retellers | AUDIENCE: DOROTHY

[ We've got to stop meeting like this, in places where Dorothy can just flip you off the bridge--

No jk she's not going to do that, but she is going to take one big deep breath before she speaks. ]

I do. But you can stop smiling, I'm no one you need to fool.

And what about courtesy? I can't imagine any of you needs to see me frowning, after all.

Smiling when three peo-- two people and a-- thing [ oh my god ] are dead really just makes people want to punch you.

Just a bit of advice. Know when to smile.

I imagine people want to punch us regardless.

[ Well, she can't deny that.

So she doesn't. ]

So when did this Realm of yours become so brutal?

[ ...

their index finger taps against the bridge railing, as their tone remains calm. ]

The Realm responds to people's memories and expectations. For example, it most likely created the rule about cleaning up after yourselves because we, as the Leaders, didn't exactly want to do it for you, even though we have no direct influence over the rules.

If I had to wager, it did what it did precisely because everyone expected something like a public execution.

[ congrats, you all created an execution by being too genre-savvy/cynical. ]

[ What the fuck-- ]

So if the majority had expected something like him just quietly vanishing, that's what would have happened instead?

[ And her hands are sloooowly balling into trembling fists. ]

You're saying we wanted something like this?

Not wanted, exactly. [ a dip of their head. ] And I won't say that the Leaders weren't assuming yesterday it'd be something like this as well, so our expectations contributed just as much, if even more.

But just to answer your question, think of it less as the Realm being inherently brutal and more that it acts on the only thing it knows: memories and knowledge of everyone's worlds.

Edited 2020-10-04 20:23 (UTC)

[ Her fists don't turn back into hands, but they at least stay by her sides. ]

Then, that thing with the doors locking and everyone losing consciousness except for the few people who were somehow awake enough to get involved in a murder...

Was that based off an expectation? And if that's the case, don't you think the Realm is concerningly easy to take advantage of?

So it seems. That is, in fact, a very pressing concern for us right now.

... Just how capable do you think you all are in being able to fix it?

[ Sorry, Fox. She knows it's not technically your fault and this is a bit like customer service woes but IT'S KIND OF NOT GREAT. ]

[ it's fine, this is exactly why you got fox, rabbit, and wolf as the public leaders this week. your npcs next week may not be so customer service-friendly. ]

We'll do what we can, whether or not you want to believe that. We weren't expecting anything like this either, so it's too soon to say.

[ they were kind of occupied with most of yesterday fielding a trial, and they expect they will be occupied with most of today fielding more questions. ]

[ It takes all kinds, huh. ]

... Virid said he was able to remember what he forgot, but Yona didn't. If that happened because of his actions... can you confirm or deny that?

Well, we had no idea about that either until the moment he started talking about it, so my assumptions aren't going to hold much more weight than yours.