faantasm

[faantasm]

+4 songs following the end of arc ii

xxiii. pit of vipers - simon curtis

Hearing all the voices in my head each time I go. There's a game they play that I'm not a part of / Now I must admit I have played a part in the way that things have gotten out of hand

For Red, and the Italian dinner. Pride allows for only one kind of escalation, and she knows the steps to this dance.

xxiv. decency - balthazar

We’re on the run. We’ll keep our ways. Hide from no one / What will we sing, what is it we’ll shout out for? Pour it just a little more. Where we heading?

For Cassiel and Milo, the kitchen and the entertainment room. An odd agreement sealed with quiet words and sugar-crusted cookies.

xxv. yes & no - xylo

I don’t have the answers you need ‘cause I live in the in-between. So, if you put your bets on me, you better be down for anything / Wait, I don’t know. I’ll pull you closer into me and I’m pushing you away

What to do, when faced with an unwinnable game? Write your own.

xxvi. die your daughter - susannah joffe

Wear me down, it’s not in my hands now / I will die your daughter

For Casimir. Promises made and promises that must be kept, at any cost.

archer drake ⁀➴ ◉ playlist

i. you're gonna go far - noah kahan

So, pack up your car, put a hand on your heart, say whatever you feel, be wherever you are / If you wanna go far. Then you've gotta go far

Whatever she might think, Archer's family loves her

ii. feels like - gracie adams

I would do whatever you wanted / And I miss you, some nights. We'll be alright

For Clementine, when they were young. The oaths they whispered over tangled pinky fingers still stand unbroken, for now

iii. as it was - harry styles

I want you to hold out the palm of your hand. Why don't we leave it at that? / When everything gets in the way, seems you cannot be replaced

For Clementine, as they are now. Archer only has one best friend

iv. anthems for a seventeen-year-old girl - broken social scene

Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash under your breath / Now you're all gone, got your makeup on, and you're not coming back

For Piper. Of two sisters, one is the watcher, and one is the dancer

v. as you please - rocco!

I said things I didn't mean and I never took it back. I was begging for your love, begging on the floor. I was screaming at the top of my lungs just to be cared for / Now I'm sitting here. This house that's feeling hollow

For the Drakes, Casimir and Piper. And when she said, I would do anything for you because I love you, she meant it

vi. camisado - panic! at the disco

You're a regular decorated emergency. The bruises and contusions will remind me what you did when you wake / Can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid

For the Drakes, Casimir and Piper. A daughter of Casimir Drake exists only to meet his expectations. Any other action is worse than an insult: it is a waste

vii. weight in gold brasstacks remix - gallant, brasstacks

I'm pulling my weight in gold. Call me anxious, call me broke but I can't lift this on my own / You pushed me further and I take the blame for the both of us

For Casimir. What does it take to rule an empire? What does it take to inherit one?

viii. bravado - lorde

My heart jumps around when I'm alluded to. This will not do / I'm faking glory. Lick my lips, toss my hair, and turn the smile on. And the story's brand new

Casimir Drake is a titan in the industry; in order to follow in his footsteps, Archer must learn to walk loudly

ix. superstar - lupe fiasco, matthew santos

If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear, the camera's here, and the microphones, and they want to know / Standing outside of heaven waiting for God to come and get me, I'm too uncouth, unschooled to the rules and too gumshoe, too much of a newcomer and too uncool

A name can be worth billions, but in certain circles, amount is secondary to age. Her father's father was blue collar; she would never not be new

x. grrrls - aviva

I can't fake it, I'll just make it on my own / I read all the lyrics, so I can sing along. I am the latest colors, I stand above my throne, waiting for an invite to never come along

The idea was simple. If her name and her money were too new to earn invites to the right parties, she would throw them herself.

xi. sympathy is a knife - charli xcx, ariana grande

It's a knife when you're finally on top. 'cause logically, the next step is they wanna see you fall / It's a knife when they won't believe you, why should you explain?

In Silicon Valley, crowns are most often earned, not inherited. Every meeting was a test, every project a crucible.

xii. patchwerk - sub urban, two feet

Fifteen hundred on alcohol. I'm feeling slow. Please let me go / 'Cause I've got no soul. Live in the hole I dug. And I'll fall apart if I don't get it

She chose her path, her pressures. The secrets, the sins.

xiii. buzzcut season - lorde

I remember when your head caught flame. Well, you laughed, baby it's okay / Play along, make-believe it's hyper real. But I live in a hologram with you

For Cassiel, and two years in London. A brief uncaging, a taste of freedom, quickly gone

xiv. to all of you - syd matters

To all of you American girls, it's sad to imagine a world without you / No one can tell where your heart is.

For Sarai and the Darling, two of those capable of standing in the spotlight. Archer doesn't understand them, but she does admire them

xv. slow dancing in the dark - joji

Don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms / You should be with him, I can't compete. You looked at me like I was someone else

For Lucia, as they were. A longing that eternally entangles.

xvi. maybe - flower face

I wish I could have loved you right, but I was just a child. Maybe I will, maybe I won't run back to you / You got into my head, and now I'll never be the same

For Lucia, as they are now. A fatal kind of attraction

xvii. i bet on losing dogs - mitski

I know they're losing and I pay for my place by the ring / I'll be there on their side. I'm losing by their side

For Nicolai. Sitting side by side in a sinking boat

xviii. violence - the unlikely candidates

Maybe I was wrong, maybe she was right, maybe I believe her / What do I have to do? She don't know either. She said, 'I'mma show you how to act'

For Karuna. There has never been a cooler person, in Archer's eyes

xix. comeback kid - the sleigh bells

I know it's hard but you've gotta deal with it. One look around, show me what you're made of / You gotta turn around, never let your guard down. I'll see you but I know it's gonna save you

For Milo. One of them has to get it right.

xx. alone - burna boy

Count every lesson. Count every blessing. / I have been very quietly dying. I need you to remind me why. Give me the strength to keep fighting

Archer doesn't forget: it's her game to win or lose.

xxi. dr. sunshine is dead - will wood and the tantrums

When did I become afraid of the dark? Was it when I left the cave and swore I'd never come back? / And if dreams can come true, what does that say about nightmares? I'll stay awake tonight

It all went badly very quickly. There's another game being played here, more dangerous than she expected.

xxii. i'm gonna win - rob cantor

Sometimes it can seem like a merciless dream and I'm falling with nothing to hold / You've seen me before. You'll see me again. I'll never give up. I'll never give in

Well. She's not going to be another tragedy, not on someone else's terms.

[faantasm]

⁀➴ arc ii task. the family tree

Musings from the mind of Jackson ‘Monty’ Montgomery, long-time head of security for the Drake Family, on persons of interest related to Archer Drake, participant in the Trial of Hearts

mrs. elaine knight, Mr. Drake’s personal chef. The closest thing to a mother those girls had, I think. She’s the one who made them snacks when they finished their homework, who celebrated their birthdays with cake, who memorized their allergies, knew their favorites. She worked herself to the bone for those girls, and no wonder — even now, she can only afford to pay her husband’s medical bills thanks to Mr. Drake’s generosity. I heard she wanted to follow little Archie when she moved out of her father’s place, but I guess Mr. Drake liked her cooking too much to let her go.

piper drake, a wildcat, through and through. She used to drive her father up the wall — but he loved her. We all did. She was impossible to hate; she didn’t give you any other choice. When she was fifteen, she convinced Archie they should go and find Saoirse while she was touring the UK. They got all the way across the Atlantic before I caught up with them, and even then, she didn’t go quietly. She made Arch break my fucking nose. Cussed me out all the way back to Palo Alto. God, I miss that kid. Gone too young, too soon.

archer drake, a good kid. Tough kid. I taught her how to throw a punch, smoke a cigarette. I remember, the day we buried Piper, she snuck out halfway through the funeral. I found her crying on the curb, quiet as a ghost. I asked her what I could do for her; she asked if I could bring Piper back. When I said I couldn’t do that, she just nodded and asked me for a cigarette. Archer’s still alive, still here — but we buried two girls that day, not one. She's never been the same.

