colorfuldreamsmkg

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Someone Else to Blame | Jedidiah Jones | Trial 3 Results

Isn’t that just great? Nobody else had to die, because there was no one alive left to blame. Clarabell had killed María Dolores and then done herself in, whether she meant to or not. Nobody in the room did it. Begrudgingly, eventually, Jed had conceded that point. It was supposed to be for her sake. That’s what Erika had said, and eventually, something he’d been just convinced enough right at the end. And for what? Was this supposed to somehow feel better? Sure, no mistrial meant no further personal risk to him, but after that particular threat had passed it was a lot easier to focus on the immediate material future of what it all meant.

Constellation Carnival were going to be walking out of this as winners.  All the damage everyone was riding his ass about should be undone, if Witch’s little incentive was anything to go by. That’s a plus for him too, right? Nobody actually cared about his old bandmate - they were just incensed that Lapin Lazuli got caught up in it, and now it’d be like all that never happened. Good, right? But she had the nerve to be crying about it. It’s the same ugly sound that Takuma-as-Tufnel made before driving the knife into his arm, an irritating noise that could rival the incessant droning in his ears. Infuriating, even.

And you know what? Harper goes and says the first sensible thing he thinks he’s heard him say all day when he tells Witch to stop it. Jed still wants to wipe that empty smile off of his damn face, but at least that's something they can agree on. Whatever he’s feeling right now boils over so readily into the familiar comfort of anger - an emotion that’s easier on everything but the old heart. Don’t get too worked up. Can’t let her get the last word in. This kind of stress isn’t good for him right now and he can feel it. The empty space to his side is demanding he not let this be what kills him, too, it's taunting him, she’s the reason he finally says anything at all and the reason he doesn't say anything worse, glaring daggers at the three of them over poor Inazuma's podium.

“Stop fucking crying. You won. Act like it.”

Better to keep an agonizingly tight grip on the podium instead of throttling one of them in front everyone (not least of all for the physical support, the tension is really reminding him of just how much he's still in recovery here.) If it wasn’t about winning, what was the fucking point of any of it? Because Constellation Carnival cared about each other, if they all wanted to congregate at Witch's podium and cry about the fact that thanks to Clarabell, they had it the best of anyone here, they could carry the blame for her actions in her stead. It wasn’t like Jed had any real desire for anyone to die here - but without having a living, breathing person to blame, sent off to the gallows for that bit of final catharsis, there’s nowhere else for the anger to go.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

But there’s still so much room on the page. | Cecilie Erdon | Trial Results

The main question that rang through her head all throughout the trial was finally answered. Why would Min-Si hurt someone like this? Why would she orchestrate all of this?

Sonny kept hammering in the point that she did not care for anyone but Constellation Carnival and Yuu, and she was willing to get their wishes granted. But Cecilie, for some reason, did not want to think it was true. She enjoyed being loved, being cared for, having her first friend ever smile at her…but Min-Si had to care for more people, right?

She couldn’t see a mistrial come to actuality - right?

She wouldn’t…

…..

She Would.

Anguish, horrible, terrifying, it stretches its branches all the way from the tips of her toes to the last strand of hair on her head. Every single part of her ached, as Emile started to cry, as Sonny declared what she did, as Witch collapsed and Harper tried to pick her up- and yet held that same void in his eyes as he always did.

Shapes, pointed and distorted, sketches - full of chicken scratch and unrecognisable, faces blurred. New images, everyone was wrapped in thorns and bleeding, their tears a sap being drained and falling to the floor. A new image; everything was rotten, breaking apart, Cecilie watched the room become more and more abstract, more and more foreign to her as she looks at her own reflection in the water and sees…

So that’s what she looked like at the moment.

She wonders what Min-Si would say.

(I'm sorry if the way I love is too much..)

Was this her love? Was this love? Was this what it was meant to be?

Min-Si you goddamned fool.

“I’ll clean. Just me the…the room is unstable.”

Her voice is shaking, she is  never without feeling- but she is often without the words to explain the emotion. As she closes her eyes and looks at Emile and Sonny. Bowing her head in apology.

She’s sorry.

Maybe there was something she could’ve done, could’ve said, done something to make it so that this never would’ve happened. Made it so Maria Dolores was still here, bantering with Sonny as she does with a wry smile. Made it so she still had her teacher who gave her harsh criticism but looked on with pride when she finally spoke up, finally sung with presence.

Her brain is foggy, but she turns, then. To Harper, to Witch…

“There is now a later so…we will talk in time..” It is too soon now. There is too much emptiness, and too much existing in that void in her chest despite its nature. “Please rest.” I am glad you are alive. 

She slinks over there now they’ve been dismissed, and kneels down next to Witch’s sobbing body. Drawing her in and pressing a kiss to her forehead as she holds her tight. I am relieved you are free. And yet she feels guilt for that relief.

How cruel this was. Min-Si….Why would you do this to them…?

“Stay in other people's company, if you are able ... .Ms Miku- Ms Doll…she will want company too.” 

They still have to explain this to her. The thought makes bile travel upwards, but she swallows it down for now. There was still cleaning to do, after all. 

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

love and loss, it’s all part of the deal || emile dupont || voting results reaction

Count back from ten. Take a deep breath. Release it out all at once.

It’s all so empty. It’s so muffled, that whoever speaks next he can’t even listen. All static to his mind as wishes are promised and granted, and he’s glad, he’s so fucking glad that there’s some good over this.

But the sting of envy remains. The sensation of guilt for feeling that. The relief, because there’s no more death, but the sorrow, so much anguish and sorrow that just won’t go away because all he can remember is the dust from the rubble, the scent of rain as blood runs red.

A spectator watching behind the window. So many conflicting emotions as his hands shake and he can feel like every single part of him just wants to shut down.

