♪ my class trial, our class trial ♫

[heroicpolonaise]

Who: Everyone + Hiro if ori wants
When: January 12th, then anytime past January 15th
Where: Common Room
What: please let's wake steph and also maybe prove miyuki innocent if he really is
Warnings: tbd

[there is no gentle way to do this on the pda.

but you know what that is perfectly fine they were doing CSI rp earlier what's one more--]

All hands, round up.

Think we've got as much as we can right now, so let's settle in and work it out -- together. Come to the usual meet-up spot as soon as you can, and we're not leaving until the perp's worked out. Bring your own joe and a wit sharp as can be, because we are in for the long haul.

Detective Akamatsu, signing out.

[...

a-anyway.

meng yao's done his best to preserve one (1) stephanie meanswell and she's currently laying on the couch in a state some may find familiar and others not at all, but she's very much alive -- if barely. have your shock and surprise, this is going to be once all evidence is collected icly. also after noah and kaede make a grave for miss vp god rest her soul.

...

hiro is allowed to be here, if he wants, if only because part of this is his sister's death and one of y'all had BETTER take care of him.

there are no snacks, no drinks unless you byoj (bring your own joe), and kaede will wait until... all or presumably all are filed in before she speaks.]

I hate to say this, but you all are easily more experienced with this than I am... Still, there's no reason to wait on this when one of our classmates has turned up dead, and another [she is assuming stephanie is theirs] is in the state that she is. I don't want to think one of us had anything to do with it, but turning away from the truth only invites more pain--

So let's lay out what we know and try not to go at each others' throats about it.

[please. even the most unbelievable, impossible happenings have roots to them, and she wants it solved -- not just for hiro's sake, who's pain is something she can barely imagine, but for stephanie and the vice principal, too.]

[links:

○ investigative miroboard
○ round up one
○ round up two

Comments

[samuraiwomen]

Well...maybe we've been going at it all wrong?

[ She's been sitting quietly while they've all discussed, chatting with a few people...drawing out what evidence they could gather. Its a strange case, and its contrictory in several respects, if Sara is honest. The color of the hair, but the size of the prints. Subaru, Miyuki, they all felt so...nothing. There was no reason for it. But as she waits terrible sort of theory starts to appear. Perhaps now is the place to voice it. ]

We've been thinking about what evidence we've found...handprints, thumbprints, who could lift Arisu-san. So much of it doesn't make sense. Even so, there's one thing I've really been wondering. Who could gain the most if she died? What did Maya Arisu have or do that made her worth killing?

[ Her eyes flick to Miyuki and Ishimaru for a second, then back down to her desk. ]

I...don't want to doubt anyone. I don't want to accuse anyone of something they didn't do. But...as some of you know, Maya Arisu had a contract with this school. A contract that can grant wishes. And the only person I know who was interested in that...who I know has a wish they want granted...

[ She looks up. ]

Amami-san, what were you doing last night?

[starrypoint]

[-- ah]

Ama-chan isn't the only one who has a wish they want granted!

[samuraiwomen]

Subaru...

[ Oh this sucks, this really sucks, Sara hadn't missed this part of main games at all. ]

I know you want to protect your friend, but he's been asking about her contract since December! We can't just ignore that evidence! If he's innocent, let him prove it right now, so we can trust him!

[starrypoint]

You trust people because you wanna trust 'em, Sasara. Ama-chan wouldn't do something like this just to get a shot at a contract.

[mostly because subaru's betting that amami doesn't know the way to obtain said contract, either the one maya had or the one that...]

[samuraiwomen]

No Subaru, thats not true at all. People will do anything, you can just never know.

[ Her will won't budge, you can't move her with pretty words! ]

If nobody wants to doubt him, then I will. If you want to give me a reason he wouldn't do it, then speak up! I'll listen to anything you have to say.

[dereban]

[Actually also interjecting not because she disagrees with the accusation--in fact, she's more interested than not--but because of something else:]

Can only student council presidents make contracts with the school for that wish?

[Might as well ask that, since motive is important.]

[samuraiwomen]

I'm not sure Inaba-san, there's still so much we don't know about this school...but I can't imagine it didn't matter at all!!

[ Because...its a wish...because...its an important part of who Maya Arisu was. That girl didn't seem to have a single enemy. ]

All we know, is if Maya died, the school would be able to form a new contract! She told me that herself: "If he wants a contract like mine, he would have to either survive two more years and earn it, or kill me."

[dereban]

I'm not saying that it didn't. But if nobody knows how the contract is obtained and someone thought that killing her was the immediate ticket to getting it... then that definitely gives a motive. Although I can't say if he's the only one who would be willing to go that far for it.

