THE BOX OFFICE

[tellthestory]

This is where you can meet privately with the Balladeer! The Balladeer is almost always around during the day; just knock.

(Secretly, the door's usually not locked if he's inside. But you wouldn't want to be rude, would you?)

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[tellthestory]

[He drops his gaze again, running one thumb over the knuckles of the other hand.]

I don't know if I can. I'm not like the rest of you, Billy. Like, you - the Doctor. That's a title you earned on purpose, something you worked for, but you're still more than that. I don't have anything outside of this.

[inforapenny]

Then- then you can work to be something else.

Even- if you can't help us, do you really want to still be here when the Showrunners bring in the next group to, to repopulate their experiment? What if- what if they use whatever it was on you so you don't remember us until the next group starts dying? Don't you want more than just being their pawn?

[He looks down at the desk.]

I-I... I wanted to be Doctor Horrible because I didn't like who I was. Because that identity was the only way I felt like I could change things, maybe for me or even for other kids like me. The Doctor... is just me, but uh. With a blog. And a coat.

[tellthestory]

[He seems started at the suggestion of more memory wipes.] You think...no, no, they wouldn't do that. I don't want to do another show like this, they know that.

[Though he seems uncertain...because after all, he probably would do it again if he didn't remember not wanting to.]

So then I'm - what?
I don't know.
Who else am I?
Where can I go?
I can't go back
I can't find my way through

[inforapenny]

[Billy's quiet and listens for a second like he's absorbing the melody.]

Don't you ever want to see the sunlight
to face a brand new day?
You could do it, if you wanted
You could fin'lly be free
If you want to...

Why are you standing here?

[tellthestory]

Billy, I'm scared

I had a life I thought I understood
Wasn't much, but I squeezed out every bit of life I could

And now the edges of the world
That held me up have gone away
And I'm falling into nothingness, or flying into something so sublime -

[He cuts himself off abruptly, swallowing and turning away to look at his instruments.]

[inforapenny]

[Billy glances in the direction that Balladeer looks, then reaches his hand out across the desk.]

You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You can do this.

Nothing's gonna harm you,
not while we're around.
Nothing's gonna harm you - listen,
not while we're around.

You'll face some trouble up ahead, but you know

[He smiles wryly.]

Call for your double,
I'll be there, just to show

No one's gonna hurt you,
no one's gonna dare.
We're all here behind you, not to worry,
we're with you, I swear.

We know you're hurting just as much, for a touch, on your own...
Balladeer, we're here.
You are not alone.

[tellthestory]

Darkness is creeping everywhere, nowadays
Wish I could help you, if I can, if there's ways...

[The Balladeer smiles wryly in return.]

You've all got more right to hate me than my last cast, but you're all so nice.

[inforapenny]

I don't know how the others think, but to me at least it's... pretty obvious that you don't want anything to happen to us. You've been doing what you can to help us since the beginning.

[tellthestory]

It's not enough. It was...I didn't want any of this to happen, you were all supposed to just...I don't know, whatever normal people do! Make friends, not kill each other!

I know not all of you are normal people, but I still thought it could work out. I like to think people can be better than what they are. I don't know why.