dr-originalsin

[dr-originalsin]

Shot at Redemption | Mafuyu | RE: Winning.

The dense air does not clear. Mafuyu closes their eyes and takes a deep breath, but relief never comes. The weight does not shed from their shoulders and their heart continues to sit as a rock in their stomach.

This is not a victory. Not yet.

Languid and out of touch, Mafuyu nevertheless wears a smile, a ragged thing thought it is. This may not be the outcome they had wanted— They had truly wanted to die— but through failure they have tasted a sweetness. Right now, more than ever, Mafuyu feels incredibly, undeniably cherished. They feel it. It’s as real as the painful ache in their heart.

That is their personal victory.

Mafuyu’s hands find their way together, clasped and interlocked as they relish what they have come to understand.

“Iori chose me.”

“He could have left without any consequences, but he chose to be killed by me instead. And he kept his promise. He kept me safe.”

A sweetened laugh escapes them.

“I’m not happy about winning this trial, no. Yagi-chan wasn’t lying when it said everyone was going to die in that room. That was true. I wanted all of us to die, including me, but Iori was always meant to die in the fire. It’s what he deserved. That’s justice.”

“I’m the only one allowed to give Iori justice.”

Once again, Mafuyu feels distant. The look in their eye tells that they are somewhere far, yet they are present all the same. Melancholy shadows their smile.

“And he became a real hero in the end. I’m really, really proud of him. I’m going to miss him.”

Until they die, they will miss him and love him and hate him with every cell in their body. Mafuyu eases their mind only with the knowledge that he no longer suffers, no longer suffers them, and is no longer suffered by him. The person who will die in their place, too, will hopefully rest easy soon as well.

It only matters that their suffering is not prolonged any further.

“Yagi-chan’s answers wouldn’t have helped us anyway. We all know it. Every chance they give us, it’s going to be sabotaged some way. Only one of us is getting out of here.”

Everyone else will die. Whether it be all at once or they continued to be picked off one by one over the coming weeks, the rest of them well die. It’s a heartbreaking, agonizing reality Mafuyu has faced each day, waiting for their turn, watching friends die until their turn comes.

Reality, however, no longer pains them so unbearably. A decision has been made. Their would-be victor has been chosen. Mafuyu’s hands raise, still together, and full of promise.

“If you don’t kill me next week, I’m going to do it again.”

[dr-originalsin]

Excuse me? | Yagi-chan | Trial 5.X | RE: Haruko

"How bold. Why don't we hear what was on that paper of yours, Haruko Tanaka? You were so confident when you threw it out there."

"...Or, you know, I could just kill you. It would be easy. Just a single line of code."

[dr-originalsin]

Crème de la Crème | Haruko | Trial 5.7 | Re: Yagi-Chan, Kinda Mafuyu

Haruko turns from her position, giving Mafuyu a momentary glance. “For what it’s worth, I listened to you. I did vote for you.”

Then Haruko turns her attention to the things she really care about. “Looks like you’re about to prove me right then. About our conversation.” She doesn’t need to say anything more. Instead she gestures to Iori Shiotani’s podium, then to Yagi’s scree.

You are just like him.

[dr-originalsin]

Defeat | Vergo | Trial 5.X | RE: Mistrial

They lost.

They... They lost.

The answer was right there. They had it. And it slipped between their finger tips.

They stare down at their hands. At the camera that sits on their podium, the one they'd taken from the victim's very own room. For a moment, they have to test whether or not they're in control of their own fingers. Vergo picks up the camera with a grace they only afford evidence, taking off the lens cap and angling the dark disc at the rest of the room.

Iori always did this when someone got dragged off. They have time to prepare now.

"Ehehe..."

The dry chuckle comes out more as a line of dialogue than any real urge to laugh.

"Wow. Good job, Mafuyu. You beat me! Are you happy? Proud?"

An honest question, considering everything. There's not a lick of passive-aggression in Vergo's voice. Just the same monotone they usually wear. It's hard to tell from across the trial room if their smile is strained or not.