To sleep. To rest. Take a break, won’t you? Maybe then you won’t have to get up.

Outwardly though, he is as he ever is. Another shaky breath, body tense. But internally, this grief that keeps going and going, because love and loss and love and loss. How much more can you give and you give, before there’s nothing left inside, he doesn’t know anymore as his mind screams at him to say something, something kind, something consoling, but he can’t think of anything at all besides how much he wants to close his eyes and-

He hears Sonny. Sonny, who holds that same grief he understands so fervently, yet anger spills from the words she unleashes. But her body shakes. And before he knows it, he finds himself speaking.

“... Sonny.”

It cracks. It’s shaky. It doesn’t sound like him, so foreign.

“Enough. They know. I’m sure they all know already.”

He hopes they do, for the lives that it was worth. He’s so grateful that those wishes have been granted, that no one else has to die. But he’s so full of indignation as well - for what it all cost. And he’s sure they all know it, this song and dance that has occurred three times over now.

But whether she meets his gaze or not, perhaps aggrieved for what he’s said, all he can manage at last is to step away from his podium. And before he’s realized it himself, he approaches her, before gently pulling her into an embrace as well.

It hurts. Her body is shaking, this woman who’s been trying to keep herself together for so long. His own trembles in return, because maybe he needed this hug as well. He doesn’t want to give up on kindness, on trust and love, but it’s so, so hard.

“... I’m sorry.”

No eloquent words, no convoluted statements. Just a single apology for the pain they both carry, as warm as he can manage no matter how cold he feels. And maybe that warmth is still there, when he feels her clutch back, a sharp wail as she starts to sob into his shoulder.

All he can do is rub her back, and stare emptily at the line between the ocean and the sky, his cheeks suddenly feeling so much more wet with silent tears of his own that he no longer tries to hold back.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

The Clown that You Desire | Harper Finch | Voting Results Reaction

And it's over. Just like that. All the stress, all the paranoia, he was right, they were safe, they'd always been safe, just as it had been engineered for them to be from the start. He shouldn't have doubted his own unit-members. He fit in with them much more than he had initially imagined. That flower of acceptance, watered by hope, blooms within the hollow of his chest, something fragrant and ephemeral, pulsing under radiance, under light-hearted euphoria.

Lighter than air, his spirit lifted, soared, glided, unshackled, unfettered. A boisterous bubbling in his bloodstream had him bouncing on his heels, about to take off to the skies. Yes, this couldn't have ended better. Alette would have final chance. One more shot. He trusted Miku, he trusted her wholly and without hesitation, just like he trusted her when they struck their bargain. He just knew, implicitly, instinctively, she was one to keep her promises. It was a unique sort of power, one that Harper almost envies. Maybe she could teach him. Maybe on a second date - why not, why not? He's in such a good mood.

This couldn't have ended better. But why did it have to start? No, he can't think like that.

He doesn't laugh, but he grins, wide, relieved, so relieved. Everything that was his, he got to keep. He kept Witch. He kept Cecilie. He kept his wish. But he lost...

Well, that was just how the world worked. Give to get. The law of equivalent exchange, nothing comes for free, all that. Their garden was watered with blood, but so long as the flowers bloomed, what did it matter? Their carnival might be down a clown, but he'd keep smiling all the same. Why should he feel anything but relief? Why should he do anything but celebrate? He had no control over Min-si's actions; she wasn't as malleable as Cecilie or Witch, so certainly, there would have been no way to prevent or assist, whatever his inclination might have been. 

She was a wild-card, as endlessly entertaining as she was dangerous. She'd never get to meet Alette, no, but she had all but given Alette a new lease on life, and that was just as well as being her friend. Her partner. Really, he gained a whole new respect for Min-si, something he tamped down and kept close to his chest. A whole new perspective.

But he lost...

What was wrong with him, really? Already, the flower in his chest started to wither, thorns taking root in his throat. Every feeling he should be feeling, he was feeling it - scratching and scraping the walls of his esophagus, wanting to burst out in tears, in screams, in laughter, unable to choose, unable to decide.

He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. He wasn't smart enough, human enough, and he couldn't sympathize with Witch's tears, with Sonny's anger, because...Well, just look around. The trial couldn't have swung more in his favor. The vote for Min-si was unanimous, a landslide pyrrhic victory, and Harper received the vindication that he had been right all along. 

Vote for Min-si and no one else has to die.  

Hadn't he said as much from the beginning? Maybe, from now on, people would listen before they reacted. Maybe he gained a bit of credibility from all this.

But he lost...

The trial ended passively, with Miku keeping true to her word. No more blood stained their hands, and only tears rolled instead of heads, and, as if it couldn't get much sweeter, like sugar, like syrup, like the taste of wet pennies in the back of your throat, dripping raw and red, he even got to get his reward - his entire reward, including what was negotiated. Yes, he fell prey to the promise of more, more, more, and why shouldn't he? He'd been hoping, dreaming, more than expecting, and now that dream had come true, through no fault or effort of his own. He'd prayed to, bargained with an empty god, and a human had responded. 

A human had answered his call. Humanity was the rhyme, the reason, the poem he couldn't dissect, and just when he grasped it, he lost it all over again, and it's not his fault, but he can't exactly blame the dead. 

He lost Min-si. He lost what was human. Witch and Cecilie lost Min-si, what was human, what was real, what could laugh and smile and dream, for the fulfillment of some empty wishes, some hollow promises they hadn't even asked for. Why hadn't they bartered with Miku? Why couldn't they have gotten more for this? Min-si had died for this. For them.

For what?

“Don’t forget whose blood paid for this.”

How could he?

He hadn't asked for this. None of them had. He hadn't wanted this. Any of this. But he damn well was going to make the most of it. Anything less would be a disservice to the blood that was spilled. He won't forget. Thanks for the reminder. 

