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

[justmeheere]

[There's a strange lack of emotion as Jeremy walks back to his own podium, scans the buttons and selects Sigyn, the Ascended Extra. He doesn't join in the arguing happening, doesn't say anything at all.

Just stands there, staring blankly into the middle distance.]

[musacal]

Uhhhh...

[ okay she's literally right next to his podium she needs to say something. ]

Jeremy-kun are you... [ a pause. She can't use the word "okay". No one would be okay right now. ] Are you feeling all right...?

[ ... okay maybe that's not much better but ]

[justmeheere]

[Hey, did you know Jeremy can speak Japanese? Oh wait, that's right. He doesn't.]

気にしないで, ナナさん. 大丈夫.

[superbeliever]

Oh my God he's speaking in tongues!

[etincelledefierte]

He's not speaking in tongues. He's speaking Japanese.

[superbeliever]

What is that, some kind of vegetable?

[etincelledefierte]

It's the language spoken where Nana and I are from.

[superbeliever]

But Jer-bear's not from there, how does he know it? Did you teach it to him?

[etincelledefierte]

That, I can't tell you. It's better spoken than we could teach him in two weeks' time.

[musacal]

N-No... or at least I didn't...

[madgiganticfeelings]

It's the SQUIP. It's the SQUIP! He told me he didn't take one, but-!

[But apparently everyone is destroying her trust today, so that's fine!]

[justmeheere]

[to be completely fair at the time he thought he'd gotten a dud]

[etincelledefierte]

[just gonna run around the podiums and put a hand on her shoulder.]

It's going to be -

[Not okay. She shakes her head, rethinking her words]

- what do we need to do to fix it?

[madgiganticfeelings]

I-I I don't know, he just told me Mountain Dew activated it, he didn't tell me anything about how to fix it!

[Her panic is just mounting the more she talks, and she's also speaking through tears. Someone help her.]

[isawallflower]

[ ...god, if she wasn't busy clutching a knife and having a bit of a moment, riley would help with this but unfortunately. ]

[etincelledefierte]

We'll figure this out, Christine. Once we get out of here, we'll figure it out. If the Mountain Dew activated it, maybe it turns it off, too? It's worth a shot.

[holyspit]

What about squids?!

[And hi, apparently this is enough to distract him from his world-shattering rage at the Phantom for a bit.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

It's a supercomputer! I, it's called a SQUIP, I don't know how to explain it right now, it's just he's not in control of himself and I don't know how to make it better!

[holyspit]

That's- really not good?!

[no shit Steven, thanks]

You said it's a computer right? Computers need to be turned on to do anything, so we just need to figure out how to turn it off?!

[this is so far out of his wheelhouse I'm so sorry]

[musacal]

[ ...

OKAY NOW WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO UNPACK ALL THAT but what the shit.

Time to just remember this for later. ]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[God dammit Jeremy, we are not doing this. Christine rushes over to grab his shoulders, shake him, and try not to cry in his face.]

[justmeheere]

[rip to Christine, he doesn't respond]

[superbeliever]

... Jer-bear?

[justmeheere]

Yes? Do you need my help for something?

[superbeliever]

Uh........

[Concern...]

Nope, carry on.