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

[overconfidant]

[Akira laughs at the response. It's just too Sandy for words, honestly.]

Nowhere to go but up or sideways? I guess that's a pessimist's optimism. Never change, Sandy.

[merirut]

[There's a second where he gives Akira a slightly flat look for the laugh, although it vanishes quickly enough to make way for something more nostalgic.]

Hmph... It's just that I've encountered more than enough of these sorts to not underestimate them.

[And then a blink as he glances over again.]

Besides, I could say the same for you. What were you expecting, if not hope?

[overconfidant]

Frisk had already told me that he intended to let us go after this. So...I don't know. Part of me thought a return to status quo was good enough. But part of me wanted to believe in more. It's complicated.

[Akira taps a foot against the ground, staring off for a long moment. Chances of Sandalphon ever playing P5 were those of a snowball in hell, he thought. So maybe. Just a little?]

Before I came here, I traded everyone's hope, and my best friend, just to get a stay of execution.

[merirut]

[He listens quietly to everything, eyes never straying from Akira's face. Despite the intense gaze, it's more attentive than judgmental even at the admission.

It's one simple sentence, but there's a lot to unpack here. One thing at a time here.]

Everyone's hope...? What do you mean by that?

[overconfidant]

It's... literal. I didn't know then, but I found out here. My best friend, Morgana, had amnesia. He couldn't remember where he came from.

But he was the living incarnation of humanity's hope.

And the only friend who wasn't given back to me when I sold myself to a god for a promise of survival.

[Akira's gloved fingers lift to scratch at the scar on his cheek a little roughly. His 'smile' is far off and sad.]

[merirut]

[There's a moment of silence as he takes that all in. Finally, after about a minute:]

I see. Do you regret it?

[Maybe it's something that doesn't even need to be asked, but he wants to hear the answer.]

[overconfidant]

...For a long time, I didn't. I missed him, and it hurt, but I didn't regret it. We could have all died.

[Akira pauses and looks down at his hands.]

But I think I'm starting to wish I'd had a little more faith in us.

[merirut]

Faith, huh...

[He closes his eyes.]

Fate is a fickle thing. There's no guarantee that the outcome would have been any better even if you made a different choice.