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

[dragonheartedgirl]

Welp. WELP guess this is how she says it for the first time? D's a good influence.

F--Fuck. Fuck! Fuck!

[ She's sobbing openly, uncontrollably, and sagging onto her knees. It does, however, feel strangely--cathartic--to say that word, like she's released some valve she didn't even know had pressure building up behind it. Not that she can manage to say it anymore--she's crying so hard at this point that she can't say a thing anymore. ]

[maxxximumeffort]

[he gathers her up in a tight, protective hug, giving her some stability.]

Ah, shit. You're a natural, Princess. Really organic. Just rips the guts right outta me.

[dragonheartedgirl]

[ She is.... unfortunately very good at crying. Sometimes it feels like the only thing she's any good at. Being held is welcome, though, and she latches onto his body like a lifeline in the midst of a stormy sea. ]

[maxxximumeffort]

[as unhinged and hyper as D can get sometimes, he just holds her now, soothing and squeezing sometimes. He is even quiet as he picks her up off her feet to make some progress on getting the hell out of here.]

That's it. There you go. I know, I know. They hurt you so bad. Those sentient pantywaists, who the fuck do they think they are.

[dragonheartedgirl]

[ It's true. It's true; they hurt her... so badly. And they didn't even let her process it? They left her locked up in a mirror for a hundred years to suit their--fans--and... and it's not just they did to her, it's what they did to everyone, it's what they made her do to others, things she can't ever begin to make penance or reparation for, things that even though she'll try, they'll all still have to carry around like grave markers in their hearts.

Honestly, she



cries until she just plain doesn't have any tears left, and her sobbing has left her chest aching and her breathing shaky. But at least... she's stopped. She shifts, apparently making to move away. ]

... Thank you.

[maxxximumeffort]

[When she shifts he goes ahead and puts her back down, carefully.]

Easy. Here, I got some illegally requisitioned water. Might wanna dump it on your face.

[dragonheartedgirl]

[ Illegally requisitioned water? What is he talking about? Now that he mentions it, though, she is.... no, tired doesn't even begin to cover this bone-weary exhaustion. Her body is fine, honestly, it's like she didn't spend any time in the mirror at all, but mentally she's been through hell.

She looks up at him blankly. ]

Can I drink it instead?

[ She--is suddenly thirsty, almost unbearably so. Between mentally feeling as though she hasn't had anything to drink in a century, and dehydrating herself--she doesn't just want water, she needs it. ]

[maxxximumeffort]

Course you can.

[here plz drink water. plz]

[dragonheartedgirl]

[ She's going to guzzle that water down, like--every bit of it. It tastes and feels so good on her tongue and going down her throat, cool and wet all the way--honestly if she wasn't out of tears she'd probably cry again.

It's only when she's finished off the--glass? bottle?--that she'll stop and speak again. ]

Thank you. I feel a little bit better now.

[ Which is. True? She already feels a little less drained; she looks a little more with it, too: at least her cheeks are no longer deathly pale. ]

[maxxximumeffort]

IT's okay. C'mon, let's get home. Just take it slow, Peach.

[dragonheartedgirl]

"Peach?"

[maxxximumeffort]

The princess of the mushroom kingdom! The most wonderful kingdom.

[dragonheartedgirl]

I forgot what an odd place the future is. There's a kingdom of mushrooms now?

[maxxximumeffort]

Don't worry about it. It's an affectionate nickname. Means I like ya.

/2

[dragonheartedgirl]

Oh!

[dragonheartedgirl]

.... "Peach." All right.

[ das kinda cute ]

[maxxximumeffort]

Heeey. There you go. See, there's smiling in post-murderdeath madness. Just one step at a time.

[dragonheartedgirl]

Yes, I suppose that's true.

[ having it pointed out, though--she just feels a deep pang of guilt. does she even have the right to smile about things anymore? ]

[maxxximumeffort]

Best thing you can do. You're gonna get a little used to this. Don't freak out, okay? Happens to everybody. It's how peoples work. They're good at survivin'.

[dragonheartedgirl]

Used to this....

[ What a numbing thought, having to adjust to a cycle of murder and dying and torture to turn around and have to smile again. She feels... tired. ]

If you say so.

[maxxximumeffort]

Hey.

[he tugs his mask up, mostly.]

I bet a peach like you thinks a nutsack like me should still have a chance, right?

If I can get through this, you got a pretty good shot.

[dragonheartedgirl]

[ I'm

so, so sorry Wade, like. she's never seen your face before and she's just. never been good at fronting and. AND IT'S JUST, ]

Who did that to you?!

[ it's like someone threw hot tar on his face and then pulled it off, it

WHY!? THAT GAME WAS CRAZY, BUT WHY!? ]

[maxxximumeffort]

[plz he's very used to it now.]

Don't remember yet. But I know I've been like this for a while! Before I changed careers to idoldom.

[dragonheartedgirl]

That happened before?

[maxxximumeffort]

Yep. I woke up like this. I'm afraid your dad kisses this mouth.