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]

[Of all the things Salieri was expecting to see when he got to the Library, it was not this.
Yes, alright, the plethora of candles he expected, but that's about it. The moment the light glints off the dagger, Salieri feels like his stomach drops, then rolls sickeningly when he sees where it's pointed]

Discord! [snapped, the wine in his hand slipping from his fingers as Salieri lunges forward--somewhere, he's distantly aware of a shattering, of a splash up onto his ankle and calf and pant leg--but he has little time for that as he's reaching out to try and grab that dagger. Discord's got the handle, so his hand goes to the blade unthinkingly. He winces as the sharp edge digs into his palm, slicing it open, but he doesn't loosen his grip, eyes wide and scared.]

What on Earth do you think you're doing?!

[disharmonizes]

[Discord starts, as the glass shatters and suddenly Salieri is right there in front of him and, well, that's what he'd been expecting of course. Just maybe not right at that moment. And he blinks, as suddenly he realizes someone else is holding that dagger.]

Nothing!

[The response is immediate and defensive, although he immediately looks a little guilty.]

I mean, not yet, obviously-- I was just--

You really should let go.

1/2

[violentenvies]

Absolutely not! [snapped, that fear starting to bleed into his voice, mixing with anger] When I gave you this dagger, the purpose of doing so was not so that you could then turn it on yourself!

[violentenvies]

[something seems to dawn on him and he goes, somehow, paler, starting to look horrified]

Is--is this why you told me to meet you? What, were you planning on my finding your body?! [he sounds both outraged and utterly devastated.]

[disharmonizes]

No, I--

[And he winces, because that isn't entirely wrong, exactly, it's... it is. And it isn't. And all of this is messed up, obviously, but...]

Not... exactly...

[violentenvies]

Not exactly? [the dagger is still cutting into his palm and it throbs in pain--he can feel the blood dripping down his wrist and into his sleeve, probably down onto the floor] Then would you care to clarify your intentions for pointing my dagger at your chest?!

[disharmonizes]

I was simply doing a bit of math. Angles and all that, you know. I've never really held one of these before-- certainly not like this, anyway.

[........this is not helping.]

You were taking a bit to get here, I just thought I'd figure a few things out in... advance...?

[violentenvies]

You--figure things out--[what on EARTH is even happening here?! What is Discord even talking about? Salieri needs to--to--

No, what needs to happen first of all is--]

Let go of the dagger, Discord. [his voice is low, furious]

[disharmonizes]

[It's... dawning on him, suddenly. That glint of red in the candlelight. Blood.

...He lets go.]

...You're, ah. Bleeding.

[violentenvies]

[he carefully moves his hand back, then, setting that candle upright on a nearby bookshelf so he can take the handle of that dagger, taking a few steps back from Discord]

Thank you. I hadn't noticed. [his tone is absolutely venomous and accompanied by a glare similar in its intensity. Salieri sucks in a breath, setting the dagger down on a table, turning his back on it and putting himself between Discord and it as he pulls out a handkerchief, wincing with a hiss as he presses the scrap of cloth to the wound to stem the flow]

That is what happens when you grab a knife of some kind by something other than the handle. I thought you would be aware. [there is absolutely a simmering anger in his tone, and boy, if looks could kill, well...Discord wouldn't be dead, but he would certainly be at least out cold on the floor]

Now. Start from the beginning and do please try to explain to me what on Earth you were thinking.

[disharmonizes]

I... am aware. Yes.

[He almost shrinks in on himself slightly, the angry tone hitting a little different right now. Mostly because this time he knows the fuck up is entirely his own. He watches Salieri press the handkerchief to his cut.

And he looks particularly guilty, now.]

You know, I was going to lead into this more... gently? I just-- Well, like I said, you were a little late and I was just... You know how I get impatient.

[Focus, Discord, for once in your life.]

...Which is not the point right now. But this is...

You won't like any part of this, but this is important, I promise.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri doesn't say anything.

He just continues that glare, hand clenching around that handkerchief as he simply folds his arms.

Waiting.]

[disharmonizes]

...I am trying to do a good thing here, you know. Actually accomplish something.

["For once" goes unsaid. It just hangs in the air, heavy.]

I... lied to you. When we got our latest envelopes.

[violentenvies]

[that...is a bit of a surprise. But honestly not that much of one. If it had really been about him being forgotten again...it would've been easier just to show him. But Discord had sent the thing off, hiding it from him. At the time, Salieri hadn't pushed for Discord to tell him; he figured that, at this point, it was best not to know.

Now, however, Salieri's mouth presses into a line at that]

...I thought as much.

[disharmonizes]

I probably should have come up with a better lie. But it was a bit... startling.

[...He snaps his fingers. The photo appears, fluttering down, and Discord grabs it from the air. Still hiding it from Salieri, not wanting him to see it right away. Even now, when this is what it's all about, he can't just...

Discord doesn't want to hurt him this way.]

What's on here... it can't happen.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri's eyes close at that, taking in a steadying breath--in, out, slow--before he opens his eyes again.

He holds out his non-bloodied hand]

Give it here, Discord.

[disharmonizes]

Ah...

[He's hesitant. Not immediately moving to hand it over, waiting probably a moment or two too long. Before he very, very reluctantly holds it out.]

If... you insist.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri reaches out to accept the photo, swallowing hard as he looks down--and his breath catches in his throat as he stares down at--

there they lie, lined up, sallow as ghosts,
eyes closed, quiet, still
the blood that pools around them is a stark contrast to paled skin,
red seeping into the ground underneath them
they're dead, all of them, everyone here that he's ever cared about

There's a horror that fills Salieri's chest, tightening in his throat, and he's going pale with it. The handkerchief falls to the floor as he grasps the photo now with both hands, smearing some blood on the corner]

...oh.

[his voice is very faint]

[disharmonizes]

...Yes. Oh.

[He slumps a little, arms crossed, leaning idly against a bookcase. An excuse to not have to look Salieri in the eye right now.]

I couldn't just show you that. I thought... I might figure out some way out of this. A solution, some way around it, but... [But nothing. It's like the last trial all over again. One life or all. Both were important, both mattered so much, and there was no getting everything they wanted.

There are no good options.

...Just... one slightly less bad one. Minimize it all, if he could.] I... couldn't. If there is some wriggle room, some way to get around the rules of this game, it's not anything I can figure out in time.

[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?