[VIDEO] Wonderland Death Watch ☠

[nascensibility]

[Replies to this are CLOSED, please see OOC note at the bottom of the post!]



In the wake of our most recent event and regarding the fate of those who lose their fifth life, I would like to propose a new series of data collection on mansion residents. It is my opinion that the instatement of a “death watch” - that is, an archival record of extant resident deaths that have occurred - should be created and maintained, and would serve as a valuable resource for the protection of those who are at risk.

[This is the difficult part: persuading people to share this sort of thing about themselves, knowing what it does to others and how it can hurt, is no easy task. She believed as much when she first spoke with Shepard on the subject, and believes the same now. Evelyn herself does not like to offer personal information unless asked, but knows the burden of carrying that suffering on one's own and how easily an environment can fall to fear.]

I understand that this is very private, very personal information. I understand it is traumatic, and not something that many people want to share. Therefore it is incumbent upon me to stress the critical severity of this situation, and assure you that you are not alone.

I myself have lost four lives here.

In disclosing as much, I hope that others can be swayed to believe in the efficacy of this database, and would urge residents to volunteer their respective death tolls to build the record. Residents who submit information to the watch on their numbers may do so to me privately, if there is concern about embarrassment or persecution from peers.

[It is a valid concern, and one which she has agonised over.]

Commander Shepard’s confirmation from the Queen of Hearts that those who are remade after their last demise are conscripted as spies is extremely troubling. Regardless of the veracity of the information given its source, we as unwilling residents do not have the luxury of allowing for that liability. For those concerned about their safety, I will be actively working with the commander, who is well-equipped to establish and manage security procedures once the record has been transcribed and analysed. This is a living document, and is expected to require additions over time.

I am aware that this is a drastic measure, but a measure worth taking. Please feel free to direct all responses and queries to myself and Commander Shepard.





[OOC NOTE: I realize this is a hot button issue as has generated a lot of replies, which is great! In order to keep myself sane, I'm going to have to cut it off here and request that no one else respond in this post. Messaging Evelyn's inbox is cool if you want to drop a line there instead, but replies will be slower there.

Anyone who did not get to respond in here before the cut-off, I'd really like you to at least drop a comment HERE if you believe your character would still share their information with her. Thank you for understanding!]

Comments

video »

[mucked]

I've no deaths of my own to report. [ and if she did, in light of the circumstances, peggy has to wonder if she'd ever feel comfortable reporting them. ] But I've got a question. Do you mind?

[ a puff of patience -- rare, for her. but the woman in the video has other plates spinning in the air, and peggy knows a little of what that feels like. ]

video »

[nascensibility]

[Peggy Carter.

Or, one that Evelyn has not yet met. They've become acquainted in the past, but oftentimes it is difficult to tell whether it is a different version of the same person, or removed from the time she met them in. Ultimately, it doesn't matter: she has a question, and Evelyn is more than happy to respond.]

Not at all. What did you want to ask?

text

[bigtrouble]

I want to help.

text

[nascensibility]

Would you like to assist in canvassing?

It will be very difficult to ensure that everyone has contributed information.

++ video

[thesamurai]

[ She can understand this, in light of all the new information, and she doesn't care about someone keeping track. Won't change the end result. ]

I've died twice.

If you need someone to help make sure people don't start killing each other, let me know.

[nascensibility]

Thank you for telling me.

[She really does appreciate it, jotting it down with the others.]

And thank you for the offer. Shepard will be organising something as soon as I've got the material. She was suggesting a sort of...volunteer security service. I know that not everyone plays well together, but this is very much a public safety issue.

[text]

[theothermrgray]

No deaths from me so far.

Also, for future reference, how does one hide posts from certian people?

[text]

[nascensibility]

Thank you for the information. If you also don't mind my asking: how long have you been in residence?

For future reference, there should be a small button on your communications device that permits private conversation. It may appear different from the one on my own, as these devices are tailored to us.

video

[endingpoint]

[ Jane doesn't like to think about certain things that have happened to her often, so she replies with a somewhat small, kind of forced smile. ]

I've died once that I remember. But um...Kurt said a version of me died when he went through one of the rips or tears. Whatever we called them.

...Does that count, too?

video

[nascensibility]

[As Evelyn tried to make clear before: she isn't out to force people to remember things they don't want to remember, but she is glad to receive the information she's gotten thus far.]

In my experience, it does not.

[She jots down 1 next to Jane's name before smiling gently.]

