on the third day of christmas my true love gave to me a trial to see whodunit

[jinglehellmods]

WHO KILLED CHRISTMAS?

Four hours pass. Thug Dangerzone and Brasco move all the tables together (with no help from Starshine) and the "trial room" such that it is, is set. One long table with plenty of standing room if you aren't feeling like getting buddy buddy with your new best friends. No one seems to have wanted to move the body, so right next to the long table is Kido, sort of covered with the tablecloth. (Was it made to be a reminder, of what you've lost? Or are they just lazy?)

On each spot at the table is a sandwich and apple cider, and that basket sits ominously in the middle of the table as a gruesome centerpiece reminder. Next to the food is a pen and a small notebook, like the kind they use on police procedural.

After everyone is seated, or at least standing awkwardly around, Starshine goes to stand at the head of the table and claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "Hello everyone. I hope you used your four hours wisely!" She sets a piece of paper on the table, with a variety of names. "Here's your suspect list. We were doing a little digging while you guys were busy poking around, so we've determined it's one of these idiots. Please discuss among yourself who did it. When you're ready, write their name on the paper and hand it to one of us and we'll count. When a majority of you have all written the same name, we'll stop. Or, uh, I guess if you waste enough of our time."

She looks from Brasco to Thug Dangerzone and then back to the table and the gathered masses. She waves her hand in a sweeping gesture in front of everyone, "Let the Hunger Games begin!"

23 GUESTS REMAIN

ic profiles | locations | voting

Comments

[originallutece]

You've got to be kidding me.

[Rosalind's voice is flat, her expression cold and incredulous.]

Aside from his stupid petition, I had absolutely no contact with the man.

[happydreamed]

...I would think that we've not been here long enough for any of us to kill for personal grudges against the others.

[codeofmisconduct]

Other than myself, none of you have known him very long. Though I would have hoped that should have been reason enough that we wouldn't be here right now.

[It's. Basically his worst nightmare. Thanks murderer.]

[codeofmisconduct]

[Why does he look like he's going to kill the first person that brings up the fact that he's among the suspects?

...it's probably fine. He wouldn't...

Probably.

Time to. Put his cop skills to use probably-- hah.]

Kantera and I are the ones who found him. I investigated the room itself-- particularly the table next to him. The chairs were oddly untouched and in their proper positions which means there likely wasn't a great struggle. The tablecloth was removed at that point and on the table was that fruit basket. Just too look at it, it looked fine however, on the underside of the fruits there was blood. And in particular, one apple had a dent in it that appeared as though a good deal pressure had been applied to it.

[That's his report, to start.]

[happydreamed]

Given how carefully the tablecloth was placed over him, everything must have been removed and replaced, unless our murderer is very competent at the 'pull off the tablecloth without disturbing the settings' trick.

Why would you bother?

[snackhabit]

[Ries has brought a partially eaten quiche with her, some cookies and snacks from Thug Dangerzone and other food because really... This is Ries... y'all have known her for maybe 24 hours and this should already be expected.

She looks at the suspect list and her lips curl up a bit, but she's not amused.]

I see, you're thinking it could have been me because he was my roommate. That's grasping at straws, don't you think?

[And back to murdering her food she goes.]

[transparentanswer]

[A low growl:]

Your hair, too.

[happydreamed]

I was going to assume that 'twas because of your hair, but thank you for informing us that you were his roommate.

What do you remember of his behavior last night?

[commemoration]

I... I do not believe that you should be accused of a crime solely for a reason like that...

[Yumemi is so out of her depth here. She's just a department store employee, what is she doing here acting as a part of a jury in a trial...]

[happydreamed]

Hunger games...?

[Well, that's not the point. Kantera sets a knife on the table next to him, which has a few hair fibers on it.]

Kido had died some time before we arrived on the scene, somewhere between five to ten hours.

The cause of death was a stab to the heart. It was a very precise wound, likely responsible for the pool of blood he was laying in, and of the right shape to be caused by a kitchen knife. He also had a slice on his right arm, though this wound was less precise, and some bruises on the back of his head.

He was holding this knife. No blood, but it did have these red hair fibers on it. The red is too vibrant to match his own hair.

The tablecloth covering him was placed after his death, or at the least after he stopped moving - the only blood on it is from touching his wounds or the pool of blood under it. It was placed carefully over him, not in a hurry.

[originallutece]

. . . I suppose the hair at least explains four out of five of the suspects.

[transparentanswer]

There were hair fibers on the knife?

[Yes...That makes sense.]

W-Wait, we found um...D-Diana and I...[god damn it why is it so hard to talk? Murders is one thing but...Playing judge and jury is a whole other experience.]

In the kitchen, on the floor was a lock of the same red hair

[theothermrgray]

[Why is this his life now. Why does he have to go figure out who killed this person?]

A precise stab to the heart? That kind of accuracy must have required the skill of a surgeon or an assasin...

... But if I remember correctly, there was a trail of blood leading out of the kitchen, correct? That must have been the actual scene of the crime.