He makes his way over to Witch's podium, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, a futile attempt to offer comfort. He presses her close against him, whispering hollow words in a voice akin to a funeral bell, ringing and ringing.

   "Don't cry, Witch," and when he spoke he felt somewhere so far away, outside of his own skin, his own voice tasted strange and alien on his tongue, like expired red velvet with a hint of cosmic horror, an inability to comprehend what was lost, reconciliation with himself impossible, improbable, he can't speak in a way he can understand, he doesn't speak his own language, but he continues, though it might as well be gibberish - all meaningless. 

He's smiling. He lost it. He lost her.

"We're getting our wishes granted, just like she wanted."

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

The Villain I Appear To Be | Sonny | Trial 3 Results Reaction

"Fuckin' great."

Nobody has to die. That is a net good- yet Sonny isn't going to let any of this slide easily. She can feel her blood boiling over, her muscles tense up, everything rushing to her face as she struggles not to spill over onto the floor

words and blood and guts and

Her mouth slowly opens, and thorned roses come out.

"Don't forget whose blood paid for this."

Her hands grab at her podium, muscles relaxing as she lets out a dry laugh. Oh, she's so exhausted. Oh, she's so tired.

What the fuck is she doing here? She has to wonder. Any hopes of her getting better, any hopes of her trying to be more open to others, all of that was crushed under the rubble with Ma.

Why should she be expected to be strong? Be the better person? She's tried that. It ended poorly. The system is always going to be rigged against her, just like she thought.

Because she's her mom's daughter, she's here. Because she can't go over her stupid musical dreams, she's here. Because she can't be herself, whatever that is, she's here. And she's been forced to expose herself and bleed and bleed until it mixed with Ma's and then Ma bled and bled and bled and-

No more.

Truly?

Fuck kindness and empathy. Fuck trying to open up. Because no matter what happens, there will be a Clarabell, a Magia Records, a Michael that will take advantage of her. The world is cruel, and it will continue to take from Sonny for no reason other than she's Sonny.

Nothing will get better.

Nothing will change.

Music is cruel.

Music is a knife. Music is a bomb. Music is your family buried in the rubble, your family testifying for their freedom, your family unconscious on the living room floor with wine in one hand and a cig in the other.

"I'm leavin' if I can. Don't expect me to clean this mess."

She's reaching for her phone when she stops. God, no, she's not going to her SEKAI. What was she thinking? She puts it away, mumbling something as she walks over to Suzie and whispers something to her. 

As much as she wants to be alone, she knows that's a terrible idea considering her state.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Three of Swords | Witch | Voting Results Reaction

She should be relieved.

The trial's over. Witch is alive. Thanks to Min-Si, Constellation Carnival gets to reap all of their rewards. Harper's family's debts are going to be cleared. Cecilie will get her legal documents so that she can finally, truly exist. And the suffering Witch's best friend endured will be undone... for the most part. She should be relieved.

But Min-Si is gone. María Dolores is dead, because of her. If things had gone a little bit differently, Sonny would be dead, too. And Witch was manipulated by someone she considered a dear friend.

Where's the relief in knowing you were used? How do you recover when you're grieving a person who took advantage of your kindness? What's the point in trying to feel better when you know that something like this could happen again?

How can anyone be expected to live like this?

For the past three weeks, Witch has been careful with showing her emotions. There have been slips, but even when that happens she tries to keep her reactions sedate or hidden. Feelings are ugly and dangerous, and it isn't safe to let other people see your weakness.

But now, at the end of the trial, her bottled emotions finally get the better of her. With a loud thud, Witch collapses forward onto her podium and lets out a loud, grief-stricken wail. Her hat slips partially off her head, and her hand nearly knocks the censer off her podium, but she doesn't care. Let them stare at her and pity her while she cries and sobs and mourns, it doesn't matter anymore.

Where there once was a witch, there is now only a broken girl with a broken heart.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Take Me Down | Erika Singer | Voting Results Reaction

So, they were right all along. It was Mins-si, even if they're still pretty sure that some of the details are wrong. At least the end result was right. No one else would have to die--at least, for this motive--and all of ConCar gets their wishes fulfilled.

It is about as positive an outcome as they possibly could've gotten, once the bodies started falling. There was no fixing what was done, so shouldn't she be relieved?

.....

No, she still feels empty inside. Exhausted, not enough energy to sustain the amount of emotional whiplash that this trial has put her through. With the results now well in hand, the adrenaline over the idea of surviving has left their system.

They don't faint, they're still too awake for that. But they do shift from their sitting position. With a wet splat, they let themselves fall to just be laying on the wet ground. Her face turns to the side so she doesn't have to worry about breathing in the very slight amount of water, and she just looks away from the group, out into the endless horizon.

....

She needs a drink.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Pierrot of the End - Ch3 Voting Results

Well, what a chaotic trial. There had been much disagreement and much contribution from so many sides, and it seemed like there was only one thing people truly agreed on: Clarabell, no, Min-si Jun made this trap. As the votes closed, Miku Prime fiddled with her own cell phone with a light giggle, seemingly having a grand old time.

“Well well, I suppose we’re done now with the arguing and pointing fingers, so remember to apologize and make up with each other after all of this, alright? This sure seems to be the highest-tension case so far, so color me entertained! In the end, everyone’s made their own decision so there’s no randomization to be had. Let’s take a look at the scores, now, shall we?”

She stood up, walking across the top of the digital screen she had been resting upon, much like a cat in her grace and balance.  The screen flickered to life, displaying a list of results.

...Or, rather... one single result, it would seem.

Min-si Jun - 13

Miku Prime clapped as a series of confetti party poppers appears around her head like a halo, bursting and shooting confetti around the center of the trial circle.

