DECEMBER EVENT PART THREE: WITH THE DAWN OF REDEEMING GRACE

[sailmods]

[the voice from the imaginary loudspeaker resounds again.]

I do believe that’s the best you all can do. Hopefully it will be enough… Gather in the lobby at your earliest convenience. There, you will find an elevator. It will take you to your next location. [pause] Mind the severed heads.

[the elevator they find in the lobby is not one that had been there before: it is strange, a bit too large and industrial for what is generally a Victorian manor. nothing will compel them to board it, but… hey. if you stay behind, you miss out on all the fun, right?

and the fun starts here. because, as soon as they board the elevator, and the door closes, it drops.

not that far. not enough to harm. certainly enough to startle, especially after it evens out, before plunging a few more feet. the effect likely wears off after the fifth time it does this.

eventually, the elevator stops completely, and opens to a large, mostly empty room. in the center is a large circular stage, ringed with enough podiums for everyone that went on the excursion - living and dead. some of the podiums are covered in white sheets; one might notice that the number of dead corresponds directly to the number of covered podiums.

the Captain is present, of course. he sits on a raised throne separate from the circle, dressed in a suit a tiny bit different than his normal one. he sits with one leg crossed over the other, looking down at them with a completely neutral expression.]

You may take your places. [he gestures magnanimously, then holds up his hand; please reserve the expected freakouts for after his announcements, thanks.] The game is very simple. You have the evidence; put it together, and decide on the guilty party. Only a unanimous decision will bring you the justice you seek. [a faint smile] The one you always seek, at least.

[another gesture]

Questions. Comments. Threats against my life. Concerns.

Comments

[light_mischief]

[deadpan stare at the Captain. THANKS BABE.]

[sictransitgloriamundi]

[raises eyebrow, but otherwise says nothing.]

[theweakhavepurpose]

This is fucking sick.

[Pratt.... Pratt is having a great time. The elevator is almost like being on Drop Zone if he closes his eyes, which is what he does because if he can't get a waterslide he'll settle for an almost roller coaster.

He shuffles to his podium, still in the Xbox onesie, with his pockets stuffed with snacks. You know, in case this takes a while. He's also holding a basket lovingly arranged by him and Sharky. In today's trial, the part of Okie will be played by a decorative basket with a cool wooden horse, some snacks, a blanket, a scented candle that smells like leaves, and a set of campfire mugs in green and white speckles. He sets that on the white sheeted podium next to him, and leans against his while digging out some candy from one of the pockets.]

[bloodmunchies]

[ Scooch over, Pratt, Aiden needs company. He’s feeling reaaaaal narsty today, and it isn’t even the dead bodies that did it, because he’s used to those—it was all of the dead teenagers, sprawled like they were in the snow.

Also he’s a little stained in Chrissy’s blood across his chest and arms just ignore that.

Don’t mind him if he’s clinging to your arm a little. ] Hey dude, you got any extra candy?

[goodweather]

[ Everybody in the elevator might have had to deal with getting buffeted by giant wings (which have been tipped in blood from when he crouched down by a body), having flared them out when the elevator first dropped. Sorry guys.

Down in the trial room, Phil stalks to his podium with a grim look on his face. He is holding a rapier, gripped in a taloned hand, and those who know her will recognize it as Darcy's.

He resolutely does not look at the Captain, or at Skulduggery. He glances at Rich and César, though, and there, his look softens.

... Well. Someone has to start. ]

Darcy is dead. [ A pause to think. ] She was in her room, going to bed, or--no, excuse me, dressed to go to bed.

[ He speaks loud, clean, and clear. It's something like his news presenter voice, the one he could rely on for years to hide injury and illness. He can see the teleprompter now. It scrolls reliably by. ] Decapitated. A perfect clean cut, with a blood splash of the motion on the bed behind her. The room was a mess, like a long physical struggle, but no marks of blades. All her other injuries were bruises and scrapes. All her belongings were intact. The door of her room was blown outwards, not inwards, onto... Tendi is her name, I think. Rich and César were with me. We didn't find a weapon.

[millay]

[Maeve looks over at Phil, a neutral expression on her face from her place in the room. She sighs, waiting for a chance to step up to her own podium.]

Ruby is also dead. I found her in her room in her bed. There weren’t any signs of a struggle. She didn’t make it out of her bed. Her eyes were open. She seems to have been stabbed multiple times through her cover.

[There’s something different about how she talks, how she stands in this moment. If anyone’s looking, they might notice there’s a bandage around her right forearm. Weird that that wasn’t there before.]

