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]

Really? No underlyin' issues at all from the murder mansion funfest? You're just gonna be over it.

[rollwillpowercheck]

That's not--

[stops and chooses his next words more carefully.]

I'm not just going to be over it. But we... made it out. So right now, I'm focusing on that?

[artificialinelegance]

Sounds fine, but I'll be expectin' a talk later.

[rollwillpowercheck]

Mm. I think we should all probably talk.

[artificialinelegance]

I'd rather do some one on ones before the big group talk. Also I need t'punch Lucy a bunch in private.

[rollwillpowercheck]

Well... either way. And, um, I understand the urge, but maybe don't actually punch him?

[artificialinelegance]

Gimmie five reasons why not. None of 'em can be 'ghosts'.

[rollwillpowercheck]

I don't know if I can give five, but...?

[oh well it's a good distraction from THINKING ABOUT HIS OWN BETRAYAL ACTIONS.]

He's... from the start, it's been like he's lost more than just his memories, you know? He's smart, but I don't think he has a lot of the same, um, basic framework that the rest of us have. I guess I'm trying to say that he seems really impressionable in some ways?

[artificialinelegance]

I shouldn't be hard on him because he's a dumb emotionally immature baby, got it.

[rollwillpowercheck]

[makes a defeated sort of sound.]

Well when you put it like that...! But. Yeah. Basically.

[artificialinelegance]

I'll make an attempt.