"Now then!" Monotide stretched his tiny arms up in the air, "I hope you all have had enough time to cogitate over your debate!" it seemed he had enough of using Inuyari as his footstool, "I'll give you this brief intermission to think long and hard over who you all think did the deed!"
Monotide hummed playfully in his head, acting as if he didn't put a gun to our heads and forced us into this disastrous turn of events. I was both scared and frustrated with how things played out. In my head it was all slowly coming together, but a part of me wishes we hadn't figured this out.
Lev seemed like a good guy, he may have been a little vain and full of himself, but his advice and words were very genuine, at least to me. I wonder what led him to try and take my life in the manner he did? Why was he so pressed to get out? Was it the wish? Was it the added motive he was given? What made him want to turn on everyone all of a sudden? What exactly triggered such an intense reaction in him that he'd resort to ending someone's life?
"Are you brats still thinking about it?" Monotide jeered, massaging Inuyari's shoulders as the dog enjoyed it immensely, "You have a minute left~"
"Wow! That's a fast intermission…" Terrence sweated anxiously, "Shouldn't we get more time to think?"
"Listen bub, I dictate when this trial is over and done with!" Monotide yelled at the communicator, "You finish when I get bored, so think faster!"
"We'd have a much easier time if you didn't egg us on like that," Sato furrowed his brow, gritting his teeth in annoyance, "I can't believe we're still doing this crap, haven't you tortured us enough already!?"
"Hmm...lemme think.. uh no!" The bear's swift response was alarming but not shocking, "Time's up! Now get back to debating which one of you ungrateful urchins is the blackened!"
"W-Wha?!" Wayne was flabbergasted, "Already..b-but-"
"Butts are for sitting and shitting," the bear eloquently put, "And unless you wish to be executed early, I suggest you sit your asses down and finish the fucking trial!"
"Aaaaa~" Inuyari moaned, the bear pressing her nerves, "Don't stop Monnie!" she slapped the bear across his face.
"Ohoho, how kinky~" Monotide increased pressure, digging into the dog's robotic skin, "Take this you masochist!" he tightened his grip on her shoulders, almost viciously so.
The collective disappointment was shared amongst everyone in the courtroom, with faces aghast, shocked and unimpressed as we watched this unfold like some weird sideshow. The more those two talked, the more I was convinced this was a nightmare gone on for too long.
"What are you all looking at!? Get on with the trial!" Monotide yelled, digging deeper into Inuyari's metallic body.
INTERMISSION OVER!
TRIAL RESUMED!
"So...where did we leave off again?" Vivienne asked, uncomfortable with the noises coming from the peanut gallery.
"My memory banks recall that we are still discussing the revelation of Lev Moroz's change of character," Asta succinctly said, a stoic expression plastered on her face, "We left off just as we discovered his true intentions. Does that sound correct?"
"Indeed it is, thank you Asta," Yoshikazu nodded, brushing back some of his silver hair, "So...it seems that Lev had ulterior motives of his own. It's concerning to say the least…"
"I still can't believe Levvie would do that…." Aphrodite was completely dumbfounded, "I mean I knew he held high standards, but I never knew he'd escape without his new bestie like that?!"
"Why is that the only thing you're more concerned about?" Stella's eyes almost popped out hearing the pageant queen's words.
"Whatever, we fucking know it was Lev who tried to kill first!" Kimiya snapped, "But we still don't freaking know who murdered his ass!"
"There's no need to shout…" Ushio's growing agitation was radiating negative energy.
"Instead of discussing who killed him, we should be talking about how he was killed," Iena cut to the point, "I've been dwelling on it for a while, but if the actual killer didn't intend to use Dragomir's knife to stab someone, what was it used for?"
"Y'know that's been bugging me too," Dragomir crossed his arms, thinking hard on it, "If they wanted to, they coulda just ended it right then and there and stabbed him in the back."
"But instead they chose a more complex method…" Yumeji puffed up her cheeks, deciding over it, "Maybe this killer does have a flair for the dramatic…"
"I know right!" Lou jumped for joy at the prospect, "Frankly, I have no idea who killed Levvie either."
If the hunting knife wasn't used to stab anyone or commit a direct murder, then what exactly was it used for? I know we discussed this earlier, but what's the point in using a knife if it's not meant to kill in this instance? I scratched the side of my neck, thinking over it some more.
NON STOP DEBATE
Moriko: What was the deadly dagger used for, if not for dastardly murder? Is this a ploy as well to deceive our mortal senses?
Sato: Does everything need to have a symbolic meaning for it to make sense? It's a murder not an English essay.
Lou: Ooh, like a script for a mystery thriller? Wow, this sounds even more like a theater play.
Iena: Everyone, please focus! Now, we need to find out what the hunting knife was used for.
Nomi: I'm completely..s-stumped on that front. Seems overly c-complicated to me…
Wayne: Yeah...that part's been bothering me as w-well…
Ushio: Maybe it wasn't used at all, the killer just forgot to use it.
Terrence: Maybe it was used some other way entirely?
Used Truth Bullet: Cut Rope
Kimiya: I'll break that icy, thin lie of yours!
Break!
"I'm just gonna stop you right fucking there, Ushio," the ice sculptor haughtily said, "The knife was in fact used, as I found this piece of rope on the floor."
He presented the cut piece of rope with gusto, showing it off like a prized animal at a performance contest. If I didn't know any better, I feel as though he was waiting for this to happen, but at least he's not barking at us like he usually does. Then again, he did contribute more than I could have, so it makes sense.
"Why was it on the f-floor, Kimiya?" I asked, a morbid sense of curiosity washed over me.
"What do you think, asswipe?" he grumpily retorted, "It's the rope that was used to hold the chandelier in place." He stuffed the rope back into his pocket, "I saw it while helping to set up for the event."
"Aye matey, so ye was doing something after all," Takara smiled heartily, "Guess you're more than just a pot of anger and piss eh!"
"What the fuck's that supposed to mean, huh?" And there he goes….oh boy.
"While that's happening, from what he said," Vivienne continued the debate, "It looks like whoever took the knife, used it to sever the rope, dealing the final killing blow with the chandelier's edge."
"Hah! What an idiot, getting killed in such a comedic fashion," Sakai snorted, amused by this as if someone cracked a joke, "I'd be embarrassed at not hearing the rope snapping let alone not dodge out of the way."
"That's a bit insensitive, Sakai!" Stella reproached the hair stylist, "How could you say that so casually?"
The hair stylist just rolled his eyes at the pub manager, whistling to himself as he played with his blonde strands of hair. It was unnerving how frighteningly calm he was about all of this, does he know more than he's letting on? Best not to think of what he's mulling over, less stress that way.
"Well if whoever stole the knife was the one who cut the chandelier, then it could be anyone!" Sato pointed out, "However, I think we can rule out Kazumi, since he wouldn't have been able to do all of this, given he was being attacked."
Should I be thankful that it wasn't me? Anything to prove my innocence, but that statement feels like a backhanded compliment, even if it's meant to help my case.
"So uhh….that rules him out. B that just means there are twenty suspects left, you washed up wannabe," Aphrodite snarkily responded, "Ugh, I have fake eyelashes sharper than your brain cells."
"If we can stop fighting and just figure this out for a second, then maybe we'd get this over with faster!" Yoshikazu sternly said, his voice raised was a sight to behold, "Since anyone could have stolen Dragomir's knife, then that just means we're back to where we started."
"Well...I guess we can rule out Dragomir himself," the oneirologist yawned in between her words, "Why would he claim it was missing, if it was him? Seems a bit…..silly I guess?"
"Yeah that's right!" the zoologist acknowledged this in kind, "Plus, I was one of the people who was drugged, so it couldn't have been me!"
