FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[The Strangers manage to escape. By the time anyone has realized they have left, the Analemma is already on a course to a new destination, one not intended by their Conductor-who was certainly surprised to find their ride gone, hours later.

Cardia has turned off radar and other equipment that would allow anyone to find the train easily. There is no barrier around this train, so everyone can see the Clockwork Sun as it gets closer and closer.

They aren't going to London, obviously. Cardia manages to explain that, originally, the Throne of Hours was located there, but after Victoria became Twice-Renewed, the Throne was ordered moved closer to the Sun. Now, it is connected to the station called Sunspur-a desolate place, formerly an exhibition hall, where only the Sun's engineers and wayward captains now go. No one dares to cross the bridge that connects the Throne to it, when they are there.

That will change, but not immediately. Even at top speed, it will take several hours for the train to reach its destination. Cardia suggests everyone relax in the Lounge of this new train. Apparently, this one was going to pick up its newest passengers very shortly, and so the bar and kitchens are stocked with food and drink, at least.

There is much to talk about. Much to look through, and much to consider. The past four weeks have been difficult to process, but the evidence from Perdurance has been especially daunting. It only shows just how stark the situation is-and it's up to the Strangers to figure out just what they will do when they do, at last, confront Her Enduring Majesty.
After all.

Whatever happens, a reckoning cannot be postponed. Not indefinitely. And the bill is almost due...]





[It's time! The objectives are simple in this trial: untangle the story of this place and decide what to ultimately do when they finally confront Victoria, the Mastermind of the Little Courtesy! It will not be easy and the truth, as ever, will not be a light one.

Will they triumph? Will they go home? What else might happen? What else could be in store? There's only way to find out!

Have fun, and good luck! And remember-

All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.]

Comments

[otherworldlyking]

[ This is getting strange, and he's not sure if she's in denial or if something else is going on here.

Photographs of...what, exactly? ]

Tell that to those other people at that stuffy prison "Perdurance".

MYSTIC MESSENGER SPOILERISH

[15unknowns]

[The photographs are of Earth landscapes and still-life.

At this, she actually pouts a bit.]

Perdurance is not a prison! It's for my friends, and it's the new Magenta! There they can be free to be themselves, without....without worrying about...

...

oh. But...V's right here. Why are they still in Perdurance, they...they should be here, with me...and V...just like before. When we were all happy, as the RFA...

[eternaldivide]

[ ...... this is like looking through some twisted mirror thanks he hates this ]

... So do you know nothing about ... V's Light being used to turn the people we know into glass? What about the people who are subjected to his light.

[ .... ]

No one there are themselves. They all ... seemed more like a shell.

cw: ossification

[15unknowns]

No. You're lying! You can't hear him call out to me, like I can. You can't hear him say how much he loves me. That's how I know.

[Slowly, finally, the woman turns to face Mythos.

The entire other half of her face is glass-and it looks like it might not be all, either.]

V would never hurt us. He loves us-and me-all too much.

Re: cw: ossification

[technicolourdifficulties]

[This is... sad. He'd come here expecting some kind of fight, not a woman whose inability to let go was slowly killing her.]

...Sometimes love blinds us to obvious truths. My face is meant to be glass, but I doubt you can say the same.

[15unknowns]

He sees me as beautiful not matter what...you couldn't understand our love...it bought us both here, didn't it?

[Would RGB care to see her 'beauty'?]

[overworker]

Even you can't survive like this-- not if your body continues to do this.

MYSTIC MESSENGER TRUE END SPOILERS and cw: ossification

[15unknowns]

I don't care. My foolishness...my pride...my evil nature killed V once before!

[She looks like she wants to stand. Instead her-and the throne-creak, and she stays seated.]

I want to stay with him. I love him, whether he's a human...or a Sun. I want to show him...I love him no matter what.

[overworker]

But... do you really think... he could possibly happy this way? Knowing that existing like this is hurting someone he loves?

If he loves you-- then whether you can be together or not, he'd want you to be safe.

[15unknowns]

But...I am safe...I'm the Empress...

[biddentodance]

...Don't....know much about love, but... Don't know that I can believe this is it...

[technicolourdifficulties]

...Is that truly what V wants though? If he is as devoted to you as you are to him, I would think that he would want you to live.

[This... hurts. It makes him think of someone who he would likely never see again, and it hurts.]

[eternaldivide]

... You're right. I can't hear him. He's not the person who is most important to me.

[ He takes a breath. ]

What do you think about your friends turning into glass?

[15unknowns]

Glass...?

[She blinks.]

What are you talking about?

[eternaldivide]

[ Mithos frowns. He ... doesn't like that answer at all. ]

Your face, for one. Do you not notice that part of it is glass? And ... a friend of yours that I met was also turning into glass, as well.

Someone who thought of V as their best friend.

[15unknowns]

His best friend...oh! Jumin!

[She brightens up.]

How is he doing?

[uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu u h]

[eternaldivide]

[ ........ why ]

He ... didn't say much. Was .. Jumin always someone with little words and moved around sluggishly?

[ He figures telling her that he did nothing but stare at V wouldn't end well so let's ... work his way around that. ]

[katzenpfote]

Are you aware that your ascension has caused rifts in the worlds? That it has broken up planets?

[15unknowns]

Hm? Oh...I do.

My people are looking into that, of course. We'll have it fixed in no time.

[katzenpfote]

It doesn't seem like much is being done. It seems like those bits of land are being swallowed up.

[15unknowns]

Swallowed up? What do you mean?

[katzenpfote]

Those lost in the Little Courtesy have their lands disappear once the citizens are evacuated.

[higanbana]

[Ris has totally been here the whole time, it's fine.

She looks at the half-glass woman, her expression offering a hint of pity.]

...It's not worth our time. We'll never get through so someone in so deep.

[She sighs.]

You poor, miserable thing. We wish we could say we didn't understand you.

[eternaldivide]

.... We don't have to get through to her. Just find the solution that gets us out of here.

[ Since ahaha ... hah... ]

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...

Okay well his problem is that she doesn't seem to understand what's going on with the little murdergames happening here and there.

Though, he'll eventually turn his attention towards the commotion. ]