chroma | WEEK FOUR: EXECUTION

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!execution

WEEK FOUR: EXECUTION

EXECUTION: TRIAL BY COMBAT

Sunday morning starts peacefully enough, until around noon, when alarms start going off on your phones. The dreadful noise is accompanied by a reminder of the execution taking place in the Central Node. You can snooze the alarms at first, but they begin to get a little more insistent. If you're being stubborn, you can probably hold out until exactly 1 PM, when an archway opens right in front of you and pulls you in.

Today the Central Node is eerily quiet and empty. There are a few blankets laid out on the grass for those of you who wish to sit instead of standing the whole time. No refreshments have been provided, but the Residents are already there waiting for you.

As the last person enters the node, an enormous archway suddenly opens. This archway once again leads to an area which is pitch black inside, with white and grey dust falling softly like snow. The chilly air feels even colder than before, and you instinctively know you must not approach it. If you try to push through anyway, something is blocking your way. Smaller tears to the same space open in the air, at the very least. You can see what's happening, even if you can't follow.

Because - once the archway is open, Atsushi and Vin alone will begin to walk through as though drawn. All you can do now is watch and wait.

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[as she steps into the archway, her own emotions are a whirlwind. there are strands of worry and fear, sadness that's hard to pick apart - but she's trying very hard to project a sense of calm and determination over that. even if they're far enough away that nobody else can feel, she knows he can.

the weapon is unfamiliar, but she's seen it used enough that she has an idea of what to do with it, at least. when he speaks to her, regardless, she looks up towards him. the fact that he's giving her a smile, even now, is a little bit heartbreaking, and it takes her a few moments to respond.]

...What did you have in mind?

[she looks and sounds wary, but of course it's not him that she doesn't trust.]

[He thinks on that for a moment. If this really will be their last time together, where does he want to spend it? What would make for a fitting 'goodbye'?

One place sticks out in his mind above all others though, so the choice ends up being an easy one.]

Ever seen fireworks before?

[Even as he asks that though, he lifts his arm up to shoot a couple paintballs onto the ground in front of them. The splotches allow a wood and concrete pier to start to spring to life, one bathed in the bright colors of a ferris wheel.]

That would be nice to watch, I think.

[A small delay to the inevitable. But it's fine, isn't it? A few extra minutes won't make a difference in the end.]

I haven't.

[it's quiet, but she does watch as the location begins to spring to life, color and light appearing in the darkness. she doesn't know what this kind of place should have in it, having never seen anything like it before, so she doesn't create anything of her own just yet.]

...I like it.

[and that's honest, despite the growing negative feelings.]

[The negative feelings are still there, but Atsushi is trying to push them to the back of his mind for now. He knows what has to happen, but not yet. He can make it kinder. It doesn't have to be brutal.

With a few more paintballs the pier springs to life with food stalls, a ferris wheel, benches, and an occasional trash can. It's not a fully realized setting- there's no other people there, and the sounds you would expect from a nighttime pier are a bit fucky- but it's enough. It'll do.

Looking back to Vin now, he smiles and holds out a hand.]

Come on, the end always has the best seats.

[Where he wants to lead her to is a bench at the end of the pier, one with a nice, clear view of the paintball-made ocean. The fireworks are just starting up too, with brilliant bursts of light in a rainbow of colors lighting up the night sky.

He finds himself getting impatient though, his fingers itching to do what he knows he has to do. But he's trying to force that impatience down a little while longer, before it gets the best of him.]

[in any other situation, she'd love this, but she can't help but remember—

there's so many places in yokohama i would love to show you.

looking around now, she wonders if it would have been a little bit like this, if things had been different. if there's something off or strange about it, that's not what she's focusing on right now. he gave her a smile earlier, so she at least tries to return it, though there's something very stilted about it as she reaches out to accept the hand he offers.

she's wary again as he leads her towards the bench even if she doesn't let go. she takes a seat and watches instead, trying very hard to force down a variety of different emotions except for a sense of awe and appreciation at the sight.]

They're beautiful. [but, after a moment:] ...Atsushi.

[they both know this can't last.]

I know.

[He knows it can't last. Eventually he'll have to stop pretending that everything's fine and that this is anything but a fight to the death. His body itches, and he's already thinking of how easy it would be to just end it now, when she's distracted by the lights.

But not yet. There's one last thing he has to get out first.]

On Monday, when you called for Jiuqing because you thought I was hurt...I wasn't. Nothing was wrong with me. I was just too embarrassed and couldn't find the words to explain it.

[He's struggling to find the words now, even, as the weight of the paintball gun in his hand gets heavy.

