The Kingmaker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kingmakereffect) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
trusthell2016-03-26 12:00 pm
kingmakereffect) wrote in trusthell2016-03-26 12:00 pm
Take Responsibility.
| The elevator doors slide open at the end of the allotted time for investigating, and the ride down is quick-paced and smooth; there's a lot more space in here than there was at the start of the game, that much is obvious. But then, perhaps that's to be expected with almost a third of your original number dead. The doors slide open when the courtroom is reached, the podium circle waiting as always in the middle of what still seems to be an endless dark void; Yato, Taichi and Megumi have joined the ranks of the dead, their podiums draped in black, greyscale portraits set upon them. Watching the proceedings. And as always, they aren't the only ones watching. The Kingmaker waits until everyone is settled at their podiums to begin speaking; it's still impossible to tell where his voice is coming from – other than, perhaps, 'everywhere.' "Protective has been taken from you. Looks like the guilty thought their secret was worth more than her life... Or maybe they just wanted out and decided to be the one to succeed at Rule Seven where everyone else has failed. Whether they succeed or not is up to you." Nineteen Survivors remain. How many are still alive at the end of the day is your decision. |
ACCOUNTABILITY.
When the pit illuminates in the center of the circle, the usual brightness of the white walls only lasts a moment before everything dims itself again; the white tile has shifted colors again, as though a filter has been placed on them from behind, and the walls have shifted into two distinct tones – a dark mahogany brown running up to about waist-level if one were to stand next to it, while everything from there up to the top is colored in a pale, greyish blue. The effect is strange and old-fashioned, similar to the sort of wainscoting one could expect to see in a building that hasn't aged particularly well.
Either way, the dim lighting in the circle itself is enough to make it plain that Inviting, whomever he may be at the moment, is no longer among you – there was no sound of protest, no indication that there was a fight. Norman was there, and then he wasn't, and after a long moment of awkward silence the door slides open under Podium 10.
When Norman enters the pit he's keeping his head held high; there isn't any shame to his posture, and there isn't any genuine fear, either. Just the same, however, there's a wariness to his eyes, an inherent distrust of the pit, regardless of any sense of familiarity that might come with its current patterning; that, perhaps, is to be expected, since by now there's only one thing that can really be coming.
When the door under Podium 19 opens and Megumi steps out, he freezes.
There's a clear moment of conflict across his face – the hatred, the affection, the guilt, followed by hatred again – before he just...smiles at the sight of her; it's not a nice expression, the look in his eyes is manic and cold, and Megumi...
Megumi continues to move toward him, hands clasped lightly in front of her, fingers folded around themselves at chest-level; unlike the previous victims who have been seen at these executions, she doesn't seem angry, and she doesn't seem strict or excited, either.
She just seems horribly, horribly sad.
Her eyes are large and seemingly brimming with tears, and she seems to be shaking in the face of Norman's barely-controlled mania; however, she doesn't back down, either, continuing to approach until she stops a few paces away from him. She doesn't look away, and she doesn't seem ashamed or afraid; after a brief moment she reaches out to him, hand trembling a little as she does so, her fingers curling inward toward her palm after a moment as she hesitates just before she can touch.
She isn't the only one that hesitates, though Norman's reaction is quicker and far less graceful. When he presses into her it looks like he might be moving to embrace her; however, it doesn't take long to notice that the movement isn't...right for that, the positioning is off, and his hands have found her throat, thumbs pressing into her windpipe hard enough to surely crush it.
Despite this, the Kingmaker will address the culprit, as he always does.]
Goodnight, Inviting.
[Megumi doesn't falter, and she doesn't choke; she doesn't seem fazed at all.
She just reaches into her pocket and retrieves one of the shorter kitchen knives, burying it hard into the side of Norman's throat.
Norman jolts as the blade slides in, as he realizes what she's done; she doesn't look away as she draws it hard across the front of his neck, severing both arteries located there. The blood hits her in the face and chest as Norman gasps thickly, his hands falling away from her as he drops to the ground.
After a moment of continuing to stare at him, Megumi joins him on the ground, kneeling down next to his body as he bleeds out; she reaches out, her hand running lightly over his hair, stroking it gently until he stops twitching. She doesn't look up at the rest of the people in the circle; she just stays with him until the pit darkens again and the overhead lights in the courtroom come back up.]
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And, Cherryblod thinks, better than he - they deserved.
He doesn't linger.]
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When it's over, he just turns and heads for the elevator without looking at anyone. That brought up some old, old memories...he's gonna need a little time, this time.]
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... She decides this one isn't worth keeping and drops it, crossing her arms as she intentionally keeps her pace slow on the way to the elevator. The last thing she wants to do is get stuck next to Mettaton and not be the first one out.]
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This must be the just desserts then.
Still, Speedwagon watches as Megumi, almost nonchalantly, kills Norman... or is it his mother?]
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You know what? it's time for pork buns.]
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It's hard to really say what he feels right now.
It's a while before he feels himself click back to reality again - everyone is already leaving by the time he unfreezes - and as he hurries out to the elevator he makes a stop to take Megumi's portrait... as well as the ones of everyone else's who had passed away. Even Pearl's, one more time.
So many of them had already died like this, for no reason at all... Bruce can't just keep it like this after all that's happened.
With all of those in hand he then goes to the elevator and heads back up with the rest. He's been in the dark for a while, since last week. But he's got to face it eventually, and move on from there.]