Labyrinth of Tears - Libretto
“Labyrinth of Tears”
from
The Flower Club
by Tong Wang
Characters Sheet
SKY KIM, “The Dancing Lily”. Fun loving romantic. Occasionally annoyingly optimistic, caring, and hyper. Extroverted. Loud. Happy. Positive. 17. Studies: Wish Granting.
KANSA NIGHTINGALE, “The Weeping Iris”. Shy endearing gothic lolita. Loves rag dolls. Personality and self-esteem issues. Quiet, timid. 18. Studies: Medical Arts.
LACIE ARMONÍA, “The Singing Rose”. Flamboyant beauty. From a distinguished family. Popular jazz singer. Sexy, fancy, rich. Show-off. Beauty queen. 19. Studies: Magical Performing Arts.
SATSUKI MEI, “The Painting Lotus”. Sharply intelligent bookworm. Cold and uptight but cares about her friends at heart. Nerdy and chill. 18. Studies: Magic Theory and History.
TARO, “The Fiddling Dandelion.” The grumpy baby. Surprisingly strong for her size. Constantly eating. Albino, super short. Grumpy, sometimes violent, simple-minded tomboy. 16. Studies: Wish Granting.
OPENING.
OVERTURE starts. TITLE ON SCREEN.
“Previously on THE FLOWER CLUB…”
ANIMATION ON SCREEN (Chibi SKY waving her arms around to cute chirpy sound effects as text narration scrolls).
“Hello! My name is Sky Kim, and I have come to the prestigious New Verdecas Academy of Magical Arts to pursue my dream of becoming a wish granter. Here I met four derpy girls and formed the Flower Club - we drink bubble tea and go on adventures solving marvelous mysteries!
Music becomes ominous, cute sulking sound effects (Chibi SKY pouts).
“After unraveling our urban school myth, “The Legend of Verdecas”, strange crimes continue to occur across campus. Meanwhile, my best friend Kansa grew more unsettled and distant by day. Something was deeply troubling her, yet the harder I tried to help, the more she pulled away.
Last night, she suddenly fell into a mysterious coma. We must enter her Labyrinth to rescue her. I’m afraid something terrible is about to unfold. Sweet Kansa, how do we reach you?”
OVERTURE transitions to OPENING ANIME THEME SONG. (As each CHARACTER enters and sings, their profiles are projected ON SCREEN.)
1. “Roris marini” (Rosemary) - Flower Club Theme Song
SKY
ONCE YOU TURNED TO ME
WITH CRUMBS ON YOUR FACE, AND SAY
“WHAT A MESS WE MADE.”
I LAUGH BETWEEN TEARS, AND ASK,
“DO YOU REMEMBER
THAT ROSEMARY CAKE?”
KANSA
ONCE I TURNED AWAY,
WITH BLOOD ON MY LIPS, AND SAY
“WHAT A MESS WE MADE.”
YOU BLINK WITH HOLLOWED EYES, AND ASK
“DO YOU WANT TO REMAKE
THAT ROSEMARY CAKE?”
LACIE
HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN HERE
CHASING BITTERSWEET GRIEF
IN THE AFTERTASTE?
“DO YOU REMEMBER MY PROMISE?”
“DO YOU REMEMBER MY WISH?”
SATSUKI
HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN HERE
PICKING UP THE CRUMBS
OF OUR COURAGE AND DREAMS?
“HOW DO WE LOVE?”
“HOW DO WE LIVE?”
TARO
WHAT IS BELIEF?
WHAT IS MAGIC?
WHATEVER,
LET’S MAKE THAT DARN CAKE.
Chorus.
ALL FLOWER CLUB
RORIS MARINI! (wave wands as if casting a spell)
PLEASE REMEMBER,
THAT I REMEMBER YOU.
IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF,
BELIEVE IN ME,
WHO BELIEVES IN YOU.
YOUR WISH IS MY PROMISE.
THE FLOWER CLUB PROMISES YOU, (holds out pinky fingers)
MAGIC AND TRUTH. (link pinkies in a circle)
RORIS MARINI! (wave wands)
DARE YOU TO LOVE.
DARE YOU TO LIVE.
DARE YOU TO BELIEVE. (shake linked hands three times)
IN THE MESS,
THERE IS MAGIC AND TRUTH.
RORIS MARINI! (wave wands)
REMEMBER YOUR HEART.
REMEMBER YOUR PAIN.
REMEMBER MY PROMISE. (shake linked hands three times)
IN THE MESS,
THERE IS MAGIC AND TRUTH.
(LACIE, SATSUKI, TARO exit. SKY tries to comfort KANSA, KANSA pushes her away. SKY exits.)
OVERTURE returns, eerie, gothic. ANIMATION ON SCREEN (Chibi KANSA walks up an infinite floating staircase to the door of her LABYRINTH. She pauses then enters. We see the CENTER OF THE LABYRINTH).
(KANSA mirrors the ANIMATION. She walks through a door, looks around as if seeing the LABYRINTH on SCREEN, then curls up on a giant old SOFA, quietly sobbing. White flower petals are scattered around her. She is holding three dolls, STRAW, TIN, and PAPER.)
OVERTURE comes to a stop, ending with a statement of the LULLABY theme.
(KANSA continues to hum the LULLABY and gradually falls asleep.)
SCENE 1a.
LABYRINTH ENTRYWAY. Ominous, oppressive. Dark purple walls, half painted. Sewing tools, scissors, and rags on the floor.
(FLOWER CLUB wakes up in a pile of dolls. LACIE, SATSUKI, and TARO each pick one up. SKY finds white flower petals on the ground.)
SKY
WOW. Guys, look! The Melon-Cauliflower!
TARO
What the fudge is a -?
SATSUKI
First found in Chapter 3 of “Intro to -
LACIE
Wait - did we make it!?
