FIFTH TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

Is everyone finished? Good. It's time for a trial.

[The ride to the court room is uneventful this time. There's no breaking of bones or porcelain when you land. The podiums are rather empty, especially now that there's only twenty portraits even if there's twenty one podiums still. Huh. Fancy that! It's almost as if the Storyteller was still bitter.

Though, there definitely feels something off about the court room. It sort of feels like you're being watched but you're not sure.]

Seven is Dead. Time to find out who's responsible. Time for a trial!

Comments

[strictura]

So... the killer was in some kind of fight with him, you think? While he was using a tree as a weapon? Even if he couldn't see, it seems like it would be hard for them to avoid getting injured themselves in a situation like that.

[ballooncaged]

[FROWN.]

It's true that the culprit was probably close to him the whole time because they had to hit him with the axe over and over until he fell down.

[strictura]

[ Nods... ]

So if they were able to do that, that would point to someone who was probably good at fighting, right?

[battlestations]

Good at fighting... or dodging.

[ballooncaged]

It does seem really unlikely that Seven managed to leave a mark on the culprit. He probably could have knocked them out if he was lucky enough. But if they were the type of culprit to wash off, it would be kind of... I think something else would have happened if they had a bruise, like there'd be missing paint or something.

[battlestations]

[He sighs. There was a point to his dramatic emphasis, you know!!]

Well, now that it's confirmed the water gun was used as a dart gun. Is it too soon to point out we have a kid who both 'likes guns' and has dodging in his title?

[ballooncaged]

Oh...

[MIZUKI HASN'T LOOKED IN THE PORTRAIT ROOM FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT'S SO SAD]

...........................................

...........................................

But... the culprit took a shower.

[battlestations]

[Nigel tries not to laugh and does not completely succeed. It comes out as a snort]

Perhaps it's time for that soap test.

[strictura]

...I guess it's also possible that they just turned on the water in there without really using it, right? Because then we'd be looking specifically for someone who smelled clean.

[xxxx_me]

We know the water gun wasn't used as a water gun, so that means they probably had to use water to wash something off, doesn't it?

[strictura]

Rinsing something off in the sink is different from taking a shower, though.

[battlestations]

Interesting point. It would be somewhat pitiful if we caught the criminal that way a third time, wouldn't it?

[strictura]

By this point, you'd hope everyone would think to account for that.

[xxxx_me]

I have the soap the hunting lodge bathroom uses, if we want to compare.

[strictura]

Might as well try it.

[octopups]

Oh, um... ok.

[Amdi is not super hype about his role as designated K9 sniffer unit, for probably obvious reasons. Still, he dutifully goes around the room, smelling people's hands and their more general scent profiles.

Again, he's not as good a sniffer as an earth dog, but he's a decent bit better than a human, and also there's eight of him, so.]

[nothingposh]

Not really what that means, you know.

[battlestations]

No, I don't. What are you talking about?

[nothingposh]

Dodger's slang for pickpocket types. Bit rude, but suspect that's on purpose.

[battlestations]

Ohhhhhhhh.

[he learned something today! His mistake. All suspicion dropped from Gavroche.

Not. But he is still wide eyed at that.]

But still, to pick a pocket you have to get really close to someone and then get away without being caught. So isn't it called that because it's similar enough?

[battlestations]

I wonder why he used a tree anyway. Once the axe swings he'd know where they are. He should have just punched them!

[LIKE HE WAS TEACHING HIM TO DO :T]

[ballooncaged]

I actually think that his self-defense training focusing on empty hand is why he would use a tree instead of having something else more lethal on him. [SHE DID NOT FORGET!!! SHE CARE THEM BOTH] I don't think anyone else besides me is all that sure he picked up the tree... Wouldn't punching the person with the axe just bring your hand even closer to the axe, though? Or had he learned a way where he could be that precise?

[battlestations]

Eh, I don't know about that. But his punch was strong enough I wouldn't expect the killer to keep their grip enough to swing it many more times after that.

[ballooncaged]

[PROGRESS!!]

Then do you think he hit the killer and then fainted, or was always dodged in the first place?

[battlestations]

Perhaps a punch would explain the wound on the back of his wrist, different from the rest of them on his upper arm. But if it was dodged, that would make sense.