itscurtains | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...You think that'd work? I don't wanna vote for Maya.

If you don't, you die. So please... No more blood.

Ooooor Bob's right and we just call the Wizard's bluff?

Yeah! I’ll do it! We still have power over the vote, don’t we?

We might?! If Maya, like, counts as a weapon here, it'd be his fault directly wouldn't it? Like, way more directly than usual?

I said earlier that the only real culprit in this sick game is the Wizard, and I still believe it! If he didn’t kidnap us, if he didn’t give us these motives, if he didn’t mess with our brains, no one would be dead right now!

Yeah! But-

[Doubt's creeping back in, a little.]

Okay but how much kara-te can you do one-armed, I don't think he'd just. Not try something without an actual fight.

He's going to fight us. No matter what we do, he'll at least try.

Yeah and I wanna know if throwing Bob at his stupid metal head is still an option or not!

Stop it! This is not a Fairy Tale. This -- This --

This story's missing a wishing well
No mirror to show and tell
No kiss that can break the spell
Let me fall asleep

Edited 2021-07-10 23:34 (UTC)

Everything's a fantasy,
The wizard was inside of- ...thee,
His poison washed away reality-

[Also, like, it apparently kept going after Elle and Orpheus were dead, that's gotta count for something right.]

[Well... Actually...]

It wasn't just the Wizard. I was of a clear mind when I killed Eurydice. Just as I was when I laid them to rest.

[OH COME ON MAYA, HELP HER OUT HERE]

...Okay, Maya. I said if anyone was gonna come after you they'd have to get through me, and that includes you. So I'm gonna need you to not say stuff like that so we can beat up the Wizard better.

I told you.

I will not let anyone else die.

ANYONE INCLUDES YOU, MAYA. And I told YOU, you're gonna have to go through me to hurt you.

[makes sense if you don't think about it]

...Angus might have to break your kneecaps later on, but I'll see if I can talk him down to, like, making you stub your toe a lot or something.

But what about you?!

[ "I am still standing, aren't I?" A curse. She's a curse. She's— ]

I can't— Ma- Maya, I can't—!!

[Fuck, fuck, fuck, she's too busy tangling herself up in Benjamin's legs to respond to this, dammit!]

[ lol its fine doctor per's following her ]

[ Janis shakes her head. ]

Not until that fuck pulls you up onto that stage himself. I don't ditch people.

You are going to get yourself hurt, Janis.

Then I'll get myself hurt! I'll fucking... I'll take the Utena swords or whatever, fine! Even if— even if I can't stop that hypocrite bastard up there, I'm— I'm not going to stop fighting for you. Sorry.

[ She swallows hard. ]

I'm too mean to do the nice thing this time, I guess.

So you would make me watch you die, then? Is that it?

I—

[ That gets her to freeze up. ]

Fine. I'm not dying for you. But up to that point, just try and stop me.

[ She starts singing. It's... increasingly desperate. ]

So here's my right finger
To how we should behave
'Cause sometimes what's meant to break you
Just makes you brave

And I wouldn't have this courage
If it wasn't for you
I can fight! And I know
If I can save you...

[It would be super cute to say something like 'Don't fight, just hold me,' but she's currently getting trampled by a wild Benjamin so -- ]

(no subject)

fourbutts - 2021-07-11 00:06 (UTC) - Expand

It isn’t, I know it’s not.

But you’re still my little sister, Maya! I already failed one sister this week, I can’t fail the other one!