itscurtains | "A Swing and Miss Doesn't Mean it's Game Over"

[Well… All of that sure happened. And while Maya is visibly shaken Sissi's literal dance with death, she’d meant what she’d said to the others -- she would protect them. At that moment, it meant voting and making the “right” decision. Now, though? It means ensuring that no one feels alone, and that everyone has a good meal in them.

She’s not Nana Daiba, however, she certainly can’t do this alone. But she does have the resourcefulness and authoritative disposition to to recruit allies. Discord is sure to be… mostly unbothered by everything that’s happened, and Spongebob will likely be eager to help. She approaches both men: one is asked nicely; The other is grabbed by the collar and dragged from whatever hole he’s locked himself in. Sorry Discord.

For Maya's part, several potato dishes are prepared (can you tell someone has a bias). And while she doesn’t have the resources to make baumkuchen, Maya does manage to produce a cake, as well as… muffins? They’re not… quite how she remembers Nana making them, but she can at least recall how hearty the food had felt, and how it had restored her energy on long days.

It’s a pleasant memory, even if it does make her a touch melancholy.

Nevertheless, the food is laid out in the kitchen, as are a number of pies that Maya has uncovered. She even tucks a few bottles of wine in a corner for the adults that might like it. This is in addition to the mead apparently brought by Salieri. Look she’s not a fan of having alcohol but… she can’t tell the adults no.

But hey, courtesy of Benjamin, there is even some cocoa. It doesn’t start off spiked but… you know. Thanks to Spongebob there are, well… Angry Patties? It’s fine. Even Discord managed to contribute some pies and tea, as well as being bossed around to do the grunt work in the kitchen. There’s also that inexplicable pizza? Huh, that’s weird.

Eventually the group goes around extending invitations to the dorms, knocking on doors and explaining what’s been set up. No one will be forced to go, just… strongly encouraged. Maya herself will even duck into the principal’s office and, if she’s there, invite Hester.

She seemed just as upset as the rest of them.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Varian looks up without lifting his head, and when he sees it's Elsa speaking to him, his face goes through a gamut of emotions. Recognition, relief, sadness...exhaustion. He doesn't really settle on any one of them, just existing as a mix of everything while also feeling terribly hollow all at the same time.]

I'm okay. Thank you, though.

[...

There's a pause as Varian shifts in his seat, trying to figure out how best to word what he wants to say.]

...I think that was...really nice. What you did for the Empress.

[As she watches the poor boy squirm, Elsa can't help it; she reaches out, putting a hand on his shoulder. She doesn't cool her touch like she did with Salieri, but she squeezes his shoulder slightly - what she hopes is a firm, calming point of contact.]

I couldn't just... stand there and do nothing. She was so scared, so upset... if she had to die, I wanted to make sure she had one last good memory, before whatever happened.

[And it was all for nothing, wasn't it? That... that farce of a performance, that disgusting display of sadism ruined any hopes they had of Sissi going to the afterlife with any measure of comfort...]

I just wish we could have done more.

[At least Elsa did something, unlike some of them...]

Yeah. Me too.

[But there's only so much you can do in a trial room when you're all on the chopping block, forced to make an impossible choice.

Varian is quiet for a time before he looks up at Elsa through his lashes.]

I wish....

[...]

I regret what I said, during the trial. When we were trying to figure things out. I tried to insinuate that she'd...

[He closes his eyes, his hands tight fists on his knees.]

[Elsa just shakes her head, one arm coming up around his shoulders. It's not quite a hug, but it's the next best thing she can think of when it comes to comforting gestures.]

You were just trying to help. It was unfortunate, yes, but... all you wanted was to uncover the truth of what happened, yes? You didn't do that out of any kind of maliciousness.

[Hug or not, it's contact, which...Varian didn't realize he needed so much right now. He'd been actively avoiding everyone so far, intentional or not, in a psychological effort to protect himself from yet more hurt.

It hasn't helped much, obviously.

So when Elsa puts an arm around him, Varian tenses briefly with surprise. It lasts only for a moment before he's relaxing again, looking up at her.]

I know...I know you're right, I just...

[Feel bad. He feels Really Bad Man]

I don't understand why the Wizard made us figure it all out. It's not like any of us know how to solve things like this...what would we have done if Elisabeth never remembered what had happened?

Some people just... like watching others hurt.

[She sounds disgusted with herself just saying that. It's something she's struggled to comprehend over the past few years; why do people do terrible things, like what Hans did? What's the point in making people suffer?]

I'll never understand it. Even to accidentally hurt someone is terrible, but to want them to suffer like this...?

Explains why they're using a machine to talk for them.

[He quietly supplies, his tone hard.]

If they hide their face, it doesn't matter. They can stay anonymous and do whatever they want without repercussions.

[Sure, it's unlikely any of them know who this person spearheading this whole thing is, but...it probably wouldn't matter.]

[It seems Varian and Elsa are on similar but diverting wavelengths here...]

Do you think this Wizard person is someone one of us might know? Why else would they hide behind such a strange machine, unless they didn't want us to see them for who they really are?

...that's a very real possibility. It would check out, that's for sure.

[It's also a scary one, because...]

Some of us...have people from our pasts who might be capable of something like this, don't we?

[Mmmmm...]

The only person I know who would be manipulative and heartless enough to do anything like this... shouldn't be able to. He's been imprisoned for years, now.

[...]

You don't think there's any way he could escape?

Not with thirteen brothers and an ocean surrounding his island kingdom making sure he can't get out.

[She says this... a lot more tactfully than she said anything during her conversation with The Baladeer, but there's still a slight edge to her voice that Varian hasn't heard yet.]

... He's smart. And I wouldn't put it past him to do something cruel out of some petty kind of revenge. But he's from our world, and he has no kind of magic or technological knowledge. [As far as she knows???] So I highly doubt he could do anything like this, with so many people from places and times far more advanced than ours.

Mm...no, you're right. It's probably not him.

[Why would he go to such lengths for revenge, anyway? It's one thing to get revenge against someone you know, but this many others? It seems too planned to be a coincidental act of rage.]

It has to be somebody with a lot more power.

Is there anyone out there with power like that?

[She thinks back on all the stories she's heard, from Arendelle and beyond, but nothing really... clicks like this.]

The only ones with power similar to what the Wizard has shown so far would be gods, but I doubt some god would be behind this.

[Varian doesn't put a whole lot of stock in legends like those, but...if gods are on the table at all, he wouldn't put it past a god to not be benevolent.

His nose wrinkles a bit.]

I don't think a god would even bother with something this elaborate. There's just no point, it's...too personal, for that.

"A Swing and Miss Doesn't Mean it's Game Over"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject