Week 5: Post Execution

[disclosures]

[She's been thinking about this for a while. Nobody is doing well right now. They've lost three people to the Blotters, Dazai died but was innocent.

They're really not good at this, are they?

While she disappeared for a while after the execution, she's back in their shared room, taking a ginger seat at the edge of it.]

You're doing your best.

... I'd like to tell you something. We've been partners for... six weeks now, right?

Comments

[discardia]

Mm.

[ Cardia is curled up on her side of bed, Sisi nestled against her stomach, but she's awake and listening. ]

It's already been over a month.

[disclosures]

I can't believe we've been here for that long.

Do you... remember when the Historians were announced during trial?

[discardia]

... Er, yes. I'm afraid I still don't know much about them, but that letter yesterday helped.

[disclosures]

[It takes her a moment. She'd decided to tell, but that doesn't mean she's prepared to do it.] You're partners with one.

I care about you a lot. But... you aren't the first person I've told.

[discardia]

You're--

[ God, she's so tired, but at that, Cardia sits up and stares wide-eyed at her. ]

You're a Historian??

[ More importantly-- ]

Who else knows? Are you in danger? Are they making you do anything painful??

[ REBECCA!!! ]

[disclosures]

[She jerks back, eyes wide. That was not the reaction she was expecting at all!

So give her a moment to collect herself.]

The other Historians know about each other. Sanji knows about me.

I don't know about danger, but I've been getting memories back of the last round of this game. I haven't been forced into doing anything painful.

[discardia]

[ Okay. Okay, at least there's that, and some tension drains out of her-- though she still looks worried. ]

So you really... all were here before?

[disclosures]

Yes. But we don't remember everything that's happened. Just... some of them.

[There was something specific-]

You need to place a vote. Every week, every trial. You have to or you'll die.

[discardia]

... Then, beyond not voting for yourself...

[ That's even worse. And she'd honestly considered not voting at all, so-- wow. She won't mention that, though. ]

I understand.

[disclosures]

I was talking to... one of the other Historians. There's a way to get a happy ending in this game, but it's not easy.

[If anybody deserves to know, it's Cardia. She's lost so many people who are important to her. So she doesn't feel bad about telling her first, before Monday.]

The Heroes, Villains and Civilians, each group has to finish at least seven objectives. There have to be three people in each category remaining. Three Heroes, three Villains, and three Civilians. No more. No less.

We haven't confirmed it with Tiger or Dragon yet, but we're pretty sure this is how we can get everybody back.

... We're going to address a letter to the castle on Monday.

[discardia]

...

Someone told me about that. I was going to speak with you about it, but then this-- [ week... happened... so she kind of just gestures tiredly. ]

I was hoping it didn't have to be exactly three...

[disclosures]

All of this happened. Don't worry, I get it. It was... a bad week, and you really cared about Jae-Ha, right?

Who told you? I'm just wondering if it was the same person who told me.

[discardia]

I cared about him and Sousei. Reyna was a friend, too.

[ So this has been delightful. ]

But Ion told me.

-- That is, the Ion that's Souji's partner.

[disclosures]

Sousei was also a Historian. So I'm not... happy about him dying either. Well, I'm not happy about anybody dying, but I can't stop them at all.

Hm... A different person told me. Maybe that information will spread through the castle without us. But... we can't count on that. We're running out of villains.

[discardia]

... Rebecca. Do you know who any of the villains are?

[ and what the heck Sousei-- ]

[disclosures]

Of the ones who are alive?

... Two. Varian and Belph are Villains.

[discardia]

All right. That's more than I knew before.

... There was something I got from the ship. A clam. Apparently, opening it will change a faction to one of the other two, though there's no guarantee which one it will be.

It might help, if it comes down to it.

[disclosures]

Right now, we have more Heroes than anything else.

Keep that clam in mind if we end up with less than three in any faction. A two thirds chance is still better than zero.

... But for now, have you figured out what your next objective is?

[discardia]

[ no because we're still threading-- ]

... Not yet. I promise to tell you when I know.

What about you?

[disclosures]

The heroes have already managed to do 11 of their objectives. So I'm... technically done?

[So really she doesn't have to do this one, but-] My next one is to hide a corpse in the water. I don't think I have to kill anybody for this, but... ergh.

[discardia]

...??? That's-- terrible!

[ WHY. ]

If you're already done, I think it's probably best to just... avoid that one.

[disclosures]

I don't think I could pick up any of the corpses anyway. [Which she says as though she was seriously considering it.]

Anyway, I'm sure it's awful because fairy tales usually end poorly. That's where the Little Mermaid died so... I guess I was lucky it wasn't "Die by drowning".

[discardia]

... I really hope none of the objectives are like that.

[ That would be terrible. ]

But thank you-- for telling me.

[disclosures]

[Well. Actually.] One of them is "die" and another one is "Get pushed out a window from a great height".

You're my partner. I probably should've told you a lot earlier.

[discardia]

That's an even bigger secret than our roles. I don't blame you.

[ WHAT IS WITH THESE OBJECTIVES THOUGH-- ]

[disclosures]

I did tell Sanji- he didn't even pry it out of me or anything.

But now you know. We talk to Dragon and Tiger every Monday.

Is there anything you want to know? Any questions you want to ask? I can't promise they'll answer.

[discardia]

What is it, exactly, that you talk to them about?

[disclosures]

I ask them questions. Usually we have to help people with their objectives before we get answers to things that really matter.