☆ WEEK TWO ( EXECUTION )

[raisingproject]

Execution

Sunday, Week 2

Victim

Culprit (???)

At exactly 8 PM, the votes are suddenly revealed:

Kaine: 6
Miach: 1
One: 6
Dahlia: -
Szayelaporro: 3

"Uh-oh. It looks like there is a tie, pon! Which means that Kaine and One will have to fight to the death for it, pon. Whoever kills the other gets all the bonus candy, pon. You may ask for one weapon or ability for this fight, pon. Refusal to comply will lead to death."

17 REMAIN

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↪️️LOCATIONS
↪️️ROOMING ASSIGNMENTS
↪️️PROFILES
↪️️TASKS
↪️️ITEMS
↪️️PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS
↪️️FAV CONTACT
↪️️BONUS AC

Comments

[perfectbeing]

I did not expect this either. It was a mess, though, so perhaps we should not be so surprised.

[He doesn't say who he voted for, but he is very much glad he didn't get the most votes with how things were swaying against him for a while.]

[zackthekiller]

[You don't stop him, per se, but you slow him down enough.]

[He angrily swings at the empty air and screams in a fit of rage.]

I'll kill you, you BASTARD!

[hawthorned]

Even so... I'm surprised that so many voted for Miss One.

[But she's not saying who wouldn't have surprised her, nope.]

[crossingout]

[ Zange doesn't answer for a very long time. It takes minutes, but she finally speaks up, quiet: ]

I don't know.

[crossingout]

Is that really the truth? Or are those just... words?

[breakingthrough]

I'm not the type of person who wastes my time saying things I don't mean.

[At least... unless she's joking. Serious things are a different matter.]

The reason you're struggling so much now is because you want to save everyone. Although some might see it as foolishness... I think we could use someone like that supporting us.

[partyleader]

[What else is there left to say? What words could she ever use to make this better...?

But she has to try. So she rubs what she hopes are soothing circles into the girl's back.]

Don't apologize, Recette-san. It'll be okay... Somehow, we're going to be okay. We'll find a way.

[crossingout]

...

[ She's quiet for a few moments before she finds herself smiling, just a little. ]

Alright. I'm more than just a cheerleader, but I'll show everyone what I've got.

[yourdreamismydream]

If you don't know, there's room for doubt. And that's okay.

Think on it, at least. Don't give up here just because we're at the edge of despair. Because you don't just owe it to whoever's waiting for you back home - more importantly, you owe it to yourself.

[Taiki sighs. Runs a hand through his hair, and lets it drop to stare at it.] It has to be you who decides whether or not to give up in the end... But if you're going to let your dream fall to the side because you're pushing away what you really want... [Taiki lifts his eyes and clenches his fingers into a fist.] I can't just ignore that.

[crossingout]

Despair...

[ She says that word almost as if it were foreign to her tongue, and she finds herself swallowing hard. ]

Is it really despair? Someone told me once that they didn't agree with a hope or despair route. That this... is meant for something like that. Saving everyone being "hope". Killing everyone being "despair". What do you think? The only person who has a dream is 'Zange'. I, on the other hand. Don't.

[buylowsellhigh]

[Recette leans into the rubbing.]

P-promise?

[yourdreamismydream]

[He'd been thinking about "hope" and "despair" and how to put his thoughts into words, but the moment she says that last bit, Taiki's line of thought comes to an abrupt, screeching halt.

No.

"...Not really. I don't really have a dream."

No...!]

Who are you, then, if not Zange? Have you been lying about who- No. [Taiki cuts himself off with a hard shake of his head.] No, that doesn't even matter right now. Even if you only used the name Zange... Even if you're someone trying to be someone else... Why can't you share each other's dream? There's nothing wrong with having the same dream as another person. It can even be a good thing! Pushing you to do things you never would have done otherwise on your own...

["Didn't you always say you had so many things you wanted to do?! Why would you say you have no dreams...!!"

It's been months since then. Taiki had thought this pain was put to rest.

...Just who is this girl?]

