Best of the Almost Best

So you didn't get into Hope's Peak the first time - Big deal! Your second chance has finally arrived. So your talent already has a title-holder in Hope's Peak's ranks - It doesn't matter! We can get rid of them easily. Think of it. A second chance at all your hopes and dreams. But is this opportunity one to kill for? Or simply one to die for?

[shslrejected]

Unfortunately, SHSL Rejected is going into a soft reset!

The current murder will not have happened, and a period of Normal Days will last until Monday, at which point we'll have another murder with a Skype trial.

[shslrejected]

Takeru Trial-5 (@Quinton)

"If were throwing blame at those who talked to the victim, Trouble is way more likely. He found the body, after all. He even said they were 'friends'. Miki wouldn't have been at all suspicious of Trouble. The perfect mark." Takeru said, a small smirk on his face.

"In addition, we now have a prime suspect. I happen to be a suspect as well, so I will accept a wound check, if it would take me off the suspect list." Takeru continued. 

"After all, if I remove myself from the suspect list, we'd be only left with one possibility. If...the boy in the gaudy jacket is correct."

[shslrejected]

[Trial 1-2] [Akiko, re: Takeru, Etsuko, Valeria]

"Yeah, I don't think stripping would be necessary. But checking arms or something may work."

Akiko hoped stripping wouldn't be necessary.

"As, uh, she said, that piece of fabric probably belongs to the killer. So we find who it belongs to, and we have a suspect. Or multiple suspects, depending on what the fabric is like. Obviously they're not going to 'own up', but it may be obvious based on color and texture of the fabric."

If the texture and color could be seen through the blood. She didn't have that good a look at the fabric. Hopefully it would end up being useful.

[shslrejected]

Trial 1 - Quentin Delacroix (2)

Quentin listened to everyone talk. He sighed, and rubbed his eyes, annoyed.

"One, I am not taking anything off. Two, I was in my room at midnight. With the door locked, might I add."

He pulled his hand away from his face and crossed his arms, looking at the other students.

"Third, I definitely feel like it was someone who actually talked to Miki. Therefore, I'm putting blame on.. What was it? Trouble? As well as Takeru, as they are the only ones who confirmed to have spoken to the deceased."

[shslrejected]

Trial 002 | Valéria | [re: Akiko, Takeru, Etsuko]

"No, wait, before you start claiming innocence and such, he has a point. As... that girl stated, bandages were missing from the infirmary. He's absolutely correct in suggesting we check for wounds to find and out whoever did this. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we really don't have any suspects right now, so when the time comes, I'd suggest you comply."

Stating as much as a few other people had, she shrugged back a little. Of course she would be willing to strip in front of everyone. In an environment of murder, self-consciousness was of the least concern. Their goal was to catch a murderer, not have a wet t-shirt contest.

"I don't think the owner of that cloth is going to own up to it, seeing as you've just said they'd be a suspect in this case."

She turned her attention away from Etsuko and to the rest of the class. Admittedly, that was a really strange way for Valéria to see it. Class. Were they really a class? Could they be called such a thing?

"For the matter of his body, and how the bear made notion of "how strange" it was for Rigor Mortis to have set in so quickly, I think that also leads to him not being stabbed in the shower. Perhaps he was stabbed in the infirmary, then? And the towel was used to clean up that evidence, and the wound, and tossed into the boys bathroom."

Class. It's still a strange concept.

"... Though this might not be useful, really, what was everyone doing at midnight last night? Did anyone keep their door unlocked, maybe?"

Well, something is better than nothing.

[shslrejected]

Trial No. 1 - Yoshiro (1) - [RE: Etsuko]

After taking his place among his fellow students, Yoshiro warily looked around at the others. They all, for the most part, seemed to be rather uncomfortable and wary, which he could completely understand as he was himself. 

Keeping quiet as the conversations began, he noted that Valéria seemed to have found almost the exact same evidence he had. Raising his eyebrows at the other evidence displayed however, he chose not to speak up until the matter of checking for injuries was mentioned.

"But how exactly do we know you're innocent? I don't really believe in the 'innocent until proven guilty' philosophy, at least not in this situation. I think we should view everyone here as equally guilty and not make any assumptions."

He smirked as he spoke, crossing his arms. He was speaking to Etsuko, the girl who had mentioned refusing to strip or at least show she was free of injury.

"And who here are we suspicious of in the first place? Are we making it so that only the people who spoke with Miki are suspect? It could've been anyone, from what I gather the boy wasn't exactly intimidating. I say Takeru has the right idea, I'd be willing to prove I'm injury free if it meant finding whoever's guilty."

[shslrejected]

Trial - Takeru 4

" I meant check arms for injuries. I didn't mean get naked. " Takeru said with a scoff. "If the owner of that is higher up on the suspect list, how do we link it to anyone? It would be really hard. I'm not sure if it's useful, but no-one used the laundry room." Takeru continued.

  "Finally, there was no blood in the hallways. That's all I found out in my investigation." Takeru finished.

[shslrejected]

え? I Etsuko I RE. Takeru, Akiko

Etsuko watched as carefully as she could, noting small things among the people's arguments. 

Ah, Something she could weigh in on.

"Yes, there was something on the door, this."

From a pocket in her skirt she pulled the fabric she had found during her investigations. The blood soaked fabric had left her pocket rather sticky and such, but it was something she could clean correct?

"I found this blocking the door, perhaps that answers your question."

Her gaze indicated that she was referring to Akiko with that comment.

"So, whomever this fabric belongs to is a obvious suspect in this case correct? It's very soft, one would notice if it went missing from their own collection I would presume."