His other hand goes up to a small, golden rose pin on his shirt. The warmth calms him a bit, but he does regret that a certain someone else won't get to hear these words too. In the end, it took him too long to figure out everything and some things will have to go unsaid.]

...I like you. I like you a lot. I just...never thought I had the right to say anything before now.

[He finds that he doesn't regret saying those words, interestingly. Just that it took him so long to finally do it.]

[she's quiet as she listens, letting him get through everything he wants to say. she'd be reacting much differently in any other circumstances than these. but now, there's a sense of sorrow upon hearing that, at how much time they both wasted. if she'd known it was going to go this way...

no, she probably wouldn't have done anything differently. all the same:]

...I wish I had said something sooner, too.

[her voice is a little bit thick, and she stands up, holding onto the paintball gun as she lets go of his hand.]

...yeah, me too.

[Maybe then things would be different.

As it is though, he lets go and stands up too. He can't delay it any longer. Quick and as painless as possible, that's how it needs to be. Even this much was kind of selfish of him, he can't make her suffer anymore.]

Thanks. For everything.

[She'll feel the shift in emotions about a second before he moves. Sadness and regret gives way to determination. That's when, even as he smiles, he swiftly lifts the paintball gun up and points it right at her face.

She better watch out too, because the shot he's letting off is definitely more lethal than a mete paintball would be.]

I—

[she starts to say, before the sudden change in emotions alerts her that something is about to happen. she moves away from him immediately, and it's lucky that she does - the bullet that comes out of his paintball gun whizzes by her head, very narrowly missing.

they're still too close to each other, though, so she's aiming her paintball gun at the ground. after a splatter hits the boardwalk, it starts to form into a pillar that at least takes her high enough to be out of immediate danger while she figures out what to do next.]

[There's a soft 'che' from him as he frowns, watching her just ascend up from the ground like that. This is just like last time, isn't it. Don't they understand that he's trying to do things in the least painful way possible? Why do they keep fighting back?

There's a small undercurrent of frustration as he backs away from the pillar, looking up to see just where she's gone. He's not chasing her yet, moreso gauging where she might be able to go from here. Out at the end of the pier there aren't many hiding spaces, and the few dark corners available are being lit up intermittently by the fireworks.

But after a few seconds of calculating, he'll shoot a paintball right at the pillar itself, which hits the pillar with the concussive force of a wrecking ball. Get down from there Vin, this is no time for hiding!]

[it's not him. he wouldn't be doing this. that disconnect is important for her to keep in mind even as his attack slams into the pillar, sending it crumbling beneath her feet. she doesn't want to land on the breaking stone, so she jumps down onto the bench they were just sitting on. while she knows how to fall without injuring herself, it's still a long enough drop that she winces as she lands.

she isn't hesitating, though, before firing off another shot - from a burst of metallic paint, a pair of twin daggers appears, and she's grabbing them in her free hand.]

[Atsushi should have connected the dots earlier, with what he and Vin have talked about before in regards to her home world, and yet somehow he still never realized that she can actually fight.

Well, no matter. He can fight too, and with her on the bench that gives him an idea.

He ducks to the side, going around to behind the bench and towards the closest building. He's not going far though, just enough so that there's a few feet distance between himself and Vin. He's also making sure he's positioned right so that he can shoot another paintball at her- this one transforming into a lit firework- that might potentially drive her into the ocean itself.]

[the moments spent focusing on landing and on getting a weapon distract her for just long enough that she misses exactly where he's gone. she hears the gun fire again, though; as she turns in that direction, it's at the exact moment that the firework hits her.

the impact doesn't do much initially. it's when the firework goes off a split second later that really matters. she only has a moment to put her arms up and protect her head before she's going shooting off towards the water, singed, with the gun and daggers in tow. as she goes flying, though, she's aiming the gun at the water - and a platform appears on the surface. rather than go into the ocean, she lands on top of it, though it's a rougher landing than the last one.]

[As soon as he sees her going over, he runs to the edge of the pier and leans over the railing to look down. Though he's frowning even more as he sees that his idea wasn't successful, and that she somehow managed to save herself from falling into the inky nighttime waters.]

Why are you fighting back? I'm trying to make it quick!

[He really doesn't understand. He wanted this to be as fast and painless as possible! Fighting back only makes it worse.

He's not going to wholeass jump down like Vin did, but he will use his gun to make a couple platforms so he can do a few shorter jumps down instead of one big one. He's coming for you, Vin.]

[it takes her a second to get to her feet, wincing at the burns on her arms, but she looks his way as he speaks up.]

Because this isn't you!

[her voice cracks a little as she says that, standing up and watching him get closer. he'll be able to feel, as he gets closer, a wave of desperation, anger, and sadness. she has her weapons at the ready, but for now, she's waiting for him to get closer for whatever she's going to try next.]

