second trial

[stagemanagers]

[Just as with last week, once the investigation finishes, the lights begin to flicker on and off as that low, gentle rumble echoes through the opera house. Even for those investigating the grounds the outdoor lights illuminating the still night flicker to get their attention.

Your intermission is ending. Please return to your trial room.

The court room looks just as it did before: the grand chandelier glittering above your heads, the dusty red velvet seats. In the orchestra pit your circle of wooden podiums awaits you, now with a few new additions. Like Jonny before them, Sigyn and Richard's podiums have been draped in black crepe with their greyscale funerary portraits. Behind them, where the two of them stood only a week ago, a metal pole stands with a softly glowing lightbulb atop it.

The curtain is closed, waiting to open when a decision has been reached and the execution can commence.

When everyone is in their places, the Phantom's voice echoes loud and clear through the theatre from his place in box 5.]

You must now determine who was responsible for the death of King Richard the Tagalong. Submit your vote on the podiums when you are certain of your choice.

[Gather your evidence and let's begin.]

Comments

[mcfife]

[Here they are once more. Angus enters the trial room slowly, keeping watch over those who were also investigating in the garden. Richard is dead, and they must find his killer or face retribution from The Phantom.]

He was stabbed in the gut with what I assume is another knife. I would say that he bled to death, but...

Anne found other wounds on his body that don't seem to match my theory.

[37773972]

There was blood in his room. On the sheets and on the floor. I'm guessing from the wound?

[he doesn't fucking know, alright]

[etincelledefierte]

What do you mean by other wounds?

[holyspit]

Yeah, there was. Um. Definitely a knife involved, I'm pretty sure.

[isawallflower]

[ When Riley takes her place, she's not alone! Specifically, she's got Tad Cooper, in her arms. It feels a little weird bringing a lizard- dragon- whatever- to this...thing they have to do. But, it's better than just leaving him alone, right?

She sets him down on her podium. When Angus gets there, she'll turn to him. ]

Richard left him to you. It was in his will. [ Looks a bit sick, at that. ]

[mcfife]

[And now Richard will never ride his magic dragon in the emerald skies, showing everyone how cool he is.

Angus pets Tad Cooper a few times. Poor little guy doesn't know why he's here.]

When would he write that? He was happy with how everything was going when we found his dragon...

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine hates this. She hates this and she wants to go home and pretend this never happened, even if she knows that wouldn't be fair to King Richard. She doesn't want to have to be responsible for sentencing someone to death again...

Still, she has to do her part, even if that turns out to be just... giving her evidence and letting everyone else decide who that marks for execution.]

There was... a lot of writing in Ki g Richard's room. He wrote a will and letters to a few people here, as well as people from home. He seemed to know he was going to die, or it might have even been happening at that moment. His writing was shakier the more he wrote, but I checked it against the signature on my star, and it all matches his writing.

I found his notebook too, and I used pencil rubbings to check on the last thing he wrote. He wrote... [She tries then not to get choked up.]

He wrote, "You're going to be all right." Everything else is too messy to make out, but that isn't written in any letters.

I think that means part of his writing is missing.

[37773972]

Pencil rubbings were a good idea, Christine. I wouldn't have thought of that. [So gentle. So very gentle.]

[heathencall]

[Mephisto makes his way on over to Christine. He's using it as an excuse to study the writing she brought but... really he's going to very casually put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.]

You did well.

[bloodycape]

--you can do that?! That's incredible.

[Red is learning more and more every day.]

But... what else do you think he might have wrote? Did it cut off weird or something?

[herwiggles]

[Spinel gives a thumbs up, despite looking as though she's getting choked up as well.]

Good detective work. [She thinks. She doesn't really know.]

[etincelledefierte]

The pencil rubbings were really clever.

[She thinks about this for a second.]

I don't guess there was any torn up paper in the room?

[stagemanagers]

[Well, Christine, since you're the little Nancy Drew with the letters there is something about the letters that the mods forgot to mention- there are dry red-brown smears along the edges of the stationary.]

[holyspit]

That's really smart thinking. Good work.

[At least one of them's not being useless today. This is why she's the Holmes.]