"There is still the chance of someone faking being asleep, you daft idiot," Sakai's unimpressed frown was something new to see, "Although it'd be hard for two dunces like Lev and Kazumi, not to have noticed someone waking up in the middle of their fight."
"Uh…." I wasn't sure whether to take offense to that statement, but just let it play out.
"That is true," Asta said, she thinks I'm a dunce as well!? "So I suppose that means we can rule out most everyone here, excluding the ones not at the party, myself included since I did leave halfway through."
"That's a safe bet, I suppose," Vivienne mused over the new line of thinking, "But I do have another question before we tackle the alibis, how high up is the rope exactly?"
"It's not that high up to where it's impossible to reach," Sato explained, "We had Drago help us tie the rope around the hook, since he seemed to be the only one capable of reaching it without a ladder."
"That's right! I did have to get on my tiptoes to reach it, but I did it anyway, hahaha!" he seemed proud of it, as he finished that off with a hearty laugh.
"If that's the case then it's only fair to assume the killer was able to reach it," Stella added on, "I think maybe-"
"There's some miscommunication in your words!"
Much like with Sato and Iena, Stella was interrupted before she could go on, this time by Terrence of all people. It was surprising to hear him raise his voice, he didn't seem like the type to do so, given his calm and friendly demeanor. Is he normally like this when he disagrees with someone else?
"Excuse me, Stella, but I think I know what you're going to say," he seemed fired up, "But I have to tell you, that you might be misinformed."
"I'm sorry Terrence, but could you please elaborate," she was still shaken up by his yelling, "Also please don't shout, I have sensitive ears."
"Sure! Oh...sorry," he apologized almost immediately, "So yeah, I have some words to counter your statement there! Would you care to listen?"
REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN
TERRENCE HILL VS. STELLA BELVEDERE
Terrence: I'm assuming that you were going to say the killer stood on something..
Terrence: I don't think that's possible given what's happened so far..
Terrence: I think, and this is just a theory, feel free to correct me….
Terrence: But I believe there was a way for someone to have cut down the rope..
Terrence: And they didn't even need to stand on anything to cut it!
COUNTER ARGUMENT!
Stella: May I ask how you suggest they cut the rope?
Stella: From my understanding, the rope is about six feet high.
Stella: So other than Drago, there's no way someone could have cut the rope without something to stand atop of.
Terrence: You make a good point, but I can say that even if that were the case.
Terrence: Someone who is close enough in height, could possibly slice the rope.
Terrence: They'd just need to throw the knife at the rope or jump up and slash it.
Terrence: Other than that, there's no other way for them to have been able to reach the rope.
Used Truth Bullet: Hidden Stepladder
Stella: I'll serve you up some facts with a side of truth!
Break!
"Nice catchphrase, Stells!" Torakusu gave her a thumbs up.
"Thanks I uh...just came up with it," she blushed embarrassedly, "Anyway Terrence, there was a way for someone under Drago's height to have cut the rope."
"Oh! Are you referring to the step ladder you found behind the bar?" Iena asked, just remembering it as well.
"Yes, plus I monopolized the bar since we awoke here and there wasn't one hiding there before," the pub manager added on, "So whoever the blackened is, must have hid it there after the….incident."
"But where did they get one?" Lou asked, a curious look plastered on her face.
"Probably from the storage room," Sato thought over it, "I did remember seeing a few step ladders in many sizes inside, so that's probably how it got there.
"From the looks of the ladder, it was probably a medium sized one about just the right height for anyone under six feet," Stella fixed her messy hair bun, "I took the liberty to measure it and it was just the right height to reach the rope in question."
"S-So the killer is someone w-who needed it?" I asked, worried that someone might try to pin this on me again.
"Well obviously…." Ushio scornfully rolled her eyes, "That doesn't change the fact we have no prime suspect, anyone could have used the ladder."
"So let's go back to discussin the alibis," Dragomir eagerly remarked, "It musta been one of the people not at the party!"
"I believe that to be the case," Vivienne acknowledged his comment, "Since it would be very difficult for one of us who passed out to have been undetected by both Lev and Kazumi, that just leaves the people who could have the element of surprise on their side."
"So that would mean the suspects without an alibi are Ushio, Yume, Tora and Akio, right?" Wayne asked, "Is it really one of them?"
"I could care less at this point," Kimiya tapped his foot repeatedly, "The less people to debate, the better. Now which one of you assholes is the culprit?"
The four of them responded differently to the accusation. Ushio looked quite antsy, a bit peeved but jittery, Yumeji was dazed by the accusation but seemed to be a bit annoyed, Torakusu acted as though someone told him his pet died, feigning a stab wound to the chest and finally Akio was dead silent, in fact he was sleeping!?
"Yo Akio!" Kimiya yelled at the gambler, "Fucking get up you overdressed twat."
"Huh…." he muttered, half asleep as he seemed to have been dozing off this entire debate, "Oh, you're accusing me of this crime. How boring."
"Boring? You do realize that you're being accused of murder, right?" Yoshikazu was appalled by this, "Can you please take this seriously, our lives are on the line, especially yours."
"Let me think….no," he smugly said, "But I do find this very comical, almost ironically sad."
"Care to explain what you mean, trickster?" Moriko seemed perplexed by his words.
"Well since I'm well rested and feeling very generous," he smiled, a confidence in his aura that rubbed me the wrong way, "I'll just say that I almost admire the killer's handiwork, however they're very sloppy."
The casual tone, the nonchalant words he used and the way he delivered his statement, it all sent shivers down my spine. How can he sit there and enjoy this? Is he some kind of sadist? Does he enjoy watching us fear for our lives while also not caring about his own?
This guy scares me….
"Morbid reasoning aside," Sakai snorted, almost amused, "What do you mean by sloppy? Was there not enough blood for a dormant psychopath like you Akio?"
"I mean why go through all this trouble just to kill someone instead of getting up close and personal?" Akio leaned back in his chair, playing with a golden coin in his fingers, "They had a knife, but chose to use a chandelier instead. Classy, but a bit tacky in presence."
"Can you please stop talking in goddamn riddles!" Sato was on the verge of strangling him, "Just tell us what you know already, Akio!"
"Fine then, I'll just tell you that your suspect list needs to grow a bit more," he stated, "I'll leave that miserably boring task to you Kazumi. The supposed second victim of this case."
Me!? What does he mean by that? His eyes were staring back at me, a fierce confidence but deadly determination that screamed "take no prisoners". It was alarming how astute he was, despite how aggressively laid back he presented himself to be.
"W-Why me?" I asked timidly, "I t-thought we cleared my innocence?"
"You are absolutely hopeless…" he shook his head, "Denseness aside, you missed out on other suspects….here's a fucking hint. Someone is not being honest with where they were at the time the crime happened." He flipped the coin in the air, catching it with ease.
"Not being honest…." I mumbled back his words.
What could he mean by- Wait!? Does he mean that person might be the culprit behind this case? No... it can't be….I mean….why would they even do that?
"Tick tock…" Akio mimed a clock, "Your neck is on the chopping block." Why is he openly antagonizing me?!
"If we need alibis, I was in the library researching something," Torakusu replied, "I mean no one can vouch for me, but I'm sure you all know this handsome devil is one hundred percent innocent!"
"God you are so cringey…." Aphrodite winced in disgust
"What about you Ushio?" Yoshikazu asked the surfer directly, "Where were you?"
"In my room…." she simply stated, "Although I did use the bathroom in the dorm hallway at some point, no one else was there…" the glum look on her face spoke volumes.
"Another uncorroborated alibi," Nomi mumbled to herself, "Hmm….
"I was mindlessly wandering the hallway…*yawn*, the oneirologist remarked, "Guess that's not really an alibi..."
"Well shit, that's not much help either," Kimiya huffed, "Any of you fuckers could have done it."