[tempingainteasy]

[April literally hates to do this, but they step up to their podium and raise their hand to ask a question.

Doesn't matter if they actually get acknowledged, the hand is more of a 'look out I'm about to start talking' signal, anyway.]

Just for clarity's sake here, is there an official consequence for the guilty party or parties today?

As in, are you going to insta-kill them the moment the votes are in? Or is that up to us to take care of, too?

[sictransitgloriamundi]

The guilty party or parties shall be executed.

[firewalled]

Yeah, I have a question. What kind of tragic sob story do you have to excuse you being such a sick fuck?

Because I'm not buying any of this shit.

[Yeah, uh, he does not look happy.]

What's the fucking catch here, huh? What's the 'justice' we seek? And what happens if we don't play along?

[If he doesn't get a concrete answer, then chances are there's some sick catch to this that'll just crank up the despair. He's not playing into that.]

[sictransitgloriamundi]

The death of the guilty party. You could try to argue that you wouldn't, if you'd like. The proceedings could do with a bit of levity.

[he leans his elbow on the arm of the chair, head on his fist.]

No great consequence. If you don't play along, you never find out who did this. That's all.

[pinballer]

[ Ghostly as he currently is, Vance still shows up. He owes that much to Chrissy and the others: find out who did this and get revenge. Hatred and revenge are about the only things on his mind right now. He can't cope with the rest of his emotions.

He remembers the Captain calling him a piano that was out of tune. It's hard not to agree, with the state he's in now.

There's nothing much for him to say, so he just stands still and glares at the Captain. When the time comes to vote, then he'll weigh in. ]

[tossmealifeline]

[ Going to another location means a gathering and a gathering means a chance to talk to everyone and that's the purpose behind his arrival. Yato's getting his first live glimpse at the Captain and staring at him with his unnatural eyes, but he turns attention to everyone else. ]

I'm in agreement with him. [ He gestures at Rich, they haven't had the pleasure and he doesn't know his name. He frowns. ]

There is literally no benefit at all to playing this game. Vengeance doesn't actually solve anything. You cannot erase the past.

[konpeito_aji]

[Brofist for his god!]

It's quite possible the dead were used to kill each other as well.

Crime Scene Photos! Get Yer Crime Scene Photos!

[tempingainteasy]

Well, well, well, now who's shitposting? Certainly not April (or Pratt), who were out documenting crime scenes in complete professional detail.

Yes, they do get to every crime scene eventually. Sure, some of the bodies are gone by they time they get there, but hey, who knows, April was taking pictures before running into Pratt too, maybe one of them has a body you need for your case if you really need it.

Which is why the pictures on their podium are a mix of polaroids and modern digital prints from their portable printer. Look, don't ask, the how doesn't matter, not when there's real crimes to maybe solve, maybe successfully.

April spreads them out across their podium and gestures at them for anyone to come over and look at or take or whatever they need for their discussions.

Unspoken but radiating so clearly off them that it might as well be said anyway: You're welcome.

CW murders derp / OTA

[konpeito_aji]

Unspoken or not, Nobunaga gives her a deep respectful bow.

"Thank you Sensei."

Ugh. It's a shame he only brought enough alcohol to handle and prevent Klaus from going through withdrawal (because no one needs a levitating ex-cult leader hallucinating okay okay,) because dealing with some of these is a bit much even for him.

"Some of these are strangulation by hand, yet others are clearly a blade."

Clarke was punched repeatedly. That's fucked up. Who did she even irritate that much? And was it someone who she didn't want to give her all into fighting back? Couldn't reach weapons in time?

Wait... was this all a chain reaction? A different killer for every single one? Like a contagion? If Dimitri was killed, then his corpse used to kill others, and their corpses were used to kill others...

Tsk. It's all too senseless. Throw in magic, and Nobunaga's overactive imagination trying to see every potential at once and infinity in all directions gets far too overwhelmed.

[busball]

Klaus is just out here right now. He doesn't have anything to really add to anything and he's not really even sure what to do with himself because...like...his go-to is drinking and making inappropriate comments. Unfortunately, they did not think to bring alcohol with them before they stepped on the elevator and so this is mostly just more suffering.

Catch them idly levitating sitting, laying entirely vertical, and sometimes upside down because it's just one of those days.

"I hate it heeere. Does anyone have alcohol? I'll pledge my undying love."

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga knew it would reach this point, and no one should suffer Klaus on withdrawal. Especially not on a day like this.

