First Trial

[stagemanagers]

[As the investigation ends, you'll hear Hester's voice inviting you to the auditorium. As this happens, the twin doors on either side of the concession stand, across from the gym, will click open. You can enter on either side; both go to the same place.

When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name, save for Mumble's, which is draped in black crepe and has a framed monochrome photo of him - Elijah Wood him - on top.

When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. It's time to meet the Wizard.

The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]

Welcome to your first trial, everyone. I am the Wizard. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Mumble. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.

Comments

[violentenvies]

[Salieri goes very still at that, eyes widening slowly in realization as he notices her expression, going pale as well as he gets closer to her]

Madame Elisabeth. [hsi voice is strained, cracked]

Madame Elisabeth, you didn't...

cw: ptsd-ish flashback [1/2]

[wanderlusttitania]

[There is no comprehension, at least of the present world, in her eyes. SQUIP, being...well, SQUIP, would probably know what's wrong, given the symptoms.]

....fix this......

...whoever did this to you-I don't-just...don't move, just stay...stay here, monsieur, you'll be...

...

y-you'll be...

[No one else can see it, what she's seeing. But they will see the tears start to stream from her eyes.]

[2/2]

[wanderlusttitania]

[Then it breaks. Her eyes start to clear, and something of comprehension returns-as does horror as she sags into her podium, staring down at her lectern with wide eyes.]

...................................

[A shaking mouth slowly goes to her mouth, and a sob comes from it.]

God no, no, no...!

[voicerights]

[And again, to Salieri;]

Hold her. She is going to collapse.

[violentenvies]

[he moves immediately, hardly needing the SQUIP's prompting as Sissi starts to collapse, one arm going around her waist, the other to her elbow, bracing her against him, but also curling around her somewhat, as if that would somehow protect her.

His own eyes are wide and he's gone very pale, and there is absolutely fear and shock written on his face]

Madame Elisabeth, you---[he can't say it. He cannot say it. He can only pull her closer, one hand going to her hair, clasping her to him]

[wanderlusttitania]

[Nor can she. Not right now. Not when it's so fresh, like she just saw the body again.

The body of...of Mumble.

Of that boy. That good boy who no one had any reason to kill.

Including her. Especially not her.

For now, all she can do is let her head fall into his shoulder to weep. She knows a reckoning can't be postponed. Not indefinitely. Not forever.]

How could I have forgotten...!?

[violentenvies]

[Salieri holds her close, trying to be steady, but his hand trembles where it rests on the back of her head. He swallows, his voice rough and low as he asks, unable to help the hesitation in his tone]

What is it? What...what did you forget?

[wanderlusttitania]

...last night...

[voicerights]

Dissociative shock. Commonly induced by trauma - your own mind sought to protect you by barricading the memory.

[As with everything else? It's matter of fact. But there is the barest hint of pity.

Human minds...so flawed.]

[comeandfindme]

[ Oh.

Oh, well. ]

...But what they didn't know was...

[ Peregrine closes her eyes tightly. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

She... S-she forgot? Forgot about...

[Oh. Oh no. Oh no.]

You don't think...

[barberic]

[Salieri is right next to her, close enough to grab her, and she's certainly small enough for him to hold. But that doesn't stop Benjamin from leaving his podium and making his way around the circle nonetheless. In case Salieri's legs give out on him next.]

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus goes pale, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as things click into place. For a moment, he's horrified, but then it's replaced by something else entirely.

He turns to look at the Wizard, and points at Elisabeth. ]

Look at her! She was trying to help him! [ he shouts, furious and heartbroken. ] You keep saying it has to be done this way but it doesn't! This is all your fault!

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob is still laying on the floor, not particularly eager to get up after this revelation. Of course it was an accident, of course it was something that could have been prevented, of course despite everything Sissi is gonna die now and there's nothing he can do about it.

He mumbles something to himself, far too low for anyone to hear.]

[barberic]

[Benjamin kneels down next to Spongebob, right next to this mess, and puts a hand on his arm.]

...Come on, lad. [As gently and sympathetically as he can.] We need you up, now.

[employeeoftheyear]

[He curls up tighter, shutting his eyes.]

I can't.

[barberic]

You can. I know you can. I believe in you.

[He rubs Spongebob's arm, from elbow to shoulder, in soothing motions. Orpheus' voice, clear as a bell and mournful as a churchyard, is nonetheless strengthening.]

It's our duty to carry on, now. No matter what happens.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus, tears in his eyes, looks over the room, at Spongebob and Elisabeth and Peregrine and at all the misery and fear, and begins to sing. ]

You toy with us like we're your dolls
Like ants below you one and all
But we'll get out of here alive
These walls, these walls won't close us in

Oh, where do we begin our dismantling?
We call on all to sing

[sugarlumps]

[Just. Discordant screeching in the Wizard's direction. She's attempting to join in, she's helping.]

[alchemistake]

[Varian's still standing with Farrah, holding her hand and sort of struggling and failing not to have some sort of break down. It's hard to say whether it's anger enduced or grief, but because he's fighting so hard to hold it in, he's been saying nothing this whole time. All while things fall into place in the worst possible way.

He murmurs under his breath, not loud enough to be heard by the entire place, but anyone near might. He doesn't really intend to join in the louder voice, as much as he wishes his cowardly heart would allow it.]

...Still, though, whatever it takes
I'm gonna fix it, just watch me...

[barberic]

[Benjamin remains next to Spongebob, but he looks up and meets eyes with Orpheus.

His voice, rich and dark, joins in below Orpheus' melody with a low, rumbling La, la la la la la...]

[comeandfindme]

[ ...Peregrine wants to join her voice. She does.

But she doesn't know if she can.

Alone, alone, alone... ]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa is just. Numb right now. She has a hard time comprehending all of this, and something harsh and painful twists in her chest as she looks at Sissi collapsed in Salieri's arms. This.... this can't be happening.

But then Orpheus sings. It doesn't... it doesn't make the hurt stop, or even lessen. But it's like a light in the dark, something to cling to as everything around them is being weighed down. She hears some of the others singing, and she hears Benjamin; right, that... that was the tune Orpheus sang when they first met. The song he used to help the plant grow.

She'll join in, then. Her voice lighter than the man's, closer more towards Orpheus, but the la, la la la la la still distinctly comes from her.]

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob sings quietly, and is almost completely drowned out by the others.]

There's gotta be a better way
A way to save the life I love...

[mcfife]

[Angus joins Orpheus in the chorus, adding a higher, gravely tone to their song of resistance.]