[He feels that all hit him, and for a second something in the back of his mind goes 'no, this isn't right'. But it's quickly quieted by the pessimism rising in him. He wanted to end this quickly, to send her off without hurting her too much, but she is taking that choice away from him.]

I care about you, Vin! I don't want you to suffer! So just let me end it already!

[He yells this as he reaches the bottom platform and starts running at her, firing another firework in her direction.]

[seeing him like this - she hates it, everything about it. knowing that he's being influenced somehow to do this doesn't change that feeling, but it doesn't change what she has to do, either. she's still determined more than anything, still trying to keep calm, but he's going to feel an undeniable sense of distress and dread.

when he fires this time, she's more prepared for it, and when it explodes into color, she's able to dodge enough that the firework doesn't hit her directly. it's still next to her when it explodes into color, though, and some of the sparks still hit her in the arm. there's a noise of pain, but it doesn't stop her from shooting - not directly at him, but next to him, trying to distract him long enough that she can run up the platforms he made and back onto the boardwalk.]

[The bright flash of light is enough to distract him momentarily, and he is confused as she darts around him and back up the platforms.]

Vin!

[He'll take a leaf out of her book though. Using a paintball, he's going to nyoom up on a pillar and jump off of it right as she's reaching the top of the boardwalk, trying to land close to her (or potentially tackling her) in a bid to startle her out of whatever she's trying to do.]

[she makes it to the boardwalk at the same time he does, and when he lands close to her - this entire time, she's been trying to avoid hitting him directly until she had a clear shot. again, she fires right next to him to try and draw his attention, and then she's throwing one of the daggers not at him, but at the paintball gun.

if she can just knock it away from him or break it somehow, then...]

[He's distracted by the shot near him, so much so that he misses the dagger entirely. It connects with the gun, and Atsushi yelps as it's knocked out of his hand and goes skidding across the boardwalk.

For a moment, he feels panic over being without his weapon. He looks to her, eyes wide, and then to the paintball gun nearby, judging if he can make it.

Vin has a small window of opportunity to strike before he makes that dive though, if she takes it.]

[and take it she does.

she doubts she'll need the gun now that he's been disarmed as well, so she's dropping it as she runs, though she keeps a hold of her dagger. she's small, but there's force behind it when she tackles him, too, moving the weapon to prepare to strike—

and hesitating for just a moment while her expression tightens, taking in a shaky breath. before she does anything else - she leans in to whisper something to him, quietly enough that nobody watching can hear. though, it's a little bit more audible when she says, voice raw:]

...I'm so sorry.

[the feeling that it brings forth is both sorrowful and warm as she shoves her dagger into his chest.]

[Atsushi's eyes go wide, first from her whispered words and then from the dagger that follows them. Shock and elation, followed by pain.

He gasps quietly as the dagger hits its mark, piercing him right through the scar left behind by his stabbing three weeks ago. Painful, deep, and deadly. He can already feel his strength draining from him even before the blade is removed, and it's a good thing he's already been tackled down because he might actually fall now otherwise.

But even if he's in pain, even as tears well up in his eyes and his breathing gets difficult, he's smiling. And he just reaches up to cup the side of her face.]

Yeah. Me too.

[Which part is he agreeing with: the whisper, or the apology?

It probably doesn't matter much in the end though. Because with the last bit of strength he has left, he's going to lift his head up to press his lips against Vin's. Maybe that's a better answer than raspy words.

It only lasts for a couple moments though, before Atsushi's vision starts to go dark and he finds his body going limp. But he's not alone, and he can feel the warmth of Vin's presence comforting him as he sinks into unconsciousness.]

[she's trying very hard to keep calm, trying to stem the flow of tears - but as he puts his hand on her face and then leans in to kiss her, she goes still. she wishes they were in any other place, any other time, but... there's a rising sense of both affection and sorrow as it ends, before there's a new awareness of the blood soaking out of his wound. she has to fight very hard not to panic - she doesn't want that to be the last thing he feels from her.

all the same, her voice is a little bit watery as she says:]

...I've got you.

[just like that...he's gone. the images inside the archway swirl again, fading away in a whirl of color. atsushi, too, appears to fade away, colors leaving him first before his form entirely blurs and vanishes into the darkness. there’s nothing there anymore, only pitch black and gently falling dust, gray, white, and for a moment, a few flakes of amber orange.

...vin finds herself gently tipped out of the archway as it closes behind her, sealing away the area once more. you no longer feel the intense anxiety (just your own), and you can move once again.

atsushi nakajima is dead.]

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WEEK FOUR: EXECUTION

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