So he hands him his now empty konpeito flask refilled with alcohol from the ship for Klaus emergencies. Don't ask what else he's carrying. At least not in front of normies.

"Don't tell anyone else. Except Crichton and Teyrey. And Valdis. And Yato." How the fuck does he have four names to the list? Well. Whatever.

[ring_for_giles]

In a small lull after Phil has put forward his evidence, Giles leans over enough to speak quietly to Dedue

"You found him and you're closer to him, so if you'd prefer to report on Dimitri's death I understand, but it may be... somewhat simpler if I do it."

[glassaxolotl]

To report Dimitri’s death, Dedue would have to say his name. And... he cannot.

He nods to Giles. “Please,” he whispers.

[neverleave]

[The captain may have not triggered the murders, but he's definitely taking advantage of them. What a fucking farce. Natsuno doesn't want to vote, doesn't want to play out some disgusting grandiose execution, but - he does want to know what happened. Has to know.

If they don't figure this out, he'll never be able to trust most of these people again.]

Four people were killed outside. The gray kids, Steve and another guy. [Sorry Okie, someone else will have to name you.] There were footprints in the snow, leading from grove lodge to the bodies and back to lodge, though the trail stopped inside. Light footprint, like the culprit didn't weigh much.

The murder scenes had high levels of magic. Lower inside the hotel, but still significant.

[As for the other scene he came across:]

Clarke was beaten to death. Weird black bruises on her body that didn't blanch when touched.

[All of this is delivered in a flat, clinical tone as he stares straight ahead. He offers no speculation as to who or what caused it.]

[konpeito_aji]

Karkat and Eridan.

The trolls. That's their names. Karkat died trying to protect Eridan. [Which is a trip for him. He doesn't know who else Karkat asked to share a room with to avoid rooming with the other troll, but he was really surprised by that.] Possibly because Eridan doesn't have any weapons, but neither of them were instantly able to procure their weapons. Neither was Tendi. Eridan is the one with glasses and the purple noose on his neck. [Yes. Noose. Literally no one has told Nobunaga about scarves yet.]

[be_seeing_you]

The moment he comes off that blasted elevator, Number 6 freezes at the sight of the room. He's seen this setup before it was as offensive then as it is now. But at least in The Village he'd been alone. No love of his life to grieve for while facing down this farce of a proceeding. Ava isn't here now to pull him back from the rage, and it is boiling over so much that he has to keep his hands stiffly balled at his sides lest he lose himself to the urge to simply stalk right up to the Captain on his fancy throne and smash his teeth in.

His steps are jilted and slow as he goes, reluctantly, to one of those podiums. Plenty of people here (especially the teens) have seen him in a rage. But what fewer people have seen is when that rage hardens from red hot iron into cold steel. While everyone debates the morality of voting to execute one of their own, Number 6 is thinking of his own revenge. Most of his ire is directed at the Captain now, because this isn't a game. Peoples' lives are not a game. And yet, here he is dressed up like this is a special event, acting as if solving this mystery is nothing more serious than a hand of poker. Regardless of who committed these acts and why, he cannot dismiss the feeling that the Captain knew of them and chose to do nothing. Chose to watch. This excursion had the makings of something special, a respite for people who wanted to believe that things could change. A proof of concept to Skulduggery's assertions that they could strive for something better. All of that lays now in a puddle of blood and drywall inside Number 6's mind, where the vision of his love cut in half will forever haunt him.

(Evidence presented:) In a cold and almost toneless voice, he recites what he knows, "Ava Starr is dead. I found her halfway through a wall, stuck there, heading out of our shared room. She has a stab wound in her back, but there was no evidence of a weapon. She had no defensive wounds. The door was locked as it had been the night before. I..." his voice cracks, "I noticed nothing until that noise woke me." And that's all he can bring himself to say on the matter. His mouth snaps shut but he's very pointedly glaring at the Captain with enough heat to fry an egg instantly. If he chooses to vote, he has an idea already where he wants to place it.

[actuallyawolf]

"Oh, not Ava."

She's genuinely upset by this, upset enough that she starts twisting a piece of her hair aggressively.

"Um. What side of the wall was the stab wound on?"

[actuallyawolf]

Ylva, fussing uneasily at the entirely unfamiliar setting of a courtroom, stops fidgeting with her hands long enough to lift her head.

"If we're gonna figure this out... It's someone real strong, and someone with magic. That's... assuming, I guess, that the stabbings and the beheadings are the same person."

