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

[irrationally]

[ There's clear surprise visible on her face when he says that. I'd think seriously about shanking them myself. I don't think I'd stop you.

It's unexpected, considering how much Xander seems like an endless force of good to her. Then again, maybe you just start to view someone like that by default when you feel like such a pit of darkness that's only illuminated whenever he smiles like a dumb, oblivious puppy when he's around her. Not that it's a bad thing that he has that kind of side to him - if anything, it makes her feel a little less bad about her anger.

But then there's those last words, and those immediately distract her mind. ]

It doesn't matter if you'd have a target. I don't think you understand.

[ She takes a step closer, then another, covering the distance she was so carefully keeping. A hand reaches out to touch his shoulder. ]

I-- I will kill anyone who does as much as think of hurting you. I'll wipe them out of existence. I'll..

[ Alice cuts herself off, suddenly releasing her hold on him as if she's burned herself, stumbling back a step and letting out a miserable breath. ]

Sorry. I..

[ That was too far. Even though he agrees with her desire to get those people for what they've done, that reaction felt a little too extreme. Too raw. It hits just a little too hard upon the fear of him realising just how awful she is.

She buries her face in her hands. ]

.. I am such a mess.

[emerald_mirror]

[No, no, that's not good. Normally Xander would never, ever overstep himself, but now? He reaches for Alice to wrap arms and wings around her to hug her, petting her hair gently.]

Maybe you are, but you didn't ask to be. Someone else did this to you and you're trying hard to take yourself back. I see that. There's good in you still. You care so much! About a lot of people.

[Not just about him, but him too...]

It's easy to say you're bad or a mess, but there's a lot of good about you too. You want to protect people. If you do things that hurt others, it's because they did things that weren't right. I know two wrongs don't make a right, necessarily, either. But sometimes, there's no other way.

[He doesn't want it to be too much, that hug, so he backs off to look at Alice.] Maybe I don't understand. You're right. There's a lot I don't understand, even with my empathy. But I want to. And I don't think you're a mess, I think you're struggling to work things out. That doesn't make you a mess. It makes you strong. And definitely stronger than the people who made you this way.

I admire you for that, Alice. And you being strong? That helps me too!

[irrationally]

[ The hug is a lot. But Alice doesn't move to push him away. He just lets his arms and wings envelop her while she listens to what he says.

And what he says is.. hard to believe. Is she really not a mess? Is there anything good in her? Sometimes it feels like she knows, but at other times it feels like the line has become so blurry. Especially when her natural inclination towards violence when it comes to injustice comes to the light like this. ]

...

[ For a moment she can say nothing. She just watches him after he backs off from her again. ]

It helps you..?

[ Her voice sounds weaker than she would like it to, but she can't help it right now when her vulnerability is already full on display. ]

[emerald_mirror]

If I was alone right now, I don't know what I'd do. I really don't. [He shakes his head, closing his eyes tight. Mercifully, he does release her to flop back on the grass, again.]

I'm trying to hold it all together--for myself, for you. [For a lot of things...] But I'm mad. And a bit confused, and I wish Alex were here because he's smarter than me and he'd know what to do, and I don't even know, for sure!

[For Xander, that's practically a tantrum, and Cottonball, who's decided she's dry enough, gives an irritated squeak and lofts up from the grass to come burrow into Xander's hair at the nape of his neck. He reaches for her for a moment, giving her a reassuring pat. He rubs the other arm against his face, so he doesn't start crying again--that'd only upset Alice, probably. It's not her fault that his mental shields will take longer to fix. Concentration and time. The fact that he's got the magic ones up will help, though.]

Yeah. You being here helps. More than I can tell you.

[irrationally]

[ Bless Cottonball for trying to help in this situation. Or, well, at least trying to prevent more of a tantrum from happening before both Xander and Alice just end up even more upset than they already are. Alice appreciates the effort on her part, really.

But she knows she has to do her part too. It doesn't matter that she's angry. She's way too used to the emotion. She just doesn't want him to be hurt. And he says her being here helps. So maybe her words help too.

That thought is enough to at least make her make some effort. ]

Xander.. He's not here. You're here. And that's-- that's fine.

[ There's some hesitation, but then Alice is the one who slowly reaches out this time, her hand only landing on Xander's shoulder though. ]

I don't think anyone knows what to do in a situation like this. [ Especially when SOME PEOPLE insist on not just throwing those guys off the train and straight into the void like they deserve! ] Intelligence isn't necessarily what's needed right now-- empathy is. Someone kind and willing to understand and help out others. Someone like you.

It's.. It's good that you're here.