The sky shines differently today than it did yesterday

[employeeoftheyear]

[Perhaps to the surprise of no one, there is no after party after that trial. Two children were dead. Two children were dead over a simple accident and the Wizard cared more about himself than anyone else. But they won't give up, they can't give up. They had to keep fighting until everything's been set right.

At the Lobby ofrenda later that night, there are six origami pieces accoupling the other memorials. A penguin, a rose, an octopus man, computer, a music note, and the last one are of a boy and girl holding hands. Along with that there is a plate of strawberry cupcakes with blueberry icing and a note that reads:]

There is still hope and love in the world

Never let The Wizard make you think otherwise 💗

Comments

[brokeforgood]

Acting out. [Farrah replies bluntly, before she glances up at Elsa, and raises a brow.]

It doesn’t really help, but it’s something.

[employeeoftheyear]

[That gets the barest laugh out of him.]

I'm not in a tree so I think I'm safe.

[His voice seems to be coming closer to the school.]

[employeeoftheyear]

Yeah, or you can swing it up towards me and I can pull you up.

[At the top of the building, Maya can see Spongebob waving down at her.]

[employeeoftheyear]

[He instinctively moves closer to her and smiles.]

I'd like that. Got any requests?

[barberic]

[Being alone in the garden with two corpses (three, if you count the Balladeer, already buried) means the only sound is his own feet, his own shovel breaking the earth.

Still, somehow, that's loud enough that he doesn't notice Maya until the second shovel breaks the earth, as well.

He looks up at her in surprise, then sniffs and wipes his cheeks, leaving a smear of mud from his dirty hands.]

It's rotten work. You don't have to join, if you don't want to.

[barberic]

[The rhythm is familiar and easy, even moreso with Eurydice's soft voice, giving them a beat to work to, and the three hands makes the work even easier.

When Orpheus finally speaks, it's while Benjamin has paused to take a drink from a water bottle that he brought down from the school, and Benjamin swallows, then offers the bottle to Orpheus, as well.]

It was almost for nothing. [He sounds like... he's not sure what to make of that. The fact that it wasn't. The fact that in the end, the Wizard's own machinations - facsimile of their dead friend as it was - was what provided the final mercy, letting the boy die painless and loved.

He shakes his head. If he thinks too much about the execution, about the dead boy lying not ten feet away, he might not have the strength to keep digging.]

It was the least I could do. For what we had to do to him.

[howtheworldwas]

[ As Orpheus speaks, Eurydice starts pacing the kitchen, growing increasingly agitated and angry. ]

It's not right. Making people suffer just for a chance to change the past -- if he really cared, he'd try to change the future.

[ She stops abruptly, jaw set. ]

I'm not doing that again. [ She can still hear Antonio's sobs, his writhing, wracking cries of grief. Eurydice doesn't regret saving his life, but there's a part of her that hates that, in order to do so, she had to play the Wizard's game. ]

[barberic]

[A work song is a work song, and she'll see it's indeed familiar, by the way that he falls into the rhythm easily, filling in beneath her low, sorrowful voice with his own rumbling baritone as he catches onto the words.]

Oh, you gotta keep your head low

Low, keep your head, keep your head low
Oh, you gotta keep your head low
If you wanna keep your head

[defyingfrigidity]

[????? Elsa looks around.]

Where are you?

[employeeoftheyear]

I'm up here!

[If she looks up she'll see Spongebob waving from the roof of the school.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[The last time Elsa comforted Salieri, it was with cold. A cool, soothing hand on his back to stop him from shaking and to sink through the grief-tense muscles. Now, she comes to him with warmth; a mug of tea, still steaming, with a few scoops of honey mixed in.]

Here.

[brokeforgood]

[… That’s not what she expected.

Farrah turns off the shower, and holds out the bottle.]

Might be a lil watered down…

[brokeforgood]

[The tiny dog is enough to pry Farrah from her sorrows, at least a little bit. She’s never been good at saying no to animals. And, Elle has been like a cool older cousin to Farrah—- so when Bruiser tries attacking her socks, Farrah’s more than happy to appease him.

She all but collapses next to the older girl, and then onto her, as if she’s unable to hold herself up.]

Pretty good dog.

[whatyouwant]

[Once Farrah sits down, Bruiser will climb into her lap and stare at her expectantly.

The voice snaps Elle out of her musings. Seeing Bruiser and Farrah brings a small smile to her lips.]

The best dog anyone could ask for.

[She reaches over to scritch behind his ears.]

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah hugs Bruiser, if he’ll let her—- trying her best to hold back tears as she slouches over the tiny, wise and very stylish dog.]

We’ll be a great duo. Once they find Ruddy, I’ll have the world’s shittiest dog. [Because. He’s not a dog, Farrah.]

[whatyouwant]

[He lets her. He is the world's chillest chihuahua.

Elle giggles, and it only sounds a little strained.]

One of the girls in our house tried to "rescue" a raccoon she found on the street once. She thought it was a weird cat. [Not all the Delta Nu's were geniuses.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa's never had a taste for alcohol. Even after her coronation, when she finally became "of age", she tended to skirt around any offers of champagne or mead or anything of the sort. She had her magic to worry about, of course, and if it could act up so strangely when she was sick, what could happen if she was drunk?

But today... when Orpheus offers the wine, Elsa only hesitates for a moment before taking it. She needs to feel something, other than this terrible weight pushing her down and pulling at her limbs.]

Thanks. I... [She lets out a sigh, soft and shaky.] Honestly, I don't know what to say, after all of... that.

[defyingfrigidity]

[... Well! That's certainly not where she expected him to be.]

How did you get up there???

[mayavericks]

Oh!

[She nods up to him, before tossing the hook up carefully. She doesn't want to impale him or anything.]

Let me know when you're ready.

[mayavericks]

I could not ask you to do this alone.

[Maya isn't necessarily used to manual labor. If nothing else, though, at least one of her hands is calloused enough to handle the repetition of cutting through the earth.

Just don't worry about the other one.]

[mcfife]

[He grips her hand tightly. He doesn't know what he can do, but this does help him think clearly.]

We can't keep letting The Wizard get away with this. We have to strike the next time we see him. Else how many more will die because of him?

[employeeoftheyear]

[He dangles his hands over the edge of the roof.]

I'm ready!

[mayavericks]

[The hook is yote with more force this time, now that she understands its heft. Hopefully not enough to hurt -- just enough to get it into Spongebob's hands.]

[fourbutts]

Yeah, camping sounds good.

[ She thinks for a moment and, not wanting to go fully into the talk about it they had... ]

She seemed a little nervous about the woods, though, so... maybe we camp up on the roof? I climbed up earlier with Spongebob, it kind of rules up there.

[mayavericks]

[Maya nods pretty enthusiastically at that.]

The roof is... a very good idea. Much more secure, at least.