Fandom Fandomronpa [Closed]

[Xeppy]

Pinkie Pie
themagnoliaofutah Capri Zenterfold SilverDingo Icee LuckycoolHawk9 + everyone

Trial Room

Other people around the room started speaking up after Pinkie's comment, and Pinkie listened to them, trying to quiet the nausea and fear inside her. Louise had spoken first, saying how the bathroom was the last pitstop that the... killer had made. Pinkie let out a shaky sigh at the words she spoke, trying to remind herself of the reason she was doing all of this. She was doing this in the name of friendship! In the name of hope for them all! In the name of love! She knew this was only partly true. She couldn't help but know the real reason they were all speaking of these things, even if she didn't want to know. It was in the name of survival.

Pinkie nodded at Louise's comment when reminding her of the reasons she was doing all this, about to speak up before Sophie said something. Ease. Murder. What... kind of person did these things? Why would they do that to Trixie? Why would they do that to a fellow person who had woken up here with them, completely innocent? Why... why did they remove the chances of her ever getting out of here to see her friends? To see her family? To see her future? Pinkie squinted her eyes, mourning Trixie for a moment. No. Pinkie. In the name of friendship, continue with this trial!

She nodded at Sophie silently, thinking about it. "T-that idea didn't sound... bad. But... but..." Even though she didn't want to, she silently thought about the scene of where Trixie laid sleeping forever. "W-what about the cof-coffee machine? I... I think it had r-red l-l-liquid on it." She rubbed her arms, looking at Sophie's podium frightfully. "I-If the place Trixie was... yeah... was in the h-hallway, then why would there be... red liquid... on the machine?"

She thought about it more, saying more quietly, "I-I think I saw... the spilt over coffee from one of the c-c-cups. T-the coffee machine had spilt... spilt coffee on it, so if she was right..." she pointed at Yumeko, "...and it was a s-s-struggle, then the place Trixie was... that... was probably in the cafe, with the s-spilt over coffee on the machine with the... red... l-liquid."

Pinkie's teeth started chattering in the middle of her sentences, yet she still forced them out of her throat. Even as she said all this, though, she looked at Sophie for clarification. Oh, how Pinkie didn't want to do any of this. The only thing that was holding her on was her reminder of how she was protecting her friends, but even if she was... even if she was...

She couldn't do this. Yet, she had to.​

 

[Zenterfold]

Clementine - Trial Room

"Blood in the washroom tells me that's where the killer washed off blood," Clementine said. She started biting the inside of her cheek in thought, though only realized so after a moment and forced herself to stop. She had never really had to solve a murder before. Most murder she had been party to had been a hell of a lot more straightforward than this.

"But." She let out a sigh now. "Back to the sports stuff for a moment, was there really not a single drop of blood in that area outside the smear on the ground? Anyone else find that a bit odd? And how would you all explain the blood on the coffee machine if she were killed in the hall or the store?"

Clementine was definitely doubting the flow of events the others were getting at.

"Yeah, the spilled coffee implies a struggle, but, guys..." Clementine closed her eyes. Yeah, she was sure. The sight of Trixie's body was etched deep into her mind. "There were no other marks on her beyond the single head wound on the back of her head. What struggle are you suggesting occurred if she died in a single blow to the back of the head?"

LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah @All

 

[Takumi98]

Pinkie Pie
Capri Josh Takumi98 lunar_moth +others

Cafe —> Trial Room

When Sophie suddenly tackled her into a hug, her bursting into tears, Pinkie sat there. She didn’t tear up or look at the girl sympathetically, as she normally would. Pinkie was just… there, yet not actually there at the same time. The spark of friendship that burst inside her for that small moment was dispersing now, leaving Pinkie ultimately empty. The vibe of happiness that used to surround Pinkie had disappeared the moment she acknowledged Trixie was dead, and there was no turning back from that moment. Perhaps the pink-haired girl would cheer up later… but certainly not now.

Pinkie shook her head slightly and patted Sophie's head at her apologies, as if saying she didn’t have to say sorry. Pinkie Pie didn’t say anything after knowing Trixie died, besides her quick song to Sophie, and Pinkie really didn’t feel the need to talk at all. She didn’t want to talk at all. Even if she wanted to, she seemed to be lost in herself from the shock of what Sophie just showed her. The cold skin. The unbreathing girl. The dead body. Pinkie ran these facts through her head, but she didn’t even let out a shiver in her body. It seemed as though the shock of someone actually going through a killing sent Pinkie into an empty, emotionless state that she couldn’t pull herself out of right now.

Pinkie was interrupted from her shaking of her head and patting when a sudden ding-dong noise filled the air, causing Sophie’s body to unwrap from hers. Pinkie didn’t react to this besides putting her arms to her sides, silently staring at the floor. Even though she suddenly thought the floor looked interesting, she still listened to what Monokuma’s voice had to say. She seemed to be concentrating on his words, yet at the same time not. Even though she was in this state, she still understood what Monokuma was telling them to do. Like a puppet, Pinkie immediately stood up, right as Atsushi was kneeling up as well. She didn’t acknowledge seeing him get up as well, though, simply standing there.

Pinkie let Sophie take her hand, not having any objections to the action Sophie put on her. Earlier, Pinkie seemed so happy when Sophie took her hand, but now she seemed so… indifferent. She was lost in her own thoughts, in her own world. Pinkie was certainly not ready for a trial in her broken state. If she wasn’t paying attention to anything… how could she focus? If people asked for her alibi, or if somebody accused her, how could she talk back confidently and clearly? The others had to take control of the trial and get them through it if they were going to see another day here.

When Atsushi directed a mutter towards them, Pinkie stared at him with dull eyes, as if mentally wondering the same question herself. He was asking if they were... okay? Would they be okay? Pinkie didn’t know anything that was happening right now… so could she be okay? She had to try to be okay! She had to try. She knew she had to try. She just… couldn’t, though. It was like when she procrastinated from washing her clothes earlier: she just didn't have the strength to go through with it. She was trapped in the despair of everything right now. Maybe she would find hope later, but everything was piling onto all of their shoulders, and Pinkie didn’t know how to balance it all into a happy ending.

To answer Atsushi’s question, though, Pinkie simply started mouthing the words, I-I-I don't… She stopped right there, as if she already answered the question. She didn’t know if Atsushi could read mouths, but she hoped that he could understand what she was trying to convey. She didn't know herself what she was trying to convey, but she hoped Atsushi would know what she didn't. Pinkie... ha... she didn’t know anything. She didn’t know why they were sent all here. She didn’t know how she was reacting to everything. She didn’t know how they all came from different multiverses. She didn’t know. She didn't know.

She opened her pink tablet with the hand that wasn’t holding Sophie’s, navigating to the MAP app that quickly showed where everything was. It seemed like forever ago when she was excited about this new feature. Since they were in the cafe, and the trial room was in the previously locked room at the center of shops, they just needed to get there. She showed Sophie her tablet, hoping she would see it through her sleeves, and then put it in a pocket somewhere in her skirt. After doing so, she looked at Sophie again as to confirm that she would take the lead to the trial room, and then looked at Atsushi and Wanda as if to say, Let’s go. She was internally glad Atsushi, Wanda, and Sophie were all here, since she didn’t think that she could get through anything without them here. Well, and one more person…

If Usagi was still in the cafe, Pinkie’s eyes would have drifted over to her. If Usagi noticed Pinkie looking at her, then she would know that even if Pinkie wasn’t saying it out loud, she was inviting her to go to the trial room with them. She would know that Pinkie didn’t want the blond-haired girl to be alone through this, and that as Usagi had hinted to her before, that they would get through this together. While Pinkie was trying to give these thoughts to Usagi, though, Pinkie certainly didn’t feel and believe them herself.

After looking at many of her friends, she looked at Sophie again and walked out of the cafe, still holding hands with the girl. She hoped Usagi, Wanda, and Atsushi would come with them soon, as they were the people Pinkie most trusted, and the people Pinkie wanted to get through this with. She then walked towards the trial room, where everyone else was headed, and even though Pinkie wasn’t ready for this at all, she still marched forward. She has no idea what motivated her to keep walking, though.​

When Pinkie couldn’t answer his question, Atsushi simply reached for her free hand with one of his gloved ones and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You don't have to answer." He spoke up. He quieted after, in thought for a moment, before nodding to himself as if coming to a decision

"I won't let you guys wander in the dark alone, I'll do all I can to protect you." He spoke up quietly. It was moreso for their sake than his own, but this is more or less what he would say to Kyouka. Here it wasn't a promise, but he'd certainly do his best.