"Well, either way, it was still impressive. Our first mistrial..."

"I... I guess I'm scared. So, kudos. We don't even get to ask a question now!"

Or escape. Or sleep easy with the knowledge that one of them won't have the chance to kill everyone else again. And yet, no venom taints their words.

"If I had to lose, I guess I'm glad it was to you. Ehehe."

[dr-originalsin]

cracking | Stella | Trial 5.7 | re: votes

They had identified the wrong culprit.

"... What... Wh... Wha..."

The video itself paints out the cruelty from a while ago. No one had even considered how they were all danger the moment they stepped inside that room. When Yvon had torn off the door handle and Stella had tried to go through the door, if things had played out right-

-if Iori hadn't went earlier, then they'd have all died? An entire group killing?

The panic wouldn't stop there, since they'd still have to have an execution. They still had to push forward with that.

"O- One of us is going to die... one of us is going to die... one of us..."

Stella could barely talk as her breathing got more shallow.

[dr-originalsin]

A Crime Unrealized Pt. 2 | Chapter Five

“You have reached a majority in identifying... the incorrect culprit."

The words hang in the air, threatening to fall onto their necks like a guillotine.

"While Iori Shiotani, indeed, knew that he was going to die in that incinerator- he did not kill himself. It was neither his plan nor his hand that he died by- and I will refuse to hear any argument otherwise."

The goat paused, interrupting its own process to let out a growing laugh- nearly a cackle- from its speakers.

"...Hah. Hahahahahahah. All that- Oh. No. No. I will not indulge these impulses so flippantly. As is fair and customary... I will now illuminate the details of how the murder took place. I request your full attention for this endeavor.”

What remained of the student council watched the screen, suddenly feeling as if any moment could be their last. As if Yagi-chan would haul them away mid-video.

Yet the curiosity remained.

...What happened?

The camera immediately opens up on an unassuming dorm room, where the culprit is just waking up.

"Our crime begins on the second night after the motive was announced. The culprit awoke at the early hour of 4 am- chosen strategically after analyzing the sleep schedules of their peers."

The camera then cuts to show the culprit gathering materials from the storage room- plastic sheets and duct tape- before hauling them to waste disposal.

"Armed with a boon that they had negotiated for with yours truly- they retrieved exactly what they needed from the storage room."

The culprit slips below the rim of the incinerator- setting about their plan. An adjustment is made to the oxygen supply nozzle before they then begin to line the plastic sheeting over each and every vent in the room- fastening them with duct tape. After finishing here, they hustle back up the ladder to begin loosening the screws on the inside of the door handle with a screwdriver. The screwdriver is then tossed, rather carelessly, behind the recycling bins as they depart.

"The majority of their labor took place in waste disposal, as you might have guessed. They limited the oxygen supply so that the incinerator would burn dirty- producing excess amounts of Carbon Monoxide- all the while ensuring that no ventilation could reach the space. For all intents and purposes, the room was entirely cut off from any other sources of clean air... but, while they were down there, they saw that the E-READER was powered on once more."

The image on the screen begins to accelerate in speed, eventually cutting to the culprit having a discussion with Iori Shiotani at 12:50.

"They enlist Shiotani's help- knowing that he would provide it. They tell him to gather everyone within the next hour to investigate the Waste Disposal facility, citing the e-reader as their motivation."

The image changes again, now displaying the culprit sitting together with Kihaku Horikawa in the cafeteria.

"In their mind, they only had one correction to make. They had to ensure that Kihaku Horikawa would, under no circumstances, be in Waste Disposal when everything took place. They slip a vial of tranquilizer into his tea and eventually walk him back to his room- knowing that he would soon be out cold."

The culprit returns to their room, cutting a solid piece of duct tape and carefully affixing it to their arm. With the piece ready, they pull down their sleeve and leave the room. As they roam down the hall, they toss the roll without care into the communal restrooms.

