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

[syncintohell]

[ Looks over his shoulder at her—

deer in headlights look

turns back around and STARTS RUNNING ]

[artificialinelegance]

[ fucking

chases. JOKES ON YOU SHE LIVES FOR THIS SHIT WHEN SHE'S GOING THROUGH A MENTAL BREAK ]

[syncintohell]

[ scree

HE'S STRONG BUT HIS STAMINA IS REALLY SHITTY AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT FROM SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T EAT AND PASSES OUT SOMETIMES

and the game on top of that means

she definitely catches up ]

Non! Do not follow me, I cannot bear to be spoken to now! With what I have done, I am worth none of your time!

[artificialinelegance]

[ yeah she is legit just gonna fucking tackle him to the ground. ]

KZ, shut th' fuck up! You're worth whatever fuckin' time I wanna spend on you, dickbag.

[syncintohell]

[ oof. yeah he goes down because he's really goddamn tired and doesn't have the energy to fight her.

he shuts up and looks at her, wide-eyed.

and then turns his head to stare at the ground ]

A Voice

[syncintohell]

Sorry. He's, ah, upset.

[ it's Shu's voice, but it's a pretty good impression of Persephone. ]

Re: A Voice

[artificialinelegance]

[ she just sort of for a moment digs her fingers into him, breathing heavily with a dumb fucking smile on her face because hahahahaha she's still in control still the one in charge he's scared of her she isn't scared of anything and

and

oh. right. she was trying to comfort him. She loosens her grip and starts looking less like a loon, though she doesn't actually like, get off of him ]

What th' fuck, are you still possessed?

A Voice

[syncintohell]

[ answering for Shu again ]

Not as far as, ah, I can tell. He wouldn't have run, if he were.

Re: A Voice

[artificialinelegance]

...Oh my fuckin' god. You are more fucked up than me, that's absolutely goddamn amazin'.

A Voice

[syncintohell]

Please give him a little leeway. He, ah, has been through a lot.

Re: A Voice

[artificialinelegance]

I been through a lot too an' I ain't over here doin' this Percy ass Percy shit. Seriously, why Percy?

[ sigh. ]

Hi, I'm Marigold. Nice t'meet ya, Disembodied Persephone.

[syncintohell]

I don't think he's been, ah, shy about his taste.

[ a beat ]

Maiden is fine.

[artificialinelegance]

[ snrk ]

Jesus wept, y'all come up with that one yourselves?

[syncintohell]

[ shu turns his head up to look at her ]

It is a perfectly fine name!

A Voice

[syncintohell]

I don't, ah, mind.

[syncintohell]

There is no need for you to withstand mockery.

[artificialinelegance]

KZ, shush. The coping mechanisms are havin' a talk.

[syncintohell]

I am not interested in your nonsense, and will speak as I wish!

[artificialinelegance]

What happened to bein' soooo upset?

[syncintohell]

My resolve has not changed, regardless of your insistence upon delaying me.

[artificialinelegance]

Good t'hear.

[ go back to being scared though ]

I just wanted t'talk.

[syncintohell]

[ jokes on you, he runs from people so he won't be an asshole to them, but once you've caught up it's over and he's an ass forever

Stonily: ]

We do appear to be speaking.

[artificialinelegance]

Y'should know how this goes by now. Spill th' beans, assclown.

[syncintohell]

If you address me that way, I will not! Furthermore, I haven't the slightest idea what you are referring to!

[artificialinelegance]

You get hurt, y'talk about it. Them's the breaks.