Grasping on to Usagi, Wanda's attention was first on Atsushi. The witch didn't know him to well. He was more "a friend of friends.", but he seemed like a good egg. Nodding her head, Wanda agreed with his comments. "You're right. I shouldn't have lost my cool like that. I'm Sorry Sophie."
View attachment 965062
As the bell rand, Wanda seemed annoyed, standing in her work out attire, Wanda's scarlet shawl wrapped around her in the place of her normal cape. "Really? I wanted to change first! I look like a hot mess right now, I bet. It can't be helped, it seems. More important things to do. " Looking down at Usagi, Wanda's nose wrinkled up, clearly pondering something. "Be honest with me Usagi dear, how bad do I look? Not too sweaty I hope?" Wanda said as she strolled her way towards the trail room. "Pinkie, you are coming with us?"

Xeppy Capri lunar_moth Kiyoko Tomoe ​

Atsushi wasn't particularly close to Wanda, mostly because her motherly nature was something he wasn't completely used to. While there were a few older people in his life who had concern and some form of care towards him in the Mafia, this was still something odd to him in a sense.

Having her attention on him like this caused him to slightly burrow his face into his jackets high collar as he nodded to her.

Capri Xeppy lunar_moth Josh Kiyoko Tomoe @Cafe --> Hallway

As everyone gathered at the door, they found Monokuma waiting for them. He casually shrugged his bear shoulders at the group. "Everyone ready?" he asked.

"Ready for what?" Clementine said in response. "What's going to happen?"

"What better way to find out than to just jump in? Puhuhu... One of you murdered in cold blood, but do you have what it takes to outplay the others? I very much hope you give it all you got! Make it a good show!"

The door behind Monokuma opened, revealing a gate that slowly opened it that started to rise. Monokuma stepped aside so everyone could step inside the dark hall beyond. It was a relatively short walk to a round room, where thirty-two podiums were set up in a circle. Each one had a name for every participant. The one for Trixie was already occupied by a stand that had her picture on it.

...

Case #1: Trixie

Thirty-two random lives had been taken from everything they knew and placed into a harrowing situation. Waking up in an unknown location, everyone searched and debated at length about what this meant for them. The Ultimate Ninja, Tobi, secretly posed as a creature named Pyramid Head, though was forced to reveal himself when he tried to break out of the building. A microphone had been found, hinting at the truth: Everyone was being watched by a robotic plush bear named Monokuma. The bear appeared before the group, announcing they were part of a killing game. The only way to leave was to kill another within the group and then get away with it. If they did not participate, they would be trapped within the building for the rest of their lives.

Menma attacked Monokuma, only for him to explode as a punishment. She and a few others ended up getting hurt in the blast. As it turned out, Monokuma had an unlimited amount of bodies. Violence against him was prohibited. If the participants broke that rule or any other, the punishment would be painful, if not deadly. The other rules included the fact that people could only sleep in the hotel, were prohibited from the restaurant during nighttime, and one could not destroy the tablets they were given. Monokuma left the group with the idea that a traitor was secretly among their ranks, working with Monokuma to some degree.

The group decided to implement a couple of measures to ensure no one would get killed. Physical partners were chosen for people to stick with, while messaging partners were chosen for people to text on occasion. Clementine recorded this info on the chalkboard in the Café. Things were quiet for a couple days, until the worst occurred...

The Ultimate Magician, Trixie, was found dead in the Café.

The Monokuma File stated that Trixie had died of blunt force trauma. She died in just a single blow to the head. Her tablet was missing and was found in the pants pocket of a piece of clothing that was in a washing machine in the Laundry Room. It was no longer working. A bunch of other clothes were found in the Day-Care Center, most belonging to Trixie and Sunset, though Sunset would not be able to confirm she knew everything Trixie wore. The clothes were wet and covering a number of sports items with spots of blood on them. Hockey sticks, golf clubs, baseball bats, and lacrosse sticks had all been taken from the Sporting Goods Store.

In the Café, a large pool of blood was around Trixie's body and near a coffee machine. This coffee machine had blood on it and spilled coffee. There were two cups, one spilled over and one mostly empty. There was also blood outside the Café leading to the Sporting Goods Store. There was also blood in the sink of the South Washroom, the one closest to the Café.

There is a possibility that the partner list in the Café has been tampered with so that some of the partners are switched up.

...

The circle pf podiums began to rise once everyone was in place. It moved like an elevator for just a few moments before coming to a stop. Monokuma was now seated a bit above the group on what might have been considered a throne.

"There you go, it's as if you're in a courtroom! Everyone here is on trial now, after all! You see, whoever the Blackened is... it's them versus the rest of you. You'll present your argument for who you think the killer is and the outcome will be decided by popular vote! If the killer is caught... they will be punished. That's how it works, folks! Doesn't this get you into the mood? The mood to shout, yell, and scream at one another? Get visceral? Fight for your life, here and now!"

@Thepotatogod themagnoliaofutah Josh Capri @darkred lunar_moth LuckycoolHawk9 @Funnier President Xeppy @Gummi Bunnies Takumi98 Verite @Ari Number Two Severia Icee Ghost_Candy @Crunch @Miserable Alchemist @Mirai-chan HanikamuKitten SilverDingo Charles Babel @York @OneBigParadox @0ttonomous @Crow Crimson Baron GamblingGoblins Kiyoko Tomoe R U S T​

Pinkie Pie
themagnoliaofutah Capri Zenterfold SilverDingo Icee LuckycoolHawk9 + everyone

Trial Room

Other people around the room started speaking up after Pinkie's comment, and Pinkie listened to them, trying to quiet the nausea and fear inside her. Louise had spoken first, saying how the bathroom was the last pitstop that the... killer had made. Pinkie let out a shaky sigh at the words she spoke, trying to remind herself of the reason she was doing all of this. She was doing this in the name of friendship! In the name of hope for them all! In the name of love! She knew this was only partly true. She couldn't help but know the real reason they were all speaking of these things, even if she didn't want to know. It was in the name of survival.

Pinkie nodded at Louise's comment when reminding her of the reasons she was doing all this, about to speak up before Sophie said something. Ease. Murder. What... kind of person did these things? Why would they do that to Trixie? Why would they do that to a fellow person who had woken up here with them, completely innocent? Why... why did they remove the chances of her ever getting out of here to see her friends? To see her family? To see her future? Pinkie squinted her eyes, mourning Trixie for a moment. No. Pinkie. In the name of friendship, continue with this trial!

She nodded at Sophie silently, thinking about it. "T-that idea didn't sound... bad. But... but..." Even though she didn't want to, she silently thought about the scene of where Trixie laid sleeping forever. "W-what about the cof-coffee machine? I... I think it had r-red l-l-liquid on it." She rubbed her arms, looking at Sophie's podium frightfully. "I-If the place Trixie was... yeah... was in the h-hallway, then why would there be... red liquid... on the machine?"

She thought about it more, saying more quietly, "I-I think I saw... the spilt over coffee from one of the c-c-cups. T-the coffee machine had spilt... spilt coffee on it, so if she was right..." she pointed at Yumeko, "...and it was a s-s-struggle, then the place Trixie was... that... was probably in the cafe, with the s-spilt over coffee on the machine with the... red... l-liquid."

Pinkie's teeth started chattering in the middle of her sentences, yet she still forced them out of her throat. Even as she said all this, though, she looked at Sophie for clarification. Oh, how Pinkie didn't want to do any of this. The only thing that was holding her on was her reminder of how she was protecting her friends, but even if she was... even if she was...

She couldn't do this. Yet, she had to.​

Clementine - Trial Room

"Blood in the washroom tells me that's where the killer washed off blood," Clementine said. She started biting the inside of her cheek in thought, though only realized so after a moment and forced herself to stop. She had never really had to solve a murder before. Most murder she had been party to had been a hell of a lot more straightforward than this.

"But." She let out a sigh now. "Back to the sports stuff for a moment, was there really not a single drop of blood in that area outside the smear on the ground? Anyone else find that a bit odd? And how would you all explain the blood on the coffee machine if she were killed in the hall or the store?"

Clementine was definitely doubting the flow of events the others were getting at.

"Yeah, the spilled coffee implies a struggle, but, guys..." Clementine closed her eyes. Yeah, she was sure. The sight of Trixie's body was etched deep into her mind. "There were no other marks on her beyond the single head wound on the back of her head. What struggle are you suggesting occurred if she died in a single blow to the back of the head?"

LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah @All

Once him and his group had made their way to the room where the trial would be held, he gave one final reassuring squeeze before he released Pinkie's hand and went to the podium with his name on it. With Yumeko to his left and Tobi to his right, Atsushi frowned at something that stuck out to him.

"It says on the file that there was a single blow to her head that killed her, right? Then wouldn't it be possible that the killer could have hit her many times after to cause so much blood to be found?" He spoke up, before his gaze landed on Pinkie for a moment as if to gague how she was doing once he heard her speaking. She didn't look too good, but it was to be expected given the circumstances.

