FIFTH TRIAL

[stagemanagers]

[The sound of the courtroom doors opening is louder and deeper than the stairwell doors were, as if they understand their dramatic importance.

It's time for yet another trial.

Natalie's podium has joined the other somberly-decorated ones in pretty short order. Unfortunately, the other ones are left entirely as they were - no pillows, food, or coffee provided by the Opera staff. You'll just have to try and make this quick. The Balladeer sounds like he'd like to get this over with as well when he speaks up.]

I'm sorry, Heather. I really didn't think... [He sighs.] Okay, go ahead.

Comments

[tellthestory]

........vote for me. Billy Harris. Because we - we never switched back, it's been me back here the whole time, so they won't do anything to you, B...

It never would've happened if it weren't for me.

[inforapenny]

You didn't do anything! You tried to save her, there- there has to be something...

[tellthestory]

No. You know how this goes, B. You know what has to happen now.

[inforapenny]

This isn't like what happened before. This isn't even like the last case. You didn't kill her.

[trettende]

[ Okay, Hans is confused. Is he worried about Billy here or is he worrying about the Balladeer? Y'all are playing with his very new emotions. He shakes his head. ]

Exactly. Even if Billy was the cause, the crew killed her. What are we supposed to do?

[allicareabout]

Oh, there's something.

Assuming that's the truth, then technically speaking, no one but the crew member that shot her needs to die.

I made sure to verify in the second trial that intent follows the bullet - whatever their reason for shooting was, the person that pulled the trigger is the one that killed Natalie, regardless of their reason for pulling the trigger in the first place.

Coercion, accident, mistaken identity - none of that matters here. What matters is who pulled the trigger.

[tellthestory]

Look at the podiums, though. You can't vote for the crew.

[dontfeedplants]

What if we just not vote? They can't execute someone we never voted for.

[tellthestory]

They'd call time eventually.

[dontfeedplants]

We have to try! There has to be some way to keep you from getting executed!

[tellthestory]

Seymour....

...like what?

[allicareabout]

And that's our problem...why, exactly?

Voting for you, under the established rules, is a misvote.

[tellthestory]

So what are you going to do?

[allicareabout]

Unlike the establishment, I'm just going to follow Rule Eight - and play my part to the best of my ability.

[This entire goddamn game, he has been operating under the notion that law doesn't get to have feelings in the courtroom.

Now? Now he's pissed off.]

My first thought is that any stipulations implied within or regarding Rule Six are null and void due to the initial terms provided - given that this wasn't a cast member attempting to bring the show to a close in the first place, we should not be made to hold anyone responsible in a trial designed to verify and establish the guilt of a cast member in the first place, under the basic concept of corpus delicti and just utter common sense.

My second is that there are no hard and fast rules regarding how we vote, simply that the process of 'catching' our culprit, as it were, needs to be carried out by the majority. Technically speaking, write-in ballots would be acceptable, assuming anyone has anything to write with. Forget the podiums - they're designed to imply that we only have the options before us, when that is clearly not the case given that this situation happened to begin with.

Thirdly, regardless of whether this is an oversight on the part of the Management or not, the fact remains that by providing no option to vote for a party outside of that which we've been provided, in conjunction with allowing such an incident to happen in the first place (whether through intent or negligence), the Management stands in violation of Rule Eight themselves - twisting our narrative to suit their agenda is overstepping the boundaries dictating their role as previously established by the show, and furthermore restricting us from playing our parts to the best of our ability. We cannot vote for the culprit we believe is guilty, despite us doing our best to find and 'catch' them as stated by Rule Six, if the culprit is not presented as an option to do so, and as such I'd argue that this manipulation of perception violates our capacity to fulfill our duties here in an informed manner -

[...You know what.]

Do you want me to keep going and listing reasons why this is wrong? Because I'm sure I can come up with several more, and I fully intend to filibuster this vote until either justice is fulfilled or I physically can't stand anymore.

[FIAT JUSTITIA ET PEREAT MUNDUS.]

[dechagny]

[It's nice to know his gut feeling and common sense of "this is just plain WRONG" has legal backing.

Just. Going to applaud you, Billy, hot damn.]

[dechagny]

For God's sake, man, I'm not voting for someone innocent!

[tellthestory]

In what world am I innocent?!

[That...was loud. He takes a breath, and takes his time before speaking again.]

You can't vote for the crew, and it only even happened because of me. I'm the only logical option.

[trettende]

It's not a matter of guilty or innocent.

[ Lord knows, they're all guilty of their own things. ]

It's about voting for the killer. Which you aren't, Billy.

[allicareabout]

Hans is right.

If you didn't kill her, voting for you is incorrect and going to get us all killed. So if you'd please stop resisting our attempts to save your life, that'd be appreciated.

[trettende]

That's right. It's not a matter of who feels guilty, it's a matter of who murdered Natalie.

[ Mental high five from across the courtroom, Billy. ]

[dechagny]

IN THIS ONE!

[You wanna be loud? Raoul can be fuckin' loud.]

The one here, in this purgatory of an opera house, Billy Harris has killed none of his fellow cast! You pulled no triggers - I shall not pull mine!

[tellthestory]

Brought her down
To the floor
Caused her death
And what for?

Doesn't take a trigger finger at all to
Change the world

I may as well have done. You should take the safer option for everyone - there's still a chance they'll count this.

[dechagny]

[He has to try really hard not to just slam the podium.]

Past...the point of no return
That's what you're saying
And either way we choose we cannot win

Though I cannot ignore
What dark horrors lie in store
I won't condemn a friend
Even if it brings my end...

No - Billy, I won't do it, I refuse! And if my death comes of that, then so be it!

[aflatouttahell]

If it's people who played a part in her getting killed, I might as well be the guilty party! I could have stayed with her, and kept her from... kept her from that, somehow. If you're guilty through inaction, then so am I.

[sunshineprincess]

[AHAHAHA THIS ISN'T HAPPENING NOPE NOPE NOPE]

I knew there was something off... [Look down at the podium. Conceal. Don't feel. Deep breath. Okay. Not feeling is hard.

Anna looks up at Billy in silence.

She mad]