casimir drake, a titan of industry. The years have changed him. When he first hired me? Told me to call him Casimir, big smiles, big laughs. But the bigger Drake Inc. got, the higher he ascended. No more time for the small stuff — he had bigger fears, was facing bigger threats. He’s got warrants for arrest out in three different countries. For breaches of data privacy law, skirting of international norms, flaunting of regulatory guidelines — keeping Dante and his firm busy. He’s unprecedented. His tech drives revolutions and enables autocracies. He’s like a god in Silicon Valley — but he doesn’t come down the mountain anymore. He doesn’t need to. He has Arch for interacting with everybody lower on the totem pole — his eyes, his ears, his hands.

saoirse blake, the indie popstar better known by her stage name, Gaia. She and Mr. Drake are living proof opposites attract. She sells out arenas, he hates getting his picture taken. She was long gone before my time — Anan says she left Mr. Drake when the girls were just infants, to keep touring. No contact for years, until Piper’s accident. Then — well, if Piper was a firecracker, her mother was a goddamn firework spectacular. Mr. Drake had to take out three different restraining orders against her. I don’t think she’s even allowed to step foot in the state of California, much less on any Drake properties.

jack meyer, the girls’ personal driver. I hate to say it, but he might have been more father to them than Mr. Drake — he took them everywhere. Gymnastics, ballet, school plays, summer camp. Taught them to drive. Let them ‘borrow’ his keys, every now and then… Mr. Drake was never going to let him keep his job, not after Piper’s accident. But what he said about the brakes being tampered with, that crazy conspiracy theory shit — I should have hit him harder. Drake was right to keep him away from Arch; who knows what she might have thought if she’d caught wind of his bullshit.

anan mcintyre, Mr. Drake’s left hand. She runs his entire life — scheduling every minute of every day. She never misses a beat, never skips a step. In her own way, I think she’s tried to look out for the girls — putting them on Mr. Drake’s schedule, pushing for Arch to get a P.A. of her own. She’s talked Mr. Drake off some pretty high ledges. She’s been with the company since the beginning — she could retire anytime she wants. But the thing is, she believes in Drake Inc. She thinks we can kill Google, Samsung, all of them. She thinks we’ll take over the world. Gods need disciples, I guess.

[faantasm]

MATERIALISTS (2025) — dir. Celine Song

[faantasm]

⁀➴ task 03. a haunting

the polaroid smells of wood-smoke, the acrid and choking scent that accompanies something burning. It is prepared for postage to one Casimir Drake alongside the snippet of a local newspaper, a postcard, and ashes that may have once been dangerous but were now dust. Look closer?

i. the polaroid: old brick buildings on the outskirts of town, consumed in flame. Sparks dance in the night air, the fire so hot that even firemen flinch. Why else would they just stand there as the fire burned?

ii. the newspaper: a tragic accident, spelled out in dark ink: an old man who fell asleep, an oven left unattended, an ember of a cigarette caught on old carpet. The place went up like tinder.

iii. the ashes: proof of ruin, the fate of those who would defy fire-breathers.

iv. the postcard: wish you were here! a joke, a threat, a status report. With love, from Archer Drake.

[faantasm]

⁀➴ task 03. drop dead gorgeous

a style guide for one archer drake, participant in the trial of hearts, on the eve of another eventful dinner. provided for the benefit of those so discerning.

i. the dress, a modified Atelier Prabal Gurung metallic copper mermaid piece selected by the discerning eye of Bella Seo. More revealing than anything Archer Drake has worn thusfar, baring the tattoos she's collected over the years. A rose etched beneath her left elbow, for a scent she couldn't forget. A butterfly its mirror on her right elbow, for the friend she knew was in the process of transforming, of becoming something beautiful. Words and numbers scrawled over her fingers, her thighs, her forearms: truths, lies, reminders. Angel, temporary lover, courage. And tracing up her spine, the outline of a sword, like a knight would carry. The head of a drake peeks out from behind cloth lower on her back, eyeing the sword. $6,500.

ii. the earrings, 18-karat yellow-gold from Cartier's Agrafe collection. $17,800.

iii. the accessories, two gold bands, one gold watch, and a diamond bracelet on the right arm, a matching band of diamonds on the left. They jangle, unbecomingly. The gold bands are designed by Elsa Peretti, 18-karat yellow-gold, from Tiffany's. $36,100. The diamond band is from Tiffany's, 18-karat white-gold fitted with round diamonds. $8,000. The watch is a custom Chopard piece, plated with 18-karat yellow-gold. Contemporary, refined, assertive. $65,900.

iv. the heels, Manolo Blahnik metallic caged ankle-strap sandals. As Archer is more accustomed to the comfort of flats, whether these will survive the night has yet to be seen. $1,195.

