BETRAYAL AT THE HOUSE ON THE GAME TOWER - END

[idolpro]

Who: Traitors and Survivors, Exael
Where: The Game Tower, and leaving it
When: Day 25, morning-- it appears that game lasted the bulk of day 24 into the night.

[ Abruptly, the nightmare ends.

You, in the rooms you kept restarting in, awoke. Before you can even panic, before even despair, the elevator doors were open in front of you to take you downstairs again. It could be a trap, sure, but your head is quiet— those fucking ghosts are gone. You also appear to be wet like someone dumped, perhaps, a bucket of holy water on you while you were asleep. All your wounds are gone, and you have been left bereft of any physical damage from your ordeal.

Unless you choose to take some with you. Nothing prevents you from taking any of your spoils downstairs with you, if you wish it, though all revolvers will have no ammo.

On the screens as you descend back to the lobby, Exael is clapping on screen, broadcast showing her in the mansion's entrance hall. "And so close the gates to this forbidden garden, and so closes this chapter of our story! Just as—" her hologram flickers as she doesn't seem to notice, chattering still to the cameras, "so too will—" fzzt, fzzt. Static, flickering, and then back into focus, "So give them all a hand! Everyone, you've done well! You stand before us still, ready to present us all with more marvels after having survived such grisly wonders with—" "—in the balance!"

As she speaks, she doesn't notice a figure approaching behind her. He's in a slick suit with both hands in his pockets, and you've seen him before— his portrait is in the foyer. His shoes are utterly silent as he walks across the marble floor, till he's right at her back.

"Audience and actors alike, we've been blessed with—" Her hologram doesn't flicker this time, but she stops speaking. Her eyebrows furrow as she tries to figure out what's amiss, and only belatedly begins to slowly look over her shoulder.

"Exael," he says with a friendly hand on her solidifying hologram shoulder, the effect spreading beneath his touch, "We need to have a chat about your requisitions paperwork."

She tilts her head, eyes wide with a finger tapping against her cheek as she thinks, "I didn't do any!"

"Yes," he agrees, smiling with all his teeth. "I know."

The broadcast cuts. The doors open to let you leave. ]

Comments

[artificialinelegance]

[ oh I guess...I should help you out before I go lose my shit... squatting down next to him ]

Yo, Whiskers?

[eatsthecanary]

Oh, the dog.

[ his face is relatively impassive but he still looks kinda :SSSS ]

... I feel full.

[artificialinelegance]

I bet. ...Need a moment? I can help ya home if ya want.

[eatsthecanary]

I need a nap.

[ tbh. he moves to push himself to stand, a bit shakily ]

[artificialinelegance]

[ hhhelping him up ]

...Sorry.

[ for like literally everything up to and including her new feelings for you ]

[eatsthecanary]

[ a beat, before he kind of looks at her ]

Why? I'm guessing you weren't exactly sane for that.

[artificialinelegance]

Yeah somehow I don't think I'm gonna not blame myself for the like 6 murders I committed. 100% kill rate for my own unit, shit's fucked up. Ain't like anything I felt in that fuckin' house was new or anything.

[eatsthecanary]

[ I mean, ]

Are you going to blame me for finishing off your teammate?

[artificialinelegance]

For finishin' off Lucifel when I told you to at gunpoint, after I already left him t'die? Yeah, no.

[eatsthecanary]

[ hm ]

Why are you guilty over something you couldn't control?

[artificialinelegance]

I shoulda been able to. Fuck, I was so stupid I figured killin' everyone in that room meant i did have control. I ain't blamin' that shit on ghosts, 'cause it ain't nothin I had to have an extra voice in my head to think up.

[eatsthecanary]

Wait, so you killing them all -- was that your own choice? Is that what you're trying to say?

[ look he doesn't want it implied to him he could have exerted more control if had tried hard enough too ]

[artificialinelegance]

Sure felt like it. Still does.

[eatsthecanary]

It didn't get you any extra points.

[artificialinelegance]

The idea I that 'mechanically insane' feels exactly th' same t'me as 'sane but with less of a filter' ain't exactly comfortin', Whiskers.

[eatsthecanary]

Oh.

[...]

Is this the part where I should tell you you're an awful person and you should feel bad?

[artificialinelegance]

Words ain't worth shit. If you're gonna do somethin' hurt me.

[eatsthecanary]

I don't really believe any of that anyway. And I'm too full to hurt you right now.

[ kitty wants a nap!! ]

[artificialinelegance]

Later, then. I'll swing by your place.

Also 'course you don't believe it, I'm sure if you did you'd have to think unflatterin' shit 'bout yourself.

[eatsthecanary]

I couldn't control what I did in that game either.

[artificialinelegance]

Must be nice t'be that naive.

[eatsthecanary]

What, you think I'd normally act like an attention starved housecat?

[artificialinelegance]

[ hm hm

reaches up

to scratch his ears. ]

[eatsthecanary]

[ - - fuck you!! tries to bat her hands away. ]

[artificialinelegance]

Haha. Cute.

[ does it again ]