third trial

[facultwist]

"Good hustle, everyone, time to get you down to the trial room. I'm willing to bet this is one where you want to know who did it. Head to the conservatory."

Isabella is waiting for you all there, candelabra in hand. She doesn't have much to say, but... perhaps that's to be expected. What is there to say?

It feels like a longer walk than usual to the trial room, but maybe that's just a function of your dwindling number. Much more of this and you're liable to dip below half of your original number. But you must press on, because answers will await you before long. They have to... right?

Yet more desks draped over to show those you've lost. But there's a job that you must do. You have the evidence. You are prepared against whatever it is that comes next.

... Right?

Comments

[hootheart]

[As Tiera makes her way down the stairs, she notes the draped-over desks, before also realizing just how both the ones on her and Dorothy's sides are covered now. After a brief pause, instead of going to the desk with her name on it, she moves to Mafuyu's original desk, before presenting her report:]

Autopsy Report:

The victim was found lying in the dining hall, with no injuries apart from a cut alongside the right side of her throat, which is the most likely cause of death. She had apparently been arranged posthumously to be lying on her back with her hands folded and her eyes closed, with several small smudges of blood on her arms suggesting someone grabbed and moved them. She also had bloodstains on her left pigtail at around shoulder to mid-back height, and a bloody partial handprint on her right shoulder. These two bloodstains seem to be from two different circumstances, as they do not line up in any particular way.

[Tiera pauses, before switching back to her usual communication app.]

Hand size similar Tiera, Rinne.

[ergine]

[ Again, Kohaku has brought a heavy tray to the courtroom. Again, she sets it down on the empty desk. Unlike the last time, however, it seems she was already prepared for this possibility: the kettle sits on a portable hot plate to keep the tea warm longer, and the snacks are both a bit more varied and a bit more organized.

After a moment of consideration, she moves to sit next to Dorothy—settling into what used to be Sayo's seat instead of her own. ]

Doloris and I did a sweep of the other buildings. The only disturbance we found was in the chemistry lab.

Safety gear and beakers were missing. And I found this, too.

[ Kohaku lays a blank notebook onto the desktop. ]

Whatever pages were written on had been torn out. However, I was able to reconstruct the last page with the impressions left behind on the paper. It lists the pros and cons of various methods of murder, and then goes on to show calculations for creating chlorine gas.

Doloris also found acids were taken from the supply cabinets, which I believe are consistent with materials necessary to carry out this plan.

[tomestones]

[Rinne's podium joins those of the deceased. Dagr tries not to think about it or look at the podium next to them.]

I took a look around the dining hall. There were slash marks all over - the walls, the floor, you name it. There was also some kind of struggle, broken chairs and dining ware scattered throughout. Notably, the only blood I found were smears on the floor leading toward the kitchen door. Weirdly, the floor was also damp with bleach. It seemed to be partially-dried, and only the section of the floor leading into the kitchen.

Finally, I found this. [They hold up a slightly crumpled paper crane.] I'd guess it was Rinne's, since she was folding a lot of them.

[bellpepperexercise]

[Kana’s clothing and hands are still stained with blood and soot as she takes a position by her desk, unable to look at anybody at first. Especially not where Rinne used to be. Eventually, when it seems like people are looking at her, she speaks up, hands balled up at her sides.]

Rinne…we found Rinne slumped over one of the burners in the kitchen. Her face was…it looked like it’d been there for a while.

[Kana hates how small and pathetic her voice sounds. No wonder Rinne thought someone as weak as her needed protecting. It’s Kana’s own fault for drawing that kind of attention, isn’t it?]

She had a knife in her chest. There were– only one of them was in her chest. She was holding another knife with blood on it, a-and…she had a lot of cuts on her too? Like she’d fought…

[Kana swallows a lump building in her throat. Rinne had died violently, hadn’t she? She’s dead, and it’s all Kana’s fault. It has to be. The note feels like stone in her hand.]

…Satsuki noticed some stuff I didn’t. I don’t know what else happened. I…I’m sorry.

[bellpepperexercise]

She was almost to a thousand of them.

[Kana half says to herself in misery.]

[tomestones]

...I'm so sorry, Kana. We'll figure out what happened.

[A shame Rinne couldn't have her wish after all that hard work...]