SATSUKI (coughs, and speaks more swiftly)
FOUND - IN CHAPTER 3 of “Intro to Magical Herbs”, the Melon-Cauliflower is an ancient psychedelic used to indulge in sadness, solitude, and nostalgia. The doctor says that’s what put Kansa into a coma.
SKY
It can’t be! Kansa would not do something so...derpy! We were just planning our secret mission to uncover the hidden ingredients of Panda Bubble’s new specialty -
TARO
Rainbow Jelly Tea!
LACIE
Guys, focus! Are we inside KANSA’s mind?
SATSUKI
Yes, this must be her LABYRINTH. Her inner world.
SKY
Heart AND mind.
TARO
It’s CREEPY.
(TARO looks at the PAPER DOLL in her hands, then drops it.)
LACIE
Let’s hurry. We need to find KANSA before she’s trapped in a coma forever!
SATSUKI
Let’s follow the Melon-Cauliflower trail.
(Distant thunder rumbles, it starts to drizzle.)
TARO
PURPLE RAIN!
SATSUKI
Red and blue make purple. Blood is in the sky.
2. “Tears Fall Like Memories”
LACIE
TEARS FALL LIKE MEMORIES
FROM THE EYE OF YOUR LABYRINTH.
DEAR WEEPING IRIS,
WHY DO YOU CRY?
TEARS FALL LIKE MEMORIES
FROM THE EYE OF YOUR LABYRINTH.
WHERE CAN WE CATCH YOUR TEARS?
BEFORE THEY FALL LIKE MEMORIES.
SKY
Don’t disappear, KANSA. We’re coming for you.
(FLOWER CLUB runs down the corridor. Interlude.)
SCENE 1b.
CENTER OF THE LABYRINTH. (KANSA is curled up in a fetal position with her DOLLS. She’s woken by FLOWER CLUB’s distant voices, but cannot pull herself up from the SOFA.)
3. “Amazing Sofa”
KANSA (as if under a trance)
AMAZING SOFA
HOW SWEET, YOUR EMBRACE
MY CURSE, MY GUARDIANS
KEEP ALL MY SECRETS SAFE
AMAZING SOFA
INTO YOU, I DISAPPEAR AND FADE
A SNACK, A NAP,
LET ALL MY WORRIES BE ERASED
AMAZING SOFA
NEVER LET ME GO
NEVER LET ME GO
KANSA - in GUARDIANS’ VOICES
NEVER LET YOU GO
NEVER LET YOU GO
(KANSA falls back asleep. FLOWER CLUB rushes in.)
SKY
KANSA! Oh, we’ve finally found you!
(KANSA does not move.)
TARO
Wake up!
(SKY throws herself on top of KANSA in a big embrace. FLOWER CLUB gathers around them. Cute lo-fi sound effects, silly, bouncy, sweet.)
4. “Sweet Squishable You”
SKY
OH, MY SWEET SQUISHABLE YOU
SOFT, FLUFFY, DEFLATABLE YOU
EVERYTIME I SQUEEZE, YOU PUFF BACK UP
TO FILL MY HEART WITH WARM FUZZY LOVE
WAKE UP, WAKE UP, MY SWEET SQUISHABLE YOU
(KANSA unwillingly opens her eyes and sees the Flower Club.)
KANSA
Sky…? Satsuki, Lacie, Taro ... what are you doing here? Where am I?
SATSUKI
We’re inside your mind, your Labyrinth.
LACIE
You’ve fallen into a coma, KANSA, we’ve come to wake you up!
KANSA
But...I was having a dream. A sweet, empty dream...
TARO
Let’s get out of this CREEPY place!
KANSA
...creepy?
(pauses, hurt, then hears GUARDIAN’s VOICES inside her head)
KANSA - in GUARDIANS’ VOICES (mockingly)
“Creep! Weirdo!” That’s what they would say if they knew anything about the real you. [2]
SKY
COME ON, CHEER UP,
GIVE US A SMILE.
ALL LIFE’S MIRACLES
ARE WAITING FOR YOU.
MARVELOUS CUTIE,
SMILE AND JOIN US
BACK IN OUR JOYFUL WORLD.
KANSA (quietly, detached)
Smile? I can’t… I don’t belong there. Please leave me alone.
SKY
Come on, KANSA. You can’t stay like this!
(KANSA remains silent. SKY tries to drag her up from the SOFA. KANSA resists and they both fall on the floor.)
KANSA
Enough! Stop it! You don’t understand.
SKY
Understand what?
KANSA (growing exasperated and angry)
Me! You’re always so happy. You’ll never know what it’s like to be me!
5. “Understanding is (Un)happiness”
KANSA
UNDERSTANDING IS UNHAPPINESS.
THE MORE WE REACH,
THE FARTHER WE PART.
THE ATTEMPT AT UNDERSTANDING
IS THE ROOT OF LONELINESS.
SKY
UNDERSTANDING IS HAPPINESS,
EFFORT, COURAGE, AND FAITH.
WE CAN NEVER BE ONE ANOTHER,
BUT IF WE BELIEVE IN FINDING
EVEN ONE BRIEF MOMENT OF CONNECTION,
THAT LONELINESS IS WORTH BEARING.
KANSA
UNDERSTANDING IS UNATTAINABLE
A FUTILE ATTEMPT
DESTINED FOR FAILURE
AN EMPTY PROMISE
DESTINED FOR BETRAYAL
SKY
A BEAUTIFUL WISH
KANSAS
A PATHETIC WISH
SKY and KANSA
UNDERSTANDING IS (UN)HAPPINESS
(KANSA begins to cry.)
TARO
KANSA, we just want to help.
KANSA
Help? Help what, fix the weird, creepy me?
SATSUKI
We never said -
LACIE
We just want you to be HAPPY.
KANSA
HAPPY. Why must I be HAPPY!? You don’t understand anything!
(A tornado gathers around the SOFA. Sound effects, wind roaring. A desolate music box melody transforms into haunting church bells, electronic organ, uncanny soundscapes. The storm intensifies and knocks LACIE, SATSUKI, and TARO unconscious. They fall to the ground.)
