fifth trial

[stagemanagers]

[When the investigation finishes, the lights begin to flicker on and off as that low, gentle rumble echoes through the opera house.

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

The court room looks just as it always has for you: the grand chandelier glittering above your heads, the dusty red velvet seats. In the orchestra pit your circle of wooden podiums are waiting. Jeremy and Steven's podiums are draped in black crepe with their grey scale 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. His tone is even, with none of the distraction or terse notes in the weeks before. He almost sounds curious for how this all will play out.]

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

[Gather your evidence and let's begin.]

Comments

[musacal]

[ ...

She's much in the same boat as Anne. She doesn't see how any of them could have done this, and she DEFINITELY doesn't WANT it to have been any of them. Whom among them would be so callous as to throw Steven into the garbage...?

But she can't help thinking back to her notes with the Phantom yesterday. "He likes you" "but he will not spare your life".

"He wants it to continue to its ultimate conclusion." ]

Or maybe... the patron?

[heathencall]

When I moved Jonny, the Phantom said he would not interfere. I don't know that that extends to his patron.

... You may be onto something.

[37773972]

...the Wizard hasn't interfered before. Why would he now?

[heathencall]

[Time to go hardcore conspiracy theory here.]

To save the Phantom? Perhaps the Poison was Steven's idea. He stayed in the kitchen to speak with the Phantom, maybe even try to reason with him before killing him? When it became clear what was happening, the Wizard stepped in?

When I spoke to the Phantom, he said that punishment for breaking rules is typically death. What if that's all this is? Steven attempted to end the game directly, and paid the price.

[inside_yourmind]

Steven Universe would not attempt to deliberately kill another being. Not even I. [...] Not as things are now.

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

I did not know him personally as well as you did, but I know him well enough for that.

cw suicide mention

[heathencall]

So did you attempt to kill him? Or your patron? So far, we haven't found any reason for the blood beneath his nails.

[Well.... hold on....]

Would you still hold a trial if someone ended their own life?

cw suicide mention

[37773972]

The SQUIP- before. There was no trial. [Before the whole...last week thing.] It was ruled a suicide.

cw: suicide mentions

[inside_yourmind]

A suicide would still merit a trial - if Richard had succeeded in his efforts, for example.

[completely ignoring discussion of the SQUIP incident, or SQUIncident]

To commit a murder myself would be to interfere. Besides which, I have no desire to harm Steven Universe.

[musacal]

...Yes, I agree. Steven would never.

[musacal]

I'd like to think he wouldn't but... [ she knows now he's the one that actually did those nice things for her and she meant everything she said to the Phantom yesterday but still. He started all this in the first place and if Steven was as open to communicating with him as she was... ]

Unless the Phantom would like to confirm for us?

[inside_yourmind]

I am bound not to interfere in murders or trials.

[musacal]

And is your patron bound the same way?

[inside_yourmind]

He is not. That has always been the case - none of you seemed at all concerned when he killed Beetlejuice.

[hey remember how mephisto's single punch absolutely was not powerful enough to bring an entire statue down on a guy?]

[37773972]

Wasn't he already dead?

[heathencall]

[Excuse you!]

I killed Beetlejuice.

[musacal]

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

Wait, what!?

That was him?!

[ BRUH ]

[likemypicture]

Who?

[madgiganticfeelings]

B-But Beetlejuice is still alive! Ish! We can talk to him, at least.

...Besides, isn't it unfair to make us do this trial if all the suspects aren't here? Bring out the patron too then!

[garbageface]

Who’s that?

[likemypicture]

The Wizard!

[musacal]

The "Wizard". It's the person the phantom is working with that started all this.

[garbageface]

Ugh, these people really need to get better names, they make this whole battle royale sound like a stupid renaissance festival.

[inside_yourmind]

In fairness, Angus was the one who gave him the name. There was a song involved.

[was the wizard named such entirely because the mods were delighted by this song? it's within the realm of possibility]

[37773972]

Are you saying he hasn't earned it?

[inside_yourmind]

Earned it? "Wizard" is a very vague term.

[are you asking if he went to wizard school and got his wizard degree?]