day six - aftermath

[guestcontrol]

dreamland day six 18 players remaining. As the voting period comes to an end, a bell goes off from the ticket machine, and the metal bars blocking the tunnel at the end of the Hall of Mirrors lifts. A voice speaks over the loudspeaker: "Attention, guests! Please make your way onto the ride! For your safety, keep your hands and arms inside and do not attempt to leave your seat!" Through the tunnel, single cars on a track stop and wait for each remaining player to step on. Don't dawdle, or your bracelet will begin to beep a warning. Once in a car, the safety bar locks you tightly inside, unable to move. The car trundles along a dark, twisting track, nearly veering into cartoonish obstacles, but veering away at the last moment. Music and cackling laughter echoes loudly through the ride as you drive faster and faster. Suddenly, your car veers off to the left, through a courtroom, where a towering cartoon judge threatens to bang a gavel. Your car jerks and evades, but somewhere, before one car can pass, the gavel comes down and the car spins off to the side, through a dark doorway. Each car comes to the end of the ride, but doesn't stop, and instead jerks into motion and, even faster, veers through the ride a second time. This time, your car does not enter the courtroom, but the doors to your left nonetheless open, showing instead of a courtroom a red room burning with cartoon flames. Above the flames hangs a corpse in a noose. The body of Tamaki Suoh hangs from a red rope noose, as a cackling voices pronounces: Guilty The ride turns away once more, and comes to a stop. A list of votes has been posted on the wall. You now have the rest of the evening to explore the park, before night comes again. You now have the rest of the evening to explore the park, before night comes again. One more thing: because of the successful execution of a VIP today, you now have a chance to vote for a MVP. MVP vote character statuses private conversations graveyard This is a general post-vote mingle encompassing the time from the end of the trial (about 5 PM until the fireworks at 11 PM). You are encouraged and welcome to backtag discussions in this post until the next day post, or to have afternoon private conversations.

Comments

graveyard

[cheats]

...Good riddance.

[ Ciel murmurs it to himself as they exit the macabre ride, but still, he doesn't seem particularly happy about it. Even if he was the Queen's Watchdog, he hardly ever took joy in his executions, and Tamaki's, though he was right, was no different. So as such, he feels that he needs peace.

He heads to their makeshift little graveyard, and he grimaces to see all of the graves that are there now. ]

This many people...

[ He looks upset, but he's just as quick to shake it off. He'll spend quite a bit of time here, praying at every grave, and if you wish to come mourn the dead, Ciel will do so with you. Even if killing the VIPs is technically a victory, for each one that claimed innocence to their demise, Ciel doesn't feel as justified in it. ]

[harepiece]

[A while in, Ciel will be joined by one tired-looking nerd with a handful of weedy flowers. He has one for each grave, and one for Tamaki, too.]

...Hi.

[Just hi... He's not sure if Ciel is up for conversing. He's not even sure if he's up for conversing. But he still speaks with an air of friendly warmth, and his demeanor doesn't indicate that he'll turn down conversation if it happens.]

[cheats]

[ Ciel is kneeling in front of Mahiru's grave when Oz approaches, though hers is just one in the line— He doesn't linger at hers longer than any others. Once he's finished with his quiet prayer, he looks up towards Oz, then sighs as he stands and dusts off his pants. ]

Hello, Oz.

[ He walks closer, then holds a hand out, a silent gesture to offer to place some of the flowers. ]

This is such a tiresome affair by now, isn't it?

[harepiece]

[He'll split the messy bouquet in two, easily handing half over.]

It is. There are only... seventeen? Eighteen of us left, I think? [He pauses to lay an extra one down for Anise, too.] And we're still no closer to figuring anything out than we were on day one.

[cheats]

[ He nods appreciatively, then he'll move to start setting the flowers at each grave, though he'll keep up the conversation as he does so. ]

All that seems any more certain is that we're likely to end up here. Despite speaking of hope a few days ago... Today it was I that accused someone, and even if my logic was sound, what for? I thought our VIPs complicit, greedy people. And yet so far, they have been some of the kindest amongst us.

[ Ciel pauses, then adds, ]

Three VIPs died today, yet I just feel tired more than anything.

[harepiece]

[He can't argue with that and wouldn't want to even if he could, so he just offers a somewhat deflated smile.]

I still don't think that we don't have any hope at all, but... I do think that we're running out of time. If the deaths keep up at this rate...

[Even if they're all VIP deaths, where does that leave them? At almost a fourth of the number of people they had started out with, without any actual guarantee that they'll be allowed to leave?]

[cheats]

[ Ciel nods solemnly, but there's another pause before he responds. ]

What a ridiculous game. Yet it seems all we can do is pray, both for others and for ourselves. Even though there is logic to these kills, I believe, there is also an element of it that is obscured to us so that it may as well be random.

