It's Curtains Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stagemanagers) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
itscurtains2021-07-10 12:07 pm
stagemanagers) wrote in itscurtains2021-07-10 12:07 pm
fifth trial
[As the investigation ends, you'll hear the Wizard's voice inviting you to the auditorium. As this happens, the twin doors on either side of the concession stand, across from the gym, will click open. You can enter on either side; both go to the same place.
When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name. Discord, Elle, Orpheus and Eurydice now have theirs draped in black crepe and with a framed monochrome photo of them on top. At Maya's podium is a stool with a fresh amaryllis flower carefully set on it.
When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. The Wizard is once again waiting for you. Beside it Hester is slowly lowers in on her bubble. She's still in her pretty pink prom dress, her hair restyled and make-up freshened to not be so messy from sleep. It's also worth noting the blood on her skirt from when she assisted in helping Maya with her injury is gone.
The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]
Welcome to your fifth trial, everyone. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Elle, Orpheus and Eurydice. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.
When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name. Discord, Elle, Orpheus and Eurydice now have theirs draped in black crepe and with a framed monochrome photo of them on top. At Maya's podium is a stool with a fresh amaryllis flower carefully set on it.
When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. The Wizard is once again waiting for you. Beside it Hester is slowly lowers in on her bubble. She's still in her pretty pink prom dress, her hair restyled and make-up freshened to not be so messy from sleep. It's also worth noting the blood on her skirt from when she assisted in helping Maya with her injury is gone.
The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]
Welcome to your fifth trial, everyone. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Elle, Orpheus and Eurydice. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.
Cw suicide discussion
Angus the hallucinations! I spent my week thinking everyone hated my guts because of my hallucinations. Even if it wasn’t real it felt real to me! And look what I did because of it! My baby sister almost died thanks to me!
[Tears well up as he looks at Angus, but he speaks firmly.]
If you’re going to hate the culprit for this you might as well hate me for this too!
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[It's as if all of the anger Angus has kept up inside has finally grown too much to hold back. So much has been taken away from him, and he's had enough of holding it in. He can't time his breakdown for later. He can't-
Elle doesn't deserve to be forgotten.]
Two of my friends are dead! My girlfriend is dead! I'm not even allowed to harm The Wizard! We are going to lose another friend after this trial! [He chokes, the tears finally escaping the corners of his eyes.] Everything has gone wrong this week, and what am I supposed to do about all this?! Just stand by and let things happen as they pass?!
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[Benjamin punctuates his Dad Voice by banging his (left, oops) fist on the podium. But when he has the prince's attention, his tone gentles immediately.]
Angus, believe me, I perhaps more than anyone else here know the grief you're feeling right now. I know how tempting it is to lash out, how little it matters to you right now whether you live or die.
We need to find the truth. We cannot act until we do.
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Well, Discord was right. He can't be upset when people need him.
He shakily rests a hand on Bruiser's back, kneeling down over him, singing softly.]
But all my friends say that it will be okay
Because it has to
Because it has to
And I just have to do the things they want me to
Because I have to
Because I have to move on
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[...hug? Tentatively?]
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Promise that we won't forget them.
Someone has got to keep their memory.
Live and let live, but don't let go.
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I Promise that
I won't forget you
[Whoever killed them didn't know, and that's worse. There's nothing he can do about their deaths. They thought they were a threat, nothing else. They won't be- can't be faulted. They were under the influence of an illusion spell and took everything dear from him.]
Promise...
Promise...
[He doesn't know if he can keep singing.]
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Won't let go.
[She sticks to his side like glue.
How could she not, after what she'd seen in the courtyard?
He needs her. He needs something-- someone, anyone to hold onto. She'll try and be strong, for Angus.]
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[He catches his breath, his expression turning sad.]
