Third Trial

[thecastle]

THIRD TRIAL

Saturday, Week 3

UNCOVER THE GUILTY PARTY


No one can resist the tug that urges them forward and into the Great Hall. There's no point in lingering within the safe confines of your bed or loitering in the castle halls. Neither will shield you from these tedious trials nor will they keep you from witnessing the ghastly scenes that follow. Most of you have reluctantly accepted this as your reality. Right now, it probably feels like there's no stopping the course you're on. All you can do is hold on tight and wait for Sunday to come. If you can just get through this trial, surely next week won't end in disappointment and tragedy.

It's only when all twenty-two of you are present that the doors in the Great Hall fly open, allowing everyone to enter into the trial room. The only surprise here it is if anyone's still shocked by the display.

As soon as you enter, it's easy to see that the only difference from last week is there are less of you to fill the seats around the table. Likely because of how spacious the room is, with so many of your number missing it's starting to feel a little lonely. With a quick glance, you can see the profiles still lining the walls. Their presence serves as a grim reminder of those whose lives have been lost, just in case the absence of their voices wasn't enough.

When everyone settles into their respective seats, The Sage's cold voice seeps in through their pendants.

"It is time, my warriors, to meet the challenge head on. Thus far, your quick wit and perseverance have prevented these trials from meeting an unrighteous end. As you come upon your third tribunal, I can only ponder if this trend will continue.

May you be blessed with only the best of fortune. You will need it."

As soon as the Sage finishes speaking, five images flicker into sight as if brought to life by a projector. Seeing how there's no such device present, it may not be a stretch to consider magic is at work here.

Soldier on, Warriors.

22 REMAIN

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locations | profiles | voting

Comments

[devilsphysician]

And you wouldn't? Anyone with any common sense would if they did - and if I lie why would I lie in a manner that gives me no alibis?. I have been nothing but honest!

[buddyoldpal]

Nope, I wouldn't. I'm a killer, pal. I don't pretend ta be nothin' else!

[ He shrugs. ]

Maybe yer tryin' ta make yerself look innocent by bein' all out in the open with us. We all thought Sen-chan was bein' real forthcomin' right up until she said she'd been the killer all along.

[pseudoregelia]

[She claps her hands.]

Right, right! We already know someone here is lying because no one confessed to killing Natalia-san. Just because one person admitted he wouldn't confess to killing someone doesn't mean the others wouldn't do the same.

Can we please focus on the evidence instead of antagonizing our suspects? Georik-san has already nearly had a break down, and pushing him like this isn't likely to get a confession.

[maddogs]

[ ok majima has listened and acquiesced to this child several times now but honestly ]

Hiyono-chan. I get ya're tryin' ta help, but tellin' everyone what the fuck not ta do isn't helpin' anything. Either give us a theory of your own, or stop with this bullshit.

[pseudoregelia]

I won't stand by while one of the suspects is mistreated simply because he is a suspect, Majima-san.

Currently, there's quite a bit of evidence that points to Georik-san. I personally think that there's a high likelihood that he could be the killer. However, I also believe that if the evidence point at him, that is what we should be looking at.

People can lie. Sen-chan lied by omission, leaving out important fact; in this case however, someone has lied entirely, because everyone has stated they did not kill Natalia-san. That's why I think we need to focus more on the physical evidence than what people have said so far.

It would be a different matter if someone were trying to craft an alibi with holes in it, but we haven't found any like that so far. The physical evidence is the most trustworthy thing we have right now.

[maddogs]

Then put the pieces of physical evidence together for us.

[pseudoregelia]

And that part I'm going to leave to people who are better at analyzing evidence!

[............HIYONO.]

[maddogs]

[ hiyono omg

anyways he pulls a "are you fucking kidding me" look and then refuses to answer ]

[godinsolitude]

[Hiyono.....

SIIIIIGH. There's his cue.]

Then let's consider the evidence: The method of murder does point to Georik, but was he close enough to Natalia for this scenario we're working with to make sense?

[breakingthrough]

There's no evidence that says they planned to meet. It's very possible he was looking for someone and she simply happened to be out.

[But... again. Just a possibility. Nothing concrete. Ugh. She hates trials, she feels bad for humans who have to do this constantly.]

[maddogs]

Natalia liked pretty much everyone, right? Not only that but Georik had a reason, so Natalia could've singled him out ta help him with his sister.

