fourth trial

[airlockedmods]

[As the last of the evidence is gathered, the voice chimes in with a call to come down to the courtroom.

In the slowly swindling podium circle McBurn and Shadow's portraits have been added and the green in their scrolling names replaced with red.

Jamie and Bolton are waiting on their floating platform, back in black and ready for a trial. Jamie still looks tired and his posture is a little more slouched than usual but he's here and there's not much else they can ask of him right now. Bolton's put on his usual showman's attitude despite the dark circles under his eyes, and he spreads his arms to make the announcement.]

Welcome, Champions, to the courtroom. Eleven of you have entered, but - in the best case scenario - only ten of you will leave. You all know the drill by now: 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.

Remember, there is no time limit but I'd advise you to keep things interesting.

Comments

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika takes her place at her podium and looks sadly at poor Thomasin again before she scans the room.]

We found Shadow-kun in his unlocked room, but we don't think he died there; somebody carried him back and unlocked the door with his PIP after he was already dead. The Doctor and I found him covered in water, with various injuries that don't look like they came from a weapon. It was more like he hit his head on the side of the pool, or something similar, and there were injuries on the rest of his body, too. Given the water and chlorine smell, this definitely happened in and around the pool.

[cyan_maid]

The pool...then, that does explain why there was water everywhere on the first floor. But Miss Yurika, I don't think it could have just been an accident.

[refusedtoleave]

It looked that was a fight in the pool as well. Some of the equipment was destroyed.

[curdle]

After I fell in his--

[ Wow, guess who looks like hot garbage? She pauses to collect herself. ]

My skirts were wet, and even they smell of it now. Whoever brought him up should be the same.

[stitch_in_time]

Shadow's ribs were cracked, I was thinkin' someone might've tried resuscitatin' him, but if it looks like there was a fight...

[Unless the fight had escalated into something bigger? Maybe. But they can't assume that, if the last trials were any kind of lesson.]

[refusedtoleave]

[Natsuhi's just going to stand at her podium. Wearing her newly made clothes, they have roll up sleeves. She might have looked somewhat presentable if it wasn't for the glitter that's still in her hair.]

There's a strange machine near the swimming pool. I think it turns the water to ice... It looks like someone tried to break it.

[imnotfat]

Was there anything that could hint what was used to attempt to break the controls of the swimming pool?

[bylight]

... They must have broken it to make it thaw. [Hear her out.] There was blood in the water-[Kurumi is getting a look]-and someone just had to jump into the water to check it out. She told me it was cold, which makes sense since there was still ice in the water. It takes an hour to thaw.

[Anyone else thinking what she's thinking? That someone iced the hedgehog?] There was a wet towel nearby with blood on it.

[kingshaming]

I believe it is likely that the killer or Shadow tried to tend to their wounds. In the storage room there was a first aid kit ransacked with gauze and disinfectant used and a puddle of pool water under it.

Considering Shadow's speed, quills and will, it is likely he could have harmed his attacker in a struggle. Or he escaped and was finished off after the fact.

[ratherdoweddings]

I didn't see any bandages on Shadow-kun, but a lot of us are already bandaged up from our existing wounds. Still, the culprit is probably hurt. At least we know it isn't Lightning-san, because she's established she can heal herself, and it isn't any of us who aren't injured.

CHECK

[imnotfat]

Alright, that's enough. The shoes and hair shall be checked, one by one. Anyone who doesn't submit to this investigation will be considered suspicious.

If you have any objections talk with the Doctor.

[But yeah, Togami first because of course. And he has no glitter at all besides a little bit on his fingers, from messing with glitter capsules in front of Lightning.

But yeah, everyone show your soles and hair!]

[tasteslikesurvival]

[Kurumi's hair is soaked and smells of chlorine and blood. Her feet are also wet. There's no glitter, though. She's clear but still an idiot.]

[kingshaming]

[Xander takes off first his greaves, then his new boots for anyone to check.

His hair is clear as well]

I feel almost overdressed now. I should have known there would be some form of undressing.

[cyan_maid]

[Better not be you checking people's hair ya creep

But yeah, the soles of Jane's shoes are clean. Her hair is messy, a bit oily and sweaty from having to wear a mask for two days straight, but not chlorine-y at all. There is also no glitter on her person. Her forearms have some days-old bruises, though, if you want to bitch at her about it.]

