itscurtains | Is This Where You Wanna Be? Crawling On Your Hands and Knees?

[In a perfect world, Maya would have been able to isolate herself for the rest of the evening. It's not like her to wallow in her feelings, but it's also not like her to be trapped away in a murder school or part of an execution so... not like she has much choice there. Besides, between the influence of Janis, and the sight of her remaining dormmates, it's clear that Maya simply can't... let things go.

It's like she told the SQUIP. They look to her for hope. And so, hope she must be. It's her job to stand tall for the others. Thankfully help comes easier this time -- there's no need to scruff Discord, or try to keep Spongebob from making Hate Patties. Maybe that, in and of itself, is a good sign.

It's just another fluke. They'll be okay. They're together, after all. Even Salieri and Discord are getting along well enough to help.

Cutting potatoes proves to be an interesting task, considering the fact that most of the knives are missing. Maya has a few guesses as to how that happened, but she won't point fingers again today. She makes do with what she has -- two swords between her and Cassandra.

Potatoes, cakes, pies -- the arrangement is much the same. There's even cocoa (made by less experienced hands, unfortunately), and alcohol. It all feels like a repeat of last week, but she's trying to not think about it. She does her best to keep a smile on her face as she knocks on each door, inviting others to the cafeteria once more.]

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Yeah...guess I'd better listen, then.

[Varian sighs, sort of sagging in his seat.]

...everything's all messed up.

...Just a little bit, yes.

I'm usually a fan of mess, but not really in this way. [It's the wrong sort of chaos.] I'm not going to talk down to you by saying "oh, everything will be better from now on". I'm sure the optimists will have that part down.

All we can really do is try our best to make sure this doesn't happen again.

[He intends to put in the work for that, anyway.]

[Varian's expression softens, because he actually appreciates Discord's blunt honesty. Being talked down to ISN'T what he needs right now. He doesn't want to be treated like a child, insomuch as he is still one, at his core.]

We just have to make it a little longer. Just a little longer...

[Maybe then the Wizard will let them go. If they can just hold on...]

The Wizard has to get tired of this eventually. It's already been one month...

He'll get tired of it once things become boring. And for that to happen, nothing else would need to go wrong.

Chaos is entertainment. Order, well, less so.

[He knows his stuff here.]

[Varian looks stressed, at that.]

Wish it were that easy...every day something goes wrong, for me at least.

I imagine it's more the dramatic wrong things. The murders. He really needs them to happen, or we wouldn't keep getting those annoying little envelopes.

Or, well, whoever is really pulling the strings here.

I'm honestly surprised they haven't been coming more frequently...

[But they wouldn't be ~special~ then, would they?]

And completely ruin the dramatic effect? No, no, that wouldn't do. That would take away the fun of it.

There's a balance to these things and if it's too much all at once, people will just get too used to it, and then it would lose all effect. Like this, even with the timing working out the same way every time, it's hard knowing what to expect.

Predictable unpredictability.

[Predictable unpredictability. That's the best description for it he's heard, he thinks.

Varian's mug has started to get cold by now, seeing as how he's yet to actually drink any of the cocoa Discord brought. He's just been staring into it while they talk.]

Doesn't give us time to rest. Makes us more liable to make mistakes.

Bad decisions.

Exactly.

Now, the nice thing is that once you see through that and realize the goal, you can counteract it. You just take things one step at a time.

Are you confident we'll be able to do that, though?

I'm always confident!

Besides, there's only one way to find out.

Mm...yeah. I guess you're right.

[...]

Thanks for checking up on me, by the way.

Oh, yes... well. Someone ought to.

[He feels a little called out, but. He'll just send a little spark of magic towards that mug, warming Varian's drink back up.]

That's a one time free reheating, by the way, I'm not a microwave. So you'd better not let it cool again.

[care? him? noooo.]

[Varian's expression softens just a touch, that tension in his brow relieving as he takes a drink as if to show Discord he's taking that threat seriously.

Nooo he doesn't care at aaaall why would you ever think that...]

Yeah...it's still a good thing the Wizard didn't completely take your powers away, though.

...Yes. Good thing.

[There's a slightly thoughtful look on his face, briefly, before it's gone again. Never mind all that.]

Things would get so dull around here without at least a little magic.

Is This Where You Wanna Be? Crawling On Your Hands and Knees?

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