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

[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.]

[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.]

[hardrocklife]

[The creature moves to bite him, and instinctively, Zelgadis raises an arm to block it. Normally, this works. Most creatures can't bite through stone.

But it puts a little more strength into that chomp, and... there's another heavy cracking sound as its jaw closes around his arm. This time, it's less of a surprise than the first. He's able to keep his composure.]

Shut up.

[It comes out quietly, firmly, unshaken by the pain.]

I don't care. I don't care how many people tell me there's no hope. No cure. No future.

[He delivers a heavy stone kick to the creature and rips his arm away from it. Blood drips to the floor. He ignores it.]

I don't care if the things I want are impossible. I won't stop.

[polyglotti]

[For a moment, as she watches Zel fight back, Tuuri's heart lifts and she smiles ever so slightly. Of course he wouldn't be broken down by something like this. He's one who can face his worst inner demons and come out on the other side of things without succumbing to despair. When everything today is over, he'll be alright. She can feel it.

But after that moment, she rushes forward. The shadow monster doesn't even have to look back at her to snap out a leg and kick her down once more.

You're too weak, your struggles don't mean a thing.

But she grits her teeth and pushes herself up once more. She is not giving up, no matter what, and she runs at the monster again.


If she can't be lucky, then she'll be brave instead.

This time, when the leg kicks out at her, she anticipates it. And instead of just being kicked away, she grabs it and holds on tight. And as she holds onto it, she focuses on one thought: if she's going to die, then it's going to be on her terms. This shadow isn't going to move a step further. She won't let anyone else get hurt because of her.


The monster sees Zel standing there, waiting. It sees that he is injured. So it lifts up it's menacing head and, jaws wide open, goes in for another bite. This one aimed at Zel's head-

-but it stops suddenly, a foot or two away from Zel's face. It's stuck, and it's making little movements like a bug caught in an insect trap.

And from behind it, comes a surprisingly confident voice:]

Come on Zel, move!

[hardrocklife]

[Zelgadis turns away from the monster to face the shadow of the priest behind him. Looming. Watching. His offer of power, still standing. There's a moment of hesitation -- he sees a sudden move from the monster behind him, but it stops. It's being held back.

This is the chance Tuuri's made for him. He can't let it go to waste.

He grabs the priest's staff. Its charms ring out, chiming as he moves it. The priest makes no move to stop him.

Then, in a decisive motion, he lunges at the creature and drives the bottom of the staff into its underbelly, putting all of his weight and strength into the strike.]

[polyglotti]

[The underbelly is the best place to attack trolls. Good on Zel for remembering that from the CYOA.

The underbelly of this troll is indeed fleshy and lacks protection, since the ribs that would have been protecting it are kind of being used as legs now. So the staff goes in easily, gutting the shadow and killing it in one simple strike. It falls to the ground, sinking in and becoming a shadow once more.

But as the shadow falls, so does Tuuri, with a patch of bright red blossoming on her chest.]

[hardrocklife]

Wait...

[The creature's form sinks away into the floor, and Zelgadis looks to Tuuri... to the growing redness around her chest.

His breath catches in his throat, and he runs to her side, bracing his good arm around her back and shoulders, lifting her up close.]

I didn't --

No...

[polyglotti]

[It's fine. It'll be fine. Everything's going to be just fine.

If Tuuri had the energy to say that, she would. But she feels weakness seeping into her body even as Zel lifts her up, and she knows she doesn't have enough time or energy to say everything she wants to say.

Instead, she lifts up a shaky hand and holds it to her face, kissing her fingertips. Which she then turns and presses against Zel's chest, right over his heart.]

It's a spell. For healing.

[She's smiling, even as the last of her energy leaves her and her arm drops down lifelessly.

Everything's going to be just fine.]

[hellscapes]

[ as the final blow is delivered, everything seems to fall silent. the shadows wait, poised and looming on stage, and soon all around is the sound of applause. despite the fact that no one is visibly clapping, the sound echoes off the walls of the bar as the shadows take a bow.

the applause tapers off and the shadows stand upright, fluid movements enhanced under the lights. tuuri's shadow scoops up her body, and without another word steps back into the darkness to take her away.

zelgadis's shadow, meanwhile, begins to shrink little by little, returning to its original size and settling behind him once more. it looks like it's back to normal…but who's to say?

the lights are raised in the bar and the door swings open. the table of demons seem to be watching before they all begin to move once more. all six of them seem to gather themselves, taking their leave without another word. this is your time now.

as last week, the last ferry of the day leaves at 5pm. everyone is free to linger around the island for the rest of the afternoon if they'd like. there's alcohol and food available all day, and while the trial bar isn't open the island has space for anyone who wants to find a quiet place to relax a little. you've all lived to see another day…enjoy it, for now. ]

[hardrocklife]

[Zelgadis stays there, on his knees, blood dripping from his arm and tears in his eyes.

He's silent and still for several seconds...

Then he gets up and walks away.]