And arched eyebrow, she kept her gaze going around the group until Takeru's comment, shifting her gaze to him, eyebrows angled somewhat angrily. 

".. .Are you suggesting that we strip to find this injury? I will decline. You have no right to claim for someone innocent as myself to do such an act. Perhaps make those whom are suspect to do so?" 

[shslrejected]

Trial - Takeru 3

"Hold on a second. If the killer really got hurt, wouldn't they still have a recent wound? In which case, can't we just check everyone?" Takeru asked, raising a brow.

[shslrejected]

Trial -Takeru 2 @Cecilia

"I spoke to him before his death. We spoke for about thirty seconds before he left to go to his dorm room. Though…he spoke to that Trouble guy the most." Takeru said, crossing his arms.

[shslrejected]

[Trial 1-1] [Akiko] [Re: Valeria]

Akiko sighed. Well, this was a little slowgoing. As it finally started to pick up, that annoying girl she'd talked to on the first day started to speak. Huh, she had some good points.

"Yeah, there was definitely a struggle. I looked in the infirmary, and there were some missing bandages, which suggests that the attacker was probably injured."

She paused a moment to let the other students digest that information, then continued.

"In addition, the doorknob was very loose, some of the medicine was knocked out of the cabinets, and the bottom of one of the bed had some cuts on it."

There were a few theories she had about how the room ended up like that, but she decided to see what someone else thought about it, in hopes of strengthening one of her theories.

[shslrejected]

Small question - Cecilia Blandise

"if I it’s alright, could I please ask for the people who spoke with Miki before his death?"

[shslrejected]

Trial 001 | Valéria | [re: Etsuko]

Entering the trial room, making note of her position in accordance with everyone, she stepped up to her podium and looked to her classmates - holding, at a distance, something that... well, the last time you saw the Modern Dancer, she certainly wasn't carrying it.

"To begin, I found this in the Boy's Bathroom. It is a towel. Drenched in blood. Presumably the blood of... whoever's body was ceaselessly placed into a shower."

Way to go, Valéria. Winning points already, displaying a bloody towel to the crowd of students. Being still careful to avoid having the towel touch her at all, she folded it and set it in front of her, on the podium. Yet, still, she wrinkled her nose at it only slightly.

"Based upon the other evidence to look at, I feel that this is much more than just "he was stabbed in the shower" - I found the towel carelessly thrown into the boy's bathroom - accompanying this towel, in the wad form I found it, was a large blood smear on the floor."

She paused.

"Which, while that doesn't suggest much, it suggests that the knife wound was probably cleaned thoroughly, along with its surroundings, before we came across the body. The scene was cleaned and manicured, somewhat, before we were set to look at it."

Yes, in fact, Valéria was rambling. She paused again.

"I also noticed some scuff marks in the carpet - this was definitely not as clean as the murderer has made this out to be. The deceased struggled somewhat, at least."

Was that it? Was that the end of her small presentation? It appeared so, considering she just stopped talking and waited for someone else to get on with it.

[shslrejected]

Trial 1 - Quentin Delacroix (1)

Quentin made his way to the courtroom, staring harshly at the floor. His stomach felt like it was boiling, he felt like he was in a rage.

Why did this happen already? Why couldn't he find anything useful?

He groaned as he took his place at his seat, rubbing his temples.

He listened to those who spoke, and carefully nodded.

"I believe it is possible that the murderer is someone who has spoken to the deceased. So. If you have talked to him, fess up," he said simply, looking around at the classmates. He raised a thin eyebrow and crossed his arms. Hopefully this would go easier than he expected it would.

[shslrejected]

たくさん血 I Etsuko I Trial 1 Start [ATTN. Everyone]

Etsuko walked into the trial calmly, resting at her podium with a blank expression. The Psychologist wasn't the best at hunting for evidence , but she believe in her ability to spot if someone was lying. Because, someone would have to lie. that was how these kinds of trials would work correct? She could handle this.

A glance around her classmates, perhaps next she would have to interact more, she had been more focused on making herself at home here. She had seen little wrong with this situation, she enjoyed simply being alone, watching them all from the sidelines. 

"... Well. Who has found something? I'd like to hear what everyone has to say before we start."

If she was going to work with this she was going to do her best to take control of this situation. 

[shslrejected]

Trial - Takeru 1

Takeru closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. It was starting to sink in one of these people killed Miki. And he had been examining the body. Like. It. Was. Nothing. And one of these people did it. The thought stayed in his mind. It was…frightening.

"Let’s start…with the murder weapon. It was a knife taken from the Kitchen. After taking the knife, the killer somehow got into Miki’s room, and stabbed him." Takeru said, a few pauses here and there. 

[shslrejected]

Trial 1 - Miki Ikari

Another announcement, just like the one that began this period of investigation, rings through the school.

"Time's up! I sure hope you bastards found all the evidence you're looking for! Check your Student IDs, there should be a new room unlocked! You'd better be in there soon, or else!"

Elevator Room Unlocked

A while later, all fifteen - or fourteen, now - of your classmates had gathered in the space. Suddenly, the door slams shut behind you and the floor starts to drop. You're standing in an elevator. The loudspeaker starts playing again.

"Welcome to the Class Trial! Together, you all will decide on who killed Miki Ikari! Guess correctly, and you all survive! Guess wrong, and an innocent dies in their place and they escape! Trial begins - NOW!"

The doors in front of you open, leading into an underground amphitheater. Sixteen wooden desks are arranged in a circle, and one of them seems to already be occupied by a portrait of Miki, giving you a grim reminder (as if you needed another one) of why you were here. Monobear sits on a throne behind the circle, a red button on one arm of his chair and a slot machine on the other. This is it. The trial has begun.

[Music]