FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ It's not terribly long, once everything has been found, before Davy Jones heads out to round you all up once more and take you into the theatre. At least plenty of you are around the same area, so it probably doesn't take terribly long.

The ride down to the trial room is the same as ever - a blast of the organ, a slow descent. It's really starting to become clear, though, just how your numbers are decreasing. You're already down three, counting the absence of Chloe, potentially more when you come back up.

The crew of the Dutchman is singing as Jones lets you out into the trial room. ]

To business, passengers. I am about if you need guidance.

[ The circle of podiums is less populated than ever. So many of you are islands now, so to speak.

The song dies down, the waters quiet.

Welcome to your fifth trial.. ]

Comments

[dokkalfheimr]

...Such as?

[scouserer]

Oh, you know how demons are weak to holy water and the like, I was thinkin' if faeries had a similar weakness. Hoping you could offer some insight, yourself.

[sivard]

...demons aren't weak to holy water where I'm from.

[scouserer]

Well, obviously I wasn't talkin' about your demons, was I?

[sivard]

Then don't make weird generalized statements?

[scouserer]

It wasn't weird, you're makin' it weird.

[The girls are fiiiighting]

[sivard]

By... pointing out you need to explain what you're talking about in greater detail?

[you do you, man]

[scouserer]

Quiet. How many demons have you exorcised in your life?

[sivard]

I've met dozens and fought more? Eizen is friends with a couple of them.

Any human or animal or plant can become one, and they don't all lose their minds.

[magycks]

Yeah, Constantine, your experience isn't universal.

[magycks]

Ooh, touchy.

[dokkalfheimr]

[This feels so weird to talk about...]

Plumeria is something of a...different case, as compared to me.

[scouserer]

[Constantine raises an eyebrow.]

What do you mean by that?

cw: child abuse

[dokkalfheimr]

She wasn't always one of the álfar.

[...Yeah.]

I found her during an unfortunate time for the álfar; we were dying out. So my brother and I... We found children. Mortals that no one would miss. Plumeria's mother had abandoned her and left her to die, so I brought her to Álfheimr and made her one of our own.

It did give her magic, and several of our traits. But she was human, before all this, and she remained physically so for the most part.

cw: child abuse

[sivard]

...Oh. That's horrible.

Theodora and I did similar, taking in orphans.

cw: child abuse

[dokkalfheimr]

She was left to die at the bottom of a well.

[She's gripping her podium rather hard.]

...If I tell you something, do you promise not to think badly of her?

cw: child abuse

[sivard]

Of course I won't.

[dokkalfheimr]

Everyone has been talking about Decus trying to fulfill the motive.

I think Plumeria would have tried as well, and the longer we talk about this, the more I find it likely that she did.

[scouserer]

[Constantine pauses.]

Did she share with you what was placed on her device following the motive?

[sivard]

[...Ah.]

...I see.

Do you think we're still looking for a third party, then? Someone who...

[This is awful all around.]

[jibunwo]

...She was always so insistent on not believing in anything the Captain was trying to sell us. I don't-...

[Zero faltered if only for a moment, quickly clearing his throat and straightening up.]

I remember seeing her distressed over the motive. More so than usual.

[scouserer]

[Constantine allows that information to sink in. His grim expression seems set into his face.]

...So she was susceptible to anything an ordinary human would be.

[He pauses, rubbing his chin.]

At least that gives us some more information. I appreciate it.

[silentscout]

[He hears this, and there's a flash of recognition in his eyes.]

When I told her about my world's version of Freyja, I told her about the legend of how she claims the souls of half of those who fall in battle to make into her soldiers.

[It's probably not relevant to the trial, but Lalli's face is falling a bit as he realizes the connection there.]

[dokkalfheimr]

[...Huh.]

The realm of the dead is Hel's domain for us. I have no say over what happens to the dead, nor do I see what that has to do with this.

[silentscout]

Freyja and Odin only that half each of those who die in combat. Everyone else goes to Hel. ...I think.

[Not his religion, but he's trying to remember what little bit he's learned by osmosis.]