If it isn't something you want, that's different. That's fine. But dreams aren't an exclusive thing. You can share them! You don't- [Something catches in his throat. He pushes through it, blinking a little faster than he should be.] You don't have to give up on your own dream for someone else's sake.

[crossingout]

It doesn't matter.

[ Her words are slightly clipped, but that's honestly for the best as her eyes narrow and she fixes her gaze onto the floor, just slightly. ]

Who I am and what I want... we can't save everyone. Zange's just a stage name, in the end, so... It's okay.

[imitationsoul]

It's a pity.

[ She sounds casual about this, but she also means it. One was a person she got along quite well with. ]

Though for us to be upset would just be ironic - none of us with that were us.

late, but.... have this

[hawthorned]

...Miss One.

[There's nothing Dahlia could say that would help One. In fact, speaking to her before she has to fight is realistically only going to serve as a distraction. But all the same, it feels strange not to say anything at all. Iris might have called that compassion, but Dahlia knows it's nothing but selfishness.]

This means nothing, I know... but I believe in you.

[One's innocence, anyway, if nothing else.]

[yourdreamismydream]

It matters if it's important to you. [But Taiki bows his head, a hollow feeling in his chest.

"Who I am and what I want..." The way she keeps reminding him of himself is so painful, he can hardly stand it. But for her sake, he will.]

Maybe you're right. Maybe we can't save everyone. But no matter what I have to do... I'll fight for you and everyone else to get free from here... You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But I'm going to fight to save you all.

[It's with a sudden moment of clarity that Taiki realizes he hasn't let her go yet, but he has a feeling it would be a bad thing to do right now, so he lets it stay there. Not applying any sort of pressure, but simply existing.] And you... It doesn't matter if it's a stage name or anything else like that. If Zange is who you want to be, then be Zange. If you want to go by another name, that's fine too. It doesn't change who you are inside, only what you want other people to know you by. You'll always be you... No matter what name you go by.

[crossingout]

...

[ She doesn't say anything for the longest time, just listening to his words carefully, taking it all in. ]

Will you really fight for me to get out of here? Even if that means possibly... sacrificing yourself? What do you plan on doing when you face the mastermind?

[partyleader]

Yes. [Nanami smiles and nods, warm and wide.] I promise. We're going to be okay.

[yourdreamismydream]

[It's the last part that makes him silent. Forces him to think. To decide.]

I don't know what I'll do when I face down the mastermind. I wish I could say. It... would depend on a lot of things, I think. [Taiki lets his head lift once more.] In the end, though, I'll do what I have to.

And that includes protecting you, and everybody else too. Even if I don't know about the mastermind... That's something you can be sure of. If it's to protect everyone, I'll give up my life without a moment's hesitation.

[It's different than the last time he had to risk his life, less of a possibility and now more of a certainty. But it doesn't change the sentiment at all, or lessen his conviction in the slightest.]

[crossingout]

...

[ Listening to this makes her very, very quiet. Not in the good way, either. Especially when he says that he'll protect her. That he'll lay down his life for her. It hurts, hearing those words go through her ears and a part of her wants to say something about it, but instead-- ]

Will you kill the mastermind to protect everyone?

[yourdreamismydream]

I...

[His jaw clenches so hard it aches. If it's for the sake of everyone else, could he... Even though he swore not to hurt anyone, could he really...]

Taking somebody else's life... It goes against everything that makes me who I am.

But... In the end, I guess it's not much different than giving up my life so everyone else can live, is it? [He laughs, and it's completely void of humor.]

I still can't say, one way or another. But if it was for the sake of keeping you or someone else alive... [Taiki swallows hard, and his voice is barely above a whisper now.] I think it's the only thing that could convince me to kill them.

[crossingout]

I see. If you ever did... I wouldn't blame you for it, Taiki-kun.

[buylowsellhigh]

O-okay. I believe you.

[Nanami is a good person. She'll have to spend more time with her.]

[yourdreamismydream]

I'll do everything I can to prevent it from coming to that. But... [He smiles at her.] Thank you, Zange.