Week Two Afterparty: For the people who are Still Alive

[literalidiotball]

That afternoon could not be more confusing.

Not only was the witch who called herself Yuuko a fake, but it turned out the witch who communicated through bird and notes was none other than one of the pieces. And the suffering... Oh, the suffering...

At least nobody else died for now...🗈

In spite of the lack of death, Wheatley was about as shaken up as everyone else. If he wasn't sure he was going to die here before, he is definitely certain now.

But he wasn't going to try and let it get to him. Even if he kind of wished he could consume things in the real world, he's still clinging to the small victory they had in sparing everyone.

On that note, he had the goats prepare a feast, turning the dining room table into a buffet table. There was turkey, fish, granola bars, fish shaped crackers, a giant bowl of frosted flakes, Macaroni and cheese with chunks of fish, fish shaped granola bars... Look, Wheatley didn't quite understand what humans liked to eat at these things, but at least it looks professional.

There's even a large cake in the center of the table. It's covered in chocolate frosting, strawberries, and has a lovely message written in bold white frosting: "WE SURVIVED".

Comments

[aleph_armed]

...I doubt it. People in our line of work are all monsters that have thrown away their humanity in exchange for killing power. If it's a shallow relationship like with that monster Anon here, it's probably fine, but there's a fundamental incompatibility with someone who embraces slaughter purely for the sake of slaughter.

[clearumbrella]

... But you're not like that. [ Not that he really knows her, but she doesn't seem like she is. If there's one exception, surely there's more. At least that's his logic. ]

[aleph_armed]

[And there's a little snort here.]

I might not take joy in fighting for the sake of fighting, but I'm still a monster that's thrown away their humanity. If I thought killing someone would keep other people safe? I would do it without hesitation.

Still, Shadow proved that that's not going to be enough.

[clearumbrella]

[ He tilts his head just the slightest bit down. ]

I wonder how many people here would say the same. If it's to protect someone—people are capable of more than they think. [ Maybe murder, maybe something else. So is that all it takes to be a monster? What counts as a "monster" to begin with. ] What do you think will be enough? What should we do?

[aleph_armed]

...The way I see it, there are basically four ways this "game" can end.

First, we end up playing this "game" to completion, we solve all the cases that come up, and the Witch of Dimensions wins. The game continues and every week there's a murder until both either both sides are satisfied or they "run out of pieces" because everyone's dead. We know for a fact that at least two people are in support of this solution, since they made their allegiance quite clear in the trial.

The second possibility is basically the same as the first, but the Witch of Misfortune wins. Presumably, this happens if we don't manage to supply a proper "anti-witch" solution. She is acknowledged as the Witch of Dimensions, and as the holder of both titles involved in the game, she presumably gets absolute control over things. This is likely the worst possible situation.

Third, the epitaph and the goats that gave us the disc the other day indicate there's a third party getting involved here, though we don't know their motives or goals. They likely have some connection to this "game" and are likely the key to breaking it. However, we're also getting information piecemeal here, so the killings will continue until we finally have enough information to work with.

Fourth, someone kills everyone else here and then themselves. The game ends in a draw and everybody loses. Obviously, this option is bad for everyone here, but doing it should stop the witches, too. This is probably the Foundation's ideal solution.

Either way, the killings are going to continue for the time being. If the killer's doing it because they're tempted by the idea of a wish, they'll probably go after Ruler or the doctor, but that's not necessarily the only reason people might kill. Maybe they don't trust those aligned with the Witch of Dimensions and want them dead. It's also possible that the killings might end up as a holding action, a killing to ensure that someone important, or at least important to them, doesn't end up dead instead.

Considering that the witches have now been shown to be able to alter the crime scenes, it's possible that even if the killer themselves intends on being found, the witches may alter evidence to make it more difficult.

[clearumbrella]

[ As she speaks, he listens intently. He doesn't voice any agreement or disagreement, nor does he react in any obvious way. All he does is stand there quietly. ]

I see. [ He tilts his head down again, pondering quietly. ] Yes, those all sound like possible conclusions. I don't know if I want the witches to win, but I know I don't want everyone here to die.

That means the third option is ideal for me, doesn't it? But waiting only means more death.

[aleph_armed]

...Rather than waiting, try to think of it as "holding out for reinforcements". People are going to die either way, but keeping the draw going for as long as possible increases the chances of help arriving. In the mean time, keep searching whenever you can and you might find something that can help us turn the situation around. If things go well, we can keep the deaths to a minimum.

[clearumbrella]

... Yes, I can do that. If it will help us, I'll search as hard as I can. [ There's a light pause here before he bows to Gebura. It's definitely a polite, respectful bow. ]

Thank you for your advice today. It wasn't what I wanted to say, but this has been a good conversation anyway.

[aleph_armed]

It's fine. I don't mind giving advice, but I'm pretty sure I'm a bad choice for a conversation partner.

[clearumbrella]

No, I don't think so. Whenever I see you, you seem very honest to me. That's just one of the things that makes conversing with you worthwhile.