“Congratulations, you got it! Min-si Jun is the culprit for both Maria Dolores Aguilar AND herself! My, my, it took SO much time for one of you to consider the idea that she simply… was not even in the room during the initial explosion. Lau Fei, you have my admiration for figuring most of that out." "But, you all got it in the end! And indeed! The classroom trap wasn’t connected to the admin office at all! If you’d looked at it a little harder, though, you might have realized that earlier on, no? A wired TIED to a nail isn’t capable of pulling anything on the other side of it. Meanwhile, of course it was actually the admin room tripwire that activated chemical reactions of the bombs."

So she was willing to answer the lingering questions people seemed to have, though it seemed… As time went on, people did manage to talk it out and come to the correct conclusion, regardless of the specific details of the case.

“Truly a remarkable show of teamwork, all of you! I’m so impressed with how much you managed to work out! And I must say… I’m quite impressed with Min-si, too. I sure told her to deliver me an interesting murder with her multiple stipulations, and she sure did deliver it. I suppose she isn’t here to share what it was now, too, so I think I will bite.”

Miku Prime swiped through her phone and began to read off of the screen.

“Should you personally murder two people, regardless of if you get away with it or not in the trial, your unit mates are guaranteed to have all of their wishes granted. In exchange, you cannot share what your wish is, nor can you confess to murder during the course of the trial. Additionally, you must convincingly frame someone else.”

Miku Prime turned off her screen with a pleasant smile. She'd HAD to kill two, huh...? But wait… What was that? ‘Regardless of if you get away with it or not’? That meant…

“Congratulations, Constellation Carnival! Your wishes will all be granted, thanks to the sacrifice of Min-si’s own wish. And the lives of Maria Dolores and herself, of course. All of her stipulations were hit, even if one of them didn’t quite work the way she expected it to, due to multiple mishaps~ You have my personal guarantee that they will be fulfilled, and I’ll deliver concrete proof of it to each of you individually. I hope you’re satisfied with the wishes you have, since two of you never negotiated with me.”

It was far too late to negotiate now, at least, but... none the less, something at least would be gained for the three in ConCar still alive.

“Now as for the execution… There won’t be one! I'm sure that's a relief for you to hear~ I’ll still give you fifteen minutes here to hug it out and cool down regardless though, before I send you back to the building. After all, I do need to focus on something for a moment before I let you go.”

No one else would die, today...? After all of the death that's occurred in the last five days, perhaps a burden of relief was lifted from your shoulders, knowing that no one else would join Yuu, Min-Si, and Maria Dolores in death.

And yet... It was hard to not look at the remainder of Constellation Carnival and Low Tide, knowing who's lives had been lost along the way.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Nissan Altima | Sonny Desiree | Trial 3.7 | RE: Witch, Lau Fei, Suzie

Sonny doesn't plan to add anything on, standing still and taking slow breaths to stop herself from losing it again when-

"Mm?"

Lau Fei starts explaining something. Sonny usually would figure this kind of thing out, but she thinks she deserves some grace- she almost died, and one of the two people she cared about the most went down instead of her. So that's when she sits down suddenly, taking out of her phone and whispering to herself as she starts drawing something.

"...I was stuck on that. It seemed really difficult how the trap was set up, yeah? Way too finnicky. I didn't get..."

The second Suzie asks her to explain, she pops out her drawing- and it is not a good one by any means, no, but it's something:

"All of ya better fuckin' listen up. I swear to God. I'm so fuckin' done."

"I know this looks like nothin', cause I don't got time to label, but lemme explain. This is the classroom. Top bar is ceiling. The triangle is the clay. Okay?

The cuttin' of the wire made a thud noise that was served to convince Witch, and by proxy Harper, that they'd done this. Clarabell set the timin' of the explosion to be just after as well-

And based on the testimonies we've heard? We got a pause between the wire cut and the actual explosion.

Cause I thought about it, and I tried to make it make sense, but that's the thing-"

"It is literally impossible, given what Clarabell used, to make somethin' that when cuttin' a random ass wire. The clay was just to make it feel like it did somethin', but what the fuck would cuttin' a wire in that room do? The tension of the wire especially would be too damn finnicky, considering all the twists and turns it had to make to go over and set off bombs.

And even if it was meant for Witch to look like she set it off, the fuckin' fake ass trip wire goes to show this whole thing was a fuckin' show.

This is all some orchestrated bullshit, with the clay as her signal to set off the bombs. And she could've fuckin' done it without draggin' myself or Ma into her shitty less mess."

Deep breaths.

"I'm gonna make one thing damn clear since ya guys wanna play your sympathies card.

Clarabell don't give a shit about anyone but her late girlfriend and Constellation Carnival, and I don't want any of ya fuckin' makin' her to be a martyr when Ma died and I almost died.

She set this up, whether she planned to die with it or not, and sent me knowingly to my death and Ma unknowingly. She engineered a mistrial on Witch. She was gonna send another innocent to their death. Two whole deaths on that clown's hands.

Call me cruel for sayin' it. I truly don't give a fuck anymore. I've got so much more shit I wanna say that I won't, because I wanna respect the people grievin' right now and not stir the pot more than I gotta-

But ooh, I'm not forgettin' the shit ya all did tonight, tryin' to vote Witch off, tryin' to accuse me of killin' one of the few damn people that ever cared about me, manipulatin' a young girl through her fuckin' grief.

Be warned this ain't over from me."

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

No Case Gain | Suzie | 3-5 | RE: Witch, Lau Fei

Suzie clicked her tongue. Thinking about the dead was such a tiresome exercise. What were they thinking? What did they want?

And unfortunately, that seemed to be what this all came down to.

Clarabell had seemed peaceful. Like she knew what was coming.

