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

[unbr8kable]

[By the time he's done she's long since run out of words. The soft, shaky strokes through his hair continue though, waiting for his breaths to calm]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[And eventually they do. They're not smooth and even, but at least he doesn't seem like he's going to shake himself apart anymore.]

[unbr8kable]

[Good. Not that she wouldn't try to hold him together but it's much less terrifying not needing to. In any case, she does not pull away]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He takes a breath in. Another.]

[Eventually, hoarse and kind of shaky:]

...sorry. Your jacket's kinda. Kinda gross.

[unbr8kable]

[soft, like her throat feels hot]

...Been a gross night. Wire'll just have to scrub harder next time.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[It takes a beat or two too long for him to get the reference. It's been a long, long time since then.]

[Thankfully (?) he's spent entire years turning over better times in his mind, trying as best he was able to think of anything but a dark, empty space and a window out into the kitchen.]

[So he gets there, eventually - makes a wet, choked sort of sound that might be trying to be a laugh.]

[unbr8kable]

[Ah

Ahh.

Her fingers clench reflexively; her attempt at a smile goes even weaker than before and it's surely not the right time, but. still.]

...I know maybe you don't wanna talk about it and I promise you don't have to, but I gotta ask. How did this happen, who did this?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[She probably feels him tense right the hell up. His eyes skitter to the side, and his breathing picks up, and - yeah, the shaking sure is back.]

He. H-he pushed me.

[unbr8kable]

[Also tenses, but holds him more securely anyway. Her voice stays soft.]

Can you tell me about it? I wanna make sure he never does it again.

[Just. Ignoring how well her defense went last time. But this is more important. She can't give up without even knowing.]

[crossmyheartandhope]

I should've.

[He pauses. Swallows. He has had a long time to think about this.]

I messed up. I got - warned. But I thought. He said mirrors, and there wasn't - it wasn't.

[unbr8kable]

So he pushed you anyway?

[crossmyheartandhope]

I. H-he.

[His breathing has definitely picked up, here - he's borderline hyperventilating.]

I let him. I could've - [He squeezes his eyes shut, holding onto her like his life depends on it.] He said. He said he wouldn't hurt me.

[unbr8kable]

[She listens to the rush of his breath, can feel the pounding of his heart through the grimy uniform, and she shouldn't push but she has to.]

Who?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[This is not a good sound. It's choked and kind of keening, and he still hasn't opened his eyes. The motion of his chest's too shallow, like he can't get a good breath in.]

[He shakes his head, a jerky kind of denial: of the question, or the event, or of whatever's going on behind his eyelids, maybe.]

[unbr8kable]

Hurricane.

[shit.]

Sorry--sorry. You--have to breathe, okay? Do it with me, in for three counts, out for three. Okay?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Probably not actually okay. He doesn't give any indication of even having heard her.]

[unbr8kable]

Hey.

[She--how in the hell does this stuff even work?--she--moves to cup his face instead, hand clammy]

I'm--sorry, please come back.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He flinches back a little at the touch, but his eyes come open at least.]

[There's an instant before he processes that it's really her, and those couple of seconds seem to drag on forever. Then something clicks: the sight of her pushes back whatever else he was seeing, and the confirmation that it's her hand on his face chases away whatever else he thought was there.]

[He's still not really breathing properly, but. Baby steps?]

[unbr8kable]

[Okay. Okay. Worst person status confirmed, good job, asshole. Now, focus. She ducks her head, sucks in a shuddering breath of her own, gets her expression back in place before looking back up.]

...Breathe with me, okay? You'll feel better if you do.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He nods, jerky and a little unsure.]

[Actually responsive is probably a good sign, though, right?]

[unbr8kable]

[Possibly??? She is flying blind here, already failed the 'further fuck up your best friend'-check. But breathing, haven't screwed that pooch just yet, so, trying again]

In for three, then out for three. Let's try it. One...two...three...?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[This time he's actually following along with her. The counting seems to help, honestly.]

[The too-shallow gasps level out into something that's approaching normal, and trembling subsides, a fraction at a time, until it doesn't seem like he's in danger of - whatever that almost was.]

[unbr8kable]

[Good. Good. Her shoulders sag, and she lets the count slow then stop. At some point she's taken his hands, though, and doesn't let go]

Okay?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[His voice sounds wrecked, but:]

...thanks.

[unbr8kable]

[winces]

...Sorry.