Zenterfold Capri Xeppy LuckycoolHawk9 Icee SilverDingo R U S T @Others @Trial

 

[Kiyoko Tomoe]

Shinobu OshinoTrial Room

"I suspect that the blood in the hallway is, at the very least, unrelated to where it occurred. As for why the coffee machine had blood on it, very simply, it was likely the weapon. Since blood on it would not be out of the ordinary for where the kill occurred, it would probably not be seen as a weapon at all is what the killer's thought process may have been. Regardless, the weapon used is less important than who did it. We could of course take the lengthy approach of determining why and how in order to figure out who would be capable of such means and would have such a motive, though..."

Shinobu was very clearly emphasizing certain words, not caring one bit about how sensitive the others seemed to be over a single death. It was annoying, being stuck in some boring game about 'murder' with a bunch of kids who couldn't even handle the word 'blood' without having an emotional breakdown. "...Rather than waste our time on that, there is likely a much quicker way to resolve this. For that, everyone need only pull out their tablet." Shinobu pulled her tablet out as she requested everyone else to, though did not turn it on yet.

"As I recall, we found a broken tablet in the washing machine. The problem with that is, a killer would have no need to dispose of the dead person's tablet as there is no message history or anything else to gain from investigating it. It would in fact be more convenient to leave it with the body as then people might get distracted from other clues by taking the time to try and go through it. It may prove to be a waste of time, however I suspect that someone here does not have their own tablet. Rather, the dead person's tablet is within their possession. The easiest way to prove or disprove this would be for everyone to open thine tablet where all can see."

Shinobu looked toward Monokuma, giving him a sort of uncaring look of 'this is pretty boring' before very quickly returning her attention to everyone else, looking for any signs of hesitation from any of the other participants. It wasn't a sure-fire way to find the killer, but if nothing else, it would get everyone thinking about why the tablet was thrown into the washing machine, as if it was Trixie's tablet and not the killer's as she suspected, then there was very little chance the tablet was destroyed by accident. It could be a false lead, and if it were then Shinobu wouldn't care seeing as every bit of this process is ridiculously boorish in the first place to her. She would play her part, however, as there wasn't much better to do. Of course, Atsushi's comments had also gotten her to think of something.

'The girl was killed in a single blow, but with the amount of blood present and amount of struggle that may have occurred, perhaps the killer was injured and the fight brought them into the cafe.', Shinobu thought to herself. 'It would also explain why there was so much blood in the hallway and other items had blood on them.' With that in mind, Shinobu began trying to focus on any scents of blood she could pick up on, relying on her vampiric nature to help her perhaps hone in on a potential suspect based on what Atsushi's logic had started in her mind. It would be difficult, of course, seeing as there were this many people, still the lingering scent of blood from Trixie's body, and a bit of fresh blood splattered on a few items in the center, but it was worth trying nonetheless.
Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah LuckycoolHawk9 Icee SilverDingo Takumi98 @ Everyone​

 

[Zenterfold]

Clementine - Trial Room

"Bodies have... lots of blood," Clementine said with a grimace, looking at Atsushi. "Like, way more than you'd expect. Hit someone hard enough and in the right way, there's going to be lots of blood." She was not completely unaware of the fact that some of those around her were feeling quite squeamish. The girl next to her had refused to even use the word blood. But Clementine had no time to mince words. This was their reality now and they needed to adapt fast.

She then paused, listening to Shinobu. The coffee machine as the murder weapon was entirely plausible. In fact, if Clementine imagined it a certain way, she was not sure the spilled coffee even had to be a misdirect at all. Of course, she kept this information to herself for now as she listened to the girl continue her spiel.

"Our tablets?"

She took hers out, turning it on to do as Shinobu asked. The idea that the killer switched the tablets due to accidentally destroying theirs actually made complete sense. That had to be what happened!

But... then Clementine saw her MEMO application and recalled the rules written inside. "Sorry, but I think you're wrong," she said. "The killer couldn't have destroyed their tablet, even by accident. It's against the rules." Turning her head, she looked to Monokuma. "If someone broke that rule, what would you do?"

Monokuma crossed his arms. "What do you think? You'd get punished, of course. Would amount to about the same thing that happened the first time one of you broke the rules."

As for the smell of blood, as for as Shinobu or anyone else could tell, only Trixie's blood could be smelled.
LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe @All

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　♡ ♡ ♡　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

​

In the trial room, Usagi’s hands clutch at the sides of her podium. Her knuckles are all white from how hard she’s gripping them.



It’s funny how nobody is ever prepared for death. Usagi is… no stranger to the concept, at least. She’s seen countless villains and youma despairingly fade out of existence, and she and her senshi have all died at least once.



But the thing is, the thing is, it’s always just been so… surface level. Yes, the youma have died screaming in front of her. But it’s okay, because they weren’t really alive, they were just created to do harm and now she’s letting them rest. Or it’s okay, because she’s saved them now, they can all go back to their true selves and live kind and loving lives again.



Even when she and her senshi met their ends, it was never so quiet as to give her much time to feel about it. There was always a bigger fish; always another step to take first before you could let yourself take a breath and really feel the situation. And then, when it was all over and done and she had nobody left but herself, it wasn’t for long, because the sweetness of the universe always brought her beloved senshi, most of all her friends, back to life alongside her.



This time it’s a bit different.



There’s no flash of light and Trixie’s back on her feet. No Moon Kaleidoscope to blast her with and purify her wounds. The body didn’t even dissolve away into glittering mist; for all she knows, it’s still there, getting bloated and waxy against the side of the café.



Frankly, it just doesn’t seem real yet. It feels like death, sure, but all wrong. Like whoever did it didn’t do it right, put the cogs all out of place and now the teeth are out of alignment. Any moment now fate is going to work its magic and bring the dead girl back, and Usagi won’t have to dip her toes any further into the murky waters that were grief.



That hasn’t happened yet, though, and the part of Usagi’s mind that’s still capable of thought beyond static is beginning to kick and scream. No! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!



(But it is. Oh, it is.)



The other Ultimates swap accusatory words back and forth around her in the circle. Usagi’s been silent thus far. Couldn’t have managed to open her mouth and get a word out if she tried. Pinkie’s spoken, though, and so has Sophie, which surprises Usagi a bit somehow— but it’s clear they’re both struggling. Pinkie won’t stop dancing her mouth around the right words. It’s like she thinks that saying it out loud will make it true; will it into existence like a spell. Or a prayer.



It seems so far that nobody’s been able to drudge up a guess at the killer. Usagi scrapes around her brain with a finger and manages to come up with a measly little offering of words, finally;



“The clothes. In- in the daycare, when I stopped by before b- before meeting with you all. Did- do we know what happened there? There was nobody there when I looked. And I didn’t look very hard, but- but maybe somebody is right. Could we have missed something buried in the clothes? Did- did anyone go back and look harder?” It’s a miracle her voice breaks only as much as it does.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　 Xeppy Capri Zenterfold @/All at trial　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

 

[GamblingGoblins]

Marie - Ultimate Decapitator
Trial Room
Zenterfold HanikamuKitten Severia Crimson Baron @GenuinelyEverybody
​

It wasn't hard to tell that Cater was still struggling. Nana and Shinoa were harder for Marie to get a read on, with both girls seeming to excel in the art of masking their emotions, but that was alright. Hopefully, they would be able to rely on her, too, if they truly needed it. She would just have to have faith that they had that kind of trust in her. And if they didn't, it wasn't as though it'd be anything new.

After their gift shop search turned up next to nothing and they were called back for the trial, Marie once again took initiative. Her grip on Cater's hand remained for as long as he allowed, and she reached out to take Nana's hand as well, trusting that she would in turn grab Shinoa's. "Alright. We will do this. Together. That's what we all agreed, right?" As little as she knew these people, little was better than nothing. She wouldn't have actively sought out anyone else in this place to stick with unless she absolutely had to. So she gently pulled the ragtag group she'd somehow found herself in along, right up until they entered the previously secret room. It was only then that she slightly deflated, once she realized that they were apparently going to be separated. But...

"It will be alright," she offered to the others, "...Won't it?"

It had to be. They would make it so.

So with gentle squeezes to her counterparts' hands(assuming neither of them had pulled away under the weight of her curse), she finally released them, hesitating for a few moments before she uncertainly made her way to her podium. Not long after, it seemed the stage was set; truth be told, this place reminded her of something, but this was no time to mull such things over. Rather, she did her best to listen as the room came to life with a variety of accusations and comments, theories and statements of facts. It was enough to make her head spin, and she subconsciously shrunk a bit behind her podium, a little overwhelmed by the cacophony. It made her want to stay quiet and simply observe for the entirety of this trial, rather than offer anything up. But... Nana, Shinoa, Cater... All of the people she had seen cry, too... They were relying on someone to give answers, weren't they? The reason why was lost on her, but it was plain to see how desperately their hearts begged for solace.

Marie tried to find her courage. Her frail, slender fingers clutched at the podium. She was no stranger to death; she had killed hundreds, if not thousands, and had even experienced the loss of her own life. Surely she could do this. She just needed to think, and to remember, and to be brave. So what did she know about death? What could she do to help these grieving souls? And why did she feel so little herself?