Not pictured: the manicure and pedicure, gotten less to accessorize with her outfit and more to accessorize with Clementine de Cervantes. The makeup subtly applied, naked foundation and rose mauve lipstick and soft pink blush, so little that it was hard to tell she was wearing any at all. The hair left wild, tight curls that would frizz in the heat, deliberate disorganization.

Elegant. Timeless. $135,495. Is it enough?

[faantasm]

{Words by Anaïs Nin, from The Diary Of Anais Nin, Vol. 4 (1944-1947) / Cynthia Cruz from diagnosis,The glimmering room}

[faantasm]

archer drake ⁀➴ ◉ playlist

i. you're gonna go far - noah kahan

So, pack up your car, put a hand on your heart, say whatever you feel, be wherever you are / If you wanna go far. Then you've gotta go far

Whatever she might think, Archer's family loves her

ii. feels like - gracie adams

I would do whatever you wanted / And I miss you, some nights. We'll be alright

For Clementine, when they were young. The oaths they whispered over tangled pinky fingers still stand unbroken, for now

iii. as it was - harry styles

I want you to hold out the palm of your hand. Why don't we leave it at that? / When everything gets in the way, seems you cannot be replaced

For Clementine, as they are now. Archer only has one best friend

iv. anthems for a seventeen-year-old girl - broken social scene

Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash under your breath / Now you're all gone, got your makeup on, and you're not coming back

For Piper. Of two sisters, one is the watcher, and one is the dancer

v. as you please - rocco!

I said things I didn't mean and I never took it back. I was begging for your love, begging on the floor. I was screaming at the top of my lungs just to be cared for / Now I'm sitting here. This house that's feeling hollow

For the Drakes, Casimir and Piper. And when she said, I would do anything for you because I love you, she meant it

vi. camisado - panic! at the disco

You're a regular decorated emergency. The bruises and contusions will remind me what you did when you wake / Can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid

For the Drakes, Casimir and Piper. A daughter of Casimir Drake exists only to meet his expectations. Any other action is worse than an insult: it is a waste

vii. weight in gold brasstacks remix - gallant, brasstacks

I'm pulling my weight in gold. Call me anxious, call me broke but I can't lift this on my own / You pushed me further and I take the blame for the both of us

For Casimir. What does it take to rule an empire? What does it take to inherit one?

viii. bravado - lorde

My heart jumps around when I'm alluded to. This will not do / I'm faking glory. Lick my lips, toss my hair, and turn the smile on. And the story's brand new

Casimir Drake is a titan in the industry; in order to follow in his footsteps, Archer must learn to walk loudly

ix. superstar - lupe fiasco, matthew santos

If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear, the camera's here, and the microphones, and they want to know / Standing outside of heaven waiting for God to come and get me, I'm too uncouth, unschooled to the rules and too gumshoe, too much of a newcomer and too uncool

A name can be worth billions, but in certain circles, amount is secondary to age. Her father's father was blue collar; she would never not be new

x. grrrls - aviva

I can't fake it, I'll just make it on my own / I read all the lyrics, so I can sing along. I am the latest colors, I stand above my throne, waiting for an invite to never come along

The idea was simple. If her name and her money were too new to earn invites to the right parties, she would throw them herself.

xi. sympathy is a knife - charli xcx, ariana grande

It's a knife when you're finally on top. 'cause logically, the next step is they wanna see you fall / It's a knife when they won't believe you, why should you explain?

In Silicon Valley, crowns are most often earned, not inherited. Every meeting was a test, every project a crucible.

xii. patchwerk - sub urban, two feet

Fifteen hundred on alcohol. I'm feeling slow. Please let me go / 'Cause I've got no soul. Live in the hole I dug. And I'll fall apart if I don't get it

She chose her path, her pressures. The secrets, the sins.

xiii. buzzcut season - lorde

I remember when your head caught flame. Well, you laughed, baby it's okay / Play along, make-believe it's hyper real. But I live in a hologram with you

For Cassiel, and two years in London. A brief uncaging, a taste of freedom, quickly gone

xiv. to all of you - syd matters

To all of you American girls, it's sad to imagine a world without you / No one can tell where your heart is.

