Fifth Trial

[airlockedmods]

[You get a little time after your investigation is over, but not too long. PAL gets bored easily and doesn't like to be kept waiting, after all.

When everyone has gathered at the elevators, the one going down turns on automatically. It...it looks like you're taking a leap of faith into an elevator shaft, not gonna lie. But the first person to step in finds that it's a carefully-balanced anti-gravity field made to just shoot you down and deposit you gently at the end of a long hallway. Like a walk-through aquarium, the walls and ceiling are all made of thick glass, giving you an even better view of the stars outside.

You're led to a wide-open area, empty except for a circle of podiums in its center. They've changed from last week, with the three previously empty podiums replaces with greyscale portraits of everyone you've lost this time around, including Ardyn and the Doctor. If anyone remembers where Jamie's portrait was in the simulation, however, that spot is now where Xander is meant to stand. The walls here are equally transparent, and they seem to have lines of large hatches going along them, as if this is where one might park one's small short-journey craft when getting ready to go on vacation to a galaxy far far away. Shame you don't know anything about those.

You already know what you're here to do. You'd best be getting along with it.]

Comments

[daughterofthemark]

[She walks over, trying to measure her pace carefully. Not so quickly that she's hurrying, not so slowly as to drag things out.

...oh.

She accepts them both, taking one in each hand.

Then she takes another step forward and hugs him.]

[shikosuki]

[ It's the hug that turns his quiet steady tears into a full on sobbing breakdown. First Pyrrha, now Arianna. ]

I'm sorry.

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna can't accept the apology. Not on behalf of all these people who've been hurt worse than she was. But she can hold him, squeeze him tightly, make sure he knows he isn't alone.]

cw: drug overdose and suicide from here on out honestly

[shikosuki]

[ And that's good. Because right now this one particular thought keeps coming to mind and he can't explain why, one that he finds himself whispering: ]

I don't want to die alone.

[ Is that why he couldn't bring himself to just eat these himself last night? Alone in his bedroom with not even the plushies he'd made in the simulation to keep him company anymore. Only a photo album to look through and reminisce on happier times. Is that why? Even though he left Ardyn to die alone and probably deserves to be executed in whatever way PAL wants?

Why? Why are those the words coming to mind just now?

He pulls back from Arianna and... finally eats the whole cookie.

It's just one. It only needs to be one. It only took Ardyn one with his thin frame and Choromatsu himself is even smaller and thinner, no taller than Arianna next to him. He swallows thickly, absently thinking to himself that it's no wonder Ardyn knew right away: they taste like shit.

It won't take long now. ]

[induality]

[...something had to snap her out of it. This... this was it.]

Y-you idiot! You...

[Her hands are shaking but for a moment she grabs both of his and holds them tightly.]

...you're not alone. You never were-- you...

[shikosuki]

Eh...?

T-Touko-chan...?

[induality]

...l-listen. We... won't be able to see each other for a while but-- w-we're going to come for you. So... so wait for us. And... don't lose hope. L-look after the others for us.

[shikosuki]

[ He looks down at her hands and slowly back up to her...

And manages to smile. Not forced like that time he tried to before with her, but actually. ]

You know... that was one of the things he said. To trust you guys... that you wouldn't let this be the end.

...I know you'll come. So I'll wait... with my niisans and everyone else. I'll...

[ And then he falters, falling forward towards her. Good thing she's got his hands but he's not sure he can stand anymore. ]

I'll look after them... I'll believe... just...

Stay strong... okay?

[induality]

[Stay strong... she's heard it many times from many people in many different ways-- in expectations and wishes and blessings alike. With each had come a question of whether she could and what her limit was. But here and now she doesn't ask. She just nods, holding on tightly; using the strength she has to help him down gently to his knees.]

And she leans forward and presses a kiss to his cheek, even as she feels her eyes threatening to water up.]

...I will. I promise.