[harepiece]

[He'll lay a few more flowers down, silent and thoughtful.]

If it's something that they can't or won't share with us, there's nothing we can do about that. But there has to be some way that we can figure it out for ourselves...

[cheats]

They're mad, clearly.

[ It's the simple explanation, and it seems Ciel will leave it at that, but after a few moments, he adds carefully: ]

...Or we are being lied to, I suppose. That is a possibility that has crossed my mind before, but I scarcely know how to propose such a theory.

[harepiece]

It would definitely make everything a lot more complicated.

[He sighs, finishes laying down his handful of flowers, and glances over in the direction of the lake. After a few seconds of thought:]

I think a little air would be good. Maybe some tea! Can we go get some?

[cheats]

[ Ciel looks surprised, at first, but... Why should he be? It's Oz, so this much should definitely be expected. He lays down the last of his flowers too as he breathes out a weary laugh, then stands straighter as he dusts off his hands. ]

That would be perfect, actually. I think a cup of tea would be rather soothing after today.

[harepiece]

I know how to steep tea pretty well by now, so I can make it!

[He won't even burn the kitchen down in the process!! But with that, and a last respectful look toward the grave site, he'll turn and lead the way off.]

[perfectstrike]

[Hey friend. Guess who's also a frequent visitor to the graveyard? This girl right here.

Ciel beats her there, though; by the time she arrives, he's already doing his thing. Peko doesn't want to interrupt, so she just stands a little ways away for a few minutes, letting him finish praying before approaching him from behind.]

You did well.

[As exhausted and subdued as she looks, there's a definite note of pride in her voice. She is so, so proud of you, not-yakuza other-bocchan.]

[cheats]

[ He's in front of Sigma's grave when Peko approaches, but he hadn't started his prayer just yet, so he'll pause in his rituals to speak with Peko instead. He stands, dusting off his pants lightly, and gives a soft, if weary smile. He seems more weathered and worn as well, since while he had kept his composure during the trial, it's not so simple to send a man to his death on words alone. He had been right, and yet, with the VIPs as they were...

It was not the same as he expected. Sending a murderer to the gallows was one thing, but this felt different. ]

Thank you.

[ His voice is soft and gentle, but then he half-laughs. ]

I cannot take all of the credit, however. It was another's theory, and I could not simply sit on the sidelines and watch as someone was condemned on a note when I knew of a better theory.

[photoshot]

[ someone is at Royce's, toying with a photo in between her fingers. she glances up when Ciel approaches the graves, though. ]

I thought you'd be prouder of yourself than that.

[cheats]

[ Ciel just sighs in a tired way, though he does smile. ]

I would be prouder if the VIPs were more typical murderers. If they did not proclaim their innocence until their death...

[ He shakes his head ]

I suspected Tamaki, but my pride at working through the logic of it is diminished by killing such a person.

[photoshot]

[ her own smile is brittle. ] They don't know what they're doing, but that's even more reason to stop them. It'd be better if we didn't have to stop them fatally. We just don't really have a choice.

[cheats]

No, that's just an excuse.

[ He says it coldly, but shakes his head. ]

It's one that I follow too, but thinking "there's no other choice" isn't correct. There was always another choice where we could minimize casualties. But we've chosen to prioritize our own lives over anyone else's. It's fair, of course, since that's what being human means. Being noble enough to lay down your own life for someone else's sake... That's a quality that only exists in stories.

[photoshot]

... Right, that choice.

And I don't really blame anyone for wanting to follow it. I think some people were, but that was before Miss Mahiru and Mr. Pines were killed. Sympathy for a VIP win seems to have entirely died out now.

[cheats]

As it should have.

[ He shrugs. ]

I am confused by their situation, and I do not feel as if it is right, whatever is truly happening here, but... That does not mean I show pity. If I did, I would not have brought forward my theory at all. That is the nature of how we have chosen to play this game, so at this point, there is also no wavering from that path.

[photoshot]

That's respectable. And I can't say with certainty, but if the VIP really are being brainwashed, I'd hope they wouldn't hold it against us to go through with this. They're not in their right minds.

[cheats]

[ He shrugs ]

Who can really know? I suppose we'll only find out once we "win," but even then, the odds are against us that we would make it to that point.

[photoshot]

Do you still believe that after three VIP have fallen today?

[cheats]

Yes.

[ He says that resolutely, then shrugs. ]

There are, what, three left? Unless the bomber kills some for us again, that's still three more days where we will lose our own to them. That's likely to be six people. I'm saying that it's likely to be one of those six. Even if we win the game overall, what do I care if I'm dead?

[photoshot]

Maybe you'll be protected by the medics, if they take a gamble that the VIP will continue to avoid Mr. Missile. Maybe you'll be a MVP tonight. You're not dead yet, so who can say?

And if you do die, maybe you'll see Miss Mahiru and Mr. Klim and everyone else again.