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

VOTING

[stagemanagers]

[Throughout this, the Wizard seems somewhat distracted. Those big green eyes keep flicking over to Hester. But that outburst at the end is certainly enough to get his attention.]

You're right. I had children, once.

[.....]

And that's part of why this has to happen. Cast your votes.

Re: VOTING

[employeeoftheyear]

[He glares at the Wizard, not moving.]

Lives aren't worth trading.

[mayavericks]

Spongebob. Please. For me.

[employeeoftheyear]

This is fucked up, Maya. He thinks that killing a bunch of innocent people is a worthy trade for his children! He thinks forcing people to suffer is an acceptable option!

[mayavericks]

I hate this situation as much as you do. But this is what must happen.

Think of Farrah. Do not condemn her because of me.

[comeandfindme]

[ Each week she's yelled at him for daring to try and appeal to their sense of empathy. Each time she's had a smart remark, even this week.

But this time Peregrine instantly presses the button and doesn't look at anyone or anything. ]

> Most Likely To Take A Swan Dive

[mayavericks]

[Maya has no right to speak to Peregrine, but --]

Will you -- For me?

... I worry about leaving it open for the others.

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine doesn't look at Maya. Doesn't speak to her. Maybe she didn't hear her. Maybe she doesn't realize she's the one being spoken to.

"It will hold us together, I promise."


No. For a few long, long moments, she wants Maya to sweat. To wait for her. She doesn't—

She wants it to hurt. ]

[brokeforgood]

Oh my god. [THROWING HER ARMS UP IN THE AIR]

I'll do it, if she doesn't.

[mayavericks]

[The silence is what she deserves.

But not the others.]

You are not a curse, Peregrine. So do not curse them.

[sugarlumps]

Yeah, you seem like a real PARENTAL type.

[brokeforgood]

I can't tell if that makes you a shittier or better parent than mine. [But.... Whatever.

She hesitates for only a moment, wondering if it's safe to leave Benji-- but she's close enough to her podium already. She scuttles over to it, to press the button, then scampers back to put the hand back on Benji's back. He's like. Comatose down there, maybe he didn't even notice she was gone.]

> Most Likely To Take A Swan Dive

[defyingfrigidity]

> Most Likely to Take A Swan Dive

[She doesn't like having to do this, but if she has to... she wants to strike out at the Wizard somehow.]

You shame your children, doing this for them. This is the biggest dishonor possible to their memories.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

So now you force other children to die, huh? Guess you can't let anyone be happy.

[Cass absolutely does not want to do this... But she can't go against Maya either. She needs to be here, and she needs to look after the others, after Elsa...

> Most Likely to Take A Swan Dive]

[fourbutts]

[ Janis looks at the Wizard, before casting her vote. ]

You keep saying you have a reason for all this. That you're fighting for something that's going to be worth sacrificing us. That something tragic happened to you. Are you mad at Andrew Lloyd Webber or Rogers and Hammerstein or some other old broadway asshole?

[ She shakes her head. ]

I know our lives clearly don't mean anything to you. But I want you to fucking look at this. Look at all of us. Because if this week proved anything? You don't care about whatever it is your fighting for more than you want to sit up there and watch us bleed because you like the smell of our blood in the water.

[ She hits Most Likely to Take a Swan Dive.

And she doesn't know the whole situation, but after what she saw of Hester last night, she's going to take a stab at him. ]

You're going to fail. However many times you try.

cw: implied suicidal ideation, dissociation

[barberic]

[Benjamin isn't voting.

He isn't... He isn't moving, either, though.

That's exactly what I did.

When Farrah screamed that morning, when Benjamin came to the door and saw Maya lying on the floor, when it felt like his world was ending...

Did she spare a thought at all for him? Or for Peregrine, and Janis, who loved her, when she decided to use them? What it would do to him to see her lying there, after he told her all he'd done. He can't bring himself to ask her. He doesn't want to hear the answer.

She'd promised to take him to see her perform with her class. He didn't realize how much he'd been holding onto that promise, until now when it was ripped out from under him.

I'm not going anywhere, she told him, when she held him in the garden. You're safe. You are not alone.

Is it any wonder, then, that all he feels is the sharp, sucking emptiness of nothing, closing in around him?

I am reaching, but I fall,
And the stars are black and cold]

[mayavericks]

Benjamin -- [Close closes her eyes.]

I'm sorry. I love you.

[barberic]

[Beneath Farrah's hand, he flinches, when Maya calls him by his name.

He didn't know what it meant, the word she'd called him before. But it's not his name that finally gets him to look up for her. It's not the apology, either, there's no apology that he could accept from her right now - not for killing, no, but for leaving him.

It's the I love you that makes him look up at her, his blue eyes wide and wet with held-back tears, as he sits back on his heels.]

I didn't know I'd love you so much,
But I do...

[mayavericks]

[With the votes cast, with everything out of the way, Maya doesn't feel like she has to stand so far away. She tucks the razor into her pocket, for later. And she steps over.]

I didn't know I'd love you so much...

[She echoes his words as she comes to rest beside him. She lays a head against his shoulder.]

I didn't know I'd love you so much...
But I do...

Re: VOTING

[mcfife]

> Most Likely to Take a Swan Dive

[His answer is quick; all of this anger must be directed somewhere productive, and slamming the button sure helps clear his mind. It won't undo everything, Maya's attempt to fight the Wizard may not be successful, but he damn hopes that those three lives weren't lost for no good reason.]

Maya? If you die, I want you to give a message to Elle.

[mayavericks]

[Maya draws a breath.]

Anything.

[mcfife]

[Something she should have heard if she were caught eating nightshade on the rooftop. Crying, wondering if "they" will hate her.]

Tell her that I love her. That will lover her until my heart turns to ice. That she is more beautiful and brilliant than what people thing of her. That she does not need a stupid school to determine her worth.

I will be back for her. And...I want her to know that it wasn't the fact that she was studying law that I fell in love with.

[brokeforgood]

[quiet dissappointed noises]

[brokeforgood]

[Said so quietly--]

Holy shit is he gonna do it again--

[mcfife]

[he's gonna wait until shes alive dammit]