graveyard part five

[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. (The graveyard so far)

Comments

[condescent]

[just laughing the laugh of somehow who has utterly given up on this town and is only watching for the entertainment at this point] And here I thought we had the monopoly on arrogance. It looks like we've been beaten in that regard.

[encored]

Joshua. Joshua. [JOSHUA HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND just when he thinks they've hit the bottom of the stupidity barrel it suddenly drops another twenty feet!!! he's only still invested because of his dumb competitive streak oh no this is like watching a hideously mismatched game of football for him.]

He's beaten us and I'll beat him soundly in turn if this godforsaken idiotic plan of his works, my god.

[condescent]

[pats his shoulder soothingly, although literally the only reason he isn't just as competitive about this is because he considers the game over once the other player has flipped over the chessboard as the prey have clearly done] There, there. I certainly don't consider reaping the benefits of other people's hard work while never being targeted because of how a complete lack of threat you are to be beating us.

Besides, I quite like this plan. If they're all going to abstain anyways, they may as well kill him now and spare us all his sanctimonious preaching. And think of his face when he realizes that all the clues have already been sent and that he's just as useless dead as he is alive.

[encored]

[teach him how to be that uninvested in things senpai, this is killing him a little...

granted his main motivator for finishing the game at all is because he doesn't want to be stuck in a cabin watching idiots bumble around for three more days but details.]

God no, not beating us in the game. In arrogance, though - he's got us in checkmate. [a huff and he cradles his forehead in his hands briefly, but casts Joshua a grateful look for the pats and reassurance. snobbros understand.] That would be quite nice, though. What does he even think he's going to do once he gets here? Someone should let him know his death will essentially secure the death of that girl he's trying so hard to protect as well, unless they actually aim for something new with his idiocy out of the way.

[condescent]

[as far as he's concerned, nailing the last hunters was the real victory here and everything afterwards is just white noise that he refuses to pay attention to]

True enough. I wonder what on earth he thinks he can possibly do that the rest of us haven't already tried? Convince us all to abstain from dying, perhaps? [giggles] Because all we need to come back from the dead is a rousing speech about how clever he is and how we simply have to try harder, of course. Why, I'm feeling less ghostly already.

[encored]

[okay that does do a bit to cheer him up. he brings his hands from his forehead and snickers into a palm instead before using it to prop his chin up.]

Goodness. Well, if we'll be allowed such a fine motivator, I don't see why we didn't kill him sooner. ...Outside of his inactivity and overall uselessness to both wolf and rabbit, I mean. [and then Kanaya's point makes him bring up one of his own.] You know, I don't think he even thinks that we're actually dead. We aren't in the traditional sense, but I wonder if he believes he can just... break out.

[condescent]

I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. [massive eyeroll] And while you and I are simply innocent children inexperienced in the ways of the world, we do have several nations who've been around for thousands of years if they're to be believed. You'd think they would have been able to figure a way out if there was one, but perhaps our collective intelligence and strength of will just pales against his sense of importance.

[also props his chin up and ramen.gifs] For all their talk about solving the true mystery and deciphering the clues, I notice they haven't brought up the one I unlocked yet. You know, the one that says outright not to let the hunters win?

[encored]

[listening to this, his expression flattens into something caught between sour amusement and disbelief.] He really does think himself quite important, doesn't he? My! Well he better have one incredible plan once he lands his sorry ass here or he really will wind up wherever Lithuania was.

[laughing at that... but it's a really bitter laugh DAMMIT YOU GUYS.] Right? You'd think they would take it into consideration. It's the most straightforward clue they've been given yet and it's the one they're disregarding the fastest.

[condescent]

[manages to sound both impressed and disdainful at once] Good lord. I should hope that if that happens, none of us will be bothering to sacrifice something in order to bring him back. Does he really think of us as helpless little lambs waiting for the slaughter without his alleged skills? Were we at full power, I could crush both him and this town with a single thought. [He sniffs.] You'd think he was the one who caught the hunters from the way he carries on.

[equally bitter smirk god it's like never ending internal facepalming up in here] But of course, anything that suggests that they may have to take some action beyond passively abstaining and letting Critter kill them one by one must be some sort of trap. Critter must have been a good guy all along, it's simply misunderstood!

[encored]

I won't and I'll beat anyone who even considers it. Granted after this little performance, I doubt I'll have to worry about dirtying my hands. I'd really like to save my best for Carter or Caulfield, anyway. [WHY ARE THEY STILL PICKING ON HIM.] Hah, his arrogance... I've never been able to see it in full swing like this. Acting as though he hasn't spent the entire game not lifting a finger, honestly. [shaking his head] I wish you were at full power just to put him out of our misery.

You know, the worst part about that is the fact that the Doctor decoded it first and even said it might be a better idea to kill the wolves. Mayu told me that both he and Clara know of Sharon's identity as well. Isn't that just something else entirely? Everyone in that room except for Rikku and Gundam know of the last hunter's identity and this is still happening. Unimaginable!

