ENDGAME

[kentucky_mcgiygas]

[A wall panel in the green room slides out of view, revealing an elevator. Get in it and it will take you down to the hotel (description here), where your fellow contestants - alive and ghostly - await.

You may spend as long as you want here, ordering up as much room service as you like, but when you're read to go home, you'll find that one floor (new to the current hotel occupants) has nothing but doors with your names on them. Exit, and you'll show up exactly where you were when you left.]

((THANK YOU FOR PLAYING EVERYONE. Ghosts, feel free to materialize and talk to people. You may now speak about your prizes.))

Comments

[unexpectedboner]

[folds his arms around himself too tightly to really seem casual, but holds his ground, at least]

You-- You went too far. You didn't have to go that far. I trusted you, and even Santa, even knowing what he'd already done. You didn't have to do all that other stuff. We could've won fairly. ...I mean, as fair as this place gets.

[meatitfeedson]

What is fairly? Especially after giving us truth serum and encouraging questioning.

I hadn't intended to do things like this, it became such a mess this round that anyone would want to take advtange of it. Before that, I thought I would ride it all out with the mother's pity card. Even that isn't fair.

[unexpectedboner]

I'm pretty sure that not "anyone" would want to take advantage of it! Not in the way that was killing children! You were safe, you had a choice! We had a choice. And this shouldn't have been it.

[meatitfeedson]

Junpei-kun...do you really not know why I have those tattoos? I thought for sure I'd made a huge mistake in letting you see.

You're right, I didn't need to do something like that, I had a choice. But to me it's my children or them. I don't just want to be safe, I wanted to win. If I did, I wouldn't need to be like this anymore. There would be eighteen whole years without Kyrie Sumadera's desperation. I don't even know how many people that would save. Not that taking back what I've done was my concern. But that's me now talking.

[unexpectedboner]

Being yakuza doesn't mean being cruel for cruelty's sake. I thought the whole point was having an honor code to be separate from common thugs.

And even if you can't change the past, you can still change the present. You're not locked into the same future. You can still try to be better, for your kids and for yourself!

[meatitfeedson]

It used to be that way, but it's becoming less and less common. Besides, I'm not actually that any more. It just means I'm that sort of selfish, violent person, who doesn't even have an organisation to keep her in line. It's too far gone, I've always done this, I can't just change what makes me useful now.

[If she couldn't get rid of his opponents and do his dirty work, would Rudolf still love her now that she's made it her thing for so long?]

Make sure Akane doesn't keep on this track, okay? She can still be a sweet girl.

[unexpectedboner]

You-- You don't have to just be useful, you're a person, not a--a shoe or something...

[this last is edging dangerously close to concern; how did this even happen, he was doing so well at being angry, even???]

I know, about Akane. I won't let her turn out like you.

[meatitfeedson]

Not really. I wasn't born to be a person, and by now rather than growing into personhood, I've only turned into a demon, don't you think?

[Junpei is too good for this. Just be angry with her and storm off.]

Akane might be teetering pretty close, but she's definitely still a person. Especially with someone like you to care for her. Thanks, Junpei, I want her to be happy.

[unexpectedboner]

[alas, being swept up in feelings about ladies with problems is kind of his thing now]

"Happy"? If you really wanted her to be happy-- If you really care about her, then maybe be a good example instead of a bad one. Don't revel in being some kind of "demon" or whatever just because you're too lazy or frightened to change. Because you can, if you can feel even a little remorse for what you've done, if you have even the smallest interest in making things different, then you can. You're too strong to just give up! And...and I know there's a good heart inside you, unless you're saying that everything you've ever told me was a lie!

[meatitfeedson]

[That's...Actually quite the talking to. She's left fairly speechless for a moment.]

...No, I don't tend to outright lie, half-truths are another thing. I'm sure I meant everything I said to you. But what does that really change.

[unexpectedboner]

It means you can change, if you want to! You have agency over your own life, you have responsibility over your own actions. Sure, you got a shitty start, but you're the one who decides how you're going to continue--whether you're going to play the hand you were dealt or if you're gonna change the game altogether. And that doesn't expire! My parents' dog is like ten and I taught her to shake hands last summer, you can certainly still think about trying to be someone your kids can be proud of or not.