[herwiggles]

[Spinel isn't happy to be back in here, and that's a first. This isn't a place for fun and games.

That said, she's got a whole ass roll of fabric in her arms that she's trying to balance on her podium.]

I found this! It was in the costume shop... I dunno if it was actually important, but it's all cut up.

[Well, some of it is cut, in a very clumsy and jagged sort of way.]

[mcfife]

That could be important. Thank you, Spinel.

[But she's all the way on the other side of the room so he can't see from his podium:] Did you find those cut off pieces?

[etincelledefierte]

Just to be sure, was there any blood in the costume shop? I'm trying to think of what the timeline for this might be.

[holyspit]

[Steven trails in after Angus, jacket buttoned entirely up and holding a bundle of formerly-wearable T-shirt.]

I, uh. I think I found the knife that was- that you were talking about.

[The shirt gets carefully unwrapped on Steven's podium to reveal one incredibly bloodied kitchen knife.]

It was buried over by the flower beds? There was kind of a trail. And someone had really torn up the flowers, I'm pretty sure they'd taken some. The poisonous ones, buttercups, I think.

[isawallflower]

...Poison? But...wasn't it a stab wound? Does...that mean someone's got those? Here?

[ She likes that knife so little rn. ]

CATHERD

[mcfife]

Alright!

[Angus pounds his podium a few times like a gavel, then glances at Tad Cooper.] My apologies.

[Then to the rest of the room.]

There is a lot happening here - poison, stabbing, blood in many rooms, letters! If we are to find a killer, we have to figure out what actually happened. Where was he poisoned? How did he come to consume the flower petals? When did he write the letters?

Any ideas?

[37773972]

...working backwards, we know he ended in the garden. Before that, I think he was in his room - unless anyone has a reason to believe the music room or the costume shop didn't start all this?

I can see the torn fabric being used for bandages- but there weren't any on Richard, were there?

Pocket Check!

[heathencall]

[Well. Just to take the pressure off of the Steve club, and to ignore this awful, painful twisting sensation in his chest, he's going to pose a question to the group at large!]

Whoever did this might still have the cloth on hand. Perhaps we should examine what we hold on our person.

... It worked so well last time, after all.

[etincelledefierte]

[Claudine only has pockets in her jacket, which are empty aside from her room key.]

Cat Herd Never Dies

[heathencall]

Enough. [He's heard enough references to his "Family" in the last few minutes than he's ever wanted to. He slams his hands down on the podium much like Angus, though it's far less controlled and far more based in an effort to stun the room into silence.]

We've found nothing in the pockets to indicate where the cloth has gone thus far, so perhaps that is a dead-end. Let's summarize what we know.

The King was presumably poisoned, a process that we are assuming took place during the seance, as Richard would still need to be awake to consume it. It was a slow enough process that he was able to write notes while bleeding, and was also stabbed at some point

There was a handprint on the wall -- do we know the size of that mark? Or perhaps other markings that were left throughout the opera house? Or is there anything else that I have missed covering?

[garbageface]

The print in the hallway was larger than my hand, decently high up, and pointed away from the dressing rooms.

[ santana splays out her left hand for comparison. ]

cw: suicide

[bloodycape]

Everyone-- it's okay. There's nothing else to say. I'll tell you what I know now...

[The calm she tried to put forth crumbles rather quickly as she begins to talk, recounting that night like it was still burned into her eyes. With each short breath her talking becomes quicker, more frenzied. Her hands shake and she hunches down. She knew the weight of what she'd done.]

I stabbed His Highness. It was an accident! I swear it was. He startled me and I was scared-- he reassured me. I helped him to his room-- I tried to get help, but no one came. So I tried to get something to wrap the wound but...

When I came back... he was gone. The only thing left were his letters. He told me not to worry. He told me he'd take care of everything. I was terrified so I ran to find him. But... it was too late.

I didn't know... if it was the poison he ate or the blood loss.

I didn't know! So I panicked.

[She's standing and facing the truth now. She won't back down-- that's all she can do now.]

But... this... this is the truth. I did this. I caused all of this. I'm the one who needs to die for you all to be safe!

[37773972]

...Phantom?

[His voice is shaky]

VOTING

[inside_yourmind]

And, once again, "Jeremy" is correct.