I wouldn't worry.

video

[screwedontight]

... four? Really? Someone needs to wrap you in lead or something.

[Yeah sorry, he's going to be mildly off subject.]

You aren't worried about this turning into a witch hunt on those like you that apparently rush in where angel's fear to tread?

[She was there for Seth when he'd been in the same place he is now, and much as he might not sound it, he's kind of worried.]

I get the point of this thing, but it seems dangerous to put it all out there public when you don't know the mental state of everyone they drag here and the paranoia levels as well.

video

[nascensibility]

That's precisely why I decided to disclose my own numbers.

[It isn't that she regrets doing so now, even when harbouring the intense worry that she's made a mistake in sharing the information. It was necessary. It may encourage others to feel safer coming forth. As far as she is aware, she is the only one with a toll so high, but others shouldn't be bearing their crosses in silence.]

The list itself will not be made public immediately. Commander Shepard and I will have to determine who is in a similar place as I am, and move forward from there.

[Evelyn smiles, but the expression is tight.]

I'm the last person who wants a witch-hunt, Seth. After all, I would be the witch.

video

[mr_englishguy]

Oh dear. I hadn't realized anyone might have been through so much. I am so sorry for all you've been through, Ma'am.

As for myself, it's only been the once. My first event here.

video

[nascensibility]

It's-

[It isn't "fine." It never will be, and Evelyn realises with no small amount of dismay that every time Philip died and came back, he would feed her the same line.

I'm fine.

He's not anymore.]

I'm very sorry to hear that, Mr. Scamander.

text

[like247]

stop dying. that's totally not cool.

and i haven't died. caused someone else to end up dead but not died myself.

text

[nascensibility]

I'll make a note of that.

["Stop dying" is probably the easiest advice to give, but perhaps the better suggestion would have been to tell her various murderers to stop killing people.]

If you don't mind my asking, who sacrificed a life for you?

video;

[trigeminalheadache]

Four. Wow.

[ Caitlin seems a bit stunned for a moment. Dying once had been odd enough, and she's trying to wrap her mind around dying four times. And with the knowledge now, that dying a fifth time would make anyone the Queen's creature...

Well, she's just going to be a bit more vigilant. ]

Sorry. I've died once. When the halls were flooded... I suffocated in one of the rooms.

[ OOC NOTE: Cait's death was one of the ones that don't count. Not that she'd know that, but... ]

video;

[nascensibility]

[Five times. Five times, if one includes those spare precious seconds in the oasis as her husband desperately tried to staunch the flow of blood with nothing but his hands. She remembers him screaming.]

I'm so sorry.

[Evelyn has never run out of air in a closed space, but she nearly drowned once as a little girl.]

That must have been awful.

Video

[romsapience]

I was discussing this with Commander Shepard as well, when she released her information that she has gathered from the Queen. I think it's still a good idea to get a tally of how many times people have died, although I too realize that this information is very personal. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some who abstain from this.

As for me...I haven't died once yet. But as for you...four times?? I'm sure you're already hearing this from others, but tread very very carefully from here on out. We wouldn't want to lose you too, for good.

Video

[nascensibility]

I am hoping that my own admission inspires others to share. I know it isn't easy.

[Particularly not now that she's painted herself as the most obvious target. She does bristle at the suggestion, even if she is certain it is meant without malice. Be careful. God, she's really going to get an earful from Joel Miller about all this.]

And...I am aware, thank you.

[video]

[mourning_ghost]

I died once here.

[video]

[nascensibility]

I'm very sorry, Nageki. Was it recent?

[tattooedredheads]

[Geesh. Kay can't imagine remembering four deaths.]

I haven't died yet, fortunately. Did Shepard get any information on what the spies are supposed to do?

[nascensibility]

Presumably, that sort of information is not something that the Queen of Hearts would disclose.

[Act as some kind of sleeper agent, perhaps. It's possible she has complete control over them, or only does after a certain point. When Philip came back from his fifth death - her oldest, dearest friend - he seemed as normal save for what he had sacrificed to return.]

I think she shared all she knew.

[Video]

[dangerouslyunhip]

I haven't died since I got here, but...

[Teddy pauses for a moment, grimacing.]

I've been here once before. For a pretty long stretch, I hear, but I don't remember it. For people like me, should we be tallying those deaths, too?

[He sighs, shaking his head.]

Four. I'm sorry-- that's awful.

[Nobody should have to go through that. Not even once. Death isn't meant to be remembered.]

