STABBED THROUGH THE HEART

[nikkernoodle]

[It's late Thursday night, and the school is far darker than normal. The Band Room is now lit by candle light; far dimmer than electricity, but something that Salieri is fairly used to.

He's there now, seated at the piano, a candle resting in a dish on the edge of the lid as he works, plunking out chords and tinkering with melody and harmony, making notes on the paper, going back, trying again.]

Comments

[violentenvies]

And so you...decided to stab yourself. With my dagger.

[it's not hard to put two and two together.]

Did you miss the part where Farrah said that a suicide doesn't count unless no one figures out that it was a suicide?

[disharmonizes]

...I wasn't really sure what else to do.

[Is it a stupid and reckless and poorly thought out move? Oh, you bet. It reeks of desperation. Someone's feeling cornered.]

I'm certainly not going to be killing anyone else. This seemed more... straightforward. Although, I'm not really an expert on human anatomy, so I was thinking, ah... perhaps...

...you'd help.

[There it is.]

So long as something happens, I figured, perhaps the Wizard will feel satisfied enough and the threat can simply... disappear.

1/3

[violentenvies]

[This can't...this can't be happening. Discord, trying to kill himself to prevent the contents of this picture?

I wasn't really sure what else to do.

It rings familiar, because it is familiar. It's been the song of this entire situation since that first murder, getting louder and louder as the weeks have passed, as that feeling of helplessness increased--I couldn't do anything!--and now, here, it's bubbling over, causing Salieri's hands to shake.

There has to be a way out; there has to. There has to be some loophole to exploit, some way out of this. Salieri's mind scrambles to find something, anything to latch onto that will make it so this horrible choice does not actually have to be made]

--no. [he shakes his head--he can't, he can't just tell Discord where to stab himself--]

[violentenvies]

No, I... [he trails off, going quiet, as something clicks. A possible solution. It's probably a long shot, a chance, but maybe--]

3/3

[violentenvies]

[Salieri's head shoots up, looking at Discord] I won't help you with that. No. But...you'd possibly get your magic back if you got out of here, wouldn't you?

[disharmonizes]

I... Well, I assume so, yes. It's always here, it's just dampened somehow. If I got out, I sure hope that would stop.

[He's been counting on that fact, actually. But that's-- It hits him, then, what a random change of topic that is.]

...Why?

[violentenvies]

Because.

[he turns the photo around, the bodies clearly displayed]

They're dead if you--if you--if you do that, because who here would believe that the Lord of Chaos would commit suicide? [slightly snapped, but he has a point to make, so he pushes forward]

And they're dead if we don't--if we don't do anything, but if you escaped, if you got away with murder and you were able to get your magic back, then...could you...is there a possibility that you could bring them back?

[disharmonizes]

[There's a... logic to it, of sorts. Right now, it's just... dead one way, dead another, dead, dead, more people, more of the kids dead through no fault of their own and--

And he remembers, when Peregrine asked him, just a week or so ago.

"...Can you bring people back from the dead?"

He hadn't been able to say yes, because he hasn't tried, has never had a reason to try. Who had there been for him to bring back? Who had there been that he cared enough about to even try that. But he can alter reality, do whatever he feels like, because what can tell chaos no and...

And...]

If I--

[Oh. If he got away with murder. If he--]

I... Maybe.

[He doesn't like answering honestly right now. He'd rather lie, just say no outright, but it just slips out.]

[violentenvies]

[Salieri lets out a breath at that, shaky, grasping onto that maybe, onto the tiniest smidgen of hope--]

Then...in that case--[he reaches behind himself to pick up the dagger, grasping it by the handle, voice low and determined as he brings it to front again.] I'll show you where to use this, and then you're going to use it on me.

[disharmonizes]

[For a good six or so seconds, he just stares at Salieri, because



um.]

I'm going to what now--?

[HA HA HEY SO THIS IS ALL A FUN PRANK AND HE MISHEARD THAT RIGHT]

[violentenvies]

I said, [he takes a step towards Discord, advancing slowly, with purpose] that I'm going to show you were to use this, and you're going to use it on me so you can leave this place. Then you can get your magic back and find your way back here, and try and bring them back.

The other way, they're dead without question, you included. But this way, there's a chance that they could be revived.

[disharmonizes]

You--

[And he steps back, slightly, moving away from the bookcase. Just staring at Salieri still, though his eyes drift down a little to that dagger again.]

You want me. To stab you.

