Afterparty 5.0

[forcegalactic]

[There's not much that can be believed about that trial. Or that execution. Still, like before, two hours after everyone leaves, they'll find a note slipped underneath their doors.]

We have to stick together. The dining room is there for anyone that needs a quiet space, and I cooked dinner.

Hibiki made some coffee and dessert for all of us.

-Mordecai Benmont Jiminy and Hibiki Ganaha

[Today's selection includes potato pancakes and a light coffee cake. Hibiki has lit two more candles in the dining hall. It doesn't take long before Mordecai lights a third.]

Comments

[decrees]

They are, yes. Is there something you're curious about?

[He can try to answer any questions you have.]

[announcemyvictory]

Mainly why on earth he thought all of that was a good idea.

[decrees]

I'm afraid I cannot answer that one. All I can do is speculate. I did not know him very well, so keep that in mind.

[...]

I'm certain he believed this was for the best. Killing the Conductor was his primary goal, but... there would be no need to bring everyone back as a vampire, if that had been the only reason for this plan.

[People like Rakka and Morty probably wouldn't make very good vampires, right?]

[announcemyvictory]

Perhaps it was out of spite for the Conductor. For... using his image, if that really wasn't him. Ah, sorry; I heard it secondhand from Hibiki. I, er, left that meeting early.

[she didn't want to be anywhere near ghosts...]

[decrees]

Ah, yes, that's right...

[It really wasn't that bad! Sure, ghost Reaver was kind of rude, but of course he was.]

I'm not sure what his reasons were. Perhaps he was furious at being captured and kept in here, perhaps he was genuinely bothered by the deaths of our fellow "Participants". I don't know.

Regardless, what he did was wrong. However, given what we knew about Dio, none of us would have trusted him had he come to us with this plan.

Maybe there was a way to prevent this, but I'm not sure what it would have been. What matters now is that we attempt to move forward.

[His gaze flicks over to the candles again. Rakka and Morty. Neither of them deserved this and while he's trying very hard not to make excuses for Dio... it's becoming entirely too easy to sympathize with the murderers.]

[announcemyvictory]

With more plans and searching, then? I suppose that's gotten everything further than it was to begin with.

[decrees]

Yes, of course. We'll have another floor opened up soon. Perhaps we'll find something useful there.

[announcemyvictory]

We've got enough nice things around, but we could honestly use something that'll be of more use to escape. Or at least something that'll change things around.

[decrees]

That would certainly be nice, but I doubt we'll get anything that useful.

[announcemyvictory]

Though the ingenuity of this party is surprising. Everything you've all come up with has... well, mostly helped. Some of us, I'm not sure.

[decrees]

...We've done what we can. It hasn't been enough to prevent people from dying, but there are those of us who have been changed by everything that has happened.

[Logan would have snapped over some of these motives had they been used during the second week. And now look at him! He'd totally never kill anyone. Here. I mean he'd still kill hella people in Albion if he felt the need to but uh. That's not important!!]

[announcemyvictory]

...You're right. But that raises the question of where we go from here.

[decrees]

All we can really do is try to keep the group as close as possible. I understand that there are still tensions, but we need to work together. Dividing now will only hurt us.

[It's really not much to go on, he knows.]

[announcemyvictory]

I suppose it's the only thing to do.

[Ill-advised or not.]

But the murders so far have shown well enough that that doesn't always matter. Bonds, I mean.

[decrees]

...I know.

[Ashley and Asuka...]

Still, we cannot afford to panic. We must try to stick together and perhaps...

[It won't help. Nothing they do will help. Logan shakes his head and doesn't finish that thought.]

[announcemyvictory]

Right. It could. We aren't all bad. Some of us are just normal people. In the end, that's all it is.

[decrees]

[You're probably the only normal person we have, Elise...]

Yes.

[...]

I hope you make it through this, Elise. I understand that things have been incredibly difficult, but you have held your head high through everything. That is something I truly envy. I hope you make it through all of this.

[Maybe that's not the best way to go about it, since remaining "strong" all the time is partially what got him into so many disasters in the first place both here and back home, but well. Logan's never been good at this.]

[announcemyvictory]

That's-- I. Er, thank you. To be honest, that's what I thought of you. That you'd made it through everything, with everybody expecting you to be their leader, that is. You haven't done anything rash, and they all trust you.

[decrees]

Ah... Thank you. I will do everything I can to get as many people through this as possible.

[That's really touching and it's obvious Logan isn't sure how to react to it.]

[announcemyvictory]

They all believe in you. That's enough to get a little further. I'm glad.

[decrees]

[...He's never going to get used to hearing that. It's surreal to think that over four years ago he was actually a well-liked king, someone that the people could look up to and actually appreciate.

It's incredible what four years and a lot of trauma will do to a person, isn't it?]

I will do my best for all of them. I... That is my role in all of this.

[He can't serve Albion anymore, so he'll do what he can for everyone here, including the dead.]

[announcemyvictory]

I suppose that's all we can do. Follow what we've got to do.

[decrees]

Exactly. It will not be enough, but for now it is all we have.

[It's been five weeks. How much longer is this going to go on?]