"Where were you Akio?" Takara asked, "Ye be planning some sneaky murder attempt?"
"I don't need to answer to any of you," he calmly stated, "Although I didn't kill Lev, it's just you guys are too stupid to see that the real killer is playing you all for fools."
More and more the solution gets murky and muddled. The puzzling aspect of this mystery is the unreliable alibis and the fact no one can really say for certain who was where, other than Monotide and Inuyari.
"Ummm, M-Monotide?" I raised my hand.
"Oh~ What is it my cute little dolphin?" the bear cooed, adding on a childish nickname, "Have you come to realize how fabulous and gracious I am!"
"W-What...no uh…" I stumbled to brace myself, "Y-You know who killed Lev right?"
"But of course I do!" the bear seemed too proud of that, "I have cameras all over this facility, even in your bedrooms! I know who did it and I'm not gonna tell you because that would be cheating. And I always favor fairness above all else, otherwise this killing is illegitimate."
"Wait…. cameras in every room!?" Aphrodite gasped, "Even in the bath-"
"I may be a violent psychopathic bear, but I'm not cruel," he scoffed, interrupting the pageant queen, "Plus the lens gets foggy when one of you brats uses the showers or sinks.."
"Oh you never cease to amaze me…" Sakai snickered, "Enough about peeping Yogi bear over there, who's even the killer~"
"Have you figured it out yet, wimp," Akio looked at me, a stoic face with a serious tone accompanying it, "You're on the clock, you gotta think fast or else you're dead."
Why is he pressuring me to choose? Although even if he didn't, I still couldn't fathom that this person was the one who did it. I knew they should have been at the party, but they weren't. It can only be them….
CHOOSE THE SUSPECT
Kazumi Toriyako
Yumeji Motome
Dragomir Kita
Lou Kiko
Yoshikazu Aomori
Aphrodite Zhang
Wayne Fukumoto
Nomi Hitomi
Terrence Hill
Vivienne Morris
Akio Ito
Ushio Isobe
Torakusu Chihiro
Takara Hamasaki
Sakai Shojiro
Moriko Ishii
Sato Shizuo
Stella Belvedere
Kimiya Iwasaki
Iena Kaya
-Lev Moroz-
Astatine "Asta"
Kazumi: I'm so sorry...but it's you!
Break!
For a moment the room went silent. Once I pointed the finger at them, I knew there was no way out of it. From what Yumeji had told me before, she mentioned everyone's alibis and what they were doing at the time, but never did I think to question who was at the party, but left halfway through.
My finger was shaking, pointing directly at the person who I thought would not have done this….someone who I considered a potential friend since awaking here….
"..." Lou's shoulders stiffened, a small smile crept on her face.
"Wait….Lou's the one who did it!?" Wayne was in disbelief, as I would be as well.
"Hah! Oh my god! It took you morons forever to figure that shit out!" the gambler was having the time of his life, almost falling out of his chair from laughter, "I was almost thinking that things were gonna get tedious, but wow you actually called her out!"
"How...H-How does this make any sense?" Terrence frantically wondered, "I mean wasn't she at the party? Didn't she drink some of the punch as well?"
"Not e-exactly...uh…" I hated myself for indicting her, but there's no one else that made sense at the time, "Lou uh- she said she was going to the bathroom uh…. h-halfway through the party."
More silence waned over the roleplayer as she refused to even look at me, let alone engage with my accusation. She seemed upset, but the smile on her face and her stiff body language spoke more than words could ever do.
"Hehehehe~" a mischievous set of snickering enveloped the small courtroom, "Oh Kazzie~ You are such a good jokester! You almost had me there for a second. I never pictured you to be a fan of cruel jokes~"
"Lou, I don't think now is the best time to be laughing about this," Stella reproached the small girl, "I mean I did see you leave the dining room towards the exit before the punch incident…"
The roleplayer continued to humor the debate, "Aaaaand? I just forgot the time is all, I wasn't even near the crime scene nor could I have even made it back in time. I mean, there are five other people who could have done it, why are you singling me out? You're such a meanie~"
She looked tense, her eyes twitching, her body language as stiff as a boulder and she looked a bit uneasy, almost bordering on a chemical reaction about to explode and brimming at the top.
"If you're referring to me as part of the five, I presume," Asta interjected, "I may not have much of an alibi, but I was re-examining the survey results and charging my octocopter in my room, it was a very lengthy process."
"Aaaaaand...how can you even prove it was me?" Lou played innocent, appealing to the others emotions, "How can I manage all of this without any of you guys noticing?"
"I mean she's right," Wayne mentioned, "She was helping us with party preparations and didn't have time to plan this beforehand…..in fact she was too busy arguing with Moriko to do anything else at the time."
"Bingooooo!" Lou chimed aloud, soft spoken but chipper, "C'mon Kazzie, how can you believe a dirty liar like Akio over me? Your new best friend~"
I felt a small pain in my chest, is this what they call heart ache or is it heartburn? I mean there's no way she could have done all of this in the span of so little time. I...want to believe her but…..something just doesn't sit right with me….could she be lying about all of this? Is she really the one…..the one who killed Lev?
"The audacity of this bitch," Akio's growing impatience seemed to have hit it's limit, "Out of everyone here, you're the biggest liar of them all. You should just confess already and save us the trouble."
"Uwah? Is widdle Aki upset?" Lou mimicked a baby, sticking her tongue out at the gambler, "Too bad...so sad. I was using the bathroom, but it took me a little longer to do my business, but duty calls, hehehe."
Is this really how it's meant to play out? Why do I feel so conflicted…..
NON STOP DEBATE
Lou: Kazzie~ Just say you were joking about the accusation and we'll call it even!
Kazumi: I uh….I don't know Lou….
Lou: Aww, it's alright. We all make mistakes here and there, no need to fret.
Terrence: Is Lou really the killer? I mean, this doesn't make any sense?
Akio: Are you morons really buying her act? How predictable…
Iena: I mean….we're more inclined to believe her over you so…
Lou: I was using the girls bathroom in the dorm hallway, is that really a crime?
Dragomir: I don't think so….unless you somehow did something in there we-
Vivienne: Drago, shush! No need to pursue that line of thought.
Used Truth Bullet: Ushio's Account
Ushio: I'm crashing through your wave of lies!
Break!
"Heh...you could've fooled me…" the surfer snorted, a small chuckle escaped her lips.
"Ooh, do you have something to contribute as well, Ushio?" Wayne asked, perking his ears up.
"I was paying attention….just not in the mood to entertain this shit," she sighed deeply, "However….I have to disagree with her statement, I know that she's lying."
Everyone's heads all turned around, looking at each other in confusion and surprise. The surfer sat up in her chair, her warm yet frigid aura passed by me as she cleared her throat. Needless to say, I was anticipating her response, much like the others, particularly Lou who seemed to be even more twitchy.
"Hehehehe~ Ushie, telling lies is so not cute~" the roleplayer was getting slowly agitated, but put up the cutesy act, "I was in the bathroom, did you not hear me say that?"
"Oh! I heard you loud and clear…..but you're still full of crap," Ushio contested her claims, "I was in the bathroom for a majority of the time, I didn't specify how long, but I was in there for an hour or so."
"What were you doing inside for a whole hour?" Torakusu asked her, "Did you have last minute thoughts on something? Were you considering joining the party? Did you have a long du-"
"No! Fuck off you creep," she scoffed at the statement, blushing nervously, "Anyway…..I didn't see Lou enter the bathroom whatsoever, nor did I see anyone else enter for that matter."
For a moment, time stood still. I sat there in my chair, sweating anxiously as the spotlight seemed to dawn on the roleplayer. She sat in her chair, facing the floor and her hair obscuring her eyes and expression, the others watched closely as the surfer finished her statement.