Focus.

Blood. Blood. Blood.

"!!!"

That was it. Her eyes briefly widened as her scattered thoughts slowly became more coherent, and an idea formed in her head. She stood up a little straighter after hearing Clementine's comment, her eyes moving to the girl. She was one of the few people Marie kind of knew here, and she seemed like one of the most levelheaded as well. If Marie acted like she was just speaking to the other girl, and not the entire place, this would be easier. She only wished they were a little closer physically. "Um," she began. Great start. "I have a thought. The blood... um... 'smears', I think you called them... don't they kind of remind you of a painting stroke?" Her words were a little hard to interpret, and she herself seemed to be having deep difficulty putting her meaning into words if the troubled but intent look on her face was any indication. "I'm not sure I'm making sense, but, um... What I mean is, could the person have done this by hitting her head against that strange machine with the strong-smelling liquid... and then taken some of that girl's clothes, and dipped them in the blood? Wouldn't that be like a brush they used to paint a trail that looked like when they take the bodies away? And, perhaps they threw some of the 'paint water' at the end of the trail in the place with the strange sticks, before going to clean the cloth in that strange standing basin." It was a long, slow, and definitely confusing explanation with many pauses and fumbles breaking it up. Marie almost looked like she could start sweating just from the effort of trying to find the correct words to use in a language still so new to her. Even beyond that, she appeared to grow more and more meek the more she spoke, like she was regretting piping up but determined to carry through nonetheless. She'd slumped visibly by the end, a tired look in her eyes. "Did.... that make any sense? I'm, um, sorry if it didn't..." Her courage seemed to have left her by the end, and she shrunk down again, letting her hair hang in her face. She didn't know if she'd be able to bear it if she'd just wasted everyone's time with nonsense and wound up told to shut up. But, then, there was still one thing she wanted to know. Something important enough to break through that bout of discomfort, to purse her lips and lift her gaze to where the bear sat on his throne.

"...By the way, why are we doing this?" At face value, it seemed she simply didn't understand the reason they were trying to list off potential kill methods. Which was true, of course, but there was something else on her mind in asking this. "You said before that the 'blackened' could leave this place... if we find them, does that mean the opposite? We can go home?" Along with her hope to help the others around her, this had been part of her motive in speaking up, too. She really just wanted to go home. Even if she didn't know what that meant, or what horrors would be waiting for her.

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

Louise furrowed her brow, thinking. "The - girl in the ball cap is correct, I'm pretty sure. It's - odd that the blood would be so neat there. The multiple blows despite death occuring only after one suggest this may be first degree. There was an argument, possibly they already had the weapon on them - and they continued hitting just because they were that angry with whatever Trixie had done to slight them. Also explains why there's still so much blood left, even after cleaning up. They didn't realize what they did until after, or panicked, started to clean up, then gave up. Is there anyone here who had a disagreement with her that anyone can remember?"

 

[HanikamuKitten]

Cater Diamond​

Gift shop>Trial room
GamblingGoblins Severia @actuallyeveryone​

Sure enough, Marie took the initiative again. For as much discomfort as he gained from holding the girl’s hand, he still didn’t let go.


"Alright. We will do this. Together. That's what we all agreed, right?"


Cater nodded. He had no intent to break his promise even a little bit again.


They entered the trial room and he immediately frowned. Assigned seating. Of course. He just said he wouldn’t leave her side and then-


"It will be alright ...won’t it?"


What did she say? I guess they were still in the same room so it wasn’t really leaving but still, it was a big room. He hesitantly let go of Marie’s hand, the comforting warmth dissolving and leaving and emptiness in his palm.


“Yeah it will. We’ll be right in this room. Just a holler away.” He gave a quick smile to let her know he was okay now. Although he phrased it like he was there for her, it was really assurance for himself.


Just bring in the trial room reminded him of the stories of the Queen of Hearts and her harsh trials. A trial where the punishment would always be death and always in the leader’s favor? Sounded quite familiar. He wondered if this was all just a dream. Or maybe it was some test from Housewarden Riddle. But then again, he figured he was just trying to make himself feel better.


He walked around the circle until he found his spot. When he got settled into place, he glanced around the circle for the others. Marie and Nana were both on the opposite side of the circle almost directly across from him. It felt nice he could just glance across and see them easily. Shinoa took a little bit more searching, but found her a few spots to the left of him.


Directly next to him were two people he’d never spoken to. He glanced at his tablet for a reminder of who they were.


Kirei Kotomine, Ultimate priest- calm, cunning, patronizing


Vibe check: seemed like kind of a jerk. But it’s not nice to assume anything of course. He’d get to experience what he was like first hand standing right next to him. The other was-


Marcus Wright, ultimate terminator- strong, angry, cold


Yikes. He was sandwiched between two scary adult men. Oh boy. He said nothing to the two next to him, but if either of them had looked to Cater they would notice his little fear of the two.


Once everyone had arrived and gotten into place, the podiums were lifted a bit off the ground. For what purpose, he didn’t know. He could only assume it was for dramatic effect or something along those lines. He could appreciate that, at least.


So the trial began, and many back and forths were had. Cater tried to listen as hard as he could to the evidence being presented, and without having investigated at all, he needed that.


Yumeko had been the first to speak. Despite being his roommate, they hadn’t actually gotten the chance to talk much. He was a little concerned by the smile she had while she spoke of death.


He was surprised when Marie spoke up. She said something about the killer using clothing as a sort of paintbrush for the smears in the hallway. Maybe to throw off the trail? Pretty smart! She spoke with such clear confidence and then,


"Did.... that make any sense? I'm, um, sorry if it didn't..."


And then it all dwindled. He couldn’t help but giggle a little at the girl.


“I think my partner here has a point! We totes have some conflicting evidence. There were signs of struggle, but yet she was killed in one blow? Sus. Maybe it was made to look that way to throw us off!”


He made sure to smile at Marie nice and big so she could see she did a good thing.

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
Zenterfold Xeppy HanikamuKitten themagnoliaofutah GamblingGoblins lunar_moth Kiyoko Tomoe Takumi98 SilverDingo Josh Verite @EveryoneElse

Sophie was trying her best to be quiet, she didn't wanna cause a stir or accuse anybody, but she had... thoughts.

There was a sign of a struggle, and evidence that supported that the killing happened in the hallway outside of the Cafe, yet Trixie was killed in one blow. That doesn't make sense. Yet Sophie wondered why the names were supposedly swapped on the pairings list.

Then... a lightbulb.

"...What if Trixie struck first,"

She ran her hands through her hair. "This is gonna sound stupid, but what if Trixie messaged someone asking for coffee, and she struck first but was unable to kill them. A-and the blood on the clubs... that might have been Trixie's... because she was... she was killed in the store... and was dragged to the Cafe... and... and... and the killer... the killer was... the killer was the person who Trixie texted... which... which means... the... the killer might have been the one who Trixie texted... or... or... or it might have been... Trixie's texting partner... who swapped the names to frame someone..."

She racked her head, ultimately trying to reason things out in her head. She ultimately collapsed into a ball.

"I... I don't know... I'm sorry..."

All momentum she had was lost.​

 

[HanikamuKitten]

Cater Diamond​

Trial Room
Capri @literallyeveryone​

A beat went by before Sophie spoke up.


"...What if Trixie struck first,"


Genius! We would have to go through the rest of the evidence to make sure it all fit (and totally not because Cater didn’t know), but it was a brilliant idea.


"I... I don't know... I'm sorry..."


“No no, I think that’s a great theory. It totes makes sense! GG Soph!”


He was already starting to get back to his normal self. He had let his walls down with his group but now they were in a large group setting, he reflexively put them back up. He seized this opportunity to make a connection with the girl. It’s not like it was a lie, he really did like her idea. He hoped she wouldn’t be taken aback by agreeing so quickly.

 

[Xeppy]

Pinkie Pie
themagnoliaofutah Capri Icee SilverDingo LuckycoolHawk9 Zenterfold GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe + everyone

Trial Room

Pinkie Pie turned her head over to the girl next to her, her commenting on what they were going with. Her words seemed to be directed at other points in the trial, but what really stuck out to Pinkie was when Clementine questioned the struggle. The moment the girl started talking about marks on her head, Pinkie’s mind immediately drifted over to the image of Trixie’s body Sophie guided her into. Since Pinkie had checked her pulse multiple times, she got a good look at Trixie's head. The expression. The unbreathing mouth. The dead body. Pinkie’s chattering teeth bit her tongue, and she refused to think of the mental imagery any further. Ignore it. Focus. Don't think of that. Focus... focus on your friendship! On your friends!

