FIFTH TRIAL

[splitaseam]

[As the Stretching Room descends, there is a long pause before Oogie says anything.]

What? You wanna 'nother speech? You ain't getting one!

[New day, brand new epitaphs for our dearly departed awaiting in this graveyard.

Here lies Demyx
All he wanted was a heart
But he ended up torn apart

Here lies Kiara
Our most beloved kitty
Now ready to sit pretty

Here lies Tip
She wanted to think ahead
And ended up torn to shreds

Only a dozen of you guys left, think you can figure out whodunit?]

Come on, I ain't gettin any younger here!

Comments

[sixfingeredstan]

[Okay, well, there's a whole lot of information to deal with here. He's determined to make it all fit together logically if he can. But something's niggling at him.]

The bite mark. Could it have come from the piano, maybe? If it...if it bit Tip's head off, it might have gotten a nip at Kiara, too...

[terribibble]

It could've been? It was large enough but I don't know if the piano would've left a mark recognizable as a bite.

Bein'. Y'know. A piano.

[outsidethecircle]

What else could it be? There's not another animal here.

[whistlenotchirp]

Other than the human animal.

[outsidethecircle]

You know what I meant!

[sixfingeredstan]

Well, it's not exactly your standard piano. I just can't think what else would have left a bite mark like that...

[terribibble]

Unless there's somethin' else in this house we don't know about.

[Which has been his fear literally since they found Kiara's body. Whoops. It's irrational and he knows it but after the clusterfuck with Lawrence he refuses to discount anything anymore where trials are concerned. It has not done good things for him when he's already naturally paranoid.]

[sixfingeredstan]

I don't like the sound of that.

[Ford lets out a steadying exhale.]

But that's something that needs to be considered, unfortunately. I don't think it's safe to discount any possibility until we have the evidence all taken into consideration.

[terribibble]

Are there any... [He doesn't want to say 'bone-stealing murder demons that would leave a skin behind' but like...]

Do you know of a creature that could've done this?

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford wracks his brains, thinks of all the horrible things he's encountered in all his years, all his travels.]

There are plenty of things that could have. But not so many of them that would've...skinned her so perfectly. With that much care.

[terribibble]

[Mmmmmmm]

Probably a long shot anyway. I just... I don't want to think it was any of us.

[sixfingeredstan]

Nor do I. But the fact remains...there are a number of us who'd know how to do it.

[The both of them included.]

[terribibble]

[Yeah. He's well-aware it does not look good for him, being one of the people who's very familiar with slaughtering animals.]

Just... why go through the extra trouble? It doesn't sit right with me.

[sixfingeredstan]

Nor I. But it needs to be asked...we need to get it out in the open:

Who among us knows how to skin an animal?

[terribibble]

[Fiddleford raises a hand briefly and then lets it fall again. He's already said as much, confirming is just a formality at this point.]

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford nods.]

As do I. For transparency's sake.

[kindaruledatit]

[...Weakly raises her hand?]

It was one of the things my dad taught me. Not exactly my favorite thing, though.

[aboyandhiscar]

All you guys? Seriously, is Oregon even real?

[WHAT ARE WILD ANIMALS]

[ilovepuppies]

If I had my magic wand, maybe?

[Not that she'd WANT to in a million years.]

[sixfingeredstan]

Not that you could do it with that whisk, anyway.

[amadeusrockette]

I don't know how, but I doubt the piano does either. [She swallows.] It's not really concerned with preciseness.

[sixfingeredstan]

I don't think any of us were exactly implying that the piano skinned her.

[aboyandhiscar]

Hey, Juju, question! Does the piano actually have like...teeth? Never got close enough to check myself. Or is it just like, a chomping lid?

[toogoodforhim]

[Lefou raises his hand as well.]

I was never much good at hunting, but I've definitely skinned animals before. Deer, rabbits, anything like that.

[wannagetsmote]

[ Maui lifted his hand, then jerked his head up in a brisk nod. ]

Should be obvious, but yeah, I can.