"Hey, what are you so quiet for, huh?" Kimiya was on the edge of his seat, "Have you been lying to us this entire time, Lou?"
No response, just dead silence to answer the ice sculptor's incriminating question.
"Heh! Guess who's been outed as the liar now, sweetheart," Akio smirked, flipping a gold coin up in the air and catching it effortlessly, "I had my sights set on you since the moment this trial started. You may be an D list actress wannabe, but you're not a good liar."
"Akio...we shouldn't antagonize a sus- I mean our friend like that," Stella's slip of the tongue embarrassed her, "I'm sorry, slip of the tongue."
"You mean suspect…."
The words were like gravel out of the roleplayer's mouth. She lifted up her head, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes' pupils dilated to a point, accentuating her child-like features even more. She seemed both stoic yet calm, but her eyes kept twitching and her cheeks slightly flushed red.
"That's not what I mea-"
"Yes you did, silly pants~" Lou's usually chipper voice turned mellow, almost as if she were acting in a serious scene, "You meant to say suspect, but you didn't~"
"Lou? Are you alright?" Yoshikazu started to grow a bit fearful, "You seem a bit upset..."
"Why of course I'm alright!" her voice didn't match the tone of that statement, "I'm just taken aback by the lies being peddled right now. I mean….are you all really believing a two bit trickster like Akio, someone who's been vile and vicious to you all since the beginning over me? Honestly, I feel entitled to an apology for how rude you've all been to me."
"Lassie...it's not that we don't believe ya," Takara defensively responded, her hand trained on her scabbard, "It's just there be tons of evidence to knock yer alibi outta the water!"
"Evidence? What evidence? All you have is what ifs and what nots…" the roleplayer's voice grew creepier and more sinister by the second, "How can this murder be traced back to me? I mean anyone could have taken Drago's knife, right? Lev was the one who stole the flowers and drugged everyone, right? And even if I wasn't in the bathroom, where would I have hidden to avoid being seen by you all?"
"You could have hidden under a table…" Sato suggested, "Wait…"
"If that's the case, then we'd have seen her do so, you limp dick idiot," Sakai scolded the lifeguard, "Plus she left halfway through the party and never came back until the body was found."
"Exactly~ Thank you Sakkie!" the hair stylist ignored the roleplayer's gratitude, "Plus you don't even know when Ushio was inside the bathroom, I could have gone later~ Maybe even a few minutes after she did her nasty business, hehe."
"I definitely didn't see anyone inside the bathroom at the time," Ushio reassured her statement, "I may have been inside the stall, but I would have heard her voice or seen her feet inside."
"But like….isn't it just your words against hers?" Nomi said, still reeling from the revelation, "How does this even work?"
"As I said before, you guys can take back what you said about me," Lou's cute act seemed more smug than charming now, "You still haven't answered my question! How can I even hide inside the dining room, when everyone would have seen me do so?"
My breathing started to increase with each passing second. The more we disproved her statements, the more she would rebuttal our claims. We don't really know if she was in the bathroom or not, but something still seems off to me….
"Kaz?" Yumeji looked at me, "I know it's hard but…..just trust your instincts."
"Umm…." I couldn't muster up a response, I felt sick to my stomach.
Everyone's voices all blended into each other, some distorted and my hearing slowly faded. I wanted to let out a blood curdling scream, one so loud that it could shatter the very glass in this aquarium.
I just wanted all of this to stop and go away….why wasn't it going away….
NON STOP DEBATE
Ushio: You were definitely not in the bathroom...that I can say for certain!
Lou: Really? But I waaaaaaaas there, maybe you were mistaken or maybe….you're actually the real killer trying to pin this on little ol' me.
Wayne: Who are we supposed to believe exactly? I'm a bit c-confused…my head is spinning...
Asta: During my analysis, there wasn't really anywhere to hide that would allow the killer to remain undetected or even without someone noticing. It's probable, but the chances are very slim with certain physiological factors.
Dragomir: Uh...can you put that in simpler terms, please?
Vivienne: She's saying that there's no way for the killer to have hidden inside the dining room while we were there and I'm assuming there were no hidden entrances anywhere.
Sakai: Even if that were the case, we'd still notice them coming in or at the very least, Lev and Kazumi would have heard someone enter the room during their scuffle.
Takara: Arr...maybe the blackened was hiding in the winds!? Somewhere secluded as they stalked the scene until the time to snatch an opportune striking feat!
Akio: …..
Used Truth Bullet: Double Doors
Moriko: The stitches of veracity are coming undone once more!
Agree Break!
"I will do as you ask…." the doll maker mumbled something akin to this, "I abide by your statement, sea nymph of folly! I concur that the way in which the pink panda hath wrought is the possible turning point!" She posed dramatically once more.
"God even more looney shit…" Kimiya rubbed the sides of his temples, "I'm gonna invest in a weirdo translator at some point in my life…"
"Uhh….care to explain that for the rest of us, Moriko?" Yoshikazu cleared his throat, putting up his finger, unsure of where to finish his inquiry, "What do you mean by 'turning point'?"
"Feh! Mere mortals can't understand how the darkness stalks!" she inanely continued, "I appear to have bore witness to a potential enclave for a suspicious cretin to have ensconced to!"
"Can you uh...please say it in regular human speech?" Sato blinked, almost choking on the crab stick he kept in his mouth.
"Hah! I think I know what this anime reject is referring to!" Sakai lit up like a Christmas tree, "She's babbling about the fucking double doors!"
"You have shattered my deductive illusions, cross dressing imp!" the doll maker pointed a bony finger at the hair stylist, "That is how the dreaded blackened hid from our gazes!"
"So...wait what does this uh.. mean?" Terrence scratched his head, "I'm getting blindsided from all sides here…."
"Think about how double doors function," Iena continued the discussion, "Normal doors swing one way, in or out." She said it with a calm tone, "But most double doors have the function of being able to swing both in and out, much like the dining room doorway."
"But how can someone hide there?" Wayne asked, "Wouldn't it be too small for someone to hide behind?"
"Not necessarily…." Yoshikazu realized it as well, "There's only one small window that peeks into the dining room and dorm hallway, but the rest of the door frame obfuscates the rest of the room's perception." The auctioneer was catching on, "Someone can simply crouch behind the door, say they were not in the room and then appear from the other side."
"And for Lou, she was small enough to hide behind the doors…..and she c-could have hid behind the frame, then emerged to look as though she'd been running alongside the others…" Nomi eloquently remarked, "And could easily blend in with the crowd...right?"
"Wow….great deductions!" Akio sarcastically congratulated, "You all could give an ace detective a run for their money."
"Alright Akio, you've made your point," Vivienne sighed tiredly, "Lou, what do you have to say for yourself?"
We all turned once again to the roleplayer. She didn't respond, but started laughing, but her laughs weren't meant in a humorous sense….they were coated in a venomous package, one which seemed to have jolted everyone.
"OH MY GOD...pfft..HEHEHEHEHE~" her shrill giggling gave me goosebumps, she was clutching her stomach as if someone told her a really funny joke, "Heh….now that was funny!"
"What do I have to say for myself?" she stopped cackling to answer the question, "Simple really….nothing."
Nothing!? W-What is she doing? Has she lost her marbles!? Is Lou having a mental breakdown?
"You guys….this was so much fun!" its official she's clearly upset, "But I'm done acting, this role is dead to me! I thought you all were my friends…..seems I was wrong. You're all just a bunch of disgusting, stupid, manipulative, rotten, two-faced, backstabbing bullies!"
"L-Lou?" I started shaking, her words were vile to hear….but a tinge of sadness lined those words, "W-What are you-"
"Shut up! Kazzie, I thought you were different! But you're just like the rest!" she seemed even more hysterical than before, "I've been telling you all this entire time that I am not the killer! You have no evidence that points to me. None!"