Luckily, her friends here were speaking up, which let Pinkie think of them. It seemed as though whenever someone Pinkie already knew spoke up, she seemed to relax. Their voices reminded her of what she was fighting for, and it seemed to bring back past days' happy memories, such as that time when Pinkie was sharing her dream story with Atsushi and Sophie. That was only a few hours ago... yet it seemed like it was majorly in the past. When the white-haired boy spoke up, Pinkie didn’t seem to focus on the words he was speaking, but she focused on his voice. She focused on her past encounters with the boy, before all this happened. She quieted her breathing, closing her eyes for a minute before opening them to look at Atsushi.

It seemed as though he was already looking at her. As Pinkie had done before with Wanda at the beginning of the trial, she stared at him for a comforting sensation. She tried to ignore the trembling she was experiencing, using Atsushi as an emotional anchor for all that was happening. While her eyes or movements certainly didn’t tell him that she was even close to okay right now, she still calmed down slightly from knowing the boy’s presence. It seemed as though with friend’s reminders of their existence, Pinkie was able to charge face forward in the actions she was afraid of doing.

This comforting sensation quickly disappeared, though, when the physical partner of Atsushi suddenly started stabbing them all- specifically the people uncomfortable with what she was saying- with her words. Blood. Kill. Killer’s. Even if Pinkie wasn’t the victim for this trial, it seemed as though she was dying anyways. Pinkie physically shrunk in her podium at the vampire’s words, looking at her from what might have been a mix of shock and horror. How… how had the girl said those words with such empathizing? Did those horrible words really mean nothing to her? Did it really not bring terrible realizations to her? Pinkie shuddered uncontrollably, although it wasn’t the words itself that made Pinkie so frightened right now. It was the memories that it brought to her. It was the flashbacks of Trixie... sleeping... and the bomb that scared her. The only thing that Pinkie shakily stood up to was when the blond-haired girl asked for them to take out their tablets. It wasn't the order that Pinkie followed, though, but when everyone else was. Pinkie looked at Clementine as she did the command, and following her example, Pinkie did so as well. She used the podium to straighten herself out and took out her bright pink tablet, seeing what the Ultimate Vampire wanted to show.

The idea was quickly shot down by Clementine, though, with the younger girl remembering the rules of how you couldn’t destroy your own tablet. Before Clementine said anything further, though, Pinkie immediately tried to search through her brain in her shocked state. Something about this rule made Pinkie remember something Claude said. Pinkie never forgot what other people would say, and thinking about the opening statements earlier, Claude said that the tablet that was broken was either from an accident with Trixie or the… killer… did it. If you couldn’t destroy your own tablet, even by accident… then wouldn’t that mean that Trixie didn’t destroy her own tablet?

She didn’t point it out, though, as Usagi slowly spoke up afterwards. Pinkie focused on her, wanting to find warmth in her speech. She didn't, though. Pinkie didn’t find comfort in Usagi’s voice, as she had with Atsushi and others. Instead, she felt heartbroken. Throughout Usagi’s question, the little girl's voice was breaking, which Pinkie knew didn’t happen before. The moment the blond-haired girl spoke was the moment that brought streams of tears in Pinkie’s eyes. Anything could have made Pinkie cry so far, but Pinkie tried to shove the feelings down. It kept bubbling up, though. Usagi’s voice was just the needle that popped the river of emotions coming out.

Another blond-haired girl said things about… paint… which Pinkie tried to process through her tears. That would explain why the clothes were wet… but Pinkie immediately got a question from her statement. How had the person who… did the act… get access to the clothing in the first place, if what she said was true? Pinkie was about to speak this question out loud, but Sophie spoke a theory for them all to hear first.

Gosh… why would Trixie have done that? Pinkie… Pinkie thought Trixie was the victim! She thought the Ultimate Magician was completely innocent, and nothing that happened to her was her fault! Even though Pinkie didn’t know her that well… didn’t Trixie want the magic of friendship? Didn’t Trixie want to get along? Why would Trixie have gone with what the stuffed animal was talking about? It… it didn’t make sense to Pinkie! It didn't make sense why someone like Trixie would try to do that! Even if it didn’t make sense to Pinkie, though… it could possibly make sense in the trial.

She shook her head, muttering, “Why…” She looked at Sophie, however, and reminded herself yet again why they were doing all of this. Why were they doing all of this...? For... for the hopes of their futures! To let their friends keep on going with their happy lives! To see happy moments! To see their futures! Pinkie said this to herself again and again, as if somehow justifying why they were putting blames on one another, and then said shakily, “T-that could make… make sense. Trixie… Trixie could have messaged someone… and changed the p-p-partner… partner list herself, since she was planning to do...” She choked out the last word, “…it.” Even though Pinkie directed this at Sophie, it was like she was trying to persuade herself that this could have been right. That it could be true. That it was right. Still, even as Pinkie said this, she looked at Clementine. The girl… this girl seemed to be the one who knew all the true facts here, and either approved or disapproved of what they were all saying. She was their hope of getting through all of this.

Pinkie’s eyes quickly drifted over to… Marguerite? Yes, Marguerite. She saw her earlier and in the PROFILE app. She believed she heard others call her "Marie", though. She remembered Marie's question from earlier, and shakily pointed a finger towards her, saying, “Wait. Y-you said that… the clothing might… might have be-been used. Where would they have access… yes, access, to the clothes? I-I-I don’t think… Trixie handed them… to the person…”

Pinkie was hesitant in all her responses, as if doubting that all of this was really happening.​

 

[Ghost_Candy]

Menma had her arms crossed, almost as a self-soothing measure as she listened to the theories, following along and nodding as she waited her turn; she took out her tablet anyway, as Shinobu requested, even if it wasn't necessary.

She uncrossed her arms, placing them on the railing of her stand, clearing her throat as she glanced at the others taking note of Clementine and Butters.



"I do feel framed," she grumbled in frustration, before continuing.

"Trixie was obviously doing laundry, maybe went for coffee after? Or maybe the attack started in the sports area and continued over a span of time? Maybe she was running" Her breath hitched at the thought of having to run away as someone tried to fucking kill you.

"I do agree that maybe Trixie was plotting to kill someone first, maybe attacking turned into a struggle- maybe they were moving around while trying to get away or attack each other..." Menma raised a brow in thought.

"Does that make sense?"

Zenterfold Capri Xeppy HanikamuKitten GamblingGoblins lunar_moth Kiyoko Tomoe Takumi98 @ everyone else​

 

[Zenterfold]

Clementine - Trial Room

Clementine's eyed widened a bit at Marie's words. A painting stroke? Clementine had suspected that the body had been dragged for show, but that theory seemed more plausible. The only issue, of course, was that the blood on the clothes was not enough for one to have been dipped in the liquid entirely. Clementine had tried to wash blood out of enough clothing that she knew it was hardly a simple thing to do.

"I have a few questions about the washing machines," Clementine said, looking to Monokuma again. "Are they powerful enough to get out blood? And... they are electronic, right? I was looking at the displays on them but didn't understand them entirely."

Monokuma let out a dramatic sigh. "You want me to explain everything to you country bumpkins? Fine! Yes, our washing machines are top of the line! They have a powerful, built-in detergent that will destroy 99% of any stain, even blood! The handy displays ensure you don't accidentally wash your clothes a second time, as it logs the last use of the machine!" He almost sounded like he was selling the washing machines in an advertisement. "You at home can also enjoy our top-of-the-line washing machines at a discounted killing game price if you act within the next twenty-four hours!" Okay, yeah, he was definitely making an ad.

Regardless, that confirmed a few things for Clementine. "Well, when I looked over the machines, two of them had been in use at some time around midnight, one about ten minutes after the other. I think Marie is definitely right... or at least, mostly right. When it was mentioned the coffee machine was the murder weapon, I imagined it immediately as Trixie being shoved backward into it. That's probably also why the coffee was spilled on the machine... It could have flown out of her hands in that moment."

When Louise asked if someone had a disagreement or fight with Trixie, Clementine's first thought was that Trixie had really only hung out with Sunset. However, a dark, horrible thought crossed her mind as well that she quickly stamped down.

"If Trixie was the first aggressor... what does that say about the person who she attacked?" Clementine's thoughts spiraled and spiraled. She did not like where her head was going. Instead, she decided to focus on something else. "Well, also, that makes me wonder what happened with the partner names being switched. Who did it and when? And... can we even prove that they were switched? I haven't heard anyone prove that at all. You'd think at least a few people would be able to vouch for that."
LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe lunar_moth GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten Ghost_Candy Charles Babel @All

 

[Takumi98]

Shinobu OshinoTrial Room
View attachment 965160
"I suspect that the blood in the hallway is, at the very least, unrelated to where it occurred. As for why the coffee machine had blood on it, very simply, it was likely the weapon. Since blood on it would not be out of the ordinary for where the kill occurred, it would probably not be seen as a weapon at all is what the killer's thought process may have been. Regardless, the weapon used is less important than who did it. We could of course take the lengthy approach of determining why and how in order to figure out who would be capable of such means and would have such a motive, though..."

