Take Responsibility.

[transmittable]

The past several weekends have been an unrelenting barrage of death in particularly disturbing manners; either the method or the number of people, sometimes both, have been particularly extreme. This week has seen fewer dead than the last; however, the way that that one kill seems to have happened... It's not a particularly good tradeoff. Either way, however, expectations still need to be met and investigations still need to be carried out; once the allotted time has passed, those doors in the center of the second corridor slide open once again, the sight managing to be at the same time familiar and unwelcoming. The fluorescent overhead lights of the operating theater beam down, flooding the room with bright and steady light as soon as the first person walks in; the seats surrounding the podium circle in the center of the room remain as empty as ever. Four more are gone, their absence notated by their portraits joining the others in watching the proceedings through greyed-out and unseeing eyes, Kogami, Madison, Sakura Matou, and Osomatsu's podiums all draped in black. Once everyone has found their place in the circle, the public-address system comes to life once again in a light crackle of static; the Transmitter can be heard throughout the room shortly thereafter. "Fraternal is dead. You guys...you know what to do. Put together what you've found and try to seek out the guilty. You know what'll happen if you can't. Good luck." Eleven Patients remain. We'll see how many leave at the end of the day.

Comments

[dangerousfool]

[Okay, the trial is starting. It's a particularly vexing murder, that's for sure. May as well start]

So...there was a fire, so I went to check the storage room. There were matches missing. And someone also broke many, many bottles of rum there. Without the rum, I mean.

If you want to make a fire, you need fuel. Rum has a large content of alcohol, it'd be--that'd be good enough. You can light up the rum. I think. I haven't seen it myself, but it makes sense, right?

[ossifragant]

Rum is flammable, yeah. Some people make cocktails with that in mind.

[arebetter]

Well, there was almost no rum left in the bar when I went to check.

[ She takes a sip from a tall glass. ]

But someone did leave out one bottle and most of a glass of it.

[preciousking]

Smelled like alcohol might've been used to light the fire so it makes sense. Smelled like rum in there too.

[positivespin]

Many, many bottles of rum... So lots of glass around, right?

[preciousking]

[ Tragically, Mikoto brought nothing with him to this trial so he doesn't put anything on his podium. He just stands near it because meh. ]

Found a few things in the infirmary.

Somethin' in the corner and a bloody sewing needle. [ A beat. ] Didn't look like any of the medical supplies were missing or tampered with either.

[georgeous]

"Somethin'".

[positivespin]

Ohh... [ No medical supplies missing. Hmm. ] What was that something?

refreshment thread: still not bringing in alcohol

[positivespin]

[ Fruit and the usual drinks here. QQ's too busy with cutting and eating brownies to grab any though. Because chocolate is good and boy does she need any pick me up she can get right now. ]

[preciousking]

[ The usual selections here! ] Thanks.

[journalname]

...Osomatsu's bed was still made. I do not believe he ever made it there last night.

[Asgore seems visibly guilty about this. Wasn't that exactly what he was trying to prevent? And then, the person whose idea it had all been to start with...]

But, ah. His door was unlocked. And his shoes were left behind as well. I do not think he intended to leave his room, or at least not for long, it is too dangerous for humans to walk around without protection here.

[preciousking]

Makes sense.

I think he was afraid of dying. [ ... ] More than anyone else here, at least. I don't think he knew how to fight, so for a while he was looking for someone to protect him.

Not sure if he found anyone.

[ Technically Mikoto was "supposed" to protect him but Mikoto's protection game ain't strong. ]

[doctorize]

I examined Osomatsu and found... well. Nothing good, I'm afraid. In addition to being lit on fire, it appears that our killer... sewed his mouth shut and stabbed him multiple times.

[things that Osomatsu did not deserve: this]

I also found an injury to the back of his head. It looks like the killer may have struck him with a blunt object: not enough to crack his skull, but hard enough to likely stun him for a moment?

[ossifragant]

.....who the fuck had that big of a grudge against the guy?

[journalname]

[Asgore covers his mouth with a paw, looking horrified and a bit ill.]

Why on earth?

[preciousking]

[ Mikoto considers this for a bit. ]

Gives us a place to start, at least.

[arebetter]

[ Haha yeah she is just gonna take another sip of her drink now that she remembers finding that mess. ]

... did someone hit him on the head with the freaking vibrator.

[georgeous]

... what.

[cthulwho]

[........]

I...suppose the dagger could be the source of the stabs...?

[Holy shit.]

[positivespin]

[ QQ's eyes widen at that. How could it get worse than being set on fire, she thought. Well, a lot of other things apparently? Ugh, there's no way any of this is necessary.

