castle_whims | Week 6 Post-Trial

Week 6 Post-Trial

[So that was yet another depressing culmination of multiple people's emotional development arcs for good or for bad. People who had at least somewhat originally believed in the unification of the group. Maybe it wouldn't be appropriate to demand a gathering immediately. Surely people are at liberty to make stuffed animals and take their feelings out on furniture, if they see fit. But hoping not to be alone, Mizuki is in the dining hall.]

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[She has some Japanese style food with chara-ben style charmingly arranged pieces of candy.

She will be back in her room eventually.]

[Once he's done going through Nagisa's room, he'll walk up to her and wordlessly pass her the note intended for the two remaining sector leaders.]

Oh...

[Realizing that it is intended for the pair, she sets it down so she can call Nigel over.]

Thanks. Do you feel like you looked at everything? That's good work. I wouldn't have been ready right away.

[He opens his mouth, and then closes it. And then tries again.]

Every week, I get a little more empty again. So maybe... it's because of that.

[Cheshire Cat had said so, hadn't he?

He's such an empty shell.]

Uh...

I'm sorry, I just... thought it would be something nice to say...

I... I think it's really terrible, but becoming numb is kind of a necessary evil in this situation too...

[hence the Niko Niko Machine.]

So long as you don't overdo it. [hi he's catching the tail end of this conversation but he can about guess.]

What do you have there?

[gives a single weary but wide smile as he's closer

holds letter up towards his big cartoon hand]

It's a letter that Allen found in Nagisa's room for the two of us.

[MADE IT THROUGH THAT WHOLE PAINFUL SENTENCE!]

[Oh... It's Nigel. Allen looks dissatisfied with Mizuki's answer, but his expression clears again and he gives a nod of acknowledgment. Read away.]

[So he gets to read it, does he? Fine. He doesn't officially have a vice leader anymore, double shifts for Numbuh One. Clearing his throat, he dictates it. After he reads the last part, his name, he hands it back to Mizuki to yeet it properly if so desired and then grumbles.]

Hmph... if you were so confident in these leads, you could have just tried it with us first. Afraid of more disappointment, you coward?

[now he's flopping into a chair in front of some food to sulk and not eat it yet.]

Of course, it would be a waste to ignore them.

They're pretty faint leads. Practically, recycled. I can see why he hesitated. But... If he explored every avenue like this... Then maybe it's true. Behind that door could be our freedom.

[For now she's holding the letter in front of herself a moment longer to get some closure from visually reading the names.]

...So our next goal is going to be getting through that door?

It does seem like the last place we have left to explore.

[Forgive him for now if his heart isn't entirely in it yet. Leading the charge against Nagisa... it took a lot out of him.]

Though I have to ask... do you guys still trust me?

[On the one hand, he is so tired of things turning out this way when no one actually reaches out, even if they pretend they did. On the other, half the sector leaders turned traitor and it's making him neurotic that things will just fall apart now.]

Edited 2020-11-16 02:42 (UTC)

YES.

[She puts her hand on top of Nigel's hand on the table. Then she turns to Allen, raising her determined fist in the air, not wanting to touch him suddenly.]

Even if we're empty, or paranoid, or angry, we can work together. If I stop trusting people because of what happened, the demons win!!

[...

He'll lay his own hand on top of hers, then.]

The way this game is set up, I don't think any of us can escape on our own.

I trust you to keep trying to get us out, down to the last second.

[Nigel looks down at the two layers of hands, feeling their warmth and determination. The strength he feels in his heavy heart is faint, but it's enough. He nods toward Allen, looking for a while at him and eventually turning more to Mizuki's direction, even though he's really talking to both of them.]

You're right. I don't think I could stop, even if everyone wanted me to... I'm certain Nagisa and I appeared quite similar, so... I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. But I'm thankful. Not just for this, but for cooperating with me all this time. I'll repay your trust with interest. We're going to break out of this place.

I'm grateful too. That you showed me what it meant to have pride as a kid, ever since we first met.

[She thinks that Nagisa didn't have it in the same way, but that distinction is too depressing - and she has something she wants to say to Allen, sensing a fatalism in his words.]

I think that the punishments and everything that have happened until now show that the kings aren't all-powerful. Even just gathering information and taking care of yourself to make it this far is totally worth it.

[He looks up as he's addressed, eyes on Mizuki as he absorbs her words in silence.]

...Yeah. I want to get everyone out of here, no matter what, so... if either of you need me to do anything, tell me. I'll do everything I can.

[No matter what.]

And besides that... [Or... hm. Perhaps rethinking his words, he trails off, shakes his head, and starts again.] No, never mind. We should just focus on escaping if we can.

We will, but speak your mind. We have enough regrets already.

[He wonders if he's thinking about bringing back the dead. It'd explain the hesitation. That might be tough without getting caught in the time loop...]

[Gavroche is pushing food on his plate.]

Don't she know the outcome don't change when you read a story twice?

...isn't that kind of normal with stories?

[Like. Rereading them. She's trying to say this in a Gavroche Has Opinions On Narrative way.]

...you know what Franziska said to Alice about doing the same bad things that had happened before. And we can see it sure was like that for Nagisa too.

People try to change the ending all the time. [His tone is factual, rather than judgmental.] Never really works out the way they think, but everyone thinks it'll change if they try hard enough.

[This is pretty abstract. Mizuki unwraps and despondently chews a stylized strawberry-shaped candy.]

I think... There are a lot of stories where the ending is them changing the ending, so it's not important. But also the middle is important? Maybe?? If I could remember everything from start to finish it would be easier to tell.

Middle's the part that you can change, in my experience. Tiny choices, all a little different, but the beat's the same. [You can make a lot of different choices to get you to the same place. Gavroche frowns.] I don't think she's ever going to get what she wants.

Like........... Unagi.....................................

[Just the human incarnation of :') in this moment. But hm.]

Then maybe... she'll finally change what she wants? If it was actually for Alice to be around and happy?

Not gonna get my hopes up on that one, honestly. [People in power want what they want without any regard for what's good in his experience.] I think the answer is we take the story from her and tell it differently.

How is that different from us trying to change the ending??

[Though she supposes this is a fine semantic point.]

When you change who's telling the story, the story itself changes. [It's a semantics thing, yeah.] Like if you tell it from the hero's side, it's happy but if you're the villain then it's sad.

[After the trial, he goes straight to Nagisa's room, where he'll spend some time looking through everything with a blank expression.

Once he's done, he'll walk out again to join anyone else with Mizuki in the dining hall, eyeing the plates of food but not yet eating.]

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Week 6 Post-Trial

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