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

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[................oh buddy no. Wraps his arms around Hurricane tight.] It's Mori. You still with me, Hurricane-kun?

[crossmyheartandhope]

I'm - here?

[It doesn't sound quite sure, is the thing. The inflection on the end almost makes it a question.]

[Now that Mori's holding on to him, it's probably pretty obvious when he starts trembling.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Mori wants to cry so badly, but he's trying hard to hold it in for Hurricane.

Maybe not completely successfully but he's trying, rubbing his back.]

You're here. You're right here, whatever happened, it's all over now. I've got you, Hurricane-kun.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Oh. That's.]

[He spent actual, literal decades imagining something like this.]

[His hands are definitely shaking when they come up to return the hug, and his breath hitches on the inhale.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Mori is so upset what happened to him??? Curling one hand in Hurricane's hair and stroking his head too, shhh shhhhh]

It's okay. You'll be okay. I'm with you, I'll stay with you as long as you need.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Yeah, okay. If the words didn't do it, the hair petting would have. He just kind of falls apart a little.]

[That hitched breathing is picking up the pace to turn into outright sobbing, and the hands around Mori tighten their hold to something that is pretty damn desperate.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[It is getting harder and harder for Mori not to cry.] Y-You're going to be okay, Hurricane-kun. I've got you, so just, let it out, you're safe now. Take as long as you need.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Good thing it's as long as he needs, because he's clinging like he's afraid to let go.]

[He's not so much sobbing as out-and-out wailing, now, desperate and broken and decidedly unsteady.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[This is very concerning. Everything is a concern.]

I've got you, I've got you. You're safe, we're all here with you.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[That all sounds amazing, and honestly, he's not sure he can deal right now?]

[Which is to say, just going to bury his face in Mori's shoulder and kind of fall apart for a little while. Kay? Kay.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Kay. Mori will wait it out with him, continuing to murmur reassurances and stroke his hair, he can do this all day.]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He needs the contact and someone else's voice so much right now.]

[But eventually, sheer exhaustion is going to start tamping down on the hysteria a little, and the wailing will start to taper off back into hitched breathing.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Rubbing his back]

Shall we go home, Hurricane-kun?

[crossmyheartandhope]

...we. C-can we?

For real?

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

Of course we can.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Yyyyeah, just. Going to start sobbing again, like even the idea is too much.]

[Sorry, Mori.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Awww buddy.] Oh - Hey, it's alright, it's okay. It's okay, Hurricane-kun.

[crossmyheartandhope]

I want. I w-want -

[He can't even finish the sentence, he's crying so hard.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

Do you want me to take you home?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Just nodding, a little frantically. Words are hard right now.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Mori squeezes him tight one last time before pulling back slightly, but he keeps his hands on Hurricane. Hooking his arm under Hurricane's and easing him up.]

Come on, I got you.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He's successfully levered up, though he's shaky and a little unsteady on his feet. He's full-on leaning on Mori, more for the contact than the support.]

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

[Okay, this is fine. Mori takes one of Hurricane's arms and drapes it over his shoulder so he can take more of his weight.]

I'm gonna start walking now.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He still hasn't calmed down, but he's standing mostly under his own power?]

Y-yeah. Please. Can we -?

[ferociousfuckingnerd]

We can. Let's go home, Hurricane-kun.

[HEADING TOWARDS THE DORM]