Week 4, Saturday

[foundationmods]

[As everyone files into the studio once more, they will be invited up on stage instead of to their audience seats as they normally are. On the far left of the stage is a set of 16 chairs, one for each living contestant, arranged in two rows of 8. On the right is a podium for Dazai to stand at, and in the center is a big board with spaces and numbers on it.

Once everyone gets settled in, it's time for the game.]

Comments

[guileturncoat]

[This click isn't an empty one. The gun fires, and a bullet is headed right for Ellie.

...or it would be, if not for Ellie's luck effect. The bullet whizzes right through her hair, missing her by mere millimeters, and ricochets off of a set piece behind her.

Watch out Oda, it's coming your way.]

1/2

[odasaku]

[ the bullet lands its mark on oda's temple. it's a clean shot, and he doesn't have any moment to react before the life in his eyes fizzles out. ]

2/2

[odasaku]

Saki, step back!

[ time starts again, and oda reacts quickly, immediately taking a step to the side. the bullet, in reality, barely misses him. ]

[guileturncoat]

[It misses Oda entirely.

And instead it bounces off another set piece and goes to Leo.]

[eldritcheyes]

[Leo opened the Eyes the second the shots began, even though he's terrified of seeing someone's fate coming right at them. So he does see the bullet, sees both ricochets, sees it headed his way.

But the Eyes don't let him react faster, no matter what they see.

The bullet strikes him in the left shoulder, and with a scream of pain he tumbles to the floor, clutching the wound.]

[failsaw]

[Giriko drops the gun and (heads to the reactions thread)]

[duskhound]

[Well, she guesses she has to take the gun and go back to her seat, then... She's not going to actually use it until Leo's been treated, though. More killing can wait.

...She's still not entirely sure what just happened there, either How did the ricochet even...]

[scarsnstripes]

[That's fine, he's worried about Leo as well.]

[duskhound]

[Ellie makes a sigh of relief seeing that Leo seems to have been treated, but this... is actually a really bad situation, isn't it? After all, two people need to die today or Dazai will be in danger, and one shot has ended up like that...

...She takes a moment, aims carefully for Atsushi's head, and... fires.]

[guileturncoat]

[And that's another bullet coming out now.]

1/2

[scarsnstripes]

[Atsushi's been weighing his options up until now. He knows they need deaths. He knows the consequences if not enough people die today.

The bullet fires and Atsushi's head jerks back with the impact, face smoking.]

2/2

[scarsnstripes]

[....But he isn't going to die like this.

He sits up after a long moment's pause, the still smoking bullet clenched tightly in sharp teeth.]

[guileturncoat]

[And Atsushi's head is immediately getting grabbed and slammed down onto the table by Dazai. Sorry tiger, powers are off now.]

[scarsnstripes]

[Well, so much for spitting that bullet out. He's going to end up swallowing it, the metal burning it's way down his throat as his face is slammed into the table.

But this is fine. This is more than fine.

Do your worst. He already gave him permission.]

[guileturncoat]

[His voice sounds deathly cold as he speaks, and he applies more and more pressure to Atsushi's head as he goes on.]

You don't get it, do you? You can fight and fight as much as you want, but I have a job to do. I'm not killing all of you because I want to. It just has to be done. And the more you fight it, the worse it has to be.

...then again, I should have expected as much from someone with perseverance.

[And then he's twisting his hand in Atsushi's hair, yanking on it.]

Well? Have anything to say for yourself?

[scarsnstripes]

[good. Atsushi lets out an audible sound of pain as Dazai presses his head into the table, and then another as he yanks his head back, pain painted on his face. He's reaching up with one hand, trying to grasp Dazai's wrist, a pleading look on his face that doesn't manage to reach his eyes.]

All I have to say is simple: I don't want to die! Anyone would be fighting to live in our positions! To keep fighting to live, no matter how much we suffer... It's only human, isn't it?

[Do it, Dazai.]

CW: a rather gruesome shooting death

[guileturncoat]

...I suppose you're right. People like you, the people from 6350, you're just struggling to live like everyone else in the Foundation. Even when it goes against your orders. Any person would struggle disobediently like that, right?