[acherontiastyx]

Pretty convenient none of you are suspects, huh.

[i mean, he's slouching, but it's pretty easy to see him glowering hardcore at the hosts.]

I mean, come on. You expect me to believe people keep killing each other when they show up here and none of you are responsible?

[secretingredients]

[ Thug is handing out cider, how could you accuse this poor guy?? ]

We told you guys not to kill each other! We even made like three rules about it!

Plus, yeah, it's definitely not one of us.

[brasco]

Woah, woah, woah! Listen, we told you guys not to do this because we knew it'd happen, because people? Are nuts. All we want is one holiday season where nobody murders each other.

[princesstarshine]

I'm a princess!

[radicalsix]

[ She's shaking like a leaf, but Diana's here, regardless. She's not surprised to find that she's on the suspect list; she had suspected as much. But rather than object to it, she just slinks in on herself and tries to talk about what she's found. ]

I...I investigated the kitchen, with Shin. Three of the knives were missing, from that block on the countertop. It usually holds nine...

Someone was in the kitchen last night, making a beef sandwich. There was beef, lettuce, cheese, bread and mayonnaise left out on the countertop, along with the half-finished sandwich...

[ She gulps. Easy stuff out of the way first, Diana... ]

There was a trail of blood, leading out from the kitchen into the foyer. And in the kitchen, at the start of that trail, there was...there was a lock of red hair.

[ So that would be it, then. ]

[viperess]

Someone... didn't finish making a sandwich then? It seems logical that the victim may have been preparing it.

[trettende]

[ Wow, that suspect list is Real Rude. ]

This is absurd! As if I would kill anybody, much less some poor man I barely spoke to!

[theothermrgray]

[Dorian raises an eyebrow.]

Really, now? Then tell me, Prince Hans, exactly what you were doing last night?

[doublesmall]

[chuuya is, all things considered, pretty damn chill. someone isn't too ruffled by murder, apparently, and not being suspected of it definitely helps. he's got his arms folded when he speaks.]

I checked out his room while you all were busy out here, and it didn't look like anything went wrong there. He left his petitions and his pen on his desk, looked like he thought he'd come back to them. Nothing out of place, no abrupt marks or anything... didn't seem like the bed got used, either.

[he shrugs a shoulder, adding-]

Besides, I was awake last night and didn't hear anything weird. Just a couple people leaving and talking to each other-- couldn't tell you who exactly, though, just that they weren't arguing or anything.

[theothermrgray]

A couple?

Did you see who they were?

[transparentanswer]

S-Someone should examine the accused for scratches or wounds.

[He says it while leaning on his fist. His heart isn't into it. He hates this.]

Cuts and bruises were on Kido, right? There might have been a struggle, and if so, someone might be...Uh...Wearing physical evidence on their body. We should check to be sure...Er...Someone should...

[viperess]

A strip search should be conducted. Correct?

[ if he won't say it, then she will. ]

HAIR CHECK

[happydreamed]

As we've determined that the hair in the kitchen matches the hair on the knife, would the suspects kindly allow this lock of hair to be compared to their own? Even if the evidence is inconclusive and a frameup is possible, it would be a good place to start.

You as well, Arai, though we already know the answer. Fair is fair.

[radicalsix]

I suppose it might help to match the shade. I'll volunteer to that much, at the very least.

[ She seems eager enough to get this started, but she doesn't know if there's much they can tell from that, beyond a color match; it isn't as though there are DNA tests here... ]

STRIP SEARCH

[transparentanswer]

O-Okay, so, a few of us are going to...strip search the accused. [He's frantically waving Kantera over because he doesn't want to do this himself. At least for the guys.]

We'll move into a separate room, one by one, to examine whether people have wounds or bruises.

[Uh...]

We can keep it separated by gender so no one is too uncomfortable... It's just...important, yeah...?

[viperess]

I would be willing to volunteer for the women.

[snackhabit]

[The quiche is gone, the sandwich that was left with her has been eaten. The apple cider has been drank and the cookies she stole from Thug Dangerzone have been devoured. All that’s left is Ries, who’s now crying and looking pretty suspect, but… She’s regained her composure once more as she wipes the tears from her eyes.]

So, please tell me how I committed this crime. I… would appreciate if you could piece together all that happened. Otherwise, there's no reason to say I did it right?

[Yet the look on her face says "please, solve this so I can rest in peace."]

[Everything is better with a little music, right?]

[happydreamed]

...You were the one who asked Kido to come to the kitchen with you. Kido was, as you said, very kind. He would have agreed to come out with you if you said that you were stressed and wanted to talk over a bite to eat, or for most any reason if he felt that he could help.

THE VOTES ARE IN...

[secretingredients]

[ Meanwhile, Thug Dangerzone: ]

Oh, hey! [ He sniffs, gathering up the votes. Is he drying some tears? Maybe he was just cutting onions!! ] Uh... looks like we, um... looks like we have enough votes to call it, guys!

Just, um... give us a bit. We'll... we should have a verdict up real soon.

[brasco]

[There there, buddy. Brasco claps him on the shoulder.]