“The data scrub… must’ve been a precaution. If we’re assuming this was all set up to make Witch look and feel like the killer, then this depended on her reaching the classroom and the target reaching the admin room at close enough times that they could correctly line it up. A lot of places where that could go wrong. Just ‘cuz things wound up close doesn’t mean that’s a guarantee. Someone could’ve shown up late. My guess - the killer didn’t want to rely on things lining up close enough.” And the intent really was to make Witch the killer, why go out of their way to hide things to help them?"

“I checked out the ceiling in the classroom. There was wire on the nail closest to the admin room, but the ceiling of the admin room itself was further back.” A frown. If only she’d thought to measure. “I can’t imagine it’d be impossible, but it seems like it’d be pretty unwieldy trying to connect a length of wires between the two rooms. I can’t guarantee it, but it’d make sense to me for each room’s mechanism to be self-contained.”

Unless.

“Could the block of clay have been a counterweight on something? Did the wire it connected to lead to the other room at all?”

She turned to her side. There’s someone who knows a lot more about mechanisms here than her.

“Sonny, do you have any ideas on it? You’re better with this shit than I am.”

She frowned. Looking to the experts, preferring to hang back. Keep her head down as usual.

The only way Suzie could think to resolve things was to step into the shoes of the dead, for a second.

“I don’t know that she meant to, necessarily, but if we’re right, she must’ve been prepared for it. From her expression, and just… looking at the situation.” A frown. “Clarabell or no, I can’t see  a scenario where contriving someone else to be the killer would benefit the deceased, same unit or no.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Well. No. One comes to mind. The idea that the one who set the trap predicted us trying to shift the blame off of Witch and onto them - that thing we're doing now. Which… would only really make sense if they’re in the same unit as her.” A sigh. This is ridiculous. “I’m not gonna bank on that though, getting into this whole fucking…. reverse psychology nonsense. I think it’s a lot more likely that the trapsetter is the culprit. And I don’t see any reasonable suspects besides Clarabell.”

There was a doubt itching away at her, but she quickly silenced it. Something she wouldn’t even think about.

“A signal, maybe, and all that lines up with the first time the elevator stopped. I’m a bit perplexed on the timeline there still, actually. Five or six minutes, during which time the rumbling happened, and the ceiling went down. My assumption was that corresponded with the second time the elevator stopped, but that would’ve been a bit later. Perhaps it was delayed, but…” A frown. The timeline doomed to remains in question, for her.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Clock Lock Works - Ch3 Trial 15 Minutes Remaining

Chatter had... slowed down now, for sure. People were feeling more confident in their choices. Miku Prime, noticing the lull in conversation, opted to clap her hands and speak up.

"Alright everyone! It seems like there's not much people have left to say, so this is my 15 minute warning! Get your votes in, and so we can wrap everything up here, ok?"

It was perhaps just a courtesy, though, at this point.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

The Fool | Witch | Trial 3-9 | Re: Who Set Off The Bomb

"It... wasn't me?"

...Was it really all a trick?

Witch stares across the circle at the empty podium under the spotlight. All this time, she'd thought that it was her fault. That Min-Si was buried beneath the rubble all because she clipped the wrong wire. That there was simply no other explanation. She made a grave mistake, and she killed her friend. But now...

...Now that tiny, thin thread of hope actually led somewhere. The truth was staring her right in the face all along, and she had been too panicked to realize it.

She had not killed anyone.

"I don't... I don't fully understand the mechanism behind the trap. But... I'm not sure if I believe there was a trip wire. If there was, then the bomb could have gone off earlier by mistake and ruin the plan, right? So there must have been something else..."

There had been something odd. Something Witch hadn't even thought much of when it happened. Maybe that was the key they needed.

"When I cut the wire... it released a block of clay that smashed a ceiling tile with a loud bang. At the time I wasn't sure what to make of it, and... I just assumed it was part of the trap. But maybe...the falling ceiling tile in the classroom was a signal? A sign to Min-Si to detonate the bomb from the admin room. Maybe she had been waiting there, and..."

Oh.

Oh, no.

Witch had been doing her best to stay calm, to stop crying and focus. But this possibility immediately brought the tears back.

"Did... did Min-Si mean to die for this? Was that why she looked so..."

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

As the Atom Bomb Locks In || Lau Fei || Trial 3.9 || Re: Emile, Past Harper

This case was such a clusterfuck. A true mess. Ugh. What a headache. But there were a few things, at least, that Lau Fei could answer.

"To answer your question, Inazuma, it was timed so perfectly because of the notes. Both Sonny and Witch received notes telling them where to be at 10:00. Sonny ended up being late, so how Maria Dolores ended up there instead? Probably just bad luck. Or maybe she knew about the note and was going in Sonny's stead."

Lau Fei looked towards Emile next.

"I really do believe your account, Emile. I don't know who keeps voting for you. You say that Clarabell was with you until 9:45, until you left. She was...staring out the window, right? That's what you said?" They pause, their brows furrowing minutely before...URETHRA!! Wait!!

"Hold on, Emile. Wait, wait, wait. And Harper too. I think I'm putting something together here." They were terrible at all this trap business, but thank god they were great at remembering little things people mentioned. "You said Clarabell was staring intently out of the window. You said it even seemed like she was waiting for something. Well, she was."

God, how could they have not thought about this earlier? How had they missed this?

"The windows in the Art Room are across from the Admin Room and the Classroom. She probably could have seen into them, if she was looking intently enough. She was waiting for her freakin' trap to go off!"

Let's see them argue against THIS.

"She probably saw the wrong person going into the room, Maria Dolores, and rushed over in a hurry. Maria Dolores was probably killed when she opened the door. Like I originally thought, that wire passing over the door was a trip wire. When Maria Dolores walked inside, the bombs fell directly on her, which is what caused those burns and grey gunk to get on her body. And then when Clarabell came to check on her victim, the rest of the ceiling collapsed on top of her. That would explain why Maria Dolores had burns, and Clarabell didn't. And it would explain why there were blood stains underneath the wreckage."