[With that she finds a reason to hang on, even when her heart threatens to break. Something to cement herself to her goals.]

Then... you can introduce me to your brothers. And your other friends.

ONE LAST WARNING FOR OVERDOSE/SUICIDE

[shikosuki]

[ OH...

Well a cheek kiss from a girl he likes as he dies in her arms is pretty much AS BEST OF A WAY TO GO AS HE COULD EVER IMAGINE SO.

He nods slowly, shutting his eyes. ]

Okay... I will...

...S...Sorry...

[ He goes very still then, falling asleep to thoughts of seeing his older brothers soon after god knows how long, his breathing getting more and more shallow...

It takes a little while still, but there's a lot in those little cookies, (and who knows with space drugs) and sure enough his breathing eventually just... stops.

Choromatsu Matsuno is dead. ]

[airlockedmods]

Well. That is certainly a unique situation.

[daughterofthemark]

[don't you fucking]

[daughterofthemark]

[...

Arianna closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath.]

[induality]

[Fukawa is... uncomfortably familiar with the feeling of death. She can feel it set in and for a moment she's incredibly still. Until the very end... until she knew he wasn't going to see, she holds in her tears. Only when he's gone does she take a shuddering breath and let herself grieve.

This wasn't fair. He didn't deserve this end. Neither of them did.

But she hadn't been able to do anything. And she might not be able to the next time or the time after that.

Yet for both of them... for the wishes they left her with... she has to keep fighting.

She holds him for a moment, before gently lying him on the ground.]

...you were never useless. Not to anyone. You were really special...

[cyan_maid]

[Fuck.

Fuck, they. They were going to sit here and let him just. Fuck.]

...Is there anything we need to know? Anything else you want to tell us before...

[shikosuki]

Anything...?

[ He's quiet a moment, trying to think. ]

In my room, I... [ but then he pauses, remembering Junpei's reaction when he told him what Ardyn had asked him to share and he thinks that maybe he's not worth listening to. After all, why would anyone now want to read what he'd have to say in a letter to them...?

So instead he focuses instead on saying an important thing he had written. ]

...Ichimatsu, Jyushimatsu, Todomatsu. Those are my other brothers. Purple, yellow and pink.

I-If these bastards... if they had already hurt Osomatsu-niisan and Karamatsu-niisan then I... I'm scared they...

[ He chokes back a sob ]

P-Please just make sure they're okay. If you get out but c-can't save us, th-then...

[cyan_maid]

...They won't get your brothers. I promise.

[They'll do something to get out of here. And then? No one else was going to be hurt by any of this ever again.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Choromatsu-san... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you were ever pushed to this. But we're going to make sure everything... that everyone's okay, even if it takes us another week or two or six more. One day, there will be a week where no one dies. There will be a time when we'll break out permanently. And I won't let what happened to Ardyn-san or you come to nothing!

[shikosuki]

...I know. I believe in you...

[ratherdoweddings]

We'll make it out. I promise, okay? Just hold on until then.

cw: drug overdose and suicide

[daughterofthemark]

[He won't be alone. She stays where she is, and doesn't look away.]

Tell Clarith and... no, tell everyone we love them, and we haven't given up on them.

[She smiles weakly. He's the most qualified person here for delivering that message, isn't he?]

That is true of you as well.

cw: drug overdose and suicide

[shikosuki]

[ He falters for a moment, having to steady himself against her... he nods ]

I... I will.

...Thank you.

[kingshaming]

[Xander doesn't say anything, only moving over to stand a grim guard over his last moments]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Church likewise says nothing, but he's no longer struggling, no longer fighting. He's just standing, fists balled, still deeply and obviously angry. But merely watching with intent.]

[tokencanadian]

[Pyrrha.... isn't going anywhere. She's here for you, Choro, even if there isn't much left to be said.

...Well, besides one thing she can think of.]

I... hope that you find your brothers, and you're happy with them. That's what you deserve.