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

[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.