fifth trial

[stagemanagers]

[As the investigation ends, you'll hear the Wizard'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. Discord, Elle, Orpheus and Eurydice now have theirs draped in black crepe and with a framed monochrome photo of them on top. At Maya's podium is a stool with a fresh amaryllis flower carefully set on it.

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. She's still in her pretty pink prom dress, her hair restyled and make-up freshened to not be so messy from sleep. It's also worth noting the blood on her skirt from when she assisted in helping Maya with her injury is gone.

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

Comments

[mayavericks]

So. Farrah.

With that in mind. What do you think happened?

[sugarlumps]

...The killer was good enough to disarm you and stab you with your own sword before they killed Orpheus, oh lumping glob.

[mcfife]

[Glances at LSP. Glances at Cassandra worriedly.]

[brokeforgood]

I don't --- IDK!

If... Orpheus was killed first, it would have had to be you. It doesn't make any sense that he'd be killed with your blade, and that you'd still have it, to fight after--

But if he was killed after you were attacked someone else could have used that to kill him. But that still doesn't make--

And if the sword's broke, would it even still--

[mayavericks]

Orpheus was not killed first.

[brokeforgood]

So it wasn't you-- it couldn't have been--

[mayavericks]

How do you know that? You are forgetting. Three people died.

[comeandfindme]

Maya.

[ Peregrine tries to take Maya by the hands. Tries to look her in the eye. ]

Do you remember anything concrete? Because if you're just going off conjecture right now, you need to slow down.

[mayavericks]

I remember everything.

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine stops breathing.

What happened? She could ask. But she's afraid of the answer. ]

Maya...

1/2

[mayavericks]

I meant what I said last night. That I do not know what happened. I don't know why I got up. I just remember hearing voices. I --

[brokeforgood]

I know three people died, I had to see two of them, and you-- [She inhales sharply, because there's a lot going on, and her head's still spinning. She'll let Peregrine ask her question, and try and think.]

[fourbutts]

And other things can cut things! Like cloth or— or throats!

[brokeforgood]

But we didn't find anything else that cuts throats, just pickaxes, and that sword! Unless--- someone has something on them?

[fourbutts]

I mean we're not exactly trained knife bloodhounds here, there's no guarantee there's not a knife twenty paces into the corn!

[ She exhales. Farrah's not the one to get mad at. ]

That's a good point. We should see what people have with them. Especially weapons.

[mayavericks]

Don't waste your time, Janis. You know where the answer lies. Do not drag anyone else through this.

[employeeoftheyear]

[That pulls him away from his argument with Angus, and he looks at Maya like he’s just been hit by a truck.]

Maya... please tell me you didn’t kill Orpheus.