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

[fuckthemancers]

...Nevermind, we're going with her idea.

[acherontiastyx]

...so like. Bringing the corpse in might've actually been a good idea.

...

Okay.

[flagrants]

Oh hell no! You can't just drop a brilliant plan just like that! Besides, that won't even work. Even if it does fit, it doesn't mean shit! If it's smaller, it proves nothing, and if it's bigger it'll just rip him open even more!

Someone's going to have to try and stab something—or somebody else! And with my pin! [ ... ] Oh man, I really hope it can go through skin! Ha ha ha ha!

[helldestiny]

...

.......

......................................

...Fine, I'll stab him in a new place.

1/2

[flagrants]

You?

[flagrants]

No. I'll only agree if I get to pick who does it.

[helldestiny]

.......Fine.

1/2

[flagrants]

Then I pick...

[flagrants]

The dog.

[acherontiastyx]

Yo, there's no way in fuck a dog stabbing a guy is going to work the same way as a person stabbing a guy.

[helldestiny]

[WOW WHAT]

No problem! I'll help fluffy with it!

[Never said she couldn't help, neener!]

[condemnedone]

[ He rolls his eyes at this stupidity--particularly Dito's claim of making a dog stab someone. He's so done. ]

Whatever the case, I've already decided on my vote. If any of you want to continue to deal with this, feel free.

[helldestiny]

Of course!!

[THIS IS A GOOD IDEA!]

[flagrants]

Who cares! What I want to see is the expression on the stupid, worthless mongrel's face as he tries to use his goddamn snout to stab someone! It's gonna be the best thing ever!

[acherontiastyx]

Nobody cares about your friggin' boner, you creepy weirdo.

[flagrants]

Then nobody's touching me or my pin. You can all keep your filthy, clammy hands to your goddamn selves!

[fuckthemancers]

No, fine, we'll have the dog do it.

[Zulf is shaking his head even as he says it before he politely holds his hand out.]

So, may I...?

[flagrants]

[ He touches his chin before nodding and pulling off the pin. Careful, Zulf! It really is sharp. ]

MODS

[fuckthemancers]

[Don't worry, he's handled sharp objects before. Since the talking cat says it's okay, he guesses... Yeah, sure, whatever. He'll hand it over to Missile once the good pup is close enough.]

[Still, once the pin is in hand and he's kneeling down besides the body himself doing his best not to look at the face... Discretely, with his body hopefully blocking Dito's vision so he won't get offended, he'll check how the pin goes into Niles' body/b> himself.]

[He'll let Missile do it when he gets here so that Dito can be happy,
but this he'll make sure for himself with a human being's ability for fine motor movement.]

[acherontiastyx]

I have half a mind to touch your face right now.

With my fist.

[cantread]

It's fine. Missile has handled dead bodies before.

[acherontiastyx]

I still want to punch him in general, but okay.

[flagrants]

Sorry, but you're as far from my type as it gets. Touching me completely is out of the question for you. Hell, I wouldn't want someone like you to even stand next to me. You can back to the mud you crawled out of now, pig.

[acherontiastyx]

...aw Tapus, you would just get off if I socked you in the jaw. Screw this.

[condemnedone]

It sounds like a plan, then.