fourth trial

[stagemanagers]

[When the investigation finishes, the lights begin to flicker on and off as that low, gentle rumble echoes through the opera house. Again 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 are waiting. Angus, Riley and Shilo's podiums are draped in black crepe with their greyscale funerary portraits, just like your friends before them. The ghost light glows softly behind the podiums.

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. He still sounds distracted, just as he was for his other public appearance this week, like there are other things weighing on his mind.]

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

[Gather your evidence and let's begin.]

Comments

GRASS CHECK

[musacal]

Okay.

[ SO... SHOE CHECK TIME? Nana’s are clean by the way. ]

[37773972]

[Stephen will mutely raise his shoes - they're clean.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

That I can do.

[Christine takes off her shoes to display the bottoms. There's about the usual amount of dirt on them, considering she's at the cemetery regularly.]

[holyspit]

[Steven was out in the garden with Anne, so his sandals might've picked up some stuff? But nothing that would seem to indicate mass grass trampling.]

[likemypicture]

[Anne's ruby slippers are mostly clean. There is some grass there.]

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy's shoes are clean. Like weirdly clean.

Actually, you don't think you've seen him wear these shoes before.]

[musacal]

[ ??? ]

Are those new, Jeremy-kun?

[garbageface]

Yeah, weird time to suddenly get style, dude.

[justmeheere]

I. I. I. I don't know.

[That's fine.]

[37773972]

[And he raises his head]

...what do you mean, you don't know?

cw: panic attack

[justmeheere]

I. There was. There was so much blood - the horse, I just. She was going to. She was -

[He's just straight up hyperventilating.]

[37773972]

['scuze me Nana he has to go hold a Jeremy's shoulders now]

Jeremy. Look at me. Look at me, okay? Did you-

[fuckfuckfuck]

-is your SQUIP active, again?

[musacal]

...You don’t?

[ UHHHHHHHH ]

Jeremy-kun, I don’t want to be the one to ask this but...

Is it... it’s not... that thing. The... SQUIP? [ Or hey she got it right. ]

Are you... still hearing it? By any chance?

[justmeheere]

And there are voices all around
and I cannot mute the sound -

[madgiganticfeelings]

...

[Christine looks even more horrified than she did when everyone was accusing her.]

Jeremy... where are your other shoes?

[heathencall]

[Squeezing her shoulders.....]

[madgiganticfeelings]

No. No, that's...

He wouldn't, Mephisto. You all know he wouldn't! He told me yesterday he-

[heathencall]

You know him best, Christine.

[but he sure sounds skeptical.]

[justmeheere]

I don't know. I don't.

[Hey fun fact! He's not wearing Michael's jacket either.]

I didn't mean to do anything,
I never meant to hurt anyone!
I try, I try to be a good kid -
Not a good kid
No one's son

[likemypicture]

You're a good kid, Jeremy. Richard adored you.

Slow breath in, long breath out.

[madgiganticfeelings]

Jeremy, you didn't! Stop talking like that! You didn't! You would never have let me take the blame for you! So you didn't!

[Sure, she's been confused and frustrated with him but she knows that he never wanted to hurt her!]

[justmeheere]

And it was
Shilo in the stable
Shilo in the stable
and the horse it -
She had a coughing fit

[holyspit]

You're a great kid! This- whatever happened, it isn't your fault.

[It can't be, right?]

[garbageface]

[ Santana shows off her clean shoes! ]

[heathencall]

[Mephisto's shoes probably have mud and hay bits on them considering the stable hunting but... probably not what you're looking for!]