"She's already off the deep end," Takara anxiously responded, "Mateys…..I'm starting to think we might have caught our culprit."
"I don't know Takara….I'm still a bit iffy on that front," Terrence contested, folding his arms, "I want to believe Lou but….."
"But nothing, this freakout just proves that childish bitch is guilty!" Kimiya had put his foot down, "Can we vote her out already!"
"Kimiya, no!" the judge reproached him once more, "There's something else we need to discuss. We can't be hasty in our judgments."
"Hehehe she's right~" the roleplayer's sinister giggling grew creepier by the second, "What was the word….ohhh right! Circumstantial!"
"She's right….this evidence doesn't prove much," Stella defeatedly responded, "Looks like we're out of leads…"
Is it...really over already? Did we lose the trial? Are we going to die…..
NON STOP DEBATE
Yumeji: Maybe we should discuss this some more? I don't know…
Kimiya: What's there to fucking discuss! We have a culprit and we caught her red handed! Case motherfucking closed!
Yoshikazu: I'm still trying to piece these clues together….But just about any one of those missing people, including Lou, could have done so it doesn't mean she did it…
Lou: Riiiiight! Singling lil ol me is so mean~ I demand a public apology from everyone here, once this trial is over, of course!
Stella: But do we really have something else to present? I mean there's nothing left to discuss, is there?
Akio: *yawns* I hope my afterlife isn't stuck living with you idiots.
Aphrodite: That's so rude! How can anyone not like being around someone as amazing as me?
Ushio: …..Is that a trick question?
Torakusu: Oh Aphrodite, I could never stop admiring your beauty, I'd die a thousand deaths just for you!
Dragomir: Dude...that's just sad….
Used Truth Bullet: Black Headband
Takara: Arr that be a filthy swashbuckling lie, lassie!
When I thought we'd lost all hope of figuring out who the killer was, the sailor swooped in like a pirate swinging on a loose rope line, no pun intended. She proudly stood atop her chair, putting one foot on the podium and announced what she found to the rest of us.
"Avast ye crew! I think I've spotted a golden goose," she smiled from ear to ear, "I present ye this broken trinket!" Takara pulled out a plain black hairband with some torn fabric attached to the top, "I found it near the double doors!"
"Is that….someone's hair band?" Sato asked, "Looks like it belongs to one of the girls."
"I mean guys can wear those too you know," Iena added on, "But it seems you might be onto something there, Sato."
"Better yet, I found some strands of hair attached to it!" the sailor pulled a long strand from the band's spiked inner ends, "It appears to be the lockes of a fair headed siren!"
"..." Lou went quiet almost immediately.
"What's the matter little girl," the gambler continued to antagonize her, "Cat got your tongue? No witty lines for you to lazily improvise over?"
I looked once more at the roleplayer. Her cheeks were flushed an apple red hue, her face sweltering with emotions, her body twitching unnaturally and her eyes grew more haunting, the pupils sharpened to a pointed tip and her smile losing it's natural formation and curving into something more grim.
"So….I'm not the only girl here with long hair you know!" she continued to fight and fight, "It could have been Yume's! Maybe even Vivienne's or Aphrodite's! WHY ARE YOU ALL SINGLING ME OUT!"
She was slowly losing her grip on reality. We were getting closer to the truth, something that caused great intense pain both physically and mentally on everyone. It seemed that no matter we'd say, nothing would get Lou to admit to any crime.
ARGUMENT ARMAMENT
Lou: You guys are just a bunch of bullies!
|BREAK!|
Lou: I hate every single one of you!
|BREAK!|
Lou: Just because that headband belongs to a girl!
|BREAK!|
Lou: Doesn't mean it's mine, that makes no sense~
|BREAK!|
Lou: A lot of girls here could have worn that headband…
|BREAK!|
Lou: What makes you so sure it even belongs to me!
|BREAK!|
Lou: I want you guys to apologize right now!
|BREAK!|
Lou: This cruel joke has worn it's welcome and I'm tired of it!
|BREAK!|
Lou: Liars, all of you are liars just like Akio!
|BREAK!|
Lou: You're all fake, fake, fake, fake!
|BREAK!|
Lou: You guys were never my friends, you're all bullies!
|BREAK!|
Lou: That long hair could be anyone else's, not just mine!
|BREAK!|
Lou: You guys are all in this together, you're trying to frame me!
FINAL BLOW
Lou: How do you even know that headband belongs to me!?
THE | HAIR | STRAND'S | COLOR
Akio: Royal Flush! Read em and weep bitch!
Answer: The hair strand's color.
Lou: What!?
BREAK!
With one last mental blow, Akio had sealed the final nail into Lou's proverbial coffin. I was surprised to see him jump into the mix after seeing how dispassionate and uncaring he appeared to be about the entire trial, I guess he had wanted to land the final remark.
"Ah ah ah, you made one deadly mistake little girl," the gambler relished in his gloating, "You clumsily left some DNA evidence at the crime scene, specifically your hair."
"S-So, what does that have to do with Lou?" Wayne wondered, "How is hair incrimi- uh...incrim..incrim- uh telling?"
The gambler stared daggers at the knitter, annoyed even more than before, "The headband was found near the double doors….you losers know the killer was hiding behind the door frame….put this shit together yourself, I'm done being helpful."
"When did you even start?" Sato scoffed at his statement, "Can you describe the hair strands color Takara, please?"
"Aye matey!" the sailor saluted, dutifully eyeing the headband, observing the thin layer of hair closely, "Ahoy! It appears to be a light brown shade! Just like a poop deck!"
"And looking at the other girls hair," Torakusu noted, oddly eyeing each girl prudently, "It seems Lou is the only one to match that description!"
"..." silence came from the roleplayer.
"From my short analysis, I have to agree with him," Asta spoke up, "Iena, Moriko, Stella, Takara, Ushio, Aphrodite and Nomi's hair colors don't match up with the brown shade." She continued to go on, "Yume's and Vivienne's hair colors are too dark to be correct and mine is synthetic and also not the right color of brown, so it's neither of us."
"And to add on to my earlier mention, since most of the guys were drugged, that leaves Akio and Tora," Iena added, "But Tora's hair is the wrong color and Akio's hair is a few shades too dark, so that just leaves you, Lou."
"L-Lou?" I said, looking at her, hoping she'd react.
Just as everything started to crescendo, it soon fell flat as the room went quiet. Nothing could be heard for a few seconds, but stifled tears and sniffling. My gaze was affixed on the roleplayer, she bit her lower lip, looked up at all of us and all I could see plastered on her face was….
Sadness, Fear and Regret.
"Hah…." she sniffled loudly, "You…
"Seems she's upset again," Yumeji felt sorry for the young girl.
Stella rushed over to comfort her, patting her on the back and hugging her tenderly. Lou seemed to have finally given up, embracing the pub manager with open arms as everyone else had mixed looks of worry and fear.
"So…. should we wrap this shit up," Akio yawned, sitting up straight in his seat, "I don't need another ten minutes of a fucking sob story."
"I think recapping everything would help others to understand the case better," Vivienne shook her head, feeling iffy as well, "Kazumi, would you care to do the honors?"
"Huh? W-Why me?" I almost fell back in my seat, why did she want me to summarize it all of a sudden?
"Just humor us Kazumi," Yoshikazu nodded his head, "It seems only fitting that you do it, since you were a big part of this case as well."
"You can do it Kaz!" Terrence tried to seem optimistic, but he was just as conflicted as the rest of us.
Okay….how should I w-word this, "Okay here I go…"
CLOSING ARGUMENT
I'm not really sure how this all came about, but please be patient with me everyone. This is just what I've heard from listening in so far to the debate and my own implications.
