Season 3 / Sylas Grey - "Til Death Do We Part" [Third Trial Projection]

Emily Lewenhock

“What’s the hurry…” Oh well. She couldn’t ask for a real vacation when these were all supposed to be murder slideshows.

And that—Uh. She exchanged a look with the others. Surely that wasn’t just in her own head, right?

Time to go key-hunting… The ol’ point-and-click indicators. Classic.

Chula - Suzune

“Oh, yeah, the moat sort of looked like somebody’s front lawn when I looked at it. It was… weird how much I thought it was tacky, when it wasn’t that bad.” That was a thought she wasn’t used to having. “It might be worth taking a look at since it’s so…. different.” It was fair for Andrew to have asked. She gave him a quick nod.

Suzune will help Emily gather the 4 keys not under Andrew’s shoe! Better to leave that one to him.

“You know, Sylas-kun, I’m surprised by how, like, in-character you’re getting about all of this. It’s kind of impressive! I imagine I’d give up on the bit immediately, hehe.”

Andrew Edgeworth

“…I see-” Ah, that good ol’ projection fuckery that everyone knows and loves (lie)! The forced mind fog and reality glitches have gotten real old, but at least they’re divorced from a real world migraine. “…no, that wasn’t just you.”

Andrew goes ahead and collects the key right under him. Can Jester Sylas even physically hold onto anything that isn’t directly pasted onto his character sprite-

He’s about to make a remark about that simpleton gimmick just being who Sylas is, but decides to hold back.

Sylas Grey

Having collected them all, you see five different keys.

The first is a hefty, rusty thing. Worn by age and weathered by the elements, this key is as classic as you could possibly get. If you’re looking for a key that unlocks a treasure chest or ancient dungeon, well, this is it. But does it unlock a castle?

The second is a modern swipe card. It’s shiny as shiny can be, and even smells modern. Uh, does this unlock a castle?

The third is a glass key, beautiful and intricate. It certainly looks straight out of a fairytale, but does it really unlock a castle? Kinda looks like it’d just break.

The fourth is a plush key. Like, it’s literally just a stuffed plushie in key form. This is certainly some form of marketable media, and it smells nice - is it full of lavender scented beads? - but you don’t know if it can unlock a castle.

The fifth doesn’t even look like a key. It’s long, spindly, and has a little hook at the end. Is that - what is that? Does it unlock a castle?

…So, which key will you give to Jestlas to use?

Emily Lewenhock

“…I’m vetoing the swipe card, I think.” Jester Sylas Amogus taking five minutes trying and failing to card swipe felt very real.

Sylas Grey

Emily Lewenhock

Jestlas’ vacuous smile indicates he would take more than fifteen minutes to use the swipe card and it wouldn’t even work in the end.

Andrew Edgeworth

“…I feel that he would break the glass or wire keys.”

Chula - Suzune

Suzune giggled. “Honestly? Like… I feel like the plush key fits the silliness of this place so far, don’t you think? I think that has my vote!”

Emily Lewenhock

“It definitely seems the hardest to break.” Plush key seconded and not just because she’s bi.

Andrew Edgeworth

He nods. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

Sylas Grey

You hand Jestlas the plush key! And

nothing - American

[nuhth-ing] / ˈnʌθ ɪŋ /

noun

no thing; not anything; naught.
no part, share, or trace (usually followed by/of ).
something that is nonexistent.
nonexistence; nothingness.
something of no importance or significance.
a trivial action, matter, circumstance, thing, or remark.
a person of little or no importance; a nobody.
something that is without quantity or magnitude.
a cipher or naught.
you are

six; you are six, but you are also five in that you are the fifth of five unlucky children, and you are the baby, and you are defenseless. very literally as a child, and aren’t you lucky? what good sisters and brothers you have to do everything for you. your big sister lucy is oh-so-strong and your big brother lucas is oh-so-smart and together they make brain and brawns and you don’t need to make either. you are simply sylas. sylas who gets to sit on the couch with the lavender hotpack when he’s got a cold. lucy has a cold too but she can’t sit and rest, she has to go and get you something. like this. she stole it for you. for you, because you like lavender. and you are loved for what you are. which is -

…He tries it, shakes his head, and hands it back. His smile is fixed. You get another thought that isn’t yours. But surely it doesn’t mean anything.

