[Fin] The Murder-Free Hotel

[wahoothis]

Ranma grumbled. "This is the last time I'm speaking to this woman, but you were told to murder, not that you have to murder. You didn't have to listen to them. As we've proven, we all could've just waited out until the host decided to let us go, like he did with us after Ronnie killed Rosa. So no, you didn't have to kill."

[PointMaid]

Ruby takes this bit of information in with a wince. They... refused to kill one another?

[door-kun]

How is it different? Either way, I was told to do a thing, and I did it. The rules said it was okay to attempt to murder or murder. So I attempted to murder. I don't see why I should be shamed for that.

"One of them involves murdering another living breathing human being and the other involves playing a game! And you could have abstained, like Mister Saotome did!"

Hifumi's sense of justice was telling him to tell off Miss Kellensea more, but he refrained from such an action.

[Kennifer]

Kennifer just... downs the rest of her glass of wine and wobbles off drunkenly to her room. She is... not sober enough to process any of that.

[wingedcatgirl]

"I believe Kellensea said something about her moral code considering all life equal, from spoken to animalcules - this would, one imagines, rather diminish the moral impact of killing another spoken." Vivi says this in a tone that completely conceals whether she agrees with the conclusion.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

You're really gonna go after me for my name? Like Kellensea is all that common in the world? Boy you're out of touch, honey. And why would people wanna look to a psychotic killer for advice? You wouldn't wanna go to someone like Hitler or Osama Bin Laden for adivce. Or Jeffrey Dahmer. All these sick people in the head, just like you are. Someone like you just wants to belittle people to make yourself feel big. And why wear all that armor? You got something to hide under there? I bet underneath it all, you're a really weak woman and I pity you.

[PointMaid]

Ruby... has downed most of her wine and is having something of a nervous breakdown.

[wahoothis]

Ranma noticed Ruby looking like she's about to have a breakdown, and crossed his arms. "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

[PointMaid]

You're saying you got out of that university without having to kill?!?!

[Florien]

Well, yeah, Hifumi. I could have abstained. But think about it. You kill easily thousands of things every second. Merely by existing, you make the universe less habitable in the future. Statistically speaking, by being alive, you kill about one person of your species. Why are you so eager to preserve life when you kill millions of things for food? Unless you're going to switch entirely to eating rocks from deep space, I don't think it's really feasible to not kill things. Now... what makes you people special compared to say, a plant? An animalcule? What can you do that they can't? Why is it inherently different to kill something that looks vaguely like yourself? Oh yeah, Vivi, you said it already. Yeah, that's where I stand.

Kellensea pauses, before switching targets

Again, Gary, you're the one with the rare-ass name. Kellensea is pretty common. And again, what the fuck is your obsession with my armor? This goes for most of you. What's wrong with wearing armor? Would you not seek shelter because that's cowardly and protects you from the elements? Would you not eat food because that's cowardly and protects you from starvation? It's kind of weird that this is your hang-up, just because I'd like to be protected from stabbing, bludgeoning, being shot, poisoned, infected, etcetera... OH! Just thought of another one. Would you not seek medical treatment for a dangerous illness because that would be cowardly? Anyway, the point is, it's not cowardly to wear armor. Would you rather I charged around wearing just a vest and shorts and let myself get cut apart by arrows or something like those playbill adventurers? Don't answer that, I don't want to hear you say yes for whatever gross reason you have.

[wahoothis]

. . . Yep, it was something he said. "I mean, people still killed. . . It was only two people though. One did it for cookies of all things, and the other killed to frame Ms. Armor over there so we'd vote her wrong. The rest of us refused to murder. I even stayed up at night to keep guard so no one tried to kill."

[PointMaid]

Ruby takes in what Ranma says and... continues to have an even larger breakdown.

[OOC: Gotta go to sleep. G'night. :) ]

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

I don't know, I've known a lot of guys named Gary and you're the only Kellensea I've ever met. Maybe wherever it is you come from, it's common. You a European or something. You like to drink tea and eat snails and not take baths or not shave your legs? Maybe that's a common name there. I don't know. But you talk about all this need of protection? Why are you so paranoid? This isn't your little savage world. Now we're in the murder-free hotel. So why are you afraid to take off the armor for? You won't get stabbed at, shot with arrows or poisoned or whatever. All you really need is the spirit and mind to get you by.

[wahoothis]

Well, this is awkward. "Hey uh. . . Look on the bright side. . . I'm sure there's a bright side here that I'm not seeing, but you'll probably see it soon so. . . At least you're not in another killing game!" It should be noted that Ranma is not a trained psychologist, nor is he ever one to talk about emotions and feelings, mostly due to his own toxic masculinity. So long story short, Ranma sucks at making people feel better during a state of mental breakdowns.

[wingedcatgirl]

"Ugh, you want to talk about armor?"

Vivi Elakha changes to warrior.

"There, now I'm wearing heavy armor too. Conclude from this what you will."

[Florien]

Right. Let me explain this, using small words, so you can understand, because clearly not condescending to you and taking you people even SLIGHTLY seriously isn't getting anywhere. In fact, I will deliver it in VERSE. This was never about my armor/You bitch whatever I do, I like wearing armor/So I won't change for you.

