TAKSHAKA

[soulping]

[At any time when they are not in the hot seat, PARTICIPATING MEMBERS may slip away to their dressing room. It's small and comfortable, with seats for everyone, and water. Otherwise, it's bare.]

[They will not be permitted to stay in the room when they are up on the hot seat.]

Comments

[withmyownfists]

What's going on? Is it really a game show, for real?

[barrette]

Are there really game shows like this?

[withmyownfists]

Uhm... well... I mean thematically? Where you try to guess things you know? And the set-up--with a wheel--that's, the same... just....

[freewilly]

It seems like she can figure out how to make anything bad.

/2

[withmyownfists]

What now, then? We just... wait to be called up? Who's she calling first?

[ trying to figure things out ]

[withmyownfists]

[ AND THEN IT'S. AMALTHEA. ]

Rook and Cascade!?

[ REACHING FOR YOUR HAND ]

[freewilly]

[ grasping her hand tightly and trying hard to not tremble ]

I-if it's about knowing people... I know Haru well...

[ this... is trying to be reassuring here ]

[barrette]

[ she nods, grimacing at the thought of the WHEEL OF TORTURE ]

She's trying to ruin it for us, huh...

[ she reaches out to take Roc's hands and squeeze them ]

[barrette]

[ TAKING YOUR OTHER HAND ]

They'll be okay. People know them well, so...

[ she sounds and feels confident about that ]

[withmyownfists]

[ SHE WISH SHE COULD SAY THE SAME FOR VIVA OR ROOK ]

I...

[ ... barely know them at all. but if she says that--how will gull feel? no panicking. no panicking. no panicking... ]

It's going to be okay. It's not all on us. We'll... get this right. Somehow.

[freewilly]

[ handholding party in tak that's what's going on ]

Yeah... Yeah, you're right.

[freewilly]

[ save panicking for after the game when they're all safe and sound ]

We can do it, yeah.

[withmyownfists]

[ squeezing back ]

That seems to be the way she likes to do things around here.

[ pause ]

For someone who likes to pretend she's so very polite, it's pretty rude.

[withmyownfists]

[ She'd like to ask if anyone knows the answer for mint, but. But. they're not allowed to, and who knows what the penalty might be. this is the worst!

HAND HOLDING INTENSIFIES ]

[eluvianathema]

Everyone, if you feel the need to curse Nyssa or think very bad thoughts of her--think of Isabel instead! Think about how much we like her, how much fun she is. That'll give her more power, instead of giving it to Nyssa.

[withmyownfists]

. . .

Or the Hearth. Or the Caretaker. Or Lilith or Sir Waldemar.... they've all been very kind to me.

. . .

And we could spare some thoughts for Cecilia, too.

[eluvianathema]

I never met Cecilia, but could you tell me about her? So I could have good thoughts for her, too.

[withmyownfists]

Well, she was very kind. She liked to give out really sweet quests... like putting stickers on people, or making flower crowns. She healed Sparrow once, from being a zombie, even though she wasn't in good health herself at the time. She was a good patron.

[eluvianathema]

She does sound lovely.

[withmyownfists]

I think you would have liked her a lot. She didn't make treats for us the way Isabelle does, but she obviously cared about us. The next time I go visit her at the mirrors--come with me. We can take her flowers together.

[eluvianathema]

What sort of flowers did she like? Perhaps we can start growing them in the greenhouse.

[withmyownfists]

Well... there was this kind, from her own world? But I've never seen them in mine. I think she might have called them moongazers.

...

But she liked all kinds--tulips, daffodils--daisies, even.

[eluvianathema]

There are some flowers that bloom only at night, too. We could quest for seeds and fill the whole greenhouse with them.

[withmyownfists]

Only at night? Do they glow?

[eluvianathema]

There must be some that do.