Duel 03 [Written; Filtered to Friends of Jane Crocker]

[princelyspirit]

So. Did anyone else get a letter from Jane Crocker in the last couple of days?

Comments

Filter forever

[whichwayyoulean]

...Yeah, I got one. [His tone is more resigned than sad, he'd expected this to happen eventually]

Dictated; also filtered forever and ever

[princelyspirit]

And what did yours say? I'm guessing it's the same as mine - keep digging into the castle's dirt, don't give up, all of that stuff.

[whichwayyoulean]

[There's silence for a moment, because that was not his letter at all. She'd tried to remind him to try to be a better person, that she thought he already was one]

...Pretty much, yeah.

[princelyspirit]

So, I guess that's what she told everybody, then. It makes sense, though. I mean, she always loved mysteries, so she'd probably hate it if we gave up on the castle's secrets.

[whichwayyoulean]

She'd be mad as heck if she ever came back and found out we did nothing while she was away.

[princelyspirit]

[Laughs a bit]

She really would, wouldn't she? I'd hate to see the look on her face if she came back, and we've all just been slacking off. Though...

[Thinking, thinking]

Do you think she kept any notes around? With what she found out about the castle, I mean.

[whichwayyoulean]

I don't know, it's possible? It'd probably be in a separate book to her journal. A note book maybe? She comes off as a notebook kinda gal.

[princelyspirit]

It might still be in her room, somewhere. But... I don't know, it doesn't feel right, snooping through somebody else's things while they aren't here.

[Even if they probably aren't coming back]

[whichwayyoulean]

...No I wouldn't want to go poking around in there, either.

[princelyspirit]

And that's assuming the stuff is even still there. What even happens to people's things, anyway? ...after they're gone, I mean.

[whichwayyoulean]

When they leave for good? Most of it just vanishes, unless they leave stuff to other residents, then the ghosts deliver it.

[princelyspirit]

So it wouldn't be there, even if we did look for it..

[Sighs]

It's kind of spooky though, isn't it? It's like the castle erases them, so they weren't ever really here.

[whichwayyoulean]

Aside from what they've said in the journals, and our memories, yeah. And both of those can be erased if the castle ever really wants to do it.

[princelyspirit]

[shivers]

But if it's just going to toss us away, why does it even bother bringing us here?! It- it just doesn't make any sense!

[She's not angry at you, Onceler - you just reminded her of just how unfair this place can be]

[whichwayyoulean]

Heck if I know. Maybe when it throws us away, it's because it;s done...feeding on us, or whatever.

[princelyspirit]

But if it feeds on our souls, then-

[It started as a shiver, but now she's shaking. The very thought makes her nauseous]

...you know, if that's the case, then I hope everyone really does go home after the castle's sick of them. [A pause] Whole, I mean.

[whichwayyoulean]

So do I. It'd be pretty awful if they went home with pieces of them missing.

[princelyspirit]

I didn't mean literally! Just- you know how the castle takes something from everybody who comes here? Memories, skills, their favorite stuff? I was...

[takes a deep breath]

I was afraid that maybe... maybe the castle doesn't give them back. Like they go home, but the castle still has everything that mattered to them.

[whichwayyoulean]

I don't think that happens. People have gone and come back with different losses, with the things the castle took from them last time given back.

...Unless it just swaps them.

[princelyspirit]

Swaps them? With what?

[A new version of them, but from a different world? An empty clone? Some kind of freaky castle illusion?]

[whichwayyoulean]

Swaps their losses, you know? For a different one.

[princelyspirit]

Oh.

[Oh, yeah, she totally knew that was what he meant. Of course.]

Well...I guess that makes sense. [Sounding a little calmer, now] I mean, it's not like the castle's going to let us stay here for free. Though it's not like we asked to be here, or anything

[whichwayyoulean]

No, we didn't, but I guess it sometimes wants to switch up the price it takes from us. Maybe see if it'll give off those delicious emotions more than the other.

[princelyspirit]

Ugh... you make it sound like the castle's some kind of demented kid, and it's just poking at us to get a reaction.

[whichwayyoulean]

It kind of fits, don't you think? Every times it goes crazy, it's just having a tantrum.