graveyard part 2

[gamehead]

hunter's game the graveyard You wake up in an unfamiliar cabin. At first, it almost seems like you're in an entirely different place and that everything had been just a dream. The interior of the cabin looks nothing like the run-down, old-timey shacks that you had been living in before. Everything in here is sleek and modern, from the enormous flat-screen TV mounted on the wall to the fridge and mini-bars stocked with all your favorite foods. There aren't any individual rooms in here, just a common area large enough to house everyone comfortably, no matter how many more people join you...and there will be plenty more people joining you before the week is over. Because if you look outside the window, it quickly becomes clear that not only are you still in Prayer's Pass, but that you are no longer among the realm of the living. Judging from the tombstones directly outside, you're now in what had been the abandoned broken-down cabin in the graveyard. The cabin's not all that changed; the world outside has gone completely grey and everything you see appears to be faded and blurry. The only things that remain sharp and in color are what's inside the cabin, including your fellow ghosts. Occasionally, people who are still alive may enter, but it's clear that what they're seeing is completely different from what you're seeing. The door's unlocked; however, a mysterious force prevents you from stepping beyond the threshold, no matter how hard you may try. After all, this cabin is a cage for the dead - a gilded one, perhaps, but a cage nonetheless. On the flat-screen TV plays everything that is currently happening in the town. It will shut off once night starts...and something else will appear instead.

Comments

[fortissimos]

He was gonna be next, actually.

[ HAHA... YEAH SHE REGRETS NOT PICKING THAT ONE EARLIER ]

... Well, whatever. They've found someone for this trial already, but hopefully he keeps acting suspicious.

[speakveryclearly]

Mine is too cute. We can't choose.

[speakveryclearly]

.............maybe.

If he doesn't... I'm sorry.

[notyetlost]

If the hunters end up picking off Liet though for identifying Naegi... [What happened to staying on the down low Lithuania.]

The third way to win might be a total wash.

[Which would mean Poland would be back to rooting for Hunters. Who things are not looking good for as per usual.]

[fortissimos]

Maybe that America guy won't be totally useless for once. I mean, he should want to protect someone he knows.

[ Since he apparently doesn't give a fuck about anyone else... but his role means she has to hope he survives, too. It takes a lot of effort to keep a straight face at the idea of America not being useless though. ]

[motheringnation]

[Oh Poland. You get a sad smile.]

Thank you.

I forgive you Poland.

[notyetlost]

... [Yeah Poland's pretty much given up on America at this point. He believes that America has the potential to do something right, but that's as far as he'll let himself believe in him now.

He just gets the feeling that Lithuania will be joining him somehow.]

Madoka seemed kinda interested in the clues though, at least since you unlocked the video tape.

Maybe she can figure it out.

[motheringnation]

[You get a chuckle.]

Yes Poland, best friends.

[fortissimos]

I figured she would. Critter left part of my magical girl outfit with it, so she's gotta know that it's from me.

[ And she's glad it was obvious, as opposed to something obscure like a painting, or poetry. Even if the other countries had figured those ones out, her sleeve was a much clearer hint than anything else so far. ]

I just hope she doesn't draw attention to herself. Whatever happens, I don't want her ending up here.

[notyetlost]

Are you sure because like, you can totally punch me like England did if you want.

I won't hit back or anything.

[motheringnation]

[She just ruffles his hair.]

No, I don't want to punch you. It's okay. We got your note, we know you didn't have a choice. And it was sweet of you to try to protect us anyway.

[notyetlost]

She seems pretty inconspicuous to me, I think she can do it without being as obvious as Liet is about it.

[Poland knows better than to doubt girls.]

[fortissimos]

Hey, someone's gotta take charge when it comes to this stuff. It's a good thing he's willing to step up.

[tsunneverset]

Don't forget killing our tracker on the second day and giving Robin to the vigilante as well. Those were both due to Critter, not through the prey figuring anything out. [He sighs.] We had to use quite a bit of brainpower and trickery to save Ukyo and find the bloodhound and watcher...but evidently nothing we do will ever be good enough. Critter clearly doesn't want us to win.

[tsunneverset]

[England sounds highly amused.] You know you've done something wrong when even your own country won't support you. I realize we should be hoping he survives, but given that he led Beat to suspect two of our own numbers and made himself so obvious that even America's likely figured him out, I really don't care.

[notyetlost]

If he dies though that means we'd have to deal with him.

Although that might not be so bad if Sayaka wants to pummel the crap out of him.

[notyetlost]

Normally I'd say yeah. But people who step up don't seem to live very long in this game.

Look at what happened to Ema. Or Luke. Or even England I guess.

[notyetlost]

I can't tell you why I agreed to play or anything still, even though I really want to so you understand.

But. I swear it's a really good reason. I promise.

[fortissimos]

Yeah, I do.

I'm glad they stopped me, but Madoka had to see what they did to my body. I'm not gonna forgive them so easily for that.

[fortissimos]

Maybe he'll get lucky. [ AMERICA.... ]

[tsunneverset]

[His lips thin and his eyes narrow.]

I fear I have to apologize for their dreadful behavior. I wasn't present for that particular execution, but if I had been...

[He shakes his head and glances away.] I understand they were feeling frustrated, but that doesn't give them the excuse to take it out on someone who had just as little choice about playing this game as we did...and on a child, no less. What we're being forced to do is already cruel enough without adding another layer of sadism to it. They should have never lost their tempers.

[therealrobin]

You keep saying that. And that Naegi played you when lives were on the line.

[ Damian turns his attention back to the television, his expression thoughtful. Father wouldn't care about his own life so much as others' lives. Poland and England both have countries to concern themselves with. Hmm... ]

So Naegi today. Holden tomorrow. The girl who pretended to be the bloodhound the day after that.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when they know who hunters are but can't kill them until the trial.

[fortissimos]

... It's okay. After what I did, I deserved it.

[ And if Madoka wasn't here, she wouldn't really complain at all. Her issue isn't with her own treatment, harsh as it was. ]

I'm just worried about everyone that's left. Most of those guys haven't done anything wrong, and I don't want them to go through something like that. [ Or see what remains afterward. ]

[speakveryclearly]

That will leave only... four, won't it? I wonder, will that quartet expose themselves over the course of the remaining days or will they continue undetected and take the game back after all. Kyouko, at least, has the perfect cover.

[therealrobin]

It sounds like all the trials are going to do is get rid of the useless parts.