For Sarai and the Darling, two of those capable of standing in the spotlight. Archer doesn't understand them, but she does admire them

xv. slow dancing in the dark - joji

Don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms / You should be with him, I can't compete. You looked at me like I was someone else

For Lucia, as they were. A longing that eternally entangles.

xvi. maybe - flower face

I wish I could have loved you right, but I was just a child. Maybe I will, maybe I won't run back to you / You got into my head, and now I'll never be the same

For Lucia, as they are now. A fatal kind of attraction

xvii. i bet on losing dogs - mitski

I know they're losing and I pay for my place by the ring / I'll be there on their side. I'm losing by their side

For Nicolai. Sitting side by side in a sinking boat

xviii. violence - the unlikely candidates

Maybe I was wrong, maybe she was right, maybe I believe her / What do I have to do? She don't know either. She said, 'I'mma show you how to act'

For Karuna. There has never been a cooler person, in Archer's eyes

xix. comeback kid - the sleigh bells

I know it's hard but you've gotta deal with it. One look around, show me what you're made of / You gotta turn around, never let your guard down. I'll see you but I know it's gonna save you

For Milo. One of them has to get it right.

xx. alone - burna boy

Count every lesson. Count every blessing. / I have been very quietly dying. I need you to remind me why. Give me the strength to keep fighting

Archer doesn't forget: it's her game to win or lose.

xxi. dr. sunshine is dead - will wood and the tantrums

When did I become afraid of the dark? Was it when I left the cave and swore I'd never come back? / And if dreams can come true, what does that say about nightmares? I'll stay awake tonight

It all went badly very quickly. There's another game being played here, more dangerous than she expected.

xxii. i'm gonna win - rob cantor

Sometimes it can seem like a merciless dream and I'm falling with nothing to hold / You've seen me before. You'll see me again. I'll never give up. I'll never give in

Well. She's not going to be another tragedy, not on someone else's terms.

[faantasm]

⁀➴ but wait. there's more - an accusation, and an item found.

Archer watched a thin trail of smoke drift up from below her heel, the air thick with the smell of tobacco and ashes. At the dark-haired woman's next question, she sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling as she considered her answer.

{ ✦ } Has anything peculiar caught your attention — a whisper, an object, a note or a text,... — that might illuminate the identity of our culprit?

“Nicolai, Mazen, Lachlan, Cassiel, Vincent…they seem part of a set, cut from the same cloth.  Their histories are tangled together.”  Archer reached up to rub at the back of her neck as she spoke. “The murderer asked Vincent to meet them at midnight in a chapel; Vincent accepted.  The murderer locked the door behind them; he didn’t try to escape.  It must have been someone he knew…someone he trusted." She closed her eyes, stepping back into that night.

The scene was moth-eaten cloth in her mind, full of holes. To remember was to reach for fire, each moment like a burning ember dug into her skin. The shiver of breath in the air, the iron scent of blood, the light in his pale blue eyes going out. She couldn't help but flinch back from it all; she could remember nothing in detail, not yet. Still, she had to try. "When he was breathing his last, he tried to write something in his own blood.  I think it was…letters." Her brow furrowed, her mouth frowning.  "...The first one looked like an M." Her words were soft. Was it true? Or was her mind just stretching to assign meaning to an event so violent it defied her attempts to understand it?

{ ✦ } Several items were found missing from THE TRAGEDY's quarters. Did you take anything that belonged to them? Did you see them in possession of anyone else?

"...I found one thing." Archer's words were slow, careful. "A leather-bound journal. It was on one of the shelves at the Memorial Library. ...I thought it was a book until I looked closer. When I looked inside, I saw that it was his and..." A strange expression twisted her mouth, half-grimace and half-smile. If only she had known Vincent. If only he had left messages, meant for her eyes. As it was, she kept stumbling into his carefully laid plans. Only time would tell her what she had ruined. "...I left it in the library. A study alcove." One frequented by Milo Foss, a more likely intended recipient than her or Red. "Forgetful of me, I guess. Are we done?"