Lau Fei gestured to Harper beside them.

"Harper mentioned it earlier when he was going over the trap. He said the explosions started less than half a minute after they cut the wire in the classroom. And then he said, there were rumbles that happened a few minutes after. Harper can clarify if I'm totally getting his account wrong, but that sounds like there were two explosions. Erika's testimony corroborates this. She said the elevator stalled out for her too. So, there were the bombs dropping that killed Maria Dolores. And then the ceiling collapsed after when Clarabell came to check on her trap. Is that right? Is that possible? I don't even know anymore."

This was all too much for them. Their brain felt heavy. A headache was coming on. They'd been thinking too hard and now their brain was stalling out. They couldn't do this anymore. Someone else tap in.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

wishing upon a star || emile dupont || trial 3.5 || re: lau fei, inazuma

The revelation slowly dawns on him as well, and they make logical sense in his head. A selfless wish, an ends to justify the means - if someone were to make a choice and stain their hands with blood, it would have been done so with conviction. 

And yet, the words that are spoken sound so muffled in his ears. Assuming that this is true, planned out just so-

Then this entire time. This entire time, this was what María Dolores’ life was worth. A woman who had grieved and mourned and lost. Yet the stars had always beckoned her, steady reminders of the dreams that had remained unfulfilled, left behind. And perhaps, if given some more time, she would’ve been able to seek them out again more properly - but not anymore.

What justification was there, after all, for trading one life to grant the wishes of others? It’s not like the dead can offer an explanation, a confession.

(He remembers, hours ago, in the quiet hours of the night, María Dolores had given him a wish too. That even if peace never existed at all, she’d hoped that if it did, he’d find it.)

Reality returns, as the light flickers, blaring down at his podium once again. Yet, it’s not met with surprise, the only reaction he betrays being a grimace that briefly crosses his features. He figures some may still have their vote cast on him, unchanged before a proper verdict is reached. But he supposes there’s merit to it as well, for if there is a light, people’s eyes will always follow. 

“... I see. Your insight makes sense. Thank you for that explanation, Lau Fei.”

To Inazuma’s question on the other hand, well. He supposes he can just repeat himself again.

“The last I saw María Dolores was when I woke up and left our room at 8:15. I then saw Clarabell shortly after that when I went into the art room, and was with her the entirety of that time until 9:45. Once again, I apologize for being unable to offer more, but you’ll all just have to take my word for it.”

Even so, his voice sounds foreign in his ears, exhausted, yet so succinct and direct. Unfeeling too, as he grips the turmoil of emotions to regain the composure that’s long been lost. It’s nothing against anyone, but he has his limits too, as his gaze soon travels to Sonny, indecipherable.

Sonny, who stands alone, who would’ve died today if not for a more unfortunate chain of events. Marked by death’s grasp, before just barely escaping it out of pure chance.

And it dawns on him how unsustainable this all is, because certain lives will always be held at a higher regard than others. It only took him this long to properly come to terms with it, even if others have for quite some time. He hates that it’s how it is. 

“... I’m casting my vote on Clarabell, and I truly do hope that was her plan. But I also want to reiterate that no matter what happens, María Dolores is also dead because of this. There’s no undoing or anything to change from there. I understand that if this is the case, Clarabell’s intentions were not for her own sake, and done so out of sincerity, but it was still done with an irreversible cost.”

He’s relieved - so, so relieved that it won’t have to be Witch. But he can’t deny the slivers of indignation and sorrow, like something’s been ripped out from his chest while also none the wiser. He hasn’t quite been okay for a long, long time now.

“I apologize for my personal feelings. I won’t fault anyone for mourning - it’s only natural. I will always grieve for the lives that have been lost here, because every single person that should be in this circle deserves the right to live. None of us should have ever been forced to turn on each other at all, or would have decided to kill otherwise, I’d hope. It’ll just… It’ll just take me some time.”

After saying that bit, he casts his vote - whether the light continues to cast down on him or not, he’s said his piece.

If all else, nothing more, he’ll simply wish for the peace that María Dolores deserved. A woman who, when she chose to love, loved with everything she had.

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Motherboard / Inazuma / Trial 3.4 / Re: Sonny, Ozzy / ATTN: Emile

Well, it’s finally happened. Inazuma Dauza, mascot of seven years, infinite appreciator of flashy moves, is sick of Harper Finch’s showmanship. Like, hello? Being the silly gal is her way of retreating! You sweet-talk Inazuma’s best friend, and then Inazuma’s entire flow? She doesn’t think so. She’s not going to give him the satisfaction of falling for some rage bait. She’s gonna come out and keep her head buried in the mess of facts strewn about this case still. And, in particular, one thing stands out to her.

“Hey… guys… I’ve been kinda zoning out and listening, but I have something I’ve been wondering. Everyone keeps bringing up ideas that Min-Si’s… well, allegedly Min-Si’s trap didn’t work the first go around, and she had to reset it. And, like… Erika explained how the bombs worked! If I’m remembering correctly, she said they’d ‘need a good jostling’ to set them off. We’ve also figured that the bombs were in the ceiling.”

“Now, I’m no bomb squad, but if that’s all you need to make those things explode, I think those bombs can’t be reset. There’s two cases: case one, the bottles get ‘jostled’ but stay in the ceiling. Min-Si was a wonderful gal capable of many, many amazing things, but I have never heard of a monster vertical jump being among her abilities. They would’ve gone off. Case two: the bottles fall out of the ceiling. That probably counts as a ‘jostling’, right? Even if there’s something you can do to reset a bomb, is it realistic to see someone get multiple dropped on them and for them to reset them all? Sounds pretty unlikely to me!”

