Week 6, Saturday

[foundationmods]

[After a tense night and a quiet morning, everyone will get an email at 11 am. The email comes straight from MC.]

Meet me in the studio at noon.

[It's probably best to follow those instructions.

When they get to the studio, they will find that twelve podiums have been arranged in a semi-circle on the stage. Each person can take whichever one they want, they aren't assigned.

There is the box of prinny jurors once more, but this time the twelve prinnies seated there might look familiar. In addition, there is a new spot next to the prinnies where a single stool behind a small table is left empty.

Given that the seat John used previously is taken up by MC, John looks at the group awkwardly before going to sit on that stool.

It's time to begin the final trial.]

VOTE HERE

Comments

[duskhound]

[...Well then. Let's start by asking. Talk]

John, it's... probably time to tell everyone the truth. You've been hinting at it to everyone for a while now, but... We'd like to hear it from your own words. Everything, from the very start.

[foundationmods]

[Listen wins this time around, and fortunately John does feel like talking to them, so!]

I really screwed it up for you guys, didn't I? There's no way this is gonna help make your case to everyone.

You know, it's funny. I should've known it wouldn't work. I fucked up six years ago, just like I'm fucking up now. So many people died, both then and now, and it's all my fault.

I never even wanted any of this, you know? One guy comes up to you saying "Hey kid, want some awesome powers so you can play a cool game and be a superhero?" and it turns out that power comes with a hefty price and a lot of pain. What's worse is that I convinced others to join in with me. They might still be here now if not for me. Dave, Jade, Dad, everyone here in this game... I was so stupid.

...Sorry. I won't fight you guys, you do what you need to do.

[And true to his word, he won't attack the group this round.]

[darkremnants]

[ TALK

Does he want a hug? I mean...they can hug and talk at the same time? or something. ]

Hey... We already went over this. You deserve another chance just like the rest of us, idiot.

[houndumb]

[>Talk I guess, he'll get outvoted but Soothe is not on his menu, RIP.]

Doesn't matter if you fucking wanted it, you did it, so you deal with it.

What, you're just goin' to sit down and fucking give up and do nothing? That's it? What was the fucking point then.

[darkremnants]

[ Actually those are good words ]

[iblistriggered]

[that's


a little mean


but true]

[prayerwheel]

[ HE HAS A POINT THO ]

[allmyfriendsaredead]

[Soothe.]

John...

This is why I called you an idiot yesterday. I'm sure none of those people would want you dead for a choice you made as a child.

[She's approaching him again this time. Not to hit, but, once again- to hug. He always did like physical contact, didn't he?]

Your mother is waiting for you. I told you I'd make sure you saw her again, didn't I?

So let us show you mercy again.

[darkova]

[Act-Talk]

John... the things we do as children can not dictate our entire lives. I called you a monster like myself but... in the end, it was others that tried to turn us into what they wanted, not us.

[duskhound]

[ Talk. ]

None of us can ever really be fully prepared for the price our powers come with... but I do think your powers helped a lot of people. It's not time to give up quite yet.

[prayerwheel]

[ God this is just a repeat of her conversation with Ingway, isn't it?

Soothe. He will get a goddamn hug if she can give him one. ]

You blame yourself far too much. Look at what you've done for us during this game. How many of us are fond of you, willing to defend you. You may not listen to it, but I'll repeat it to you as many times as I need to.

[dereban]

[ yeah, gonna talk

but it's also her chastising him because-- ]

Why the fuck do you people keep blaming yourselves for shit that's happened in the goddamn past?

[ LIKE THIS

KEEPS

HAPPENING ]

You were a teenager six years ago-- you didn't fucking know better. Someone saying that sort of crap to a kid who's full of dreams and yearns to be something special makes it so easy to entice them. Sure, you were an idiot.

Back then, and even now. But that. . . isn't that part of being human? Humans fuck up a lot. We make mistakes all the goddamn time. You're not just an exception to the rule.

But after you make a mistake, you need to pick yourself back up and look forward and remember your fuck ups but not linger on them. Everyone has to do that, including me. Since I'm a big fuck up, too.