"...However-"

The feed suddenly cuts to Iori Shiotani in Waste Disposal, looking down at the incinerator below. In a quick, fast-forwarded replay, the student council watches as Iori roams around the incinerator- tearing the plastic sheets from each vent and assembling them into a pile to be hauled away.

"Iori Shiotani, as he was wont to do, insisted on investigating on his own first. He discovered the trap, and even disabled key points of it... but he did not disable the incinerator itself."

Iori removes the plastic sheets from the room, carrying them all the way to his dorm, before taking his last courses of action. He gently sets his camera aside, placing it where it could easily be found on top of his luggage- which he neatly assembled on top of his freshly-made bed. As he departs his room, he steps aside to slip a note under Kihaku Horikawa's door before finally moving to inform the others of the meeting in waste disposal.

The camera watches as everybody eventually gathers in the cramped room- the door remaining open the entire time as it filled. The student council watches themselves, bickering, planning, exchanging words, before Iori eventually climbs into the incinerator- flashing a scout salute to Vergo before descending.

"...As soon as Shiotani's feet hit the ground, the culprit made their play. Reaching into their pocket, they gently pushed a button with their thumb- a simple device, really. The boon allows the user to trigger the lights in any given room to endure a sudden and massive surge of electricity- resulting in... well. We did call it 'Lights Off'."

As the image on the screen is plunged into darkness, a secondary filter is suddenly introduced- bathing the feed in green night-vision imaging. The student council watches themselves flail in the darkness. Haruko Tanaka bolts for the incinerator button- but collides with Kigyoku Otogi, who was moving briskly to the exit. Yvon tries to open the door, but rips the handle right off in the process. Before he can investigate further, Stella bounds into him- sending him back into the wall. Vergo presses themselves as far back in the corner of the room as they can- distancing themselves from the incinerator.

...And there, in the midst of the chaos, the culprit rolls up their sleeve- slamming the button down and the tape against it- leaving it shut. With the task done, they move to settle against the middle of the Western Wall of the room- waiting for death to come. Not just for themselves-

But for everyone in the waste disposal room.

The feed shuts off.

After a moment, Yagi-chan reappeared to speak.

"Mafuyu Sento... congratulations on becoming the first killer to escape detection. People like you prove that the system works- that the game can be won. You fooled an entire room into not seeing what was right in front of their eyes- all because they were operating under the assumption that the culprit wanted to keep living."

Yagi-chan pauses, again, for their own twisted laughter.

"'The nose of a mob is its imagination. By this, at any time, it can be quietly led.' You all were so fixated on the loss of one that you neglected to register the danger that every single one of you was in. Were it not for Iori Shiotani tearing down those sheets, you all would have suffocated in that room and Kihaku Horikawa would be walking free right now as the sole survivor of this game... I daresay for that, we all owe him a debt."

"I will not punish anybody just yet- unless any of you make any sudden movements. Let us simply enjoy the moment. Discuss amongst yourselves- but be sure to let the culprit speak. I'm certain they're eager to explain themselves."

[dr-originalsin]

A Crime Unrealized | Chapter Five

Tension.

Like a pot set to boil, the tension in the room rose as the student council debated over the identity of the culprit.

Plastic tarps. Strange cups. Duct tape. Tampered valves. An untraceable boon. Evidence, to be sure, but to what end? On whose direction?

The end result was all the same. Iori Shiotani lay dead at the bottom of that incinerator, and all the student council could seem to agree on was that he likely knew that he was about to die one of the most painful deaths imaginable.

...But why?

The screen above Akira's podium glitched, illuminating itself and all facing it with a neon bath of pink and blue hues. Time was up- and once again they were faced with a difficult decision.

What if Iori was the culprit? Would they all be allowed to continue living- comfortable in the knowledge that even Yagi-chan couldn't punish somebody who was already dead?

But then-

What if it wasn't him?

"Your time is up."

The glitchy voice flatly stated- the grin across its cheeks audible.

Iori Shiotani's podium stands in silence. The sound of camera shutters had been absent from this entire trial.

