second trial

[stagemanagers]

[Just as with last week, once the investigation finishes, that slow, ominous sound from the main lobby rumbles through the opera house.

The doors to the court room have opened and the time has come for a trial.

The court room looks just as it did before: the grand chandelier glittering above your heads, the fine red velvet seats. In the orchestra pit your circle of wooden podiums awaits you, just the same as before save for a few recent additions. Like Valjean before them, D-ne, Gabe, and Hime's podiums have been draped in black crepe with their greyscale funerary portraits. Behind them, where the performers themselves stood only a week ago, a metal pole stands with a softly glowing lightbulb atop it.

The curtain is closed, waiting to open when a decision has been reached and an execution can commence.

When everyone is in their places, the Balladeer's voice echoes loud and clear through the theatre. He still sounds slightly bewildered by all of this.]

Okay, everyone, you all know how this works now. Trial rules are the same, still no time limit, just...keep at it until you figure out what happened. You can do this.

Comments

[trettende]

It seems Miss Astarte found a box with blood on it as well.

It's... also wooden. So we may be looking at two murder weapons?

[catliketread]

[...]

Are we absolutely certain that one person killed both of them? Would it be possible for there to be two separate murder cases here?

[HE REALLY HOPES NOT but.]

[trettende]

I, um... I would hope the Balladeer would have said something if we were looking for two killers.

Otherwise the trial wouldn't be "fair," and they're all about "putting on a good show."

YO BILLYDEER

[catliketread]

[Good question! So obviously the correct response is to raise his voice—]

Balladeer! Are we looking for two killers?

[oh my god you can't just ask that]

[tellthestory]

I can't tell you how many killers you are or aren't looking for.

[God, are we gonna have to go through all this song and dance again?]

[catliketread]

You can't assist us with anything, then? That's unfortunate. I suppose I should have expected as much though. Thank you for your time!

[ANYWAY LET'S TRY TO SOLVE THIS THING]

[tellthestory]

Nope, can't help with number of killers any more than I can with who they are.

The two are linked.

[catliketread]

We'll be sure to figure all this out, then! Your assistance is appreciated.

[tellthestory]

...no problem.

[trettende]

[ Aw, bro.... he trusted you.............. ]

Well, that's... unfortunate, then.

[ Billy Flynn's theory is looking a lot nicer now. ]

[tellthestory]

Yeah. But you know how it is. Wouldn't be fair to the killer if I spent the whole trial steering you guys.

[trettende]

Right, I suppose... there would be no "drama" if the killer had no chance.

[tellthestory]

Right. Not that they've got much of one anyway.

[allicareabout]

He didn't say we're not looking for two killers, either - and I don't know about you, but "actually, there are two murderers" sounds like a good plot twist to me.

[solomonjihad]

[Two killers?

That...makes sense.]

That would explain a lot of it.

[allicareabout]

Personally, I don't think it's the case.

I just also don't think we should trust the guy helping behind the scenes to tell us everything, either.