SKY and KANSA
UNDERSTANDING IS (UN)HAPPINESS.
UNDERSTANDING IS (IM)POSSIBLE.
SKY
HAVE YOU LOVED HOW I LOVE?
KANSA
HAVE YOU HURT HOW I HURT?
SKY
TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH.
TRUST MY LOVE, BELIEVE MY LOVE.
KANSA
GO AWAY, GO AWAY
YOUR LOVE IS CRUEL
YOUR LOVE IS SUFFOCATING
YOUR LOVE -
MAKES ME HATE MYSELF.
SKY (heartbroken)
KANSA...why? Please...wait -
KANSA - in GUARDIANS’ VOICES (mockingly)
“Creep! Weirdo!” That’s what they would say.
(SKY tries to reach out to KANSA but also gets knocked over by the storm.)
KANSA
Because…
I cannot be her.
I am not that girl you love.
(KANSA runs off stage.)
SCENE 2.
DUNGEON. Cold, damp, menacing. A long feast table lined with extravagant gourmet dishes. Seven lifeless figures gathered around the table, bodies bent over, faces planted down in their plates. THE ASSASSIN sits perched upright at the back, head tilted down, motionless, both hands holding knives. Eerie silence.
(One of the figures shudders and lifts their head, revealing TARO. She looks around and recognizes SATSUKI, still unconscious beside her. She realizes they are both tied to their chairs. The other figures around them are straw corpses.)
TARO
What in the name of baloney pancakes -!?
SATSUKI?! SATSUKI, WAKE UP!
(A DINNER BELL rings. Deranged festive music emerges. SATSUKI is awoken by the ruckus.)
SATSUKI
Taro? Where are -
(The DINNER BELL rings again to signal the commencement of the feast. The ASSASSIN whips her head up, revealing a SKULL MASK with its lips sewn shut. She begins to claw violently at the dishes with bare hands, attempting to stuff everything into her mouth. Scraps of food get smushed across her MASK and fall onto the floor.)
ASSASSIN
EAT.
DO NOT EAT.
(TARO watches in horror, infuriated by seeing food wasted.)
TARO
STOP IT!
(The ASSASSIN grabs TARO’s arm and tries to bite her.)
TARO
Get off me!!!
(Suddenly, SKY bursts into the DUNGEON. The door slams shut behind her. She sees TARO struggling to break free and casts a spell that temporarily stuns the ASSASSIN.)
SKY
NIX FRIGIDUS! (“snow freeze” - waves wand)
(She rushes over to untie SATSUKI and TARO.)
TARO
SKY!
SATSUKI
What happened? Where is LACIE? And KANSA?
SKY
I don’t know. I woke up alone and was looking for you guys until the music led me here!
(SATSUKI, now freed, walks around investigating the DUNGEON)
SATSUKI
This seems like a memory room, it holds a massive amount of repressed mana. KANSA’s subconscious defense mechanisms must have taken us hostage after we upset her.
TARO
ARGH - What is that...THING...doing in KANSA’s memories? And why is it wasting all this perfectly good food!
SKY (sadly, thinking of her upsetting KANSA)
Perhaps KANSA has many secret stories we’ve never heard...
(ASSASSIN twitches and makes groaning, dry heaving sounds.)
SATSUKI
Quick, the spell’s wearing off. Let’s get out of here first.
TARO
Wait! DARN IT, that… THING is dry puking.
(The spell wears off and the ASSASSIN grabs a cupcake and begins to cut it into smaller and smaller pieces. Heavy kawaii metal, manic, violent.)
6. “Gimmi Cake”
ASSASSIN
GIMMI CAKE
GIMMI CAKE
WHEN I’M GRUMPY
GIMMI CAKE
GIMMI CAKE
GIMMI CAKE
WHEN I’M SAD
STUFF ME FAKE
I AM EMPTY
I AM HUNGRY
FILL THE VOID
GIMMI CAKE
(She contemplates taking a bite, but does not eat.)
EAT, DO NOT EAT.
IT’S NEVER JUST ONE BITE,
IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE,
I CANNOT EAT MORE.
I MUST EAT MORE.
HUNGER, DEVOUR ME.
SHAME. SHAME.
STUFF TILL YOU TASTE NO MORE
GUILT. GUILT.
PURGE TILL YOU FEEL NO MORE
I AM A TRASH BIN
EMPTY, DELETE ALL
(TARO watches painfully, reminded of her own past scavenging and stealing food on the streets as an orphan. She runs over to the ASSASSIN and snatches the knife away.)
SKY
TARO, no don’t-!
TARO
HEY YOU.
That’s perfectly good food you got there.
Stop being a spoiled brat.
(TARO takes a cupcake and shoves it in front of ASSASSIN’s face.)
ASSASSIN
I can’t eat this.
TARO
Sure you can.
Say, “ITADAKIMASU.”
ASSASSIN:
Itadaki-what?
7. “Itadakimasu”
TARO
“ITADAKIMASU.”
“I HUMBLY RECEIVE.”
SATSUKI:
“I am going to receive
the lives of animals and plants,
for my own life”
TARO
YOU GOT THIS DARN FANCY FEAST.
NOW HONOR IT.
FOOD IS SUSTENANCE, YES.
BUT WHAT ELSE?
SKY
A love language.
TARO
FOOD. FAMILY. A FULL BELLY.
HOW PRECIOUS TO HAVE THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?
(The ASSASSIN freezes. She turns away from the FLOWER CLUB and her MASK falls slightly, revealing half of KANSA’s face. KANSA’s voice emerges quietly, the FLOWER CLUB does not hear her.)
KANSA
I know, that’s why I hate myself for wasting it on this empty corpse … again and again…
TARO
“ITADAKIMASU”
“I HUMBLY RECEIVE.”
JUST SAY,
“ITADAKIMASU”
“I HUMBLY RECEIVE.”
“THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD.”
