VIDEO-ish (cw: torture and murder)

[bloomingdespite]

[Before the ICP flickers on, every passenger hears a resounding, deep voice thunder through every car in the train, carrying with it a deathly—if odd—proclamation:]

PENALTY GAME: HELL REVERSE!

[Moments later, every ICP turns on to reveal a figure shrouded in shadows, holding the unconscious body of Xue Yang with one hand as the Eye of Wdjat blazes on both of their foreheads. It's clear they're in the gaming car, but if anybody tries to enter from either end, they'll find the doors are impossibly locked.]

Passengers of the Voidtrecker Express, I hold in my hands an unrepentant murderer who slaughtered one of your very own: the victim being A-Qing, and the criminal being Xue Yang. While she has returned, this crime cannot go unpunished, and I have taken it upon myself to try and burn out the stain on his soul—or, at the very least, provide adequate agony for all of his victims, both on the train and off.

If you need to see proof of my justice...

Avert your eyes if you do not wish to see memories of the brutal death of a young woman in her prime.

[The screen flickers once again, this time showing A-Qing's murder, although it doesn't have any audio. ((OOC: Additional CW for graphic depictions of murder.))

When it returns to the interior of the Games Car, the shadowy figure is gone, but their voice and Xue Yang remain.]

I leave it to the council to dispense their own punishment, as meager as it may be.

Remember, passengers:

I am watching.

[The ICP clicks off, and the train is deadly quiet.]

Comments

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin would be sardonically amused by that thought, but it's not just his propaganda campaign. In the centuries since their day, it is a certainty that there are puppet shows and theatre in the park with First Age themes, trials and tribulations. Squeaky-voiced puppets and stentorian-voiced actors declaim their lines: "Deliver unto us the Silmarils!" and "Back, ye cursed Balrogs!" Waving their silver-painted cardboard swords and posing dramatically. The artists of Elvendom are already convinced. ]

I agree. It's too much like our world, where the only justice was vigilante. And look how that turned out! Stars of Varda! May the train not bring us more unregenerate killers.

[ He'd have to agree that the Teleri would be justified in their fears if they regarded the Fëanorians as unrepentant murderers. The only problem is that the Kinslayers on this train are repentant. Whereas Xue Yang is not, and the shadowy figure seems to feel entirely justified in electing themself judge and executioner. ]

[utulien_aure]

Particularly not now, if the train is already suspected of harboring criminals.

[Of course, nothing is recorded on the ICP (...that they can find, at least.)]

I hesitate to suggest another level of train governance, but we need a way to handle this. What happened once can happen again.

[so_dark_a_road]

Indeed. The Ministry of Void Travel seems to think that we are a criminal organization, using our missions of mercy as a cover for our criminal activities. [ He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. ]

We do need a way to handle this. I just don't want us to create laws that encourage us to behave exactly like this vigilante. I have been worried for a long time about what would happen if a quarrel on the train or a former hostile relationship were to result in a killing on the train. I had hopes that the positive nature of this community would prevent that from happening, but evidently I was wrong.

[utulien_aure]

You mean to say there aren't already six layers of bureaucracy planned to handle these matters?

[His voice is as dry as tundra.]

Considering how little we really know about the ship, I'm not sure we could convincingly refute the accusation if asked.

[so_dark_a_road]

Nope. What little bureaucracy we have was never designed to handle such matters. The question has been asked before, but we never really had to answer it.

[Ooh, that dry, dry tone! It positively desiccates the air around the ICP. ]

I know. I'm actually hoping we never have to account for ourselves to the Ministry of Void Travel. I'm not sure they'd believe us if we all told the truth, which is that we don't know.