[Since that could give many people a reasonable motive, given that they knew about the contract itself.]

But two more years... that would be after graduation, huh. Since I'm guessing this was something spoken about last year.

[samuraiwomen]

But he's the only person we know wanted anything to do with Maya's contract! Even if other people are willing, I can't name anyone else who knew!

[ So even if it isn't sure, he's the most primary suspect when considering motive. Inaba's smart, Sara is sure she'll notice any holes Sara's theory has, but her stratagy has always been to push a theory to it's seams to find the truth. ]

Yes, we discussed it in early December. Amami-san asked me to look into finding him a contract for his christmas gift, so I asked her about it.

[sisters]

( there's a spark of interest when sara speaks up — she's sharp, reminds him of kaede in some ways, and he wants to think that if she's made a decision then it must be for a good reason. when she looks to him though, that expression freezes on his face. his heart drops and for a moment, if she looks, it won't be hard to discern the way hurt flashes across his expression. not that he lets it linger. a deep breath, heavy on the exhale, and he meets her eyes. )

Chidouin-san... This isn't a time to mess around. You really think I'm the type of person who would do something like this?

( he pauses — lets the question hang in the air for a moment. he'd wanted to think that maybe they were becoming friends, but seriously, this is... )

I was in my room, the same place I usually am. Kamo-kun sleeps early, and they don't like being alone, so.

( there you have it. that's where he was. )

[samuraiwomen]

I know Amami-san is very kind, and someone I am happy to call my friend. Thats why I want you to defend yourself with everything you have, so I can lay this doubt to rest.

[ That doesn't take him off the table for murder, but she knows this will hurt him. She...hesitated because it would hurt him. She'll apologize later if she's wrong, but there's no ill will. He's killed before, and so has Sara. Can't they accuse eachother freely? ]

Can anyone but Tenshu prove it? Please Amami-san...at least explain why you wanted that contract for Christmas. I don't want to be right...but I'll gladly be wrong to prove your innocence.

[sisters]

( yeah, this is about what he expected of that first murder too. he did something desperate when backed into a corner, and it's changed the way people look at him irreversibly. his stomach turns. if there's anything that he's managed to learn though, it's how to keep calm in the worst of situations. rather than let the irritation and disappointment churning under his skin surface in his expression. )

You should know that our room only has space for two people. ( which, right about now, is awfully unfortunate for him. )

There's something important I have to do, but you don't seriously think that I'd go this far. Besides, isn't it supposed to be "innocent until proven guilty"?

[closewithnewintown]

[raises hand like this is class]

How important is "important?" I mean, you're already dumb enough to want to make a deal for it; killing somebody isn't that much dumber.

[samuraiwomen]

Honestly, Amami-san, in my experience the opposite is a lot more effective.

[ She bullies people to get her way 10/10 death game strategy sorry. ]

I'd rather not bring Tenshu into this. [ They had every reason to lie and Sara didn't want them exposed to their friends fighting. That would do nothing good for a kid that age. ]

So, lets move our discussion onwards. This is the second time you've avoided my question, Amami-san. I know you have people you want to protect! That's not even a bad thing! But you can't deny this fact, you asked for Maya's contract and you won't say why! Any information could be enough to prove your innocence!

[decrypter]

...That's the wrong way to approach this.

[it's the first words she's spoken to someone since she's entered the room today, hands having been busily transcribing instead. but she's exhausted of this meeting since an hour ago, and having been sitting with her notes for days, there are other conclusions to draw.]

Instead of throwing out a guess as to who it is and starting to bend the facts to fit that, there's something you're not considering, Sara. Who would benefit most from Miss Arisu not being able to uphold her contract? Who would be happiest if all of the third years weren't guaranteed a way out? And with the principal apparently nonexistent and now the vice principal dead, who benefits from the lack of structure?

...Not to mention that whoever did this to Miss Arisu...they really didn't like her. It's a lot of effort to go to in order to kill.

[samuraiwomen]

Who, Helena? Don't play coy, if you want me to be wrong, then prove it! I won't back down, and you shouldn't either!

[ Sara isn't any good at guessing! Honestly, she's not even that clever when it comes to making plans! But she knows...wow this must be how Q-taro had felt that first trial. If you say what nobody wants to hear, they'll be able to disprove it. Who killed Maya? If you know something, then say it! ]

My facts aren't bent. Amami-san wanted Maya's contract back in December, and now Maya is dead. If you have someone more likely, then say it right here!

[decrypter]

I'm not backing down. I'm simply not throwing names out like sheep amongst wolves until I could definitively say one way or another.

[she doesn't lay her stylus down, but it has stilled in her hands.]