[Just reiterating it, as if saying it will make this feel more sensible, somehow. It does not.]

I said I'm not going to murder anyone, but I'm especially not going to stab you, Antonio.

[violentenvies]

Oh, so what? You're going to stab yourself instead? And who is going to believe that you killed yourself? [his voice is full of derision, even as he keeps advancing] They'll accuse someone else, and then they all die.

But if you kill me, it counts as murder. You get away with it, you survive--you can come back for them. For us. You said maybe and that's a chance, Discord--a chance where our only other option is no chance at all!

[disharmonizes]

[He feels his back hit a wall, but it feels numb, distant, unimportant right now. He's still looking Salieri in the eyes, hoping to find some measure of doubt in there, but...

He seems determined. And usually he actually enjoys Salieri's determination, that drive, it's... admirable, in a way he hasn't really appreciated enough before.

Right now, it's absolutely terrifying.]

You want me... You want me to kill you. And lie about it. Get away with--

[There's a sick feeling building somewhere he can't place right now.]

You know it's only a chance and if this... if it doesn't work...

[If, if, if, he says, thinking when--]

You'll just be gone.

1/2

[violentenvies]

At this rate, I'll be gone either way. I was close enough to it, myself, that I gave you this--[he glances down at the dagger, pointedly, before his attention goes back to Discord, perhaps less than a step away from him now. He doesn't close that distance yet.]

...my story is already over. In my world. [quietly] Here, with this, there's a chance that it could continue. That we could continue, together, all of us.

2/2

[violentenvies]

Our odds are either nothing, or a small something. It might be only a chance, but it is the only chance we have.

[disharmonizes]

[He says it so confidently, even while acknowledging the small odds of victory, that Discord almost believes it too. That this is the ticket out of here. That this would... could work.

It isn't a nice thought, but it'd be something.]

...You aren't about to back down from this, are you? You really believe this... this is the best shot we have.

[violentenvies]

[he meets his eyes, then, steady]

I do.

[disharmonizes]

[He looks at the knife again, stares at it. Doing... mental math. Risk, reward, all of that. The odds are slim. Monumentally slim.

He doesn't believe in this like Salieri does.

But what else is there to do? Nothing? Just wait, let time pass, clock ticking away until everyone dies anyway and... and then what? Let all of it be for nothing.

There are no good options.]

You say that, but... Even if I did--

I'm not sure I can...

[violentenvies]

You're not sure. But you don't know, one way or another. [his voice has gone a bit quieter, a little gentler, coaxing]

What's better? The certainty of losing them all? [he sets the dagger aside on top of a bookshelf as he finally closes that distance, reaching out to gently set a hand on Discord's elbow--I'm here--] Or having a chance, however slim, to save everyone?

[disharmonizes]

[The touch is almost worse. It's comforting and nice and everything that makes him want to put a stop to this right now.]

Not even just that, but... killing you.

Stabbing myself is one thing, but you...?

[violentenvies]

[Salieri's expression softens, at that. Determination turning into something that could even be called affectionate.]

...I'll help you. I'll show you exactly what to do; what will make it go the fastest. [he can hear the thunder rumble outside, and there's a flicker in the window of lightning, but his voice is quiet and steady as he sings, comforting:]

Don't you fret, mon cher Discorde,
I won't feel any pain.

[he steps close, other hand coming up to take Discord's, cradling it gently]

A little fall of rain
Could hardly hurt me now.
You're here...that's all I need to know.

[he looks down at their hands, a very small smile curling the corner of his mouth]

And you will keep me safe,
And you will keep me close--

[a flash of lightning, a boom of thunder, and Salieri closes his eyes, leaning forward to rest his head against Discord's chest, breathing him in]

And rain...will make the flowers grow.

[disharmonizes]

[The smile is worse. The touching, the small, affectionate little gestures. He freezes up, as Salieri rests his head against him, wishing maybe he could freeze time next.

If only.]

...

I'd say don't make me regret this, but I think it's too late for that.

[He's hardly feeling anything else.]

You're certain about this?

[violentenvies]

[Salieri takes in a slow breath, memorizing this feeling, what it feels like to be here next to him. Remembering it. Then he breathes out, steadying his resolve, and leans back, so he can look up at Discord, jaw set]

I'm certain.

[disharmonizes]

[He knew what the answer would be immediately, of course. Salieri's stubborn. They're alike in that way, horribly so in this situation. That doesn't mean some part of him wasn't hoping he'd change his mind anyway.]

...So how... would we do this?