FINAL INVESTIGATION

[whimsicalism]

No one is dead today. Why would they when the end is so close? You can practically taste it (or is that your stomach?) as the final Friday dawns. It's time to get some answers.

The Storyteller isn't talking to anyone but it's a good guess to see where she went. There's one final door that hasn't been checked, after all.

Comments

[xxxx_me]

[Glancing over at Gil, surprised.]

Did you know-?

[But also still like, poking around, they do have a job to do here arfter all.]

[whimsicalism]

[It looks like that there is a fully made copy in here. The doll is on a chair in the corner looking lively except... it's just a doll.

A scrap of paper with the scrawled words another Queen maybe? it worked better that way next to the doll on the floor.]

[golden_king]

Mm...not really? Just assumed it was always possible.

[ Poor sad doll. Anything written on the back of the paper or was that all? ]

[whimsicalism]

[Not on this paper but now that you're closer to the far wall of the workroom there is something. It looks like there's a hidden elevator.

The familiar crest of the Storyteller glows faintly before the doors open. Ascend?]

[xxxx_me]

[Time to go up the suspicious elevator! Surely this will be fine.]

...The reason Alice didn't "remember" the last time was because it was another copy. That's the Storyteller's plan. To keep using copies of Alice until she can make a happy ending for the real one.

She must be preparing for the next repeat.

[whimsicalism]

[There's that aura again. The Storyteller must come here often to have such an impact on the elevator... This is a colorful room but some things are very off.

First, is the smell of death coming from the bed. The Storyteller seems to have recorded herself reading a book and it's playing from a radio.

There's also some noise coming from the IVs? Many noises. What the hell is this place?]

[golden_king]

Well she's going to be sorry when not everything goes according to plan.

[ Let's go to the bed first. Was there a dead body here? Or something else entirely? ]

CW: eye trauma and general nastiness, thanks last encore

[whimsicalism]

[No, the person under it is alive. If you pull back the sheet...

This person is in super rough shape. They're covered in bandages head to toe. The scent of death and smoke lingers in this room like a fog.

The radio pauses. Then it screeches out a question.]

Who - are - you -? You - aren't - her

[xxxx_me]

[His breath catches in his chest. Quietly, he asks:]

Alice...?

[whimsicalism]

Allen - ? How - are - you - here?

[It's hard to tell from random words put together on a radio but... she sounds. In pain.]

It's - me - don't - look - don't -

[golden_king]

[ ...

Well. He'll leave Allen to it. Was this the only thing odd in this room? What about the strange noises coming from the IV...? ]

[whimsicalism]

[There's a little more. Like those noises? They... sound familiar. Like voices.

There's forty of them but some of them sound like the dead people from your round, even Oriko.]

[xxxx_me]

[He'll go by her side, trusting Gilgamesh to check the rest. Is there any part of her he can hold onto? A hand, perhaps...?]

...Yeah, it's me. Gilgamesh is here, too.

...It sounds like it hurts. You must be in so much pain...

[And, even as hollow and empty as he is now... it hurts him too, just thinking about it.]

[whimsicalism]

Hurts - lots - she - won't - listen

[She does have a hand. It's thin and bandaged and bleeding but if he touches it there's a twitch as if she's trying to hold it back.]

Allen - can - you - do - a - favor

[xxxx_me]

[He'll gently place his hand over hers, then. Like maybe it'll give her at least a little warmth, if nothing else.]

...Yeah. Yeah, I can. What do you need me to do?

cw: this is probably going to be murder and suicide talk in here

[whimsicalism]

Thank - you - Allen - and - Gill - go - mash

[She pauses for a while.]

End - game - please - the - tubes - maybe - it - hurts - knowing - this - will - continue

cw: this is probably going to be murder and suicide talk in here

[xxxx_me]

[Oh...

Oh. Yes. This is what they'd talked about, wasn't it?

She needs to move on.

He falls silent for a moment, placing his other hand over hers as well, careful to try to avoid bringing her more pain but - wanting to let her know that he's here with her, and he's listening.]

...Okay. I understand.

[They both do.]

...Before I... um. Is there... anything else you want to say? [...] I have a radio with me. You can talk to anyone still alive. I can call them for you.

[His voice does crack a little, however. His eyes are beginning to water, but he's trying to keep himself steady, so she can hear.]

cw: this is probably going to be murder and suicide talk in here

[whimsicalism]

[There's not much she can do to show that she understands. She tries to squeeze his hand. It's not much of anything, though.]

I'm - sorry - I - need - apologize - to - others

[golden_king]

[ There's a brief flicker of surprise, and then his expression settles. ]

Nagisa? Oriko?

...Everyone else?

Can you hear me?

[whimsicalism]

[There's no response directly to him but he can pick out some voices now.

It's Nagisa's voice. He says:]

Expect more of me!

[There's a pause and then it's Franziska's voice to the forefront:]

What foolishness, befitting a foolish fool.

1/3

[golden_king]

...Well, at least they sound alright.

[ ... Kind of. It sounded like an argument, but better than sounding dead, right? ]

2/3

[golden_king]

We'll get you back and end this game soon enough, so hang tight! It isn't like you can do anything else right now, anyway.

[ Or hear him, but he wanted to say that, so...

Anyway. ]

3/3

[golden_king]

[ Anywhere or anything else of note in this room...? Besides mostly dead Alice (ha!) and the strange IVs. He didn't know what to do with the IVs either because he's not a medical person (so sad) ]

[whimsicalism]

[As he turns away, a book falls from the shelf. It's a leatherbound book labeled A Story for Somebody's Sake Volume 3 of 3.

It's short but you get a bad feeling about it regardless. Or, well, if you weren't Gil you would. You're pretty much unshakeable.

You're finished with this area.]

[golden_king]

[ As a King should be, tee hee.

Anyway, he'll nab the book. His job's done here for now! ]