END OF CHAPTER 1 ; EXECUTION

[themodsgrimm]

The Story Continues... END OF CHAPTER 1 - WEEK 134 Narrators Remain ; It's execution day, naughty murder children. Breakfast is served in the dining hall, all the better to fortify you for what is to come. Wherever you might wander in the castle, you will find yourself drawn to the foyer when the clock strikes not twelve, but ten. In the distance, there is the sound of clanking armor. Ann Takamaki appears, flanked on either side by suits of armor, escorting her to her punishment. She stares straight ahead with each step closer to the group that they take. A moment later, the Tiger appears on the foyer's staircase. Her hand trails down the banister as she sashays down it, and she takes her place at the head of the group, standing in front of what appears to be a wall. "Come along, darlings," she says. "The execution awaits." You blink, and then it's there — a door leading to the outside. The Tiger steps through it. You have no choice but to follow. Welcome to your second execution post! Please see here for the results of yesterday's voting. In addition, make sure you fill out your CR Chart for Chapter 1! If you have any questions, please ask on our Discord server or ping us on plurk. Please direct pings for the NPC to Danielle (Discord DMs preferred, then entrappings), as she will be taking point for today's NPC, and the moderator team will be on deck for all other questions. full navigation. locations taken (statuses) stories (profiles) info & faq wishing well private conversations

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AFTERMATH

[themodsgrimm]

[For your reactions and subsequent threading for Sunday.]

[finethanks]

[He did it. He killed someone. He'd felt her struggling, but even if he tried to back off, it was like he couldn't. There was something strange about it, feeling her life drain from her. The struggling becoming weaker until she was gone, and his hand lingered for only a moment before he pulled it back.

Everything is gone now, and he's on his knees in the foyer with a wet sleeve, breathing heavy and trembling a little. Again, he's just a coward.

He drops his weight onto his hands, too, not sure what he should do after all of that. He's not sure he wants to look back and see the reactions, even if the sound of Tiger's voice saying the partnerless have been spared is reassuring.

He really killed someone.]

[doublecrows]

[when it's all over, Akechi (and his black eye) takes a step towards where Eichi stays knelt against the floor. he hesitates, like he isn't. . . really sure what he's supposed to be doing, here. like this is all so new to him. like he's stepping onto unexplored territory, trying to navigate his way through foreign emotions and gestures]

[but in the end, he crouches down, and touches Eichi's shoulder]

[finethanks]

[The hand, as friendly as it is, makes him flinch automatically. He relaxes immediately afterwards, when he realizes it's nothing harsh, but still doesn't look up from the floor. It's just reflections of the lights, but he could swear he still sees Ann's face.]

What a painful way to die. Panic, the inability to breathe, and attempts to do so automatically only making it worse. It looks peaceful towards the end, but it's quite the opposite.

[axilium]

[...

everything about belph is empty—his face, his voice—as he approaches eichi. he's quiet for a moment, and then,]

... You should go get some rest.

[disclosures]

[It was bad to watch it, but it must have been even worse to hold her underwater like that. This game is cruel and nothing about it seems fair.]

I won't ask you if you're okay. [Who would be after all of that? After being forced into doing that?]

But it's best not to linger here.

[sanguinairy]

[That was a wildass ride from start to end... Souji's been quiet and somber, watching the entire thing unfold. He doesn't have much comfort to offer even when everything is finished and the pond dissolves into nothing along with Ann, but he'll at least stop by Eichi's side for a moment.]

...Will you be able to return on your own?

[To his room, to wherever it is he chooses to go, whenever he chooses to leave. Souji's not about to try rushing him from the scene, but he won't leave him sitting here if he wants to get away, either.]

[nivation]

[ Kyouka gives him a little time before she approaches him. She crouches down next to him and gently tugs on his sleeve, not necessarily to get his attention but more to say she's here. ]

... There is no mercy in being made to kill.

[resumed]

[Normally, he would have ignored this. There was no mercy in death, especially for those who killed...but this was kind of a messed up game that messed with the laws of life and death and magic in ways Nico isn't used to. It's also incredibly unfair to make someone so...normal experience the horror of taking someone's life.

He gives Eichi space but eventually he approaches, crouching in front of him and patiently waiting to see how he'll respond. After a short time though, he'll speak.]

Despite everything...I would say your hands are still clean.

[doublecrows]

[HEY GUYS GUESS WHO HAS A BLACK EYE WHILE AT THE EXECUTION, IF YOU GUESSED GORO AKECHI YOU WOULD BE CORRECT]

[there's uncertainty replacing Akech's usual dispassion and distance in his expression today, as he watches his partner hold Ann (Panther, one of Joker's, one of Kurusu's) under water until she stops moving, until her body dissolves into nothing. he can't really put a finger on what he's feeling here. it isn't guilt. . . maybe? it isn't regret. . . probably? it's. . .]

