CHAPTER 6

[faentasy]

CHAPTER 6

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The dead now outnumber the living.

There's only one area that stayed a mystery until now. A new path revealed itself, leading to another town, surrounded by sturdy stone walls. Even from some distance away you can see the tower, rising high towards the skies. The path that leads to the city turns into gold before long, and the sky itself seems to take a beautiful tone, like it's painted with watercolors. It's such a peaceful-looking town, welcoming you with open gates. It must be nice to have another urban setting, after living in the same place for so long.

But no matter what you find it doesn't change the situation you're in. Now that your numbers are dwindling that's impossible to forget.

The story is nearing its end. There still are a handful of pages left. What will they bring?

[[Welcome to Week 6! Feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. However, please try to keep investigations to Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday! You can also privately contact Hamelin at your leisure.

In addition, a reminder that any Murder Proposals for this week are due by Tuesday 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST; this is the last week for murder proposals as week 7 is endgame. Also, please note the shop's discount on magnifying glasses! ]]

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Comments

[ideismo]

Raven killed two people because I told him to.

[It's blunt when he says it. Unhesitating.]

He's worked for me for years, under a different name, a different facade. The wish we wanted granted was the same. I ordered him to kill people, and he did, and I was fine with being voted out at the trial because I don't need to be alive to see the wish through. I trusted him with that much - just knowing it would be seen through was enough for me.

Knowing that, I don't think I can say whether it's naive or not to think that.

[The candles flicker a little; it's very still, and it's very cold.]

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto's quiet as he explains. His expression shifts. There's a flicker of anger, a twitch of his eyebrow, and the clenching of his incense, tighter until it looks like they might break before the tension snaps first. The main response that might be expected, surprise, is noticeably absent.

He's still quiet a moment afterwards, swallowing the worst of any ill will, relaxing by force. There's no point in getting irrational now that everything is said and done.

His voice is still tight. ]

I'll be honest. I don't agree with what you did. Any of you. I understand. But I still don't think it was right.

... At the same time, it almost seems like being alive here instead of him feels like some kind of punishment to you. Am I wrong?

[ideismo]

You are.

[It's sharp, but there's no real anger behind it.]

This is far from the first time that I've experienced loss. I live because others have died, and I continue living to fulfill my obligation to the dead. To consider it a punishment... How would that be anything but an insult to those that have gone before?

It feels like saying they weren't good enough. I'm not going to do that. Not to Raven, and not to the others.

[edamamepon]

Then I'm glad I was wrong.

[ The tightness dissipates. So it is just grief. And considering Alexei's world, he isn't surprised by it not being a new thing for him. Makoto might not be as much a veteran, but he experienced his (un)fair share before this place. ]

... I agree with you though. To the people who we've lost, especially if it's-- [ keeping the pain out of his voice is hard, though he makes the effort: ] our fault in some way. We owe it to them to keep going, I think. Carry on their memory.

In a place like this... I'm holding on to the belief that if we can beat things, then at least their deaths weren't for nothing. There's enough meaningless death in both of our worlds already.

[ideismo]

[That gets a soft noise out of him, more acknowledging than anything.]

As Commandant of the Imperial Knights, I'm accountable for all of those who have died under my command. It's always considered my fault - whether because of something I did, or something I failed to do. The blood on my hands is immeasurable, by that metric.

I also don't get to mourn those who have died, because I can't afford it. If I remain so mired in events that I can no longer do anything about, it opens the possibility that more will die due to my distraction and my own failure to keep their best interests in mind.

Those in my world... Their deaths weren't for nothing. I intend to see to it that they weren't, even if it claims my life in the process.

Here, I have no such assurance. It's agitating to me, because I'm left with grief that I have no need for, and yet no reason to dismiss it entirely.

[edamamepon]

Let yourself mourn here, then. ... I'm not trying to minimize the deaths of anyone, but it's different when it's someone you were close to.

Talking about them, about how you feel, can be hard. But it helps, and I'm here if you need a listener.

[ Makoto blinks, looking over at him to clarify quickly. ]

I mean, it doesn't have to be me, but I do... understand.

[ideismo]

It's kind of you to offer.

[He does seem to mean that, too. No condescension intended.]

...I don't know if I would say it's naive of you to hope that we'll reach a point where no one else needs to die. Where we're all willing to simply exist with one another, and try to solve this without resorting to eating one another alive.

I think it's something that we should strive towards. I'm unsurprised when it doesn't happen, but in a way, I'm glad it's something you still get angry over. We should be angry over things like that.

[edamamepon]

[ There's a pause after Alexei is done speaking. Makoto's used to being told he is wrong --that getting angry like that doesn't solve much. It comes as more of a surprise from Alexei than anyone for Makoto to hear that he's glad. But he isn't sure now if part of him will ever stop being angry. ]

... So does that mean, after everything, it's something that you'll strive for too?

[ideismo]

I'm not going to try to kill again, if that's what you're asking.

[It seems straightforward enough.]

[edamamepon]

Well, that's part of it.

But... I also mean actually working towards us all trying to get out of this place. To solve things.

[ideismo]

Perhaps so. More through the notion that there are those of you I would prefer didn't die than anything else, at this point - if you're seeking pure altruism, I haven't had that in me for a long time.

[edamamepon]

No, I didn't expect pure altruism from you.

[ Makoto tries to keep that edge out of his voice, but it's there if listened to closely enough. Her letter, heavy in his pocket, keeps him from being too angry with Alexei. Innocence is a tricky thing.

He lets the subject rest for now, back to messing with the incense in his hand. ]

... I forgot to ask you. How do you honor those that have passed on where you're from?

[ideismo]

...It varies. There are often places that we designate as belonging to the dead. Sometimes it's the place where they died, or where they have been buried; sometimes it's just someplace they liked to go. Sometimes it's a room in the house that no one will ever use again.

[Duke's partner has a rock on a hill overlooking the ocean. Alexei's men have what remains of Mount Temza.

Many, many people have what remains of Mount Temza.]

Some of us within the Empire ask the Goddess to intercede for them. To take them in and protect them, as she protects all of her children. I hold no real belief in the Goddess or her power, but I don't begrudge those who choose to pray to her for such a thing.

We don't have any shared rituals regarding how the dead should be honored. Just a mutual understanding that some places are sacred to people, and those places aren't to be disturbed if you're told to leave them be.