Second Execution

[mayorityvote]

EXECUTION

Another trial, another execution to follow, a terrible routine but routine nonetheless. Come mid morning, the ducks will be out passing out flyers for the sentencing of Beelzebub, to take place in front of the Wizard's Tower. Attendance isn't required, but strongly encouraged.

After how the picnic blankets went over last time they don't make a reappearance, replaced instead by long tables stacked with what appears to be a take on comfort food: various onigiri (tuna, umeboshi, tenmusu, omurice) coupled with an absolutely giant stack of pancakes. Regular pancakes, chocolate chip, blueberry, there's even a funfetti variety, with syrup and butter included, naturally. The beverages this time are coffee, tea, and fruit juices.

At exactly five minutes to noon, the doggy daycare wagon pulls up with several occupants inside: your town representatives of course, the convicted, and the executioner.

(( OOC: Welcome to your second execution! Attendance is not IC'ly mandatory, but there will be a surprise for all characters at its conclusion, regardless of whether they're present or not. ))

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[driftingknight]

[Noah can cook and ain't no one here even going to try to stop him.

... probably.]

[moonblades]

[Beelzebub is standing, and Mio is still. For seconds? For minutes? It probably isn't all that long.

It would be difficult to see from the picnic tables. Impossible, maybe, when Mio's arm is angled behind her unmoving body. Or it might look at the wind, whistling through her hair or her stilled ears. This is all happening pretty fast, isn't it? Like life. Maybe you've got other things to worry about over there.

But Beelzebub, standing there, the same way he started this, just standing there, is both close enough and at the right angle to see it very clearly.

Mio's fingers twitch; her hand begins to press against the ground, disoriented.]

1/????

[sorathvau]

[Beelzebub sees it.

Beelzebub sees Mio's hand move, and in an instant, he feels relief. Relief that bubbles over into joy. Even in this moment, when he's walking the path to death, even now, he's glad. This happiness threatens to burst through him, unable to keep a smile at bay as the warmth of it all washes over him.

After all, his friend is still alive.]

[faildeus]

Is… is she still alive?

[ did he imagine that twitch? or did it actually happen?

he gulps, a sinking feeling in his stomach. ]

[enkiboo]

[ Seeing as Mio is still alive, Enkidu would hope Noah would not rampage. ]

[enkiboo]

...She might be?

[ Enkidu is wondering if that is the same.

Last movements before death can occur, but if what they're seeing are not the final signs of life as she passes away, then... ]

[ddestrudo]

[And in a second, when that feeling reaches its peak, Beelzebub goes limp.

The lights leave his eyes as he goes totally vacant, an empty shell.

He staggers, as if about to fall over -

- then something takes hold.]

3/3

[ddestrudo]

[Beelzebub steps forward, heavy. His gait doesn't match what the others would have seen before, his posture not one that they'd recognise as his. Hunched and animalistic, it's clear-

- this is no longer him.

Arms at his sides, poised to attack, he advances towards Mio.]

[faildeus]

[ and then the trash fire fucking continues with beelzebub!! ]

What is going on…!?

[linearcrash]

[ Beelzebub just digivolved into someone else ]

Is that what he meant by someone else? What was the name again...Saltine?

[liberazoth]

... that's... what he was afraid of, wasn't it?

[enkiboo]

...That must be his other side.

[ Maybe? Enkidu is frowning as they watch this go down. ]

[enkiboo]

[ Coughs at the butchering of Other Beel's other side name, I'm hecking crying ]

scuse me pardon me

[revelate]

[His worst fears realize themselves in an instant. He doesn't need to see clearly what's happened to know that it's happening, to know she's dying, to know that there's nothing, nothing, nothing he can do to preserve that precious life he'd fought so hard to protect.

Or can he?]

Mio! Mio—!

[Her name tears out of his throat, guttural and raw and so very, very desperate. A little less than two months left. That's all Mio had. Why, when she was so close to the end, would anyone allow that life to be stolen from her? Why?

