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

[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.

[heathencall]

That's. True.

But that was very cut and dry, wasn't it? We all witnessed what happened. That wasn't the case here.

[likemypicture]

And the squid was never like-- an actual cast member, Ja? It wasn't in our programs.

[heathencall]

It was enough of a cast member that it would have counted as murder if anyone else forced the drink down Jeremy's throat.

[madgiganticfeelings]

'm sorry.

[She still feels pretty guilty about that, even if after the last trial, she still feels like she'd do it all again.]

[37773972]

No, but I had written him asking about that. He said it still counted.

[musacal]

Wasn't that also because you were all there to see though?

[ she wasn't there but she recalls the Phantom's announcement ]

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.

cw suicide mentions

[heathencall]

So. What if.... Steven removed his own gem, and that caused the blood beneath his nails. He destroyed his gem and then drank the poison.

[He furrows his brows.]

I don't know how the ether or the hammer would be placed in the area they had. But if there were two mugs... Maybe he asked someone to help him.

[madgiganticfeelings]

That's... that's possible. But if someone helped him, would they be responsible for what happened? Maybe that's, that's why we're still having a trial...

[Which is horrible to think, that someone just trying to help would be killed for this... even if she doesn't agree with the methods.]

[37773972]

...I think it depends on if Steven took it of his own will, or if someone made him drink it. It's why...I was so careful with Jeremy, before.

[madgiganticfeelings]

...These rules are just made to make us suffer, aren't they? It's pathetic.

[likemypicture]

You left him trapped here, that's harming him!

Do the rules still apply during a trial?

[inside_yourmind]

Administering a vaccine causes pain, but it is in pursuit of a greater benefit.

Mine, or yours?

[37773972]

People consent to vaccines.

[inside_yourmind]

And those who choose not to will spread deadly diseases to a vulnerable population who is unable to receive the protection they so easily turn down. They should obviously be required.

[are we. is this what we're getting into now.]

[37773972]

Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they're misinformed. Telling them what's going on works wonders!

[inside_yourmind]

That is a very optimistic viewpoint. In practice, people will tend to cling to their prejudices no matter how much harm is caused.

[.....]

Though I admit, left to my own devices, I would have attempted that route first.

[likemypicture]

A what. [dude smallpox is still a thing]

The rules on the wall about killing people. And uh. Summonings.

[inside_yourmind]

They do.

[And he's gonna assume someone else might explain vaccines to you for the moment...???]

[musacal]

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