fifth trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement and evidence gathered, the doors in the pool area are the next destination for anyone who doesn't want a repeat of witnessing PAL's brand of punishment.

The podium circle is more empty than it's ever been, with Rhys and Nishitani's portraits floating at attention where they had stood just two weeks before. In the place Kip used to stand there is still no floating portrait frame, no memorial, no indication he ever set foot in this courtroom.]

Welcome, Champions, to the Rose Ceremony. Weed out the true culprit and they'll be eliminated, vote incorrectly and they'll be allowed to go home at the expense of the rest of your lives.

Oh, and don't bore me. You know by now I cannot stand being bored.

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

I don't know? I mean I know what you said, jesus, I was hanging on every word. But I don't know if it'll help since you were really...you were pretty out of it.

[goteachother]

[She just nods, looking a little disappointed.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Here. You said that he went to his room to get something, and if I'm honest, you seemed...kind of scared for him... You also said you didn't take anything, and you were really sure he was supposed to be there with you.

[goteachother]

He's... always with me.

[Even when she's been with other people Tani usually crawled into bed with them later for cuddles. Leonard you know that.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

And you don't have...any idea what he might've gotten? What he left for?

[goteachother]

N-no... I just... remember waitin...

And then waking up with you.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Maybe he got the box? Do you remember--there's this old looking wooden locked box that's...I don't know, it makes me think of a really ugly jewelry box or something, I couldn't open it, maybe that was his? Or yours?

[goteachother]

Box? I don' know anythin about a box... I guess maybe it was his? I don't... [She puts a hand to her head, groans softly.]

There's so much missin- I can feel it like holes and I can't... it's just gone.

Like what they [A gesture towards Kip's platform, PAL, all of it.] did ta us.

[scourgingstars]

[Something about that seemed oddly familiar. Like-]

...

[Ardyn suddenly went very quiet, glancing to Queenie and then Church.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[He starts sympathetic, but then--his expression goes a little slack.]

Like it's just gone? Like by...your memory magic?

[goteachother]

I don't know... they took our memories and that's not magic.

[And now she's starting to panic on top of crying?]

And I don't have my wand so... no one else can do that kinda thing, can they?

So how- what happened to me!?

[scourgingstars]

Queenie, you-...

[...]

You offered to erase my memories, just a short while ago. But without your wand that's...that's impossible, is it not?

[motherfucking_ghost]

She can do some magic, even without her wand, it just...

[He holds onto Queenie tighter, looking at her.] It--it takes a lot out of you, it absolutely fucking exhausts you when you do it, if you do enough of it, with a lot of--emotion, and emphasis.

Ma--he--you seemed scared for him, maybe you...maybe you knew he was going to do something and you wanted to...forget...it...?

[serrata]

... She fainted.

[ And suddenly, Yuuri is white as a sheet. ]

D--do you remember? At... at the trial with Rhys-san. She tried to cast something and... she was out for so long...

[ SHE CANNOT OVERSTATE HOW BADLY SHE WANTS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM TO BE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE ]

[scourgingstars]

[Oh, useless backstabbing gods, no.]

[If the end result was seen as 'save those we've lost', then...]

That's...right. I had to carry her out of here that one week, remember? There's no possible way she'd have had the energy to perform magic with such permanent effects.

[serrata]

... The geraniums.

[ She says it in a low, panicked moan ]

Queenie-san told me. She said-- she said you could use them in charms. Magic.

[goteachother]

I don't... there's no way!

I can't do anything with this!

[She reaches into the pocket of the fluffy pink robe she's worn to too many of these trials, draws the useless painted stick she's been carrying around for weeks. And she's so upset, distraught even, she doesn't notice the small bottle of silver fluid that tumbles from her pocket at the same time.]

He wouldn't! And there's nothing I can do!

[scourgingstars]

...

[Ardyn moved from Yuuri's podium over to Church and Queenie, picking up the bottle without a word.

[motherfucking_ghost]

But you can do something, that's not nothing, and maybe--maybe you knew he was doing something and you couldn't stop him, but--

But that doesn't make sense, you could absolutely stop him if you wanted to, you can pin people to walls, because you did that to help tape me up, so--

......What is that?

[scourgingstars]

...'I could take away all those centuries. Bottle them up so you never have to see it again.' That's what you said to me, Queenie.

[Ardyn stared at the bottle for a moment before closing his hand around it and looking up again.]

[serrata]

... ah...

[ Oh no.

Ohhhh no. ]

... I... Queenie-san...

What did you just drop...?

[desperateprayer]

[ No. No no no. This is the worst possible thing. ]

Queenie...?

[daughterofthemark]

[oh no

OH NO

ARIANNA SEES NOTHING, SHE HAS NOTICED NOTHING, LALALALALA]

[myocordial]

[Just... staring wordlessly at that bottle.]

[everylittlesecret]

[......... It's hard for Nari not to narrow her eyes in suspicion at Queenie.]