AND EAT.
(The ASSASSIN turns to face TARO and lifts her MASK just enough to expose her mouth.)
ASSASSIN
“ITADAKIMASU”
“I HUMBLY RECEIVE.”
(TARO feeds her the cupcake. She takes a bite, then freezes and stops chewing. She tries to sing with her mouth full.)
8. “A Bite of Kindness”
ASSASSIN
A FLUFFY BITE, FILLED WITH KINDNESS.
THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE ,
TO TASTE THE SWEETEST WARMTH,
TO BE FILLED WITH KINDNESS.
I HUMBLY RECEIVE
LOVE FOR MYSELF
THROUGH LOVE FROM YOU.
IT’S OKAY TO BE FULL.
I CAN BE FULL,
OF WARMTH AND KINDNESS.
(The ASSASSIN swallows the bite and her MASK falls off, revealing KANSA’s teary face. The FLOWER CLUB stares at her in silence, shocked.)
SKY
...Kansa...!? That THING was…
(KANSA looks at SKY's horrified face, then reaches out to grab her arm. SKY pulls away slightly, scared.)
KANSA - in COURTESAN and CHILD’s VOICES
See? They could never accept the monstrous you. And we’ve barely scratched the surface.
KANSA
But I was just beginning to...
KANSA - in COURTESAN and CHILD’s VOICES
The more they know, the more they’ll despise you.
BUT US, we’re here. We know.
Come back to the amazing sofa.
We’ll never let you go.
Never let you go.
TARO
KANSA, finish your cupcake!
(TARO offers the cupcake again but KANSA starts drawing back.)
KANSA
UNDERSTANDING IS UNHAPPINESS.
I am not that girl you love.
(KANSA runs off stage. The FLOWER CLUB chases after her.)
SCENE 3.
BEDROOM CHAMBER. Romantic, dimly lit, rosy tint. Heavily perfumed. Intimate, subdued, lo-fi atmosphere.
(LACIE is curled up on a giant bed. She slowly rises and notices her limbs tied to puppet strings. The strings are loose but she can't untie them. She gets up and follows their trail.)
LACIE
This must be KANSA’s bedroom. Why am I here? Where have the others gone?
(LACIE finds the strings connected back to the bedpost.)
LACIE
Guess I’m stuck here...
(She sighs and starts digging through the nightstand for clues. She finds a jar of tin hearts and a journal. She shakes the jar, they jangle. Suddenly, beguiling laughter echoes around the room. LACIE hides under the covers until the laughter subdues, and begins to read the label on the jar.)
9. “Jar of Pickled Hearts”
LACIE
MY JAR OF PICKLED HEARTS
TO TICKLE AND NIBBLE ME APART
MY JAR OF FICKLE HEARTS
TOO PRICKLED TO REMEMBER HOW TO RESTART
(perturbed) Why does KANSA have this in her nightstand?
(Amused giggle sounds from the corner. This time LACIE does not pay attention. THE COURTESAN, a seductive lady in a tight-fitting silver bodysuit peeks out behind the curtain, observing LACIE. LACIE opens the journal and continues reading.)
TODAY, I BROKE.
OR, I GOT TIRED OF BREAKING.
THIS BODY, THIS SHELL,
A WEAPON, AND A SHIELD.
USED BY SO MANY, ABUSED BY TOO MANY.
SO I DECIDE,
I SHALL FORGET MY HEART.
TOMORROW,
WHEN I MISS MY HEART
I’LL SLASH ON A SMILEY FACE
AND CARVE A FROWN
ONCE GUTTED AND FORGOTTEN,
I AM AN EMPTY TIN
HAPPILY NUMB.
MY JAR OF PICKLED HEARTS
DO YOU LOVE, ALL MY BRUISES AND SCARS?
(speaking to herself while looking at her reflection in the mirror)
Did KANSA write this?
This feeling...I know too well.
“You’re so beautiful,” they say.
Yet no one sees me.
What can we do, when it’s our last resort, our only power?
A body used as a tool.
(COURTESAN is moved by LACIE’s words. She begins to remove her MASK and approaches LACIE. Suddenly, SKY, SATSUKI, and TARO storm in. COURTESAN retreats and puts back her MASK. SATSUKI sees LACIE first and rushes over.)
SATSUKI
LACIE! Are you okay? (concerned, takes and holds LACIE’s hands)
LACIE
Oh, SATSUKI…! I was so scared...
(LACIE starts crying and buries her head in SATSUKI’s chest, wrapping her arms tightly around SATSUKI’s waist. SATSUKI is surprised for a moment, then hugs back.)
SATSUKI
Still a crybaby...
(TARO and SKY approach and the four girls embrace on the bed. The COURTESAN watches from afar, growing jealous. Sneering, contemptuous laughter.)
KANSA - in GUARDIANS’ VOICES
See? They don’t need you. You don’t belong there.
(The FLOWER CLUB looks around for the sound of laughter.)
LACIE
This laughter...I don’t know where it’s coming from. It happened a few times now. And I found this creepy jar, and a journal with -
(Suddenly, LACIE jolts up and screams, her body contorting under marionette strings, now tightening around her limbs.)
LACIE
Ouchhh!
(SKY and SATSUKI try to untangle the strings. TARO tries to rip them with her teeth. Amused laughter intensifies. THE COURTESAN approaches them.)
COURTESAN
Welcome, ladies! Please, join me for some cookies and tea.
TARO
Tea!? Can’t you see our friend is -!
SATSUKI
Who speaks?
COURTESAN
Oh, excuse my manners! Please call me MADAM COURTESAN. I am a Guardian of this Labyrinth. I was just playing with your friend and got a little carried away.
(While humming, the COURTESAN gracefully loosens LACIE’s bonds. She lays SKY, TARO, and LACIE down on the bed and gently strokes their hair. They are hypnotized by her voice. SATSUKI backs off and stands stiffly at a distance.)
SATSUKI
What do you want from us?
