[As the final votes come in, the house lights drop suddenly. The only illumination comes from the small bulbs along the aisles, and of course the dim lamp standing in Valjean’s place.
There's a swish as the curtain above draws itself open.
When the stage lights come up, D-ne is somehow already up there, standing center-stage. The Balladeer's there too, watching her from the side, hands empty; this won't require his instrumentation. He paces towards D-ne with long deliberate strides as the music begins, his eyes and voice chilly. With each step he makes, she takes an equal one back.]
Here we go Welcome to The story of the girl named D Quiet thing So much alone Day by day, I'm fading away
[When it’s clear the Balladeer isn’t going to hurt her, D-ne visibly relaxes and turns away from him, a desperate longing in her voice as she sings.]
We get along just fine I say what I think you like to hear It's funny how much I Would like to become like a mirror
Can you remember Who you are? Do you even know? When you’re alone...
[This, at last, gets D-ne to strike back. She spins around to face the Balladeer, defiant.]
I’LL BECOME WHAT SHE’D LIKE THAT MEANS SHE WILL WANT ME, RIGHT!? NOBODIES HAVE TO GO THAT IS HOW THE WORLD WORKS, YOU KNOW
COPY THAT, COPYCAT COPY THAT, COPYCAT
[The Balladeer scoffs and folds his arms, stepping aside as there’s movement from the wings. First one puppet circles out from each side of the stage, then two, then there’s six. They’re made of carved wood and dressed in the same style of school uniform D-ne wears, and all have identical short-cut wigs and painted expressions. Their means of motion isn’t obvious; they don’t look like they should be able to dance about as they are.
Mistaking the first puppet’s silhouette for someone else, disbelief crosses D-ne’s face, then relief, then elation. She mouths something. Briskly, she starts to cross the stage to it, only for the second to emerge. The smile freezes on her face and quickly turns to fear as she realizes they’re on either side of her. She backs away from them, but if any get close, she reaches out, unable to help herself. Each time, they dance away, leaving her empty-handed.
The Balladeer stalks around the edges of the dance, circling them before moving towards the edge of the stage.]
Change your hair Get new shoes Wear contacts to Hide your own blue Do you think Anyone could Love someone Who's barely even real?
Is this what you call love? Making her a thing you can consume You took a life for this? Kinda like you took hers too
[D-ne, who’s trying once more to touch one of the puppets, freezes. She slowly looks to the Balladeer, as if he’s struck her, and shakes her head in horror. Each word she sings sounds more despondent than the last.]
I can't remember... Who I am Everything's a blur... I am alone...
I'VE BECOME WHAT THEY’D LIKE SOMEONE HAS TO WANT ME, RIGHT?! NOBODIES HAVE TO GO THAT IS HOW THE WORLD WORKS, YOU KNOW…?
[Trembling, D-ne sinks to her knees and touches the red ribbon in her hair. The puppets begin to dance toward her, and somehow their movements appear menacing.]
I can't remember what I’ve done everything's a blur did I kill her…?
[For the first time, D-ne peers out into the orchestra pit, at the other “cast members.” As she reaches her final line, though it’s incredibly pained, she does what she does best: she smiles.]
“I'll become what you like” this is what I wanted...right? I guess I have to go Good luck with the rest of the show
[The music stops dead.
Instead, a softer tune begins, and the puppets part as another figure steps out onto stage. Their costume is much more familiar; it is, after all, the clothes Jean Valjean wore when he arrived. The figure resembles him exactly in size, shape, and even gait...but there’s strange vague shadows where its body ought to be, just like the hands from within the merchandise booth.
Still, it pauses as if uncertain, and then starts to slowly approach D-ne, its right hand outstretched as if to help her to her feet. D-ne looks up at it in disbelief. She should recoil, but instead something compels her to reach a trembling hand back, like she should have done just this morning.
Downstage, unnoticed, the Balladeer turns his back to the scene to stare hard at the lip of the stage.
The dark figure draws closer and stops, nearly touching D-ne’s fingers with its own. Instead, like the strike of a snake, it lashes out, a silver razor flashing in its other hand. The music screeches to a discordant halt as it lunges forward, pinning her down and driving the blade into her face and chest, again and again.
Finally, it’s quiet. The shadow-Valjean rises and slowly flicks the razor shut, the click echoing over the stage. There's no visible features to its face, but for a moment it seems to scan the audience. Then, it steps deliberately over her body, through the blood pooling beneath her still form, and proceeds offstage. The Balladeer never turns around to look. Still, he doesn’t speak until it’s out of sight, and when he does his tone seems carefully controlled.]
You should all get out of here now.
[And then the stage lights go out too, and the curtain swishes shut.]
EXECUTION: THE BALLAD OF COPYCAT
There's a swish as the curtain above draws itself open.
