The Thirtieth Trial

[hot_mess_express]

Who: Trial players
When: Day 63, morning
Where: Trial zone

[The trial zone doesn't exactly appear to be inthe best shape. It's the ruins of an old building, something once grand, perhaps a castle, with a strange statue of sorts with six spheres leading to a large seventh on a pedestal. It's possible t see a forest beyond the walls, though find a way out to that seems impossible, and plants have overgrown almost everything.]

[On the statue's pedestal is an inscription:
Three tribes that brought a storm,
Winter brought them to task.
Eventually things would become warm,
What in return did springtime ask?]

[Not so far beyond it appears to be stairs leading down into the earth. And to the side of that is a throne.]

[And on the throne is....someone new in Senna colors? Though perhaps the hair is enough of a give away. Though those with a keen eye may yet notice she's still wearing her geode still, with the distinctive cutie mark still on it.]

[She's lounged across the throne, legs kicked over one side, elbow resting on the other, head in hand.]

I'm bored. [And she offers a grin that has a dangerous glint to it.]

How about we play a game?

Comments

[daydreamshimmer]

Did they?

I would think some would argue totally abandoning a person is the highest price.

Or jumping into the spikes without help. Or trying to go through the red. Or having the lower level take all the punishments because the top had far less severe penalties.

Admittedly, hitting squares twice did made that even worse.

For knowledge.

And what does that even mean, friends, teammates. Words people like to throw out a lot, but it seems they lack a lot of substance when it comes down to it.

[malignstar]

Did you want them to do any of those things? Abandon their partners? Try to force their way on their own?

[ Sounds kind of disgusted.

But his attitude changes to disbelief at that last part. ]

Solar, you know what friends mean. You had them back home. You have them here. They're people who will always have your back when the chips are down. People who trust you and who you know you can trust. People you can just have fun with.

[daydreamshimmer]

I didn't want them to do anything. I just wanted to see what they would do.

Do I? Do I really? Because back home, my friends seemed all to willing to believe I was trying to ruin things for them when I was trying to help.

And here? I let myself get seriously injured to protect you and still gave your roommate a chance after he hurt me and I highly doubt he ever trusted me. I try to do good, I try to help, and all I get is people angry and resentful of me. I only get help when I have a break down in front of someone, because it's easy to ignore someone quietly suffering, pretend you don't see, and it's only when they can't they try to deal with it.

People don't trust me. And there's no one here I trust.

[malignstar]

I saw that memory. Those other ladies were messing with everyone's heads. Making everyone act like jerks to each other. I'm not surprised your friends got caught up in it. But it doesn't mean you can't patch things up. Or that you didn't already.

Are you kidding? You're the only reason he was even willing to risk us in your crazy maze. You know how much he hates getting hurt. He wanted to help you. He never wants to help anyone.

And I'm always willing to help you. I trust you. You helped me understand what was going on with me. I owe you a lot. Fatalis does too.

[daydreamshimmer]

Except I wasn't even messed with. They never even tried to sing for me. And that Twilight was the one who acted like she might be a pony, so if I was immune, then she would be. And that's if there is more than one Twilight anyway. She would be a princess. And she didn't even come to my defense.

Really? And I'm supposed to believe that over the fact you definitely would 'want to help' and forced the issue? I'm sure if he was out, he'd be all too eager to attack me, even though by everyone's logic, I'm still in need of 'help.' [Complete with finger quotes and eyeroll.]

You always want to help. You always 'trust.' Even when it's bad for you. It's not trust when it's given freely for no reason.

[malignstar]

Maybe they didn't see you as a threat. I don't know. I just think it will just upset you more to make assumptions based on partial information.

I only have so much influence over him when he's the one in control. The most I can do is fight for control. I can't make him do anything. If he still saw you as a threat, he'd be fighting me right now.

You're wrong there. I might always want to see the best in people. But I don't automatically trust them either. Everyone I trust has given me a good reason to do so. Trust is earned. I really want to earn yours.