#trial0

Veronica didn’t know what she expected.

In the end, the whole lot of them were teenagers, so naturally, their efficiency in resolving this case wouldn’t be too high - aside from the fact that none of them had probably ever dealt with such a situation beforehand. While some of them were making decent progress, others were more derailing their current discussion than actually contributing to the cause.

Yet again, enough people were getting on Jack’s case, so she didn’t see any reason to pile onto this as well - there were more pressing matters to attend to, after all.

When she spoke up again, she directed her words first to Vermilion:

“I don’t have the faintest idea why you would think that you ought to be a professional at death to not get your hands soiled with blood. I have looked over the body as well and you do not see any blood on my person, do you?”

To empathize her point, she held up her hands - which were completely pristine and clear of any blood whatsoever.

“As long as you’re careful, it’s rather easy to avoid getting yourself bloodied - not to mention that even if you did soil yourself, you could still use the bathroom to get rid of it. It’s not exactly difficult.”

She gave a non-committal shrug and put one hand on her hip, shifting her weight to her left leg.

“As for the matter of where the missing items are… as you can see for yourself, I do not have exactly much in terms of hiding anything away. However, just to clear my own name–”

With that she took the small bag on her belt out and turned it upside down, catching the falling items with her other hand. In the end, there was not much in it - a small notebook, a pencil and an antique compass.

“And in case you might suggest that I have anything hidden underneath my hat, you will be sorely disappointed.”

After returning the items to their supposed places, she reached up and took her hat off elegantly - showcasing that neither was something on her head, nor was there anything in the hat itself.

After smoothly putting it back on her hat, her arms were crossed over her chest again.

“Either way, Suzunaki-san–”

She didn’t waste a second to look directly at the most suspect person here, still maintaing a neutral expression on her face.

“For your own good, you should tell us what actually happened this night. As it was already brought up, bloody shoes were found underneath your bed - and unless GrimmZB-san can vouch that you have simply carelessly walked up to the body when you found it, then it is clear as a day that you are involved in this whole incident. Whether you are an actual murderer or simply a corpse looter is yet to be seen.”

A shame that their trip took such a bloody turn.

(Humans were truly unpredictable, weren’t they?)

Gathering in the statue room as requested, Veronica placed herself on the opposite side of the still remaining corpse. While she got close to it for investigation purposes, it didn’t mean that she was quite eager to remain near it if she can help.

Jack’s denial about their reality, as well as her admittance of trying to loot from the dead, managed to raise an eyebrow out of her. Well, she supposes you cannot blame her for not wanting to face the truth - some people simply needed longer to properly face reality.

As Seri all but scolded their resident phantom thief, Veronica saw no need to do the same - it wouldn’t be efficient, anyway.

Gingerly crossing her arms before her chest, she opted to speak up after the previously mentioned student was done:

“Regarding the microwave, we have inquired GrimmZB-san about it. She attested that she ventured out of her room in the late hours to get herself a hot pocket. She managed to blow said microwave up in the process and shortly thereafter, Calvin-san appeared. He was apparently locking up the rooms. Afterwards, he directed GrimmZB-san to the cleaning supplies and told her to rest.”

Veronica stated the testimony their group was given completely matter-of-factly, despite her inner wonderung on how you can manage to blow up a microwave by heating up a hot pocket.

“At the very least, the destroyed microwave tells us that - if GrimmZB-san’s testimony is to be believed -, Calvin-san was still alive at 12:20 pm. Of course, there was a half-eaten hot pocket found within the kitchen, so at the very least, this part of her testimony seems to be accurate.”

When Miyu checks out the statues and the lack of marks the first time, Hibiki nods in approval! Same for Toshiko’s remarks after that, agreeing entirely. Go invest team…! He might’ve even been the one to test the statues there mid trial if it weren’t for the fact that he’s currently acting as a shield for a small gremlin boy.

Hibiki looks at Kouri giving her little speech when that happens entirely neutrally, only giving a vague hum as he looks out the window at the position of the sun there. Ah, so that’s what had been weird, huh? Well, one of the many things anyways. 

“As suspicious as Suzunaki is, I don’t think we have enough evidence to say that she did more than just mess with his body after the fact and then try to drag us all into a ‘trial’ for a ‘culprit’ that might not even be one of us. And it’s not like this is a court of law. Think of it just like we’re sharing information, since that’s definitely helped us get at least a little better picture of what’s happening."

"Something definitely did, but I dunno what caused this still or what sort of mechanism could’ve been used if it WAS intentional. Some of this shit seems pretty automatic, whatever the case is anyways. That just means that part is the next step in investigating though, right?”

He wasn’t fully on board with the ‘it was magic’ explanation, but there were things similar to supernatural goings on that it could be too. At the very least, he was keeping his options open for multiple explanations. He does nod at the idea that the windows could be a screen at least, that was definitely possible.

“We clearly don’t have enough information to figure out whatever it is that happened here right now. Not unless one of you knows something more about the way this castle works and happens to be willing to share. There could definitely be someone else here with us, so we should try to be careful and stick together as a group regardless of what we do.”

He glances at Kouri and GrimmZB at the ‘staying together’ bit hjfbdcs. And! At Aiko’s outburst and at Miyu’s contribution, he actually has the same reaction of just giving a reassuring smile to them both. He was clearly keeping very calm here, so he hopes that those vibes can settle some other people’s nerves at least a bit. There were some points from Miyu though that he wanted to address, so he does that next!

  “From some of the papers that I read from the office earlier, it seems like Amity was a backup of a backup sent in to ‘regretfully’ fill the role of guide here. I’d say he just didn’t have the experience needed to do it all without the cards yet since he was new. ...Or he just liked the aesthetic of using them. I have found what happened to the original staff awfully suspicious though, so finding out what was going on there might also be a good idea, if we can.”

