Fourth Trial

[neverhadafriend]

[Same time. Same place. Same old murder. Thus is the cycle on Pleasure Island, and thus are the circumstances you find yourself trapped in.

The birds are unusually quiet when you enter the room, peering down at the crowd with some curiosity. The Genie is center stage, his eyebrows knit together in concern.]

...You know what to do, folks. [He rubs the back of his neck, somehow looking even more anxious than previous trials.] Just a, uh, fair warning, my master's getting real antsy about this whole exercise.

[ TRIAL START! ]

Comments

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

[ Ah, She Hates This. ]

The tea... you and Cassandra?

[prodigalhairess]

[Rapunzel just. Looks crushed, as she turns to x-23.]

Yeah... I went to Cass as soon as it happened. I was... really scared, and really upset. She took me down to the kitchen and made the tea to help me calm down. I fell asleep not long after we returned to our room... and that was it.

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

[ hm. ]

How many of the things we found... were any of them not there when you went to bed?

[feudalladyshandmaid]

That was me.

[Cass looks up now. She's having a hard time looking at X-23 though.]

When Raps went to sleep... I got up to look at the evidence. I went to the library and... I got so angry I knocked some books over. And I didn't stop; I messed with the footprints in the dirt. They were Rapunzel's. And I added some fur from one of the animals in the trophy room.

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

So you helped cover it up. Even though you weren't a killer too.

[ That's what love is, she guesses. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

...Yeah.

[And it's all out in the open now.]

I love her. I didn't want her to be punished for this... I was hoping maybe the trial would just... go on for long enough that the master showed up, or I discovered a way out.

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

I...

[ She sort of. Visibly reworks what she was about to say on the fly. ]

I understand.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

...I'm sorry I lied. Really.

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

I know. I still trust you.

[prodigalhairess]

[And here, Rapunzel cuts in.]

Hey, before... before anything else happens, can you tell me one thing?

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

... Yeah?

[prodigalhairess]

[She just... smiles.]

Did you pick a name yet? Can you... can you tell me what it is?

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

[ Oh. She sniffles a little. ]

I... I liked Artemis. I think that one.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Ah....]

I like that. It's a good name.

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

[ :') ]

[prodigalhairess]

Artemis...

[That makes Rapunzel's smile shine just a little brighter. Connected to the moon, just like Cass, and Artemis holds a similar place in her heart now.]

That's a great name. You... you were really great, Artemis. One of my best friends. Just know that I love you, okay?

[nobodylikesyouwhen]

[ She nods. ]

I... love you too.

[prodigalhairess]

[Cass....]

I love Cass, too. I thought... I thought that's what you were doing, so I tried to stall too. If we worked together, then maybe that jerk would have stepped in, but...

I don't want anyone else to get hurt. It's no better than murdering someone to leave if we put everyone else at risk.

[halloteen]

We're all gonna die here. [CASUAL SHRUG] Might as well go out swinging.