[sweetsynergy]

[Vanity moves to her desk in the circle, taking a deep breath and carefully setting out three pieces of evidence. A baggy of crumbs and ceramic shards, a baggy of broken glass, and a pink water bottle bearing numerous stickers including Usagi's name. And a steaming mug of coffee, god help her, she made coffee in the murder kitchen, she can't go into this uncaffeinated.]

[Maybe this is an addiction she should look at if she survives this.]

[Glancing down at Chris' empty desk beside her, she takes another deep breath before speaking.]

The kitchen was trashed. Thomasin, Kana, and Satsuki can give more details, but there was broken glass everywhere. A lot of it.

But also this-

[She indicates the Stanley bottle.]

And some crumbs I'm pretty sure came from cookies. Chocolate chip, if that makes a difference.

[no one saw her almost taste them shut up]

[rosewitch]

[immediately:]

Did you eat them?

[curdle]

There was bleach in the kitchen, too. Though it had dried, the smell of it was all around. And I saw a trail of slashes and stab marks on kitchen surfaces, leading to... the place where Rinne was found... but almost no blood.

Save for traces of it between the tiles, before the door to the dining hall. Vanity has taken pictures of it.

[sweetsynergy]

Don't be ridiculous. Of course not.

[She takes a defensive sip of coffee.]

They were on the floor, mixed in with a bunch of- I don't know, platter shards, in the middle of a crime scene.

[bellpepperexercise]

Why would they want to hide that somebody bled out? Or…is it because this is staged?

[tomestones]

Does that mean someone cleaned up the blood? Not really sure what the point of that would be.

[rosewitch]

[Anthy. Blinks rapidly.]

Chlorine g—

[(NERVOUS LAUGHTER) WHAT THE FUCK]

Chlorine gas.

[NERVOUS LAUGHTER!! WHAT THE FUCK!!]

. . . What were the other methods listed? [probably not important but jesus CHRIST]

[shellhawked]

[she didn't see it happen but she's betting you almost tasted them]

Is there anything in the water bottle?

[rosewitch]

That's too bad. What a waste of cookies.

[sweetsynergy]

I did.

[She pulls up the relevant pictures on her phone.]

If someone was trying to clean up after themselves, they got sloppy.

wait never mind i'm keeping this

[goldendoll]

[ a weirdly situational no, vanity ]

[thanoptical]

I'll finish up, Kana... don't worry.

[Satsuki... moves to Kana's seat. She's just kind of shoving her way in there. Like a very large dog.]

Rinne... was stabbed in the back as well. Right above the heart. She was also clutching these hairs in her left hand.

[She places a Ziploc of a few long golden hairs on Kana's desk.]

She also had skin and blood under the fingernails of her right hand, the one she was holding the knife with.

[sweetsynergy]

Blame whoever brought baked goods to a knife fight, I guess.

[Just a little bitter.]

They were just crumbs by the time I got there anyway.

[rednails]

[Gesturing to the podium beside her at Anthy, Mariko begins.]

Anthy and I investigated the lounge. She can speak on her own part [let women speak!] but as to my own-- The TV was completely smashed in, which was the only piece of furniture that was damaged. I also found this:

[She places three pieces of evidence for people's perusal in a place where others can examine it, though she keeps one in her hand until she can explain it properly. First is some lined scratch paper that's been heavily burnt. Second, a charred piece of heavy cotton/nylon fabric in white. Third--]

There was also this note that I found beside the fireplace.

[And because this trial is going to give everyone secondhand embarrassment, probably, Mariko reads it out loud for everyone. She places it beside the other pieces of evidence for everyone's inspection. Then, primly;]

That's all.

Mods

[sweetsynergy]

[YEAH WELL YOU DIDN'T SEE SHIT SO SHUT UP]

[it's definitely just Hawke's imagination that Vanity isn't quiet looking at her, it's fine, nothing embarrassing happened]

Uh-

[Gonna open up the bottle and check.]

Mods

[hootheart]

[Tiera leans forward to try and get a better look at the hairs. Do they match Usagi's?]

[ergine]

There were beakers missing from the chemistry lab. Could they have been the source of the glass?

[shellhawked]

[Ugh, poor sweet Usagi.]

Was there any blood on her hands?

[curdle]

Or they ran out of time.