  “As for what we do next… If she can, I’d agree with wanting to try having Cracker Jack pick the lock on the Admin Quarters, since the stanchion there actually seemed to let me move it, unlike the other weird ones that defied physics. Was still pretty locked though, so I haven’t seen inside. I’d want us to all head over there though, rather than splitting up.”

Oh no. Everyone's getting angry again. After her first test, she just kind of sat back and listened - no one really seemed to notice her little flop save for Toshi, so that was good, she figured. And then Kouri started talking.

Oh boy.

Miyu blinked slowly. This was a lot to unpack, and now everyone's yellin'. She tapped her chin, still trying to process what the rose chunni had said.

"Umm, okay, so just a thought, but if... if Cal really needed those cue cards to give a compelling tour, isn't that suspicious in its own way? Did he really work here? Who was he? What happened to the rest of the staff?"

There was too much she didn't actually understand about this, and none of it had anything to do with what Kouri did or didn't do. She nodded to Seri. Now that's what we should be thinking about.

"This has been weird from the get-go, honestly. And it's only gotten weirder. We're... not going to get anywhere by getting angry, or sticking our head in the sand, or by spinning elaborate fantasies."

Grimmy's comment only spurned her onward, getting her mind rolling. She hadn't noticed the sun, but now that she did, was it really? Was her mind playing tricks on her? There was one way to find out.

"There's... Well, we should be able to test that, Grimmy. Does anyone's room window have a view of the lake? If the view matches, then, well..." She rubbed the back of her neck, a bit unsure. "Unless you think that our windows have TV screens, too? Um. The technology exists, not saying I agree with... her." She jabbed a thumb in Kouri's direction without looking. "But just that we can, um, do something, instead of just making loud noises and yelling at each other."

She nodded, before shrugging.

"Or, we could try breaking it."

That same tenseness from before has clearly been lurking. It's hard to notice, with how calm Aiko seems to be able to remain, but the little signs are there if you look. The small frown, which has slowly been twisting into a grimace, the way Aiko's eyes seem to dull, the way they grip tightly onto their bracelet with one hand, as though squeezing their anger into it.

It seems Kouri's little performance just so happened to be the tipping point for it all.

"Suzunaki-san, do you truly have no shame? Is your opinion oh so final? Do you have proof the painting means nothing? Surely I could agree it's not magical, but the way you present it.... You're daring to speak for all? You're treating your own opinion like it's fact?"

The word opinion is hissed, as though poisonous in this example. No commentary on Kouri's treatment of those around her, no comment about the fact she messed with a crime. Just commentary on this.

"It is not irrefutable. People have provided evidence contrary, so do not dare to act as though your word is law when there is science and fact around us. None of us have to do what you say. You acting as though you hold power over us, as though we have to bend to your whims.... There truly isn't, from what I know, any lower low."

Aiko takes a breath, clearly trying to calm themself. The light in their eyes remains dead -yet you can't help but see a fire swirling in them anyways - as the dark look stays, even as they smile.

"Free will is absolute. It is a right, a given, a blessing. There is no denying free will. And those who oppose that- those are the enemies of humanity itself."

Perhaps you blink, because facing you is normal Aiko.

"Apologies. I've not much to contribute besides disproving such claims and addressing such vile behavior."

GrimmZB frowned, crossing her arms: rantsona mode. Kouri was being very cringe, and people were calling her out on it. Rightfully. This trial had reached its conclusion, it seemed. She wasn’t gonna address… most of what Kouri was saying outright, because. Holy shit, she’s very clearly trying to be dramatic right now, and GrimmZB doesn’t wanna get stuck in that bog. 

“I think we’re missing the point here. Like. Bigtime. Why are we acting as though she somehow isn’t absolutely relishing in the attention she’s getting right now? Like, I’m pretty confident all of that was done with the intent of being found and making her look suspicious. Regardless of whether she’s guilty or not - honestly, it wouldn’t be that hard for her to lie about the time of death - we’re not gonna get anything out of her like that.” 

She shook her head. We do know that she’s been up to some fuck shit, and we gotta do something. Keep an eye on her until we can find a way to get out, or get help or something. She’s dangerous.” 

GrimmZB… didn’t see the window as the same problem the others seemed to. “That window doesn’t prove shit. We don’t even know it’s a window. It could be some kinda high-tech screen, controlled in the same way as the statues to show us the image of a sunset. Ceci n'est pas une sunset, motherfucker.” It would make much more sense for the controls to be here than some entirely unrelated bedroom (according to the map) on the second floor, but whatever. 

For a moment, Seri can’t even say anything, mouth wide open in shock. Sure, Calvin might not have been the most… competent host, but still! The man’s dead, Kouri! Eventually, she crosses her arms, still frowning.

“Suzunaki-yan, that’s enough out of you! You’re a thanatologist, right? I expected you to know better than to speak so badly about the dead! Even if you didn’t like him that much, can’t you at least give him a bit of respect?”

She sighs, shaking her head. She’s not mad, just disappointed, like an older sister scolding her siblings for misbehaving. Despite the fact that Kouri was older than her. 

“At least apologize to Noariko-yan for calling her a rat.”

Would Toshiko consider that an insult normally? She did work with rats… Maybe it was just the tone Kouri said it in. That was probably it.

“…We can probably leave the room, yeah, but the rest of the staff is sick, right? And all the doors and windows are locked… Who’s supposed to be taking over for Amity-han? I don’t think the trip organizers would have planned for their guide’s, like, death, but… There’s gotta be some kinda protocol for this, right?"