come to jesus (and judas)

[breakingbread]

[Tuesday morning, Valjean spends some time walking around the Opera gathering everyone up. There's a meeting in the first floor lobby, evidently. Once everyone's gathered - including Judas, who is lounging on a chair near Valjean and apparently brooding a little - Valjean claps his hands together.]

Thank you all for coming. I guess most of us have met Monseiur Iscariot by now, except perhaps our new arrivals. Inspector, Mademoiselle Astarte, Judas Iscariot. [He makes these brief introductions like it's totally normal to be showing a Biblical figure around.] It sounds like some of our attempts to reach the living have been effective to some degree. It's difficult to tell without more of them joining us, but...we may as well try what we can.

Monseiur Iscariot has suggested that we all work together to haunt this week's incentive meeting. The living will probably gather here soon, so this is the best time to try and send some kind of message - has anyone got any ideas?

Comments

[heavenontheirminds]

Not too easy. But it doesn't matter - if we get the showrunner, we get her.

...or him. [That's right, different people. Still weird.] Does yours walk around stickin' his nose in everything, too?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Oh... I don't know, I didn't interact with him that much...but he did try to discourage murder.

[you know, discourage her from murdering]

Would that count as sticking his nose in?

[heavenontheirminds]

Not the kind I was thinking of. What the hell did he do that for?

[rockthistown]

He scared me at first, but he's a nice person getting orders from his boss. He even said we'd be able to go home if nobody fell for the motives, but then...

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

[...]

But then I fucked up! [With that bright smile that means she hates everything] Anyway, he didn't want to see any of us dead. What a cruel job to give him, then, hm? Your Showrunner was the sort to encourage, I assume?

[rockthistown]

D-neeeeeeee...

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Hime-san.

[breakingbread]

[From his current place keeping Hook occupied:]

D-ne.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

[She beams.] I'm only telling the truth!

[breakingbread]

...I do hope you can forgive yourself one day.

[He can't dispute that she did kinda fuck up, but he forgave her a while ago and she knows it. There isn't much more to say now.]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

[You may have forgiven her, but she's pretty sure the majority of people haven't. She doesn't say anything back to him, just smiles.]

[heavenontheirminds]

[Oh. There seems to be a moment where he considers her anew, then he gestures around to the others.]

Which one of them'd you off?

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Valjean-san. [She nods to him.] 19 lives for a wish seemed such a small price, at first. ...At first.

[heavenontheirminds]

[Judas arches an eyebrow - that's a big guy who doesn't seem at all ill-disposed to you - but he's gotten to know Valjean a little and that kinda makes sense.]

Doubt you would've got it anyway. But there's no point runnin' through that now.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

You believe the management lies about the motives it provides? Hm... That would be something handy to communicate to the other side. Is this a hunch, or do you have evidence...?

[heavenontheirminds]

None of this exactly screams honest dealings to me. But nobody ever got away with anything in my round.

[so, it's a hunch]

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Ahh, yes, you'd have to know from experience, and yet... [She clicks her tongue.]

It's strange, though, I think. You being the only one of your cast here. Killing a member of the cast unexpectedly despite wanting to put on a "good show." Everything you tell us about the management confuses me more and more, Judas-san.

How many murders did you live through? Maybe finding a pattern, perhaps...

[heavenontheirminds]

Ha, that's the idea! Killing me was part of the grand finale - you've gotta do something different then, or there's no point.

[the bitterness is strong with this one]

We had five murders. Dayman, the ogre, the prince...then Mark and the Meister. Jackass wouldn't even give us his name, just went by the Music Meister.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

Hm. [D-ne narrows her eyes.] So, ah...that would be one more week of continuing as "normal" and then...we still can't be sure the others are safe. Well, whatever counts as "safe," considering you showed up here alone, but there's the lot of us with you this time, we can't be sure of anything. The pattern's already broken.

[something seems to occur to her]

Was yours the first show? Did you have any indication of a performance previous?

[heavenontheirminds]

[He shrugs.]

Nothing we ever found. Showrunner talked like it was the first one, if you feel like trusting that.

[rockthistown]

So whatever evidence Astarte and them found was only from your show. At least that's easier for the others to solve...

[heavenontheirminds]

If that'll do them any good.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

[She frowns, does that tell you anything?] Of course... We'll, then we are the sequel. I suppose that's important to take note of.

...do you have any idea what happened to your remaining cast members? If we could get a sense of what could happen to the others... [Then what? It doesn't seem she has any ideas, just a thirst to know the whole situation.]

[heavenontheirminds]

Some of 'em got out. Some are probably workin' with the Showrunner now.

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

...Well. It sounds like you had quite the pieces of work there, then.

[ha she looks...a little angry]