I know you’re hurt, Angus. When Mr. Salieri died I was so angry. I wanted to fight whoever did this to him. And even when this was all over I thought for sure Mr. Salieri and Discord didn’t really care about us. About me
But... but we’re all on the same boat, Angus. We’re all hurt. Orpheus and Eurydice... I loved them. [He holds his coat close to him.] But I know in my heart that whoever did this didn’t wanna do this. That they’re missing them just as much as we miss them right now.
cw suicide discussion
But if only he and Farrah died? That would be a tragedy, obviously. They couldn't bear with the pain and humiliation, so they sought an escape.
If he had killed Mr. Barker? Angry that he took someone's life away. Pity for their situation.
He hasn't been able to do anything. Back home, he could run across the land, finding ways to stop an evil wizard from inflicting suffering. Here, his hands are died. He can't beat someone up and fix everything. He can't avenge Elle's death.]
I can't-
I'm not like you. I can't tell myself to stop being so upset. How can you not sense the rage in all of us, how can you accept that we are powerless?!
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Why do you think I’ve felt like I’ve been a complete failure every time someone dies? Why do you think I’ve been seeing myself as a burden on our team? Why do you think I got in the car with Farrah?
But I refuse to give up hope, Angus. I know if I do I would just be giving the Wizard exactly what he wants if I give up hope! There’s still good in the world; I see it every time we play music or dance or talk about our homes.
Hope is all we have, Angus. And I don’t care if it makes me stupid, or foolish, or simple. It’s all I have power over.
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[He would be with Elle again if they all voted incorrectly, but that would be playing into The Wizard's hands. Angus won't throw his life away, not if it's for a good cause. Any cause that leaves their tormentor alive isn't worth it.]
I let billions of people die because I wasn't fast enough. I didn't do enough to help the SQUIP believe in Jeremy. I wasn't with Elle when she died! Every day I wonder what I could have done differently, what I can do to make up for that!
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Angus please listen to me: I know how you feel! Every single moment I think about how I failed everyone who died. My friends, my family, my dads.
[He chokes back tears at that.]
But we can’t honor our dead family by pointing fingers and driving each other further apart! The Wizard wants us to backstab each other until there’s no one left! We have to stick together!
cw suicide discussion
[Bruiser is licking him again, so Angus picks him up, avoiding looking in the direction of Elle's portrait.]
So the Wizard wants us to cower and believe death is the only escape?! What kind of rebellion would I have lead if we didn't use our fury for something? Their deaths should mean more than a discussion and a vote!
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I don’t think death is our only way out, but we have to do something to keep us all from killing each other!
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[He grabs Bruiser in his arms and turns away-
No. Orpheus and Eurydice are gone. Their empty podiums are all that greet him. Angus trembles, knowing that they won't be avenged. That there is nothing he can do to help him. That he can't do anything but wait and vote. That he is useless here.
Bruiser is getting a big, tight hug. It's the next best thing to Elle's hugs.]
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In a rage, he grasps Angus by the the shoulder and glares]
LISTEN TO ME!
[Had... had his voice always been this deep and booming? Before Angus can really even process this his voice goes back to normal.]
I’m not saying you can’t be angry! I’m angry too! And I’m scared! I really am! But we have to stick together! If we point fingers at each other, we’re giving the Wizard exactly what he wants!
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He wants to do something. He can't do anything. There's no right way to be angry here. He can't even voice his frustration without being told he is wrong.]
...Leave me alone.
[He jerks away from Spongebob's grip and lets his eyes haze over as he looks at nothing in particular. The middle of the floor, he assumes. He doesn't know what his eyes are processing anymore.]
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Before he goes back to his podium, he speaks to himself. Quiet but loud enough for Angus to hear.]
... I guess I have my answer as to what would happen if I succeeded on Wednesday.
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Uncool, bro.
She just moves to reattach herself to Angus' sleeve.]
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There's stuff happening several feet to the right, but he's not paying attention. It's too soon to join the conversation again.]
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He has a hard time looking at how this was the result of hallucinations and not see himself in the culprit shoes.]