Scenario:The Doss! End of the Line Farewell Tour - Chapter 5: Judgement Night - Episode 2

The Doss! End of the Line Farewell Tour - Chapter 5: Judgment Night - Episode 2

At the management office, two members of Vicious Three explain they announced the band battle as a publicity stunt, preventing the Doss from backing out of the festival. The Doss figure out these two are actually fakes—the real Vicious Three members are targeting Aoidos who's back at the inn, alone.

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Justin: I'm Justin, vocalist and bass player for Vicious Three.

Valentin: Valentin's the name. I'm on drums.

Rackam: Doss. Right then. You two wanna tell us what this band battle is all about?

Justin: Surprise!

Valentin: Impromptu gigs and ad-libbing. That's the Vicious Three way.

Vyrn: Guess that gives you the right to do whatever without tellin' anyone, huh? Well, I don't think so!

Justin: What, no kudos?

Valentin: Yeah, come on. We gave the fans, both yours and ours, something to finally get pumped up about.

Baal: What you did isn't ad-libbing. It's behaving with reckless abandon.

Justin: What would you know?

Valentin: Man, amateurs wouldn't understand. We're geniuses. We'll start writing a new song the day before the festival and be done by lunch.

Manager: ...

Manager: You're bluffing.

Justin: What'd you just say?

Valentin: That sounded like an insult, buster.

Manager: The way I see it, you two are the ones insulting Vicious Three.

Manager: You think ad-libbing everything makes a gig worth listening to? Give me a break.

Vyrn: Wait, did I miss something?

Baal: Ah, so that's it.

Baal: These two are frauds.

Justin: ...!

Baal: Rackam.

Rackam: On it.

Rackam holds up the hands of the two masked men.

Rackam: Great skin, guys. So soft and smooth considering the instruments you play.

Justin: ...!

Vyrn: Imposters!

Baal: The way these pretenders spoke demonstrated a shallow understanding of what bands go through.

Baal: I've never heard Vicious Three play before, but as struggling musicians, they should understand the grind.

Rackam: Spill it. Why'd you call us out here?

The two fakes hang their heads in quiet shame. The Doss draws in closer.

Justin: I don't know nothin', man. We're just doing what Vicious told us to.

Valentin: After the band battle announcement goes out, we're supposed to lure out the Doss.

Rackam: Damn it... We played right into their hands. Back to the inn!

Vyrn: Oh no! You mean Vicious Three was after Aoidos the whole time?

Rackam: Bingo. C'mon!

Aoidos: ...

Aoidos stares into the clouds, sighing to himself.

Aoidos: No matter where I look, it's not there...

Aoidos: Where are you, my pathos?

Mouse: Squeak!

Aoidos: Ungh!

Young Manager: Stop it!

Aoidos: Get out of my head!
The song! Focus on writing the song!

Aoidos shakes his head wildly in a vain attempt to rid himself of the distorted memories.

Benjamin's Mom: That midwife was right, you know. It's a curse—

Aoidos: Get a grip, Aoidos! Quit thinking weird thoughts!

But the harder he tries not to remember, the more he ends up thinking about it.

Aoidos: First thing a song needs... are lyrics... or should it be the hook?

Aoidos: Why can't I figure this out! Am I so bereft of ideas that I'd even sink to embracing the gods?

Small-Framed Man: Hello, Aoidos.

Aoidos: ...

Aoidos, who is in no mood for pleasantries, eyes the two smiling men coming his way with suspicion.