#vdch3

"...suicide is a mortal sin"

Is that all you can mumble at Alex, dear Aelois?

"Suicide is a mortal sin and condemns you to Hell. She asked me to kill her so... so justice could come from her death... and..."

Aelois, your face is still wet, are you really in any position to criticize her?

"I...I didn't want her to go to Hell. Les saints vont comprendre ce que je ai fait. Vous ne avez pas à."

That's all? Minnie's blood is on your hands, Aelois. Not just her blood. Her soul, her hopes, her dreams. Everything you took away from her is on you now, dear girl.

Of course, it was her. She matched the hair best, and her height was close to Akira's, and if they compared, it would all be perfect, Reika knew, and she'd confessed-- there was no easier way of telling, no more definite answer than that Aelois was the killer of Minnie.

And yet, although they knew the answer, although for once in this hellhole they knew for sure, they were hesitant. They didn't want to vote for someone who they considered a friend, someone who had killed out of sympathy. It was still murder, still illegal, still wrong, but what did they care? There were three among them who had killed in cold blood, and one of them they knew was right under their noses, one they could vote for and send to death right now.

What happened to justice? To morality? This place had twisted their hearts. In a real court, both Alexei and Aelois would be guilty of murder, and face similar charges. But in this place, those rules were forgotten. One had wronged more than the other in their eyes, and whoever they picked would be sentenced to a terrible death.

So what were Reika's thoughts on this matter? Honestly, she didn't know what to think. Her moral compass flipped around in her mind like a coin-- heads or tails, Aelois or Alexei? Finally, she made her decision, and spoke to the person next to her, though her voice carried across the courtroom.

"It's still... wrong. I don't believe that what you did was... really right. Rather than... killing her... she should have been helped. There wasn't even really a motive. But... I'd like to honor her wishes, and sentence someone who's done far greater crime upon us. One who killed in cold blood, rather than sympathy."

You were right. Suspicions confirmed. Whoopty fuckin' doo. But. Can you blame her? Can you really blame her for what she did?

"You know what, I don't blame you at all Aelios."

Is killing someone for the sake of justice wrong? Maybe. But fuck that. Fuck right or wrong. All that matters is sticking to your guns. So what if your friend's killed before. Just one more thing you'll have in common.

"No tears girl. You did the right thing."

Walking from his podium he strolled over to Aelios. Placing a firm, but still gentle grasp on her shoulder. It wasn't much of a gesture but, Akira wasn't one for hugging people in public. 

"Come on, lets vote for one of the other killers. I mean fuck we know they did it. We fucked up, and now we have a chance to fix it. So let's fucking do it."

I feel they will match. Your knives are on the table, mon cherie. You would have no choice but to respect her wish and end her life. There's still blood on your boot, mon femme. Did you give a knife to someone else. HOW DID THEY GET YOUR HAIR, AELOIS

...

...

The game is up, Aelois.

"Je ... je ... je devais ... pour la sauver ..."

What is that murmured french, dear? Speak up. Speak up.

"I had to save her! She was going to hang herself! She was going to burn in Hell! I did not want that for her! She... she asked my help! I asked her forgiveness! She did it to save you all and I did it to save her!"

Slam your fists into the podium with enough force to shake it. Cry. You aren't allowed to cry though Aelois. You aren't allowed to be weak, you aren't allowed to be a killer. Mais il se sent tellement agréable de pleurer, non?

"She wanted to save. I wanted to protect. She wrote her suicide note. I made it gentle. I called her Madmoiselle. Her last words were 'call me Minnie'et ... et ... et elle ... "

Kohori was there. She was definitely there. There was no way to say she wasn't there because just by looking at her podium you could tell she was there. She was there and nothing more. She hadn't spoken yet. She had walked in quietly. Didn't say a word, didn't try to argue, didn't try to fight, didn't immediately cast a vote... She was quiet. Or, at least she was until Aki spoke up.

"Huh..."

That was the first thing she said as she looked out into the trial room. It wasn't that she wasn't paying attention, she knew what was going on around her, she had even tried to investigate a bit outside the town but hadn't found anything. It was pretty obvious just from looking at her that she was depressed. 

"I'm a suspect?"

Her voice is soft spoken, tired. She doesn't really want to be here, in the trial room.

"My hair?"

She reaches up, plucking a strand from her head before walking over to Aki and handing it to him.

"Here. If this will prove I'm innocent then take it... I don't want to die here."

That's the last thing she says before returning to her podium. 

Kohori's hair is redder than the hair found at the crime scene.

Another fucking death. Goddamnit. She wished it was just a dream or al elaborate troll, but she knew otherwise. And she could barely cry for the deceased. And there was that fucking trial, which’d end in someone else’s death. But she might as well try doing something helpful in this trial, if anything because she wanted to be helpful for a change. Even if it didn’t mean much.

Another fucking death. Goddamnit. She wished it was just a dream or al elaborate troll, but she knew otherwise. And she could barely cry for the deceased. And there was that fucking trial, which’d end in someone else’s death. But she might as well try doing something helpful in this trial, if anything because she wanted to be helpful for a change. Even if it didn’t mean much.

Although she hadn't found anything herself, talking to the investigating crew had given her some information, and with what was said in trial she had something to work with.

Really, it all seemed a bit too easy-- she felt this case could be easily resolved; there were three pieces of evidence that could easily match up to the killer. But something still didn't feel quite right. Something about the way the murder was done-- why go out of their way to write a fake suicide note, and then leave the scene looking so obviously like a murder?

"All right... the hair, footprint, and note give us plenty of ways to figure out the culprit. It shouldn't really be difficult-- compare everyone's hair length and color with the strand found, foot sizes with Akira-kun, and handwriting samples to the note on Minnie-chan's body. I've got my notebook here,"

She held up the notebook, eyes scanning the room.

"So if everyone just cooperates, this could get done quickly and easily. Unless there's more than one person, two pieces of matching evidence should likely be enough to suspect. I'd like to ask everyone to compare both feet and hair sizes, regardless of if one or the other is clear-- after all, some people have hair dye or likewise. Since my hair is longer than Minnie-chan's and I think a bit darker, I could be considered a suspect, but my foot is fall smaller than Akira-kun's and him, Kouta-kun, and Aki-kun have seen a sample of my handwriting. There's another in this notebook, too. I think we can definitely get the culprit this time, so long as everyone participates."

She let out a small sigh, holding out the notebook to whoever would take it.