FIFTH TRIAL

[splitaseam]

[As the Stretching Room descends, there is a long pause before Oogie says anything.]

What? You wanna 'nother speech? You ain't getting one!

[New day, brand new epitaphs for our dearly departed awaiting in this graveyard.

Here lies Demyx
All he wanted was a heart
But he ended up torn apart

Here lies Kiara
Our most beloved kitty
Now ready to sit pretty

Here lies Tip
She wanted to think ahead
And ended up torn to shreds

Only a dozen of you guys left, think you can figure out whodunit?]

Come on, I ain't gettin any younger here!

Comments

[sixfingeredstan]

Oh.

Oh, no. What...please, just tell us. Please.

[ilovepuppies]

I thought Kiara was kill- I thought Kiara did something to Tip. I got scared, and my magic... the next thing I knew all the lightbulbs were broken and I blasted a hole through... Kiara...

[chainbroke]

[ She raises her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. ]

S-Star...

[ilovepuppies]

I tried to heal her!! I know a healing spell! I had the whisk and everything! But it went all wonky and she turned into a rug.

[kindaruledatit]

She... [Okay.

There's the violently ill feeling from earlier.

Except it's not because of the body.]

Oh my god.

[chainbroke]

I know... I know you would have tried! It-- it was an accident, that's all...!

[outsidethecircle]

[There's loud coughing from behind Anna's tombstone. Dammit, why does this keep happening?]

[aboyandhiscar]

Star.......

[fuck fuck FUUUUUCK]

[whistlenotchirp]

But-

But that's not your fault!

[People have to take responsibility for their actions, a stray thought says.]

[terribibble]

So you were just... you were just scared.

[Jesus. Fucking hell. Sweet sarsaparilla.]

[ilovepuppies]

I screwed up.

[terribibble]

[Fiddleford bites the inside of his cheek very, very hard. He doesn't like it, but chances are she's going to die very soon. And it wouldn't sit right with him to not at least try to mend the bridge smoldering between them.]

I know what that's like. Bein' scared and tryin' to fix somethin' and just -- just makin' it worse. Hurtin' people because of it.

[With giant robotic pterodactyls and memory-erasing guns, no less.]

You... you were tryin' to do good and it doesn't change what happened but... but no one's goin' to be angry with you. Nobody'd have the right. You meant to help.

[If anything he's angry that this is the fifth goddamn time they've had to do this song and dance. But he's not angry at her. It'd make him the worst hypocrite in existence if he was.]

[ilovepuppies]

[Fidds is being nice to her DOES NOT COMPUTE??]

Um... thanks.

[terribibble]

[WELL HE NEVER TRIED TO BE MEAN TO HER, IS THE THING

He just never knew how to interact with her and that's not her fault. And the fact remains that however horrible this was, it wasn't done with malice. Sure, he thinks people should maybe at the very least judge him a little for what he did, but it's not the same. He's an adult. He should have known better, about a lot of things.

She's just a kid. He can't blame her for this.

He isn't sure what to say here. 'I'm sorry' doesn't feel right. Neither does 'you're welcome'. He settles for just an abortive sort of nod. With how he gets when he's upset maybe talking is a bad choices here anyway.]

[sixfingeredstan]

Oh, god.

[Ford mops a hand over his face, pushing his glasses askew and making his hair stand on end. He looks very old and tired all of a sudden.]

And you tried to fix her...with the pelts. Right?

[ilovepuppies]

The spell I used backfired. Majorly.

[sixfingeredstan]

Hells.

[He's just...shaking his head sorrowfully. He'd been so intent on not suspecting her...]

I'm sorry, my dear. I'm very sorry.

[toogoodforhim]

[Lefou sucks in a breath, but says nothing. It was an accident, but. Kiara was his friend. He can't make excuses for her killer.]

[ilovepuppies]

[SORRY BRO??]