[curdle]

[ The soles of her moccasins are damp and a bit glittery, as are the wet patches on her skirt, but her hair is clean and dry and smells like hair! She also takes her coif off for whoever happens to be doing the check, who had better be a woman, ya freaks. ]

[stitch_in_time]

Thank you, the generosity of the Togami clan truly knows no bounds.

[The Doctor's hair, such as it is, is glitter free, as are his shoes unless he picked anything up from the puddles at the crime scene.]

[voltrounds]

[Ricky's shoes are clean. She's still very glittery from the incident on Wednesday, but her hair is dry.]

[bylight]

[She lifts her boots up first. Hair as always is perfectly wavy and clean like she doesn't even have to try. Final Fantasy logic.

Not a single speck of glitter on this one.]

[refusedtoleave]

[The only visible injuries are the paper cuts on her hands. Her soles are clear too, they aren't even damp.

As for glitter...

There's so much of it in her hair, if you look carefully you can still see some on her face. It's not visible but she still has some in her throat too. She hates glitter now.]

[yukionna]

[ Rukia's hair is clean and non-smelly, but there are faint, almost invisible traces of glitter on her shoes. ]

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika's been bedazzling the entire space station, so she's got plenty of glitter, but none of it is pink like the stuff Shadow was doused in. None on her shoes, either.]

FOOT SIZE CHECK

[cyan_maid]

[Alright, so while Togami's being a creepy hair smelling fetishist, let's do something that might actually yield results. Fingers crossed.]

You know, since I saw the footprint in the bar, I think if I took a look at everyone's soles, I could judge the size compared to what I saw. I was with Ricky, if you'd like someone else to check me in comparison.

[We only have room for implying commonly known fetishes thanks

Also for if/when someone checks Jane's, they're GIANT AND IN NEED OF EACH'S OWN FOOTBATH average size, not small.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Okay, well. Catch!

[She'll take off her shoe and toss it at Jane. You have a soaked, bloody shoe that isn't a match.]

[yukionna]

All of this evidence is circumstantial at best. I agree that I look suspicious, but have you got any solid reasoning? Besides the fact that my feet are small, and I seem to have stepped in glitter, which is basically everywhere around this station by now.

[ She doesn't look angry, but her expression is set and stern. Rather, Rukia continues to look weirdly zen about all of this. She's not shaking, or sweating, or doubling back on her words, or...anything, really.

In fact, she looks entirely resigned. ]

Let me hear your theories, then.

[ MTB...Start? ]

[tasteslikesurvival]

Okay, so. Maybe he attacked you then fell into the pool and the ice came and you broke the box because you didn't know what to do.

[Kurumi is smart.]

Voting Time

[theoverseers]

[Everyone knows what time it is. Even Bolton is starting to sound tired of it, by this point.]

Alright, Champions. You know how it goes. It's time to place your votes for the guilty party.

[yukionna]

>Champion of Winter

[ No hesitation. She'd been prepared to face her execution with dignity before, and she'll do so again.

But after she does so, Rukia rummages around in her pocket. ]

Can I ask one of you guys for a favor?

Execution: Ice Scream

[theoverseers]

Congratulations Champions, most of you voted correctly. Please stay at your podiums while justice is dispensed.

[The shield comes down around the Overseers' platform as he speaks, and the bubbles begin to close around each podium and its occupants. Rukia keeps a brave face on, gripping her podium, but inevitably the glass floor begins to open. Fear overtakes the stoic peace on her expression, and she grapples to hang on to her podium as the vacuum begins to suck her out into space.

Warning: Space Death

As soon as she's free of the rush of air to the outside of the ship, her skin chars and cracks, bloating up and obscuring her features. Her chest heaves and she chokes, blood floating from her nose and mouth as her eyes go from panicked to glassy, staring up at the glass floor that closes again over her. At least with the choking, she's dead before she has the chance to suffer too long from the radiation burns.

End space death

Once the floor closes again underneath the podiums, the capsules open again and let out their inhabitants. Time to head back up to the main floor, everyone.]

[tasteslikesurvival]

[Kurumi's not sorry about voting wrong. She doesn't watch this time, shoulders hunching forward as she turns around.]

So... This is all that's left, isn't it?

[She'll leave quietly after that.