FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ It's not terribly long, once everything has been found, before Davy Jones heads out to round you all up once more and take you into the theatre. At least plenty of you are around the same area, so it probably doesn't take terribly long.

The ride down to the trial room is the same as ever - a blast of the organ, a slow descent. It's really starting to become clear, though, just how your numbers are decreasing. You're already down three, counting the absence of Chloe, potentially more when you come back up.

The crew of the Dutchman is singing as Jones lets you out into the trial room. ]

To business, passengers. I am about if you need guidance.

[ The circle of podiums is less populated than ever. So many of you are islands now, so to speak.

The song dies down, the waters quiet.

Welcome to your fifth trial.. ]

Comments

[jibunwo]

You--you really-...that was how you wanted to get us all out of here. You were gambling on twisting the rules and finding a loophole; claim victory and kill us all, and bring us back if Jack really meant what he offered.

[sivard]

That's--!

[jibunwo]

['KINDA FUCKED UP']

[dokkalfheimr]

I had to do what I could to win.

[jibunwo]

...I won't say that you're wrong. Reckless to trust his word, but not...wrong.

[queceracera]

I mean, we - Most of us would have done the same.

[Not you Magica, sit down.]

[dokkalfheimr]

...It wasn't completely reckless. I...

[Okay, just... Let her breathe.]

I didn't lie to you about everything. From what...seems to have happened, Plumeria poisoned Decus. I didn't encourage her, but I didn't discourage her as I should have. So she poisoned him, and they fought, and I...became worried while I was still upstairs and came down after her. To see if anything had happened, and if I could stop her if it hadn't.

But Decus was already dead. He was... He was as you found him, I didn't stab his corpse. And Plumeria was dying in the crafts room.

So when I came across her I...stayed with her for a while, and I eventually gave her some of the nectar from our realm that I had laced with cyanide. Not to use specifically on her, I just had it on me in case I needed it, but... I gave it to her, and she died.

If they had just been left like that, the incentive would have been wasted, since there is no way for the dead to collect. Maybe this way, I wouldn't...

[...]

Maybe I wouldn't be failing all of you. Again.

[jibunwo]

...No. You didn't fail us, that I will maintain even should everyone else curse you for it. Allow at least one mortal to refuse to hate you for your actions, and accept that you did the best for all of us, especially Plumeria.

[...What a strangely familiar sensation that was.]

I'm sorry for my part in accusing you. I assure you, And I'm sorry for what's going to happen next. Because no matter what, we can't trust that Jack will keep to his word.

But I promise-...no, I, Lelouch, swear to you, I won't give up. No matter how impossible, no matter how it defies logic and reason and even the natural order, I will fight to my last breath to ensure every single person--those in this room and beyond our reach--gets out of here and back home.

I won't let any of this be for nothing.

[queceracera]

[.......................... who tf is lelouch tho]

[jibunwo]

[scott for fuck's sake did you think his legal name was zero]

[queceracera]

[HE KNOWS A GIRL NAMED KNIVES???? in scott's mind, lelouch is a stupider name than zero ok.]

[silentscout]

[SCOTT NO YOU'RE RUINING THE MOMENT]

[sivard]

...We'll find a way out of this. We'll get everyone out of here, even the dead. So they can pass on in peace.

[cethflayn]

[you know, now flayn HAS to tell people her real name]

[leaveittomother]

[She doesn't say anything. She can't. She doesn't accuse but... well.

Sentimentality only gets you so far.]

[guffawsungraciously]

...

Well. It seems as though I truly was wrong about you.

[scythegun]

[Yeager's been quiet for awhile, just thinking through all of this. He sighs once that confession's out there and shakes his head.]

I'm sorry, Freyja. Both that such a thing happened to begin with, and for what we're going to do next.

[He's not the sort to give speeches about maintaining hope and all that, Zelouch over there and Filbo have that covered anyway. But it looks like we've reached the finale, and so it's time to say our goodbyes.]

For what it's worth, I'll miss you.

[ltcommandroid]

...I apologize for my comments.

[For saying outright that she didn't care about any of them, at least, because that clearly wasn't the case. But for accusing her at all...Data can't really apologize for that. He isn't like Lelouch - or, indeed, anyone here. That course of action saved lives, and so it was necessary.

It's obvious that they will have to vote correctly. They cannot trust the Captain to keep to his word. But it's obvious enough that Data feels it would be...redundant of him to say so.]

[silentscout]

You're not failing us. You did what you thought was best in a terrible situation.

...I'm sorry.

[scythegun]

...You found Plumeria after she was already dying, then. What... happened after that, if I may ask?