To some, that couldn't have happened sooner.

To others-

“All of your votes have been accounted for. Due to our recording of the entire killing, we are fully aware of who the killer is and thus are able to make a sound and fair decision. Here are the results.”

As Yagi-chan spoke, everyone’s attention fixated on the giant screen. Each of the sixteen Student Council’s portraits could be seen in a row, and slowly but surely, tally marks appeared beside them. One by one, until all seven votes were recorded.

CLASS TRIAL RESULTS: THE CASE OF IORI SHIOTANI Iori Shiotani: 4 Mafuyu Sento: 3

The tally marks sit flatly on the screen- allowing all to fully process the outcome. A dense silence fills the air between them all, only interrupted by-

“You have reached a majority in identifying... the incorrect culprit."

[dr-originalsin]

Fudanshing Out | Kihaku | Trial 5.8 | RE: All

...He squeezes the hand back, but not for the same reason Mafuyu is. It's shock, clear in his stare as he slowly turns to the left. They should all...what?

''Fuyuchan.''

No, no. His head shakes. What is it, then? What is the right choice? He looks at Vergo, with his unfortunate smile almost broken, but still there. Always fucking there. His eyebrows furrowed, at least. Pleading, pleading for the right choice.

...

Another head shake.

''T'was Shiotani-san. I know. While I was sleepin', someone slipped a note under my door.''

Kihaku finally takes his hand out of his pocket and holds up a piece of paper. The letters might not be big enough, but he reads it out loud. Simple:

''Take care of them.''

'Them' could be anyone, really. The note could be from anyone, too. However, the way Kihaku interpreted it, with how the trial unfolded, makes his point stand.

''Not gonna...risk it. Shiotani-san wanted to help, yah? The ones behind this, they told him to be the culprit. N' he became one, but without hurtin' anyone. He wanted to help us, thas why...yah? Thas why.''

Kihaku doesn't feel like failing to fulfill someone's dying wish. He went through with it with Jun. He will go through with it here.

His head lowers again, angling only a bit to the left.

''Fuyuchan ya...can believe what ya wanna 'bout Shiotani-san. I believe he loved ya. In his own way. N' I wouldn't wanna fail him, fail a love this strong. Or the grudge will turn him into an onryō n' he'll hunt me down.''

A chuckle. Then, his head is back up,

''Ya gotta vote for Shiotani-san.''

[dr-originalsin]

Kiss it Away | Mafuyu | Trial 5.9 | RE: All

Dying wish? Mafuyu knew from the moment they discovered Iori's camera was missing that Iori had known he was dying. Kihaku's confession confirms it. Gradually, the pleasantry of their smile falls as they hold Kihaku in their stare. What dying wish has Iori left with Kihaku?

Their thoughts search through the context and possibilities. There's not many. Mafuyu's gaze drifts down to the hand that had been offered and taken, still half-way occupied by thought.

"I see."

With Kihaku's confession of receiving a dying wish, Vergo's conclusion made sense. It only makes sense now that Iori had done it to himself. It explains whatever wish had been left with Kihaku, why he had pulled that balaclava over his head, and why he had packed his clothes up neatly on his luggage with his prized camera. How long will it be until voting is over and their decisions are final?

There isn't much time left anymore.

The room has been riled up and thrown into chaos. Despite Iori being the only answer, there are too many holes, but surely the room will surrender to the idea for lack of any other plausible one. Mafuyu looks up at Kihaku, then their gaze drifts to Stella, to Haruko, Yvon, Kigyoku, and finally, Vergo. Vergo does not appear confident with their own conclusion, not at all. They are going to mistrial. They've lost.

"You really don't know the answer at all, do you?" 

Mafuyu offers a pity smile.

"Vergo, I think it's over."

"Iori might've left a dying wish with Kihaku, but it doesn't mean he did it to himself. It's too complicated and doesn't make sense, and Iori wouldn't martyr himself for a question. He promised he'd stay with me until the end, after all." 

