SIXTH TRIAL

[splitaseam]

[The whole trial thing must feel like the norm to everyone right now, and one can't help but wonder if this will keep happening until everyone has died.

There are three new epitaphs for Star Butterfly, Maui, and Fiddleford.

Here lies Star Butterfly
One of our most toughest girls
Went out with a pretty twirl

Here lies Maui
Claimed to be a great demigod
But it turns out he was a fraud

Here lies Fiddleford McGucket
He tried to wipe his mind
And ended up getting left behind

Well you all know what to do by now, huh?]

Don't spare any of the gory details.

Comments

[whistlenotchirp]

[He's not making eye contact with Wendy. Or anyone, for that matter.]

...You know, its the funniest thing. I was thinking about those photos of yours. Really wanted to see folks faces again. Went down to the foyer.

Its the funniest thing.

[sixfingeredstan]

I fail—to see how there's anything funny about this.

[whistlenotchirp]

Well, not ha-ha funny, but a sort of... sort of funny.

[He chuckles a little.

He sobs a little.]

I just... It was just such an interesting question.

Who's Ping?

[amadeusrockette]

Who's - don't you remember?

[whistlenotchirp]

No.

I tried so hard but... but I just couldn't.

[amadeusrockette]

Oh. You . . . You're having trouble remembering, aren't you? Because . . .

[He's dying. Julia slowly sinks down. This is fine. Everything is fine.]

[whistlenotchirp]

Five months or so. My granny only got up to three, if you can believe it.

[kindaruledatit]

...Ping... Ping is...

[She's tearing up. Oh god. What is this.]

She lived here... she died in the first week.

[whistlenotchirp]

The first week...

[He closes his eyes.

His hand is shaking again.]

...No. Its... its just gone.

Sophie, Ping, Karolina, Tadashi... They're just gone.

[kindaruledatit]

...WALL-E? Wander and Sylvia?

[Anything?]

[whistlenotchirp]

I can remember them, still. Bits and pieces.

But I don't know how long.

[kindaruledatit]

Holy...[She doesn't know what to say. This isn't a problem you can just punch away.] I... I can't even imagine what that's like.

[whistlenotchirp]

I... I don't want to lie to ya anymore.

Its really scary, Wendy.

[kindaruledatit]

I... [She's a teenager. She doesn't think too much about her own mortality.

Bu this? This was too much.]

I-I'm sorry.

[kindaruledatit]

[There's just so much frustration welling up inside her, anger that does nothing but make everything about this worse. The budding headache won't go away, but she's trying her damnedest to ignore it.]

What? What is so funny?