FOURTH TRIAL

[splitaseam]

[To what I'm sure is everyone's joy after a sad investigation like that, after everyone reaches the Stretching Room, Oogie's voice can be heard.]

Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it just your imagination?

[Well at least he's honoring Ghostave's memory, except he starts laughing, almost tauntingly, after he says that.

In the very least the graveyard seems identical, with three new epitaphs for our dearly departed.

Here lies Lea
Slaying bugs he made a name
And got sent to the deadliest game

Here lies WALL-E
They were our dearest friend
But that didn’t help them in the end

Here lies Tarzan?
????
?????


... Ok then.

Oogie speaks before everyone can get to their tombstones.]

Don't keep me waiting!

Comments

[arpeggiositar]

[Demyx pauses for a moment before taking his hands out of his pockets and extends one to Kiara.

There's a smell of soap there, yeah]

I was at the laundry room during the investigation, you know. Touched the soaps and all. Lefou saw me.

[capulion]

I guess that explains it then. Cause you do smell the same.

[Just to be sure, she glances at Lefou for confirmation.]

[aboyandhiscar]

Yep. That means you and Lefou are the main suspects.

[Mike huffs, rubbing his head.]

Didn't wanna say anything, but now that I know we all kick if you guys go free--dude, straight up in your video feed, that's how you fight. Smashing with instruments. I thought you calmed down.

[sixfingeredstan]

...Mike has a point. And even if Lefou saw you touching the soap...who's to say you didn't do it on purpose to throw off the trail?

[aboyandhiscar]

Don't count out LeFou yet either; I want Demyx to make his case first. Got it?

[sixfingeredstan]

Alright, alright. Fair enough.

[Even if Ford is fairly certain Lefou wouldn't do something like this...he needs to stay impartial.]

[arpeggiositar]

[Demyx shrugs]

Eh, not really, I use magic. And I have no magic here. I can't use water to do anything here.

My instrument is just a way to channel the magic, nothing more.

[Even though he did hit the foes in those videos a few times with the sitar, he says]

[aboyandhiscar]

I super wanna believe that, dude--me and you jammed in there, you know how old those instruments were. If it's a set up or you got anything else working for you, I wanna hear it now.

[arpeggiositar]

What do you want me to say? I was in my room, sleeping all the time. I don't know what someone would do if they want to set me up.

[Oh hey, now that he thinks about it]

Wait, I know. Look, those videos have been out there all this time, I bet anyone could hit someone with an instrument to make it look like I did it. It'd be easy, right? It doesn't mean I did it.

[sixfingeredstan]

He has a point, Mike. And—being completely fair, here—you did say you were in and out of your room all night.

[arpeggiositar]

Yes, exactly! And besides, that instrument thing is the only thing you say points at me. Anyone can pick up some old cello or whatever and hit someone with it.

[aboyandhiscar]

Dude, not anyone. And why attack Wall-E with it? If you wanna take a robot out clean, that's not how you do it. [NOT THAT HE....KNOWS...(he totally knows)]

[toogoodforhim]

... How do you do it?

[aboyandhiscar]

[He pulls a tiny chrome skull out of his pocket.

It suddenly turns into a freaking giant metal staff. Thankfully, sans the electricity chainsaw.]

[toogoodforhim]

Ah. That would probably do it.

[arpeggiositar]

Then how do you do it? Come on, say it.

[aboyandhiscar]

[boop]

[aboyandhiscar]

Yep. I've got zero of an alibi.

To be straight up, I was pretty okay getting the vote. Thought about it after the whole thing with Lea. Any of us could die, at any moment, but dang, if there's a chance I can get one person out? Why not take it.

But not if it means all you go out with me.

[capulion]

Mike...

[aboyandhiscar]

[IT'S FINE KITTY IT'S FINE]

Like I said, we need to focus on the trial right now instead.

[capulion]

[WORRIES!!!]

Don't get hurt for our sake's, okay? That's all...

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford REALLY DOESN'T LIKE THE WAY YOU'RE SOUNDING, MIKE.]

[terribibble]

[Oh yikes

But he can't say he doesn't agree. He doesn't know if he'd be strong enough to do the same, but he'd like to think if it came right down to it he could have. Y'know. Before Oogie Boogie squashed that hope right into the dirt along with all the other ones.]

[ilovepuppies]

Soooo... if the person who did gets away with it, they get to change the past, right?

They could make it so none of us end up here at all, couldn't they? So we could all be okay in the end.

[she's sorta been thinking about this all week after all...]

[whistlenotchirp]

Assuming that our gracious host allowed it, of course. And didn't twist it to his own ends.