“Shucks, guys! I don’t think this one’s right!!! I love the smell though!!!!”

Andrew Edgeworth

It shows on Andrew’s face - just for a moment - that something about this intruding thought deeply upsets him. Why? He’s not sure. It makes sense with what Sylas has told him about his family, though.

“…the metal key, then. Should be the next sturdy one.”

Sylas Grey

Andrew Edgeworth

Jestlas tries the metal key! And

you are eleven and you’re in school and you’re crying because something is hard, but you’re not crying because you’re frustrated- no, no, no, you don’t need to be frustrated. that’s an emotion that people feel when someone isn’t going to swoop in and save them but you don’t need to worry because for you crying is simply the signal to flag someone else down and fix it. you cry because you got bullied and lucy breaks their fingers. you cry because you don’t understand multiplication and lucas does your homework. you cry because you’re lonely and oliver makes his friends include you too. there is nothing that truly challenges you and that’s okay. you don’t need to develop. you can just stay as what you are. which is -

…No dice.

“Sorryyyy! I think the keyhole’s a little….. thinner, maybe???”

Emily Lewenhock

Well, there went their safer attempts. “…Glass, I guess?”

Chula - Suzune

“Well, I think the glass key would, like… break INSIDE the lock and make us unable to unlock it, as pretty as it is, so I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be that. I don’t think the swipe card would work, either, so…. Would that leave the wirey one, instead?” Suzune offered. “But, um! If you want to try to glass first, I don’t mind.”

Andrew Edgeworth

He thinks on it a bit before breaking the stalemate, the unsettled feeling from these thoughts continuing to persist. “…I imagine that if the wire key breaks, it’ll be easier to fish out of the keyhole than glass shards.”

Emily Lewenhock

“Yeah, that’s fair.” As much as they could expect logic to work here.

Sylas Grey

“Great! Let me try - “

Jestlas takes the key. Blinks.

“…Oh! Silly billy! We have to take the BACK entrance! I forgot! Heheh, sozza! Follow me, guys!”

And so you do. You head to the back entrance, which is just a random door on the side of the castle, and Jestlas opens the lock with the fifth key.

“Just hang tight, okay? No wanderin’ off!”

There’s a little bit of time as he does this. You can speak to him, look around, or talk amongst yourselves for a moment if you want. Or you can stay silent! Up to you. It does seem that he, for whatever reason, really doesn’t want you snooping about. Even though you can see random things around. Like a tree. Or a flyer discarded in the grass. Or what looks like a tiny troll figure on a stump over yonder. I mean, really. He’d like you to stay put. Will you stay put?

Emily Lewenhock

Yeah, Emily did enough just sitting around in the actual prison. Could we at least touch some grass please.

She checked out the flyer. Good test for the new glasses.

Sylas Grey

Emily Lewenhock

The flyer in her hands morphs into a long receipt. A really, really long receipt. From K-mart. For furniture. Cabinets, shelving, carpets, lam-

“Hey. Don’t play with trash. Come back and hang out with me.”

Chula - Suzune

“Why the back door, I wonder…? Or the wire key!”

Mmm, was that a Trolls doll? How nostalgic!! Suzune approaches the toll figure to take a look at it.

Sylas Grey

Chula - Suzune

You’ve fallen for my trap! It’s a Labubu! This damn Labubu is sitting on the stump!

It stares at you with its little beady eyes. Is it saying something? What is that? You lean in closer -

I don’t know, I’ll check it out. Probably a fuckin’ possum? I don’t see anything.

Jestlas….

“hey. come back and hang out with me. it’s lonely.”

Does he look a little off? No… surely not.

« Previous Page Next Page »