WEEK 9 - Retirement

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ONLINE CAPTAIN'S LOG: WEEK (9)

sunday EXECUTION (19) survivors As voting comes to an end, a song filters in played so loud that it becomes distored and fragmented. If a participant checks their datapad, they will see the the victim and suspect chosen by majority's pictures displayed. If they attempt to scroll, they will see a list of characters and their votes in alphabetical order.

victim



culprit



Character Statuses
Setting
Rulebook
Votes

Comments

Results

[al2955]

[ After the song ends, an announcement plays.

Adelina: 12
Handsome Jack: 5
Marinette Dupain-Cheng: 2
Yuno Gasai: 0
Clover: 0 ]

Your votes have been tallied. Congratulations! You discovered the true culprit, Adelina. Time will be allotted for the culprit to be spoken to.

[bloodbiter]

[she fucked up]

...Anything you want to know, I suppose.

[antagonize]

[Ha ha ha. This is why can't trust anybody. Jason's expression is flat and his tone even more so — but. But. But.

Whatever.]

Was it worth it?

[bloodbiter]

I don't know.

[it's as honest as she can make it.]

If I hadn't done this - my greatest achievement was finding a cure to a sickness that killed hundreds, even thousands a year. I don't know if I can believe her. But if I didn't and I went home to find that it was true, and I hadn't done anything...

[toprotecttheworld]

There's a letter in your room that's only to be opened in the event of...this. What would you like me to do with it?

[No judgment, only business. Her vote speaks for herself. She couldn't vote for Adelina.]

[bloodbiter]

There are notes for the people here I knew well. If you wouldn't mind...

[antietam]

... I'm sorry you felt like you had to do this. Things won't be the same without you.

[bloodbiter]

[she doesn't really know what to say to that, but she does give him a nod]

Thank you. And... I'm sorry.

[socloverit]

[Punching Adelina in the face would be so, so satisfying, but Clover knows she'll be stopped. She's shaking with her fury and there would be no point in seeking her own vengeance when Adelina is already slated to die here, but goddamn would it feel good to hit her.

But they'll stop her. Clover knows what they'll expect of her.

Not that Clover needed Adelina's permission to hate her, not that she cares about any right for it, not that anything could justify that she said "yes" and then "but" like she was trying to find an excuse for what she did do Clover's friend—

Clover's going to lift her head up and get on her toes so she can reach to try spitting in Adelina's face.]

Rot in hell.

[bloodbiter]

[honestly fair

she doesn't stop her, at any rate, and while she does flinch she doesn't seem angry or too surprised. she reaches up to wipe it away with a sleeve wordlessly.]

[baptizer]

[ Elizabeth is gross sobbing. She's stepped away from everyone else for the longest time, her breath almost to the point where she's ready to pass out. this is big.

This is insane.

She finally speaks out to Adelina. ]

I won't waste my time lecturing you. You made your choice, Adelina. I loved you like a sister. [ One that she had never had. The kindness Adelina showed her unmatched. She sits for a moment, looking between Jason and Jack (out of instinct) and back to Adelina. ] And I always will. I pray it's merciful.

[bloodbiter]

[this aches in a way that's different from everything else, somehow.]

I'm sorry. I truly am. There are - many things I should have done differently.

[YEAH NO KIDDING]

I should have told you. All of you.

[tevinteriscoming]

Is there anything I can do for you?

[bloodbiter]

[there's a number of things she could ask of him. she thinks about it.]

...Make it out of this place.

[chiseler]

[He's quietly watching even if he can't exactly meet her eyes.]

I wish you'd been honest with me. You lied right to my face when I asked you. [And he finally looks at her.] I thought you were braver than that, really.

[bloodbiter]

...I should have.

[she knows, but it's a bit late for that. hindsight is 20/20 and all that.]

I suppose - no, I won't say it doesn't matter anymore.