Vain as always, they would like to believe Iori would never do such a thing for that reason. And they would like to believe Kihaku would only lie and stir the trial for such a reason as well.

How nice that is.

...

They squeeze the hand that's under theirs.

...

They smile.

...

"You should all vote for me."

[dr-originalsin]

You For Him | Kihaku | Trial 5.7 | RE: Stella, Vergo, Mafuyu

Kihaku remained silent. Haruko had a very strong presence, a strong voice, and strong arguments. That kind of energy never shook the easygoing and composed drummer in any way. Yet, his head remained low. He had done his part, and it had sparked its reactions. Now, he simply listens, observes.

Things were going in a direction.

Good, good.

He lifts his head up from time to time to listen, especially to Vergo. Fingers were pointed, multiple times, and none of them were at...

Ah, but Stella getting her glasses taken away with such vitriol does get him to straighten up and properly look at the scene. No words from him still. And then, Mafuyu speaks to him, touches him.

...

''...If you're sayin' it like that...I guess I ain't scared anymore, no.''

A mumble for them.

Stop fucking fighting. We’re all on the same side.

...

...Ah.

Vergo's most recent conclusion, and Mafuyu being open about that, and...

His right hand goes back into his pocket.

It's all adding up. He thinks. He hopes.

''Vendetto-san, yer right.''

He moves to stand between Stella and Haruko. Or rather, Stella and everyone else's eyes. Meanwhile, his left hand offers his palm to Mafuyu.

''Ain't this what they want? For us to be scared n' against each other?''

That first request he received here, to help people feel comfortable...Oh what a terrible job he has done. His eyes close.

''Sorry, everyone.''

He bows, without specifying what he is sorry about, yet. Is it safe still...One quick glance is throw to his left, then his eyes face the front.

''Vendetto-san's right.'' He repeats. ''Shiotani-san did it to himself.''

The whole explanation as to how was...a little complicated to understand for him. But he trusts Vergo. They deserve to feel like they trust him too.

''I know, cuz he left me a dyin' wish.''

[dr-originalsin]

bare | Stella | Trial 5.6 | re: haruko

The little bit of safety was ripped away, whether she liked it or not. It was never there to begin with though. The ones behind this knew enough about Stella to wave her secrets in front of her, drill her sins into her head, and threaten her loved ones. The words that fell out of Haruko's mouth were shrill and loud, like an alarm clock, like Ami Hououmaru's mantras.

Everyone's voices muffled with the ringing in her head, barely unique by their pitch.

She couldn't think. Her heart was beating in her stomach, in her hands, and in her throat. She tried to hide her face with one hand, but it was too late.

She was exposed. Too much was showing, yet stunned into silence. Only able to glare at the kitchen girl that wore her skin on her head.

Suddenly, she was standing on a high balcony.

[dr-originalsin]

Numb To It | Vergo | Trial 5.11 | RE: Look at the bigger picture. ATTN: All

CW: suicide mention

'You should look at the bigger picture first, right?'

Their ears are ringing. Amidst all the chaos, that's what sticks out to them. Mafuyu has a point... And Mafuyu knows what's going on, don't they. They know more than they let on. Right...?

But whether or not that's true, it's not them. It's not Stella, it's not Haruko, it might not even be Kigyoku-

"S... Stop fighting."

Vego's voice starts as a rasp, before building.

"Stop fucking fighting. We're all on the same side."

Tap tap tap. They've changed their vote. Again.

"I couldn't care less about Stella's face. It has no bearing on the case. I'd prefer she keep her sunglasses and mask on, honestly- but her vote is what really matters."

"I think... I think I've figured it out. A fragment of the bigger picture."

"All fires require fuel, and all fires require oxygen to sustain themselves. With the oxygen valves sabotaged, the fuel could, theoretically, light, but it'd eventually go out. The fire would light- and it'd melt the plastic tarps covering the vents, which had been placed there to further halt the flow of oxygen. However, eventually, it'd go out, leaving the remaining fuel."

