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

[comeandfindme]

[ Only now does Peregrine remove the cloak. Against the dark colors of her shirt, the red stands out. It’s not a lot, but it stains her side. She looks at it in shock. ]

What’s…?

[ She doesn’t care for decorum. She rips off her shirt, not caring if anyone sees her sports bra. And they find—

Nothing. There’s no injuries. ]

Th- that… That wasn’t… there bef- when I woke up…

[brokeforgood]

Just tell her it’s from the fucking deer!

[comeandfindme]

It’s not, but I didn’t fucking kill Connor!!

[brokeforgood]

No shit you didn’t! So stand up for yourself!

Do you have that used knife Maya was yelling about?

[comeandfindme]

No!! No, I— I got my deer-skinning kit, I don’t need to use anything else!

[mayavericks]

[her eyes narrow.]

Who have you had contact with, aside from me?

[You know... she's going to check herself for blood now, too. And maybe try to peek inside the cloak? Is there a stain on that?]

cw: slight emetophobia

[comeandfindme]

No one!! No one, just—

[ Her face pales. ]

J-just… Just Connor… When I found…his…

[ She looks like she’s going or be sick. ]

[mayavericks]

[Maya will at least try to brace her hands on Peregrine's shoulders.]

You can trust me, Peregrine. I know I was angry with you, but I am your friend. So please tell me this is a misunderstanding.

[comeandfindme]

[ There is, for the record, a stain on the inside of the cloak. Rip that pristine white deer hide. ]

I didn’t kill Connor!! [ She’s in tears again. ] I— I liked Connor!! He w-was funny and- and sweet, and he— I liked him!! [ Crying fully. ] I l-likes him a-and I never even- never even g-got to tell him—!

[sugarlumps]

...oh my glob I'm so sorry, you must've been so lumping jealous.

[mayavericks]

What do you remember from when you woke up this morning? Did you...

[She breathes in.]

You said the stain was not on your shirt this morning. Is that also true of your cloak? Did it look different when you picked it up? Was it placed different?

[samefacesyndrome]

[ Rina is looking at this and remembers what she saw of the scene before everyone shielded her from it. The image burned in her mind of Peregrine crying over Connor and desperately trying to get him to wake up. The sight she could never forget even if she tried. ]

...It's from when she found Connor-san. It's from trying to... trying to...

[ But she can't finish saying it. It's just so awful. ]

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah had walked in on Peregrine when she found Connor, and was trying to wake him.

Does this look like it happened then?]

[comeandfindme]

[ It sure does. ]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Mmmmmmm....]

Peregrine...

[Elsa, at the podium next to her, frowns. She doesn't look suspicious though, just.... worried.]

Do you... have sleeping problems? Like maybe with sleepwalking?

[comeandfindme]

[ oops missed this—

She shakes her head frantically. ]

No!! N-no, I didn’t—! I didn’t kill him!

[voicerights]

She is telling the truth.

[Quietly]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[She hears it, over the crying and the fraying emotion.]

You can tell?

[She wants to believe it. Peregrine doesn't deserve this.]

[voicerights]

[would you accept 'because reasons']

[mayavericks]

Strange, for a unit as bent on logic as you.

[She's just going to focus on... hugging Peregrine for real this time, but --]

Why are you so certain?

[voicerights]

[well...]

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine’s just gonna cry into Maya’s arms, nbd. ]

[mayavericks]

[It's okay, Per. She's got you.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa is quick to put a hand on Peregrine's shoulder, as a comforting gesture rather than anything firm. She's not trying to shake Peregrine out of it, just. Support her.]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you did! But perhaps you saw something that you can't remember? Something that someone else did?

[comeandfindme]

[ She keeps shaking her head. She’s thrown the shirt with Connor’s blood on it away, horrified to even touch it. ]