WEEK 6 TRIAL

[foundationmods]

It was noon on Saturday.

No matter where they were, no matter what they were doing...the moment the chimes rang out through the hall, they felt a change.

The world...began to expand, as they felt themselves leaving the world they were on, and towards another, much larger world...🗈

...As always, the courtroom was there - along with the audience, watching, waiting for the entertainment before them.

The Witch - Nirrti - was there, sitting in the most important place, watching all of them with a sharp, cruel gaze, the smile on her face bright once again.

Watanuki was also there, but he merely lounged in the back behind them, smoking a kiseru pipe in silence.
...It seemed as if he was content to watch - that he had to watch - as part of the rules of the game.

There was no music to be heard, but... perhaps on another plane, in another place, someone else heard music as they gazed upon the proceedings.

Again, their forms had changed - perhaps into something different than last time, but...still a change, no matter how dramatic or inconsequential it was.

...There was a deep silence in the room, one that no one wanted to break. It was the faint tension in the air, like the moments before a race or a competition begins.

...There was so few of them now.
All of them...were now alone, having to come to this conclusion themselves.
Yet, they had to find the truth.
Why did three people die?
Who did this?
The answer...stretched on ahead...

Comments

VERDICT

[lutea]

[Kurama begins to float in the air, much like every other culprit before him - and Erhard's dead body appears as well, as she opens her arms out, her face impassive.]

....Kurama and Erhard are the culprits in this case. Kurama killed Clear and Erhard, and Erhard killed Emi.

....Return, o culprit.

[The chant is apparently not needed to always bring people back to life, as the wound on Erhard's eye quickly knits itself, the man suddenly breathing again with a startled gasp.

Nirrti continues on, her face passive.]

...Both of you will be punished. But first...I will fufill the wishes you killed for.

[Both Caim and Vinea are suddenly floating in the air, along with Sherlock's empty body - all of them floating in a row.

Nirrti....looks away for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes with an intensely mournful look.]

....Clear for Karen, Erhard for Syaoran, and Emi for Sherlock.

That was the deal for this final motive. I must....return your vessels back to their original owners....no.

I must return you back to yourselves.

Oh my Furniture...my dear, sweet demons, who I penned into this world...

I am....so very, very sorry.

[And then, with a single swipe of her hand -

The demons go limp.

(In the audience, a certain Servant grabs his chest and gasps.]

No, more than that...their eyes are still open, though they hang like dolls. But their eyes have returned to their normal hues, with the wings vanishing from Syaoran's back as well.

Then, she raises her hands above her head, a beautiful...soft white glow forming and surrounding the three bodies, obscuring them in a blanket of pure light...

...And sets them gently on the ground, as the light fades away and they are able to stand on their own two feet.

...Because...

Karen, Sherlock, and Syaoran have been returned to play.]

....I will...give you all a moment.

Then...I will begin my punishment.

[...But unlike the other times, she doesn't leave, nor giggle or cackle.

She merely...goes to sit silently, her hair pooling around her, looking almost despondent.]

[keydomhearts]

[ r u okay nirrti ]

[lutea]

[No not really.

She hasn't been okay for a full week, and especially not now.]

[keydomhearts]

[ does she want some of the candy they got from her senpai ]

[beguiledcard]

[ That's implying she's been legit okay in like. Years? ]

[improbablenotimpossible]

[Sherlock gasps sharply from where his body laid, as if he just remembered how to breathe, his back arching from the motion. Slowly he blinks, vision coming as he starts to come into being, feeling his heart pounding in his ears.

Then he drops to his knees, the inverness coat pooling around him]

[cryosurgeon]

[And there's Erhard in his bloody sleeping clothes, gasping and clutching his right eye, caught for a few heartbeats in the shock of his own death. The fury in Kurama's eyes, the blade flashing down, the blinding agony....

It all goes away when he sees Sherlock.

He covers his face with both hands and sobs.]

[improbablenotimpossible]

[At the moment, logic, morality - that didn't matter, all that matter is this single moment of time. Sherlock pushes himself off his knees, stumbling forward toward Erhard, his arms reaching out to hold him tightly]

[goldenmaniac]

[After the gay goodbye, even with Erhard still covered in gore, Takumi walks over and embraces him]

[respring]

[ well after his gay goodbye is over

Sakura just puts a hand on his shoulder. ]

[byanyother_name]

[Also after the gay goodbye.]

It's good to see you again, however briefly. Take care, Holmes.

[rikuchi]

[ Quietly watching him with...a bit of concern, just in case. ]

[keydomhearts]

[ hey... ]

Are you okay?

[byanyother_name]

Nirrti...

I did what I believe was best, but I am sorry.

I hope your new children will be some comfort to you.

[lutea]

....Thank you.

[She doesn't say much else, but -]

...If only for a short time....then yes.

also cw emeto mentions

[excavated]

[ Syaoran - no, Tsubasa - immediately turns pale the moment his eyes snap open, his hand immediately going to his lips almost feeling sick to the stomach and just hunches over a little bit, almost struggling to breathe for a moment.

People will notice that he's in a pure white wafuku but he's definitely not feeling so good. ]

Shit-!

also cw emeto mentions

[keydomhearts]

[ Uh oh... he'll rush over to put his hand on his back. Does he need help keeping his sleeves out of the way in case he hurls? ]

[goldenmaniac]

[Takumi can tell when someone is about to vomit, so he doesn't jump on him. But he does kneel down to rub his back]

[byanyother_name]

[Well, Kurama looks concerned but he can't exactly go check on him from midair. So he just watches and worries.]

[rikuchi]

[ ...

He has nothing to say to Syaoran, but he'll watch from over here. ]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Over in her own mess, she's aware of your existence.

You're a friend, right?]

Re: VERDICT

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Seconds after Karen's--or rather, Cure Aqua's--feet touch the ground, she falls to her knees, clutching her head and gritting her teeth.]

[respring]

[ Put--Putting her arms out??? Do not fall, Karen ]

Minazuki-san...?

[aleph_armed]

[...Gebura is just going to head straight over to Karen again, yes. She is... resisting the urge to hug her, because it's been too long since she died. For now, she'll mostly try and be as gentle as she can and check for injuries.]

[incrediblystressedout]

[Yep. This is the moment she was hoping to put off for...well, until the end of this damn game, which might be coming up soon anyway, actually. Joey stands back nervously for a moment while the other girls help her out, the goes to kneel down next to her, which is a trick in this dress.]

Karen?