First Trial

[stagemanagers]

[Just as everyone is starting to finish their investigations, there's a slow ominous sound from the lobby.

The gilded doors on the northern wall have opened.

This time, the space behind them is lit; you're free to enter. There's one more set of doors to pass through, and then you're all, finally, in the House. There's one grand chandelier above, glittering crystal, and the seats around you are made of fine red velvet. Those don't seem to be for you, though - all the way down in front of the stage, where the orchestra might sit, there's a circle of wooden podiums. They're arranged so that everyone can face each other, and are fixed into place. Each one bears a metal plaque with a cast member's name engraved on it. There's also a metal panel on top, with twenty ivory buttons paired to everyone's name.

Among these, only Jean Valjean's podium is different - that one is draped in black crepe, with a larger greyscale version of his headshot from the playbill framed and sitting at its foot like a funerary portrait. Standing where he might have stood, a bare lightbulb glows faintly atop a metal pole.

Right here, you're very close to the stage. But the curtain is closed, and it's a little too high to easily clamber up. You may not want to try. You've got more important business right now, after all.

As everyone is finding their places, the Balladeer's voice suddenly sounds loud and clear throughout the space.]

Okay, guys, here's how we do trial. I've...never actually been involved in something like this before, but you can do it. Just take all the time you need to talk it out - I'll be right here the whole time. You don't need a unanimous vote, we go by majority rule.

Oh, and don't mess with those buttons until you're really ready to vote. You won't be able to take it back.

...good luck.

Comments

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Don't be silly, you bumbling fool. You talk as if you know of wishes? [She snorts.] You don't know what my dream is.

[robitussin]

...The paw. I saw it when we were trying to hide it. All the wishes had been used already. You didn't have any left, so you...

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

...

[D-ne looks at Natalie, one hand at her red ribbon. She's fighting a lot less than with Astarte, or Javert.]

How...do you know I didn't use them all to get what I wanted?

[robitussin]

...You keep calling it an unhappy object, but you still have it. You looked so freaked out when you found it. Was your last wish to get rid of it?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

It... It would have been, if... I mean- yes, if I made the wish, that's what I would've done.

[robitussin]

There's no point in lying about it anymore, okay? Everyone knows that—

[a pause.]

Is there even a part of you that regrets this, or has it all been a lie?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Wh- a--

[She has to narrow her eyes. They're very strained, and they start to water again.]

I've... I've only lied twice before today, Natalie. You know one time. The other, ah...

[She breathes in tight and looks down at her hands.]

What I thought could be a dream, amazing fantasy- no escape andnowI-
Leaped into the fire of this nightmare willingly- "I've just me to blame."

Trusting in a wish, that couldn't guarantee-
All I wanted was to stop that Game from what it-
Wake up from this dream now, wake up me, come ONNNN!

[rockthistown]

Game? You mean this show, or... you don't, do you? What's going on?

[robitussin]

What game? The least you can do is give me a straight answer!

[solomonjihad]

10,000 years has taught me,
wishes are for children and dreamers.

If you are a dreamer,
Then enlighten us!
D-NE!
Tell us your dream!
There is nothing to gain anymore
now that you have nothing to show.

[She will reprise you and surprise you, D-ne!!]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Why?! When you can't put anything of what happened together to begin with!

Running in circles won't get you through this, squabbling, squabbling and tripping yourselves up.
Don't you understand what's at stake now? "If you don't vote right then everyone here will die!"

A missing contact doesn't implicate me, and I'll tell you why, listen carefully!
"We can probably ignore the weakest," and you can test, besides he was so much bigger,

And didn't you all see? I've no mark, or injury to speak of,
Explain what I did, just what you think I did,
Otherwise your "proof's" just coincidentally!

I became a monkey who imitated, to hold close the person I so loved.
All my wants, all my hopes, that resounded inside me, the Paw gave me my way to obtain all that!

If I did this crime, there'd be no reward, I could last a month, why can't you see?
Tell me why, you can try, to pin his death on me, but this unhappy object seals my one true alibi!

[irreprochable]

He might have been bigger but you had aids. You used the blanket and that -- that thing to help you carry the body.

Your injuries could have been healed some how. The discussion has come up more than once already.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Aids? There is no way that scarf could fit a man Valjean-san's size on it. Besides that, the blanket never had any blood. Besides that, I would have had no reason to move him.

Want to enlighten me of how my "injury" could be healed? Want me to remove my clothing again to remind you? I have not been harmed.

[irreprochable]

The blanket was washed off in the sink. You could've tied the scarf around part of him or the blanket to help drag it.

If what you are saying about the wishes is true, you could've wished away the injuries.

[how are they having a serious discussion about magic he doesnt know but he has to work with what hes got]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

The blanket had no blood on it at all! [...she's starting to argue less and less with it happening and more-] If you're going to accuse me, think! Do you think the next time will be easy as a popped contact lens, Inspector?!

...I received the Paw from the merchandise booth earlier this week. You can ask Natalie. It had no more power left.

[solomonjihad]

Death is death, for most, its inevitable
And maybe you speak truthfully, about no wounds now
But if you have a monkey's paw
if you are the monkey
whatever you or it might be
Perhaps then, one final favor?
a small one, to cleanse yourself of injury?

You have contacts, and if your contact fell out in battle, no doubt, with the little time you had you'd have no time to come back and get it before others awoke. It could also explain why the death wound was so clumsy, would it not?

And - the man you killed was praying, and old, he'd have little time to get back and fight you, a younger and faster opponent.

Whatever you might say, your contact puts you in the area Jean Valjean was killed. Funny, how you never mentioned you'd lost that contact before your deception arose.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Are you joking? A faster- did any of you read the playbill? The playbill that, to our own admission, has accurate information?

"Jean Valjean is supposed to be stronger than other men, and so physically should appear robust." From just looking at him and myself, you should have all been able to tell, there is no way I could win in a fight against him.

As for my contact? After half of you assuming it had to belong to the murderer, why would I speak up? You would jump on me, like you did now.

[solomonjihad]

And yet, had you lost the contact before last night or even this morning, wouldn't you have mentioned it at the party? When we were all in the same room?

As I've said. Supplicants do not always fight back. And given his past, do you really think he'd want more for the Inspector to hold against him, fighting a young girl like you?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Did you see me, Astarte-san? ...If you are her. I did not want to be there. Why wold I say I tell anyone I lost it, and draw all their attention? I "stand out the least" and I like it that way.

Astarte-san, or Astarte-san's Impostor, why would let someone kill them?

[trettende]

To be reunited with the one you love.

Isn't that your dream, Miss D-ne?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

You're speaking too simply, Hans-san. I wouldn't wish for something that I could've obtained by waiting.

[trettende]

Then you wished for something you couldn't have.

[ and boy does Hans know about this one ]

Tell me, D-ne, was your love unrequited?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Please. I wouldn't wish for her to love me. I was fine with just being with her. But I couldn't do that if she was dead.

[trettende]

Wait—so the girl you loved has been dead this whole time?

[ He's still having trouble wrapping his head around the girl thing, I'm sorry. ]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Maybe. It's likely. What I wanted to do was turn back time.