Fifth trial

[letsplayamod]

[Just as you believe you’ve gathered enough to make a case, the sky crackles a hazy red.]

Enough! Enter the arena at once!

[There’s a change in Typhon’s tone. The bluster of his usual pride replaced with a more tangible frustration. Like the thunder he summons, his rage punctuates every word.

That matter aside, all the survivors eventually return to the arena. The mood is dour, not helped by the surrounding. For the first time, this place was a fresh murder scene; bloodstains and scorch marks continue to stain the stones. It seems that there just wasn't time to remove Ferdinand's body from the scene. So it remains, impaled on his own spear, left to fill the void of Ferdinand's absence from the surviving party in the worst way.

Again, a rift opens beyond the barrier, and Typhon forces his head through.]

You know why you are here, do you not? Now, go! Complete your task, find the culprit or die trying!

[TRIAL START]

Comments

[stringup]

Yes.

...And even if I weren't a consideration, Ferdinand is too prideful to simply let himself be killed. It would make more sense that he found someone willing to put their life on the line to resolve the food supply situation, and let a duel decide who will end up taking the fall.

[murchada]

...Stupid.

[it's not even angry, just. sad.]

But that sounds just like some of this group, huh? Especially him.

[stringup]

He's always been a ridiculous man.

[ She says this with both fondness and sadness. ]

And...I won't say anyone here is fine with dying, but I imagine knowing there's an afterlife where the others are makes this seem less like uncertain doom and eternal damnation.

[eeeonetwothree]

THAT DOES SEEM TO ALIGN WITH THEIR SHARING A DRINK TOGETHER.

[stringup]

The question then is who the other person was...

[eeeonetwothree]

IT WAS SOMEONE MOST DEFINITELY IN VANITY’S LIST OF SUSPECTS. SOMEONE WITH THE STRENGTH AND MEANS TO STAB THROUGH BOTH A HUMAN BODY AND CHEST ARMOR. SOMEONE WHOSE DRINK CHOICES ARE UNIQUE AND WOULD NEED TO BE COVERES UP. AND SOMEONE WITH THE MEANS TO DISPERSE FLAMES THAT LEAVE SCORCH MARKS ON HIS EQUIPMENT AND THE ARENA.

[ Omega is perfectly calm as he says this. He is letting the implications do the talking. ]

THEY WOULD BE SOMEONE CLOSE TO FERDINAND. SOMEONE THEY WOULD TRUST WITH THE FUTURE.

[murchada]

[wait. wait, huh--?]

...Excuse me?

[eeeonetwothree]

[ He does not meet Cerejeira’s gaze. ]

[stringup]

[





She is giving Omega a meaningful look. ]

And someone who needed to have something forged to prepare for combat.

[eeeonetwothree]

[ But he is looking directly at Velvet. ]

SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN QUITE ACTIVE IN THE FORGE.

[stringup]

...Like for a certain something, or for a recent rearming.

[eeeonetwothree]

EXACTLY.

[ And Omega’s chassis opens, showing his internals. You might notice the completed weapon he’s been working on.

You’re more likely to notice all the blood that’s seeped into there, though. ]

[murchada]

...Omega.

[she doesn't know what else to say. how to react.]

You can't be serious.

[yourheroine]

...then you both fought, and...

[Aoi looks sadly at Omega.]

So we wouldn't run out?

[stringup]

[ Ah.

Given how the conversation was going, this was inevitable, wasn't it.

...Velvet is staring, with the kind of unreadable expression where it's hard to say whether she's furious, dissociating, or neither. ]

...Did he give as good as he got?

cw: suicidal ideation kinda

[raisethemoon]

....I would have participated.

[ Luna's old; she has lived more than long enough. She would have been willing to step in, on either one of their behalves. ]

1/2

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark just...stares. For a long moment.]

[fillets]

Ah. Just as straightforward as ever, of course.

[sweetsynergy]

...Didn't think you and vonAegir were that close.

[eeeonetwothree]

HE WaS mYyyY BbbBesssSSStrt FRRRIeenND

[sweetsynergy]

[jesus christ weepinbell]

okay 2/2

[sweetsynergy]

So, ah.

[hm]

[she glances up in Typhon's direction for a second]

...finally ready to go for it, huh.

[raisethemoon]

[ For the first time in the trial, Luna's ears move forward as they both tilt towards Omega. But she doesn't say anything. ]

[eeeonetwothree]

[ As with Cerejeira, Omega is avoiding her gaze. He is only meeting Velvet’s. ]

[sweetsynergy]

Mmm. Might make the inevitable seem less bad, if you could. You know. Do something else with it.