itscurtains | fourth trial

[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.]

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...that whole series of events. The Red. You planned that?

W-w-w-why would I plan it?

[LOOKS UP AT THE PHANTOM]

[..........]

Dr. Browning, didn't you just ask me this?
How I was planning to go about being of help
To the dead?

...What?

[ what the *fuck* ]

[Looks at the Phantom. Looks at Stephen.]

[try asking him later honey right now he's occupied]

It... it wanted me to...

I was willing to... to save you...

And you let me...

[The world is suddenly spinning far too fast for her. She's back on her knees for the second trial in a row.

Probably where she belongs. On the ground. Helpless to protect anyone. Just a pawn for Jeremy's SQUIP to use, once again.]

[ Santana has been saying this all this week, and she’ll say it again: fuck this SQUIP bullshit! She’ll kneel down next to Christine, hand on Christine’s back, glaring at Jeremy, or the SQUIP, or whatever he is. ]

Breathe. Breathe. Keep it together just a little longer.

Santana, I... I know you hate that I do, but I like him. I can't... I tried so hard to make things between us work and...

[She presses a hand to her mouth to muffle... she's not sure if she's going to sob, scream, or throw up.]

I nearly died to turn the SQUIP off and it didn't fix anything.

[Mephisto is still here, and will sink with her. Time to hold.]

I have you, Christine. [He'll bite back his anger for now, at least!]

I can't. I can't do this again, Mephisto, I did everything to let us connect and-

[And that would have been playing into the SQUIP's hand. Like everything she tried to do for him.]

If I know this is the end
You can't expect me to pretend
It's not my fault I failed to defend...

You have to. I couldn't give myself up for Riley, you can't give yourself up for him. You're more than him, and you have to stop pretending that you are.

You already know I tried to once, Mephisto.

[But... that hadn't changed anything, had it? She couldn't even sacrifice herself for something that mattered.]

Even... even my own life isn't worth anything here...

Shut up. [Wait, Meph that's kind of mea--]

You have tried to sacrifice yourself, sell yourself short and generally belittle everything that's good about you since you arrived here. Your life is worth everything. People are strong here because of you. People are Good because of you.

I... I...

[She hasn't heard Mephisto that angry before. She knows she shouldn't be surprised but... for him to keep trying to tell her she's good, when the world keeps telling her she isn't...

She chokes on another sob.]

You're supposed to be a demon. You aren't supposed to be the one making me better.

And children aren't supposed to be pitted against one another, there aren't supposed to be Squids in brains, and Phantoms are supposed to die when stabbed.

Everything is wrong here. But I am glad for this one broken thing. [Just gonna squeeze her so careful.]

(no subject)

madgiganticfeelings - 2020-08-02 00:13 (UTC) - Expand

heathencall - 2020-08-02 00:14 (UTC) - Expand

madgiganticfeelings - 2020-08-02 00:16 (UTC) - Expand

heathencall - 2020-08-02 00:20 (UTC) - Expand

[Did you miss the SQUIP Christine? Because it's sure piloting the body right now.]

Your interference made keeping Jeremy alive very difficult, unfortunately. General you, although your efforts were commendable, Christine.

Stop. TALKING.

Don't. Talk. To her.

[So much for keeping that anger in check!]

Oh my god, shut. Up. You’ve put her through enough.

Oh no, that was all Jeremy. If he'd listened to me, they could have been happy. Well. It was an 85% chance, but the odds were good.

So it was Jeremy’s bright idea to put one of you in her head?

Edited 2020-08-01 23:38 (UTC)

I only gave him the tools. He handed out the serum.

I... I was only trying to help. I would never... I love him...

[She thought the SQUIP was supposed to make Jeremy's life better. Why would it hate her for wanting the same thing?]