adventurersclub | THIRD TRIAL

THIRD TRIAL

[Once again, you make your way to the lobby of the Adventurers Club. Once again, you make you way down the stairs to the trial room that awaits you below the surface. Today, however, the birds seem to be occupied by something other than the excitement of murder. Whispers are exchanged, and although no sentences can be made out, you might hear the occasional word--enough to know that they're talking about wishes.

Before the weight of the conversation begins to settle in, Genie appears in the center of the stage, glancing around at the podiums.]

Wow, the crowd's really starting to thin out, huh? [He lets out a nervous chuckle.] Y'know, I don't...think I've asked my master what happens if this keeps happening until nobody's left.

[He looks like he's about to add something else, but glances towards the birds on the ceiling and decides against it. Third times the charm, right?]

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You-

[IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT....]

It's okay to not be happy all the time! It's okay to feel angry and frustrated, especially with all of this going on! But you can't just kill someone because of the things that are upsetting you!

Can't I, though? Isn't that what you all do when things go badly for you?

No! If something's upsetting me, I don't hurt people because I'm upset! [Not... intentionally, at least. Sorry, Cass.] Hurting people only makes you hurt worse, and it makes them upset, and it just... continues that cycle! What you did didn't stop the suffering, you just made the suffering worse for others!

Did it, though? I stopped all the voices in your head, didn't I? What were your saying, Rapunzel? Did they talk about your failures too?

E--even if you did stop the voices, that doesn't mean you did a good thing by doing this!

[looks we are glad buck cluck isn't talking to us anymore but we don't like this arguing and killing happening as a result.]

Do you know how annoying it is to pretend to be nice to you all? Why should I care? Even if we all get along and get out of here, then what? You'll all abandon me too.

[Oh, well that's... hm.]

When did... when did any of us ever say that we would stop being friends when we got out of here? I mean... magic brought us here or something with Genie, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to stay friends even after we escape.

I can literally open portals between worlds with my magic. Escaping doesn't have to mean goodbye. [y'know just saying]

Haven't you figured it out yet? I don't change. I don't grow old, I don't get ill - I'm not a pitiful human like the rest of you. Everyone leaves. It isn't worth it to put myself through that.

... They did. I heard the voice of the woman who kidnapped me, mocking me for every little thing she thought I did wrong...

[The voice that still gave her nightmares...]

But I'm not happy that they're gone, because it means someone died to make them go away! I'd rather deal with them for however long we were trapped here!

Would you? Would you really rather this carried on and on until someone looked at the stupid little chicken and thought he'd make a a tasty dinner? Because you might like to think you could handle it, but eventually you'd crack too.

[holy shit sugar plum we are literally standing right here]

[sometimes ................. you have several thousand years of abandonment issue you take out on everyone around you]

[oh that's even worse than our one year of abandonment

also, chicken little doesn't even argue against being called little or stupid, he sort of just... looks at the floor awkwardly because you know what, she's not the first to insult him and probably won't be the last]

... You're not stupid. She's just lashing out. People don't think when they're mad. [some neighborly support!]

I--I know.

[Boy, does he know that very well.]

... It's fine. I'm used to it.

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halloteen - 2020-07-19 00:16 (UTC) - Expand

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bottlerockets - 2020-07-19 01:35 (UTC) - Expand

Bold of you to assume I'd only want to cook the chicken boy after the voices started.

[what the fuck why are people so interested in wanting to eat him???]

True. You've been awful right from the start.

Why, thank you, my dear!

I've seen my kingdom nearly destroyed by two people I consider best friends. I've seen some of the people I love most in this world die in front of me. I've been used by someone who claimed to be my mother, who manipulated me into thinking I could only rely on her and can never leave her side, and I still choose to believe in the light at the end of this tunnel!

[SURPRISE, RAPUNZEL HAS A PRETTY GOOD SPINE ON HER.]

None of this will make me give in! I won't crack, and I'll find a way to stop all of this before this happens again!

You say that now, but what do promises mean when you can't uphold them? Marie said she'd always come back and she meant that too. Until she didn't.

[... Ah... it's like Varian, isn't it? Some of Rapunzel's anger deflates, and a frown crosses her face.]

I know I can't keep every promise I make to every person. It's impossible to do that. But I still try my best to help those people.

Did... did this Marie mean to stay away? Or did something happen to her?

Do you mean before or after she died? Because she made me poor substitutes for her before she left, saying we'd each rule over a kingdom. Then Mother Ginger told her that she should spend less time with us, start a family.

[Sugarplum looks so furious at this.]

She was my sister! I was her family. What did she need anyone else for?

[Cassandra winces. She's heard words like that before, and that sure doesn't sound like a sister to her.]

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prodigalhairess - 2020-07-19 00:54 (UTC) - Expand

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