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

[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.