[pseudoregelia]

[LOOK WE ALL KNOW SHE IS AMAZING AND TALENTED AND BEAUTIFUL BUT THERE'S A REASON SHE KEEPS AYUMU AROUND OTHER THAN THE HOUSEWIFERY.]

[browbeater]

[this is what he's tracking, and he's just going to say it.]

There's no evidence that the killer needed to have an intimate knowledge of the mandrake. If it's as highly toxic as Georik says, then having her eat that and avoid any stabbing at all would have been enough. It would have been a hell of a lot less messy, at least. [unless, of course, there are side effects Mako doesn't know about, but he can't point them out because he doesn't know about them]

Georik can't be the only one among the suspects to know about the mandrake's toxicity. Edna told me that I shouldn't eat it when I asked her about it, for instance. Georik is the only one who bothered to speak up, though.

The only other thing that's throwing me off is that the body was dragged. Georik is much taller than me, and I would find it a hassle to drag Natalia just to frame someone else. It's easier and cleaner to just carry the body and wrap her up, before dropping her at the riverside.

[a pause.]

However, our biggest piece of evidence is the mandrake, and Georik is the only one who can't provide some kind of alibi. He's also definitely strong enough to get her to the river, regardless of if he dragged her or not.

[maddogs]

So our options are "probably Georik" and "probably not Georik"?

[fedorascout]

Did we already pinpoint what exactly was burned in Fire-chan?

[gyakusatsu]

I'm guessing it was the tarp, considering Rhoda says it smelt of plastic. The source of the lemon smell... I'm less certain of.

[buddyoldpal]

Shit if that's the case maybe we all oughta keep our mouths shut and just wait till the trial's closed, cause last I checked, talkin' ta people's the only way we've fuckin' gotten the murderers ta confess.

[ He, too, is tired of being told to shut up because a suspect has hurt feelings. ]

[pseudoregelia]

Asch-san denied everything until Fuwa-san got a whiff of his boots, and Sen-chan was the type who lied by omission - she left out important facts unless you asked her directly.

Different tactics for different suspects. This way isn't working, it's only making him clam up instead. We need to try something else.

[buddyoldpal]

It ain't workin' because he's fuckin' guilty and he's wastin' our damn Time. We're seriously gonna keep fuckin' our way through evidence till we find the one thing that proves the damn doctor here fuckin' did it, when every fuckin' piece of evidence points to 'im?

It's dumb as shit, is what I'm sayin', and I'm fuckin' tired of it. In the yakuza, we woulds solved this problem in minutes!

If I gotta put a knife ta somebody's throat ta get 'im ta confess, I'll do it. [ He says this like it's nbd... ] Maybe not this case, since we're already fuckin' tired of each other, but next time? I just might.

[maddogs]

[ majima reaches over and puts his hand on nishitani's thigh like. whoa there buddy. ]

Ah, Nishitani...

[buddyoldpal]

[ Nishitani grumbles!!! He is a yakuza boss, he solves his problems with violence, why can't people understand!!

... but since it's Majima, he'll shut up and try to cool off. Holding everyone hostage can wait till next time maybe? ]

[maddogs]

[ time for more passing notes

i know it's frustrating just try and relax
we can go fight later ]

[pseudoregelia]

If that's what you think, then vote for Georik-san. No one's stopping you from doing it, Nishitani-san.

Why, by now I'm sure there's plenty of people who are already convinced they know who did it and who they're planning to vote for. If you're trying to force a vote, you need to find a way to convince the others to vote immediately. If you're trying to get votes for Georik-san specifically, you still need to make the others believe he's the one who did it. But if he clams up on you, that's not going to get any of us anywhere.

Unfortunately, that's the way the Sage-san and Teishu-san enforce their justice here.

[buddyoldpal]

[ Nishitani gruuuuumbles, letting out a huge sigh. You logic'ed the wind out of his angry sails, Hiyono. ]

's just... waitin' around is soooo annoyin'! [ Nishitani. You are a child. A spoiled child. ] I'm fuckin' bored already.

[ He is maybe going to lie down here, beside Majima, leaning on his shoulder. ]

Wake me up when this shit is over.

[pseudoregelia]

We're all doing our best!

Do you have a favorite food? Maybe we can prepare it for breakfast on Monday.