She's going to take a swig out of a water bottle to avoid spewing out too much angrish before she trusts herself to speak calmly ]

HAND & CLOTHES CHECK

[preciousking]

[ Same as the last trial, Mikoto gets everyone's attention by slamming his hand on his podium. If it works, it works.

He does do it softer than before, at least. ]

Need to see your hands and check your clothes. Might as well empty your pockets too.

[doctorize]

[Danny holds his hands out to be examined. Nothing strange here!

His lab coat does have a slight amount of blood around the edges of the sleeves, although he is quick to point out--]

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to completely avoid getting some of his blood on my sleeves here when checking Osomatsu's injuries earlier.

CATHERD

[preciousking]

[ A hard sigh. ]

Here's what we know. Matsuno left his shoes in his room. He might've been drawn to the infirmary and knocked out with a vibrator, or he was knocked out and carried there from his room. Somethin' about restraints and being stabbed with a dagger. Some of the wounds were just shy of areas that could be lethal.

After stabbing him, the killer went to the sewing room and left the dagger there. They got a needle and thread, came back and presumably sewed Matsuno's mouth shut. Can't be sure if they prepared rum in advance or not, but there was rum missin' from the bar and it was used to set Matsuno on fire in the infirmary.

The empty bottles were found in the storage room.

We dunno how the glass Pizzazz found in the bar fits in.

Personally, I think it's Danny. Could be worth discussing that.

[georgeous]

He is certainly the one who comes to mind first when it's about the anatomical knowledge needed to knock someone out efficiently and stab almost lethally.

But we're spinning in circles on that point. Would Osomatsu have opened his door for the doctor?

[doctorize]

[Finally, Danny has had enough of this.]

How many times do I have to say it? I had nothing to do with this murder. All of these things you've brought up as evidence of my guilt: that's all because I examined the body for this damn trial, like I always do! Are you all really that incompetent that you've resorted to throwing circumstantial evidence at the wall and hoping something sticks? Plenty of people here know how to sew, plenty of people here either drink or are familiar with alcohol, some of you have outright admitted an interest in fire and other unsavory things, and one of you didn't even bring important evidence here!

So why me? Are you just picking somebody to accuse because apparently you've all decided that this is the trial you're going to throw your life away for rather than think any harder about it. [Ha] And a ludicrous choice you've made too: I'm a doctor remember? Doctor Danny, who has done his best to look after everyone and keep us all from dying in these accursed trials? My job is to help enhance one's quality of life, not to take it away. After these weeks we've been forced to live here together, how can you all be this stupid!?

[But then Danny takes a breath, takes a moment to try to calm himself here. He brings a hand up to his face as if fighting back a headache, before he drops his hand down away... and then he manages a smile. That self-deprecating one of his.]

Then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. The patients I used to have when I worked at the prison were always quick to blame me for the problems they had going on in their lives. I'm not a very pretty sight to look at either, what with lacking... ah, an eye for things, I suppose.

[He says, as he taps one of the glass eyes he took out of his pocket on his podium during the pocket check, as if the pun wasn't enough.]

But like I said: You don't have any evidence specifically tying to just me being the guilty one here, nothing that can't be explained as having been from doing my examination of Osomatsu earlier. And unlike the rest of you, I really don't want to have my life thrown away because this trial is getting too stressful for everyone to consider other possibilities.

So... let's all calm down and try to think through this a little more clearly, okay? As upset and disappointed as I am that everyone is so quick to judge after weeks of being together, I am still a therapist. I'll continue to do my best to take care of you all despite these trying times.

[The doctor is in...?]

[preciousking]

[ That's. Quite the speech. ]

Just shut up already, will ya?

SELECTION.

[transmittable]

[ At Danny's insistence, the PA switches on. Beguiled though he is, under orders, it seems at least for once, he gets to call the shots, no? ]

You, um. Yeah, that's enough...I think. Voting time.

[ The Transmitter sighs. ]

Please select the title for who's responsible for Fraternal's death.

No penalty for an incorrect, but...you have to have a majority.

[ossifragant]

>BEGUILED

ACCOUNTABILITY.

[transmittable]

[And as the votes come in, the lights go out, once again casting the room into deep shadow; the blackness spreads throughout the courtroom, until only the odd ambient blue backlights from the voting panels remain to offer some respite from the darkness – until after a moment, those go out too.

