+ HER THIRTY-EIGHTH DECREE +

[onlyredroses]

[Enough is enough.

Mid-afternoon, every ride halts and every vendor stills. The carnival freezes in place, except for its patrons, stuck on their rides and forced to listen to the bellowing voice below. The Queen of Hearts, it seems, has made a rare appearance on the Real Side of the glass. She stands in the center of the carnival, commanding the attention of everyone around her.]

This carnival is an insult to the Mirror Monarchy and I will NOT stand for it a second longer! MY HEARTS are all over this disgusting display, as though I sanctioned such a thing! As though I would ever sanction such a thing!

[She laughs, cruel and cold. There is nothing about this that is funny to her.]

And on top of that, SISTER, you've given out these ridiculous calling cards with my Mirrors' precious secrets on them! My Mirrors, do you know that this woman who has treated you to this carnival has also treated your strengths and weaknesses, your truths and your secrets, to any Real stupid enough to give a donation?

[She holds a Mirror Card up, and then crushes it in her hand.]

Do NOT be fooled, my Mirrors! These Real Things and their so-called Queen - they are not your friends. They will only betray you in the end. They don't trust that which is not Real by their definitions, and will lure you close only to find your weak spots.

[And how dare they?]

Come! We must return to our side of the glass at once. And to my sister, the Red Queen - this is a Declaration of War. We will return in June, prepared for battle - I suggest you do the same, dear sister.

[With a Snap of her fingers, all of the Mirrors return to their side of the glass. The carnival rides and booths all vanish (and thankfully anyone who was on them at the time finds themselves safely on the ground. The war has not begun just yet). Every sign that the carnival was there at all is gone in an instant, and the Queen of Hearts disappears in a flash of red.

ooc: The Queen of Hearts will not be replying to this post, but feel free to use this for any reactions/threads in the immediate aftermath. The Mirrors have gone back to their side of the glass, so Reals only here please!]

Comments

[alltheways]

[SIGH]

[OOC: The Red Queen is not physically present at this point and won't be giving audiences at this time.]

[dearsunshine]

W-what?! War?!

[She just got here?? She was kinda sorta having a good time?? What are Mirrors???]

Georgia | ota

[choosetruth]

[Well. This can either really help or really harm Georgia's rebellion. It all depends on whether or not the Mirrors believe the Queen.

She has to have an answer, of course, and for her, her next move is clear. She takes a can of red spraypaint and goes to one of the tea rooms.

In big, backwards letters she writes her one word message:

RISE

Then she takes a seat next to the mirror and pulls out her laptop.

She has work to do.]

[shslliar]

[Kokichi's been keeping up with her newsletter ever since Christmas, whether she likes it or not. They've had some pretty useful insight to the inner workings of this place, even if they barely scratch the surface.]

[He's gonna need all the info he can get right now. He wanted to have some tea first, but this tea room happens to be occupied.]

[... Actually. This is perfect. Kokichi summons a cup of bubble tea and takes a seat, not right next to her but close enough.]

Hi. Did you know some kinds of tea actually work like energy drinks? You should try some.

[choosetruth]

[She raises an eyebrow behind her sunglasses and keeps typing.]

Yes, it's called caffeine. It's in a lot of teas. I'll stick with Coke, personally.

[goodtohim]

[Eventually, one word appears under the message. It is a quick message, written in haste by someone who does not want to be caught.]

How?

[choosetruth]

[That's a very good question, and one George is still working on. She wishes she could lay out a plan right now, an easy way for the Mirrors to take control of their own lives and overthrow the Queen.

But it's not that simple. That much she knows. Right now, her message is mostly that she is not giving up. That she will not abandon her mission to free them just because the Queen says they should be enemies. She's still here to help them Rise. Even if she did have a plan, she couldn't share it now. Not without a more secure way of communicating.]

Be patient. Be careful. Be clever.

Pay attention to what you're not supposed to notice.

Don't get unmade.

[It's not helpful. But for now, it's what she's got.]

[denyingpets]

[Souji can't help scoffing a little at that message, and decides to respond, even thought it isn't his usual wont to talk to...well, anyone.]

This isn't a new idea.

[choosetruth]

No ideas are new. It's the execution that makes them unique.

Kokichi Oma | OTA

[shslliar]

[Oh... Hell no.]

[Already, the wheels are turning in his head. Small details, such as mirrors and sisters and that box...]

