WEEK FIVE: EXECUTION

[hellscapes]

Hello, deadlings.

You were so confident in your choice yesterday. Can you stand by it now? Lucky you, the weekend "fun" isn't over just yet.

On Sunday morning, you'll soon hear a sound coming from the dock. There's a large ferry waiting for you, and even if you resist you'll eventually find yourself compelled to climb aboard and set off on a short voyage. The islands around you look fairly blurry, but you don't go very far before you stop at a slab of land with two large buildings stationed. You won't be able to look at the one on the right now, the one you've come to know as the trial bar. Instead, your feet navigate you to the building on the left as the door creaks open. On your way in, you notice some posters hung beside the door, advertising today's event.

Inside is a bar. It's pretty swanky in comparison to the others you've seen, tables and chairs arranged comfortably for everyone to have a seat and spread out however they'd like. The bar is fully stocked with all kinds of alcohol along with an arrangement of bar food for anyone who's feeling a bit peckish. At the head of the room, there appears to be a stage washed in red lights with a wide area for performances.

At a table in the corner all six demons are gathered around. All of them appear to have left behind their work uniforms and are clustered together in a dark corner, watching the stage with various ranges of interest.

As you find your seats and get yourself something to drink, darkness begins to fill the bar and a banner unfurls over the stage.

TODAY'S PERFORMER:
TUURI
10AM
Enjoy the show

No matter where you look, you will find that Tuuri is not amongst you. But there isn't time to look further before the lights dim and the curtains draw.

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Comments

[failbo]

Oh. So it's not something that usually happens to him...?

[Couldn't have ruled that out, really. Still, if it's not normal then it probably is somebody messing with Zelgadis. Wow, as if he didn't have enough going on with his life these days]

[greatvalue]

[...]

Did someone curse him after the trial?

[hardrocklife]

[Zelgadis's eyes widen in horror at the sight. He backs up a step with Tuuri, and as she stumbles, he steps in between her and the shadow, ready to protect her. Staring it down, even though the very sight of it makes his blood run cold. His stone body has to be good for something. If he can't use it to shield her now, then what good is it?]

It's not real. Don't listen to it.

[Yet at the same time, Zelgadis's own shadow rises from the floor, at last taking the distinct shape of a man in a robe. The staff in its hands makes a distinctive jingle as he emerges. A strangely ominous sound.

Pitiful, Zelgadis...

It speaks in a soft, yet oddly powerful voice. One that commands wisdom and authority.

Even with the truth staring you in the face, you still do not see it.]

[teufelshund]

Another of those temporary curses, I would guess, unless this is something that actually exists in his world.

[ on one hand, very tasteless time and person to use it on... but on the other, this is peak drama content. ]

[teufelshund]

More of a manga thing, but yes, essentially.

[engineers]

Maybe.

[ ugh. ] It must last for a full day. Maybe someone's watching this like it's a bad drama.

[ except it's not, it's real people's lives. ]

[teufelshund]

Well, he wasn't doing it during the trial yesterday, anyway. At least not that I noticed.

[engineers]

[ mephisto is the person watching this like a bad drama ]

Seems like it.

[teufelshund]

[ excuse you he's watching it like it's a GOOD drama ]

[polyglotti]

[Tuuri's shadow skitters along on its many tiny legs, scampering closer to the pair. When it's close, it will swing one of its arms around like a giant paw and try to swipe Zel off his feet. ]

Zel!

[Tuuri rolls onto her hands and knees, and she starts to push herself up to her feet to help, but the monstrous shadow steps between her and Zel. It's trying to physically attack Zel, but it's also trying to keep Turri from getting near him.

You could have given yourself up for any of them. What about Lavi? Isn't he your friend? Why didn't you offer yourself up to save him?

Tuuri grits her teeth and tries to ignore the voice, scrambling to crawl between the legs of the creature to get to Zelgadis. But each time she tries, her path is blocked by another skinny leg.]

[greatvalue]

... That's essentially what happened the other night, though.

[someone sure did slap on a costume to watch tuuri murder kon!]

[greatvalue]

Those are practically the same thing.

[no.]

[failbo]

Maybe that same person did this to Zelgadis, for all we know.

[Sure wouldn't be surprising, really]

[greatvalue]

Maybe. Or some other idiot who didn't think this through.

[awol]

[ just... keeps a hand on his... and probably gently prying it away before it can actually shatter.

we won't make that mistake again. they're right. it's not worth it. ]

[engineers]

Maybe.

