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

[twinverses]

No, my personal quarters. [Beat.] Blame Nigel for flooding the audience chamber. I don't have time to go back to it, anyway.

[xxxx_me]

So I can just talk to you like this, then?

[twinverses]

Yes. I'm busy reading right now, though.

[xxxx_me]

Reading what?

[twinverses]

Currently? The Borrowers Afield.

[Huh.]

[xxxx_me]

[Huh.]

Why that one?

[twinverses]

She wanted the next one in the series.

[xxxx_me]

So you're doing the stuff she would have wanted?

[twinverses]

I'm doing things she wants. [Present tense.]

[xxxx_me]

So she really wants you to keep killing us over and over again?

[twinverses]

She wants me to stop.

That's the only thing I'll disregard from her.

[xxxx_me]

Why?

[twinverses]

Why? This will make her happy even if she doesn't think it will. [There's a pause. Then:] Yes, I know, Alice. I know.

[xxxx_me]

Are you planning to erase her memories again?

[twinverses]

Why, Allen, that would require me to have erased her memories before. While it's true Alice the Dreaming Doll had the same effects of the Nameless Forest as the others, those were easily returned.

You can't forget what you never experienced. Alice the Dreaming Doll and Alice the Queen were two different Alices.

[xxxx_me]

-?!

[Okay, that one he didn't expect.]

Wait... then who was the dreaming doll?!

[twinverses]

They both were Alice.

[xxxx_me]

Explain it in a way that makes sense.

[twinverses]

Mm, well, it's a little difficult to explain the magic. It's complex... Well. Let's say you made something. Anything. A story, a piece of pottery, a drawing. You then make copies of that object. Anything can happen to those copies, right? They both started as the same but ended differently.

It's a little different in this case since the original changes a little too but basically those were just copies of the real Alice and the real Alice is very much still 'alive' in this castle.

[xxxx_me]

...So are you trying to bring back the original? And what about the Alice who was with us?

[twinverses]

Yes. She remembers what happened to both the Dreaming Doll and the Queen. [There's a pause.] The reason I didn't know Oriko killed her is because the she wouldn't tell me who killed her.

But I couldn't really admit that, could I?

[xxxx_me]

[...]

Is she here right now? Listening to everything we say?

[twinverses]

[Just a few minutes ago, you might remember something very strange. 'Yes, Alice, I know.']

Only because I'm right next to her. She really doesn't have the strength to do much.

[xxxx_me]

[Yeah, he did figure. His head dips, but he'll keep speaking.]

Queen Alice, then.

...I'm sorry we couldn't save you. And I'm sorry you got killed. Oriko...

I'm sure she thought that sacrificing one person to save everyone else would be better than letting everyone die. The same way Storyteller thinks that killing all of us over and over is worth it to save Alice.

But it's not. And I don't want to let her keep doing this. ...You probably agree, don't you?

So... I'm sorry. But I don't think we can keep playing this game for you. I would've liked to play with you some more, but...

We have to go. Every last one of us. And you... you need to move on. You need to fly up with the other souls, so you can be reborn and play again, but properly this time.

You understand, don't you?

[twinverses]

[There's a silence for a long time then the Storyteller answers.]

She heard you. She says... [There's anger. Red hot jealousy and spite as she says:] She understands. It's not up to her.