Shinobu was very clearly emphasizing certain words, not caring one bit about how sensitive the others seemed to be over a single death. It was annoying, being stuck in some boring game about 'murder' with a bunch of kids who couldn't even handle the word 'blood' without having an emotional breakdown. "...Rather than waste our time on that, there is likely a much quicker way to resolve this. For that, everyone need only pull out their tablet." Shinobu pulled her tablet out as she requested everyone else to, though did not turn it on yet.

"As I recall, we found a broken tablet in the washing machine. The problem with that is, a killer would have no need to dispose of the dead person's tablet as there is no message history or anything else to gain from investigating it. It would in fact be more convenient to leave it with the body as then people might get distracted from other clues by taking the time to try and go through it. It may prove to be a waste of time, however I suspect that someone here does not have their own tablet. Rather, the dead person's tablet is within their possession. The easiest way to prove or disprove this would be for everyone to open thine tablet where all can see."

Shinobu looked toward Monokuma, giving him a sort of uncaring look of 'this is pretty boring' before very quickly returning her attention to everyone else, looking for any signs of hesitation from any of the other participants. It wasn't a sure-fire way to find the killer, but if nothing else, it would get everyone thinking about why the tablet was thrown into the washing machine, as if it was Trixie's tablet and not the killer's as she suspected, then there was very little chance the tablet was destroyed by accident. It could be a false lead, and if it were then Shinobu wouldn't care seeing as every bit of this process is ridiculously boorish in the first place to her. She would play her part, however, as there wasn't much better to do. Of course, Atsushi's comments had also gotten her to think of something.

'The girl was killed in a single blow, but with the amount of blood present and amount of struggle that may have occurred, perhaps the killer was injured and the fight brought them into the cafe.', Shinobu thought to herself. 'It would also explain why there was so much blood in the hallway and other items had blood on them.' With that in mind, Shinobu began trying to focus on any scents of blood she could pick up on, relying on her vampiric nature to help her perhaps hone in on a potential suspect based on what Atsushi's logic had started in her mind. It would be difficult, of course, seeing as there were this many people, still the lingering scent of blood from Trixie's body, and a bit of fresh blood splattered on a few items in the center, but it was worth trying nonetheless.
Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah LuckycoolHawk9 Icee SilverDingo Takumi98 @ Everyone​

"Some of these tablets are personalized to the individual, so wouldn't it be hard for the culprit to go out of their way to do so...?" Atsushi mentioned, trailing off as he held his own up so she could see the back, with the rather simple white with black tiger stripes design. He didn't own a phone back home, and Kyouka had a flip phone so other than having some familiarity with that he wasn't so sure about this. He remembered her flip phone had a charm or two dangling from it but otherwise it could of been mistaken as anyone else's if it was the same type of phone in the same color. Unless two tablets happened to look identical, he couldn't be sure that Shinobu's reasoning completely worked in this scenario.

Clementine - Trial Room

"Bodies have... lots of blood," Clementine said with a grimace, looking at Atsushi. "Like, way more than you'd expect. Hit someone hard enough and in the right way, there's going to be lots of blood." She was not completely unaware of the fact that some of those around her were feeling quite squeamish. The girl next to her had refused to even use the word blood. But Clementine had no time to mince words. This was their reality now and they needed to adapt fast.

She then paused, listening to Shinobu. The coffee machine as the murder weapon was entirely plausible. In fact, if Clementine imagined it a certain way, she was not sure the spilled coffee even had to be a misdirect at all. Of course, she kept this information to herself for now as she listened to the girl continue her spiel.

"Our tablets?"

She took hers out, turning it on to do as Shinobu asked. The idea that the killer switched the tablets due to accidentally destroying theirs actually made complete sense. That had to be what happened!

But... then Clementine saw her MEMO application and recalled the rules written inside. "Sorry, but I think you're wrong," she said. "The killer couldn't have destroyed their tablet, even by accident. It's against the rules." Turning her head, she looked to Monokuma. "If someone broke that rule, what would you do?"

Monokuma crossed his arms. "What do you think? You'd get punished, of course. Would amount to about the same thing that happened the first time one of you broke the rules."

As for the smell of blood, as for as Shinobu or anyone else could tell, only Trixie's blood could be smelled.
LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe @All

Ah, Clementine and Monokuma seemed to have answered his question for him along with the part about the rules regarding breaking their tablets. He put his own away as the bear spoke.

Though at Clementine's comment about how much blood a body could hold, he simply gave a tilt of his head and nodded in understanding. She was right, after all, as he himself knew a bit too well how much blood one body could hold...but perhaps compared to what he had seen before ending up here that the amount of blood from Trixie's body had thrown him off a bit due to the nature of the wound she sustained.

This scenario was different to what he was used to, and it was something he had to keep in mind.

His gaze clouded momentarily in thought. A single blow to the head with enough force to cause blood to pool around her and be smeared along the floor...

Marie - Ultimate Decapitator
Trial Room
Zenterfold HanikamuKitten Severia Crimson Baron @GenuinelyEverybody
​

View attachment 965245It wasn't hard to tell that Cater was still struggling. Nana and Shinoa were harder for Marie to get a read on, with both girls seeming to excel in the art of masking their emotions, but that was alright. Hopefully, they would be able to rely on her, too, if they truly needed it. She would just have to have faith that they had that kind of trust in her. And if they didn't, it wasn't as though it'd be anything new.

After their gift shop search turned up next to nothing and they were called back for the trial, Marie once again took initiative. Her grip on Cater's hand remained for as long as he allowed, and she reached out to take Nana's hand as well, trusting that she would in turn grab Shinoa's. "Alright. We will do this. Together. That's what we all agreed, right?" As little as she knew these people, little was better than nothing. She wouldn't have actively sought out anyone else in this place to stick with unless she absolutely had to. So she gently pulled the ragtag group she'd somehow found herself in along, right up until they entered the previously secret room. It was only then that she slightly deflated, once she realized that they were apparently going to be separated. But...

"It will be alright," she offered to the others, "...Won't it?"

It had to be. They would make it so.

So with gentle squeezes to her counterparts' hands(assuming neither of them had pulled away under the weight of her curse), she finally released them, hesitating for a few moments before she uncertainly made her way to her podium. Not long after, it seemed the stage was set; truth be told, this place reminded her of something, but this was no time to mull such things over. Rather, she did her best to listen as the room came to life with a variety of accusations and comments, theories and statements of facts. It was enough to make her head spin, and she subconsciously shrunk a bit behind her podium, a little overwhelmed by the cacophony. It made her want to stay quiet and simply observe for the entirety of this trial, rather than offer anything up. But... Nana, Shinoa, Cater... All of the people she had seen cry, too... They were relying on someone to give answers, weren't they? The reason why was lost on her, but it was plain to see how desperately their hearts begged for solace.

Marie tried to find her courage. Her frail, slender fingers clutched at the podium. She was no stranger to death; she had killed hundreds, if not thousands, and had even experienced the loss of her own life. Surely she could do this. She just needed to think, and to remember, and to be brave. So what did she know about death? What could she do to help these grieving souls? And why did she feel so little herself?

Focus.

Blood. Blood. Blood.

"!!!"

That was it. Her eyes briefly widened as her scattered thoughts slowly became more coherent, and an idea formed in her head. She stood up a little straighter after hearing Clementine's comment, her eyes moving to the girl. She was one of the few people Marie kind of knew here, and she seemed like one of the most levelheaded as well. If Marie acted like she was just speaking to the other girl, and not the entire place, this would be easier. She only wished they were a little closer physically. "Um," she began. Great start. "I have a thought. The blood... um... 'smears', I think you called them... don't they kind of remind you of a painting stroke?" Her words were a little hard to interpret, and she herself seemed to be having deep difficulty putting her meaning into words if the troubled but intent look on her face was any indication. "I'm not sure I'm making sense, but, um... What I mean is, could the person have killed her in the cafe by hitting her head against that strange machine... and then taken some of that girl's clothes, and dipped them in the blood? Wouldn't that be like a brush they used to paint a trail that looked like when they take the bodies away? And when they were done, perhaps they threw some of the 'paint water' at the end of the trail in the place with the strange sticks, before going to clean their brush in the odd standing tub." It was a long, definitely confusing explanation, and Marie almost looked like she could start sweating just from the effort of trying to find the correct words to use in a language still so new to her. She'd slumped visibly by the end, a tired look in her eyes. "Did.... that make any sense? I'm, um, sorry if it didn't..." Her courage seemed to have left her by the end, and she shrunk down again, letting her hair hang in her face. She didn't know if she'd be able to bear it if she'd just wasted everyone's time with nonsense and wound up told to shut up.

Pulled from his thoughts, Atsushi's eyes refocused as he blinked as one of the more quiet among their group spoke up.

"Ah, so instead of the body being dragged around in the halls, the blood was smeared using some of the clothes before being washed, is what you're suggesting?" He asked, reiterating some of her words in order to make sure he was right in his understanding.