It's not too late, it's not too late, it can't be too late. Numbness tingles in Noah's every limb, his body moving on autopilot, anger and rage and raw, agonized emotion ripping out past his lips as he makes a mad dash for the tower.]

I won't let you take her—!

gosh why are these two separate comment threads? dwbi

[moonblades]

Noah...?

[She's never let herself say it, has she? Once or twice with others for clarity, but never to him, for him. Never let it be real, even when she should have. She should have called out to him every day.

Noah's voice screaming out for her is enough to stir her fully back from her blacked-out consciousness, though her nerves don't feel like they're working correctly. It's just enough push, just enough time, to take her sword back up and start moving again before Satan fully recovers from his staggered position and moves in for the attack.

Mio starts to rise as fast as she can. She can go just a little further, can't she? That's what her hope has been for such a long time now. She can go a little further.

The blade she hesitated to spill blood with is turned with its sharp, killing edge to strike. It's a sword that shouldn't be used carelessly or unless absolutely necessary, but it's sharp enough to cut the world apart. Hesitating early caused Mio to falter, to make mistakes she otherwise wouldn't have. She's fighting now with lethal force, struggling to her unsteady feet as Satan advances closer and faster. She'll meet him at the very first blow. Beelzebub deserved the friends who loved him; maybe that's what Satan hates the most.]

nuh-uh

[theremote]

Oh. Both of you are too rash, aren't you? Mio-kun. Noah-kun. You should know better after last week.

[Makima, who's been more or less respectfully stood upon her wagon to witness this execution, except for the moments when she caught Adela's eye and when they were both watching the goings-on (mostly Mio, really), speaks up for the first time.

Her golden eyes rest squarely on Noah, her movement entirely unhurried as she raises a hand without moving from her spot.

Softly, but clearly:]

Stop. Do not interfere. That's an order.

[Her hand stays in the air, her eyes boring into the boy rushing onto the scene, entirely ignoring the mess of the scene itself.]

[enkiboo]

[ They see this, happening and suddenly are rim-rod straight, staring at Makima. ]

[faildeus]

It… seems like it.

[ so much is happening and suddenly faldeus is glad he’s way in the back. ]

[ddestrudo]

[Satan has no other priorities than to kill. Nothing holding him back, no desires, no hesitations...only a pure, animalistic, drive.

He rushes in, thrusting a hand out to strike. No less precise than Beelzebub, he takes aim for the target in Mio's chest.

No, not her heart - he learnt the hard way that doesn't work here. It's that glowing crystal in her chest that draws his attention, and that's what he lunges for.]

[revelate]

Snuff your orders! You're next!

[Go ahead, Makima. Try to stop him. No matter what she might do, nothing is going to stop Noah so long as he has life in him. All that he has belongs to her, so if he can't reach Mio, what does he have? What's left for him but despair? If Mio dies, Noah dies too.

Then he hears it: Noah. He never made it a point to ask Mio why she'd never addressed him by name before. He'd wondered, of course, but asking that question would have meant crossing a line he could never step back from. Hearing her speak his name would have made things too real, wouldn't it?

In reality, they crossed that line a long time ago. Heedless of Makima's warning, he channels every inch of strength in his body into defying her order and rushing towards Mio.]

Just hold on, Mio! I'm almost—!

[liberazoth]

[ but same though ]

[faildeus]

Can she actually stop him like that?

[ gotta keep watching… ]

[enkiboo]

[ Glad you're on the same wavelength because they are just. Watching with more of an intense focus than before.

They have no idea what can be done but they are not going to sit around for a mcfricking bloodbath or something?? ]

[enkiboo]

She might have more powers that we know of.

[ Enkidu doesn't sound pleased about the aspect of that though for what are probably obvious reasons... ]

[theotherww]

Obviously.

…though this one has turned into a mess.

[He squints at Noah getting involved now. This would have been much faster if Mio just did her job. He’s gonna grab a pancake after all.]