[bloodmunchies]

“Uh—um.”

Oh, shit, Aiden hates this. He hates this a lot. He always hated seeing court proceedings on the news, and he doesn’t like it any better on his hell cruise ship with a weird debate setup, which he’s pretty sure isn’t how lawyers and juries work.

He considers not going, but he doesn’t want to be suspect, and Pratt goes down, so he does too. Then he considers not talking at all. Some people are making some very good arguments about it.

But… people should know. Chrissy and Vance don’t deserve people not knowing, right?

“Um. This morning, I woke up to a most gnarly sight, which was Chrissy with her head bashed against the wall and appearing… um, very dead. In the Grove Lodge. Yeah. Um… uhhhhhhh, and I started looking around, and I was getting a rather peculiar sense of the situation at hand: I couldn’t find any trace of any crazy killer, or if there was, then…

“I mean, what I am saying, is that I… have a pretty excellent nose. Like a hound. Because I can turn into one. But I didn’t smell anything that was particularly abnormal for the people staying at there. Additionally, I was bereft of any findings as to how Chrissy got out of her room and around mine. It was like she just happened there. Furthermore, all of the furniture and things and stuff were intact… and every single door was closed when I woke up. Oh, um, also the g—uh, kid with the cool blonde rocker hair found her too and he was with me.”

[neverleave]

"I couldn't smell anything of the killer's either. Only the victims."

Human blood, troll blood (another shout out to Eridan and his seafood scent), nightblood. He can't turn into a hound, but he's still a vampire.

[redlightgreenlight]

[Valdis isn't sure she wants to play this game, but the idea that this could be possessions again means that there is a chance that the perpetrator might not be done. When she speaks, she goes to a podium, because that's just how it is done.]

Tendi seems to have been killed before Darcy as her body was under Darcy's door. Cause of death is either strangulation, with a very distinctive hand imprint, or the dozens of stab wounds caving in her chest. There is no indication that a metal blade was used and nothing left in the wound that I could find.

There was also very dark magic involved. I will note that these injures are consistent with rage, though who would be angry with Tendi is beyond me.

[It seems rather like blind rage, like the killer didn't care who their victims were. Though it is suspect that both Ava and Clarke are dead considering that they were both at the meeting and on opposite sides.]

[sanctus_dei]

[Hi. Theo is raising his hand but not waiting to be called on to ask his question.]

Yeah. What happens if we don't figure this out?

[From his tone, he doesn't really seem to care.]

[stalksthedarkness]

My guess, they keep killing until they're satisfied. Or they got what they want.

[He said it nonchalantly.]

Assuming that certain parties aren't just doing this for the heck of it!

[pointofhonoria]

So it's an absolute farce of a trial, of course it is. Bad enough that the Captain turns these things into a game anyway, but getting through this already sounds like it's going to be like pulling teeth...

Crabb's already decided she's not going to make (let?) Johnny have to recount what they found himself, bad enough he had to examine his own husband's corpse, but she casts a look over to him anyway before she actually gets on with it.

"Watson was attacked and killed in the same damn room he was sharing with his husbands, so add that to the tally of people sleeping through deaths they shouldn't'a been able to. There was one Hell of a struggle that ended with Watson going out the window, the fall was what did him in but he'd been stabbed with his own sword from inside his cane which was then snapped in half. Deliberately. Lotta force and anger put into it and the stab itself.

"Awkward looking stab, though; came from either someone taller or above him. Reckon he might've been stabbed and went out the window as a result, then the cane pieces tossed out after him. He'd been lying there a while, goin' by the snowfall, but the cold stopped rigor mortis setting in. Which makes it real weird that he was still showin' signs of livor mortis, even if it weren't a weirdly black colour even for a normal body."

Ugh, relaying facts like this is a lot harder when it's someone you care about... "Weren't any sign of who was in the room or how they got in except for a sliver of black metal," which she will pluck out of her pocket to hold up, she's still wearing gloves herself. "Must've come off something else. Weapon or otherwise."

[glassaxolotl]

Dedue holds up another piece of black metal.
“This was found... by the stairwell. It appears to be a metal finger. The hand clutching it was discolored black. The discoloration continued up the veins.”

[crushed_pearls]

Erin really hates to be the one to say this. Really, truly does not want to be addressing the Captain after her mistake last time.

But no one else is asking, and it probably needs to be said.

"Captain." Her voice is as professional as she can make it given the circumstances; it shakes and shudders. "For clarity, when you say guilty party are you confirming that there is only one?"

