come_sailaway | DECEMBER EVENT PART THREE: WITH THE DAWN OF REDEEMING GRACE

[the voice from the imaginary loudspeaker resounds again.]

I do believe that’s the best you all can do. Hopefully it will be enough… Gather in the lobby at your earliest convenience. There, you will find an elevator. It will take you to your next location. [pause] Mind the severed heads.

[the elevator they find in the lobby is not one that had been there before: it is strange, a bit too large and industrial for what is generally a Victorian manor. nothing will compel them to board it, but… hey. if you stay behind, you miss out on all the fun, right?

and the fun starts here. because, as soon as they board the elevator, and the door closes, it drops.

not that far. not enough to harm. certainly enough to startle, especially after it evens out, before plunging a few more feet. the effect likely wears off after the fifth time it does this.

eventually, the elevator stops completely, and opens to a large, mostly empty room. in the center is a large circular stage, ringed with enough podiums for everyone that went on the excursion - living and dead. some of the podiums are covered in white sheets; one might notice that the number of dead corresponds directly to the number of covered podiums.

the Captain is present, of course. he sits on a raised throne separate from the circle, dressed in a suit a tiny bit different than his normal one. he sits with one leg crossed over the other, looking down at them with a completely neutral expression.]

You may take your places. [he gestures magnanimously, then holds up his hand; please reserve the expected freakouts for after his announcements, thanks.] The game is very simple. You have the evidence; put it together, and decide on the guilty party. Only a unanimous decision will bring you the justice you seek. [a faint smile] The one you always seek, at least.

[another gesture]

Questions. Comments. Threats against my life. Concerns.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That you lit a fire in. Which burned you. Because you were in the same place as the fire.

Can we vote on this just to make it fucking end?

No!

[It's her automatic response, but then--hang on--]

Wait, you agree with me, right?

[ From the sidelines: ]

Okay, that's it, I'm changing my vote to this chick.

"For the love of God -" Erin puts her head back down instead of finishing that sentence.

[rip]

Wha--what the hell are you doing?! Those sickos are the ones responsible here!

Sounds like something the killer would say.

Are you an idiot?! The killer already confessed!!

[Sorry to the ears of anyone particularly close for her shrill screeching now!]

Edited (typo) 2022-12-31 01:22 (UTC)

I don't remember anyone confessing.

[ Said with a very straight face.

(It's the only straight thing about him HEYOOO) ]

You're either messing around like a total jerk or beyond stupid, so just butt out already!

I mean... not if you set a fire inside a box? Not really?

Shouldn't you have used that fire to see where you were before you lit it all up?

It wasn't a literal box! It was all totally bright before he shot some kind of--darkness at us and kept us from moving!

Shooting fire at him was just logical response! [It 100% wasn't but that won't stop her from claiming otherwise!!]

Is it though?

[Is it Rita?]

What the hell were you doing that he shot a darkness box at you? Actually, no. We're delaying the execution and I gotta get back to helping Sharky in the gift shop.

So one vote for the Captain being right here.

Next time don't light yourself on fire so I can vote for you instead! Come on you're making me look like a stereotypical bootlicker of a cop to the Captain.

[Yeah you're making him look bad. Think about that!]

Ugh--shut up, I didn't do it to myself, you-!

[She goes so far as to stomp an indignant foot--she can't believe how many of them disagree with her!! Ridiculous! But--Natsuno's here with the hand on her shoulder and he just wants this to be over, so Rita does drop it. His feelings are what matter most to her now, after all.]

Whatever... Let's just get this garbage over with.

I second the motion, jesus christ.

What? You got something to say?

Yeah: Shut the fuck up!

Is that seriously all? How about you shut up?!

Look, yell at the captain on your own time, I have tiny sample bottles of maple syrup to steal from the dining room before we're forced on that tender, we all have shit to do, so can we move this the fuck along?

Oh, by all means, don't let me stop you from your looting! You know there's already syrup back on the ship, right?

[Like--yeah, she wants this whole thing to be over with too, but she's trying to win an argument here!]

Edited 2022-12-31 01:26 (UTC)

[well too bad because you're arguing with THEM now]

Actually you are stopping me because as long as you keep arguing with the guy running the show, he can't fucking end it, and we can't fucking leave. You cast your fucking vote, so stand down, shut up, and save your fucking grandstanding and moralizing for after we're out of this room!

[Also, you uncultured brat, the ship doesn't have Grade A Dark maple syrup, but unlike SOME people here April can prioritize their beef.

(But seriously, you're clutching pearls over looting the pocket dimension in a murder trial?)]

Edited 2022-12-31 01:51 (UTC)

[Oh good because she doesn't even care if someone wants to loot the place, she's just primed to Argue right now because it can be hard to shut up once she gets going.

(Also hush she TOTALLY DOESN'T HAVE CHILDISH TASTES in her preference for nothing darker than amber. If she knew maple syrup even came in different grades, anyway; there's no Canada in her world.)]

Shut up! I want this over and done with too, but I've been waiting a long time to give that sicko a piece of my mind!

[As if she hasn't yelled at him on other occasions but whatever, details!!]

What do you mean, wait? You can yell at the bridge whenever you want back on the ship? Or fuck it, start yelling after he finishes the execution when he has the elevator working again, I don't give a shit, just let him finish this fucking trial first before you go back to dying on your hill of bad fire safety.

Hey—-shut up! I don’t have bad fire safety! My fire magic never went wrong until that jerk came along!

[What was that about a hill??]

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