castle_whims | FINALE

End of the Tale

It's... over. Mostly, anyway. A decision has reluctantly been made by the group about the doll that started this mess and it seems that, perhaps, it's time to at least get a grip on what's going to come next. Not just for you but for everyone here. Nanami has cleared the way to the Academy and the Little Brothers are there to lend hands if needed against any stray monsters.

Take a deep breath of sea air. It's been a stressful seven weeks but maybe you'll be able to put all this behind you for good soon. It might take days, weeks, months, or even years yet... It's a small comfort but when the night comes it's a moonless night.

It seems the game of the Kaguya Doll is truly over for good.

OOC

Thank you for your participation in Round 2, everyone! This is your golden ending log. You may celebrate, cry, mock Kakuya or Father. Father is still in his cube and the sheep aren't exactly happy with him and will bring him up for you to throw water at. This is a post purely for Round 2. Tomorrow at 12 PST/3 EST we will be posting a reunion post for R1, R2, and castmates either played by other players in this game or NPCed by them. We hope you've enjoyed this round as much as we have.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[When Father's cube is retrieved, Edward stands in front of it for several long moments, regarding the being who is trapped inside, and presumably not happy about it. He's still burning, he notices, and a shudder of remembered pain trembles through him, just for a moment, though his expression doesn't change.

And then, still with an expression that is so mild it's almost serene, he walks around the cube and finds the environmental control panel, and sets it to rain.

It's a drizzle at first, barely anything, and Edward just continues regarding the figure in the cube as he deliberately turns the force of the rain up and up and up.]

[Later, Edward has found his way back to his room and found the portraits he had drawn of everyone in pencil, still sitting where he had left them on his desk. Most of the things he'd left that final day were, actually, which surprises him a little. He finally removes the school uniform, deliberately rips his handbook in half, and dresses again in the clothes he had been wearing when he'd come here, putting the lock of Bella's hair in his pocket. Afterwards, he ventures again to the hall, and uncertainly approaches his classmates, unsure of his reception, but wanting to offer them their portrait if they'll accept it. They're small things, done on blank cardstock flashcards, but reasonably accurate.]

You don't have to take it.

[...oh, she didn't expect that, but still.]

Oh, I'm definitely keeping this. It'll be a happy souvenir of our time here, you know?

[The look he gives her contains a great deal of curiosity and a tinge of disbelief before he grins, careful as usual not to flash too much of his white, white teeth.]

I will admit, a happy souvenir of time here isn't exactly what I'd expect from this, or anything else. Too many complicated situations and emotions in connection with the place, perhaps, regardless of the item.

That's kind of true. But I want to remember the good things I found here too, you know? And this is good for that.

[She shrugs a little.] Sorry we didn't talk much.

May I?

[She absolutely skips down the stairs like a child at school because apparently there's this Father Water Toy to play with now. Oh. It's Edward. Instinctive fear! But also, she can defer to him on the father torturing front for obvious reasons!]

Ah. I can wait.

[He looks over at her as she skips up behind him, and then there's that instinctive moment of hesitation, of briefly shying back. She even knows why she feels that now, but she seems to more or less brush the sensation aside soon enough.

He grins, however, at the question, and steps away from the control panel willingly enough. The rain inside of it is already fairly heavy.]

Be my guest. I'm happy enough to watch for this.

Edited 2022-10-04 01:24 (UTC)

[She puts her palms together and nods, barely more demure than a clap.]

I appreciate it. You are quite philosophical.

[At first, she is merely familiarizing herself with the controls, buttons and levers and dials unpushed, the rain continuing to beat down in the background. Her eyes are cast down there when she speaks to Edward more:]

It's strange to think how many weeks ago I gave you that demand. "Tackle him flat on his back." Thought that the man would be brave enough to appear in person. That anything would ever be simple. That I was in control of my life.

[She looks sideways at Edward, calmer, curious.]

Did you ever wonder why? When I came to the dance with a water bottle and a handkerchief?

[His gaze sharpened slightly, starting to get an idea, and he looks a little interested.

It's not the sort of thing he'd normally approve of, and probably he shouldn't here. He really should be better. He's been trying to be better. Still, this is the man who killed him personally, and who ordered the death of other children. And he won't even die here.]

I can't say I did. They're common enough items.

That was intentional. To not be interrupted. It was wise in the end to not bring a weapon and alarm everyone when he did not even show up.

There are many different types of torture, but almost all of them are wasteful in some way. It is a show of power to inflict relatively mild injury that slowly. Bleeding is relatively easy to endure, as it takes several minutes to bleed to death. Blunt methods, like the rack, are quite imprecise. Burns even more so. What humans know they need most to survive is not food or drink, not even blood, but air.

Even then, there are differences between the methods. Pressuring the neck, or the nose and mouth, it is very easy to apply too much force or too little. No, there is only one perfect method to use if you want to make someone fear death at the touch of your hand, and leave no other scar.

[Jeanne pushes two levers in opposite directions. Father's cage is turned diagonally, a corner pointing down, putting him on shaky footing. He's made of monstrous enough material that he can resist succumbing even if this angle causes the water level to submerge him, but a bad time is coming.]

Waterboarding.

FINALE

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Portrait

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Cube

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cw waterboarding next few tags (will note again when over)

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other torture also graphically described