[ossie_oswald]

"He said 'party or parties' to our dear April when they asked, Erin. Pay closer attention. You know how important phrasing is in these circumstances."

Evidence from Siffleur and Jack's investigation of Eddie

[obeyseventually]

Jack really, truly, doesn't want to be here. Truly, he'd rather spend what's probably the last day here exploring the grounds again with Siffleur.

But when he sought out Skulduggery to dump his findings and leave, even he could tell how off his 'vibes' were (as the kids apparently say now), so he just uh, didn't even go through the door there, he just left the skeleton to his business of staring at the fire.

However, not knowing who else he could pass the buck to (and telling Arthur would make this even more of a game of telephone than it already was) meant that Jack had to show up here, if they wanted the killer found.

The warmth and weight of Siffleur's cougar form against his legs is, at least, a comfort here, and helps ground him as he taps some resort stationary against his podium and clears his throat.

"We found Eddie on the east side of the lodge." Jack starts, and looks down at his notes.

"His face was badly beaten and there were multiple heavy stab wounds to the chest. There were very light footprints in the snow, barely there, that lead to the lodge, but didn't come back out." Jack recites these points like a student cold reading a presentation in front of the class.

"The blood pooled in his body looked black, which is - I think? Darker than it usually is in an old body." Don't ask how he knows, please.

"And... There was a pack of cigarettes shoved into his mouth, forcefully enough to - knock out some teeth." Well, maybe, or that was part of the face beating.

The important part is, he doesn't say the brand. Not - not yet, or at all, because... Look, maybe it was Pratt, but if it was, dragging that out in front of half the ship wouldn't help anything for anyone.

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga pinches the bridge between his eyes. He knew a bit about Eddie's previous death (to bats), and the magic involved in THAT...

"How could it be so quick?" Even the gods couldn't, right? And wouldn't bother. Yato wouldn't add in multiple punches.

Living nightmares? Of the gang that chased Eddie??? That didn't make sense... right? And even if it was, then Nobunaga and Siffleur shouldn't have been amiss from this, since he's pretty sure they got nightmares with the best of them. Was there any commonality in the victims? Not same worlds, not same friends or sentiments to the excursion, Captain, or any of the living. 1 in 3? Why?

Nobunaga mentally recounts punching, boxing, then speeds it up in his head for the force and rage involved, and -- no. Still... It's too fast.

Ah but of course, it's magic so...

Even magic has limits. Why was it instant on some, and so damn drawn on out on others? It had to be different attackers. But again... why. It couldn't be severe recollection wounds they'd taken before, or else there'd have been bat bites involved. And Ruby had never died before.

"Can we rule out that it's something new from here? Like the Bahamanal in the clothing store? That doesn't have a smell either, or rather it's just clothes. Obviously it couldn't cause the stab wounds, but if something passed through the night, some kind of other monster... Extremely angry with us overstaying our welcome, or--" Nobunaga spreads both hands. "I just want to make sure we can rule it out and narrow the scope." Eddie smoked, Ava was a ghost, but Vance was a ghost and not attacked. Tendi...???? Nobunaga still can't fathom what she could have done to irritate anyone.

[stalksthedarkness]

"There's better ways to go about setting up a murder mystery game. Ones that don't reenact an Agatha Christie novel."

His nose wrinkles, before he raises his camera up and... BRIGHT FLASH... takes a photo of the Captain and surrounding room.

"I imagine it's probably someone, or something, that we didn't even think about. Like a member of the crew gone rogue, an insane robot, or our fearless captain himself."

Based on everything that's been said, however, he's leaning more into the realm of a crew member or one of the passengers being manipulated.

[makesomedeals]

You are very lucky that Max is out of podiums to throw. As it is he's just going to continue to seethe and glare.

"If you don't have anything helpful to add, kindly be quiet."

[interlunium]

[ soooo this is kind of weird. and bad. and unpleasant. laura maintains a white-knuckled grip on her podium as she glances around the circle.

everything about this feels wrong, mainly because this isn't how murder trials work. you can't bring a bunch of inexperienced people into a room and expect them to throw their findings together and successfully suss out a killer. she'd barely even examined one of the bodies, let alone any of the others. not to mention she's doesn't have a degree in forensics. how can she have any reliable input on who might be the killer? ]

This is ridiculous. We've barely had enough time to process what happened. Now we're expected to have a trial?