So it seems that Lev was the one who acted upon the first motive before anyone else did. I'm assuming it has to do with the motives Monotide presented to us, but since he refuses to tell us what exactly made Lev do what he did, I'm just going to say that this is what sprung him into action.
While preparing for the party, Lev saw his opportunity to strike, but realized that we'd all be in a crowded area where everyone was together and could keep an eye on each other's movements. Lev, however, had ample time to concoct his own plan, so he decided that he would take advantage of his long absence away from the rest of us.
Lev he….he stalked behind Nomi and I while I was helping her carry flowers to and from the dining room and her room and probably overheard about how strong the flower's potency for causing sleepiness was and snuck in when her door was left wide open. He snuck inside her room, stole one of her flowers, crushed it up and slipped the powdery substance inside the pouch Wayne knitted for him and he was all set to use it as a sedative.
However it seemed that someone else, the real killer, must have found out about his plans and decided to act upon it as well, but instead of planning ahead, waited for the opportune time to strike. The killer was actually part of the decoration committee and while everyone was distracted, they stole Dragomir's hunting knife from him and kept it with them until the party was ready to commence, also taking one of the stepladders aside and placing it underneath the rope keeping the chandelier in place.
With both plans set in motion, the party was in full swing, everyone danced, ate delicious food and enjoyed each other's company. A few people weren't at the party, and two of them including the killer left halfway through to attend to some other business. The killer said they were going to use the bathroom, but instead they hid behind the large double door frames and waited for their chance to strike.
Earlier, Lev had spiked the punch with the flowery powder, mixing it in with the drinks as everyone, except him and myself drank it and slowly fell asleep a few minutes later. Once everyone had passed out from their laced drinks, that just left me and Lev alone as the only conscious ones, or so we thought….
Lev saw that I didn't fall for his trap and used the chaos to attack me, using a table knife to graze my cheek in an attempt to kill me. Meanwhile, the actual killer used this confusion to their advantage, emerging from their hiding spot and climbing up the stepladder to reach the rope.
The killer took out the knife, started slicing away at it and as Lev was about to finish me off, I used all my adrenaline to push him away, causing him to trip as the killer had severed the rope in time and the chandelier began to fall. Lev must not have seen this coming, probably surprised that he was the victim of this case and his life was robbed from him by a single sharpened edge.
After I witnessed his impaled corpse, I passed out from shock, something the killer used to their advantage and hid the stepladder behind the bar, dropped the knife somewhere around there and hid behind a corner near the double doors once more as the others started to wake up, they pretended to have joined with the others not attending the party and you all know what happened next.
What the killer didn't expect was to see their headband used as a piece of evidence….this revealed by the long light brown hair strands that could have only belonged to them. They would have made me a scapegoat in their scheme, making it look like I killed Lev in self defense….
The killer….someone I thought was a friend, is you, Lou Kiko, the Ultimate Roleplayer!
BREAK!
"W-Was that summary uh...good?" I doubted my own words even then, still in physical shock that this was all true.
"I think so…." the oneirologist patted me on the back, pointing over to the roleplayer, "Look.."
My gaze turned over to the roleplayer, who at this point stopped hugging Stella and looked like a complete mess. Her hair was slightly frizzy and unraveled from all the stress, her eyes reverted back to their cutesy roundness and it was only then that in the chaos I realized that she was missing her black panda ears headband.
"Hah….guess it was never meant to be," Lou sniffled, wiping some snot from her nose stifling tears, "So much for my dream…."
"What are you talking about Lou?" Yoshikazu asked, "What dream exactly?"
"I uh…."
"Yawn...fucking finally, I was falling asleep there," Monotide covered his mouth, it seemed Inuyari had fallen asleep as well, "So have you brats figured out who did it yet? Either way you bored me-"
"We did actually." Vivienne cut to the chase, "We had just figured it out."
"Huh? Really!? Shit I should have bet money on it," the bear seemed way too pleased with this outcome, "So as is the case with every trial end, it is now time for voting!"
"V-Voting? B-but I'm not old enough to vote," Wayne whimpered.
"Not that kind of vote, moron," Sakai rolled his eyes, "He means we have to vote for who we think is the killer? Am I correct?"
"Yessir indeed freaks, in front of you is a mini screen where you can vote for who you think has done it, but make sure you vote correctly." the bear snickered evilly.
A bright selection screen popped up for all of us on our podiums, each with everyone's headshots and portraits with a large red button saying "Vote" atop it. I perused my options and noticed that Lev's portrait was blacked out and crossed out with a weird pink X shape.
I gulped deeply, hovering my finger over each icon and stared directly at Lou's headshot's bright eyes staring back at me as I hesitated to choose her. It showed a full portrait of her sitting in a director's chair surrounded by drama masks and a stuffed toy in her lap.
"By the way, make sure you triple check to see if you voted for someone!" Monotide cooed, "I'd hate to see you all vote incorrectly and suffer public humiliation!"
"Already voted," Akio yawned deeply, "Can we get this over with, I have better things to do."
"Wow, you waste no time…." Iena worriedly remarked, "But I also did vote, make sure to do it correctly everyone."
I looked back at my screen, noticing a glaring time limit counting down from ten and I almost panicked. My hand shook slightly and I tapped the voting button.
VOTING TIME
CHOOSE THE BLACKENED OF THIS CASE!
Kazumi Toriyako
Yumeji Motome
Dragomir Kita
Lou Kiko
Yoshikazu Aomori
Aphrodite Zhang
Wayne Fukumoto
Nomi Hitomi
Terrence Hill
Vivienne Morris
Akio Ito
Ushio Isobe
Torakusu Chihiro
Takara Hamasaki
Sakai Shojiro
Moriko Ishii
Sato Shizuo
Stella Belvedere
Kimiya Iwasaki
Iena Kaya
-Lev Moroz-
Astatine "Asta"
Did I vote correctly? Was the evidence sufficient? I know most of this was just wild assertions and guesses, but please let this be right….
"And without further ado," Monotide announced aloud, "Let's see the results of your hard laborious investigation!"
Are we really right?
VOTING RESULTS
Lou Kiko: 20 votes
Didn't vote: 1 vote
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE CORRECT!
TRIAL END!
"Upupupupu, well then now that the votes have been tallied I can say with full confidence," Monotide stood up from his throne, "That you urchins have guessed right! The one who murdered Lev Moroz, was none other than your cutesy and quirky roleplayer, Lou Kiko!"
A moment of silence passed over us as we all let the results of the trial sink in. Was this really the right course of action? I can't believe this is actually happening. Lou actually killed Lev and planned to frame me for it?
W-Why….
"Lou….just," Sato gritted his teeth, looking defeated and despondent, "What on earth could have made you kill someone?!" his anger was seeping through his calm words.
"Y-You guys I…." she could barely form words, the tears she wept and the snot dripping from her nose made it hard to understand her, "I d-did it because….."
"Do we really need to hear her pathetic excuse?" Sakai bluntly said, "I mean she's a cold blooded killer after all, how can you justify something like that?"
"Sakai, we don't know her side of the story," Iena shushed the hair stylist, "I'm sure there's a…..sensible reason for why she did what she did?"
"Well I for one am glad that this brat is getting her just desserts," Akio snidely chimed in, a small smile forming on his face as he sat back in his chair, "Thought you could pull a fast one on me, eh?"
"Why don't you just shut the fuck up already jackass," Kimiya grumpily yelled at the gambler, "But I do want to know why the hell you'd do all of this? Is is because of that fucking motive video Monotide has been moaning about?"
"Firstly rude…" Monotide's ears perked up at the mention, "Secondly, yes indeed it has to do with the motives! Would care for me to elaborate more on why Lev and Lou did the things they did?"
"If it'll give us some peace of mind and clarity, maybe…" Yumeji mused over it.