⁀➴ task 02. the interrogation

Archer let the heavy wooden door swing shut behind her.  She sighed a little as she reached up to rub at the back of her neck, feeling the tension there.  “Do you…mind if I smoke in here?”  The only answer she received was a glittering smile; she pulled out a cigarette and lit it in one easy motion, then sank into the chair offered.  Archer breathed in slowly, watching the end burn orange, then leaned back and sighed, letting grey smoke fill the air between them.  “…alright.”  Her voice was soft, her brown gaze hard to read through the haze.  She made an open gesture with her free hand, a silent sign that she was ready to begin.

{ ✦ } Where did you last see THE TRAGEDY? Or when did you last hear of THE TRAGEDY?

 Archer breathed in again, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the end of her cigarette, then exhaled the smoke in another rush.  “I saw him the night he died." Each syllable was delivered with the utmost simplicity, as if Archer was speaking of the weather.  "It was midnight.  He breathed his last in my arms.”  Quiet ruled for a moment, as Archer and the dark-haired woman regarded one another.

{ ✦ } Where were you at time of death of THE TRAGEDY? And what were you doing?

Archer tapped her cigarette against the side of the desk, watched the ash crumble to the floor.  “I was trying to get into the chapel.  At the time, I thought there was only one entrance — the front.”  There was a note of unmistakable frustration; it shivered in her voice a moment, then was gone.  “I watched him go in, and the door was locked behind him.  After five minutes, I decided I wanted to see what he was up to. But the lock was big.  Old.  Unusual.  By the time I got through it...it was too late. He was already...” She shied from speaking the words aloud, as if the facts represented a cliff's edge she was afraid to tumble off of.

{ ✦ } Who can attest to your alibi? (You may pick other characters, even without discussing beforehand.)

Archer’s lips twitched at the question; the expression was not quite a smile, not quite a frown. Her cigarette had burned down while she spoke; she could feel the heat approaching her fingertips.  “Karuna Tiwari can attest to my alibi.  That night, she wasn’t far behind me.  She knows, more than anyone…”  Archer’s fingers trembled; ash scattered across the table. She set her wrist on the table to hide it, breaking with the dark-haired woman's gaze. “...I couldn’t have done it.”

{ ✦ } The SOCIETY requires your verdict on THE TRAGEDY's demise: Was it the calculated hand of murder? The cruel whim of accident? Or the final, desperate act of self-annihilation? (Pick one option. No explanation needed.)

Archer closed her eyes as she took one last drag on her cigarette, running through the options in her head.  More than the mess, more than the pose, more than the bloody footprints, more than the little signs that suggested an escape — one fact was unavoidable. “...Murder. It's the only thing that makes sense.”  She said, her voice hushed.  “His neck…the length of the cut…only someone else could have held the knife steady.” She dropped what remained of her cigarette to the floor before it could burn her, grinding it to ash beneath her heel.

[faantasm]

Ashley Moore by Ryan Golz

[faantasm]

(..) TWO COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS; THE WINTER, THE SPRING AND SUMMER—

clementine + @faantasm

[faantasm]

⁀➴ task 02. the interrogation

Archer let the heavy wooden door swing shut behind her.  She sighed a little as she reached up to rub at the back of her neck, feeling the tension there.  “Do you…mind if I smoke in here?”  The only answer she received was a glittering smile; she pulled out a cigarette and lit it in one easy motion, then sank into the chair offered.  Archer breathed in slowly, watching the end burn orange, then leaned back and sighed, letting grey smoke fill the air between them.  “…alright.”  Her voice was soft, her brown gaze hard to read through the haze.  She made an open gesture with her free hand, a silent sign that she was ready to begin.

{ ✦ } Where did you last see THE TRAGEDY? Or when did you last hear of THE TRAGEDY?

 Archer breathed in again, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the end of her cigarette, then exhaled the smoke in another rush.  “I saw him the night he died." Each syllable was delivered with the utmost simplicity, as if Archer was speaking of the weather.  "It was midnight.  He breathed his last in my arms.”  Quiet ruled for a moment, as Archer and the dark-haired woman regarded one another.

{ ✦ } Where were you at time of death of THE TRAGEDY? And what were you doing?