"But if you kept the button held down- taped it down- the unlit fuel would, theoretically, keep flowing."

"And Iori knew this. He did it on purpose. He told almost everyone to come to the incinerator room, and climbed willingly down into the space full of fuel."

"Then, he turned out the lights, and lit a flame. Perhaps he had a matchbox that'd have been entirely incinerated too. Maybe the lightbulb popping produced a spark that lit any fumes. Or perhaps he had a piece of metal on him to drag against the metal of the walls to light that spark. Or... Or maybe he busted up the E-handbook reader down there."

"Whatever he did... I think he did it to himself."

[dr-originalsin]

Watch the World Burn | Mafuyu | Trial 5.8 | RE: Kihaku, Haruko

This trial has become a nightmare. Through all the accusations and high-tensions, Mafuyu stared at Kihaku and his hanged head. There's an urge, a brief one, to reach out and make him raise it. Mafuyu refrains, if only out of courtesy for their peers.

They tear their gaze away, and they look at their hands.

The background has begun falling apart around them in their silence that has lasted for an age. In an odd way, they feel more to be part of that crumbling background than the ongoing act. Distant. Far away. Mafuyu feels as such.

It's not so terrible.

Although Haruko's hostility threatens to real them back in. Annoying. She's met with a disapproving glance, but they say nothing of her aggression. Their attention leaves her.

"You're going in circles."

Their commentary is directed to the room. With some objectivity, maybe they can guide this train back to its tracks.

"You're too stuck on the cup and the duct tape. You should look at the bigger picture first, right? And go from there."

"If you think about it, there wasn't a lot of time to tape the button. You have to find the edge, then pull it, tear it off, and also apply it. Or... apply it, then tear it, and somehow not be heard. Pulling duct tape is noisy."

"The tape might've been torn already, so I think the roll of duct tape doesn't matter. Stella shouldn't be accused for evidence like that."

"Haruko, can you go back to your place?"

Is this going to create more confusion, or will this lead them to a more solid conclusion?

Again, their attention drifts to Kihaku.

There is one piece of evidence they can provide some clarity for. As Mafuyu looks at Kihaku again, they wonder what he feels, or he if he can feel anything at all through the delirium of sleep. Another urge to reach for him arises, and this time, they do place gentle fingers against his wrist.

"Kihaku, you had tea with me during lunch."

"We'll never solve this if you're not honest. Even Stella saw us together, remember? She probably saw us with tea, too."

Mafuyu smiles with a tilt of their head in an attempt to meet his eyes, as there's only one reason they can find for this lie of his that made such a mess.

It pleases them to no end.

"Are you scared?"

[dr-originalsin]

Live from Channel BS240 | Haruko | Trial 5.6 | Re: Stella, Vergo

Clap.

Clap.

           Clap.

“Cute.” The first words to leave Haruko’s lips are dripping with venomous poison that betrays her sickly sweet appearance. With a simple propelled jump, Haruko straddles over her podium to move to the center, picking up the piece of paper she tossed there not long ago.

“That was a really cute effort Stella… What I experience with scent is so beyond what you can comprehend. The sickening stench that drives me to gagging on simple foods. Pickles, fish… The maddening malady that causes me to faint if I pass the wrong dumpster. My life can be hell with what I experience, so don’t you dare try to belittle it. Once you’ve smelt your own flesh bubble, boil, and fry like a doughnut, we’ll talk about how burning flesh stops you from killing.”

Haruko strides across the center of the room, coming up close to Stella. “You’re not pathetic because of your appearance. You’re pathetic because you choose to be Stella. You choose to hide yourself away, to shame yourself, to isolate every aspect of your appearance. You hide away hoping that people will like you despite your flaws. So you victimize yourself, making out your life to be a sob story where you get to be little Cinderella.”

Haruko reaches out, as if to gently pat Stella on the cheek. Instead, Haruko Tanaka rips Stella Ethereal’s glasses from her face. “You’re so painfully wrong. No one fucking cares what you look like under there. That’s the fucking truth Stella, no one cares about you.”

