THIRD TRIAL

[keyofimagination]

[This is all becoming routine now, to the point that maybe the thought of the elevator dropping suddenly doesn’t bother you. Or maybe you’re just so numb to four people dying already that the thought of dropping isn’t as bad.

Or heck, maybe you’re still dreading the drop, who knows?]

Submitted for your approval, Amanda and Thalia. Two girls who deal daily outside the normal world. They’ve dealt daily with fighting dangerous beings, only to have been struck down suddenly by the mortal coil. For even experience with these terrors couldn’t prepare these two young warriors for the kind of terror one finds… The Twilight Zone.

[And there’s the drop again. At least this is the norm now, and at least once it’s finally done you get access to that sweet open bar.

The Tip Top Club, is, like, usual, the same except the new grayscale pictures of Goofy, Roxanne, Stitch, Amanda, and Thalia. The Narrator is in his usual spot, but it seems like he’s spacing out a little. He does acknowledge the guests once they enter, at least.]

Take as much time as you need. I’ll be quiet this week.

[Have fun, everyone.]

Comments

[nocasetoobig]

You mean besides the, um...[fish. yeah. but he'll take another sniff and...]

...I think it's that stuff you people put in your hair. To get all the other smells out?

[anasty]

Some caustic luxury concoction was spilled all over the clam floor in the "spa".

[ She shoots a sharp little glance at Cornelia.

You'd better not tell anyone what happened, you brat. ]

[nocasetoobig]

Wait, all over the floor? Isn't that dangerous?

[anasty]

Some less graceful creatures might slip, I suppose.

[ Pats her hair. ]

Fortunately for all of you, I braved it in order to inspect the body so you didn't have to.

[nocasetoobig]

[...]

Some less graceful creature...like Amanda?

[anasty]

That was my first thought as well, but she had no head wounds. She'd have had to hit that coconut pretty hard to snap her neck, don't you think?

Judging from the water on part of the floor, I'm guessing there was a quite a struggle.

[nocasetoobig]

Coconut-?

[what. nevermind. just-]

If she slipped and fell, I was thinking she could have twisted, it but...I don't know. If she and Thalia had oil on them, then that places them both in the chapel. Where...Thalia died. And if Amanda left after, then...

...should I be smelling for people who just got clean?

[lusito]

... Well, here's a thought: why not check to see what everyone is wearing? After all, blood and oil would be difficult to remove the stains of if any got on the killer's attire during the murder. Perhaps there's a suspicious stain that they couldn't remove completely, or they're wearing something different than usual to try to hide what happened to their clothing.

[... Though, for the record, Joshua has this stupid bunny parka on so maybe he's just being an ass with suggesting this idea.]

[nocasetoobig]

...I mean, I'm wearing something different, too. But Belle can explain that with me, since I didn't have time to clean my jacket.

[lusito]

[we very highly doubt you murdered two people, chip]

Indeed. And it's certainly a fetching substitute.

[hallotween]

And we're twins! [she's been wearing her grandmother's cloak since she got it.]

[greatwidesomewhere]

Yes. I helped him get cleaned up after we looked Thalia over. He was covered in...

[You know. Blood n stuff.]

[greatwidesomewhere]

Ah... soap?

[She wrinkles her nose. There's another word for it, she knows...]

Shampoo. But there's something sort of...oily, too.

[nocasetoobig]

Shampoo, that's it! And Thalia had the oil scent Ursula has, too. Which makes sense if Virgil says it was missing.

[anasty]

Amanda was covered head to toe in oil. I did have to touch her, you know.

[ And oil, she's realizing, isn't very soluble in water. ]