Finished, Kellensea does a very sarcastic bow.

And also, murder-free, not assault-free. I could still break your joints, so presumably you could still attempt to break mine. So that's a perfectly valid reason. And also, who are you to dictate how I dress? I don't criticize your clothes. Would you like me to add that to the list of things that it's clearly okay to insult you people over because you do it to me?

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

I'm not telling you how to dress. You can come in here wearing a hot dog suit for all I care. All I'm saying is you're afraid of everyone. For all your talk and everything, you're just a scared and sad little woman. And I pity you.

[wingedcatgirl]

Vivi blinks. "Why do people keep accusing Kellensea of being afraid? Belligerent, sure, but afraid? Am I just too autistic to get this?"

[Florien]

WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU PULLING THIS "fear" THING FROM?! I'm not admitting fear, you're just IDIOTS! You bully and fight me, and when the uprising of adventurers comes in your worlds, as it will, I will cheer as your head is put on a pike. But practicality is NOT COWARDICE. You might as well say "being alive is cowardice because you're afraid of not being alive". Also, you are 100% telling me how to dress. You're saying "take off your armor because if you don't you're a coward". So your conversation controlling, propagandist rhetoric isn't going to help you here. In conclusion, BECAUSE no matter what I do you're going to change your position to "yeah but what about this thing", I see no reason to do anything you ask of me. Your whataboutisms, your constant dodges, your goalpost moving, it's absurd. It's obvious you're not arguing in good faith. But I know the moment I don't engage, you're going to scream "ha look she stopped I won". But you've made a fatal mistake. You've picked the wrong fight, because I can argue LONGER than you. You'll give up, and I'll be the one to cry out "ha look he stopped I won".

Kellensea then briefly turns to Vivi.

Yeah, exactly. A bit belligerent, but I walked past the corpses of hundreds of soldiers to face Selvan, the fourth most powerful spellcaster at that time. If I was afraid, I'd have deserted, or joined him.

[wahoothis]

Ranma just sighs and stretched. "So what is there to do here? Is there anywhere I can actually fight something or train? Or. . . Just what can we do for entertainment here, or just to kill time?"

[wingedcatgirl]

"There's a training room over thataway," Vivi says, pointing in the direction of where she summoned a dojo many real-world months ago. "There's shows, there's games, there's... all kind of things people brought along," she says, shrugging. "But... yeah, ultimately we just kinda hang around."

---

Elsewhere...
Silas is once again dangling upside-down from a rope and holding a stethoscope to a giant safe as he fiddles with its dials.

I, uh... full disclosure, I haven't the foggiest idea what's in this thing.

I figured that out last time.

[wahoothis]

". . . Alright, it'll do I suppose." Ranma shrugged, before not breaking a sweat turned to quickly run off. He's been punching lockers for the last few days, he needs to actually train with an actual training dummy.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

No, I'm not telling you how to dress. I'm just telling you to stop being so paranoid. And if people wanna kill you or whatever, maybe that's because you rub everyone the wrong way. You make all these threats because all you are is a bully. All you do is just go after people you think are weaker than you. And if arguing with us constantly makes you think you've won, you're pathetic. I'm not like you, I'm not here to bring others down. All I've tried to do is try and get to the source of your problems, your insecurities and all you've done is fight me all the way through. And I see it's been a waste of time for me. If that makes you think it's a victory for you, you really are a sad little woman. Just keep on bragging, if it makes you feel better. But I know when to quit.

Gary leaves as he joins Ranma in the training room.

Difficult as hell, that woman is. I'm sorry you all had to share that university with her.

[wingedcatgirl]

"'Not here to bring others down'?" Vivi repeats, sounding indignant. "Did he do anything but, in that conversation?" She shakes her head. "Ugh, some people."

[Florien]

...yeah you are though. You're telling me how to dress because if I don't not wear armor, then I'm paranoid to you. You're 100% telling me how to dress. You are attempting to force me to conform. And really, you're going to bring forth that bullshit about insecurities and how you're only trying to help or get to the source or whatever? NO! If that were true, you'd not be working from the assumption that your moral framework is the default, the best, or even necessarily good or right! You'd be willing to hear out my views, bring up reasons to refute them! But what do you do? You act like I said "yes you are right" and move on like I said that, when in practice, YOU'VE NOT EVEN BOTHERED TO REFUTE MY POINT! All you do is change the subject whenever I question your views with points! You don't attempt to question mine, you ARGUE FROM THE POISITION THAT I'M WRONG ALREADY! Vels, you people are AWFUL! Truth has no place in your frameworks, it's all about strength, about not conceding SHIT, and then you accuse ME of being the bully? Your hypocrisy is ultimately irrelevant, but surely, if you're going to take the moral high ground, as you pretend to have, you should DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR UNDERLYING HYPOCRISY?!

After shouting that after Gary as he walks off, knowing full well that there's likely nothing that will come of that, she nods to Vivi.

At least you're... sane-er. I make no pretensions that you necessarily share many of my views, but you don't attack me for them, nor do you dodge my questions like they do.