"What could possibly have stirred these mortals into some foolish game of deceit?" Moriko seemed intrigued but stone faced the entire time, "Regale us with the reason, malicious ursine!"
"Alright already sheesh…" the bear scoffed, hopping atop a sleeping Inuyari as a projector screen slid down and a video started playing.
I watched on in both horror and fascination as a small chibi Monotide skirted across the screen and pressed the play button on what appeared to be a video. Bloodied letters on screen indicated "Lev Moroz" and as the video played we could see what he saw in his motive video.
The video presented Lev, before he had-…..anyway it showed him looking happy and well. If anything he looked to be over the moon given his circumstances.
He was sitting inside a fashion studio, watching model agent after model agent beg to have their models wear his designer clothes. It continued to show Lev sitting in a fancy swivel chair at a large decorative desk, evaluating each model and giving thumbs down and thumbs up to ones he disliked and approved of in an orderly fashion, models crying in both happiness and anger as he breezed through them like it was nobody's business.
More footage shows the logo name on the front of the desk reading "Lions Of The Snow" on the front with three other men appearing before him and giving him massive praise and clapping, showering him with adulation as he smirked and looked out his large clearview window and saw hoards of desperate young men and women, even some famous people lining up at his doorstep to try on his clothes.
"Do you wish to be at the top? Climb the cutthroat ladder of success? Tired of being treated like slop? Then dirty those hands to create a huge mess."
His video ended with those cryptic robotic words, shivers sent down my spine after watching that tell tale video.
"So..Lev's reason was that he wanted to become some big corporate boss?" Torakusu wondered, "What's with those people in the video?"
"Well if you must know~" Monotide answered for the sniper, "This video details Lev's rise in success! It showcases a bright future for the fashion designer, one in which he leads his family's company to success and he's the one who inherits his family's well reputable legacy, with models craving to wear his clothes! He and his three brothers have been ruthlessly fighting over the title, hoping to become the big dog once their father retires, so Lev made it his entire mission to be the one who comes out on top! Ooh the fashion world truly is scary~"
"Levvie wanted all of this?" Aphrodite was still in shock, "He could have had me been his top model if he didn't think of killing someone without me!"
"Your priorities are so shallow…" Ushio rolled her eyes, "You would have died regardless…"
"Who cares what you think, frumpy beach bum," the pageant queen retorted.
"Enough you two," Yoshikazu calmed both girls down, "So are you suggesting that the wish would have made this future come true for Lev if he had succeeded with his plan?"
"Precisely! Had he not stupidly died by that girl's hand and lived to trick you all, then yes!" Monotide said it with such glee, it made me nauseous. "I am a bear of my word after all, I would have granted him safe passage out of here as well as his wish granted in full!"
"I still can't believe he'd do this…" Stella was beyond dumbfounded, "Oh, I feel a bit faint…"
"I'll catch you!" Torakusu rushed over to her side, but Dragomir shoved him to the side as the sniper fell on his face.
"I gotcha, just take it easy," the zoologist kept her steady in his arms.
"Oww…." Torakusu whimpered.
"Arr...bear if that's what the landlubber was planning, pray tell what be the little lass' motive?" Takara jumped to the big question, "Ye better tell us!"
"Wouldn't you want to hear it from the horse's mouth herself?" Monotide snickered, "I mean she has no other way out of this, might as well come clean now!"
I turned to Lou, she was weeping her eyes out, wiping more tears and looking at the floor dejectedly. I wanted to be at her side and comfort her, but…..something in me just said to keep my distance.
"I wanted to…." she spoke up amidst the teary response, "I wanted to protect Kazumi! Yeah, I uh...o-overheard Lev's plan while I was g-getting fitted for my dress!"
"So you killed him to protect your friend?" Asta curiously looked at the girl, "That seems to be a common human action, and a morally good one."
"Although the way she did it…" Nomi pondered deeply, "Did seem a bit underhanded, but if she meant well…"
"Yeah! What she did was wrong, but she did it to protect someone she cared for!" Sato seemed ready to aid the roleplayer's pleas, "I'd have done the same thing."
"I'm doubtful of that," Vivienne fixed herself in her wheelchair, "I have a feeling there's more to that story."
"How so, Vivienne?" Terrence asked, fixing his outfit as well, "Is there something wrong with it?"
"Ohohoho~ wouldn't you like to know!" Monotide gleaned a malicious smile, "Roll the fucking clip!"
"W-What?" Lou seemed surprised by his words, looking almost horrified, "Nooo, don't look at the video everyone, it's all lies! I..."
"Got something more to hide?" Akio seemed to take great pleasure in her squirming.
"L-Lou….are you-" before I could say more, the next video played on screen, this time with the words "Lou Kiko" written in the same bloodied letters.
As the video played, it displayed what looked to be Lou at some kind of movie premiere. She was inside a limo, wearing the fanciest, yet sparkliest pink dress imaginable, her hair and makeup were perfect and she opened the limo door to be greeted by photographers asking for pictures, paparazzi asking her questions and adoring fans cheering her name and asking for autographs.
Video Lou seemed to be on top of the world, waving at cheering fans, receiving a lovely flower bouquet and shining like a star as she posed and preened for the cameras, a confident and satisfied smile plastered on her face. As she walked closer to the entrance, she was greeted by two figures, a boy and girl who looked to be older than her.
The two were begging Lou to let them in and to give them favors, but Lou instead sneered at them and called security, waving at the crowd as the two were escorted viciously off the red carpet.
"A star is born what is yet to come. You desire fame beyond your wildest dreams. Sharing the spotlight, not with some. Are you ready to take a chance, and break the bloody seams?"
Her video ended on that cliffhanger, Lou's sobbing stopped as she looked pale and scared as if she saw a ghost. Everyone looked at the roleplayer, some with worry, some with contempt and others with looks of betrayal on their face.
"Hah! So that's her real reason for doing this," Sakai chuckled in his seat, "She wanted to become a famous actress and forge her name as a rising starlet!"
"Bingo Sakai!" Monotide agreed with his statement, "You see little miss Lou over here wants you guys to feel sorry for her, but in reality she's just begging for sympathy votes and brownie points! She doesn't give a rat's ass about you guys, she never did."
"Is this….is this true, Lou?" Wayne was ready to cry, "Did you l-lie to us?"
"Ummmm…" Lou couldn't muster up a proper response, "I'm so sorry everyone! I uh…"
The roleplayer couldn't help herself but cry profusely, tears trickled down her face as she broke down into a snivelling mess. Was this the real Lou showing us her true colors? Or is this another one of her improvised roleplays meant to pull at our heartstrings so insidiously?
"Oh stop with your crocodile tears bitch," Aphrodite was having none of that, "You look disgusting, but I respect your ambitions."
"Again, your priorities are fucked…." Ushio responded in kind, "So….she wanted us dead so she could be a star...figures with these hollywood wannabes."
"You see Lou was the apple of her parents' eyes, she got everything she wanted and handed to her on a silver platter, if she so wanted!" the bear coyly said, "Since her parents were famous actors, if she asked for movie roles, she got them, always wanting the attention and never wanting to share it. Maybe that's why she was so bitter because of what her siblings did!"
"W-What did your siblings do, Lou?" I asked her directly, hoping to get a response from her.
"Kazzie I…..my siblings and I competed to become the best actors…" she stopped crying and continued to talk, "I wanted to be like my parents….people who inspired me to pursue acting, I figured becoming a roleplayer would help me."
"But if you had connections, then why didn't you become an actress?" Terrence asked, trying to piece it together.
"My brother and sister were uh….extremely jealous of the attention my parents gave me," the roleplayer continued, her cheeks flushed red and her sad frown exchanged for a smile, "My sister took a role that I desperately wanted to play and my brother betrayed me….."
