THE TRIAL ROUND... TRIAL... YEAH I SHOULD'VE CHOSEN ANOTHER NAME.

[thegardeners]

[On Saturday morning, the gates of the courthouse fly open.

All character will be ushered-- or forcibly dragged, if it comes to that-- the the Courthouse by the various gardeners. The interior of the courthouse is spacious enough for any amount of vigorous discussion, whatever that may be. Who knows what's on the second floor and beyond.

Meng Po sits above the chairs, overseeing everyone below.]

Today, you have all been brought here to find the one who murdered Cagliostro. Once you have come to a decision over who is guilty, you will cast votes on who you believe is the murderer. If the majority votes correctly, the murderer is condemned to Hell, and you will all be one step closer to reincarnation. If they are not found, they will be reincarnated instead, and whoever else is voted in their place as the murderer will be scapegoated. The murderer's sins will be falsely imprinted on them, condemning the scapegoat to Hell.

Should you correctly identify the murderer, there will be a second round of voting: the mercy vote, or the exoneration vote. If you believe the murderer deserves to be reincarnated or the victim deserved to die for any reason, you can vote for exoneration, and the murderer will be reincarnated if the majority votes for it. However, I am not responsible for what happens afterwards to the rest of you.

[...That's... okay, sure.]

Without further ado: the court is in session.

[Do your worst.]

Comments

[keepcomposed]

Coming clean about everything.

This is what you were secretly hoping for, isn't it? ... Ah, no. Maybe you really did want to take the fall for me. [ Hee. ] You're such a good friend, Neku. [ He'll never, not once in his life, stop being a condescending dick. ]

If that's what you wanted, it's not too late. I could always take it back.

[unfashionable]

That's bullshit and you know it!

[ neku is actually so, so angry right now? why is josh doing this? ]

I don't know what you're trying to do, but--just--I deserve what I get, Josh!

[keepcomposed]

Ohh, very convincing! Even I almost believed you. Maybe if you keep yelling like that, you really will look like the guilty party.

[ By contrast, he's calm as a cucumber! Yelling in his face does nothing but provoke him to be a bigger, grander dick. ]

Hm? Do you really think that? [ He holds his hands up. Fine, he'll be indulgent just this once. ] Just because you couldn't save her doesn't mean you're to blame, you're not even the one who hurt her. [ He pauses, it's as if something is dawning on him. When he resumes speaking he crosses his arms. ] ... I thought you were just trying to protect me, but you really do feel bad about what happened, don't you?

You shouldn't. Someone here was always going to disappear.

[unfashionable]

[ neku can't even think; this is all happening so fast, from the trial to his confession to josh acting like this, and there's definitely a reason why josh is acting like this. but neku's too panicked to figure it out, because if something were to happen to everyone else if the vote was wrong... ]

Don't be stupid--you had nothing to do with this! Just stop it already! I killed her and there's nothing you can do or say to change that!

[shikiori_no_hane]

[ Tsurumaru just looking off to the side as shit goes down and: ]

So... is he your friend or something?

[keepcomposed]

[ Hee hee. ] "Or something" sounds right.