[ he lifts his drink and takes a sip of it, just for the sake of something else to do. ]

[engineers]

[ glad this execution is already hitting right in the trauma

bixing's very tense, but, lin is successful in prying his hand away from his cup, at least. he seems to tense even further at the sight of the man in zelgadis's shadow, at the way they're calling for each other. ]

Don't listen. [ it's too quiet, but he says it anyway. ] Don't listen to it.

[hardrocklife]

[Normally, he would try to dodge. But Tuuri's behind him. So when it reaches out to sweep at him, he instead tries to block, and ends up knocked to the ground by the unexpected force behind that swing.

It moves between them, and while he scrambles to fend it off, it stomps with its long, pointed feet. Feet that, moments ago, were perhaps part of a rib cage.

There's a sickening crack that echoes through the room. The leg pierces his shoulder, driving itself right through his stone skin. Zelgadis grunts in pain, but tries to grab the leg, preventing it from pulling away to keep stomping -- especially while Tuuri's drawing closer.]

Don't worry about me! Get away -- it's too dangerous!

[There's a pained, desperate edge to his voice that makes it come out less convincing than it should. And all the while, his own shadow continues its taunts.

Do you think you can help her? Has your self-delusion gone this far? You cannot even help yourself. You keep pressing on, willfully blind to where it really is your journey will take you.

Nowhere.]

[polyglotti]

[Since when has Tuuri ever listened to someone when she already had her mind set on something? Of course she's not running away, not when her own shadow is the one hurting someone she cares about. She's pushing herself up to her feet now, hoping that by running she'll be able to dodge around the legs fast enough.]

Don't be stupid, I'm not leaving you like that!

[The insidious voice creeps up again, trying to sink its claws into Tuuri's mind instead of her body.

You never told him. He wouldn't be fighting so hard for you if he knew.

Tuuri grimaces and pushes off from a leg, trying to dodge around it.]

Shut up!

[Will you let him do it? Are you going to let him give up his life for someone who doesn't even have a future?]

SHUT UP!

[She tries to go past the final leg blocking her from reaching Zel, but that leg suddenly snaps out and kicks her across the stage, where she skids to a stop while laying on her side. She's stuck there for a moment as she regains her breath. But this close to the edge, the crowd might be able to see that tears are starts to stream down her face.]

[hardrocklife]

[Zelgadis lets go now, scrambling to his feet as he sees Tuuri kicked away.]

Tuuri!

[Red blood seeps through the shoulder of his cloak. He tries to ignore it, focused only on Tuuri, and on the creature.]

Damn it, I need... a weapon, something...

[Oh? The robed figure sounds amused. Zelgadis, if you desire power, you need only ask.

He gives the shadow a cold look, then attempts to tackle the creature in front of him once more -- bare-handed.

He hears what they're saying. He doesn't care.]

[tearduct]

[Oh, he definitely cannot do this one at all.

So he finally turns around and leaves. Sorry, goodbye.]

[polyglotti]

[The shadow sees him coming, and snaps its long neck forward to chomp down on him somewhere. It's not big enough to just eat him in one go, but those teeth are going to hurt.

Meanwhile, it continues to taunt Tuuri: You have no future. Your future was lost the moment you got bitten. Whether you die here, or you die back home, it doesn't matter. Fighting for a scant few more days doesn't matter. Nothing you do will change your fate. So just give up.

Tuuri lays on the floor for a moment, in a daze and sobbing quietly. Because it's true: none of it matters. Even if she somehow survives today and makes it to satan's party, all that means is that she'll die slowly and painfully over the course of the next month. The only choice she gets to make here is when she'll die.

She turns her head, and she can just barely see the familiar shades of blue and purple through her blurry vision. Zel is still fighting, even now, with a powerful monster threatening to cut him down. Despite everything, he's still staying strong.

She can't let him fight alone.

She sniffs in once, wipes her face, and pushes herself back up to her feet. Hold on just a little longer, Zel, she's coming.]

[teufelshund]

Well, there's a lot of content overlap, but there can be significant differences in how a reader or viewer experiences that content depending on the medium. In this case, imagine a beautifully drawn static image of someone clutching their chest as delicate petals swirl around the page... versus watching and listening to someone retching as they cough up flowers.

[cavaliered]

[she's going to follow him when he goes...]

[greatvalue]

[he looks at mephisto

he looks at the stage where tuuri and zelgadis are literally fighting for their life

he looks back at mephisto]

Dude.