“So, if we guess that Min-Si’s bombs are non-resettable, the Admin Room trap— if it really is disconnected from the Classroom trap— gets a lot weirder. How does that get triggered? If it has, how was it timed so precisely to match with the fake Classroom trap? Because the only explanation that makes any sense is that the concrete thing falling through the Classroom ceiling tile was…”

Inazuma simply shakes her head. There are other avenues to explore.

“Eh, I’m just yapping. But I’m pretty sure theories involving Clarabell resetting the trap can’t be true. But, Sonny, Ozzy, maybe your theories can still have some truth to ‘em! We’ve still got this! Let’s put our heads together about what went on before the Admin Room shebang: Emile, you saw Maria at some point, right? And what about Min-Si? I think someone saw her, too, but I forget who did. We should get everything we know about those two before they got to that room. Maybe that’ll help us understand what happened inside of it!”

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Clown to Clown Communication || Lau Fei || Trial 3.8 || Re: Harper || Attn: Witch

Oh.

Now he got it.

Lau Fei had been spending the better part of the last few minutes racking their head for anything they'd missed. They'd desperately tried to comprehend that trap and the diagrams, combing through people's testimonies, but they were struggling.

But then Harper began to laugh. And inviting people to vote for Witch at their own peril. And now it clicked.

Lau Fei couldn't understand complicated traps, but they understood Harper very well.

"You just figured something out, didn't you?" Lau Fei asked. It was a rhetorical question. They knew even if they asked directly about what it was, Harper wasn't going to oblige. Not now. Not for this group of people. Harper had definitely lost it, but it wasn't about giving up. No, this was relief. And Harper would only have that reaction if he'd realized something that would exonerate Witch. Lau Fei didn't know what, but they could make a guess.

"Hey guys...what guarantee do we have that the trap in the classroom was even attached to anything?" Lau Fei asked. Another rhetorical question. One they intended to answer. "Well, like, obviously it was attached to something, since Harper mentioned that clay. But I mean, like, do we even know it was attached to the trap in the Admin Room at all? I'm gonna be so for real, I really don't get the trap very well, but Harper wouldn't be laughing like that if it was attached. I know him that well."

A mystery solved, at least in Lau Fei's eyes. There was still so much to unveil about this case, but they felt a little lighter with the thought Witch probably hadn't caused any harm after all.

"I think someone smarter than me should go over the trap again to be sure, but...like, there were a ton of wires in the Admin Office alone. It seemed like it might've been kind of self-contained. As for why she would do that...I think it actually makes more sense than her setting up Witch to be a murderer."

"Clarabell was probably setting up Witch to think she was a killer," Lau Fei said. "And knowing that Witch would confess, just like she did, everyone would have voted for Witch and it would have caused a mistrial. Because Witch wasn't the culprit at all, Clarabell was."

It was still a horrible thought to consider. Being used by your own unit mate like that. But it was plausible. And the ends justify the means, right?

"I don't know if you all remember this, since it was a while ago, but when Miku revealed the motive, she also mentioned something. In the event of a mistrial, she could guarantee no one from your unit would be selected as a victim. So, while Clarabell was using Witch...she probably thought she was doing the right thing for her unit. Because then everyone's wishes would be granted, and without any of their lives being risked. Witch only would have had to feel guilty for a little while, just for the length of the trial. I can see why she'd do something like that."

They paused. It had been their initial theory about Clarabell betraying her unit, but that hadn't ever fit quite right. They just hadn't been able to figure out how the two conflicting pieces of information went together. Because they'd spent the whole time assuming the trap was legitimate. Now, they felt at peace.

"...I can't say anything for sure, but...I think this fits Clarabell a lot better. I didn't know her very well, but Miku said she wasn't allowed to reveal anything about her wish. From what I can tell, a lot of our stipulations have been different, but Clarabell's was the same as mine for some reason. If Clarabell's wish is anything like mine, it means she wanted to protect something precious."

They glance at Miku. Perhaps even that amount of information is too much. Perhaps that will null and void their wish. Even so...

Perhaps that's fine after all.

Their wish wasn't going to come true anyway.

"...I'm sorry for accusing Clarabell of betraying you, Witch. I still think she's the one who rigged the trap and killed Maria Dolores...but I also think she sincerely wanted to help everyone in her unit too. So...I hope that eases your pain, just a little. And I hope your conscience is clear now knowing that you had nothing to do with anyone's death."

[colorfuldreamsmkg]

Mixed Messages | Ozzy Driscoll | 3.4 | RE: Erika, Kanji, Sonny, Witch, Harper

Goddamn, this case is making his head hurt. And this discussion sure has felt like it’s been going on for much longer than the previous trials had. But the more they talk about it, the more Ozzy finds himself starting to narrow things down, picking apart what’s relevant and what’s not, what they’re overthinking and what they’re not thinking about enough. However, that zone of internal focus he’s in breaks for only a moment when he hears Erika mention his name and then Kanji mention Erika, the context surrounding both warranting him to speak when there’s finally space for his voice to be heard.

“Uh, kay, so, ‘bout dat, ya boi did a stupid. I only was fixated on da whole ‘pickin’ an extra person outside our unit ‘ta get rewards’ thing cause I forgot how da motive worked. I thought it was, like, literally everyone gets rewards if someone gets away with killin’ regardless of unit. My bad, I’m a dumbass. Dat’s why I talked about it in OTR’s group chat after Min-Si and MD died. Oh, and fer da record, we didn’t actually choose anyone ‘ta get da extra reward cause we didn’t wanna us ‘ta actually get to a point where we had ‘ta seriously consider it. As in, we didn’t wanna see more people die.

None of us wanted our rewards bad enough ‘ta kill anyone, and I know damn well dat Erika of all people definitely didn’t. She would’ve actually been fine talkin’ about choosin’ another person ‘ta get a reward if dat were da case, and she sure as hell wasn’t when I brought it up. Ain’t no way she’s involved in dis. Anyways, pretty sure I’m cleared, but regardless, I can share what my reward was. Here, lemme just-“

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Ozzy turns it on and scrolls for a bit before finding what he needs, reciting his offered reward verbatim.