[Does the Phantom understand what a supercomputer in the brain is? You can kinda hear the verbal quotation marks, so maybe a bit?]

It's time to vote. I suggest you consider the consequences of your actions.

[heathencall]

[Mephisto remains at Red's podium. He looks from the stage to the Phantom's vantage point, but that's about all the moving he's doing.]

EXECUTION: YOUR FAULT

[inside_yourmind]

[As the last of the votes is cast, once more the house lights are abruptly cut. Those holding so tightly onto little Red will feel her slip from their arms just as Mephisto and Stephen did the previous trial. The stage lights come up a moment later, and the grand curtain swishes open. This time, it seems to be a forest set; there’s a backdrop of fake trees, with a few taller and more intricate ones in the fore. The Phantom is perched high in one of these, standing easily on a branch with a hand to the trunk to brace himself.

Red approaches when she sees him, fists curled as if ready for a fight. But he’s well out of reach. As she glares up at him, he sneers down at her:]

It's because of you that lizard is ownerless
and the King is dead.

[Red bristles.]

But it isn't my fault,
Well, it is a bit
But I didn't mean to kill Richard
And he knew that!
And without your show
He wouldn’t be here
To get killed accidentally
In the first place!

[The Phantom scoffs and interrupts:]

Wait a minute, “accident”?
When we’ve been here hours
Trying to find
Whoever killed him
Which you did!
Could you not confess?
Did you think you’d win?
So, please tell us what
Wish you wanted
To get so bad!

See, it's your fault!

[The Phantom spreads his arms wide, seemingly just as comfortable up in a tree as in a catwalk. Red flinches.]

But I thought--

Yes, it's your fault!

No…

[This time, she looks down, arms clutched close to herself. Her voice is weaker. The Phantom, sensing weakness, moves in for the kill. Metaphorically.]

You’re responsible,
You’re the one to blame,
It’s your fault!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

[The music stops dead, as King Richard strides onto stage, a finger held to his lips. He doesn’t look anything like you saw him last; his hair and beard are neatly combed, and there’s not a speck of blood on him anywhere. Tall and proud, with fine black clothes and a crown glittering on his brow, he looks every inch the regal king.

He advances on Red. His voice is deep and cold - Richard’s voice, yes, but not Richard. Stricken, Red starts to back away. She was ready to stand up against the Phantom, but she wasn’t ready for this.]

It's your last day now
It's your last song
It's your last evening
Soon you will be long-
Gone

Told a little lie
Got a little scared
Took a little life
Did you?

[He snaps and lunges at her. It’s a feint, clearly meant to startle her, which it clearly does. As she darts away, towards the other wing, he circles to follow and draws the sword at his hip from its jeweled sheath.]

Had to take your chance
Had to take your bow
Had to get your wish
Doesn't matter how -
Anyway, it doesn't matter now

[He steps closer, raising his sword. Red is trapped, one of the large trees behind her and nowhere else to run. She lifts a hand as if to ward off the blow.]

No!

[Richard pauses, frowning.] No?

[There’s a moment where he just looks at her, brow furrowed. But then he smiles coldly, and the song continues.]

You're so nice
You're not smart
You're not strong
You're just nice -

[ cw: gore begins ]

[Snarling, he lunges again, and this time it is not a feint. Despite what Richard may have been like in life, he’s not a weak man, and his sword is a longsword fit for a king. It runs Red through easily, piercing through her stomach and out the other side.

He withdraws the blade and lets Red’s body drop to the floor.]

[ cw: gore ends ]

[Turning to stride casually off the other side of the stage, he sings one last verse - and, this time, the Phantom sings as well, harmonizing with him.]

I'm not kind
I'm not nice
I'm just right
I'm -

[The lights die, and the curtains close.]

[mcfife]

Why...? [That is not Richard. What is The Phantom doing to Red? Why does he have to break her like that before taking her life?

It isn't right.

Angus grips Red's letter and holds onto the others around Red's podium as he watches the lights go out and Red's body disappear in them. Brave little Red, killed for some man's twisted amusement.]

We can't stay here. [Everyone has to leave before they break. Angus pats the others and hopes they can follow him back to the opera house.]