YOU'RE THE NEXT CONTESTANT

[sictransitgloriamundi]

WHO: the Captain + You
WHAT: contractually obligated price is right game
WHEN: 11/18, like nightish?
WHERE: Bellona Theater
WARNINGS: N/A, currently

[you've heard the announcement, the sound of Friday's cautious optimism as she spoke it. you've waited all day. now, it's time for the game.

the amount of effort that has gone into this production at Bellona can be safely defined as “minimal.” there are three podiums, with three slate boards and three pieces of chalk. there is another podium, currently empty, next to a plain folding table. there is a tablecloth draped over the table, covering a lumpy, inscrutable shape.

the most remarkable thing is the giant wheel set up on the other side of the empty podium. the slices of the giant circle are colorful, but also completely blank. the Captain actually spends 30 minutes prior to the start of the event simply sitting in front of it, back to the audience, and spinning it, listening to the loud clacking noise pick up and then die down again, before spinning it once more.

clackclackclack clack clack. clack. clackclackclackclackclack.

it's gonna be a long night.]

Comments

[not_the_last]

Cassandra, approaching from another angle, reaches the seat a scant moment or two before Erin does.

The cold wrath in her face falters, a little, as she glances at Crabb.

[crushed_pearls]

Erin takes her seat without a word, sets the sculpture carefully on the floor between her feet, and buries her face in her hands.

"...Sorry." She's on the verge of tears. Her Mantle is still full of a furious lust for violence.

[pointofhonoria]

Crabb's expression is in a war between protective rage and worry. She glances at Cass, hesitates, and mouths a 'thanks' before crouching down in the row, resting a hand on Erin's knee.

"I know you're angry and hurting right now, he shouldn't be swinging your damn business around like a bludgeon, but goddammit, Erin, offering up your life? Where we'd hafta watch, no less?"

[not_the_last]

"I feel you should know that had anyone attempted to collect on that offer, I had no intention whatsoever of watching."

Cassandra's voice is low and hard, with a telltale tremor in it.

[crushed_pearls]

"I'm sorry!" Erin flinches, voice trembling.

Erin draws her feet up into the seat, knees to her chest, arms around them, just trying to be as small as possible. "...Liz is dead, she's dead, Arthur killed her and I helped bury her. She's fucking dead, he had no right..."

[pointofhonoria]

"Look, neither would I but I probably woulda died for it so—"

Crabb pulls herself up into the chair next to Erin and wraps an arm around her curled up form. Whatever frustration she has at Erin pulling that right there in front of them is still there but she can't let her suffer like this. "She's dead, you're Erin, and he had no goddamned right. Goddamn bastard."

[not_the_last]

"No right," Cassandra agrees vehemently, overlapping with Crabb's final words; she puts a hand on one of Erin's, tries to curl her fingers under it and hold it tightly. "None. Erin, it's all right, we can -- let us get you out of here. Please."

She glances up to try to catch Crabb's eyes, worriedly: can we get her out of here?

[crushed_pearls]

"Oh, didn't you hear our host?" Erin's voice takes a dip for the bitter. "I'm due at the final round. Can't be leaving yet. I'm sure he has more lined up for the world to hear after I finally let myself believe it wasn't everyone's business to hold against me. Might as well ride it out."

[pointofhonoria]

Crabb squeezes her, flinching just a little. "Much as I wish otherwise, if we take her out he might just go sayin' stuff where we can't even hear it to account for it later. We might have to stick around."

Her voice gets tight, angry, protective. She wants nothing more than to get Erin out of here but it just won't help.

"But we ain't going anywhere. And once this is over we can go back to my cabin, yeah? No one can get to us, to you, there."

[not_the_last]

It does Cassandra's heart good to hear that note in Crabb's voice; it resonates with the feeling in her own chest.

"We're staying with you," she confirms. "You can get through the rest of this, and then we'll take you where it's safe."

Not that anywhere on this ship is safe.

[crushed_pearls]

Words of protest reach Erin's lips and die there. Of course they know they'll end up guilty by association. Crabb and Cass aren't stupid.

She croaks out an agreement before burying her face against her knees to await the final round.

[pointofhonoria]

It hasn't not crossed Crabb's mind that some people might have opinions about them sticking by Erin, but it sure as Hell doesn't matter to her. Not right now and probably not ever.

Crabb just wraps her arm tighter around Erin, settles the other hand on her leg, and presses a kiss to the top of her hair. She's not going anywhere. You've got Honoria's loyalty now, Erin; that doesn't break easy.

[not_the_last]

It hasn't really occurred to Cassandra that others might judge her for publicly, visibly aligning herself with Erin. She's too busy internally judging them, if they've got a problem with it.

She stays on her feet, but moves closer, enough for her hip to press solidly against Erin's bent shoulder. She's not going anywhere either, but her direct attention isn't on Erin: it's on their surroundings, on anything that might pose a threat to be intercepted.

Paying attention to Erin directly will wait until this farce is over.