Haruko turns back to look at everyone. “I think you all FUCKING forgot this, but let me explain it to you. I may be nice to some of you, but I am Haruko Tanaka, I am a fucking bitch, and you can watch me on BS240 every MOTHERFUCKING FRIDAY NIGHT.”

After putting Stella’s glasses onto her own head, Haruko holds up the note. “Worst part is, I’m here to fucking validate your version of events Stella. "You're choosing to vote for the only person I truly give a shit about here, and I actually agree with you. You didn’t crash into me. I know who bumped into me from smell alone. It was Kigyoku. Not you. Yet here you are, trying to make me out to be the villain in your story, because you have to make yourself into the victim.” Haruko holds the note she’d written out into the air. "I knew two things this whole trial. I said it from the start. That’s number one.“

Haruko turns to look at Stella one last time. "So you are correct Stella, you only bumped into one person. Vergo was wrong, they are fallible. I’ve learned that MANY times now. Do us all a favor then, and show us your true face. Do that for once in your sad little life.”

[dr-originalsin]

no you | Stella | Trial 5.5 | re: kihaku, haruko, vergo

Kihaku eventually collides into Stella, which was her intent, but she does struggle a bit with keeping him up. It's fine, she reassures herself as she tries to wrap an arm around him while he tries to keep awake. "You're okay! I think..."

She wishes she could say the same for this trial, as things keep ramping up through random turns. Just when she thinks Vergo's focus is off her and she can relax, someone speaks and it goes back to her. Somehow! She attempts to shake her head incredulously but not much, as she questions outloud, "But- But why did Horikawa-san think the cup came from Tanaka-san-?" He didn't exactly say that though, just that the cup came from earlier, when she brought him food.

This didn't make any sense...!

"No!" 

She barks as Vergo tries to cement their evidence with their own recollection, but she can't stand for it.

"Vendetto, stop! That- it doesn't make any sense!" She struggles to adjust her mask, "You're- I only bumped into one person when the lights went out! I went straight for the door, and- I never had tape on me?! Stop saying it had to have been me, that's not true!"

"I-" It's harder to stay cool about this, but she tries to run through her alibi as quickly as she can, "I'm not working with Shiotani OR Sento!! I- I didn't meet up with either of them, I don't even like Shiotani-san much!! Why would I work with him?! All I did today was go to the smoking room, then the kitchen, THEN the Rec Room before leaving for the meeting! I- I even saw the WiiU that Tanaka-san apparently set up there—"

"—god, you suck!! The smell of someone burning to death makes ME sick too you know, so YOU pushed the button!!" God. "So I'll voting for you too then!!"

[dr-originalsin]

J'this Is So Much | Vergo | Trial 5.10 | RE: Haruko, ATTN: Mafuyu, Stella

"Next time... Next time, can we reveal pressing information before we're running out of time...? Or, like, before the halfway point?"

Vergo massages their temples, brow furrowing. Maybe... They'd underthunk this. There's more at play here than they'd thought- and what a fool they were to expect nothing more. A smile quirks across their lips.

Ah. What a wonderful puzzle. If they are to face defeat, they'd be happy to lose to this.

They're not giving up just yet, though.

"Maybe there's not just one culprit. Maybe there's an accomplice."

"Maybe Mafuyu did tranquilize Kihaku with the tea. Maybe Iori suggested that, after having consulted them for the questions to ask, or they chose to so Kihaku would be out of harm's way. Either way... I don't think Mafuyu pressed that button."

"The only person who could have displaced that roll of duct tape is Stella Ethereal... And she must have been the one to bump into everyone."

"Like Haruko... The smell of burning flesh- burning anything- is horrific to me... But, really, I'm very at home in the dark. I wear my sunglasses and hat because they're prescription, not just because I like them. Where it takes others ages to dilate their pupils to see, I can see immediately in near-pitch black."