[missmaladroite]

[yeah she's not asking anything]

[she's just marching up to her and punching her across the face, hard]

I trusted you! We were supposed to stop the game! We were supposed to put a stop to this! In the end, you're just like them! You liar! You murderer!

[bloodbiter]

[AGAIN, FAIR

goddamn marinette you're tiny how do you hit so hard. KNOCKED BACK I GUESS??]

[monsieurchatastrophe]

[they could've voted for Marinette. he keeps going right back to that. they were so close.]

Machias, Minako, and someone on that list. Marinette, or Clover, or Yuno, or even Jack-- you were willing to kill at least three people for this.

... I really thought I knew you. But I don't think I did at all.

[bloodbiter]

[a pause. he's entitled to his anger and disappointment. she won't object to that.]

Adrien, may I ask you something?

[todorable]

...Can't say this is how I expected this evening to end.

[bloodbiter]

I'm sorry.

[what else does she say. this is horrible.]

I... hope you get your horse when you leave this place.

[parodeity]

...If this whole beyond the grave shit is legit, tell Allen sup for me.

[ since allen ???? might be trying to talk to him ???? if that isn't a huge joke ???? ]

[muties]

... Sorry we didn't accidentally scapegoat Jack, I guess.

[ kind of? not really? ]

EXECUTION

[al2955]

[ Adelina's body goes slack, collapsing. Her eyes are glassy, unseeing.

The holographic screen flickers, and the image that comes to life blooms across the screen in rich, deep colors. The kingdom is beautiful, and Adelina is seen traversing the grassfields with a light step. She steps past a patch of dandylions, smiling earnestly. Her sister is by her side, and they seem to be speaking happily about something or other.

For all the bright yellows and baby blues, however, there is a mass of grey smoke in the distance.

"Fire!"

It sounds distant and desperate. The disembodied voice repeats itself, again and again, the chant turning more and more desperate with each scream. "Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!" Adelina and her sister continue on their walk, and they step unto the path leading into the forest. Adelina turns away from her sister, peering past the thick of the trees with a curious gaze. The luscious greens seem to go on forever, and the sun shines warmly through open gaps. Adelina continues to walk.

It is only then that she turns to look back at her sister, her mouth open to say something, and Meryl is nowhere to be seen. As she turns, there leaves from the trees begin to rot, green giving way to brown. They rot and fall, and there's a thunderous noise from all sides, like war drums. Constant. Thrumming. Unforgiving.

Adelina runs deeper in the forest, and the leaves fall. The skirt of her dress slips between branches and twigs and bushes, never once catching upon any of them. Suddenly, she's holding a spyglass in her hand. Where did it come from? She looks just as perplexed, but holds it up, regardless.

She does not see her beloved sister. Instead, she sees a crowd, angry and haggard, reflecting back at her. Her breath catches and Adelina's heel catches in the root of a decaying tree. It snaps, and she lays upon the dirt, horrified. The spyglass slides across the fround, flying into a bundle of dead leaves. She crawls upon her knees to it, but try as she might, it's gone.

But for all her searching of her spyglass, Adelina is caught unaware; the crowd that had shown themselves to her through the glass' magic approaches, their steps revealed to be the thunderous noise. As they approach, shambling forward, it's clear something is wrong with them. Each member of the mob looks horrifyingly ill, their skin greying and eyes unseeing.

The grey smoke has grown closer. "Fire! Fire! Fire!"

And fire it is. The red flames lick the trunks of trees, crawling across dirt and grass and leaves. It is not slow and merciful, but a quick, terrifying explosion of fire that wraps around the perimeter, burning all in its path. The forest is on fire, Adelina is alone and in the dirt, and the crowd approaches. The chant breaks, silence settling in, and then the drumming of shouts begins again. "Help me! Princess Adelina!" They each cry out for her, reaching out, slowly.

Adelina's skirt is caught by the flames.

She is surrounded.

The feed cuts. ]