[Video]

[nascensibility]

No.

[Evelyn shakes her head, intent on better defining the parameters for him.]

If the you that is here presently is different from the you that was here before, it is my...anecdotal experience that your lives were restored to a full set. [A beat.] ...and while I appreciate the sentiment, I would like to caution you against contact with James Moriarty, Tom Hanniger, and Hannibal Lecter in the future.

[Should they arrive, she might put bullets in them first. Evelyn quickly supplies:]

Three of my murderers.

[video]

[saved]

( Peter has not really mentioned the fact he died once until he had to while dying in Mary Jane's arms without wanting her to worry when he didn't come back on the timeline everyone expected of him. Later on she asked him about it and they actually spoke about it so he's come more to terms with dying that one time, with not... just holding that information in. He was having nightmares sometimes about it. Probably because he never talked about it to anyone for months and months and months.

No one knew it happened, and now he'll just add his name to a very important database and people will know so if he dies again and Mary Jane doesn't want to say (she shouldn't have to say), they don't worry. )

Once. Invisible zombies.

( He gestures a bit and then frowns worriedly, apologetically. )

Four times. That's- I'm so sorry. Death is bad enough on its own without worrying about- about losing your autonomy on top of that.

[video]

[nascensibility]

Thank you.

[Evelyn jots it down neatly, and while she appreciates the information, the more she hears, the more depressing this entire affair is. It is important to keep record of this, certainly, but being bombarded with an increasing number of painful experiences is exhausting.]

And...there's no need for an apology. I've been here a long time. I died in my own world.

( video )

[trabryu]

[ The network isn't always filled with information that he wants to get. This one, however, might be one. He's always wanted to know what's beyond the fifth death, even though he's very much far from it, and this person's very much close in contrast. Losing four lives... surely she's been doing dangerous things here. He's curious about that, but also about this 'Commander Shepard'. Where has he heard that name before...? ]

Say, can I ask you somethin'? How did that Commander Shepard person get a confirmation from the Queen of Hearts?

[ He'll disclose his number of deaths if he sees it as a necessity, but as of now, he doesn't feel like he's at risk nor does he need a protection. ]

( video )

[nascensibility]

[Evelyn made the point of setting very specific parameters. There is no mistaking the structure of her language, nor the intent behind it - not only does she want this information, she needs it. They all do. Which is why she is less accommodating to the first person to demand something of her when she has already given a great deal in context.]

Do you know what an exchange is?

[she asks politely, not avoiding his question so much as pointing out that he's not yet given the purpose of this network post.]

I would be happy to answer your query provided I have another piece of information to add to my record.

( video. )

[wildwest]

No deaths to speak of to report.

[ though by all rights, he should've died well over a century ago— but that was back in the real world, not here in wonderland where death is dictated by an entirely different set of metaphysical laws. (not that doc fully comprehends all that.) ]

Though might I suggest callin' it somethin' other than a death watch. Sounds like you're tryin' to keep an eye on an antsy prisoner with nothin' else to loose.

( video. )

[nascensibility]

[It has been an increasingly miserable morning. With her own numbers stacking up and the continuous surge of people ringing in or leaving messages with their respective tallies, it is difficult not to be disheartened by the material even with six years of residency under her belt.

Which is why the moment she picks up the next call to answer what appears to be an amusingly critical drugstore cowboy, Evelyn laughs.]

I'll make a note. Though if anything is indicated by the responses I've gathered thus far, the antsy prisoner should be me.

[She's lost enough already.]

We haven't met.

video (private)

[shrinkage]

Miss O'Connell.

[ they're working on trust, and ray figures that he can at least give evie respect the best way he knows. his greeting is a thin smile before he counts his own-- ]

I'm at two, myself.

video (private)

[nascensibility]

Thank you for telling me, Ray.

[None of this is simple. None of this is easy. She refused to talk about her first death for months after it happened.]

I appreciate you reaching out.

Text, anonymous

[stereotypicaljock]

[ This has been horrifying. The news has been fast and furious, and it's left Jason increasingly flummoxed and full of frustration with something bordering on helplessness. He's not sure how to handle the sensitivity of the issue, and leads with an anon text. Maybe there can be more. Later.]

No deaths to report, but I want to help with the others. Nobody should have to die.

Is there room for no-questions-asked support?

Text, anonymous

[nascensibility]

I appreciate your eagerness to volunteer, but please understand that anonymity does not lend itself well to trust. Neither can I take down your name for Commander Shepard if I do not know it.