[it's something. it's something that keeps burrowing a hole deep into his gut, keeps making his fingers flex into fists and his eyes twitch with nervousness. he doesn't like it]

. . . and you think me cruel. I at least had the decency of choosing "to be continued."

[axilium]

... It does seem to be the better option.

[well, as curious (as distasteful as that word seems) as he was to what "happily ever after" entailed, he still chose "to be continued". it wasn't worth playing with someone's life.]

[okitactless]

You tried to get Reyna-kun killed.

[DON'T EVEN START, DUDE.]

[londonstar]

Do not try to shed light on yourself, boy.

[ akechi nearly had his partner killed, and waver couldn't sleep well because of it. however, he continues to treat akechi with some amount of courtesy-- he will gain nothing with rudeness, after all.

he's disappointed, sure, but this is just something that happens in life. it's deplorable, but he can't consider akechi a monster, or anything like that. ]

How is your curse? Can you breathe any better?

[function]

I'm surprised they just didn't finish the job.

[ referring to the black eye, of course ]

[spondulix]

Ah, as if that could erase everything you did! That means nothing.

[Fitzgerald chuckles - there's no disappointment, not a single iota of pity, not even a frown. Instead, he behaves as if they're at a show, and the curtain was just closed on it all.]

[He seems to be in a better mood than most.]

If I were you, I'd stay out of the public eye. I don't think a single person wants to see you besides your partner, now that his hands are red to.

[melancoffeea]

[Sandalphon, who has neither spoken to nor said anything about Akechi since the trial, approaches the statement in his usual tone of casualness]

Hm. I wonder if these options will remain so straightforward each week.

In any case, it was never a matter of cruelty . . was it?

[he turns his head to look at Akechi]

[nivation]

[ Kyouka was fine with not talking to him during the trial in the last hour or after (there were so many others who had so much more to say to him), but his words now make her stop. ]

One cruelty does not overshadow another. You still sentenced her to death.

[ That's the implication she hears. ]

[randori]

[ He'd watched the execution this time. It was Eichi up there on the stage, and he could never take his eyes off him then, even if it was a horrible, horrible thing they had him do. Watching that was numbing, so that the burning in his chest and throat when partnerships fell and reformed was almost welcome. Stray lies scattered at his feet, and they blow away in the wind.

And so he's alone.

He walks up to The Tiger on his own accord, leaning a bit into her touch when she pats him on the head, and kneels for his punishment. His hands are cuffed, head bent and made to look only at the ground— and maybe it's better this way, because his bangs block wet eyes, and nobody can see him cry. ]

[hairbrain]

[ well, he's not gonna be alone for long! his fave person in the world is coming to visit. she actually made food and tea to bring to him and is here to keep him company. pascal will climb through to pat his hand, too. ]

Hi, Natsuo.

[ there's nowhere to run now, binch. ]

[axilium]

[seeing natsuo like this is the kicker to an already shitty day.

slowly, he walks up to him.]

... Want some company, buddy?

[finethanks]

[It takes Eichi quite a while to feel ready enough to approach Natsuo. Above anyone else, Natsuo is someone that he wants to have see him as someone kind and smiling, never dealing with struggles like these. He's been poor at it, so far, and so it takes extra strength to put on a smile and walk calmly over.

Most everyone else is already gone.]

Natsuo-kun... Why would you vote for yourself?

[disclosures]

[She tells herself that she doesn't care about all of these people. They aren't really her friends, they're just strangers who are stuck together.

But Natsuo matters. And just leaving him here seems cruel.

So she takes a seat next to him. Not saying a word.]

[wagashis]

So it did work.

[he's still here, still alive, even if he's alone. shirasu lingers close enough that he doesn't need to raise his voice to be heard, keeping it relatively quiet.]

You'll be able to bear this for a while, won't you?

[londonstar]

[ well, if natsuo needs any more company, waver is gonna be right there with him. he tries to convince himself that it's not because he cares about this stupid child. he just wants to make sure that natsuo doesn't do anything stupid or something like that.

(he cares, though. he cares a lot)

waver walks up to him, his expression more tired than usual, but unwavering. ]

Natsuo.

[function]

[ 2b wordlessly walks over to natsuo once he's in the stocks. surprisingly, she's in more than just her usual yorha-supplied dress—she's wearing a knitted sweater (and for the record, pod has one on, too). she doesn't have it for long, though, because she pulls it over her head and drapes it around natsuo's shoulders instead. she'd have put it on him, but, well. that's kind of hard to do right now, isn't it. ]