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Soothe. Karen takes a few steps toward John.]

Kazehama-san... you've done no such thing. You definitely helped us. I'm certain I, at least, wouldn't have made it this far if you weren't here.

[iblistriggered]

[Silver will Talk, piggybacking off something Inaba said]

... if there's anything I learned these past weeks, it's that you can't run from pain. You can't just lie down and let it take you, either. It sucks to suffer... but there's nothing to do except keep moving forward. You've done so much to try and help us, even though you're not one of us. A bad person wouldn't do that.

[foundationmods]

But don't you get it? I keep making the same mistakes over and over again! I haven't learned anything since then! And now you guys have been forced into fighting me and this sure isn't going to improve your standings at all!

[The outburst actually isn't that bad, especially given that Nora, Silver, and Inaba are encouraging him to pick himself up and try again, and he seems to be listening.]

I'm...I'm not running. Look, I need to take responsibility, right? Then this can be that responsibility. You guys get to pick my fate anyway, right? So I won't fight what you choose.

[hatesdeerstalkers]

Mercy is an option we have available to us, you know. you needn't be a sacrifice, nor treat yourself as one.

[He didn't choose an action, but....]

[prayerwheel]

Mistakes are capable of being forgiven.

[ again, the same thing she told Ingway

Talk ]

[allmyfriendsaredead]

[Talk.]

Then take responsibility by continuing to live.

There's plenty of people here who can help you, aren't there? You're still only nineteen. There's still so much more for you to learn.

Continue living with us, and working with us. Let us make the choice to spare you.

[houndumb]

[>TALKING INTENSIFIES I GUESS]

I mean, you're stupid an' you suck at being the Host so I'm pretty sure you're fired anyway. And who the fuck cares about standings anymore, I wasn't ever that stoked to deal with this stupid gameshow ANYWAY.

[I mean, he might have been mildly stoked but that was weeks or months or centuries ago before they ever figured out what the hell was going on here?? Now he's just pissed off and tired.]

Hell yeah you're goin' to be taking responsibility, how about fucking fixing all this bullshit.

[He's glancing over at the Prinny stands, because honestly that's where his focus is at.]

[duskhound]

[Talk, goddammit.]

I'll respond right back that you don't get it. We're not expecting you to be perfect. People make mistakes. It happens. And often it takes them a long time to learn from it. And what even are you considering the mistake here? Coming here in the first place? Trying to help people? Do you think trying to help people is a mistake?

I refuse to let you think trying to help people is a mistake. Even if things didn't turn out perfectly, even if things got harsher, trying to help someone is not a mistake.

[darkremnants]

[ TALK ]

Your fate should be to live then. It's our choice to show you mercy. You should become something you can be proud of.

[ also SIGHS Why is he always having these talks with him ]

Open your eyes and really see what you've done. Look at the people you've made laugh and brought light into their life.

[ idiot ]

[iblistriggered]

[More talking]

Look, I'm not the kind of guy who thinks your life should be over because you made some mistakes, not after how much you've stuck your neck out for us. I think... you're like me, insecure. You make a mistake and it feels like it's the end of the world... But the world's still here. And we're all still here. I'm sure if your friends and family were around, they wouldn't blame you either.

[dereban]

[ . . . yeah

let's

talk some more ]

Are you a fucking idiot? You are, aren't you? You're seriously stuck in your own goddamn head blaming yourself for 'mistakes' that aren't there to begin with. And none of us have to fight you. None of us have chosen to hit the fucking fight button to begin with and I doubt that we, as a collective group will.

Because everyone watching should have been able to figure it out by now.

We're not monsters. You're not a monster. And more importantly, you shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for whatever stupid 'greater good' bullshit you're thinking of doing. Goddamn it, why are all of you such-- such fucking selfless bastards?

Also can't we just have your punishment be to tell us stupid jokes for the rest of the day?

[ THAT IS AN OPTION, RIGHT ]

[darkremnants]

[ um excuse. vanitas is a monster. he is the darkness etc.. ]

[darkova]

....

[Joke]

John. What is green and dangerous?

[Ingway plz???]