Several long moments pass in complete darkness until the bundle of crackling electricity begins to build, making itself known in the space beneath Podium 29; it grows rapidly in size, apparently having decided that it's not playing around today, small bursts of electricity whipping out from the center of its mass like it's agitated in some way before arcing back in to rejoin the rest of it.

The light it's giving off is more than enough to reveal the heavily bloodstained walls and floor of the pit; looking around will make it obvious that Danny is no longer among you. Exactly where he's gone is likely easy enough to guess by now; it takes another moment more, but eventually the door beneath Podium 16 slides open, and Danny makes his way into the circle. He's stumbling a bit, as though he's been shoved or thrown out there, but he regains his balance well enough; he doesn't seem to know what to do with himself, physically, so he takes a moment to make sure the energy isn't advancing on him before he just...resettles himself.

Adjusts his glasses, fixes his coat. The preening motions are calming but they aren't enough to cover the fact that he's shaking; his breathing is shuddering as he makes his way toward the center of the pit, turning to face his death with his head held as high as he can manage.

He knows that he's going to see something; he just can't be sure what. The possibilities continue to swirl through his mind - the Reverend, Rachel...his mother, because wouldn't that be a trip. No matter who they pick from home, it's going to be a show, right? Just what the Risen want, just what everyone wants...

He isn't prepared for what happens.

Its form changes, and god, he isn't prepared.

The mass simply seems to open up, splitting down the center as someone steps out; its movements are brisk, abrupt, crackling breaks of electricity brushing upward to form the short, unkempt upsweep of the person's hair, loose strands of it falling idly into the person's face, long tendrils of light sweeping down to form the image of a loose tie around the person's neck, the outlines of a fur-lined collar on an unzipped coat, hints of a blazer beneath it.

There's a small, brighter bit forming near its face as well; the form reaches up, snatching the cigarette out of the air and take a drag one-handed, the end of it burning small sparks as he leaves it in his mouth.

He's familiar to everyone here; why wouldn't he be? You all saw him die right in front of you last week.

Danny's breath catches in his throat; his right eye slides closed, almost on reflex. The left, however, remains wide and staring.

The entity, however, doesn't return his stare; he doesn't even seem interested in giving him the time of day. He simply stands, and he smokes, glittering bits of ash falling from the end of the cigarette.

And then he pulls out his gun.

Calling it a gun is a little unfair, really – it's a sparking behemoth of a weapon, and it splits open almost immediately as the entity aims it directly at Danny, sharp lines and patches becoming evident along its length and glowing a bright, unnatural blue against the usual pale glow of the electric mass.

A voice that likely won't be recognizable to any of you rings out across the room; it's distorted heavily, similar to the Transmitter's voice when the Risen are with her, but it's very obviously unfamiliar nonetheless.]

Dominator Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System has been activated. User authentication: Kogami Shinya. Dominator usage approval confirmed. You are a valid user. Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator. Please aim carefully and eliminate the target.

[The name alone is more than enough to get Danny to stop staring; for a moment he tenses up, his teeth gritted sharply, and he's quick to reach for his own gun.

He's lied about a lot of things, during his time here. His thoughts, his feelings, his role. The number of bullets in this gun.

He fires.

He's still shaking, but he fires, and he fires, and five shots go off in the entity's direction. And he doesn't hit, but that doesn't change the fact that as he shoots, he smiles.

"Smiling" is also an unfair description. It's more like baring teeth.]

Goodnight, Beguiled.

[The Transmitter's voice can be heard just before the Dominator in the entity's hands fires; a massive blast of energy bursts forth from the weapon, surrounded by a bright, sparking trail of electricity, and the shot is quickly proven to be a good one. It strikes its target, catching Danny directly in the face.

His left eye, in fact.

The electricity is administered directly to his brain, causing his limbs to jerk involuntarily as he falls to the ground; he drops back, still twitching hard for several seconds, and it's difficult to say whether it's merciful or not that the blast seems to have cauterized the wound it left in his face – on the plus size, the amount of blood is minimal as a result.

On the negative, it's incredibly clear that approximately half his face is just...gone.

Perhaps it's entirely too quick to be considered justice for what he's done; perhaps the nature of the execution renders it such that it really doesn't matter – dead is dead, a life for a life.

An eye for an eye, if you will.

The entity lowers the Dominator as it transforms back into its less-lethal setting; he takes the cigarette out of his mouth as he turns away, casting it to the ground and grinding it out against the floor of the pit before the energy dissipates.

After a moment, the Transmitter's voice can be heard again.]

You've... You've done well. There's nothing else.

[crywiththesaints]

[Sakura watches the entire time, nods at the end, and turns to walk out.]

Well.