night four - kill log

[guestcontrol]

Who: Killers and Kyouya
What: kiss kiss fall off the ferris wheel
When: The fourth night
Where: The park...

[It's in the dead of the night when Kyouya's door abruptly unlocks. His bracelet begins to beep. Something seems to be calling him, ordering him to leave his room. For every moment he delays, it beeps with more and more urgency, especially if he tries to bring anything. And besides, he feels groggy, not inclined to protest much.

As he steps outside, lights illuminate his path. The lights lead into the park. As soon as he steps through the door into the park, the door slams shut behind him. It won't open for him again, and pounding on the door or calling for help will not yield any results. It's only once inside that the grogginess wears off.

He can run or try to hide, but there's not much use to it. His bracelet is still beeping, the only obvious sound in the darkness. And though he's not restrained, he'll find there's no way he can strike a blow against the killers; the bracelet will tighten and he'll feel the grogginess return if he tries to fight back.]

Comments

[glasshole]

[Kyouya appreciates that extra touch. He always wanted his death to have panache.

Or, no, he really doesn't. Actually, all sort of pretense of having it together right now drops away immediately.]

What? You...

[He's tempted to be irrational about this and decide Tamaki's here as a target as well, but no, that doesn't add up at all. On the other hand, none of this does.]

You can't be serious.

[sparklyrichbastard]

[Tamaki, on the other hand, is still doing quite well with his pretense of having it together.]

I'm afraid I am. Let's walk and talk, shall we?

[glasshole]

Oh, let's.

[Right. How should he react to this, then. He's not even entirely sure. But after a second deliberating, he decides on angry.]

Let's hear your explanation. You do understand what this looks like? It might be hard for you to grasp, but I'm not in the mood for your nonsense.

[sparklyrichbastard]

I know, I know. It looks terrible.

[Even having expected that anger, his smile falters a little.]

But I swear to you, we're not killing anyone.

[glasshole]

Don't those corpses beg to differ?

[On the other hand, he actually does cool down a little, at least enough to be interested in hearing the answer. The situation is almost too surreal to take seriously, and he can't really believe Tamaki would actually kill him. It's easier to treat this as though he's angry about being dragged out here in the middle of the night.]

What the hell do you think is going on here? Whether you intend to kill someone or not, people are dying, and when everyone finds out, they will execute you for your part in it.

[sparklyrichbastard]

Those aren't real. They're just like... special effects? Well, I can't say I understand the specifics, but I know everyone we've "killed" has woken up safely in the real world.

[Enjoy the sincere, warm smile of one thoroughly deluded.]

At any rate, it would be fine to be executed. Selfishly, I'd prefer to go along with whichever of the club leaves last, but que sera, sera.

[glasshole]

[The sincerity is pretty terrifying. He absently touches the scar on his own temple, draws a few deep breaths to collect his thoughts.]

...Tell me what you think is really happening. What do you have to do to wake these people up?

[sparklyrichbastard]

We're all trapped here, like a bad dream. The only way to get everyone out is by giving them enough of a shock to wake up — a "pinch," as it were. Well... I won't deny that it looks like we're killing people.

[glasshole]

A pinch like beating someone's skull in? Like shooting them in the head.

[He's surprised to hear a slight tremor in his voice; he expects himself to have more control than that. As much as he wants to think he's misunderstood something here, being in denial is not going to help things at all.]

Are you even listening to yourself? Can't you see that something is wrong here? If you "pinch" me, I am not going to wake up. I am going to be dead.

Whatever's been done to you can be fixed. There are doctors, we can...but I can't do any of those things if I'm dead.

[sparklyrichbastard]

That's... I mean, I don't like that part, either...

[There's a moment of fogginess there, but it fades quickly as the base of the Ferris wheel comes into view.]

But it'll be fine, Kyouya, I promise. You know I'd never hurt you.

[...Although. Does the Ferris wheel actually work? That's sure a thing Tamaki didn't consider until this exact moment.]