"As the fire was dying out, I took off my sunglasses and saw:"

Vergo begins, raising a finger on one hand for each person and place they list off.

"Haruko Tanaka, by the button."

"Kigyoku Otogi, by the recycling bins."

"Mafuyu Sento, by the center of the western wall."

"Yvon A. C. Bruckhard and Stella Ethereal, by the door."

"And I myself was in the far corner of the room, as far as I could get from those flames."

A pause. For effect, and to allow the information to sink in.

"The person who bumped into Haruko, Kigyoku, and finally Yvon was, indeed, Stella Ethereal. She is also the only person who could have thrown the duct tape roll into the bathroom, considering everyone else had always been together since the incident occurred."

"Stella Ethereal, Mafuyu Sento, and Iori Shiotani were working together, but Stella was the one to press the button."

Tap tap tap. Yet another vote change. Looks like they're done speaking for now.

[dr-originalsin]

Secret Recipe | Haruko | Trial 5.5 | Re: Yvon, All

“Allow me to provide a breakdown of my wonderful day for you all, seeing as it’s so important..” She looks at Vergo and shakes her head, disappointed but not upset this time. She’s used to making bad guesses for killers, so it’s somewhat acceptable for them to be infallible.

Plus she sort of owes Vergo, given that she got mad at them for correctly guessing that she killed someone at one point.

“I got up bright and early to make everyone breakfast. Well, more so to check in on all of you given that I was worried someone would kill again. So I made something for everyone to eat and wound up feeding Yvon and Kogyoku in the cafeteria between 7 and 8 first. Now to answer your question Yvon, I had to go hunting for the others. Kihaku’s was the first I made my way too. It was around 8:40 and I handed the tray directly to him when he opened the door. No drink given. No drink on the tray I delivered the food on. Thus making the cup’s existence an impossibility from my perspective.”

“After that delivery, I then went to Vergo’s room knowing I’d just be feeding them. Given that they only make food they make themselves, I knew they wouldn’t eat anything. I just wanted to check in on them… They’d just gotten up.”

Haruko pauses for a moment, trying to parse through this. “The only people I never saw were Mafuyu, Iori, and Stella. After I cleaned up the kitchen I made my way to the Rec Room and set up that stupid console I got from the gacha. Once I got bored of that, I left for the Watchtower. That was around noon. I sent a little message to the Goat that’s ghosting me-”

Haruko gestures to Yagi-chan’s Yagi-rific screen. “-before Shiotani made his way up. I didn’t really bother talking with him, but he told me that Vergo had wanted to call everyone down to the incinerator for something that was found. So I went down then…”

Haruko lets out a sigh. “When the lights went out and fire started, I ran to the incinerator. I wasn’t going to let Shiotani off that easy. I didn’t want him to die.” Haruko looks at her hands… chipped nails and gunk still caught on them. “I tore the duct tape off as quickly as I could. I wasn’t fast enough because I bumped into someone in the dark. It was agonizing knowing I’d failed…”

Haruko pauses for another moment. “I think it’s worth explaining something else to you all. Something that I hope would explain away any suspicions that you have left on me. What makes me the Ultimate Pâtissier isn’t just my natural talent, but something I do not like to share. My secret from the first motive. I have a rather powerful sense of smell. I got it from my father. Everything is heightened. I can tell remarkably subtle differences in anything I smell or eat. Like if someone walks into a room, I can note it without looking. I’ve done it a few times here too. Perhaps Vergo, you recall our late night chat a while back? Despite the darkness, the moment I walked into that room, I knew it was you, even though I couldn’t see you.”

Haruko looks over everyone with a grim expression. “I explain this to say that the most unbearable sensory experience of my life is the smell of burning flesh. When I was assaulted I was shaken by it. Horrified..Shiotani’s was exponentially worse. I can still smell it now. It’s clinging to everyone in this room.” Haruko’s expression pales as she does her best to block out the scent that is hounding her.

“I would never kill Shiotani…or anyone like that.”