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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[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.