[And then he leans in and whispers something quietly to Atsushi, so quietly that only Atsushi, Ellie, and Nora will be able to hear. Though whether they will be able to understand it is debatable, since he's saying it in Japanese.]

I'm sorry.

[And then he pulls back and unloads the clip of his gun directly into Atsushi's back, not stopping until the gun clicks several times without firing due to being empty.]

Re: CW: a rather gruesome shooting death

[scarsnstripes]

[He knows. He knows what's coming, and he's ready for it.

He knows and he meets his eyes for just a brief moment, something secret and apologetic shining in them. He's sorry he has to do this. Sorry he's in this position.

He's sorry he couldn't help more, make it easier to survive.]

It's okay. Thank you.

[And then he's screaming, voice going soundless rather quickly as the bullets tear through his torso and lungs. He can't heal with that grip on him, all he can do is take every bullet that rips through him.

It's not a neat death. Not a gentle one. But it's quick enough, with that amount of bullets.

Atsushi Nakajima is dead.]

[houndumb]

[Oh yeah, sure, he hears that -- there's no way his ears wouldn't pick it up, but Nora's already moving the instant he sees the gun move. But of course it's still too slow compared to firing at point-blank range, so all that happens is that his snarl and the sound of him suddenly moving straight for Dazai is covered in the rattle of death and bullets.

His magic moves ahead of him, a physical force that flashes gold in his eyes and yanks in a familiar way. His teeth when bared are a touch too sharp as he reaches for Dazai's collar.]

YOU-- OF COURSE YOU'D DO IT LIKE THAT, IN THE BACK, YOU FUCKING COWARD--

[Is he acting? Is he just straight up going to tear Dazai's face off? Maybe not wait to find out. There's still two shots to go.]

[darkremnants]

[ interrupting darkness says...whatever darkness says.

Since he's already up from the moment he saw the gun, he's heading to put a hand on Nora's back and then pull on the hoodie. ]

Nora.

[ Sit back down. Don't make him shoot you, too. ]

[houndumb]

[There's a sharp breath, Nora rounding on Vanitas for the second time in two days and pulling himself up -- the magic doesn't settle this time, just billowing higher and faster, but his eyes are back to their normal colors. Teeth gritted.

There's going to be a shooting soon anyway. He looks at the other people in the chairs.

Slowly, seemingly inch by inch his fingers peel away from their death grip on Dazai and he steps back, head down and between his shoulders for a moment while he growls in unsatisfied frustration and violence. He shakes Vanitas off and lifts himself up again, standing to face Ellie.]

Fine. Fuckin' hurry up and get on with it.

[duskhound]

[Ellie is more than a little shaken by that, yes. That kind of brutality was something that. She usually only saw from Heretics. ...Though, considering the situation, that was... probably a good thing. Still, she was hoping that... He wouldn't have to stain his hands any further. That she could take all the hate from this game. Still, the situation hadn't changed, and Nora's outburst, for better or worse, gave her a chance to calm down.]

...Understood.

[Nothing has changed. She just needs... to take her shot. She aims at Nora's head, more carefully than before, and then fires.]

[guileturncoat]

[It's a good thing they're carrying on because Dazai seems out of it in the moment. He hasn't even really reacted to Nora yelling at him yet.

But this time, when Ellie pulls the trigger, it just clicks and does nothing else.]

[duskhound]

[Well, then. Ellie will give a light poke on Dazai's arm on her way to over to handing Nora the gun. She won't say anything, but for now, that'll have to do.]

[houndumb]

[Oh. Hm.

Nora's eyes widen but it's not at the lack of a bullet, and it's not in relief, because that means there's one bullet left and one last shot to go and-- well, things come full circle in the weirdest way, don't they? He stares at the gun when Ellie drops it in his hand, stares over at where Dazai is now being perfectly fucking useless, and then closes his fingers around it and turns to look at Alcor.

It's kind of deer-in-headlights for a moment. Hey, the look says, What the fuck do I do now?]