TRIAL I

[faentasy]

Trial V

investigation

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The sounds of Hamelin's flute reach you, wherever you are. No matter the melody (light and whimsical today) it always seem to signal the start of something unwelcome. Whether you resist or not, eventually you'll find yourself drawn to the origin of the song.

The lush greenery of the palace courtyard greets you at the end of your journey, atmosphere heavy like the party from last night was simply an illusion. And at the center of it all, Hamelin smiles, his mouth curved, as he gathers everyone to one side of the palace grounds. With a short note from his flute, the quiet is broken with a small tremor that only grows and grows until the ground itself seems to erupt with chaos.

There's practically no time to react as roots and branches pierce through from the dirt in a wide circle around the group, limbs entwining around each other densely to create a thick wall of branches that obscure any sight of the outside world. And in that pitch black cage, the rumbling continues underfoot, bringing with it the strange sensation of moving up. When the shaking finally seems to die down, what awaits when the branches loosen and unwind is--

The hollowed inside of a grand tree, its size large enough to be comparable to the palace's ballroom. As you look around, you'll see several oversized toadstools (thirty-one for those inclined to count) growing about the place, and a small wooden table where ballots and quills are laid out, in addition to a hard-covered book with the profiles of each and every one of you. Directly behind the table is a particularly large knot, wide enough to stick your hand into.

A glance to the 'windows' in the tree trunk only show thick branches with their foliage and the wide blue sky; those who approach these windows and look down will also see that anyone who tries to escape this way is going to be leading themselves to a very, very long drop. No other exits are visible anywhere in the tree, either.

As absurd as this entire place was, as absurd as this entire situation was, the only way to get out was to play the game.

It was time. The trial for Samidare Asahina's death had begun.

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Comments

[edamamepon]

Do you think she left... that space for herself to crawl through?

[goldencave]

Probably, if she was small enough.

[edamamepon]

If that's the case, she probably did know them if she left the barricade willingly... right?

[crimson_flamel]

That would seem likely... but that would imply she knew someone was trying to kill her but not who specifically.

Hmm.

[amortristis]

To be fair, everyone should be suspecting as much.

[ vaguely motions around. ]

[edamamepon]

Yea, we all know that. I can't blame her for being scared enough to build a barricade.

[ Snapping, just a little. But he feels bad after, so that's something? ]

Sorry, but she-- doesn't that mean it has to be someone she trusted enough that she didn't think they'd actually do it?

[goldencave]

... [ He nods with a grim expression on his face. ]

[amortristis]

[ She doesn't really acknowledge the snap. He's not wrong! ]

That seems to be the more likely conclusion. Given how she seemed to be cautious the situation when we spoke, it seems more likely that she was willing to move past it for someone she felt more comfortable with.

[heroicact]

I must admit, this is all getting rather complicated... there seems to be some evidence that points to it being someone Samidare trusted, but other evidence that says not much struggle occurred, and then there are the barricades. How on earth do they all fit together?

[crimson_flamel]

That is what I'm struggling with. Perhaps Sami noticed that everyone else was unconcious and feared for her life...?

[adorabilities]

I thought the scratches on her neck indicated she fought back against the choking?

[ she pauses ]

What if she was stunned? A punch to the gut just to get her off balance, and then the person moved to strangle her?

Assuming they didn't just hit her with something... And it'd depend on if she was already tense when whatever hit her... hit her...

[ she dislikes murder mysteries. where is mermista when you need her. ]

[purefuries]

Were the scratches on her neck assumed to be from fingernails, and not from something else? Say, a brambles from a bush, or a weapon?

[ she didn't look at the crime scene ]

This may not bear any fruit on my part, but I am a bit curious.

[adorabilities]

I didn't see anything, but it'd make the most sense, wouldn't it? She looked like she was choked-- and she wasn't exactly trained in self-defense, so that'd probably be the most instinctive move you could make.

And unless there's evidence to support something else... I haven't heard it, at least?

[demonicwei]

While that could be true, it's also possible for the killer to also pretend to be scared and confused to lure her out. Is she the type to help someone?

[gemuinemanagement]

She absolutely was

[libirdian]

Yes. But wouldn't that imply that whoever she was hiding from is different from who lured her out? I don't think she'd get tricked like that.

[edamamepon]

She... could've been scared enough even without knowing who she was hiding from.

[demonicwei]

She may have known something was wrong without knowing who was coming for her. If everyone around her was spelled asleep, then it's enough to be cautious and figure something was going to happen. The killer may have also made sure she knew she was being hunted, but not by who.