second 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. Elisabeth and Connor have joined Mumble in having theirs draped in black crepe and with a framed monochrome photo of them on top.

When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. the Wizard is once again waiting for you. Beside it Hester is slowly lowers in on her bubble. Her dress this week is a purple monstrosity, more akin to a voluminous prom dress than the simple outfits she usually wears.

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

Comments

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah doesn’t like being yelled at like that—- but she can’t exactly yell back at Peregrine. And she can’t break down either. So she slips back into her vain, hot-mess, no-care Farrah facade, smoothing flyaway hairs and examining her nails.]

I said it was bullshit.

[comeandfindme]

[ ...She swallows. ]

I know, Farrah. I— I know. [ ... ] I'm sorry.

[brokeforgood]

You don’t have to be. It’s whatever. [She stares at her fingernails, simultaneously grateful and frustrated she had done her own nails.]

It was... a really big thing on the internet. They were trying to save some apple orchard, because I guess Evan was like, oh, Connor was super into—- [Apples. The apples in the vending machine. The pies he’d made. She’d always thought it was bullshit— but she hadn’t really ever thought about Connor when she dismissed it. She was always thinking about herself. But now— she knew Connor. He was real. He was funny in the same ways that she was. He was a good listener, and he tried to look out for her. About a hundred apples tumble out of a vending machine, and then he made them into pies for them.

Her elbows drop to her podium, and she lowers her head down, clenching her braids in her fists.]

[alchemistake]

[When Farrah doesn't finish her sentence, instead bowing her head over her podium, Varian puts his free hand on her shoulder.

This is the cool kid's corner, but cool kids don't have to be okay.]

[violentenvies]

[hhh everything is awful about this, actually, and he's going to reach out and touch Varian's shoulder to get his attention before handing him a handkerchief to pass off to Farrah]

[alchemistake]

[THANK YOU DAD...that's happening now, here Farrah.]

[samefacesyndrome]

[ Rina was already really grateful when Farrah earlier she could stand right next to her too, so looking at her now and and seeing Varian and Salieri trying to comfort her.... she takes her other hand (the one that hasn't been in Varian's whenever it's free) and gently puts it on Farrah's arm. ]

...Do you wanna hold hands too?

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah’s doing a somewhat passable job of holding it together. She wants to be like Connor, and float above it all— on the outside, at least. But then Rina asks if she wants to hold hands, too, as Varian’s passing her a handkerchief that she has a feeling she knows isn’t his (it’s too clean)...

When she looks in that direction, she can see all of their faces, looking towards her. She lets go of her braids, dabs at her eyes with the handkerchief, and then nods— both in gratitude and acceptance.]

...Yeah.

[samefacesyndrome]

[ Rina nods back and then slips her free hands into Farrah's, holding on tightly but gently. Soft and warm. She gives her a squeeze that she hopes is reassuring.

gee Rina how come your player lets you hold TWO HANDS-- ]

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah’s hand is slightly damp— she may have wiped away a few tears with it, when her head was down. It’s also not quite as soft as you might expect from a girl like Farrah, but if you think about the handsprings and cartwheels she has done, it makes sense. And it might be trembling, just so—- but after a few moments in Rina’s warm, soft hands, she’s not shaking anymore.

Connor may be gone, but... she’s still not alone. How could that be? A month ago, she didn’t have even a single friend to spare. Now...

She looks up again, scanning the court room. Rina’s hand has given her a second wind. A bit of righteous fury, to find who was responsible for Connor’s demise. To protect these people that she now holds so dear.]