END OF CHAPTER 3 ; EXECUTION

[themodsgrimm]

The Story Continues... END OF CHAPTER 3 - WEEK 329 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. Yamatonokami Yasusada appears, flanked on either side by suits of armor, escorting him to his punishment. His expression is one that may be difficult for anyone who isn't a sword spirit to read, but he seems to have accepted his fate. 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 third execution post! Please see here for the results of yesterday's voting. In addition, make sure you fill out your CR Chart for Chapter 3! 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

Comments

[randori]

[ Natsuo's just like. Hyperventilating in a corner somewhere, choking on his sobs, looking really fucking guilty but he can't help with anything, so??? every weekend I lose 10 years off my life, god ]

[fragileprophet]

[Ion steps forward to block Natsuo's vision, putting his hands on his partner's shoulders.]

You don't have to force yourself to watch.

[randori]

I have to.

[ His voice his hoarse, whispered, his stare a little glassy as if he can see past Ion's body. ]

This way, I'll—

[ ... ]

...I have to.

[fragileprophet]

No...no, you don't.

[He's not sure his words, the force behind them, will even reach Natsuo like this, but he has to try. His weak hands grip his partner more tightly.]

You don't have to do everything all the time. It doesn't make you any less strong.

[randori]

...I'm not. [ Some of the words are reaching, and he latches onto them, words spilling out after a pause, still caught in a daze and not ready to come out of it yet. ]

I'm not strong... If I were, nobody would be— nobody would have...

[axilium]

[natsuo's... breakdown yesterday was hugely concerning, but still.

wordlessly, belph will just crouch down and place a hand on his shoulder. this is all he really can do, isn't it? it's not okay, but...]

[randori]

[ The hand on his shoulder almost makes him stumble back, knees weak and about to collapse at any moment if he weren't already pressed up against a wall, trying to be as far away from everything going on as he possibly can.

He doesn't take his eyes off anything that's happening— Yasusada, Souji, Rapunzel, 2B, Stephanie- staring at a fixed point in space like he can see everything all at once. ]

[axilium]

[quietly,]

Breathe.

[randori]

[ It's easier said than done, but it's that word— somebody who'd said it to him before- that makes fresh tears well up in his eyes. But he can't breathe; his lungs feel like they're about to collapse because all he can do is cough and try but he can't ]

[axilium]

[...

belph still doesn't know if there's anything that can make it easier, but he remains by natsuo's side nevertheless.]

Stop. Hold your breath instead.

[randori]

[ This order is easier to obey, and he squeezes both his eyes and mouth shut tight. He keeps seeing it anyways, the scene burned into his mind's eye, but not breathing makes him lightheaded, dizzy, and maybe that's what it'll take for him to stop. ]

[axilium]

[... well, he wants natsuo to stop hyperventilating, but not to suffocate until he passes out, so after a couple of seconds pass, he taps natsuo's shoulder.]

Breathe in through your nose. Slowly.

[randori]

[ There's too much snot in his nose to breathe through it. He tries, though, and it's a gross wet sound, futile, but the distraction is enough that he opens his mouth and is forced to breathe properly through there, so at least he doesn't pass out. ]

[axilium]

[he'll stay with natsuo for however long he needs.]

[concasse]

[Everyone being gentle with Natsou and then this asshole comes over like:]

Oi. Take deep breaths.

Look away if you need to.

[randori]

[ He can't. He feels like his feet are rooted to the spot, every muscle in his body frozen in place, throat closed and time crawling on by.

It takes everything to will himself to move, and even then, he can only shake his head, a single left and right. ]

[concasse]

[... Sanji won't get in Natsuo's way if he truly wants to watch. That's his right, and... Sanji is not kind enough to take it away from him.

But if at any point it looks like he's about to pass out, or wobble on his feet, Sanji will quite literally reach over and pinch him -- hard -- on his cheek]

[randori]

[ He looks it, and the longer he watches, the worse it is. There's blood everywhere, the screaming that keeps echoing inside his head and replaces everything else— so when Sanji pinches his cheek, he startles so badly, his knees do actually give, leaving him to half jerk away and half pitch sideways. ]

[concasse]

[Yeah that's what he thought.

Sanji catches him -- more by the neck collar than anything, like Natsuo is a distressed puppy, but eventually uses the other hand to wrap around his middle and lower him to the ground.]

This is why I told your ass to breathe.

[randori]

[ Sitting on the ground, it feels like all the strength leaves him all at once, and he lets himself slump forward and lower his head to the ground, fists balling beside his head and he takes Sanji's advice to breathe

to draw breath, so he can wail out all his sorrows, screaming into his arms because that's the best he can do it hold any of it in anymore. ]

[concasse]

[... Sanji doesn't say anything.

He just sits next to the kid with a hand on Natsuo's shoulder as he cries himself out]

[randori]

[ Give him maybe ten minutes to cry enough that the wails subside to dry sobs, hiccups and erratic breathing, sleeve sticky and stiff with the snot that he keeps trying to wipe from his nose but it doesn't end. ]

[concasse]

[... Natsuo really is his captain in appearance and spirit. Sanji nearly laughs, but he can't find the energy for it. Instead he sighs and eventually pulls his hand back, looking the other over.]

Better?

[The answer is likely no, but still. He's gotta ask it.]

[randori]

No.

[ It's the answer that Sanji expected, but even though Natsuo says it, he looks a little better. if by better, he looks just utterly exhausted instead of shell-shocked like before. ]

Nothing will make this better.

[concasse]

No, nothing will.

[A quiet hum of agreement.]

None of them deserved this.