arsgoetia | [Game 21] Group 2

After the blackout, a dim glow returns to the train car. You can feel yourselves still rattling along the tracks, and the world seems to be rushing by outside in bits and flashes, an occasional pulse of color. Some of that ambience starts to fill the train compartment with a sickly blue light.

Rattle, rattle. Rattle, rattle.

Most of you feel . . . fine, physically unhurt, just maybe a little hungover from what just hit you, like waking up with a headache and a dry mouth. You do have the memory of pain, of how that unpleasant, searing sensation pulsed through you; but it's just a shadow now.

For those that are spiritually or magically sensitive, something is definitely wrong. Your senses feel a little dulled and constricted, like a weight is pressing down on you.

There are two exits to your compartment: one moving up the train towards First Class and the conductor, the other leading back, where you know there's at least one more passenger car behind you.

On each door, there is a glowing sigil of a watchful eye, an unwavering and unpleasant blue.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[puts his hands over one of the sets of prints. but now in the right place in the post.]

Nothing happens.

Do you think I should touch the other set at the same time...?

It's worth trying. Especially since those scales are there.

[ok, also puts her hands on it]

The scales between the two light up, and a phrase scrawls itself beneath in red, smeared writing: "Confess the weight of your sins."

[yikes]

Those instructions are very broad.

Right... Okay, well, we have to confess something, and whatever we confess has to do with weight.

Probably not how many chocolate bars I eat in a week, though.

I have the feeling that puzzle would be a lot more pleasant. Do we... try to balance the scales, you think?

I think that makes, yeah. Otherwise you could just say anything of any weight and it wouldn't matter, right?

Okay. Sins. Let's try something we have in common, maybe? Like... "I knowingly let a dark spirit use my body."

So did I.

[nothing... happens]

Maybe... weight also means it has to be something that's... heavy enough?

[sighs.]

I was hoping it'd be simpler than that, but you're probably right.

It .... probably needs a certain amount of us feeling the weight for it to click in. Or they'd have picked a different term than sins.

[makes a face, then:]

I was... an accomplice in at least two murders. And I feel bad about that, but I also... feel guilty about not feeling worse about it.

[deep breath, then lets it out]

I killed my brother, and I hate that I did it, but I also resent that I don't feel like I had any other choice. Am I just justifying it?

The scales glow a deeper red for a long moment. The feelings you associated with what you just confessed rise to the surface: the shame, anger, pain, is as fresh as the day it happened.

Just when it feels like it's reached a breaking point, it abruptly coalesces into a sharp point of white-hot rage, and a glowing blue marble forms from the scale markings, hitting the ground so hard that it dents the metal underfoot. It lies there, glowing faintly, as the handprints fade, and you're released.

It really didn't feel cathartic at all.

[WELL THAT WAS HIGHLY UNPLEASANT.

just.

going to take a moment here.]

[scrubs at her face with Sariel's spare scarf, shuddering]

Well. That looks heavy.

Literal weight, I guess.

[after taking a few deep breaths, he crouches down and tries to pick the marble up.]

[It's really heavy, but Elluka leans down to help him pick it up and they more or less can carry it together]

Where to?

That's... a very good question. It's blue, like the eyes?

Looks like it's the same size as the pupil, too, so...

But we can't get to it until the lasers are disabled. So the puzzles aren't completely separate.

Oh, wait...

[turns to look at the back door; the iris on that sigil has turned red]

This one might go backward.

Re: [The Red Puzzle]

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