FIRST TRIAL

[umbralant]

Trial I

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The opera house doesn't seem to have gotten any changes. There are no lights on the windows, the lobby is dark. Only when everyone is gathered there something does happen: Rembrandt appears, opening the main stage doors, the large and heavy doors creaking when they open.

Rembrandt herds everything together, guiding them down the halls of the seating area. You better not stray from the hallway -- there's a very palpable sensation that something's deeply wrong about this place. You may perhaps see the form of something moving, blending with the darkness. Wait...it's several forms. A few pairs of intensely blue eyes, eyes that so far only Ango may have seen before, gaze at everybody. You really shouldn't try to approach. At least they don't try to come closer, cowed by Rembrandt's presence.

The main stage is the objective here. It's lit rather brightly, with the spotlights the Lady had used for her introduction a few days ago, illuminating the stage. In what's a rather ominous touch, the backdrop depicts hellfire. There aren't any props around, other than a few seats that seem to be spares for seats in one of the minor auditoriums, not even enough seats for everyone. Rembrandt blends into the darkness.

"Welcome!"

That's the Lady's voice, coming from high up. Looking up, you'll find a balcony to a side, large and with two seats. There's the Lady, wearing her dress, visible even in the darkness. She's standing up right now and leaning on the railing, shouting at them.

"Let's try to make this short and sweet. We figured it'd be fun if you all got to discuss who killed dear annoying Elliot. Give us a name, and we'll execute that person. Nice and simple, don't you think?"

"So, culprit who saved so many people from us...now you have to struggle for your own life. Oh, we never told you about this before? Don't feel bad, there's a lot we don't tell you all about. She sits down, adjusting her dress.

"I'm not going to pretend I care about you all catching the right person. Just give us a name and let the culprit go free, for all I care. Get started, we don't have all day to do this! You only have seven hours! Get moving!"

Here you are, all the actors in this impromptu play about justice, and the audience is...well there certainly is an audience larger than you were expecting. Everyone will hear the noises of those things moving around in the seating area, from time to time directing their eyes at the group, but they still make no attempt to approach. Looks like the audience that really matters is up there, in the balcony.

Let the trial for the death of Elliot Schafer begin.

[OOC NOTE: From the halfway point of the trial and onwards, you'll have the option to ask the masterminds for the chance to get a hint! Be warned, though: the price will involve some body horror for your character. Keep that in mind when deciding to use this option!]

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Comments

[tokihanate]

... Sorry.

I meant it. Be careful. And don't trust others.

1/2

[puperoni]

You...

[ For someone like him, for someone with a seemingly limitless amount of energy you'd figure Pizza might protest. But he doesn't, his entire body sagging. ]

I know. I know you're not the first one who's told me, but I—I trusted you. I still trust you. If I can't trust others then I don't have a reason to exist, and if I don't have a reason to exist then that means all I am is—

[puperoni]

You don't need to apologize to me. Whatever we food souls need to do, whatever I need to do to help humans I'll do it. I wish I could have done this for you instead.

[tokihanate]

You needn't worry about this old man. Death has always been a hair's length away from me. Just... live. For yourself. Fight for yourself.

[puperoni]

You're not that old. One day I could be older than—

[ Oh. ]

...I can't. But I can live for Cassata and Cheese. I-is that good enough? [ His words are fumbled, somewhere between a murmur and a please. He wasn't good at stuff like this no matter how much he tried or how much people yelled at him. ]

[tokihanate]

Yes. That's fine. [ He reaches out to pet him. He knows what it is to live for others too. That's all he's been doing for decades now. ] Someone not here is good.

[puperoni]

[ He closes his eyes, swaying and almost falling forward into the contact. ]

Okay. Okay, then I'll do my best. [ A beat as he tries not to just keel over on this old man. ]

And I'll try not to fall asleep in weird places like you did either.

[tokihanate]

That was just the once.

[ And he's not about to usually fall asleep else where. He sleeps naked. So. That'd be awkward. ]

[puperoni]

[ Squints... to believe or not believe. A cheerier pizza would be more playful, but he'll do his best. ]

Well you were really good at it.

[tokihanate]

[ He laughs and gives him one last pat on the head. ]

If you think that was good, you definitely shouldn't see me normally sleeping.

[puperoni]

...if you're good at playing dead, then you should do it when they fight you. I won't tell anyone. [ He smiles, just a little. Half serious, half not, and just a touch of macabre. ]

[tokihanate]

[ He puts up a finger to his lips. ] That'll be our secret to winning then.

[puperoni]

Our secret. [ He mirrors the gesture. In the end, this is all he can do: smile and bear it. He's used to carrying the flag of a nation on his back, so what's another promise he'll never see fulfilled? ]