Would you speak with a queen? Or a cat? (AUDIENCE HALL)

[twinverses]

Need something? Want to complain more directly to your cute hosts or maybe you want to bargain with your memories? Maybe you just have a favor. Regardless, this is the place to do it! Just knock on the Audience Hall's door or just call for the Alices and they'll answer.

Of course, if you want to speak with a particular Alice just note that in your toplevel as long with the date and rough time it's happening. They can be contacted IC-ly throughout the day.

For the final week, in person meetings with the Storyteller (formerly known as the Cat) aren't possible. Alice, obviously, isn't talking to anyone either. However! The Storyteller can be called to talk throughout the castle so just say where you're yelling at her from.

Comments are screened until the game is over.

Comments

[strictura]

In what way?

[twinverses]

They like pulling stupid pranks like stealing shiny objects or jumping in front of you. They're harmless enough in the castle because of me. Most of the stronger monsters I'd throw out myself if I found them here.

[strictura]

...All right, that's good to know. Why are they here specifically for Halloween, though? I mean, it's fitting thematically, obviously, but what actually enables them to get in during that specific time if they usually can't?

[twinverses]

[She just stares at him. As if this was the most obvious thing in the world.]

Oh. Right, you're more a 'logical' thinker. I forgot that folklore might not be something you know. It's when the barriers of life and death, reality and dreams, get all mixed up.

[strictura]

[ Rude, he can hear those quotation marks. ]

Should we expect those ghosts to be the extent of those effects, or are there other things that could happen?

[twinverses]

Likely the cardboard carnival workers might be a bit more animated. They're not possessed by outside monsters like the ghosts but well, some people have been tormenting them.

[strictura]

Ah... That was something else I'd intended to ask about, actually. That's just some of the... reality and dreams getting mixed up, or something?

[twinverses]

Normally they're just some familiars of mine meant to run that floor. Yeah, it's something like that. Why anyone would want to burn the cute things I don't know.

[strictura]

I'm not really sure of the context myself, I just... heard about the screaming.

How many floors are there overall, anyway?

[twinverses]

That Nigel is a bad influence... [Of course she heard about that.] If you count the court room and our personal floor? Seven.

[strictura]

Personal floor?

[ Hm. ]

Is that where the Queen is now? I noticed she wasn't here.

[twinverses]

Oh, she's exploring the carnival, I think. She's feeling so much better. You might even bump into her there.

[And if he goes to check, she is there.]

[strictura]

Ah... That's good to hear. You've seemed to be in a pretty good mood yourself lately.

[twinverses]

I think everything is going go quite well for Alice and I.

[strictura]

Is it? I can understand why her feeling better would be a positive thing, but you indicated before that the previous group was a failure because they kept breaking the rules. Ours has had just as many die over broken rules [ though questionably in Ib's case ] as to the game itself at this point, so I'm not sure I see how we're any more of a success than they were.

[twinverses]

[She seems to think on this, crossing her arms and even tapping her cheek.]

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? What's the difference between your group and theirs? Certainly, some of them broke the rules like some in your group did. A thrown punch here, some destroyed property there. It happens in games. There wouldn't be a need to disqualify everyone if that was the case. I'm not unreasonable.

[She taps her cheek again.] If you stabbed me now, that doesn't mean I should punish, say, the dogs for stabbing me when he's probably playing a math game in his head. Would it? [A pause.]

But if all of you that are alive right now attacked me, that would be different, wouldn't it?

[strictura]

[ Frowns... ]

Well, yes, but only the ones who were alive and involved would be disqualified in that case, right?

[twinverses]

Normally, yes. [She shrugs.] Some things can never be forgiven.

[strictura]

What...? Do you mean that even someone like Sasaki -- who was seemingly murdered without having done anything wrong herself -- is being punished for crimes that occurred after her death and were perpetrated by other people?

[twinverses]

I wouldn't put it in that way but yes, that's true. Though, I wouldn't worry too much about it happening again to your group. I won't let it get to that point this time.

[strictura]

[ ...It's not like he doesn't sort of agree with this in principle. He's argued himself that you sometimes have to destroy decent people along with bad to ensure a victory. But this is all for one girl's wish for herself; they're not trying to ensure peace for all kids or anything that would justify this much unwilling sacrifice. ]

Meaning what?

[twinverses]

[A book doesn't choose it's reader. A single story is loved by many. Most children are raised by fairy tales and rhymes, even if they're through television these days or the internet. They shouldn't be able to choose a favorite person among the many.

Yet, sometimes, it just happens.]

Even if someone among your group does that forbidden thing, I doubt the majority of you would act on it as it well. If a non-majority of the living are involved, only those individuals will be disqualified.

[strictura]

That's not reassuring! What if we get to a point where only three are left and two of them break your rule? Are you seriously going to blame everyone for a stupid decision that such a small number of people make, that the dead don't even get a say in?

[twinverses]

I'll just make sure that the game ends before that happens this time.

[strictura]

What determines when it ends? And please don't just tell me you aren't going to spoil the story. We're far enough in that I think it's reasonable to know what the base conditions are.