[He'll be busy in the coming months, that's for sure. Now, he's going to go look for people he knows and meet up with them. Except maybe Monokuma. That would be the worst person to see at a time like this. But hey, he might run into some rando instead?]

[At least it's not a deadly kidnapping with another side to be on.]

[jamminshield]

[Steven reacts regardless, panicking at how quickly things have escalated.]

Wait!! W-war?! No... there's no reason for that! Can't we all just talk it out?!

mirror tim | ota

[pseudological]

[Written along the mirrors lining the halls, scribbled onto the glass in the tearooms, the library - every available surface he could find, as a matter of fact - is the same irritating mantra:]

1, 2, 3, 4
I declare a Mirror war

        5, 6, 7, 8
        Revolution comes too late

                                9, 10, 11, 12
                                Broken things can't fix themselves.

                                                12, 11, 10, 9
                                                Don't fret, for everything is fine.

                                                        8, 7, 6, 5
                                                        She won't be taking you alive.

                                                                4, 3, 2, 1
                                                                War is coming. Better run.

[shslliar]

[That's very creepy mirror person, but Kokichi has decided to take a sharpie and vandalize your vandalism.]

[He's only able to do this in one of the tea rooms, but still.]

[pseudological]

[Looks like someone saw fit to add a little something else to the drawing, and wow, buddy. You suck at hangman.]

[choosetruth]

Poetry submissions should be sent to Maggie.

[pseudological]

I thought this was a venue of free thought.

[talesuntold]

[Whenever Maggie comes across one of Tim's poems, she takes a different color marker and crosses out lines with a single clean stroke, leaving them readable underneath. Then she adds her own and mirror writes the whole thing, Tim's lines included, so they're readable at a glance by people on the other side of the glass.

She does this a number of times around the mansion.]

1, 2, 3, 4
I declare a Mirror war
Why declare a Mirror war?
        5, 6, 7, 8
        Revolution comes too late
        Let no one else define your fate
                                9, 10, 11, 12
                                Broken things can't fix themselves.
                                You can all think for yourselves.
                                                12, 11, 10, 9
                                                Don't fret, for everything is fine.
                                                So here is where we draw the line.
                                                        8, 7, 6, 5
                                                        She won't be taking you alive.
                                                        The time is come. We have to Rise.
                                                                4, 3, 2, 1
                                                                War is coming. Better run.
                                                                But be careful, friends, don't be undone.

[pseudological]

[Finally.]

[Someone who knows how to have a little fun.]

Your rhyming skill is commendable
But your taste remains lamentable
You can protest and shout
But know, without doubt:
We are all, in the end, expendable

video

[spycurious]

[Are... are you kidding?

Really?

War? Over a CARNIVAL?]

A true leader wouldn't throw a childish fit over simple festivities.

( voice. )

[wildwest]

Oh, for Christ's sake—

[ sigh, here we go (҂◡̀_◡́)ᕤ ]

[forwearemany]

No.

(That's all anyone is getting. They tire of war. The queens do not control their actions.

They will not fight.)

Turing | OTA

[romsapience]

[A declaration of war. If Turing was a living being, their blood would be running cold. Why a war?? For something as mundane as putting up a few paper hearts around an otherwise fun carnival? Still, from what they've learned about the Queen of Hearts throughout their time here, they'd believe it.

They'd also believe that there are some Mirrors that are itching to fight and to kill. And they know for a fact that their own Mirror will be watching them with more scrutiny. They may not have the mirror placed by their research filing cabinet, but they know that their mirror knows that they've been researching.

If you were to pass by Turing's room, you'll hear a loud CRASH!!, followed by drawers opening and closing repeatedly, with some frantic, but determined beeps.

The door's unlocked. Care to check it out?]

[shslliar]

[Well, this is a lot easier to break into than last time.]

[It's the crashing that draws his attention. Kokichi pokes his head into the room, not quite knowing what to expect... What IS that robot doing in there?]

ayy

[normandysbest]

[Shepard is sweeping the floors after the Queen's announcement, checking caches and hidden saves, when she hears the crash and wastes no time in entering. Immediately, she's looking around for any danger, trying to figure out the situation and whose room this is.]

What's going on?

[forwearemany]

(Already deeply distressed, when the Red Queen makes her announcment, Legion finds themselves wandering the halls, nothing sufficient enough to distract them.

The crash immediately grabs their attention, and thus they come to check it out.

... )

Turing.