EXECUTION II

[faentasy]

Execution

Even with a day of rest, the events of this Friday won't soon be forgotten. The dawn of Sunday might come with an a sense of dread or finality, but time ever moves forward despite what anyone wants.

The notes on the flute that summon you are different this time, a cheerier melody than last. It's likely a slap in the face all things considered, but the call can be ignored, though if you do choose to follow it you'll feel a sense of relief and easing of tension despite your feelings on the manner of executed. A small gift perhaps, for the upcoming proceedings.

C-ta and SQ are already in their own respective bubbles, with Hamelin's handpicked executioners: Rika with C-ta, and Professor Pericles with SQ. The rest of the mirror room remains unchanged when you arrive, though all the shattered mirrors have been repaired.

The price of a wish demands a sacrifice, however unfair it may be.

Comments

[mearry]

That's fine. We'll make it boring for them.

[ like a long, boring tv marathon at 2 am. ]

I think I know what she's going through. Just a bit.

[ he had always kind of known, but the unwillingness to accept his own faults had made it difficult to look at it objectively. with his faults all hanging out to dry for the world to see, he no longer has the ability to just turn away. ]

She's afraid that you're leaving her behind. If you've been friends for so long, then she probably sees you as like a part of herself...or something like that. And to lose you...it's something as scary as like being told that you're losing an arm or a leg. She might even see it as a betrayal of...of your relationship with her and all the memories she has with you.

[ the same way that a-ya's friendship with b-ko felt like a betrayal to his and c-ta's routine. it had always been just the two of them--why would he need anyone else? why would he want anyone else but him? ]

I know this because...that's how I felt. I think.

[eternaljune]

Like a part of herself...

[Rika considers that. Maybe, early on, she hadn’t been the greatest friend—-maybe she should have tried harder to make sure Satoko knew what Rika had assumed was obvious, checked on Satoko regardless of what she said about not wanting help and what her new friends might have thought.

Satoko owes Rika an apology, too, of course, so Rika’s hopes are a bit low, but she’s also made miracles out of less in the past.]

If I see her again, and I can stop her from continuing the tragedy...I’ll tell her. A hundred years and a hundred new people wouldn’t change the fact that Satoko is my best friend.

[mearry]

Mhm.

[ he nods, smiling. ]

You have to grab her like this-- [ he grabs her shoulders firmly, ignoring the pain on his own injured one. ]--and look at her straight in the eyes and tell her everything. Don't leave a single thing unsaid, okay? Even if she wants to act like she's fine and that everything's okay--

[ he draws in a shaky breath. ]

--she's not fine. It's not okay. She probably already made up her mind and everything, so she won't reach out to you. And that feeling will just get worse and worse until she does something she'll regret.

[ like he did. ]

Then, once she realizes it, you're going to get her to apologize to you. Okay?

[eternaljune]

[A future where Rika and Satoko can tell each other everything and apologize...Rika wants that more than anything. She’s angry at Satoko, but she wants her friend back. C-ta telling her what to do in such a future as if it’s completely certain is enough to make her cry.]

Y-yeah...I will...

[Miracles are possible, right? Is there a chance for one for both of them?]

I hope you do too...I hope the next world’s C-ta wins against the tragedy.

[mearry]

Ahaha...I'd really like that.

[ a world where the occult club can trust each other. a world where a-ya and c-ta can understand each other...part of him, wants to believe in it.

the other part whispers in an ugly voice that it will never happen.

he lets go of her shoulders. with one hand, he removes the pendant that suga had made for him, and holds it out for her. she might notice that he's holding back tears of his own. ]

I need you to...take this back to him. I don't know what they'll do with my corpse so...I'd rather if they kept it safe. I wouldn't want...I wouldn't want it to get destroyed or taken by faeries or whatever. Promise me that, okay?

[eternaljune]

Yeah...I’ll make sure Suga gets this back. It’s the least I can do, really...

[Rika holds onto the pendant, slipping it into her small chest pocket. The knife feels heavier in her other hand. She’s going to have to use this, isn’t she? This is all...]

Is there...any other last request or things you want to say before...

[She can’t finish her sentence.]

[mearry]

....

[ there's a thousand things he'd like to say, actually. he'd like to apologize to riku and a-ya, and to everyone else that he's disappointed in the last couple days. but...

that won't change anything, will it?

he shakes his head. ]

Just keep fighting, 'kay? It was nice being your senpai for a while...even though I screwed it up really bad.

[ his shoulders are shaking, but he stands as close as he can to rika. ]

Don't draw it out, ok? I don't blame you for this. This is...this is my fault.

[eternaljune]

[Rika nods lightly. She doesn’t intend to give up before she gets to go home, especially now that she has a promise to remember when she gets there.

She also doesn’t intend to drag this out. Rika is aware of the fastest ways to kill someone, and she reaches to point the tip of the knife at C-ta’s neck. There, it’ll be the quickest.]

It was nice to have a senpai for a while. ...goodbye, C-ta.

[The two of them won’t meet again: the worlds they’re both reaching for are too far apart.

What a strange act of chance that they ran into each other here.

Rika tries not to think on what it could mean as she stabs C-ta in the throat.]

[mearry]

[ he doesn’t even get a chance to say goodbye back before the knife is lodged deep in his throat.

unlike friday, there’s no miracle to save him from this one.

blood bubbles up his throat as he tries to breathe, his body instinctively trying to reject the blinding pain.

but it’s not enough to feel pain. as long as that knife is still in, the death won’t come quick enough. so, with the strength he has left, he pulls the knife out and watches—from a distance—the blood leave his body.

it hurts.

it hurts.

he collapses to his knees, and his vision blurrs. the pain, too, blurrs. before losing consciousness, he can only hope that suga isn’t watching—it’d be too much for him.

and after a couple minutes, c-ta is dead. ]

[eternaljune]

[Rika follows C-ta’s collapse, holding his body as it bleeds out, partly to spare anyone else from having to look at it, but partly because she knows how terrifying the feeling of choking on your own blood is. It doesn’t matter if she’s covered in blood, as long as he’s not alone.

This is what was meant to happen. She knew that. This isn’t her world, and C-ta isn’t a part of the place she wants to return to. It shouldn’t concern her, so why does she care?

And why can’t she stop crying?]