Third Trial [Closed]

[falsepretentious]

WHO: The current dangan crew!
WHERE: Kiyotaka and Byakuya's dorm!
WHEN: The 20th or so
WHAT: It's time for another meeting of SHSL Retrospec users to discuss memory-related matters, and this time without Kyouko.
WARNINGS: Discussions of death and murder are likely!

[It was about time for another meeting of those who remembered lives of being Super High School Level students. Between the previous month's event, people catching up on their studies after said event and Kyouko Kirigiri losing her Retrospec memories, it had taken time to arrange for this. This time, Byakuya and Kiyotaka act as the hosts in their dorm, with Byakuya having left out a variety of snacks for people to pick on as they talk.]

I've gathered all of my notes of our discussions from the previous meetings, and I suggest others keep notes as well. [There's no telling when someone else will lose their Retrospec memories.] Now... let's discuss some matters, shall we?

Comments

[optimistical]

[ look it's fine. everything's fine. don't worry about it. murder weapons are in these days!! anyway now that i got the mem regain approved, let's talk about this very special murder weapon 8) ]

Yeah, it was a really short memory so I don't know all the details but the victim was someone named Fujisaki and it happened in the changing room.

[ he... doesn't remember anyone named fujisaki and he doesn't even know if that's their first name, last name, or if they're a boy or girl. it's very vague ]

[steadycourse]

[Fujisaki...?

He mentally repeats that name to himself as he stares at the dumbbell. Should he try touching it...? He really doesn't want to put his hand on something that was used to murder another person, but he must try everything that he can to remember. That's more important than his discomfort.

Just as he's about to lean closer and reach for it, a memory hits.]

H-HE DIDN'T DO IT!! STOP ACCUSING HIM!!

[He's never been great at handling his memories, so he can't stop himself from blurting out the main thoughts and feelings going through his past self during during that time.

A few seconds after those words leave him, however, Ishida looks momentarily stunned by his own actions.] S-sorry...

[optimistical]

K-Kiyotaka?!

[ that outburst nearly has naegi jumping up in shock. out of all the responses that he could have expected from ishida, he didn't expect him to suddenly start screaming and it immediately gets him concerned, reaching out with a hand ]

Wh-- What's wrong? Did you remember something?

[ naegi has been around countless people who have remembered things in the middle of conversations and situations so he generally knows that a reaction like this is probably from a memory but... he hasn't ever been around someone who has reacted this strongly to one ]

[steadycourse]

I... yes...

[He turns his focus away from the dumbbell, but he doesn't look at anyone else either. Ishida mostly just stares at the ground, trying to get his own feelings under control. There was just so much denial and despair and grief going through his past self... and it's an experience he had here. The reasons are different, but the emotions are vastly similar.

Okay, take deep breaths!! He can discuss this like any normal person...

Ishida doesn't seem to really notice the hand reaching out to him, partly stuck in his own thoughts.]

I... I don't remember a lot but it might be helpful! So I can talk about it if you want, we'll get closer to solving this mystery and that's important!!

[optimistical]

[ naegi's not particularly one to reach out and pat someone on the shoulder or hold onto their hand or anything like that. he's not really touchy-feely and he's not sure if ishida would appreciate the sudden touch but his hand is already extended and he slowly just reaches out to place it on ishida's shoulder, ready to pull back if it's something that ishida is uncomfortable with ]

Yeah, but don't push yourself, okay? If it's a difficult memory, we can take it slow.

[ the truth is important but he also doesn't want ishida to rush back into some sort of traumatic memory for it ]

[steadycourse]

[Ishida jumps slightly by the hand, more surprised by the contact than anything else. It's not unwanted and he finds it somewhat comforting, so he gives Naegi a weak sort of smile even though it's obviously forced. But he does look a little better than just a few seconds ago.]

Um. I.

[He feels nervous, weak even, to be like this in front of the others. At least they are people that he feels the closest to, but Ishida can't help but feel a little bad still.]

J-just need a few seconds to collect my thoughts!

[optimistical]

[ he squeezes ishida's shoulder and nods ]

Take your time. If you want to write something down, I brought my sketchbook that you could use.

[ he's found that writing or drawing things out help him express himself better. it also keeps his memories fresh in his mind by having something to reference ]

[steadycourse]

[He shakes his head.]

N-no thanks, I. I believe I can share my memory!

[Ishida takes a few deep breaths, mostly managing to get his feelings under control now. A part of him is still shaken up, but he doesn't feel like screaming anymore.]

The memory was brief! And since it happened while l-looking at the dumbbell, I believe I was remembering the... trial. Someone was being accused of the crime and... he was someone close to me, I believe.

[optimistical]

[ naegi continues to keep his hand on ishida's shoulder and patiently waits for him to be ready to start talking. and then when ishida speaks, naegi stays silent for a second before he replies ]

Is that why you were shouting at someone to stop accusing him?

[steadycourse]

[Ishida gives a small nod, still trying to put into words everything he was feeling, especially in a way that makes sense for everyone else.]

It's like... I didn't want to believe it to be true, even though all logic and reason pointed to that person being the culprit.

[optimistical]

Do you know if he was really the culprit or did it just seem like the evidence was pointing towards him?

[ because that's a very different distinction. it's one thing to be defending someone who is 100% the culprit and it's another to defend someone who is being framed ]

[steadycourse]

I'm not sure...

[He's probably creating more questions than answers right now. Ishida is a little frustrated with himself about that.]

Maybe he was being framed, since everyone else seemed to think he was the culprit. But... I believed him, so maybe... maybe that means something!

[It's a nice thought and it's possible, right?]

[optimistical]

[ hm... naegi doesn't practically want to raise ishida's hopes if it turns out that this person really was the culprit. he would rather prefer not to even think that there really was someone who murdered another classmate but this dumbbell is proof enough that something happened, so he can't be naive enough to think there were no other murders asides from maizono. he chooses to just go for a neutral answer for now ]

Yeah... let's not think of the worst conclusions until we remember everything.

[ something twists in his gut. he feels awful that he can't really say anything concrete to cheer up ishida right now ]

My memories seem to come at randomly but if I remember anything about this case at all, I'll let you know first, okay?

[steadycourse]

[It's troubling, but just like the memory where he voted himself guilt, he can't jump to the worst conclusions yet. Maybe those two memories are connected somehow? But... it doesn't seem like it's going to reach a good end if that's the case. It's more likely that something terrible did happen, besides Fujisaki getting murdered.]

T-thank you, Makoto.

[He looks at the dumbbell for a bit longer before going quiet.]

[optimistical]

[ naegi nods once ]

You're welcome.

[ and then falls quiet as well. maybe this is the best place to end the conversation, at least until they remember something else and come back to it in the future. ]