Accountability.

[ratingspoint]

"Killswitch? I 'left Alphys to die'? Please, darlings, don't tell me you actually buy all these tired old storylines..." It's been a few weeks since that particular voice has been heard by anyone in the Vault; it's sharp, flamboyant and incredibly familiar, and it's coming from the same place the Kingmaker's always seems to - nowhere and everywhere at once, piped in through some unseen system. "You know, normally I'd balk a bit at being dragged out in front of all of you for another trial, because I think you all know by now how much I hate repeat performances. Fortunately, there's a difference, isn't there? Between now and then... And if the crowd cries for an encore, who am I to deny it!" There's a panel of wall behind that balcony, one that slides open quickly and easily; the pair of people that emerge from it...well, they're different than anything the Vault has seen so far, that much is obvious. The first is reasonably slight in frame, his hair and his clothing bright in color; he's resplendant in...just about every tacky accessory Caren unwittingly brought with her to the Vault - with the exception of the bra, naturally. Because we've got to have some dignity here, clearly, even if that dignity doesn't extend to the fucking leopard-print bucket hat currently sitting on his head at a jaunty as hell angle. His expression is intense and deeply manic, his body shaking a bit and fists clenched at his sides as though he's trying to keep himself from laughing, from lashing out and hitting the wall, from doing something to relieve some of it, but his eyes... ...His eyes, though. His eyes are dead as hell, his stare cutting and utterly devoid of emotion all at once. And the second...well, he's familiar, though it seems his avatar has changed quite a bit since the last time you saw him. It's something more suiting, let's put it that way. He's the one leaning over to greet you now, hands braced tight against that railing spanning the length of the balcony. "Beauties and gentlebeauties, I'm pleased to introduce to you our hosts for the evening! First of all, the Kingmaker, without whom none of this would have been possible!" And that gets a sweeping gesture to his side, where the ginger just...enthusiastically pumps his fist in the air, and that's when the laugh escapes him, harsh and uncontrolled. "It's about time!" Mettaton tosses his head a bit at that; he doesn't laugh himself, but he seems pleased enough with it before he continues. "As for me? Well, I'd like to wish you good evening and good luck - both sentiments straight from the King of the Underground! Try to make this good for us, all right?" "Make it cool!" "...Sweetheart, really." ...Right, well! Let's begin, shall we?

Comments

[ratingspoint]

Trust me, sweetheart. There's no one else still alive in the Underground that can take the title.

[goodforsomething]

So there is no king.

[ratingspoint]

There probably won't be shortly, anyway.

[greatestcool]

[Nervous glance...]

[ratingspoint]

...Sorry.

[greatestcool]

No, no. It's... It's okay.

[goodforsomething]

[That is an interesting nervous glance, though Stan pretends not to notice.]

At least you've both accepted it. That's the best way to go out.

[ratingspoint]

We have.

[...]

...I don't expect anything less from humans anyway, at this point.

[goodforsomething]

We don't lay down and die too easy.

[captainobnoxious]

He means that humans do nothing but kill.

[... She's proving that right, too.]

[goodforsomething]

Weird time to start aimin' for the high ground on that one.

[captainobnoxious]

It's just how humans are in his world. They're all... like that.

[... How much she can tell now.]

It's less aiming for a high ground and more of stating fact. Here, though. Here we've always just known it as kill or be killed. I just can't imagine why it'd be any different now.

[ratingspoint]

...She's right.

[And that's...quieter, really.]

I said during my trial a few weeks ago that a human killed the strongest we had. They killed multiple monsters that were trying to spare them.

It has nothing to do with lying down and dying, or expecting forgiveness, and everything to do with the fact that I fully expect to die at the end of this because that's just what you do. Even if we were to repent and spare you, who cares?

It doesn't matter. Think what you want. You don't care and neither do I, and that's how things are going to be.

[cherryblooded]

...I'm so sorry, my dear.

[He could argue against it - that he's different, he doesn't want Mettaton to die. And he doesn't. But it doesn't matter.

Because he knows he's one man against nine, and if it comes down to that, there's nothing he can do.]

[notjustawriter]

I.....

[That cuts him off, quickly. He doesn't know what to say, knows there's nothing he can say.]

[isafraid]

... Can I ask something?

[ratingspoint]

...Of course, sweetheart.

[isafraid]

... [He breaths in and out.] The point of this show you've thrown. Was it about revenge?

[goodforsomething]

It doesn't matter, because you're not gonna suddenly spare us outta the blue.

What that human did was fucked up. But we've got nothin' to do with them. This is between us and you, and you're the ones who put us all in this situation to begin with! You even put Cherry in it, and you know how he feels! If you're plannin' on makin' us kill you to live, then that's on you.

[cherryblooded]

Really, it's...

[He has no idea what he was going to say, so he falls silent.]

[notjustawriter]

...Even if we did spare him, he'd just turn around and kill us, wouldn't he?

[sleepingkogoro]

The current king decides what to do with the past kings. If we win the trial we would be able to decide what to do with them, because I suppose we'd gain control of Glory. Glory could follow the order we give her, and she'd deal with these two in the way we choose.

I suppose this only ends when one or more of us manage to reach that title. We already know more than one person can win the game. I don't know how serious is the danger we are in once we win, but that is something we'll have to deal with once we get there.

The problem is how we'll triumph here.

[Because that is what Mouri is not sure about right now, yeah]

[ratingspoint]

I never said that I was planning on anything. If Ryuunosuke said that, I didn't catch it.

[notjustawriter]

The way I see it, you've been killing us.

I'm sorry about what happened in your world, but there's no way I can forgive you.

[captainobnoxious]

[Not if Sigrun has anything to do about it. Even if she still doesn't really want to, wanting more to make him work for atonement instead of taking a frankly easy way out. Duty, duty, duty. And Mettaton can't go beyond her duty anymore.

She'll give him a thumbs up for that though.]