FIRST EXECUTION

[faentasy]

Execution

Regardless of how you spent the day after trial, time ticks forward. Zola’s fate has been sealed, and all that awaits is the execution of her sentence. Come Sunday morning, the familiar sound of a flute reaches your ears, though this time you're not inclined to obey (although those who resist will have a feeling of dread they just can't shake until the end of the day), unless you're one particular blonde. Today the notes of music bring you inside the palace and into the stairwell leading to the upper floors, bars completely gone as if they were never there to begin with. What awaits at the end of the ascent is a white, completely featureless corridor with a single, plain black door at the end. As soon as it's opened, you find yourself in a completely different space.

All you can see around you is yourself and those came to bear witness you, reflections flooding your peripheral vision. This entire space is one giant mirror, from the floors, to the walls, to the ceilings. In the middle of the room stand Zola, no longer confined with vines or any restraints, and Junko with Hamelin directly in between them.

"Welcome, welcome! Now that our audience is here, let's get started shall we? Today's performance has Junko starring as the heroine and Zola as the villain! Put on a proper show for us, will you ladies?"

With a theatrical bow, Hamelin steps out from between them, a shimmer visible as he does, a large magic barrier shining into place. The stage has been set, and now all that remains is to enjoy the play.

Comments

[biqe]

[ Phil doesn't have any desire to watch this, and he's not the type to get any satisfaction out of this kind of justice... if it can be called that. But he wants to learn as much about this place and situation as he can so that he can help get them all out of it, and that means he can't very well stay in his room the first time this location and process are being revealed to them.

So, he's here.

The mirrors catch him by surprise, and he ends up paying attention more to the structure of the room and arrangement of the mirror pieces than anything. The way these all reflect off of each other, if they were mirrages and not standard mirrors, then something like the Kaleidoscope... hm.

...Well, maybe that's not what he should be focusing on. ]

[sempiternel]

We're putting on a show for someone.

[ She didn't want to come to see what would surely be a mockery of justice. Yet she couldn't stay away, though the sweet sounds of the flute leading them here made her sad. They had sentenced Zola to this fate, even if there hadn't been much choice in the matter. If this is how the story is supposed to go, it would happen to someone else sooner or later.

(It could be her here one day.)

Still, she can't quite look at the fight going on. So instead, she walks around the the edge of the room, tapping at the mirror walls. ]

Is there someone watching us from the other side, you think?

[biqe]

[ He hadn't really expected anyone to talk to him during this, and he blinks as he looks over to Yuri, then to the portion of the wall in front of her. ]

I hadn't considered that... My assumption was that it was more to make sure we saw it from every angle and couldn't look away.

[ Hm. It... feels more than a little rude to get up from your seat while someone's fighting for her life, but he doesn't know if they'll be given any time to look around when this is over, so... he briefly goes to join her and take a look. It's possible that this could be important, after all. ]

While it's not foolproof, there are a few properties that can indicate whether it's likely that you're looking at a true mirror or not. The pitch of the sound when you tap it like you just did, for one — it should have a sharper sound more like a window if it isn't a true mirror.

[ And that sounded pretty normal just now. ]

Another method — touch the tip of your finger directly to the glass, and see if there's any space between your finger and its reflection. There should be a slight gap on a normal mirror that wouldn't be present on a window.

[sempiternel]

Oh, I'm sure that's also the case. In fact, I'm surprised we had a choice, at all. [ To come or not to come, she means. ] A small mercy?

[ But from whom?

She nods along with his explanations, tilting her head when he's done. ]

I was thinking more of... a magic mirror. Though, of course, it's impossible to tell right now. But I don't think this performance is solely for us, do you?

[biqe]

Those are my specialty, actually... though as things are now, maybe I wouldn't even be able to recognize one besides my own if I saw it.

[ Which seems pretty shameful for someone in his position. ]

For us and Hamelin, you mean? ...I've questioned whether there might be someone above him in all of this, yes. I don't know about them watching this in real time, but perhaps if it's being recorded somehow... having every possible angle would make it easier if one were to try to recreate a scene that had occurred in this room.

[sempiternel]

Yes, that's the frustrating bit, isn't it? Without our powers, we are not helpless per se, but it is... inconvenient.

[ She smiles slightly when he includes Hamelin. ]

"Having every possible angle"... Ah, what a greedy mastermind we might have.

[mirrite]

[Marcus is by his side, of course-- there's no way he'd let Phil go to something like this by himself, even if he knows that it's not because there's any sort of joy or satisfaction to be derived from it.

... on Phil's end, at least. On his own... deep down, there is a part of him that wants to see justice served for Samidare, some sort of closure to this whole horrible thing, if it can even be called that. He's not sure.

What he does know is that standing here isn't making him feel any better, yet he can't bring himself to look away. Without a word, he brings one hand up to give Phil's shoulder a squeeze, as much to ground himself as to lend support, though his gaze remains facing forward, his face impassive.]

1/2

[biqe]

[ The company is appreciated, as always. And Phil is... okay, at least relatively speaking, though he's definitely keeping his focus on the room itself over what's being reflected in its walls.

The hand on his shoulder gets a slight smile, though once he hears Yuri's question about the mirrors he gives it a gentle tap and quietly excuses himself for a moment to answer for her. This is the kind of thing he's good for, after all. ]

2/2

[biqe]

[ It's just as he's returning to his place that Zola shatters that mirror and picks up a shard, and he freezes.

Ah. ]

[mirrite]

[Marcus' eyes have narrowed to flinty slits, his mind apparently headed to the same place-- he'd heard that story, of course, standing guard outside the room the way he had, and he knows exactly why Phil is reacting like this.]

Phil.

[It's soft yet urgent, an attempt at a distraction to pull his attention away.]

[biqe]

[ You idiot, he hears in Ix's voice.

...

His mouth suddenly feels very dry, and it hurts when he swallows, but... he takes a breath and shakes his head. ]

...It's fine, Marcus. I don't have any right to look away.

[mirrite]

[His shoulders tense, face twisting into a scowl...

... but he makes no move to try to turn Phil away from the scene. This... is his choice, as much as Marcus may hate it. What right does he have to interfere?

Especially when he's...]

... you idiot.

[But he's biting his lip, focusing on keeping his own breathing level as he watches the battle take place.]

[biqe]

[ Ha...

Well, that only makes sense, doesn't it?


He blinks away the tears before they can fully form, and doesn't look away again until the end. ]

[mirrite]

[And when he finally does, he'll find his head tugged down against Marcus' chest without a word.

He's shaking a bit too, though he'll absolutely deny it if asked.]

[biqe]

[ ... ]

[mirrite]

[He'll stay like this for as long as Phil needs it.

And if anyone else gives them a funny look? He'll just be glaring daggers at them.]