Video: Backdated to last day of Fiddlesticks

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony's image appears, but he looks more tired than usual. He has a small stack of coffee mugs he hadn't yet returned to the kitchen in the background, along with a whole mess of tubes and beakers of liquid. Clearly, he's been busy working on something obsessively again.]

After much deliberation and weighing our options we have available to us on this train, the council has reached a decision regarding A-Qing's murder at the hand of Yang Xue. In addition to the punishment already rendered, Yang Xue will be sequestered in a quiet room with a guard on duty for five days. Though each night, he will return to his room, he will be ushered back into custody every morning. This will start when Yang Xue is lucid.

That being said, the passenger known as 'Wester', also known as Anzu Mazaki, is also being charged for vigilante justice and terrorizing the train. They will also be in solitary confinement for five days.

We're asking both to issue a formal apology as well.

[ooc: If other council members would like to threadjack, you're welcome to it.]

Comments

video

[bloomingdespite]

[Wester is still in the Quiet Room when this is posted, and as soon as Tony's video goes up they're on their apology.]

Hello, everyone.

It's... me, Mazaki, and as Tony says I was the one who punished Xue Yang for the murder of A-Qing.

I know it can't make up for what I did, but... I apologize for terrifying everyone out of their minds with that video, and exposing them to that horrific murder. I have no excuse for my behavior.

I never intended, and would never, hurt anyone else aboard this train, and if I've made you or somebody you love fear for their safety...

You're welcome to take it up with me after I'm released. Please do, actually.

[Guess what Wester ISN'T apologizing for?]

[ Video ]

[theturksway]

What the hell kinda fucking lame punishment is that?

[Not that Reno has much of a better idea because Turks really only dished out one kind of punishment to anyone that got in their way but...he has to complain about how pathetic that sounds considering what actually happened. Ugh!]

Re: [ Video ]

[runs_on_batteries]

Well, we don't have jails. We decided against physical or mental torture. We have no way of getting them removed from the train. Now we know even if we killed them they'd just come back.

What would you have recommended?

[He's going to try and back this decision even if he would've voted for something a little more harsh.]

[ Video ]

[theturksway]

I know that! Tch. [Reno looks away from the screen for a second and then back. He basically gives off the air of a petulant child. Why he was given charge of a unit of Turks, nobody knows.] Man, we're practically already in a jail so solitary confinement's practically all you've got to punish someone around here.

But it's still fucking lame! It's not even proper solitary since the damn train resets. And five days of that isn't gonna do a damn thing! [Speaking from experience? Maybe.] At that rate, you might as well not even bother at all.

Re: [ Video ]

[runs_on_batteries]

There's also being publicly charged so everyone knows their crimes and the social stigma which they'll have to live with the rest of their time here among the passengers.

Might I suggest shunning them or putting ghost peppers in their food?

[ Video ]

[theturksway]

Believe me, social stigma isn't going to stop an asshole from being an asshole. [Just look at him!]

...do we have any of those on board? [Anthony Edward Stark!!! Don't give Reno ideas like that! He'll do them!!]

[agathokakological]

So none of us are allowed privacy because two people couldn't control themselves?

[rookiemistakes]

I know that look. Are we ordering ghost peppers then, Reno?

[theturksway]

Maybe.

video;

[bridgetothefuture]

I respect your decision.

[That's not the same as agreeing with it, but Sam isn't interested in arguing.]

[runs_on_batteries]

How do you figure that?

Re: video;

[runs_on_batteries]

Thank you Sam. Would you be willing to take a shift as a guard?

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony just grins and lets these two have fun. He couldn't sanction such a thing but someone else.. ? Maybe.]

video

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba groans internally. He knows. And he knows he's going to get so much crap for this. ]

Speaking in my capacity as a...fellow citizen, not a council member: I want to see you. There's something I want to resolve. And I'm not going to bite your head off.

[ Beat. ]

My jaw isn't big enough.