[glasshole]

[Why are they at a ferris wheel. Is this how he's going to die. Is Tamaki going to make him go on rides while smiling unsettlingly at him until he dies of anger.

Whatever, he has other concerns right now.]

I don't know that at all. Isn't something like this just like you? Who the fuck knows what's going through your head, you're just going to follow through with your delusions content that someone else will clean up your messes.

[sparklyrichbastard]

[That would seem to be the case, considering he's walking right up to one of the pods and opening up the door.]

It's not a delusion! This is the only way we can help everyone! You'll see!

[glasshole]

[Not. Getting in. What did you expect.

Instead, he reaches to grab him roughly by the arm or the fabric of his shirt, but feels a wave of dizziness when he tries. Impulse to punch defeated, he instead leans against the support beam of the ferris wheel to catch his breath and steadiness back. Those few seconds seem to have allowed him to shift back from rage to seriousness.]

Tamaki.

I need you to listen to me. If you've ever listened to me, if you've ever trusted me, I need you to do it now. If you don't, we are completely through.

[sparklyrichbastard]

[Tamaki's face totally falls at that. Honestly, he'd have rather been punched. Murder is one thing, but loss of friendship is another.]

C-come on, Kyouya. Don't say that.

[glasshole]

If it matters to you, then don't do this.

[He doesn't particularly care if it's a cruel thing to say. It happens to be true, since he'll be dead. Though his tone makes it pretty clear this isn't an attempt at manipulation, either.]

If that matters to you, then do what I say. Let me fix this.

[sparklyrichbastard]

[Even knowing Kyouya probably wouldn't understand, deep down Tamaki had sincerely been hoping he would, and it strikes him to see just how badly his intentions are being taken. And while he'd like to think that surely Kyouya will forgive him when everything turns out fine, that doesn't make it sting any less in the here and now.]

Let's just... talk this through, okay? I won't do anything yet.

[glasshole]

...Okay.

[He releases the breath he's been holding. While he could forgive Tamaki a lot, not taking that threat seriously isn't one of those things.]

I believe you, that you believe what you're saying. But I don't think it's true. So one of us is wrong.

[sparklyrichbastard]

[Tamaki nods.]

That's a given.

[glasshole]

Don't you think, in these circumstances, the theory that doesn't involve killing someone should be given more weight?

[sparklyrichbastard]

That's... hm. I hadn't thought of it that way.

[And frankly, he doesn't even quite seem like he's fully processing it now, but he at least looks to be trying.]

[glasshole]

But it makes sense, doesn't it? I'm not a threat to your plans, either. You understand that if the deaths were real, I'd be trying to make sure neither of us die, right?

[He can tell there's a problem here, but he keeps his tone calm and measured.]

So there's nothing to gain from killing me right now.

[eventhandler]

Enough.

[Says a frail, weak voice from a few feet away - Royce steps out, hands folded behind him, gazing at Kyouya with a severe, piercing intensity that paradoxically goes against the way he sounds.]

We don't have...time for this talking, this chatting...Tamaki. You know, youuuu...understand what we have to do. [He grasps Kyouya's forearm, his grip tight, looking over at Tamaki.]

...It's time.

[glasshole]

Ah.

[And grabbed. His expression sort of goes blank. He really miscalculated this. Of course, even if he can somehow talk sense into Tamaki, that wouldn't change his situation. The others will definitely kill him anyway.

He still looks to Tamaki as though expecting some kind of protest, but. He already knows he's lost.]

[sparklyrichbastard]

Royce...

I mean, he's not running or fighting, so it's okay, isn't it? To talk a little...

[Tamaki's protest is weak at best. He brings a hand up to his head, but he doesn't seem pained; just confused and spacey, like something in there just isn't quite clicking.]

[eventhandler]

...

[He just shakes his head, gesturing to the ferris wheel. He...doesn't like this. They have a job to do. The thing Royce wants, the thing he needs...he will get it if he plays along in this role, and he's not going to let the others ruin his chances of doing just that.]

...There is no point in talking. We need to...do what we discussed. Nothing more.