FOURTH TRIAL

[splitaseam]

[To what I'm sure is everyone's joy after a sad investigation like that, after everyone reaches the Stretching Room, Oogie's voice can be heard.]

Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it just your imagination?

[Well at least he's honoring Ghostave's memory, except he starts laughing, almost tauntingly, after he says that.

In the very least the graveyard seems identical, with three new epitaphs for our dearly departed.

Here lies Lea
Slaying bugs he made a name
And got sent to the deadliest game

Here lies WALL-E
They were our dearest friend
But that didn’t help them in the end

Here lies Tarzan?
????
?????


... Ok then.

Oogie speaks before everyone can get to their tombstones.]

Don't keep me waiting!

Comments

[sixfingeredstan]

...Well. What do we know about either of their video clips? Did anything stand out in particular about either of them? Anything especially motivating?

[arpeggiositar]

Mine was nothing special, just me playing music, sitting around with people I know, fighting evil creatures, that kinda stuff.

[amadeusrockette]

[She frowns.]

That doesn't mean anything. All my clips were me playing music, but they had no context. None of you would know why they upset me.

[arpeggiositar]

There's not really context for any of them, it's just my life. Can't get simpler than that.

[He looks away]

[amadeusrockette]

. . . I've been playing piano since I was four. There's always a context: my goldfish died once, and my father told me I had to practice. I didn't even get a break, I just had to keep playing and playing and playing.

[arpeggiositar]

[Context, alright. Demyx puts his face on his hand, leaning on his grave]

Context? Okay, fine. Uh, first there was me playing the sitar because...I don't really remember why. Then there was me sitting around in the castle's and bantering with a few of my coworkers, because I hate having to work. Then...there was me fighting some Heartless because that's what we do.

None of that is anything I'd like to change, seriously. I like to underperform, but I'm not killing a bunch of people just because I don't want to work.

[amadeusrockette]

You don't remember why you were playing? [She has some serious doubts about that.] I don't believe that. I don't believe your clips would be so inconsequential either.

[arpeggiositar]

No, I'm serious, I literally can't remember. I just know I know how to play that. And the rest -- really, it's just me hanging around with some people I know. There's...no big mystery here.

[It doesn't seem like he's lying about that, at least?]

[amadeusrockette]

No. That doesn't add up. [She doesn't remember exactly, but there was something . . .] It showed us all something terrible. Something we'd want to change.

[chainbroke]

[ hey demyx did you forget about the part where you die

because she has not, remember

so, this look. ]

[arpeggiositar]

[He pointedly doesn't look in Naminé's direction]

[chainbroke]

... Demyx?

[arpeggiositar]

[Now he does turn his head around]

Yes?

[He doesn't look particularly...worried, despite looking at Naminé]

[chainbroke]

Are... you okay?

[ The way she says it, though... suggests that she knows a thing or two. ]

[arpeggiositar]

...yeah. I'm okay. Don't worry about me.

[He does sound like normal. Still...it's quite the difference from how he had behaved in past days, that's for sure]

[chainbroke]

I'm sorry. I can't do that.

[ She doesn't feel good at all. She's still looking at him the same way. ]

You're acting... a little strange.

[arpeggiositar]

Really?

[Well...he does dial down the usualy cheerfulness, looking way more serious than before]

A little strange how?

[chainbroke]

[ Ugh, she hates this so much. She doesn't want to suspect him, but he's acting so off, and... ]

... Like you're trying too hard to pretend everything is fine.

[ She hesitates. The next part of this... well, if he hates her for it, then-- ]

Spending time with your fellow Organization members, fighting Heartless... That's not all your video showed.

... Is it?

[arpeggiositar]

Of course it was. That's all there was.

[And he has the gall to look in her general direction when saying that. Well, no, he stares at a random spot behind her]

[aboyandhiscar]

[mikes quiet the whole time, not bothered by the accusations...until the motive comes up. Sorry, demyx]

You didn't wanna die, huh?

[arpeggiositar]

[For a moment Demyx seems to freeze up, but he pretends he didn't hear that]

[toogoodforhim]

[Mike is right next to him and Demyx right on the other side, so.]

Demyx, you're from the future, right?

[arpeggiositar]

Not really. Well, I know a lot about worlds that are way beyond the actual time yours is, but other than that I'm not really into the future.

[Can the World that Never Was really be in the future?]

It's weird and complicated to talk about and I never thought much about it.

[toogoodforhim]

But... There are things like Wally in your world. Right?

[terribibble]

Do you or do you not know how to operate a washin' machine.