COURTESAN
I want what you want.
(The COURTESAN gestures with her hand, shaking the marionette strings, and LACIE begins moving to her control. LACIE takes SATSUKI’S face in both hands, gazes intensely into her eyes, and slowly leans in until their noses brush against each other. SATSUKI blushes and looks away. She tries to drag the FLOWER CLUB off the bed.)
SATSUKI
We have to go.
COURTESAN
Before you leave, would you grant me this wish?
It’s tea time, and I’ll be so lonely without company.
Let us be blood sisters, drink, and speak heart to heart.
(The COURTESAN pricks her pinky with a needle and squeezes a drop of blood into a tea cup. The FLOWER CLUB sits up and follows. SATSUKI hesitates, then does the same, still standing. They all link pinkies.)
COURTESAN
Now we must speak honestly.
SKY, LACIE, TARO (still hypnotized)
RORIS MARINI!
MAGIC AND TRUTH.
YOUR WISH IS OUR PROMISE.
10. “What is a Heart?”
COURTESAN
Tell me now,
What is a HEART?
What does yours truly DESIRE?
TARO
EASY. STRENGTH TO PROTECT FRIENDS.
SKY
HAPPINESS TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS!
COURTESAN
A WARRIOR AND A DREAMER.
(to LACIE and SATSUKI) And you?
LACIE
FLAWLESS BEAUTY.
SATSUKI
HONOR AND ACHIEVEMENT.
COURTESAN
A NARCISSIST AND A KNIGHT.
Are you sure?
(LACIE hesitates and looks at her pinkie.)
LACIE
NO. THE TRUTH IS,
I WANT TO BE SEEN FOR MORE THAN JUST BEAUTY.
I WANT TO BE SEEN AND HEARD FOR MY HEART.
COURTESAN
Very well. And our STOIC KNIGHT?
SATSUKI
MY ANSWER STANDS.
COURTESAN
THINK AGAIN.
SATSUKI
MY ANSWER STANDS.
COURTESAN
FEEL AGAIN.
(The COURTESAN shakes the marionette strings, moving LACIE to take SATSUKI’s HAND and kiss her pinkie. SATSUKI pulls away, flustered.)
SATSUKI
THAT’S ENOUGH.
MY ANSWER STANDS. Let’s go.
COURTESAN
Fine. Go. Run away. Your HEART LIES.
You will become numb. Like me.
(SATSUKI pulls the FLOWER CLUB up from the bed. They release interlocked fingers and break out of their trance. They head towards the entrance.)
9a. “Jar of Pickled Hearts” - Reprise
COURTESAN
PAIN IS BUT ATTENTION.
ONCE FORGOTTEN,
HEARTS GO HAPPILY ROTTEN.
CUT ME, BURN ME.
I AM NUMB.
WHEN SADNESS OVERWHELMS,
JUST SLASH ON A SMILEY FACE
AND CARVE A FROWN
CUT ME, BURN ME.
I AM AN EMPTY TIN
HAPPILY NUMB.
MY JAR OF PICKLED HEARTS
DO YOU LOVE, ALL MY BRUISES AND SCARS?
(LACIE looks back and pauses. The COURTESAN is curled up on the bed, facing away. Her MASK falls slightly to reveal KANSA’s face. She begins to scratch at her inner wrists.)
KANSA[13]
BLEED...BLEED...BLEED!
(LACIE starts turning back.)
LACIE (to FLOWER CLUB)
That sounds like KANSA! Or whoever it is - we can’t leave her like that!
SATSUKI
No. That’s the COURTESAN.
(SATSUKI tries to pull LACIE back, but LACIE breaks free. She runs to the COURTESAN and sees her manically scratching her wrists.)
LACIE
Those scars… the same as …
COURTESAN
It itches! It itches!
I can’t stop itching.
I can’t stop running from my heart.
(LACIE takes and holds COURTESAN’s hand. COURTESAN is still turned away from LACIE. SATSUKI, TARO, and SKY head back towards them.)
11. “It’s Okay to Run”
LACIE
IT’S OKAY TO RUN.
FORWARDS, BACKWARDS.
FROM PAIN, TOWARDS PAIN.
RUN, AND YOU’RE STILL MOVING, RIGHT?
YOU ARE BREATHING, AND ALIVE.
YOU WILL RUN INTO US, SOMEWHERE. SOMEDAY.
IT’S OKAY TO RUN.
IT’S OKAY TO BE NOT OKAY.
(SATSUKI looks at LACIE and the COURTESAN, she is moved by LACIE’s words.)
SATSUKI
I…
(coughs, standing stiffly a step away)
I’m sorry, Madame COURTESAN.
You were right. I lied.
“What is a heart?”
I’ve read so many textbooks, and I still don’t understand.
“What is desire? What is truth?”
I’ve read so many textbooks, and I still don’t understand.
But what I do know is -
(SATSUKI coughs, finding it difficult to speak. COURTESAN and LACIE stare at her in silence while she grabs the journal from the nightstand and quickly scribbles something inside then hands it to LACIE.)
LACIE
Satsuki…?
(she takes the the journal and reads)
“LACIE, I’ve looked at you for the longest time.
You are beautiful, I thought. But more than that.
Your voice is beautiful.
Your heart is beautiful.
That’s what I meant to tell you.
That’s what I couldn’t say. Could that be my truth?”
(LACIE is surprised, she tears up. COURTESAN watches them, touched.)
SATSUKI
I couldn’t face my feelings, so I ran.
But I don’t want to numb my heart anymore.
I'm sorry for lying. I’m sorry for running.
LACIE (approaches SATSUKI and takes her hand)
IT’S OKAY, SATSUKI.
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME YOUR HEART.
IT’S OKAY TO RUN.
IT’S OKAY TO BE NOT OKAY.
COURTESAN
Sorry does not erase lies.
Sorry does not erase scars.
LACIE (also taking COURTESAN’s hand)
No, but perhaps it can change their meaning.
