that it's a carefully-balanced anti-gravity field made to just shoot you down and deposit you gently at the end of a long hallway. Like a walk-through aquarium, the walls and ceiling are all made of thick glass, giving you an even better view of the stars outside.

You're led to a wide-open area, empty except for a circle of podiums in its center. They've changed from last week, with the three previously empty podiums replaces with greyscale portraits of everyone you've lost this time around, including Ardyn and the Doctor. If anyone remembers where Jamie's portrait was in the simulation, however, that spot is now where Xander is meant to stand. The walls here are equally transparent, and they seem to have lines of large hatches going along them, as if this is where one might park one's small short-journey craft when getting ready to go on vacation to a galaxy far far away. Shame you don't know anything about those.

You already know what you're here to do. You'd best be getting along with it.]

Comments

cw: drugs and UNSAFE INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Let's start with the blue icing, since he already has his suspicions about the red. He puts a tiny bit on his finger and FUCKIN' LICKS IT, SAYONARA SUCKERS]

[cyan_maid]

[SHE CAN'T WATCH seriously you are doing her a frighten]

cw: drugs

[everylittlesecret]

Is there any strange aftertaste? Like...metallic, chemically, anything? Even a gritty, non-sugar texture would be something.

cw: you fucking idiots

[airlockedmods]

[It’s blueberry-flavored! You feel entirely normal.]

cw: blueberry icing

[misanthropicprinciple]

...Hm. Blueberry. ...I'm not noticing anything weird.

[daughterofthemark]

Fortunately for you.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Let's try the red one.

[Reachy grabby.]

[cyan_maid]

[hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaate this!!!!!!]

[daughterofthemark]

Sir Junpei, if you put that red icing in your mouth, you will be joining Dame Syo.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Stares her dead in the eyes as he puts a little on his finger.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Junpei-kun, please don't do this! We already know from process of elimination that that's got to be the one!

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna throws the kettle at his head.]

[shikosuki]

[myocordial]

[Okay. You know what, no, sorry Junpei but someone has come to your podium and is grabbing your arm.]

...That's quite enough of that.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He tries to tug his arm back but what's a weenie detective gonna do against a toku boss?]

You're not my mom, Heart.

[myocordial]

Hm. I don't particularly care, Junpei Tenmyouji.

If you try to put one more thing in your mouth this trial, then I'll have to force the issue. [He just looks Junpei dead in the eye.] None of us want that.

Understand?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Gimmie some then, jesus christ, it's not gonna kill us, like Nari said.

[helladoptera]

[ hi this is going to jolt max out of her trauma funk right quick ]

Junpei, don't. Please.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...

[He looks away, but the request does seem to have landed.]

[helladoptera]

[ that's what matters, at least to her ]

[everylittlesecret]

If they won't let you try it, I'll do it.

[tokencanadian]

Nari.

[Aaand now it's time for the girlfriend to stand up and speak. And god she is trying.]

Don't do it. Please. There are other ways we can figure this out.

[daughterofthemark]

You will not.

[myocordial]

Why?

[kingshaming]

Nari, please, that's not the point- it being safe or not... what does it matter what part of the food held the poison? The only thing you all are accomplishing is upsetting the others... and distracting away from finding Ardyn's killer.

...and even if it's safe, it doesn't do my heart any favors fearing for your life.