“‘Should you or one of yer unit mates kill and get away with it, you will receive an all-expenses paid private professional rehab to help with alcoholism, with enough money left over ‘ta not need ‘ta work durin’ da program.’ Sure, sounds good on paper, but I can recover from my shit without gettin’ blood on my hands. So I didn’t even think about negotiatin’ wit’ Evil Miku on it, cause I was never gonna kill someone ‘ta get a free pass to fix myself. I’m doin’ dat shit da hard way, and dat’s fine wit’ me. Better den bein’ a fuckin’ murderer.”

Phone put away once more, his thoughts return to the matter at hand, the figuring out of who to vote for, who is truly responsible for all of this, whose hands took the life of María Dolores. And with Sonny’s proposition, his belief in his own theories strengthens, and with it comes the urge to speak, his speech starting to turn into a ramble as more and more thoughts and realizations and connections spill out of him with each word, puzzle pieces found mid-sentence, a clearer picture forming with each point he makes. Chat, he may be cooking.

“But anyways, yeah, speakin’ ‘a murderers, Min-Si’s da most obvious option fer who could’ve killed MD. And Son’s right, da room was already fallin’ apart, Min-Si could’ve just taken any ol’ piece of rubble from the already collapsin’ room and used it against MD. Plus, dat would explain da differences in der positions. Maybe it was like dis: MD walks in, gets blasted by a soda bomb dat da trip wire sets off, she falls over and tries ‘ta crawl away or Min-Si knocks her down to da ground and wacks her over da head wit’ some rubble ‘ta finish her off. Also, da ceilin’ was fuckin’ filled wit’ bombs, if each soda bottle is a bomb, I mean. It wasn’t just one dat set off da explosion, it was a whole shit ton of ‘em. I think only one single bomb went off on MD 'ta start, which is why it didn’t destroy da whole room in da process.

But since MD wasn’t her intended target, she starts resettin’ da tripwire, first by makin’ sure da wires aren’t slack. Dat’s why it looked untouched when Son got dere. But da key thing here is dat Min-Si didn’t finish resettin’ up da trap cause she wasn’t able ‘ta get another soda bomb attached ‘ta da top ‘a da wire by da door. Dat’s why dere’s dat random little bit a’ wire at da top wit’ nothin’ attached it. I’m thinkin’ der was a soda bomb attached to da top of it originally, and after it went off, it prolly fell on da floor and got caught under all da rubble after da explosion. Either dat, or Min-Si took it off da wire after it went off.

Course, not long after dat Witch set off da trap, and by dat point I guess Min-Si just kinda accepted da plan was gonna be goin’ differently and just laid down ready ‘ta die before da ceiling exploded over her. Da only way I see someone else killin’ MD dat isn’t Min-Si would be if Min-Si died first and MD was just trapped under da rubble, but since MD had soda burns and Min-Si didn’t, dat doesn’t track. Gettin’ buried under rubble caused by da soda explosions may make ya less prone 'ta burns since da stuff in da bottles prolly got mostly over da rubble itself, but getting hit directly wit’ a soda bomb like a fucked up water bucket over da door trick without it affectin’ da environment as much would mean yer da one takin’ most 'a da burnin’.”

He takes a second to catch his breath, and once he has, he thinks back on Witch’s question, humming to himself with a finger to his chin.

“Oh yeah, da data scrub. Uh.. actually, I dunno why she’d wanna hide da time. Maybe da data scrub doesn’t give ya a specific thing to scrub but just lets ya scrub a random part ‘a da file dat just happened ‘ta be da time? I dunno, I don’t know how data scrub stuff works. Never bought one myself. But either way, she prolly planned all dis way in advance, considerin’ dat doc we found dat was most likely da one she used ‘ta print da threats was last edited at like 8:30 pm last night, and her buyin’ da data scrub at 2 am. But she only bought one, so..”

Ozzy pauses for a minute, squinting, until suddenly his eyes shoot open. His scant few brain cells just made another critical connection.

“Wait a fuckin’ second… Min-Si wasn’t plannin’ on dyin’ at all. If she was, she would’ve bought two data scrubs from da start, one fer Sonny and one fer her. Maybe she was only in da admin room so dat she could kill Sonny wit’ her own hands and den leave da room after killin’ her but before da explosion trap went off so we’d all think dat trap killed Sonny and dat therefore Witch did it cause she triggered it but oops surprise da explosion trap was just explodin’ onto an already dead body killed by Min-Si, bada bing bada boom, ConCar gets big bookoo bucks. It’s prolly only cause she had ‘ta reset da trap after MD came in instead and she ended up killin’ da wrong target dat she was still in da room and got killed by her own trap.”

He’s feeling pretty confident in the conclusion he’s come to, but as Harper laughs and smirks and croons, suddenly he isn’t so sure. Harper’s been insistent on Min-Si for a while now, and Ozzy’s been inclined to believe him after seeing what seemed to be genuine care he displays towards the rest of ConCar and how his own deductions led to that conclusion. But when Harper’s acting like that about it? There’s suddenly a pit in Ozzy’s stomach that he doesn’t know what to do with, doesn’t know how to feel about. 

What if his first assumption was right? What if by voting Min-Si, they’re ensuring Harper gets away with the murder of María Dolores and keeps his unit safe by sacrificing one from another? Or had he just decided he’s ready to slaughter whoever dares to hurt ConCar, that if they don’t vote Min-Si then he’ll kill everyone in this room before a hair on Witch or Cecilie’s heads are even touched by Miku Prime? He really, really hopes none of those are the case. Please don’t give him another reason to hate you, Harper. Please.