Like a bandage.
Not to hide our wounds,
But to remember, honor, and protect them.
So we can start healing.
SKY and TARO
IT’S OKAY TO RUN.
IT’S OKAY TO BE NOT OKAY.
Endure, run, and keep going.
(SKY and TARO join them on the bed. LACIE hands everyone a bandage. They help each other wrap the bandages around their pinkies. Everyone holds COURTESAN’s hand.)
SATSUKI, LACIE, TARO and SKY
BENEATH YOUR TIN SHELL,
BEHIND OUR SMILES,
WE ARE ALL FULL OF BRUISES AND SCARS.
EVERYDAY, WE STRUGGLE WITH VULNERABLE HEARTS.
LET’S HONOR THEM, OUR BATTLE SCARS,
TOGETHER, LET’S WEAR OUR BRUISES AND SCARS
COURTESAN
IT’S OKAY TO RUN.
IT’S OKAY TO BE NOT OKAY.
(COURTESAN is comforted, she links pinkies with the FLOWER CLUB.)
ALL
RORIS MARINI!
REMEMBER YOUR HEART.
REMEMBER YOUR PAIN.
REMEMBER MY PROMISE. (shake linked hands three times)
IN THE MESS,
THERE IS MAGIC AND TRUTH.
(COURTESAN’s MASK falls off, exposing KANSA. FLOWER CLUB is shocked.)
SKY
KANSA! It was you again?! How- Why-?
Oh, it doesn’t matter.
Would you please come back now?
KANSA - in CHILD’S VOICE
SEE? They still don’t understand.
Don’t trust them, KANSA.
Come back to the amazing sofa.
It’s safe here.
We’ll never let you go.
Never let you go.
SKY (begging, tearful)
Please..!
KANSA (to SKY)
I’m sorry. I still can’t.
UNDERSTANDING IS UNHAPPINESS.
I am not that girl you love.
(KANSA runs off again. FLOWER CLUB chases after her).
SCENE 4.
CHILD’S PLAYROOM. Bright colors, toys, mini furniture. A cardboard SHADOW PUPPET THEATER. (SKY, SATSUKI, TARO, and LACIE enter.)
SKY
Hellooooo…? KANSA?
CHILD
Play. Play. Play.
(The CHILD’s voice echoes around the room, building from a soft whimpering to a ferocious roar. Heavy bass vibrations.)
TARO
Who’s there?
LACIE
Don’t be afraid. We’re here to help.
(The room goes dark. A flickering light behind the THEATRE SCREEN illuminates a paper PUPPET that spasms across the stage. ANIMATION ON SCREEN shows a giant shadow figure with an evil grin. Distorted noises. Scratching, hissing, hysterical laughter. TARO reads aloud the text scrolling ON SCREEN.)
12. “Shadow Child”
TARO (reading for CHILD)
WELCOME TO MY STAGE.
READY? HIT PLAY.
SHADOW CHILD TRANSFORMATION!
BEHIND THIS SCREEN,
I AM A SHADOW, FREE AND UNTAMED.
IT’S POSSIBLE!
SHADOWS CAN FLY!
HEAR ME ROAR
WATCH ME SOAR
I AM A SHADOW, FREE AND UNTAMED.
COME ON, HIT PLAY!
(speaking) What the -?
(LACIE approaches the PUPPET THEATRE.)
LACIE
Are you the...Shadow Child? Can you come out? We’re looking for our friend.
(CHILD suddenly roars. LACIE falls back in terror and collapses.)
CHILD
COWARD! WHY WON’T YOU PLAY WITH ME?!
(TARO jumps in front of LACIE.)
TARO
You’re the coward! Come out of the dark then, if you want to play!
LUX VIA! (“light the way” - waves wand)
(TARO casts a spell. Light illuminates the room and SHADOW PUPPET fades, ANIMATION blacks out. CHILD growls and jumps out from behind the stage. She is wearing a MASK and lion pajamas. She pushes over the stage and rips apart her paper puppets.)
CHILD
NO! I AM SHADOW CHILD.
I AM FIERCE, STRONG, and FREE!
SKY
You are not free if you hide behind your shadow.
COURAGE is to live facing our fears.
COURAGE is healing by sharing with ones we trust!
(CHILD suddenly falls silent.)
CHILD
But I have no one like that…
(She begins to sob, then runs to hide inside the CLOSET.)
13. “I am Afraid”
CHILD
I AM AFRAID, AFRAID OF THE LIGHT.
FOR THE LIGHT ONLY MAKES THE DARK
FEEL DARKER THAN BEFORE.
THE OUTSIDE WORLD
IS SCARY AND MEAN.
IF I NEVER GROW, I’LL NEVER KNOW.
I AM AFRAID, AFRAID OF THE LIGHT.
FOR THE LIGHT ONLY MAKES THE DARK
FEEL DARKER THAN BEFORE.
DON’T TURN ON THE LIGHT.
LOCK ME UP HERE. I AM SAFE HERE.
SKY
That’s KANSA’s voice! It must be KANSA again!
(SKY runs to the closet and pulls on the door. KANSA holds it shut.)
SKY
Come out! KANSA, I’m SORRY.
PLEASE BELIEVE ME.
SMILE AND JOIN US
BACK IN OUR JOYFUL WORLD.
KANSA
You still don’t understand! I don’t need you to be SORRY. I can’t just BELIEVE.
(KANSA begins to hyperventilate.)
KANSA
Can’t -!
SKY
She’s having a panic attack!
Someone, help! LACIE! Try the lullaby!
LACIE
Th- the s- song I wrote for KANSA?
(LACIE clears her throat. She traces the character “human” (Ren) in her palm three times to calm her nerves.)
LACIE
Courage...courage...courage
Human...human...human...
(She takes a deep breath and sings, at first shakily and gradually gaining confidence.)
14. “Weeping Iris”
LACIE
WEEPING IRIS
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?