Archer tapped her cigarette against the side of the desk, watched the ash crumble to the floor.  “I was trying to get into the chapel.  At the time, I thought there was only one entrance — the front.”  There was a note of unmistakable frustration; it shivered in her voice a moment, then was gone.  “I watched him go in, and the door was locked behind him.  After five minutes, I decided I wanted to see what he was up to. But the lock was big.  Old.  Unusual.  By the time I got through it...it was too late. He was already...” She shied from speaking the words aloud, as if the facts represented a cliff's edge she was afraid to tumble off of.

{ ✦ } Who can attest to your alibi? (You may pick other characters, even without discussing beforehand.)

Archer’s lips twitched at the question; the expression was not quite a smile, not quite a frown. Her cigarette had burned down while she spoke; she could feel the heat approaching her fingertips.  “Karuna Tiwari can attest to my alibi.  That night, she wasn’t far behind me.  She knows, more than anyone…”  Archer’s fingers trembled; ash scattered across the table. She set her wrist on the table to hide it, breaking with the dark-haired woman's gaze. “...I couldn’t have done it.”

{ ✦ } The SOCIETY requires your verdict on THE TRAGEDY's demise: Was it the calculated hand of murder? The cruel whim of accident? Or the final, desperate act of self-annihilation? (Pick one option. No explanation needed.)

Archer closed her eyes as she took one last drag on her cigarette, running through the options in her head.  More than the mess, more than the pose, more than the bloody footprints, more than the little signs that suggested an escape — one fact was unavoidable. “...Murder. It's the only thing that makes sense.”  She said, her voice hushed.  “His neck…the length of the cut…only someone else could have held the knife steady.” She dropped what remained of her cigarette to the floor before it could burn her, grinding it to ash beneath her heel.

[faantasm]

⁀➴ task 02. first three texts

"If I get out of this, I'm making it my personal mission to destroy all flip phones." Archer whispered to herself vindictively, a deep frown etched into her features. "How do people live like this?" With thumbs that ached a little more with each text, Archer carefully typed one message after another.

[Message Sent To: Daddy Dearest (aka Casimir Drake)]

My phone was confiscated. Please wipe it ASAP. It started raining and I got a little wet. The forecast calls for more storms but no need to worry. I remembered my umbrella.

[Message Sent To: Batman But Cooler (aka Karuna) @wrathconsumed]

thnk i fnd smth. cn i cm ovr?

[Message Sent To: The People's Princess (aka Odelia) @ciirccee]

hate ths apt. cnt sleep. slmbr prty w th girls mb? wdyt?

[faantasm]

⁀➴ task 02. what's in my bag?

the personal affects of one archer drake, participant in the trial of hearts, itemized for your convenience.

i. a single polaroid, folded at the center hide a treasured memory captured on in color. a day at the beach, with a woman who loved her

ii. laptop, personalized with stickers. the main tool of her trade, the heaviest shackle she carries.

iii. tablet, personalized with stickers, and accompanying wireless pen. a more flexible canvas; the one she prefers.

iv. sunglasses case. for when the world gets too bright or too loud. a sheath for a shield.

v. USB with encryption key activated. for the safe transfer of proprietary information.

vi. falsified IDs. sometimes girls have places to be.

vii. electronic lighter. reliably lights no matter the wind or rain.

viii. lucky strike cigarettes. a surprising brand for a billionaire to favor, but she'd started smoking when she was younger and stupider. some habits are hard to break.

ix. personal journal. where she records her honest thoughts on fellow trial participants. peek inside here.

x. wireless headphones. for when the world gets too bright or too loud. these can drown everything out.

xi. ghost gun. 3-D printed, hard to detect, and untraceable, courtesy of drake inc. speaks for itself.

xii. collapsible bolt cutters. sometimes girls really have places to be.

xiii. lockpicking kit. sometimes girls really really have places to -

not visualized: one flip-phone that she loathes, two bags of pet food, a stack of tupperware containers, three bags of frozen peas, and a frankly concerning amount of candy.

[faantasm]

archer drake ⁀➴ ◉ social media

[faantasm]

Lee Krasner // Franz Kafka

[faantasm]

⁀➴ ◉ Archer Drake

the second joker ; the geist

she walks so softly, for the daughter of a titan.

participant blog for the trial of hearts. written by sapph, she/her, 28.

[faantasm]