When the stage lights come up, D-ne is somehow already up there, standing center-stage. The Balladeer's there too, watching her from the side, hands empty; this won't require his instrumentation. He paces towards D-ne with long deliberate strides as the music begins, his eyes and voice chilly. With each step he makes, she takes an equal one back.]
Here we go
Welcome to
The story of
the girl named D
Quiet thing
So much alone
Day by day,
I'm fading away
[When it’s clear the Balladeer isn’t going to hurt her, D-ne visibly relaxes and turns away from him, a desperate longing in her voice as she sings.]
We get along just fine
I say what I think you like to hear
It's funny how much I
Would like to become like a mirror
Can you remember
Who you are?
Do you even know?
When you’re alone...
[This, at last, gets D-ne to strike back. She spins around to face the Balladeer, defiant.]
I’LL BECOME WHAT SHE’D LIKE
THAT MEANS SHE WILL WANT ME,
RIGHT!?
NOBODIES HAVE TO GO
THAT IS HOW THE WORLD WORKS, YOU KNOW
COPY THAT, COPYCAT
COPY THAT, COPYCAT
[The Balladeer scoffs and folds his arms, stepping aside as there’s movement from the wings. First one puppet circles out from each side of the stage, then two, then there’s six. They’re made of carved wood and dressed in the same style of school uniform D-ne wears, and all have identical short-cut wigs and painted expressions. Their means of motion isn’t obvious; they don’t look like they should be able to dance about as they are.
Mistaking the first puppet’s silhouette for someone else, disbelief crosses D-ne’s face, then relief, then elation. She mouths something. Briskly, she starts to cross the stage to it, only for the second to emerge. The smile freezes on her face and quickly turns to fear as she realizes they’re on either side of her. She backs away from them, but if any get close, she reaches out, unable to help herself. Each time, they dance away, leaving her empty-handed.
The Balladeer stalks around the edges of the dance, circling them before moving towards the edge of the stage.]
Change your hair
Get new shoes
Wear contacts to
Hide your own blue
Do you think
Anyone could
Love someone
Who's barely even real?
Is this what you call love?
Making her a thing you can consume
You took a life for this?
Kinda like you took hers too
[D-ne, who’s trying once more to touch one of the puppets, freezes. She slowly looks to the Balladeer, as if he’s struck her, and shakes her head in horror. Each word she sings sounds more despondent than the last.]
I can't remember...
Who I am
Everything's a blur...
I am alone...
I'VE BECOME WHAT THEY’D LIKE
SOMEONE HAS TO WANT ME,
RIGHT?!
NOBODIES HAVE TO GO
THAT IS HOW THE WORLD WORKS, YOU KNOW…?
COPY THAT, COPYCAT
COPY THAT, COPYCAT
COPY THAT, COPYCAT
COPY THAT, COPYCAT
[Trembling, D-ne sinks to her knees and touches the red ribbon in her hair. The puppets begin to dance toward her, and somehow their movements appear menacing.]
I can't remember
what I’ve done
everything's a blur
did I kill her…?
[For the first time, D-ne peers out into the orchestra pit, at the other “cast members.” As she reaches her final line, though it’s incredibly pained, she does what she does best: she smiles.]
“I'll become what you like”
this is what I wanted...right?
I guess I have to go
Good luck with the rest of the show
[The music stops dead.
Instead, a softer tune begins, and the puppets part as another figure steps out onto stage. Their costume is much more familiar; it is, after all, the clothes Jean Valjean wore when he arrived. The figure resembles him exactly in size, shape, and even gait...but there’s strange vague shadows where its body ought to be, just like the hands from within the merchandise booth.
Still, it pauses as if uncertain, and then starts to slowly approach D-ne, its right hand outstretched as if to help her to her feet. D-ne looks up at it in disbelief. She should recoil, but instead something compels her to reach a trembling hand back, like she should have done just this morning.
Downstage, unnoticed, the Balladeer turns his back to the scene to stare hard at the lip of the stage.
The dark figure draws closer and stops, nearly touching D-ne’s fingers with its own. Instead, like the strike of a snake, it lashes out, a silver razor flashing in its other hand. The music screeches to a discordant halt as it lunges forward, pinning her down and driving the blade into her face and chest, again and again.
Finally, it’s quiet. The shadow-Valjean rises and slowly flicks the razor shut, the click echoing over the stage. There's no visible features to its face, but for a moment it seems to scan the audience. Then, it steps deliberately over her body, through the blood pooling beneath her still form, and proceeds offstage. The Balladeer never turns around to look. Still, he doesn’t speak until it’s out of sight, and when he does his tone seems carefully controlled.]
You should all get out of here now.
[And then the stage lights go out too, and the curtain swishes shut.]