[bridgetothefuture]

Yeah, I can do that.

[Sam always sounds serious, so it's not really much of a change from usual, but he looks determined.]

[bloomingdespite]

...I literally can't stop you from opening the door, Kaiba. As much as I want to.

You're one of the ones with the key.

[blue_ice]

You clearly weren't in any mood to talk to me. Probably still aren't.

But I wanted to tell you first that I'm angry, but not with you. Yugi and I have been trying to work out what happened, and...we think we might have a better idea.

[bloomingdespite]

...fine.

You... can go ahead and come in, then.

[Since frankly, Wester has no idea what their own deal is, and any input would be helpful at this point.]

action

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba knocks before entering, because he is trying here. He waits until the door is closed and he's seated on the empty bench before continuing. ]

For the record, if I'm angry, it's the general headache of the situation, not at you. I understand your choice, and I don't understand the over the top horror at it...to a degree, yes, but it almost seemed as if people forgot who the murderer was.

But that's not what I came to discuss. What...do you want me to call you?

[runs_on_batteries]

Thanks. I have something else I need to be working on or I'd do it. When you need a break, I can help find someone to take over.

[agathokakological]

I suppose I'll just get in the line of a hundred and fifty people for the only remaining quiet room then. Since, you know, four of them have been repurposed.

[bridgetothefuture]

Don't overdue it or anything.

I had a friend back home who... [he cuts himself off, shaking his head] never mind. I can stand watch.

[runs_on_batteries]

Might I suggest you find the nearest crapper and have your pity party in there?

[agathokakological]

Might I suggest jumping in one and flushing yourself down like the rest of your kind?

[runs_on_batteries]

My 'kind'? What's that exactly?

[agathokakological]

Oh, were you not clever enough to get the metaphor?

[runs_on_batteries]

Sorry there was this buzzing in my ear of all the more important thoughts I could be having that drowned out all your nonsense.

[agathokakological]

Pardon me, didn't mean to interrupt your game of pretend train politics.

[runs_on_batteries]

See? There it goes again. It might have to do with how incredibly ugly you are. You look like a meth-head. We have doctors on board, I suggest you see one.

[agathokakological]

Ohhh did you learn your insults from twelve-year-olds? You've got me there. Think I'll have a little cry over it. I may never recover.

[runs_on_batteries]

I'm going to have to turn this off. If I keep looking at whatever messed up thing you've got going on there, I'm going to have nightmares.

Good-bye.

Asshole

[He turns the feed off.]

[so_dark_a_road]

I also am on guard duty, Tony. Part of the reason is that I'd like to talk to both Xue Yang and Anzu Mazaki.

[runs_on_batteries]

Good. Sam wants in and it'd shock me if Luke and Dread weren't antsy for a turn too. Tobias seems like he'd be a good boring person to stand watch too. Just put him with someone chatty so they annoy the hell out of him.

[He grins.]

I want to be entertained when I walk by later.

[runs_on_batteries]

Yeah yeah.

A friend who what? Was he awesome and you're just shy about telling me that I'm magnificent? It's okay Sam. I'm well aware of how fantastic I am. I do appreciate the compliment, but you're not really my type. Though I never turn down a drink. So, yes, drinks later, after you get done standing in front of a door for a few hours.

[bridgetothefuture]

She spent so long living on borrowed time to fix a problem with the Chiral network she barely had time to make peace with her sister before she died.

[sorry, tony. sam's just Like This]

She was already dead when we first met, she just didn't tell me until she decided to make amends.

[so_dark_a_road]

Oh, I'm chatty all right. [ Curufin grins back. ] As I'm sure you've noticed.

I'm sure you'll be amused. My theatrical skills are second to none, whether I'm aiming to entertain or annoy.

[marriedanidiot]

[ long tired sigh ]

Thank you for all your hard work, Tony. It's not ideal, but... it's what we have.

[bloomingdespite]

I...

