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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[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. ]

[randori]

[ That doesn't stop him from trying, pulling back instinctively and only managing to scratch up his wrists a little before they get stuck. It's really uncomfortable like this, having to bend his head up just to see her... and do what? Have a tea party in front of him? His hands don't reach his mouth; he can't join her. ]

...Hi.

[hairbrain]

[ she made little sandwiches, and pascal sneaks in with one of them, offering it to him. ]

Are you doing okay? That... looks uncomfortable.

[ what a terrible ice breaker! ]

[randori]

[ It's super uncomfortable, but Pascal comes to save the day by shoving a sandwich into Natsuo's mouth, so at least he has the excuse of eating for a couple of seconds before he chews and swallows his mouthful.

He'll shrug in the meantime...? It sucks but he's relatively okay. He's partnerless, broke some unspoken rule about not voting for yourself, but he's alive, and that should be more than enough. ]

[axilium]

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

slowly, he walks up to him.]

... Want some company, buddy?

[randori]

[ He's got many long hours to fill until... whenever The Tiger decides to let him out. Did she say? "For now" can mean too long a time. ]

Belph... [ He blinks his eyes as dry as he can, makes sure all the tears fall before he speaks again. ] Could you lie down? My neck kinda hurts having to look up.

[axilium]

... Heh. A weird request if you take it out of context, but sure.

[he'll lie down, as asked.]

Think you'll be okay until they let you out?

[randori]

If this is all it is, I think it'll be okay.

[ A blade isn't going to come out and chop off his hands at the last moment, right? He glances over to where Tiger was, but she's already gone, so maybe he's safe. ]

Unless something itches and I can't scratch it, then maybe I won't be.

[ Just thinking about it makes his palms itch. Terrible. ]

[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?

[randori]

[ It's been a while by now. People have come and gone, gave him assurances, scolding, food and water, whatever it is he deserves or does not. It's hard to see Eichi's smile when gravity keeps pulling his head back down, but he holds himself up for Eichi. ]

...I wasn't satisfied with that trial. I was waiting for Akechi to prove everybody wrong. I didn't want him to... [ live? die? which would have been crueler? ] ...I didn't want to be a part of that.

[finethanks]

[Emperors stand tall and don't kneel, but he can't stand to make Natsuo strain to look up at him like that. So, he does kneel, bringing himself lower for his sake.]

It's not that I don't understand your decision, but next time, point your vote at someone unexpected. With a clear villain or two, you could have chosen anyone and had them be safe, you know.

[randori]

No!

[ He tries to jump to his feet, but the stocks hold him tight to the ground, rattling with his effort to get up. ]

I can't do that! I won't vote for somebody uninvolved— remember last time with Dazai and Ion? I'm not going to break anybody's trust like that!

[ Even though it'd be a secret unless he admitted it was him, like Dazai had done, it'll still hurt whoever he votes for. ]

[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.]

[randori]

[ Is it today, is his first thought when Rebecca sits down next to him, but he finds that no words come to him when he tries to think of something to say. The silence is nice. The company is nice. Just having somebody there, their presence is nice.

After a while, he snaps his fingers. Not loud cracks, but soft skin on skin- left and right hands alternating for what they've been working on:

R

U

O

K ]

[disclosures]

I'm doing better than you are.

[It not starting today.]

[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?

[randori]

It worked.

[ He mumbles it to the ground, licking at his dry lips. There's relief somewhere in there, behind the dam that is disbelief. ]

I think I'll be okay. No one... It's one a week, right? So today, they wouldn't...

[ He can't say it, but. He hopes the week starts on a Monday and not Sunday, or else he'll be the easiest target out there. There was already one death today. They wouldn't... right? ]

[wagashis]

I doubt they would-- but I'm sure you'll have people here either way. You'll just have to rely on them a little longer.

[because he's not going to stay the whole time. that's not an offer he can make.]

[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.

[randori]

[ Can he do anything stupid with his hands and neck bound like this? Maybe if he looks up too fast at the sound of his name and cricks his neck- ]

ouch. I- What? I mean- [ he clears his throat ] Yes? What is it, my Lord?

[londonstar]

[ for the love of christ and all that is holy-- ]

I came here to see how you are doing.

[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. ]

[randori]

[ Oh. It takes him by surprise when something warm and heavy drapes over his shoulders, like getting a hug from behind when his position makes it impossible to give or receive on otherwise. ]

Thanks... Are you sure you don't need it? It's still cold out.

[function]

[ she shrugs. ]

The cold doesn't bother me.

[ as always, there's an unspoken component to her words that she refuses to say aloud: "you need it more than i do." ]