TRIAL

[consolemods]

Well, Niles is dead now, and in a very unpleasant way. The investigation has progressed for some time... but after a certain amount of time, a marker appears on the player's console HUDs directing them to a particular location, much in the same way as it did when directing them to the paddock for Thursday's challenge.

This time, though, it's directing them to the courthouse, which has been locked up until this time... but not now. The doors are wide open, and you might as well go inside. The interior is lacking the audience benches you'd expect, but... there's a large, oppressive emptiness to the space. It almost seems bigger on the inside than the outside... no, it definitely seems much bigger on the inside. And after you walk the long, long walk to the center, you'll find a circle of 23 podiums with your names on them, with... two of them being much, much smaller to account for the, uh, pets.

Those... seem really out of place, by the way. They stand out in stark contrast to the rest of the quaint, old-timey Western town by being more on the technological level of the consoles on your faces, with touch screens and pictures of all of the current players... and the two former players, too, with the icon of Niles' and Makoto's faces having the word DEAD stamped across their faces.

As you stand at your podiums, you do begin to notice some wrongness about the whole thing... like that there might actually be some audience benches behind you, depending on the angle you look at them, but they seem to flicker in and out of your peripheral vision. Ditto with the two holes in the podiums, too-- they're... sometimes there, but not always.

The judge's box looms high over the podiums, towering for the animals but really only a few feet higher. The sheriff stands there as comfortable as he's ever seemed, arms crossed and silent the entire time. There are flickers of something uncanny in him, just like the architecture - the color of an eye, the shape of an arm - but nothing sticks for long enough to confirm.

It isn't until everyone's settled at their podium that he speaks, and any hint of the laconic tone he's taken all week is finally gone to be replaced by one far more formal. He seems in his element as he leans down to address the podiums.

"Welcome to round two! You've all done well to make it this far! The first attack has succeeded, and now Niles lies dead. But for every offense, there must be a defense! Will you find his killer? More of your lives may be at risk of you do not. Share your findings with each other, and come to a conclusion based on the evidence: Who killed Niles?

Now, let's play."

Comments

Fingernail Check!

[fuckthemancers]

[If everyone is done bickering for like five seconds-]

Everyone! Please put out your hands to show your fingernails. We should check something.

[And Zulf will go first, showing his nails are clean. He didn't even pick the eyeball up with them, because of course he didn't.]

[condemnedone]

[ It's not a big deal for him to hold out his hands for a check.

His nails are clean. ]

[cantread]

[Sissel jumps up on Zulf's podium so he can show off his claws more easily. But yep they are clean.]

I don't think I could do that without scratching stuff anyway.

[fuckthemancers]

Ah, thank you.

[He knows how tough this is for the dog and the cat, after all.]

Speaking of, I think we can discount you and your dog friend... This seems a little more complicated than I think you would bother with.

[The dog more than the cat, really.]

[cantread]

I think it's safe to say neither of us can pick up a pitchfork.

[flagrants]

[ In a somewhat showy display, Dito pulls off his gloves and shows his nails. They're clean! He makes a point of following Zulf around during the check too, 'cause he's the worst. ]

[acherontiastyx]

[Guzma's fingernails are... well, okay, he doesn't meticulously clean them or anything, but they're not super gross.]

[i_spy]

Please, as if I would commit a kill without my gloves.

[fuckthemancers]

Then you can show us your gloves and your nails, sir.

[Hey, Sin is, so.]

This is only to eliminate possibilities. I hope you understand.

[i_spy]

The last thing I want is to be convicted of another kill I did not actually do.

[ He's just here for complaining ok. His gloves and fingernails are both clean and manicured though, once he consents. ]

[fuckthemancers]

[...He has a lot of questions to that, but, later.]

Thank you.

[helldestiny]

[Oh, great, speaking of people who pick things up without thinking about it.

She does have blood on her gloves, but that can be chalked up to the fact she kept touching gross things during the investigation. Nothing under the fingernails of the gloves, either.]

Hang on, ugh.

[She takes off her gloves (let's not get into the how with a full body suit) and her nails are clean as well as perfect and long, like all Sailor Moon characters.]

[pinkgingham]

[Sable nods and shows off her paws to everyone in the court.

Yep, they're clean!]

[almightylaziness]

[McBurn's nails aren't exactly clean, but they are free of blood and he doesn't wear gloves.

However, bored demon is bored and he looks like he's probably going to nod off at any moment.]

[carbide]

[Olympia doesn't move.]

[fuckthemancers]

[...He doesn't like this.]

May I see your hands, please?

[carbide]

I would prefer to avoid that.

[She doesn't seem nervous or anything, though.]

[fuckthemancers]

I think we would all prefer to avoid this... but please show your hands before something happens.

[He doesn't want to manhandle someone. And he definitely doesn't want some of the other people in this room to manhandle someone.]

[flagrants]

[ Meanwhile, Zulf's shadow does like this! He watches with interest. And a laugh or two. ]

Who knew you'd get a hit so fast. I have to admit, I was skeptical of your methods... but you may really pull this off!

[carbide]

I didn't kill him.

[fuckthemancers]

[Zulf will pass him a thin lipped look, but not say anything else. Not yet.]

[condemnedone]

Don't make this take any longer than it has to.

[ Saying it like he's inconvenienced, because he is. ]

[thegoddamnmissile]

[ Missile has perfectly manicured dog nails. So they're clean. ]

[fuckthemancers]

[And a pat for the good dog!]

[beguiledcard]

[ His are clean. ]