graveyard

[reapertoire]

#GRAVEYARD

Well, that sucked! That might be your first thought when you open your eyes to find yourself in a lavishly decorated room with a nice, soft bed. Or maybe you’re thinking about something else, it doesn’t really matter, since the only important thing right now is that you’re alive. Sort of. You’re still dead, but you also still exist, so that’s better than nothing. Whenever you decide to leave the room to venture out into the rest of the building, you’ll find that… hm. You sure have found yourself somewhere interesting, and there are plenty of places to explore. Foods from all of the weeks prior can be found in the hotel’s kitchen, as well as an entertainment center in the next room; just because you’re dead-dead doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun while the Reaper’s Game continues. Dare you try your luck with the ice cream machine in this weird place…? Or do you explore the mysterious board game that rests on the lobby’s table? Nothing’s stopping you. You’re absolutely able to leave the hotel, by the way. As soon as you step outside, you’ll find yourself in whatever area is currently open to the remaining Players for the current week. The only thing is, in addition to being invisible to the shadowy denizens of the RG... it seems you can’t interact at all with your fellow active Players in the UG, either. Weird! But that’s okay, you’re not totally alone in this limbo-squared! There are others around who you can interact with, and you might recognize them as the other people who have been Erased during the course of the game. In fact, there’s one rather special resident of this place... it’s none other than Dahlia Hawthorne. You might remember her as Utena Tenjou’s murderer from the first week! Upon seeing you, she smirks, welcoming you to the party. “Did you really think you'd seen the last of me? Welcome to the Under-Underground—the loser’s playground, a failure like the rest of us,” she taunts, swirling the teacup in her hand with an almost gleeful look in her eyes. Then, as if to preempt whatever the new arrivals wish to respond with, she rolls her eyes and adds, “The stupid name wasn’t my choice, by the way. As if I’d choose something that dumb to preside over.” game info ☠ setting ☠ statuses ☠ ic profiles private conversations ☠ murder proposals ☠ money full nav

Comments

[exorcismo]

Not quite.. but in a way? Those answers mean two different things and somehow they also mean nothing at all.

[ Terra?? Explain?? ]

[darkearth]

The writing. They don't sound the same, do they? Even if they're both signed "C."

[voyeur]

You're suggesting one is a Conductor and the other is a Composer, huh?

[grano]

The one Eleanor found atop the wall was from the Composer. I can discern that by the manner of speech.

I would presume that this, however, is from the Conductor.

[venomosity]

. . .

I'm not going to comment on what the letters mean or anything, but I'm just going to point out that the handwriting is the exact same on both of them.

[grano]

It's fortunate that I referenced to manner of speech and not handwriting, then. I know what my employer sounds like, Miss Hawthorne.

Unless you are suggesting that this is not them, yes?

[venomosity]

[ completely deadpan ]

They were my employer before the rest of you even came into the picture.

[darkearth]

The Composer we have wasn't always the Composer.

[voyeur]

That's the case with every Composer. It's the entire corporate structure we're working under, right?

[darkearth]

They became a Composer because they erased the previous one.

Maybe that's why we're supposed to work together.

[voyeur]

Isn't that also what usually happens? Something like the current Conductor being handed the job by the last one seems pretty rare in our line of work.

[darkearth]

It means the rules changed. Because the Composer is different.

Saving everyone... In order to do that, we all have to work together. The Composer told me that.

[voyeur]

You know, I've been wondering about that. Because the person running my group... That person said they were the Composer. Further, they said they didn't know the identities of any of the Reapers in your group.

Interesting, don't you think?

[darkearth]

What? [It's less total disbelief and more surprise.] Why would the Composer not know who everyone is...?

[voyeur]

The Composer said that the Conductor asked for Reapers to be sent on loan from other Composers, and that the Conductor is planning to take over and end the Game, which will mean that none of the Players will be revived. The Composer referred to your group as a 'rogue' group of Reapers. The Game had veered from the Composer's original intentions because of this interference, so the second win condition, of our group eliminating yours, had been snuck in as a contingency.

That is what we were told by the one who used the title 'Composer' with us.

[grano]

Good on them. They always did seem the sort.

[darkearth]

[He gives Jacopo and weird but curious look.]

[sexorcism]

So, is it the Composer or the Conductor whose feelings are unrequited?

[grano]

Composer.

[sexorcism]

That's a tragedy. She must be very lonely.

She? They? Max did seem to be affecting a feminine voice that one time.

[chr]

I must have missed this... Makes you think, though, doesn't it?

What could a pair of lovers have to do with a game like this, I wonder.

[exorcismo]

Wars have started over less, haven't they? Somehow it seems oddly fitting that bonds and livelihoods would be tested by some otherworldly tiff between lovers.

[chr]

Haha. Have you heard of Helen of Troy, Eleanor?

[exorcismo]

No I haven't, it's not a tale familiar to my world. Why do you ask?

[chr]

Well... to make a long story short, Helen was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman alive.

Naturally, men are drawn to such a woman. Wouldn't you be, too? The mystery of her, who she was, the sort of things she got up to. Men from all over the world tried to woo her, but she was promised to a man named King Menelaus, who ruled over a city called Sparta. From then on, she was Helen of Sparta. One day, a man named Paris from the city of Troy came to visit Sparta, and he seduced Helen. Actually, Sappho wrote a poem about it... ah:

Some say a host of horsemen, others of infantry and others
of ships, is the most beautiful thing on the dark earth
but I say, it is what you love
Full easy it is to make this understood of one and all: for
she that far surpassed all mortals in beauty, Helen her
most noble husband
Deserted, and went sailing to Troy, with never a thought for
her daughter and dear parents.

...Well, she thought that Helen left willingly. Perhaps she did. I mean, the old legends say Persephone chose Hades herself, and they fell in love in the Underworld. I'm getting off track, though, haha.

When Helen left with Paris of Troy, it launched the Trojan Wars. Eventually, Paris was killed in the war, and Helen returned to Sparta to be with her husband. By all accounts, their marriage was fine, in spite of her infidelity.

That was incredibly long winded, thanks for listening! My point is: There are many ways for people in love to fight. In this case... would it be presumptuous of me to wonder if we Players are the metaphorical Helen of Troy?