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

[prescience]

It's difficult to say just yet, but if the gun was still in his possession... I can only assume he would have been the one to load it. If someone left the party early, by now it would have been brought up.

[Oriko frowns.] We know that he attacked Alice-san, which is why she isn't feeling well today. However, it sounds like he didn't try to shoot her.

[nothingposh]

How many of you know how to shoot a gun in the first place?

[A valid question, in his opinion, given that Dark Dream doesn't even seem to understand what a gun is and also one of us is dogs.]

[prescience]

[She shakes her head.]

I really can't handle them at all. I find them rather unpleasant to deal with. I can't even get the ones at the carnival to shoot straight.

[Homuraphobic.]

[seventhlittlemonster]

Numbah One is teaching me to use the F.R.A.P.P.E., but... look at that gun. I couldn't shoot it if I tried. [BIG MEATY CLAWS]

[xxxx_me]

...You just pull the trigger, right?

[Nailed it.]

[nothingposh]

In theory.

[He's trying not to be a little shit but also.]

[xxxx_me]

In theory?

[?????]

[nothingposh]

The kickback on a six shooter ain't so bad as a musket, but you gotta account for it otherwise things'll go mighty wrong.

[xxxx_me]

Oh. Is that "recoil?"

[Gil mentioned it before!!]

[nothingposh]

[Gavroche nods.]

Biggest difference between a real gun and the games here.

[soverainty]

Guns aren't really a thing for civilians in Japan.

[prescience]

That, too. You're a better shot than I am, even so. [Maybe all those video games?] But I'm not about to compare a game to the genuine object without warrant...

[soverainty]

It's not hard to be. But there's no sense in speculating, especially since it's easy to fake the answer either way here.

[prescience]

It's really only the evidence that we can trust not to lie to us, isn't it? I'll save my speculation until it starts talking to us.

[octopups]

[Amdi shakes several heads.]

I've never even seen one, except for Nigel's.

[battlestations]

[Well everyone is using him as an example, so he's just going to shrug]

I've got my own toys, which anyone at the meeting could have accessed as well. I don't need to use an adult's.

[golden_king]

Mm...I don't.

[soverainty]

Don't play coy. A guy like you wouldn't need one in the first place.

[ballooncaged]

I've been around when they were fired... That's all.

[imozon]

I've never used one.

[She knows what they are! Excuse you!]

[nothingposh]

[dd he means a real gun not a precure gun that shoots friendship]