THIRD TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

To the court room. Make it quick, alright? I don't really know about any of you but I don't want to waste more time on a couple of bratty teenagers.

[The Queen still is silent as you descend to the court room. There are ten less of you than when you began. The podiums look empty as you go to them. Even if the podiums are getting empty, though, there is a new jury box near the Alices that is rather full... of ghosts of all the participants of the previous round you've discovered and of your dead compatriots. They don't talk but they're there. Judging. Always judging.

There is someone who doesn't notice this addition, though. Queen Alice.

The Queen is quiet but she's next to the Cat. Her head is bowed to her chest as she seems to sleep quietly. Then as movement she jolts up, smiling vaguely as she nods.]

Yes, a tea party--that's what we...need...

[Her head drops back to her chest as she falls asleep again. The Cat glances at her then back at the crowd with agitation.]

Someone is responsible for Lena and Neku's deaths. Do something about it, will you? Why did you even bring one of those ghosts in with you, anyway?

Comments

[strictura]

Uno and I looked at the playground and along the shore. The swimsuit rack had been knocked over and most of the swimsuits were thrown in a wet pile, with a mix of smears and drops of blood.

It didn't look like any were missing, though the large and dog-sized suits were still dry and not in the pile with the others.

Even though the rack was knocked over, it didn't really look like there had been a struggle there. The blood on the swimsuits wasn't enough to account for that. It seems more likely to me that they may have been used to move a body or clean up.

[prescience]

We could see the omission of the unusually-sized suits a few ways, couldn't we?

One, the killer is neither too large nor dog-sized, and used the other suits to obscure any damage to their own.

Alternatively, it is difficult to mop up blood with an outfit you are already wearing, so...

A clever person would be aware of the former; therefore it could also be a deliberate attempt to draw our attention towards the individuals who wear those sizes.

[strictura]

Right.

[ They are on the same page as usual!! ]

I'm not sure we can really narrow it down until we look at each option in the context of the rest of the evidence, so we should keep all of those possibilities in mind for now.

[prescience]

Let's put a pin in that question until we can lay out a better idea of what might have transpired, shall we?

However, I am reasonably assured that there was a third party and that this is not some baseless hunt. I do not believe that these two simply killed one another and fell where they stood, or that Neku Sakuraba-san's gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

In fact...If he didn't fight, the knife wounds - [Post-mortem?]

[strictura]

No, I definitely agree with that. ...It seems like overkill either way. Either he was already shot in the head before he was tossed into the pit, or they did it afterward to make sure he was dead.

[prescience]

It sounds like he died quickly...I don't know that the knives would have accomplished that.

I just can't place the gun... I could tell you nearly everything I think about how things may have come to pass, but how that weapon exchanged hands? [She shakes he head.]

[soverainty]

Why the hell would a dog need a swimsuit??

[Look, someone really had to ask.]

[imozon]

For swimming!

[Ask a stupid question...]

[soverainty]

....... You don't know how dogs work, do you.

[It's not a question this time!]

[imozon]

If it's the dogs here, I don't think you know how they work, either.

[No offense, Amdi, but you're weird.]

[soverainty]

Pretty sure they swim like normal dogs?

[... Has anyone seen Amdi swim. Wasn't he in the picnic pond at some point. Either way there's no evidence for or against right now, so that is clearly what this trial is for.]

[imozon]

Now I want to see how they swim.

[I'm not even slightly sorry.]

[soverainty]

Just get them into the cove later?

[....... the cove that a body was found in?? It's fine.]

[imozon]

Oh! I guess that could work.

[definitely fine]

[strictura]

So they wouldn't feel left out, I guess.

[ Kind of tongue-in-cheek in tone, because honestly, he thinks it's pretty ridiculous too. ]

[soverainty]

Are there eight of those suits in there, at least?

[This is completely off-topic but y'know, sometimes you have to marvel at the absurdity of the universe.]

[strictura]

Sixteen, actually.

[soverainty]

Damn, those dogs are spoiled.

[octopups]

[Amdi is just watching all this discourse awkwardly while he rapidly tries to put together from context what a "swimsuit" even is. Look he is from fuckin Space Norway they don't swim there.]

[soverainty]

Hey, Amdi-wan!

[It's a weird mix between saccharine and commanding because Niko. She claps her hands together.]

Do you doggy-paddle or what?

[octopups]

[HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS but because it's Niko he's assuming it's an insult???]

U-um, no! Of course not!

[He draws himself up into a proud and knowledgeable posture yes quite of course he knows all about swimming, a thing that he has definitely done before.]

[soverainty]

[I can't believe the dogs think doggy-paddle is an insult now. She's giggling in a way that could be cute. Or menacing. Or menacingly cute? Seems to be her gig.]

Backstroke, then? We're going to have to give you swimming lessons later.

[... that definitely sounded a little menacing!]

[whimsicalism]

Doggies...swim!

[Yes, Queen Alice.]