thefoundation | Week 4, Saturday

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round 4

Week 4, Saturday

[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.]

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[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.]

[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?

[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.]

...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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[ 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. ]

[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.

[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[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?]

[ There's been so much chaos around them but Alcor has continued to be himself in spite of it all, though he was paying close attention to the last shot. That's settled now though, and he smiles evenly. ]

Go ahead, Nora.

[There's a quick, furious intake of breath and his expression twists, moves through several complicated ones to settle into some kind of glare. There's absolutely anger shining in it, very much like what he directed at this same star last weekend (magic flaring, snarling, chomping at the bit to do something about this ridiculous state of events but there's nothing magic can do here right now); there's will, bright as a blade that says he isn't going to back away anyway; something else, flashing briefer and darker and gone.

When he tightens his grip and raises the gun there's no hesitation in the movement. He pauses before he hits the trigger, but that could be a last reprieve or it could just be:]

If you fucking die from this stupid bullshit I'm goin' to find the fucking afterlife and drag you back and PUNCH YOU PROPERLY, YOU HEAR ME?!

[He doesn't close his eyes when he fires, perfectly aimed between Alcor's eyes.]

[As expected, this time the gun fires a bullet.]

[ This is nostalgic, and Alcor is kind of happy he can recognize it as such. He doesn't know what to do with it, but he doesn't need to worry about it thankfully. His only reaction to Nora's last tirade is to just let out something that kind of sounds like a laugh.

If it was anyone else, he's more than capable of casting tetrakarn in an instant and then they'd have another ricochet extravaganza on their hands. But he can't do that when Nora is so close, so his only palatable option is to accept his fate.

Or is it?

Funny thing about Septentriones, they're virtually immune to all manmade artillery. His powers have been dampened here, but there's also one other thing; unlike humans his core is the only thing that matters. So the shot hits but there's no blood, just a bright light and something which vaguely may look like sparkles of blue and white dripping from the wound. ]

I told you, didn't I? I won't lose to this.

[ There's very little time to act, but that's fine. A bright flash of light later there's that red and striped cube everyone saw last week which quickly contracts in on itself, metal tendrils wrapping around it's core. Another flash and it's teleported away from the group of contestants to as close as he dares to get to Dazai.

But he probably doesn't need to get too close anyway. ]

I can exert my free will as well. [ ...and this star sure is going supernova. Have fun everyone. ]

[As soon as he can see what Alcor is doing, his eyes go wide with shock and fear.]

No....no!

[he's caught by indecision in that moment, unable to act immediately. He can touch Alcor and end this, but what if he doesn't make it in time? What about the others? As the area around them starts to get sucked into Alcor, that debris isn't going to be safe.

So he holds out his hand, not towards Alcor, but towards everyone else.

One second, they see Alcor the cube and Dazai reaching out in desperation. The next, they're safely in the living room of the house, as if nothing has happened at all.

And then they'll hear an explosion over in the Studio. Even with Alcor's powers nerfed, that's still a powerful supernova.

Only the contestants are in the living room, by the way. Dazai cannot be found there.]

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Week 4, Saturday

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CW: a rather gruesome shooting death

Re: CW: a rather gruesome shooting death

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cw; suicide

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