I am aware of your reticence. Please know that your information will not be shared.

video;

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper didn't know, but he's not entirely surprised. Evelyn's been here longer than anyone. He's just glad she's not at five yet.

Assuming she's telling the truth about that, a small, paranoid voice in the back of his head whispers. But people are different after five deaths, right? He'd know. He hopes he'd know.]

Twice. Same with Grunkle Stan. Ford and Mabel have only died once.

[A beat.]

Kind of ironic for a document about death to be a living document, huh?

video;

[nascensibility]

[Evelyn won't delve into whether she thinks people change overtly after their fifth death. After all, Philip seemed the same, save for the loss of his voice.]

...yes, it is, [she huffs a laugh, though near the end there it sounds a little more like a sigh.] Thank you for updating me on the status of your family members, Dipper. My primary concern at present is people not responding at all.

voice; private;

[ofletters]

[ His contribution, spoken lightly: ]

Definitely no deaths to report over here, Madame Librarian.

voice; private;

[nascensibility]

I'll just jot you down for "zero," then, shall I?

[Her voice is warm, a rare smile suffusing it as she shifts some papers about on her desk.]

...you're getting close, you know.

video

[choosetruth]

I have died once here, but I suspect it may not have counted. My brother died at the same time and then again, later, and he was only gone for 24 hours rather than the projected 48.

How available will this data be? I'd like to help.

video

[nascensibility]

That's a good estimation, actually.

[And it's good that others have noticed the distinction.]

In my experience, events with extremely high stakes tend not to count their respective deaths. Efficient killing is contrary to the purpose of this place and what it intends for residents as a source of energy.

As for the data, once I receive an accurate baseline it should be easier to form a strategy, but I don't want to make anyone nervous yet - hence the privacy of some calls. We should have approximately one-hundred and twenty-five or thirty residents here, and a fraction of them have given numbers. Thus far deaths are in the one-to-two territory, many with none at all.

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[cloned]

I've died once. But I'm a superhero, so if you need help staying alive and keeping other people alive? I'm your guy. Literally bulletproof here.

text

[nascensibility]

Thank you.

If you don't mind, I'd like to put your name on a list for Commander Shepard. Once we have the information we require she'll be arranging security protocols.

Text

[singloversing]

[It's a little hard to talk about so openly, so Wirt keeps to text so he won't stammer all over the place.]

I've died twice. Um, the first one was that one where the air got sucked out of the rooms and the halls flooded and I...drowned. The other one was, you know. Zombies.

[He doesn't throw Dipper under the bus with that one though. It was a mercy killing and he did what he needed to.

ooc: First one didn't really count, but he doesn't know that yet.]

Text

[nascensibility]

[This is the second reference she's received to suffocation when the halls were flooded, and Evelyn makes a note of it.]

I know it was very difficult to tell me, Wirt. Thank you coming forward.

video;

[morework]

[ As there is but one world, one life, one death-- The words become a cold weight in his stomach, every time Cullen thinks them here. He's learned much about his own world since, much he never cared to know, but which might help him understand Wonderland better, in time.

Some memories of his time here still need to find their place. Most of all he still tries to grasp that last week was over two years ago. In a sense. If nothing else this transmission brings to mind what caught his attention shortly before he left. What he always knew, if only vaguely, even without proof.

Well. There is work to do. ]

Both myself and Garrett Hawke stand at no deaths. I also volunteer to provide any protection that may be needed.

video;

[nascensibility]

Thank you.

[She is immensely grateful for people who are forthcoming, and simultaneously open as volunteers for Shepard's security detail.]

You're...Rutherford, aren't you? I've seen you about, though we haven't conversed much.

Private Video;

[actualwizard]

[ Billy is hesitant about this. He’s had experiences with lists and registering and that didn’t turn out so well. ]

I know this is a good idea, especially if we want to keep people safe and learn more about this place, but. What’s stopping the mob mentality from coming after people who have had four deaths? Or if someone does reach five then what do we do? Automatically ostracize them? I just have a few concerns.

Private Video;

[nascensibility]

I voiced these precise concerns to Commander Shepard. As the only person currently in residence - that I am aware of - with four deaths, I stand to be the most at-risk individual in the event of community exile.

[She is extremely sympathetic to these worries, and not just because they directly influence her.]

I realise this is not easy. I also realise it is not ideal. But I've been here long enough to know that not knowing will do us all more harm than good.