We are at the end of our rope, we are grieving, and we are exhausted by this school taking more and more from us. It's easy to try and point fingers in this situation - but Rantarou would be in a better position had Miss Arisu lived, the same as me and every other third year student. Now our future is uncertain - our graduation is no longer a guarantee, whereas it was secure.

[crystallomancy]

...ActualLY, that wasn't what her contract enTAILED.

( natsume actually, in a way, knows something about it. not in the exact words, not in what she really asked for taking on the mantle of student council, but he does know what her ideal contract would be. he knows she argued for what she could, aiming for that ideal world. )

The little wolf wanted to change the rules of this place entirely—who stays and who LEAVES, how we progress through the YEARS... While third years have the chance of repeating here like in a normal SCHOOL, it's no guarantee that they'll be able to graduATE.

( ... )

I asked her what her ideal set of rules would BE, and she said it was a regular three-year progression through SCHOOL, based on grades and attenDANCE. That's the type of progression you'd find in any ordinary public or private SCHOOL, vocational non-withstanDING. She was able to tell me that because it wasn't what she was able to get them to agree TO, but she argued for as much as she COULD.

The third years potentially being able to graduate might be part of IT, but she couldn't tell me more: the president's contract is null and void if it's spoken aLOUD. It isn't written DOWN, and there's no physical copies that exist of it after the fact eiTHER.

[decrypter]

...I didn't know, but then the idea of killing her for the contract makes even less sense.

[the end of her stylus taps gently against her notebook. new information to process, to jot down in the other sections of this.]

It still would have suited us better had she lived, nebulous as the information about it was. A chance, instead of there being none, is leaps and bounds above being cast down again.

Regardless, Rantarou is an intelligent man. He would hardly kill Miss Arisu over something that he didn't even know the contents of.

[commences]

Let's dance, Chidouin-san, I want to see how sharp those words of yours are.

( for someone who kept to herself, those are pretty bold words, but he wants to know if she can truly step up to the plate of suspecting an ultimate. komaeda's feelings are mid, he doesn't have an actual side, so it's easy to make his own claims. it seems they've thrown out the idea of being able to life or even get into the room, so he'll start there. )

Now, you said that you knew about what must be done to obtain a contract, what makes you not a suspect? Simply speaking, you could have done this for him because you know an idiot like him is incapable.

( a christmas gift that came late, a surprise from yours truly. )

...You've been showing a little bloodshed as of late, could that also be a reason...?

[samuraiwomen]

Komeada. I'm trying to do something right now?

[ She can't?? Dance!!? Oh god, please she's trying to...do something! Move this along! Be wrong to be right, or be right to be wrong! ]

That motive is pretty fragile, wouldn't I use the wish for myself? Or just...look, I know everyone who knew about the contract is a suspect, but if I really wanted it, I wouldn't wait around two months and give Amami-san a fake one before killing Maya. I don't even have a good wish!

[ Sigh sigh sigh sigh can we do detective training later!? ]

[commences]

But you said it was on his Christmas wish list? When we all played, the name of the game was to grant them for others. That's the entire point.

( oh, so she would kill maya, well that's good to know. it's hard to tell who wants what nowadays. )

You don't want to doubt, so why wouldn't you give Amami-kun that sort of chance? Either way, if you blame him because of knowing a contract, you're just as in the same boat as him. Ahaha, anyone who doesn't want to be a suspect would say they don't have a good wish!

( this is part of detective training, prove him wrong. )

[filialdeception]

[ ...He sighs and then shakes his head. ]

...With all due respect, everyone does remember how she was found, correct? I don't believe Rantarou is capable of arranging such a feat in the first place.

And even in the event that he was, he's not the type of person to aim for someone like her.

[samuraiwomen]

Vouching for his character aside, I think we have established it had to be more then one person at the start. He wouldn't have to be capable, we've had so many times when crime scenes have been tampered with.

[ Which um...currently her best bet would be Childe! Because he is insane! Komeada has been well behaved lately, and he can't lift stuff. ]

Can you explain more why Amami wouldn't do it? [ Let her >Extract your statement. Present a defense of his character to the group! ]

[filialdeception]

I'll elaborate, though this too is one mostly for his character.

As I have said, he is not the type of person who would kill Maya, or anyone else for that matter. For example, in a situation where he would have a choice to choose violence over peaceful resolution, he would go for peace whenever and wherever he can. [ Unless it means he has to resort to self-defense, is the implication. ] If he were to team up in a scenario you so describe, that would mean instead of self-defense he would need to have the mental fortitude and callous mindset to plot for an innocent individual's murder.

Of all the things that Rantarou is capable of, I don't believe pre-meditated murder is one of them.