[ossie_oswald]

Ossie takes his place at the podium beside Giles, taking a moment to fix his perfectly-sitting hair. No charming smiles like usual, this isn't the place for it, and he doesn't look directly at the Captain in the same manner of avoiding the eye of a wild animal.

"I'll admit, I have no actionable evidence to put forward. Instead I ask… we've heard the arguments for abstaining and 'not playing the game', I would like to present my argument for the opposite.

The trick about games is that they have rules. Our fair captor has explained them perfectly clearly; we play along and get answers, we don't and do not. Pay keen attention to that phrasing. There will be no answers if we don't do this.

Furthermore, I understand some of you believe the Captain is solely at fault for these murders, that some of our number were manipulated or otherwise coerced into committing them, if any of us did it at all. This is, and please do forgive my language, a bit bloody much to take on faith alone. If we do not agree to cooperate, then we risk going home with a murderer at large, who could very well strike again given another opportunity. Potentially multiple, in fact, wot. We risk our safety and our peace if we don't seek out who has done this. Any division here will be nothing compared to the knowledge that someone has brutally and repeatedly taken the lives of at least a dozen people and walked away.

We cannot control the hand we are dealt. We are not the ones who make the rules for this game. But we can play it such that we can ensure our own safety, and answers for those we've lost on this day.

All this besides: I would encourage a good, careful look at the motivations of those asking us to give up the hand we have been given. At best, it's a childish display against someone who already holds all the cards. At worst, I don't think I need to point out what it may be concealing.

Thank you," and he's done.

[tempingainteasy]

God damn it, here April is speaking in front of a crowd again, but the voting dramatics starting to play out already is giving them too much of a headache to keep quiet.

"Very noble of everyone withholding their vote," they say, with their elbow on their podium and their hand massaging their face. "And you know what? I'm even fine with bypassing the execution if we hammer out enough details to be reasonably confident without the confirmation."

"But, big question: Why did you board the elevator if you didn't want to participate?"

April's hand stills, but remains over half of their face, just the lower half as they look over their palm and arch their eyebrow.

"I mean, if you're abstaining, great for you, protest noted, but what are you hoping to achieve by staying on your podium? If you're not here to go through the evidence and piece together what happened, step down from your podium and go hang out in the corner or something. If you just want to tell the Captain how fucked up he is, then do it at the bridge when we're back."

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga isn't staying at his podium, he's walking around, taking notes, sharing his lists, and generally a fidgety mess. He's not here to vote someone to their death. He is here to try to make sure he could stop it from happening again, and help as he could. He doesn't find blaming or lashing out at the Captain productive, nor is it better to do the same to anyone else either. Rather then, he would like a lot of answers. Like why?

And quietly, avoiding all mics:
"Are you okay, Sensei?" He'll stop calling April that eventually. Maybe.

He can fight brutally with Teyrey, but at the end of the day, she's here down the elevator, specifically because Nobunaga asked her to guard his back, and to help keep him from doing anything he could regret. And she is indeed... hanging out in her corner, not a podium as April suggested.

[ring_for_giles]

[ Giles is human once more, once the elevator appeared being a panther seemed far less useful than it had when things had first started.

After he's conferred with Dedue, he speaks in a clear but entirely flat voice, with no hint of expression anywhere. ]

Dimitri's body was found on the stairs, his head had been driven into the wall hard enough to crack his skull. He appeared to have fought back, and in the struggle his dagger was broken and he tore a metal finger from his attacker. His hand where he held the finger was blackened, and it seemed to have turned all of his blood black as well.

There were no out of place scents around the body, but there was some lingering magic.

[bloodmunchies]

“Chrissy was killed kinda like that too. In the Grove Lodge. Her head and her brains against the wall and stuff. I… did not see any mysterious black stuff going on with her, though.”

[makesomedeals]

Max has never felt more surrounded by idiots in his entire life. Between people abstaining from voting, blaming the Captain, and assuming there's one piece to the puzzle that will cause it to fall apart like a house of cards, this entire thing is going to take five days for them to uncover and the Captain absolutely does not have that sort of patience.

Neither does Max.

"If Ava were alive right now she'd have not only figured this entire thing out, she would have taken care of the problem and we wouldn't even be having this trial." He sighs. It goes without saying that's probably entirely why she's dead.

Or maybe it doesn't, but he doesn't add that part in.

[konpeito_aji]

"Okay, so are you as in tuned with the problem and how to solve it as she would be?"

Nobunaga's not even mad, he's genuinely hoping that Max knew, and was just sitting on it for the lulz. Shortcuts are the best cuts?