LET’S COUNT THEM, YOUR FEARS
HUMAN, HUMAN, HUMAN
LET’S COUNT THEM, YOUR TEARS
HUMAN, HUMAN, HUMAN
O, LITTLE MIGHTY HUMAN
I SEE YOU
I HEAR YOU
I FEEL YOU
I AM HERE
I AM HERE
(KANSA’s breathing calms. CHILD slowly steps out of the closet. LACIE approaches.)
LACIE
I’m ready to play now.
Singing for you has found me courage.
Like I did once for a sweet girl much like you.
Want a piggyback ride?
(CHILD hesitates, then jumps on LACIE’s back. LACIE continues to hum the lullaby, FLOWER CLUB joins her. Cute silly, childlike sound effects. CHILD giggles as LACIE bounces her up and down. LACIE carries her to the bed and tucks her in.)
LACIE
Someone once taught me this. A little mantra for courage.
“Human human human.”
(She traces the character “human” three times in her palm. CHILD copies.)
CHILD
Human human human…
(Child falls asleep. Her MASK slides off, revealing KANSA. FLOWER CLUB gasps.)
LACIE, SATSUKI, and TARO
KANSA!
(SKY remains silent at a distance.)
SKY
I suspected so.
MS ASSASSIN. MADAME COURTESAN. SHADOW CHILD.
They were all you.
And I’ve failed all of you.
LACIE
What do we do now? She’s not waking up.
SATSUKI
Let’s go back to the CENTER, maybe we can find something there.
TARO
The AMAZING SOFA and CAULIFLOWER!
Come on, SKY!
SKY
Why do we cause the greatest hurt,
To the people we love most?
(Sky slowly gets up. LACIE carries KANSA on her back, FLOWER CLUB exits with SKY last, disheartened. Interlude.)
SCENE 5.
CENTER OF THE LABYRINTH. Melancholy, bittersweet. (FLOWER CLUB enters. LACIE puts KANSA on the sofa and tucks her in with the DOLLS.)
TARO
Great! We’re back where we started.
LACIE
Except now we know much more about KANSA.
SKY
Do we?
SATSUKI
We’ve learnt that the GUARDIANS in each memory room were KANSA’s alternate selves born at sometime to protect her and her suppressed secrets.
(SKY sits down beside KANSA.)
SKY
But what do we know about KANSA? She is not just her stories or trauma. What about her feelings? The more I see, the less I understand.
UNDERSTANDING IS UNHAPPINESS.
HOW DO WE EVER REACH ONE ANOTHER?
KANSA, can you hear me?
If I had another wish...
(KANSA stirs in her fever dream. She begins to hear SKY’s voice.)
15. “I Would Wish”
SKY
I WOULD WISH WE COULD ONE DAY, FINALLY DO A GOOD JOB,
LOVING AND PROTECTING THOSE PRECIOUS TO US.
KANSA (weakly, eyes still closed)
GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH.
SKY
I WOULD WISH WE DIDN’T HAVE TO MESS UP, MAKE BAD CHOICES,
AND HURT EACH OTHER IN WAYS WE NEVER INTENDED.
KANSA
GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH. (gradually opening eyes, sees SKY and starts tearing up)
SKY
I WOULD WISH LOVE JUST MADE A LITTLE MORE SENSE,
SO THAT OUR PAIN IS ENOUGH OF A PRICE,
FOR SOME DECENT HAPPINESS.
KANSA (now fully awake)
I WOULD WISH I COULD STILL CRY WHEN I’M IN PAIN.
I WOULD WISH THE SUFFERING COULD STOP,
JUST FREEZE, FOR ONE MOMENT,
JUST GO AWAY, GO AWAY,
FOR ONE HEARTBEAT.
SKY AND KANSA
WHAT DID WE DO, TO DESERVE THIS?
(SKY holds KANSA’s hand. Long pause.)
SKY
Hi.
KANSA
Hi … I’m … I’m afraid.
SKY
Hi, Afraid. I am SKY.
KANSA (gives a weak smile)
You’re still so derpy...
SKY
Yep, still derpy SKY doing derpy things!
(KANSA and SKY laugh a bit awkwardly. They pause again in silence.)
KANSA
SKY...I feel like a Stranger.
SKY
A Stranger?
KANSA
A Stranger to you, A Stranger to myself.
SKY
Okay... maybe... tell me a story about this Stranger? Then perhaps we can understand them more.
KANSA
I can’t even quite remember...
SKY
It’s okay, we’ll take one step at a time. Just begin anywhere.
TARO
Hey, we want to hear too!!
(FLOWER CLUB gathers around SKY and KANSA.)
KANSA
Once, there was this girl...
(pause, finding it difficult to go on)
SKY
Mhmm... I like girls. Go on.
(KANSA gives a weak laugh and sighs. LACIE takes SATSUKI’s hand and smiles at her, SATSUKI blushes.)
KANSA
She lived with her mother and father in a big house.
Everyday they sat at opposite ends of a long feast table.
No one ate or talked.
One day, mother and father said, “if only you were never born”,
and locked her up in a dark room.
But she’s not alone.
She plays hide and seek with her dolls.
(pauses)
Then, she starts turning red and blue. The dolls see her bruises and scars. They weep purple tears and dispose of mother and father.
Now she is free, they think.
(FLOWER CLUB gulps)
She goes to live with her aunt in a small house.
Everynight the aunt brings guests to her room and says,
‘Filthy girl, don’t be ungrateful’.
They do more than eat and talk.
(pauses)
She starts to feel nothing. The dolls give her a tin suit.
They weep purple tears and lure the guests away.
Now she can be free, they think.
(FLOWER CLUB takes a deep breath)
She runs to a cabin in the woods.
There it’s just her and her dolls.
She sleeps like a baby.
(pauses, FLOWER CLUB sighs heavily)
LACIE
Wow...that…
TARO
And then? Is there more?
KANSA
One day, a kind man finds her and brings her to the outside world.