"So after the fallout, your siblings got famous, I presume?" Yoshikazu wondered.
"They got the Ultimate Actor and Actress roles respectively….while I got…."
"She got second place and was titled Ultimate Roleplayer instead!" Monotide interrupted the moment, "Gosh how sad is that shit! I guess spoiled brats don't always get what they want in the end! Just goes to show that working hard doesn't mean shit!"
"S-Shut up! W-What would you know," Lou was weakened by the insult, "But I know now that my dream is dead…"
"Don't say that Lou!" Wayne hopped over to her side, "I think you're an amazing actress, you were so good at expressing your emotions that I almost thought you were a different person!"
"You were always such a delight to be around," Stella tried soothing her with those kind words, "I appreciated your positive attitude, it was a welcome sight amongst this gloomy atmosphere."
"T-Thanks…" her soft spoken reply pained me inside.
"Alright! If you urchins are done feeling sorry for the blackened, it's time for her punishment to commence!" Monotide screeched, "I've prepared a very special punishment for her!"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Kimiya furrowed his brow at the bear, "I thought all we had to fucking do was prove she did it!"
"Yeah... is t-that not what you said?" I protested, standing up for Lou despite what she did, "Haven't you p-put us through enough stress already!?"
"Kazzie…." Lou looked at me with sadness in her eyes.
"Hmm I never said that!" Monotide snickered, "I said to wait for the trial to be over and then I'll tell you! So if you must now, the price for committing murder and failing to outsmart the others is…..a full blown execution!"
"E-Execution…" the words escaped my lips like poison on my tongue, "You mean…"
"You're going to fucking kill her!?" Sato immediately got to Lou's side, "No way, not on your fucking life! I won't let you do this!"
"Same here pal!" Dragomir cracked his knuckles ready to fight, "Want to get to her, you gotta get past me!"
"I shall summon forth demons to protect us!" Moriko chanted something under her breath and made indescribable poses.
"Hahahaha! You idiots think you can stop an execution!" Monotide snapped his fingers "I'd love to see you guppies try…." his voice grew solemn and menacing.
As if it were deja vu, multiple turrets appeared from the ceiling, all targeted at us directly. The brave ones who stood by were hesitant, but kept their ground.
"What the fuck!" Kimiya looked around the room, "Who the fuck installed all of this shit? Is this really how it's gonna be? You fucking coward!"
"I pray to whoever is up there that my death is swift and painless," Akio looked unimpressed with the horrific display, "Get it over with Monotide."
"Akio can you stop antagonizing him, please!" Stella seemed ready to pass out, "My heart can't take this stress…."
"What are we gonna do?" Wayne hid behind Terrence, cowering behind.
"This is unpleasant…." Yumeji sweats nervously.
"It's alright everyone…."
We all collectively saw Lou step out from cover, up front and in the center of the crowd. She had stopped crying, a pep in her step as she turned to face us all. In a moment of either regret or bittersweet melancholy…..all she could do was smile.
"I don't deserve everyone's kind words, loyalty and friendship…" she choked on those words, "I know that I'd end up f-fizzled out and never living up to my name anyway…. I'm sorry for deceiving you all….Kazzie no...Kazumi I'm sorry for framing you, if my word means anything."
"Lou...I-" the words were stuck in my throat.
The roleplayer sniffled one more time, "I'm sorry that I... let you all down, I truly did love meeting you all, becoming your friend and for the first time ever…..forming my first ever friendships…So do me this favor and….don't feel sorry for me, but continue to live on..."
"No….this can't be it," Terrence denied that this was happening.
"I believe in you all!" she stifled more tears underneath her cheerful smile, "So please don't lose hope and fight for what you believe in!"
"Are you done yet?" Monotide yawned, "Now then without further ado, Let's give it everything we got! It's punishment time!"
GAME OVER!
Lou Kiko has been found guilty.
EXECUTION START!
Parting Is Such Sweet Despair
The lights dimmed to a faded glimmer, out of the darkness ropes swung out, swift dagger-like movements unable to be seen by the human eye, wrapped themselves around Lou's neck as she gripped on for dear life. The tight bonds gripping her arms and legs as they dragged her away with sheer ferocity, it was almost daunting.
Lou was pulled towards what looked to be a wooden theater stage, dropped on center stage as a cheaply made backdrop of a fantasy setting is displayed behind her. The rest of us watched from the front row, unable to do anything with turrets facing us, as Monotide replicas filled the seats of the theater, cackling and hustling about wildly.
The roleplayer looked around the stage, but came across a Monotide dressed as Romeo, wearing a historical looking costume from that time period. She played along with this Romeo Monotide as his "Juliet" and he began to recite her lines as best she could remember them.
Lou's voice, strained, stuttery and weakened by the strong ropes and weeping, started to annoy Romeo as Lou stumbled over her lines, continuing to earn the ire of her bear co-star.
Lou was then swept around by the scenic change, laying in a coffin shaped deathbed, decorated by rosy thorn bushes and watched fearfully as the Monotide Romeo approached her. The scene played out with Romeo approaching his dead Juliet, but instead of drinking poison, the Monotide actor proceeded to use a rose emblazoned dagger and lunged fiercely at her.
She recoiled and avoided the multiple attempts, getting cut and injured on all sides of her body from the thorns and blade, her dress tearing apart and her cheeks and arms bleeding from barely escaping. She jumped out of the bed, pushed her "Romeo" off stage, destroying the actor in one fell swoop.
The backstage crew, composed of Monotide stagehands saw this display and, upset with her sabotage, rampaged across the set, chasing after her as she did her best to run away from them.
Soon she lost her footing on some loose rope and the stage began to fall apart. One sneaky Monotide trickster pushed over the teetering stone tower from the previous scene and as it fell on Lou, her face was filled with pure terror.
The tower crushed her body, her screaming loud and ghastly as the set began falling apart and crashing down on the rest of the stage. Her cries were drowned out by the audience clapping as her blood spilt from underneath, revealing only her hand to see the light of day.
The crowd of vicious Monotide patrons all cheered, hollered and threw roses at the gruesome display, the stage decimated and the curtains parting to a grim melody playing in the background. Uproarious cheering soon petered out in favor of complete silence.
The horror, the terror, the fear, the absolute brutality, no….nothing could describe how monstrous this entire thing was. I didn't know how to process this, should I have screamed my head off? Should I have wept and cried my eyes out? Should I have felt nothing and moved on knowing that my now dead friend betrayed me?
All I could do in that moment…..was watch….
A/N: Woohoo! I finally did it, I finally finished the first trial for SWBC after so long! I could almost cry, but I shouldn't, I should be proud that I got this far. I'm so pleased to have finally finished this chapter with a bang.
You guys have helped make this process easier and I thank you all for reading it and bearing with my slow updates. I hope you all enjoyed this trial chapter, and I will have more for you when I write the aftermath of the trial properly.
But before that, I want to give a special shoutout to R3dLuvSingin for sending me Lou Kiko. Thank you so much for letting me have the chance to write her into my story and I thank you for being a supporter of mine for this long. I know things have been rough and this story has been through the wringer, but I hope you liked her portrayal!
Now that I'm finally finished with the first trial, expect me to take even more time to plan the second chapter and it's trial therein. What did you guys think of the trial overall? What did you like about it? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the reviews or PMs.
That's all I have to say really, I hope you guys liked this chapter, also happy new year to everyone! I know 2021 is starting off on a rough foot, but I know things will get better in time, we can all stick together and get through this new year like we did with 2020. I love you all so much and thanks for reading this chapter.
Have a wonderful day, night, holiday or whatever it is you are celebrating and I will see you all when I post the chapter one aftermath, thanks and happy reading my fellow readers, authors and otaku alike.
For now, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your winter break or for those in school already, good luck! Bye bye!