first trial

[stagemanagers]

[Within a few minutes of the performers is finishing their investigations, the lights in every room flicker on and off several times. For those in or close to the lobby, they hear a faint rumbling. The gilded doors across from the heavy wooden front doors (which have always been there, the showrunners may have gotten to indicate them on the map) have opened.

Your intermission is ending. The show is about to begin.

The space behind them is lit; you're free to enter. It's a very short hallway, decorated in the same way as the lobby with the light walls and red carpet. There is one more set of doors to pass through and then you're all, finally, in the House. There's one grand chandelier above, glittering crystal, and the seats around you are made of fine, if dust-caked, red velvet. Those don't seem to be for you though - all the way down in front of the stage, where the orchestra might sit, there's a circle of wooden podiums. They're arranged so that everyone can face each other and are fixed into place. Each one bears a metal plaque with a cast member's name engraved on it. There's also a metal panel on top, with twenty ivory buttons paired to everyone's name.

Among these, only Jonny's podium is different - that one is draped in black crepe, with a larger grey-scale version of his headshot from the playbill framed and sitting at on top like a funerary portrait. Standing where he might have stood, a bare light bulb glows faintly atop a metal pole.

Right here, you're very close to the stage. But the curtain is closed, and it's a little too high to easily clamber up. You may not want to try. You've got more important business right now, after all.

As everyone is finding their places, the Phantom's voice suddenly sounds loud and clear throughout the space. If anyone is to look up, however, they'll see the dark suited figure of him and the whiteness of his mask peering over the edge of box 5.]

You must now determine who was responsible for the death of Jonny D'Ville. Submit your vote on the podiums when you are certain of your choice.

Comments

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Slowly Sigyn pulls somthing from under her shirt. A ring on a chain that perfectly matches the one found on Jonny's body]

I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up, hey hey, giving up now

Below my soul I feel an engine
Collapsing as it sees the pain
If I could only shut it out

I've come too far
To see the end now
Even if my way is wrong
I keep pushing on and on and on and on

[holyspit]

You don't have to give up! We can still fight this!

[etincelledefierte]

Please. You don't have to do this. We can do -

[And she chokes up.]

- something.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn shakes her head]

I can't let you get hurt trying to protect me. I said I'd keep you all safe, right?

[etincelledefierte]

[She nods, but she's nodding through tears.]

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn takes the rings, holding them both close as tears fill her eyes.]

It was- well, I can't say an accident. He was taunting me, talking about how I failed Midgard, failed my wife. He just kept talk and talking.

I just wanted him to shut up, I didn't even aim for his chest, it just...happened. I tried to stop the bleeding so I grabbed the shirt but even then, he would stop.

[The words seem to tumble out as tears begin streaming down her cheek]

He said he had something of Loki's, he kept taunting me, I went to go find it. I turned his room upside down looking for her wedding ring but I couldn't find it. When I went back to the costume room. He was gone.

It wasn't about the envelopes, it was just a momentary lapse in judgement.

[37773972]

[Yeah, he's just.

He's just going to move closer to her to hug her tight.]

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn grips him back, the tears flowing more freely now]

I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry.

[37773972]

Hey. Hey. I know. [The fact that this wasn't even intentional - that's what hurts him the most. If it was, then he could have taken part of the blame, thinking he encouraged her-]

We know. [The group. They know, now.] And- if it wasn't for how fucked up this situation is-

[...he might have held his silence.]

[holyspit]

Sigyn, this-

[this fucking sucks]

I still mean what I said earlier! You did something wrong, but this isn't your fault, it's his!

[reassuranceandrevolution]

No, it was mine. He was an ass, but he didn't deserve to die.

[holyspit]

No, this- all these rules, the motive, our STUFF- none of this would have happened without him! You can blame yourself if you want but I'm not going to!

[etincelledefierte]

[Claudine curses under her breath before she even knows she's doing it. She's not entirely sure herself what she's saying, only that she's cursing Jonny for being a jackass.

Sigyn didn't deserve that. She feels sick to her stomach for thinking Jonny did.]

...this wasn't your fault. You didn't intentionally do this.

[Said with tears in her eyes. Claudine has been acting so strong through all of this, but she can't keep up the act anymore.]

[reassuranceandrevolution]

I mean, [A wet, hollow laugh] I did stab him.

[etincelledefierte]

But you didn't intentionally go out looking to hurt anyone.

You got pushed into a bad situation, and we all know that.

[musacal]

Oh no...

[ Ughhhhhh this is awful-- wait just a tick ]

Wait, he was just... gone? So he... he actually did get up and just walked away until he died?!

[ what the ever loving fuck ]

[reassuranceandrevolution]

He was still alive when I left him.

[herwiggles]

...He really did that? [Oh...]

That doesn't sound very nice.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

It wasn't, but I still shouldn't have done it.

[herwiggles]

That's not how it should be... We should all be friends.

[madgiganticfeelings]

It was a mistake! If it was a mistake, you shouldn't have to be punished for it! Can't we all just agree to forgive you and them move on?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

It was a mistake, but you don't exactly stab someone without meaning to cause serious harm.

[isawallflower]

But that's not...

[ Riley closes her eyes very tightly. Her hand's closed around the hilt of the knife that killed Jonny, the knife Sigyn used to kill Jonny. ]

I don't want this.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

None of us do, but for what it's worth, I'm glad we were able to meet.

[isawallflower]

[ She shakes her head slowly. ]

Sigyn... [ She's not used to this. Riley's not used to the kind, genuine care from someone older than her. And, if she doesn't express that now, she'll never be able to. But-

The hand not holding the knife comes up to wipe away a stray tear. She's not even aware she started crying, and honestly, she's too stressed to do much else. She takes a shuddering breath. ]

This isn't supposed to be happening. Please.