[condescent]

I'd rather be up on that stake again than listening to this. [high pitched mocking voice] 'I can't do anything from here, but perhaps I can do something from there! [flicks a ramen noodle at the screen] Does he think we'd be grateful for his so-called sacrifice? Had we the choice, none of us would have died willingly. Throwing away your life for the sake of your own ego when the rest of us paid with ours for the sake of victory...that doesn't make you better or more noble, it just makes you selfish. One of us could be alive in his stead and actually accomplishing something, and instead we're stuck here watching him waste a chance we'd give anything to have.

I had hoped that Beat at least would have taken the picture on the phone as a sign that he should be doing whatever it takes to get back to our world. It looks like we're going to have to endure at least one more day of this tedium, unless Critter takes the merciful path for once and kills Sharon anyway.

[encored]

Where is that beast, anyway? Let's summon it here and ask for it to be merciful and just get this game over with. You know if he does die, we'll be stuck listening to him on this side of the screen for another day or two, maybe even three? [judging by his expression you'd think he just said "we're all going to be hogtied and forced to listen to backwards-playing polka music nonstop until we starve to death" or something.]

Or perhaps it would let us trade someone out. Anyone would be better at this rate. [...] Save Naegi, from what I've heard.

[goddamnphonies]

[CHIMING IN Holden is certainly a safe distance away from these guys but he feels a lot better actually interacting a tiny bit with them since... Joshua explicitly compared this to his crucifixion unfavorably...]

It's a tough call. Naegi was an absolutely awful hunter, without a single doubt the worst one in the pack and I'm counting the ones who did nothing until they got set on fire, but outside of that his friends seem to have liked him somehow. I think he was just one of those sorts who responds to a situation like that - having to make sure like forty people including several of your good friends all die, I mean - with denial instead of getting really into it. [unlike some people]

So maybe if he became a ghost he would have been okay. Or if he'd been prey all along, which is basically how he acted anyway. The Doctor, though, he'd probably be pulling this garbage no matter what his role was. And be intolerable in the afterlife continuing this craziness here. You realize if he's this convinced he can help "over here" he's probably not gonna give up like a sensible person but keep trying the rest of his godforsaken time here.

You aren't going to catch me saying a single good thing about Naegi, no way. But he at least waited to turn himself in until he got Watched. ...or thought he had been. Okay, I'm still angry as hell about that whole damned trial but you get the point.

[encored]

[oh holden... you should have just let the two rudeass vitriolic people focus all of their attention on the doctor.]

Holden! My, it seems like it's been ages since we've last had a chat! Wherever have you been, hm? And goodness, why so far away? I can barely hear you, you ought to sit here! [pats the space between himself and Joshua HAHAHA]

—Ah, but that much I can vouch for, it's true. The man is a stubborn mule and he doesn't let go of anything once he thinks it's a good idea, no matter how idiotic it is. I can only be grateful that your pet snake is sensible enough to not be cowed and that's really saying something. [...] You know, that trial is one of the reasons we didn't even bother clearing you before we took you to the gallows.

[goddamnphonies]

Huh, what was that? [Shakes his head as if to clear out fog AND NOT IN AN OBVIOUS PLOY TO PRETEND HE DIDN'T HEAR CHARLES IMPLYING HE SHOULD GET CLOSER DUE TO THEIR DIFFICULTY IN HEARING ONE ANOTHER.......

He just cannot resist the siren song of opportunities to talk about how awful Naegi is or the role his failure had in his own death.]

...I had a feeling. I mean, I stuck my neck out so goddamn far for the guy. I knew that would look bad later. But I'd figured, you know, it could delay his execution at least a little and if we were lucky get Lithuania lynched. I know if he'd actually tried at all to command the Hope's Peak army he would have been guaranteed at least another day. But he didn't care about the numbers. It's a good thing we took his gun away from him because he probably wouldn't have shot anyone if he'd had one on him before he died either. Did you know he didn't even carry it with him?

[condescent]

[oh Holden your first mistake was thinking there was a limit to the amount of vitriol these two have. there is always more to spare.]

Yes, do come join us! [gives him a sparkling beam] Don't worry about intruding. Charles and I may share a special relationship, but I assure you there's always room for one more - ah, what was that word you used again? - flit.

Ahh, what a disappointing trial that was. Here I had geared myself all up to defend Lithuania's bluff, and the only person who even bothered questioning it was...[waves a hand at Holden like he can't even bother sparing the effort to remember] If I knew it was going to be that easy, we should have started faking the lookout's results ages ago.

[encored]

[it's true they have vitriol in spades and HEY wouldn't you know it, between the doctor and holden, only one is currently in punching range...!]

Ah, you really must join us in that case! They say that two is a party and three is a crowd but crowds are always a little more entertaining, wouldn't you say? If Joshua doesn't mind it, I certainly don't. [propping his chin up and smiling genially!! too bad even his genial smiles are kind of wolfish. can't do much about that when you have sharp teeth...]

About that trial though, I do agree. If we had done that sooner we might have been able to keep Ukraine around a little longer. [SIGH] Well, we already know our biggest mistake was overestimation, yes?