THIRD TRIAL

[neverhadafriend]

[Once again, you make your way to the lobby of the Adventurers Club. Once again, you make you way down the stairs to the trial room that awaits you below the surface. Today, however, the birds seem to be occupied by something other than the excitement of murder. Whispers are exchanged, and although no sentences can be made out, you might hear the occasional word--enough to know that they're talking about wishes.

Before the weight of the conversation begins to settle in, Genie appears in the center of the stage, glancing around at the podiums.]

Wow, the crowd's really starting to thin out, huh? [He lets out a nervous chuckle.] Y'know, I don't...think I've asked my master what happens if this keeps happening until nobody's left.

[He looks like he's about to add something else, but glances towards the birds on the ceiling and decides against it. Third times the charm, right?]

Comments

[madmadam]

[Mim has pilfered an entire box of ice cream and she's not sharing any of it.]

All right, you lot better make this worth my time!

[primafacie]

Must you constantly make a mockery of everything and everyone?

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You had the time to grab ice cream?

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Then you should ask your master about it.

[Cass has no time or need for this bullshit. Another person is dead and they're no closer to their escape now than they were four weeks prior.

Though, something about what those birds were whispering was... interesting. But she could hardly focus on that right now.]

It looks like there was a real fight this time. Jessica's was trashed, clothes racks knocked over, and things were smashed. In the middle of it all... was Daisy.

[She looks to Raps. She's got this.]

There were bruises around her neck, not to mention a few bruises and cuts on her arms. It definitely looked like she'd been strangled.

...Oh, and her clothes looked... straightened out? Her hair too.

[So, you know. Normal murder case.]

[primafacie]

I think Daisy was in the laundry building beforehand. I found her clothes, which were being washed, and these books. [She holds up the stack of archaeology books she brought with her.] I haven't the slightest idea whether or not they have anything to do with what happened, but I felt it better to bring them in case they prove to be helpful.

[She's still, uh. Fine. It's fine. This smile isn't forced at all.]

[prodigalhairess]

The bruises on her hands and arms also looked like defensive injuries. Daisy tried to put up a good fight...

[She was scared of dying, and yet....]

Whoever did this couldn't have come out of it uninjured.

[redloxy]

So...someone was feeding the walruses Cheetos. They just kept chanting "chee-to" over and over again when I tried to ask them who it was. [She holds up one of the empty bags.]

...I figure we could check to see if anyone's got orange powder stuck to their hands?

[diebartdie]

I should be free of suspicion by default. My diet is far more refined than that overly-processed garbage.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

That might be a bit of stretch, someone could be wearing gloves... [Hm.] But I guess we could give it a try?

[C-cheeto check...?]

Cassherd

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Okay, let's go over what we've found so far. [Because it looks like we've slowed somewhat.]

Daisy was attacked last night, possibly around the laundromat. There was a knife dropped at the scene, next to what could be blood? [If she has that right, Sugerplum?]

It's obvious that she tried to defend herself, but the fight ended at Jessica's There were cuts and scraps on her arms, but... signs point to the bruises on her neck as how she died.

...The walruses were also chanting about cheetos, so it's possible someone else was out there last night. But it's hard to say what that means.

[C'mon group. Let's figure this out.]

[primafacie]

Ah, no! The knife itself is clean, but there was some blood outside along with signs of a struggle.

[primafacie]

We've all been playing so nicely. That's how it always is - play nicely, be nice, nice nice nice! Well, I don't want to place nice!

If you want to accuse me, do it properly!

[Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, commence.]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You killed Daisy.

[Getting right to it, then.]

You attacked her at the laundromat, she defended herself with a knife, and you chased her into Jessica's.

[prodigalhairess]

You-

[IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT....]

It's okay to not be happy all the time! It's okay to feel angry and frustrated, especially with all of this going on! But you can't just kill someone because of the things that are upsetting you!

[madmadam]

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

Okay.

[ This is fun to do standing next to her, but okay! ]

The voices sounded like Marie or something, and you decided to kill someone to make them stop. Simple as that.

VOTING

[neverhadafriend]

[Suddenly the Genie butts in.]

Weeeeell I think now's a good time to call for a vote before Little Miss Chucky over here decides to murder someone else in a rage. Does that sound like a good idea to everyone?

[At least it's not another Kronk situation.]

[primafacie]

>BILL CIPHER

[Truly, did you expect her to vote for herself?]

[halloteen]

If we somehow end up covered in blood again...

>Sugarplum

[bottlerockets]

[You'd think it'd be easier for Chicken Little to vote this time considering some of the rude shit Sugarplum had said about him, but... nope. Still just looking at the buttons here and being Very Unhappy about this.]

[madmadam]

>SUGAR PLUM

Oh, this ought to be good! [And she still has some ice cream!]

[prodigalhairess]

Sugarplum

[Despite her outburst before, Rapunzel... still feels pretty bad about this. Sugarplum felt abandoned, hurt by broken promises... it's all of the things that made her friends turn against her thrown right back in her face. She hadn't wanted to punish them, and even though she was mad at Sugarplum for what she did.... she doesn't deserve what's coming.]

... I'm sorry. I wouldn't have left you alone, when we found a way out of here. You would've been welcome in Corona anytime.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

> Sugarplum

[There's no pleasure in this. Being abandoned, had a promise broken to you, said or unsaid... losing a sister. It all cut closer to home than Cassandra wanted it to. Punishing someone for that, who doesn't even seem to understand the problem of it all...]

Ugh, can we just... just get this over with?

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

>Sugarplum

[ X-23 sort of. Pulls her jacket tight around her shoulders. ]

EXECUTION: DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

[neverhadafriend]

This is gettin' a little old hat, don't you think?

[The last vote floats from the podium and into Genie's hands, and he begins tallying them up. The paper scraps drift to the ground, until he holds up his hand and snaps his fingers. Sugarplum gets whisked to the center of the stage, prim and proper as she ever looks. One of the birds above opens its beak and soft music begins to play to accompany the events that are about to unfold.

Genie, for the most part, looks sympathetic.]

I'm sorry, ma'am.

[A clunky-looking laser suddenly descends from the ceiling, causing the birds to squawk and disperse among the edges of the room. Their cawing only increases in volume as they watch on in awe.

Sugarplum knows what this is. She knows what's coming.]

NO!

[She moves to escape, but she finds herself immobilized, as if bound by invisible ropes. Genie shrinks back, looking smaller by the second.]

This is for your own safety, I swear--

[Genie isn't able to finish his sentence when the device begins to power up. Sugarplum finds herself unable to look away as magical energy builds and builds, causing the device to pulse with light. Eventually, the light becomes unbearable to look at, and a bolt of blue energy escapes from the beam with a loud zap. Blue smoke obscures the stage, a rage-induced shriek fills the air, and then...silence.

As the smoke begins to clear away, a small object can be seen standing where Sugarplum once stood. It looks to be a handmade porcelain doll almost identical to the woman in likeness. Her expression is a perfect, serene smile--painted on with the delicate touch of a craftsman. She stands there, perfectly poised and ready to be played with.

The smoke finally clears, and a loud clunk can be heard overhead. An ordinary brick whizzes from the ceiling and falls directly onto Sugarplum. The doll shatters into a billion pieces, causing white fragments to cascade across the stage.

Genie winces.

...Hey, at least there aren't any blood or guts this time.]