FOURTH TRIAL

[beautifultomorrow]

[The usual scene plays of everyone going into the elevator after they finish up investigation. But when the elevator starts moving, they will hear John’s voice instead of The Narrator’s. It clearly sounds like he’s reading from some sort of script.]

Picture of Belle, a book lover born well before her time. She desperately wanted society to treat her like a human being, and to respect her love of books. Belle had made many friends and many enemies because of her personality, and now… Her final resting place will be in a book simply titled… The Twilight Zone.

[... Strangely, however, the elevator doesn’t drop this time, the doors instead open as soon as John finishes his speech, leading once again to The Tip Top Club. Now Reyna and Belle’s pictures are in grayscale and, instead of Rod sitting on stage, John is there, looking at some papers. He offers the guests a comforting smile when they enter.]

I shouldn’t complain that Rod’s doing something creative with his time, but I have to admit, I don’t get what he sees appealing about writing something like this. Don’t know why he had the elevator set to “ride” mode either.

I, uh...made some old fashioned lemonade for you guys. [He motions to the lemonade pitcher and cups on the counter.] Feel free to help yourself.

[He’s… really trying to attempt to lighten the mood of this situation. Please humor him.]

Comments

[yourghosthost]

You people have a bar.

[okay so the sisters refused to come but guess who’s joining you fucks]

[tadaishi]

[Why.]

Too bad we can only access it after someone dies.

[stenchus_rodentus]

Quite useful passing the time during these...courts of anarchy.

[Welcome to the club dude, you're already one step above Rod.]

[lusito]

Indeed we do. They have quite a fine selection here, too.

[anasty]

Would you like a drink?

[ Will Ursula ever stop terrorizing smouldering at unobtainable old men? ]

[forgottenfounder]

[...He'll try the lemonade later, John. Right now, Oswald is just trying to focus on not crying or anything, okay? okay.

He heads towards his table... and decides to sit at one of the tables near the middle of the room instead.]

Okay, to start us off why doesn't everyone come out with the evidence they found?

[theduck]

[John, you have no idea how grateful Donald is that the elevator didn't drop this time.

He pretty much just stumbles over to his table immediately, but stops to look over at Oswald long enough to provide his evidence-]

Poisoned tea.

[-and then collapses into the chair and falls forward, face-planting onto the table.

He's fine. Don't worry about it.]

[nocasetoobig]

There were a bunch of glass shards in the library. I think they made a...what's it called? [He makes a shape with his hands] Humans put plants under them-!

[coulombslaw]

Someone rearranged the furniture in Belle's room. Something must have happened in there.

I also found this. [He puts what seems to be an ice skate without the blade] I think it came from the penny press.

[nocasetoobig]

A shoe?

[forgottenfounder]

[...!]

Is that an ice skate? Because I think I found the blade for it.

[geomanctic]

No! [That ice skate-- it can't---]

[darnsitall]

Well... I found rose petals in Belle's mouth. Her lips were also stained black, and I could smell a chemical scent. I have a bad feeling she may have drank more of the poisoned tea than Donald did.

[coulombslaw]

Can we really narrow this down to people who know how to make tea?

[Virgil doesn't really know, but maybe other people do]

[theduck]

But... Oswald said she was stabbed? If she was already poisoned, too, that seems like... overkill.

[stenchus_rodentus]

From what you describe, I would say the rose petals are perhaps a funerary rite, not too unfamiliar to our departed Roman fanatic.

[tadaishi]

Cyanide won't stain your lips--not that color, anyway. Silver nitrate would, but I don't think anyone can get it here.

[forgottenfounder]

[He winces a little. What a way to go.]

Come to think of it, when I was checking Belle, her fingernails were turning blue. Do ya think that might have something to do with it?

[darthfanboy]

Did anyone here explicitly dislike Belle.

Showy theatrics aside, this murder seems quite to be a bit more...intentionally violent. Similar to our first gathering.

[hallotween]

Rod did. Maybe he did it.

[darnsitall]

[YOU LOVE HER SO MUCH]

...What if Mister Northwest returned to strike again!

[probably not]

C'MERE KITTIES

[nocasetoobig]

Okay, guys, let's go over things!

We have that Belle was...stabbed, strangled, and poisoned. She'd written 'KYL' with her finger, but...we don't know if that was her, or maybe- [ugh] someone else doing it to try and frame Kylo. One's as likely as the other right now, and we're getting nowhere!

There were also a bunch of glass shards around her, and rose petals in her mouth. I don't know about the petals, but maybe someone has some glass in them? [HE'S JUST TRYING TO PLACE SOMEONE AT THE SCENE OK] And did I miss anything?

[coulombslaw]

Yeah, I think Kylo's being framed here. Even if her finger is bloody, she'd have to be really enduring to be able to write despite what happened to her.

[Belle is many things, but she's not exactly Superman]

If there was glass, then someone may have a cut on their fingers or hands. Did anyone notice anything when you checked hands earlier?

[Did anyone have cuts in their hands?]

[anasty]

[ Ursula smirks and takes a sip of her drink. ]

How quickly the tides turn.

You think I did it? Well where's your evidence?

[ To anyone who cares to notice, Ursula is up one more accessory since everyone last saw her - a golden nautilus necklace. And maybe an amused smile that isn't quite reaching her eyes.

Too bad Amanda isn't here. Oswald...? ]

[forgottenfounder]

[The moment this happens, Oswald's jaw sets tightly Why couldn't he be lucky? Just once?]

Hey, Ursula. That's quite the necklace you got there.

[anasty]

Fine!

[ Every one of her eight limbs work in horrifying symphony, her clawed hands pressing down upon the bar while her tentacles wrap around it and heave her great mass on top of it. ]

It was I, Ursula! I killed your precious little ingenue!

[ And admitting it is cathartic. A chuckle burbles forth, deep and nasty. ]

That moralizing little sycophant was the perfect example of what the grand majority of you fools lack - the spine to do what it takes to gain your freedom!

She was weak. Not only did she have her head in the clouds, she looked down on you all from them! I was sick of her. I grabbed hold of that sweet little halo of hers and choked her with it!

You want to know why?

[ 'Why' stretches the edges of her mouth, and she completes the gesture with a grin. ]

Because I could. Because the weak were made to feed the strong and that's what I am - powerful in every right.

What are you?

[ She laughs now, a derisive bark of a thing. And she begins to sing: ]

Poor Unfortunate Souls
Just suckers
Who won't see
The only way to win this game is doing what it takes
Don't have the guts?
Well not me!

Poor Unfortunate Souls
Go ahead
Send me along!
I'm a very driven woman and I wanted to get my wish
Think I'll be sorry?
Then you're wrong!

[ Her last word is punctuated with an unseen crack of lightning, followed by great, bawdy peels of laughter. ]

1/?

[nocasetoobig]

You...

Exe...cution...........

[beautifultomorrow]

[John is very shocked by… all of this, to put it nicely. Even with his fake eyes, he seems horrified by all of the violence that unfolded before him. It all happened so fast that by the time he finally processed what was going on, it was too late to call a vote or do anything about what had just happened.

It takes him a few moments to find his voice, and when he does, his eyes are locked on the two bodies laying on the floor.He looks through his a paper in his hands and he looks like he’s about to recite from it, but he decides to abandon the idea.]

W… well that’s settled then. I suppose there’s no need for a vote now.

… The elevator’s open if you wish to return to the hotel.

[I hope you all are happy.]

[forgottenfounder]

[Oswald looks back at John once. Just once.]

...Sorry.

[And he's off to the elevator.]