...

Mazaki is. Fine.

[There is so much being unsaid here.]

[blue_ice]

All right.

[ He takes a breath and rocks forward, planting his chin on his hands. ]

It's clear to us that you're not from the same world as Yugi and I. You're someone different. When we met at the dance, you said I wouldn't accept who you were if I knew the truth.

What if I could guess at it?

sorry for short responses brain is. bad. right now

[bloomingdespite]

...you know what, sure.

Take a shot.

it's ok take your time. seriously. <3

[blue_ice]

Putting together the pieces of what I've learned from you, and what Yugi learned from you...he mentioned a concept called the butterfly effect. A small change in a series of events usually results in much larger changes later in the timeline.

You're clearly from a timeline similar enough to ours that you recognize us. Yugi is still your friend from school, and I'm still the asshole who gets in your way---who was still mind crushed as a consequence of my evil. After that, I 'got better' to some degree. And there's still the vengeful spirit of an ancient pharaoh lurking in the darkness who did the mind crushing, among other things.

[ He stops to look at them, really look at them. ]

You look like Anzu Mazaki. You gave that name to the train. You have her ability in dance and her lack of tolerance for bullshit, particularly my bullshit. Yet you also have the Pharaoh's powers, pieces of his duelist persona, and that same ability to see through me. But you're neither of them: most of the time you carry yourself entirely differently, and your personality isn't really either of theirs.

I can't take the credit for it, Yugi made this guess first, but he believes Anzu solved the puzzle that 'destiny' meant for him. Somehow...your existence is the result. And you believe we'll reject you. You said I'd hate you for taking him away, and you likely believe the same about Yugi, because he was close to both Anzu and the pharaoh.

How close am I?

Re: it's ok take your time. seriously. <3

[bloomingdespite]

[Wester looks down, refusing to meet him in the eye, but the tension in their shoulders show that he's on the mark.]

....if you know all this, why do you still want to be my friend?

I took them both away. I'm- I'm some kind of monster!

[blue_ice]

You didn't choose this. As someone who willingly became a real monster, I have to dispute that. Yugi would never abandon you, and as his boyfriend, I'm obligated to at least try to tolerate the people he loves. Even Jonouchi, should he show up here.

But you're interesting to me even without taking Yugi's feelings into consideration...a powerful duelist and strong teacher, a force to be reckoned with.

[bloomingdespite]

[Wester nods along with Kaiba's words, slumping in their chair and looking on the verge of tears. Maybe, just maybe, they could-

-then a word slips out of Kaiba's mouth, and all of that burgeoning hope flies out the window, replaced by blind panic and rage.

"What an interesting specimen-"

"How interesting. Perhaps you would make a better-suited cocoon for the gods..."

"You're an interesting science experiment. Nothing more."

They snap upright, glaring at Kaiba with all the force of Atem at his most righteously furious.]

"Interesting?" Is that all I am to you? Some- some science fair project for you to dissect on the table so you can see how I work?!

[blue_ice]

What---no! What kind of sick freak do you take me for?

[ And he makes a frustrated noise, his own resignation slipping into place. There's no pleading his case now. He rises to go. ]

But I'll always be the same heartless bastard, huh.

[bloomingdespite]

Just-

Get out of my room, Kaiba.

[Wester looks away, arms crossed and sullen.]

[blue_ice]

Later.

[ He looks back, bites his lip...and sulks off. ]

[runs_on_batteries]

[He smiled and gave her a grateful nod. If this was just his choice, he would've run them both threw like meat on a skewer. However, he had enough blood on his hands and this train was his road to redemption. He wasn't going to screw it up because of some idiots, even if it doesn't feel as just as it should.]

Just try to keep your husband from going mental and we're even.

[marriedanidiot]

[ She chuckles without mirth ]

Not even I can work miracles. [ She shakes her head ] Feanaro will do as he will - that has always been true. But in this, I think, you need not fear.