page five

[fantasies]

I guess a lot of people have been leaving lately, huh?

[It's kind of an obvious observation. People have been filing in and out since he got here, but this is the first time it's hit someone he knew, someone from his own world. He hasn't talked to Belle in ages, and now he's realized it's because her nameplate is gone.

He's not quite sure how he feels about that, yet.]

How does the castle pick? Who goes and who stays. Does anybody even have an idea? It can't just be random.

[Right?]

Comments

[heloise]

We would first need to know its reason for keeping us here.

[fantasies]

... Oh. Yeah. [He hadn't really thought of that.] Well, does anybody have ideas about that?

[heloise]

I was told the castle sustains itself on us, our thoughts and emotions.

[fantasies]

It eats our feelings?

[heloise]

So I was told.

[the_effect_she_has]

Nothing is random.

[Here, she is on firm ground.]

[fantasies]

Sometimes they are. But not here, not with the castle. I don't think.

[the_effect_she_has]

What makes you say that?

[Because she believes the instincts of a child over an adult. Any day of the week.]

[fantasies]

I don't know. [He sounds a little less sure, put on the spot like this, but only a little.] It just seems like the castle would have a reason for everything.

[the_effect_she_has]

It's your gut. Telling you the castle has a purpose.

[Because she has the same feeling.]

[foolreversed]

I always assumed it just got bored with certain people.

[fantasies]

You really think that's all it takes?

[foolreversed]

Yeah, I mean... to it we're probably just toys. And when you get bored with toys or break them too much you get rid of them.

[fantasies]

Oh. [There's a pause. Damn, Adachi.] I hadn't thought about it like that.

[foolreversed]

[he doesn't hold back yo... until he realizes that he should have like now oops WHAT DO WITH KIDS]

...Sorry, that was kind of depressing, wasn't it?

[whichwayyoulean]

Maybe they have a secret lottery.

[fantasies]

[pause]

You mean like with tickets and stuff?

[whichwayyoulean]

Sure, why not. Maybe we all get drawn numbers, and if our number's up, we go home. If not, we forget all about it until it's time to draw again.

[fantasies]

I don't know. There's got to be more to it than that.

[whichwayyoulean]

Well, has anyone ever noticed any trends in the people that leave? You know, patterns.

[kingsgambit]

And why can't it be random?

[fantasies]

Because-- [He hesitates. He really doesn't have a good answer for that.] Just because. The castle wouldn't be random about that.

[kingsgambit]

Why wouldn't it? [Because he really wants his answer now.] It is after all magic, why can't it be random?

[fantasies]

Just because it's magic doesn't make it random.

[And that, he sounds very sure about.]

[kingsgambit]

And why can't it be random? Surely you have reasoning for that, yes?

[And he's still sounding genuinely curious yup.]