"It'd explain why so much of the blood was smeared." He added, though he tried to remember if anyone mentioned that any of the clothes found had any traces of blood on them, as blood was hard to clean.

Actually...had Trixie's body been moved at all, with how much of it was pooling around her? And if the culprit tried to wash blood out in the south washroom wouldn't they still have some on them?

When Louise had mentioned an argument causing multiple blows after the first that killed, which could also be likely, followed by Sophie's own theory Atsushi had quieted.

His gaze went to Pinkie when she spoke up, his gaze had softened slightly as he did so, hoping it'd help her calm some.

Clementine - Trial Room

Clementine's eyed widened a bit at Marie's words. A painting stroke? Clementine had suspected that the body had been dragged for show, but that theory seemed more plausible. The only issue, of course, was that the blood on the clothes was not enough for one to have been dipped in the liquid entirely. Clementine had tried to wash blood out of enough clothing that she knew it was hardly a simple thing to do.

"I have a few questions about the washing machines," Clementine said, looking to Monokuma again. "Are they powerful enough to get out blood? And... they are electronic, right? I was looking at the displays on them but didn't understand them entirely."

Monokuma let out a dramatic sigh. "You want me to explain everything to you country bumpkins? Fine! Yes, our washing machines are top of the line! They have a powerful, built-in detergent that will destroy 99% of any stain, even blood! The handy displays ensure you don't accidentally wash your clothes a second time, as it logs the last use of the machine!" He almost sounded like he was selling the washing machines in an advertisement. "You at home can also enjoy our top-of-the-line washing machines at a discounted killing game price if you act within the next twenty-four hours!" Okay, yeah, he was definitely making an ad.

Regardless, that confirmed a few things for Clementine. "Well, when I looked over the machines, two of them had been in use at some time around midnight, one about ten minutes after the other. I think Marie is definitely right... or at least, mostly right. When it was mentioned the coffee machine was the murder weapon, I imagined it immediately as Trixie being shoved backward into it. That's probably also why the coffee was spilled on the machine... It could have flown out of her hands in that moment."

When Louise asked if someone had a disagreement or fight with Trixie, Clementine's first thought was that Trixie had really only hung out with Sunset. However, a dark, horrible thought crossed her mind as well that she quickly stamped down.

"If Trixie was the first aggressor... what does that say about the person who she attacked?" Clementine's thoughts spiraled and spiraled. She did not like where her head was going. Instead, she decided to focus on something else. "Well, also, that makes me wonder what happened with the partner names being switched. Who did it and when? And... can we even prove that they were switched? I haven't heard anyone prove that at all. You'd think at least a few people would be able to vouch for that."
LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe lunar_moth GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten Ghost_Candy Charles Babel @All

Ignoring Monokuma's ad, but keeping in mind the information, his focus turned to Clementine's comments.

"I only remember who my specific partners were when glancing at the list when partners were first announced, but were there any signs that someone tampered with the chalkboard at all?" He asked. He hadn't looked at the chalkboard much save the first time partners were announced and recorded.

Zenterfold Capri Kiyoko Tomoe Xeppy @Others @Trial

 

[Charles Babel]

Clementine - Trial Room

"Bodies have... lots of blood," Clementine said with a grimace, looking at Atsushi. "Like, way more than you'd expect. Hit someone hard enough and in the right way, there's going to be lots of blood." She was not completely unaware of the fact that some of those around her were feeling quite squeamish. The girl next to her had refused to even use the word blood. But Clementine had no time to mince words. This was their reality now and they needed to adapt fast.

She then paused, listening to Shinobu. The coffee machine as the murder weapon was entirely plausible. In fact, if Clementine imagined it a certain way, she was not sure the spilled coffee even had to be a misdirect at all. Of course, she kept this information to herself for now as she listened to the girl continue her spiel.

"Our tablets?"

She took hers out, turning it on to do as Shinobu asked. The idea that the killer switched the tablets due to accidentally destroying theirs actually made complete sense. That had to be what happened!

But... then Clementine saw her MEMO application and recalled the rules written inside. "Sorry, but I think you're wrong," she said. "The killer couldn't have destroyed their tablet, even by accident. It's against the rules." Turning her head, she looked to Monokuma. "If someone broke that rule, what would you do?"

Monokuma crossed his arms. "What do you think? You'd get punished, of course. Would amount to about the same thing that happened the first time one of you broke the rules."

As for the smell of blood, as for as Shinobu or anyone else could tell, only Trixie's blood could be smelled.
LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe @All

"A lot of people here has never killed anyone and it really shows," Sera remarked to Clementine's discussion about blood. "Why would you want to destroy one of these tablets anyway? You can't really do anything with them...unless you bash someone over the head with them, but does that count as you breaking them? Curious."

LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe @All

 

[Xeppy]

Pinkie Pie
themagnoliaofutah Capri Icee SilverDingo LuckycoolHawk9 Zenterfold GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten Ghost_Candy Charles Babel lunar_moth + everyone

Trial Room

Pinkie Pie nodded at the previous injured girl, Menma’s, comment about how Trixie could have been doing laundry, and that’s how the person who… did it… got the clothes. It did make sense, and everyone was here quite a while for a laundry run needing to be done. Wasn’t it noticed before as well that Sunset Shimmer’s clothes were with Trixie’s? She believed that Sunset Shimmer and Trixie were roommates, so it further proved that Trixie took her dirty clothes along with Sunset’s, planning to take them and clean them. Even though they thought they knew how the clothes were found by the one who… did it… a question was still there: why were the clothes in the daycare center? Maybe they would find that out later. Pinkie hoped they didn’t figure it out later, yet at the same time she did. It was like she was begging for them to solve this case, yet at the same time hoping there weren’t any more clues that pointed to someone doing that to someone else. She couldn’t imagine anyone here who would. It was like… she didn’t want to know who here would do such a thing.

Even though she feared Monokuma, she was grateful of him when he suddenly made the trial have a quick break, advertising a washing machine. Although the girl next to her, Clementine, seemed to be listening in for important information from the stuffed animal, Pinkie let her mind drift into the sweet obliviousness of Monokuma’s promotion. However, it seemed like nothing good came out of the bear. Pinkie got jolted back to reality when he brought up the killing game again, when he brought up the definition of their despair again, leaving her thinking about how they were in a murder trial. She couldn’t even have an escape from reality for long, it seems.

Pinkie’s attention grappled onto Clementine’s words for how two washing machines were used. Her attention wasn’t much, though. A short-attention span and a panicked attitude didn’t equal much for Pinkie’s. Still, even in her state, she still formed questions inside her head. After Clementine had finished her fact, Pinkie asked out, “W-was one of the washing ma-machines used by Tri… Trixie, for her laundry, and the other used by… by the other p-person?” It seemed like that could be the case, although Pinkie Pie wasn’t sure.

At Atsushi’s soft gaze when Pinkie spoke, it did help incredibly for her. The calm assurance of his looks helped Pinkie to follow through with whatever she was saying for the trial and help her remind herself that she was side-by-side with her friends. Pinkie would look back at him, and even though her whole persona was filled with fear, her eyes still held some relief towards him. It was like he said before to them… he wouldn’t let them go through the dark alone. He said he would protect him, and Pinkie trusted him completely, even if she hadn’t known him all that long.

When the woman- Sera- asked what the usage was for the tablet being destroyed, Pinkie thought about it. The reason for doing it… well, what if it wasn’t a valid reason? Suddenly, an idea popped up within her. Wiping tears from her eyes and looking at Atsushi again for an emotional anchor, she replied heavily, “M-m-maybe the person who… did it… forgot a-about how our messages aren’t re…recorded? They c-could have been in pan-panic from what… they… did… a-and didn’t want to be… caught… since they could have t-t-thought others would see who Trixie messaged if t-they didn’t break… it…”​

 

[Icee]

Claude Von Riegan​

Ultimate Stratigist​

Zenterfold Xeppy +Anyone​

​

Trial Room​

Claude listened to what the others had to say. He was mostly quiet, contemplating what was being said with the evidence that he had. He had a thoughtful look as he closed his eyes in thought. He didn't seem to have any bright conclusions just yet, just taking in everyone's input for a bit. He then looked up, taking a chance to get his input in.
"The coffee machine definately could have been a weapon. Trixie died from blood force trauma to the head. I saw that myself. There were no other wounds on her but a head wound. The killer must have known exactly which part of her head to hit to knock her out. Otherwise there probanly would have been more of a struggle at the coffee machine if she was killed there. They had to knock her out first." Claude said before thinking back to the chalkboard. "I actually might have some evidence to show it's been changed. I texted my partner shortly after we were assigned. My partner was Menma. However, the board now says my messaging partner was supposed to be Sera. Someone's tampered with that part of the board. I noticed Menma's name was also moved to be Trixie's messaging partner. The physical partner portion, at least for me, looks to be unaltered. Only the messaging portion was altered. Which may also explain a need to destroy the tablet so no one can see any unread messages. Partners are supposed to check in several times a day. Maybe they destroyed the tablet to try and skew the time of death for us."

