WEEK 5

[grimgrinningghosts]

[It's been a month now, and even more people keep dying. Even more, one of the beloved (if.... very weird) guests killed two people just because it was "funny", and while there seems to be other people they don't seem too interested in helping out or even being seen.

This week a new land opens to the public which, depending on the last trial might be a blessing or a curse.]

17 Guests Remain

[SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY]

Comments

[studentbody]

Yeah. It's so scary, what happened to her. [Cleo sounds serious, for once, and she bites her lip as she turns to Penny.]

Do you think...it was really an accident?

[in4apounding]

...I hope so. I think so. Probably? They didn't make us have another trial about it, and- they've been. Really too okay with telling us when one of them has done something.

[studentbody]

But...[She glances around conspiratorially, not wanting any of the ~people in charge~ to hear her.]

What if it was one of them? Swackhammer, or Dice Guy?

[in4apounding]

...I think they'd want us to know, if it was. To try making us feel like we can't fight back.

[She thinks for a second.]

Cause they're wads like that.

[studentbody]

I guess that's true. Fuckhammer isn't exactly, like, subtle or anything.

...Or smart. I feel like he's way too stupid to be behind any of this, actually?

[in4apounding]

King Dice says he's the boss, but he might be lying.

[Or maybe just being overly specific and omitting things, but Penny's not devious enough to think of that.]

Our profiles had to come from somewhere, and though, and Mister Swackhammer definitely acted like he wasn't expecting US to be the ones taken.

[studentbody]

So you think there's...someone else? Like maybe Dice is the boss, but who's his boss? Someone who knows everything about us, for sure.

[in4apounding]

Oh, I meant King Dice said Mister Swackhammer is the boss- ...but I guess he technically didn't say he was boss of everything going on here? I was thinking they had people working for them, but you're right, it could be someone even higher than him.

[studentbody]

That idiot? No way. He's too dumb and lazy to be the boss. Like, the principal of my school is too dumb to be anything more than a lackey, honestly. There's definitely some shadowy government figures in charge. And it's probably the same here!

[in4apounding]

You think maybe Mister Swackhammer is the moron of Moron Mountain?

[dot dot dot]

That was supposed to be a joke, did it work?

And- I don't know what kind of government would run something like this. Besides a really bad one, obviously.

[studentbody]

Uh, definitely for sure. [Cleo pauses, eyes going wide, and then laughs.]

It worked! [She shoves Penny lightly in the shoulder.] You're so funny.

Obviously it's a terrible government. Like, a really really shitty evil one?

[in4apounding]

Hee. Thank you!

[She made a funny! She laughs a little too, with Cleo.]

I just can't imagine what they're getting out of this, unless they were trying to make this place into the biggest Grimm magnet ever. And. We'd probably know by now, if that were the case.

[studentbody]

Grimm magnet?

[Setting aside the fact that Penny is kinda cute when she laughs, just for a moment. Or for forever! That's fine, too.]

I don't understand...what is that?

[in4apounding]

[It's fine, feelings can wait. Unless they can't, in which case this will be really tragic by the time we hit endgame. Penny's just glad she made Cleo laugh, it's a nice.]

Oh- the Grimm are what I'm trained to fight. They're terrible monsters that attack people on sight.

[It's all very Disney's Attack On Titan, really.]

They're drawn to negative emotions, like sadness or fear or anger. If there were any Grimm on this world, they'd probably be crawling all over this park.


...It would be bad.

[studentbody]

Oh...

[Cleo shudders.] That sounds super scary. You must be even braver than I thought if you just fight those like no big deal!

[She can't imagine Abe Lincoln or JFK just casually fighting off huge monsters....]

[in4apounding]

Oh, gosh, it's not really- a little, I guess?

[People are way scarier than Grimm, sometimes.]

It's. I mean, it is kind of a big deal, I guess? Being a Huntress is really important. But. I mean. I was- I've trained for it as long as I can remember.

[studentbody]

I'm just totally not used to this kind of stuff. Kidnapping, and murders, and stuff like that? It's....completely out of the ordinary where I come from.

[Or at least, in her insulated little town, in her insulated little high school.]

So you could totally save the world?

[in4apounding]

No, that's a good thing! One of the reasons I fight is so that people who can't or don't want to don't have to deal with this kind of stuff.

[Which. Has really not been the case here, specifically. Feels bad, man.]

...You know, Mister Ironwood used to say something like that, about saving the world. I'm not sure what he meant. ...But probably not on my own, no.

[studentbody]

[That's the most brave and....unselfish? What's the opposite of selfish? thing she's ever heard. Cleo's really only ever been selfish in her life, she has a hard time wrapping her head around the concept. She nibbles thoughtfully at a carrot stick.]

Penny...what is that like? Having, like...a reason to do what you do? The only reason I've ever had for doing things is...

[Ugh she feels nauseous. This is so weird. Is this what a moment of clarity feels like?]

...Myself, actually.

[in4apounding]

[Altruistic? That's probably an SAT word, she might've heard it.]

Really? You've been so nice, though.

[She thinks about the question, though.]

It's- ...I'm not sure. It's like always knowing what I'm going to do? I've always known I was going to be a Huntress, and fight the Grimm. It's. Just kind of been a certainty, I guess.

...is. Do you think doing things for yourself is necessarily always bad, though?

[studentbody]

[If she has, she sure as hell doesn't remember it now. All that test prep is pretty much straight out the window at this point.

Cleo chews her lip.]

No, not...not to some people. I've been kind of a bitch. Not just here...at home, too. Like, all the time.

[She shrugs, studying her plate so she doesn't have to look Penny in the eye and worry about what she'll see looking back at her.]

I don't know. I didn't used to think so. But so many of the people here are just...worried about the others, and their families back home and stuff? And I realized that I haven't once, like, worried about Abe or Joan or my foster mom or anything.

[in4apounding]

Oh.

[She is in no way equipped to handle this kind of thing.]

Well- you're worrying now? Or worried about not worrying. That. Probably counts for something? That you at least want to care?

[studentbody]

[It's okay, Penny. Cleo's just trying to work through some shit here. She gives Penny a weak smile.]

I guess that's true. Maybe I should just, like, try to be more like you. Everyone likes you, after all...

[in4apounding]

But then you wouldn't be you- wait, everyone, really?

[Genuine concern is briefly overcome by confusion.]

[studentbody]

Uh, yeah. Nobody's killed you yet, and you're nice to pretty much everyone. Even Gandhi, who's an idiot.