She meets kind people. They call themselves her friends. They give her cake and bandages.
But her dolls are skeptical and protective. They start wreaking havoc.
She doesn’t know how to control them.
She decides to disappear.
(SKY stares at KANSA, stunned. FLOWER CLUB stands still and silent, trying to process the information.)
SKY
Kansa... Thank you for telling us her story…
That must have taken a lot of courage.
(KANSA breaks down and begins to cry.)
KANSA
I was so afraid… I’ve never felt more afraid than after I began to know what love tastes like.
Love is so much more terrifying than loneliness.
16. “To Love, Makes One Solitary”
KANSA
TO LOVE, MAKES ONE SOLITARY.
TO LOVE, MAKES ONE STRANGE.
I WAS NOT THAT GIRL
WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.
THE MORE I WAS LOVED,
THE MORE I HATED MYSELF
“WHY COULD I NOT JUST BE HAPPY?”
THE MORE I WAS LOVED,
THE LONELIER AND STRANGER I BECAME.
TO LOVE, MAKES ONE SOLITARY.
TO LOVE, MAKES ONE STRANGE.
TARO
Hey, KANSA.
You are You.
You don’t have to be anything to anyone to be worthy of love.
SATSUKI
The ASSASSIN, the COURTESAN, the CHILD.
We’ve met them now. We’ve heard their stories.
LACIE
And we’ve embraced them all.
If anything, we love you all the more.
SKY
KANSA, I’m sorry for imposing my love.
I wished for your happiness.
But happy is not your obligation,
To me, yourself, or anyone.
Not an ultimatum, nor a demand.
Being happy is not a condition for being loved.
I’m sorry my wish became a burden.
What must I do, for you to believe me?
That my love, however naive, is real.
KANSA
SKY, I’m sorry too.
I pushed you away, because I was afraid.
I insisted on the impossibility of understanding.
I made you a Stranger.
I, too, want to believe…
SKY
I guess I can only keep trying,
trying to understand,
trying to learn how to love you
in the way you need.
(KANSA looks at SKY, then embraces her.)
SKY
KANSA, we all have our darknesses.
We’ve all messed up here and there.
LACIE
We’ve all been afraid.
SATSUKI
And lonely.
TARO
And hungry.
(TARO shoves the half eaten cupcake she saved in front of KANSA’s face, making KANSA laugh briefly between tears. KANSA eats and continues to cry.)
SKY
You might feel like a stranger, you might be afraid to trust our love. But we have so much time to grow and try again. Let us hear your stories, let us be a part of your stories to come.
17. “Let us Cherish You”
LACIE, SATSUKI, TARO, and SKY
KANSA, YOUR PAIN IS OUR PRIVILEGE.
LET US STAND GUARD OVER YOU.
LET US CROSS YOUR PATH,
TO TRY CHERISHING YOU AGAIN
A THOUSAND TIMES OVER.
YOUR WISH IS OUR PROMISE.
MAGIC AND TRUTH.
DARE YOU TO LIVE.
DARE YOU TO LOVE.
DARE YOU TO BELIEVE.
WHEN YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF,
BELIEVE IN US, WHO BELIEVES IN YOU.
LET US CHERISH YOU.
SKY
Please come back now. And help us understand?
18. “Understanding Happiness”
KANSA
WHAT IS UNDERSTANDING?
IS IT HAPPINESS, OR UNHAPPINESS?
DOES IT BRING US CLOSER, OR PUSH US APART?
PERHAPS IT’S BOTH.
A CONTINUOUS PROCESS.
A BEAUTIFUL, PAINSTAKING ATTEMPT
TOWARDS MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS.
SKY
SO LET US KEEP TRYING.
A LULLABY, A BANDAGE, AND A CUPCAKE
IT TAKES JUST A LITTLE BELIEF AND MAGIC,
TO FIND A MOMENT OF UNDERSTANDING.
KANSA
A BRIEF MOMENT.
SKY
AN EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT.
KANSA and SKY (smiling at each other)
MAGIC and TRUTH.
KANSA - in GUARDIAN’s VOICES
Can you believe?
“I understand”.
Do they?
Is that understanding?
Could you be allowed that happiness?
KANSA
YES. YES. YES.
OUR MESSY ATTEMPTS,
ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IN.
MY LOVELY DERPS, I BELIEVE YOU.
YOU CAME INTO MY MAZE,
AND EMBRACED ALL MY PAIN.
YOU FOUND ME,
TIME AND AGAIN.
(LACIE hugs SKY and KANSA from behind, TARO jumps into them, knocking them onto the SOFA. She pulls SATSUKI down and they all fall over in a big pile, laughing in tears.)
ALL
AMAZING SOFA
HOW SWEET, YOUR EMBRACE
KANSA
I’m ready. Let’s go home.
(Wind rises around the SOFA. The FLOWER CLUB pulls out their wands.)
1a. “Roris marini” (Rosemary) - REPRISE
SKY
ONCE YOU TURNED TO ME
WITH CRUMBS ON YOUR FACE, AND SAY
“WHAT A MESS WE MADE.”
KANSA
I LAUGH BETWEEN TEARS, AND ASK,
“DO YOU REMEMBER
THAT ROSEMARY CAKE?”
ALL
RORIS MARINI! (wave wands)
YOUR WISH IS MY PROMISE.
THE FLOWER CLUB PROMISES YOU (kiss pinkies)
MAGIC AND TRUTH. (link pinkies in a circle)
RORIS MARINI! (wave wands)
DARE YOU TO LOVE.
DARE YOU TO LIVE.
DARE YOU TO BELIEVE. (shake linked hands three times)
IN THE MESS,
THERE IS MAGIC AND TRUTH.
RORIS MARINI! (wave wands)
REMEMBER YOUR HEART.
REMEMBER YOUR PAIN.
REMEMBER MY PROMISE. (shake linked hands three times)
IN THE MESS,
THERE IS MAGIC AND TRUTH.
End.