 

[Ghost_Candy]

The trial continued, theories and guesses were thrown around- as well as fucking advertisement from the sentient carebear. She put away her tablet quietly, before adjusting herself to lean on the bar of her podium. Her jaw was clenched, wishing she was the one dead instead so she didn't have to be in this hellhole.

The subject of messaging partners was brought up again, and Menma wanted to put her own thoughts in.



"There are a few things that might have happened," she started her eyes looking up in thought.

"If Trixie was the one who attacked first, as Sophie said- she herself could have changed it; or the people who were switched could be suspects," she sighed before continuing.

"Including me," she grumbled in annoyance, she was stating things that were already said.

"What was everyone doing that night?"

Menma remembered Claude messaging her, but everything blended together after like 10 fucking people asked if she was okay, and as she recalled you could message anyone.

Zenterfold Capri Xeppy Icee Charles Babel Takumi98 HanikamuKitten GamblingGoblins Kiyoko Tomoe lunar_moth @trial​

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
Zenterfold Icee Xeppy Kiyoko Tomoe Charles Babel @EverybodyElse

Sophie exhaled, "I've been thinking and… I think Menma was 100% framed for the murder. There's no way she would leave behind that obvious of a clue behind… so that leaves only one suspect in my e-"

She stopped. A sudden realization. Pinkie said something that interested her… that the killer might not have known the messages erased. Someone just exposed the fact they don't know the messages erased.

"Wait…"

She rushed her hands through her hair and tried to frantically reason through her thoughts.

"I was gonna say Sera was the culprit at first but… but what if… the names were a diversion. Think about it… only two people ever pointed out that the names were changed, Claude and Shinobu. Clem's been doubting… and when I checked there was no evidence that the names were changed… no eraser marks or anything. I thought, at the time, that the culprit was a really good eraser, but now that I think about it, the names might not have ever been changed. Because… if we continue down that path… then… then we'll be running in circles thinking about the weapon and how they did it… and… we won't ever find a conclusion… and… and… and… and if the killer really did… and… oh god I can't find the words!"

She slammed her hands against the podium.

"Claude was the first one to bring up the name changes, and just now he exposed that he didn't know the messages erased automatically by saying that a reason the killer might have destroyed the tablet to conflate the time of death!"

She took a moment to breathe.

"I… I may be wrong… I think… maybe… Claude might be the killer… but… I may be jumping to conclusions…"

She exhaled, sighing.

"Yeah… I think that's the case… there's no evidence outside of the board showing that Claude was the killer… I'm… I'm sorry. But… if there's validity in that statement… I don't know… I'm sorry…"​

 

[Verite]

Kirei Kotomine

​

Kotomine initially remained silent during the trial, listening to everyone putting forward their theories with the evidence that had been laid out before them all. He was loath to deny that some of them had rather compelling ideas, notably Shinobu's and Marie's, though perhaps they would need some more confidence in themselves, and an extra missing link to tie everything together. What that missing link is would remain to be seen, of course.

"Perhaps you are more astute than I gave you credit for, maneater," he said to the blonde vampire, drawing his own tablet which flashed to life to indicate it was still functional, before Clementine offered her own rebuttal to shoot the hypothesis down. "Maybe the idea does not entirely hold up to scrutiny, but I do believe you are on the right track. There is clearly another piece of the puzzle missing here, but once we find it, surely everything will click into place from there."

Briefly cupping his chin in his hand, Kotomine tilted his head slightly. "The idea that the poor girl had actually been the aggressor... Yes, how amusing and tragic that would be. For both parties involved. If I might offer some more food for thought into the theory, if she had anyone else as a partner, that person would have been the person she'd attempted to kill, but as the girl named Trixie was assigned with me, she could not possibly hope to overpower me, and so she left my side when she deemed it convenient to prey upon someone else," he put forward.

Thinking over how saying that might have made him sound a bit more suspicious, considering Trixie was ultimately the one who was dead here, regardless of whether or not she was the aggressor, Kotomine's lips curled into a self-satisfied smile. "And of course, if she were foolish to make an attempt on my own life... I would not have even needed a tool to send her to meet the Devil that had overtaken her in that moment," he said, clenching his bony hand as he spoke.

As for Menma's inquiry, Kotomine's words here ought to have spoken for themself, if not his testimony to Clementine and others the moment the body was first discovered; that he last saw Trixie last night at around curfew, when they would have had to separate to retire to their own rooms, though of course, it seemed Trixie had other plans. Folding his arms behind his back, the priest gave a sidelong glance toward Menma. "I suppose, given that we were assigned partners, I must have been the last person to see the girl alive... aside from the killer. But just as my testimony is purely hearsay, who is to say if we are not one and the same?" He smiled knowingly, as though gradually becoming more confident the more he spoke.

There was only one final ace in the hole that had yet to reveal itself, but how it would come into play, Kotomine would have to wait and see.

As Sophie then proceeded to theorize Claude as the culprit, Kotomine let his arm drop again, looking toward the other man for his reaction. "And what say you to that prospect, young man? Is there anything you can concretely say in your defense, or will your honor be your only shield here?"

---

Interactions: Icee Capri Ghost_Candy GamblingGoblins Kiyoko Tomoe
Others Present: Xeppy Takumi98 Charles Babel HanikamuKitten lunar_moth LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo themagnoliaofutah and Everyone Else

 

[Zenterfold]

Clementine - Trial Room

The tablet thing... it didn't really make much sense to Clementine. She had little to no experience with stuff like that. Still, she had some sense of what happened. "We know you can't break your own tablet," she said. It seemed unlikely Trixie was killed by Monokuma, all things considered, so... "Whether it was by accident or on purpose, the killer must have broke it. I don't know why they would have but they must have put it in the washing machine."

"The tablets can take all kinds of damage!" Monokuma declared. "No amount of pressure will break it! But... uh, it's not actually water proof. We'll get right on that next season, no worries!"

"Yeah, I doubted if the board was changed, but it's hard to tell either way. There's eraser marks, but it could have just been when I was writing everything down."

Clementine heard Sera's name and so she gave Claude a look. How could Sera be involved? "Hold on... if Sera was switched, then wouldn't she have noticed that?" She looked to Sera. "Were you messaging Trixie?"
LuckycoolHawk9 SilverDingo Icee Capri Xeppy themagnoliaofutah Takumi98 Kiyoko Tomoe lunar_moth GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten Ghost_Candy Charles Babel Verite @All

 

[Icee]

Claude Von Riegan​

Ultimate Stratigist​

Zenterfold Capri Verite Ghost_Candy ​

Trial Room​

Claude blinked in surprise. Wait...why was he suddenly becoming the suspected? Sure he might not have much of an alibi being as how he quit checking in with Menma and didn't keep to Louise during the past couple days but still, he wouldn't kill anyone. He honestly was still desperatelt trying to search for clues to find places that he might have missed, for any information on how to escape. Having someone die was the last thing he had wanted! However he did his best to stay calm. Screaming and yelling at everyone wasn't going to get the case anywhere.

"I mentloned the names swap because I know who my initial partner had been. Unless they got changed and no one told me, I know Menma was my original partner." Claude said as he looked up. "And I never said that I didn't know the messenging history was deleted. Unread messages wouldn't just be deleted, right? The user never read them, so wouldn't they still be alerting? We're supposed to check in on partners at specific times of day, right? So destroying the tablet wouldn't let us see what messages were unread. Which would skew a time of death assuming checks were being done on time since any check ins after the death obviously wouldn't be answered and would be sitting unread in the inbox."

He then thought a bit more before continuing. "The way I see it, the main suspects in this case are the names that were swapped around on the messenging board - Sera, Menma, and myself. I know I'm not the culprit, so I think we should look at what those two have to say and go from there. The physical partner sheet wasn't tampered with and the fact the tablet was destroyed shows a messenging partner may have something to do with it."

 

[Ghost_Candy]

Menma rolled her eyes at Claude, scoffing at his very 'unique' thoughts.




"Wow, great alibi 'i know I'm not the culprit', geez guys that's enough for me he's innocent," she mocked, clearly taken aback by his foolish statement.

"instead of spewing bullshit, just explain where you were last night dude," she finished, before crossing her arms.


Zenterfold Icee @ everyone else​

 

[Josh]

"I think we can all assume the girl's tablet was destroyed because who killed her messaged her, yes?" Wanda's voice rang out. The witch spent time listening to all the arguments. Everyone, with few exceptions, were making great points. However, this whole thing? It gnawed at her.
​

"The whole switching of names? It could be a false flag. I think we're too focused on the partner's angle. The murder, it had a lot of moving parts. It's complicated." Wanda seemed lost in thought in for a few seconds, before refocusing. "We're all just throwing darts against the board. "Is it me, or does this seem like the work of a pro?"

@All