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Exam 3 Results

Results.

Prospects, you were successful in uncovering the guilty party. Stuart Pot (2-D), the Apprentice Horror Lyricist, is responsible for the murder of Maya, and therefore he will be facing the consequences of his actions.

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In the garden, a small portable stage has been set up. Robots come in one after another, placing musical equipment on the stage; preparing for some sort of performance. It is no celebration though.

It's 2-D that's pushed up onto the stage, front and center; a collar chained around his neck to keep him from running. A blood-smudged guitar is pushed into his hands; and a painful look of recognition hits Stuart. He can't play it, but he holds onto it tightly as if it was dearly beloved.

And then... the music starts. The speakers blare to life and so too does 2-D, reluctantly at first, as the robot tugs at the chain; tightening the strap around his neck. He struggles against the restraint, choking out the words as though his life depended on it. Perhaps it did, after all. Maybe he just wanted to prove to them that ultimately his skill was worth saving. That he could still do this!

But the robot continues to jerk the chain every time he moves too far. Despite the fully decked out stage around him, he's tied to one spot. Even as the words become more difficult to force out; as his throat closes up, he gives his everything for that performance.

The robots in front watch, like an entranced crowd. But the one out front appears-- is it shaking? It can't be called dancing. In fact-- it appears to be smoking.

With a loud crack something inside of it explodes, and the robot falls over motionless.

One robot is dead.

But the others continue as if nothing happened. Their eyes are locked on 2-D, whose face is beginning to turn red as the collar begins to show signs of strain on Stuart's neck. His keeper pulls the chain again and the word on his lips is ripped out of him. He tries to start again but the words refuse to come. From red to blue, it becomes clear that there's no blood flowing to his head anymore. No blood, no air... nothing.

He falls to his knees with the precious guitar; the instrument scratching against the stage.

Stuart Pot is dead.

[ ...It "hurts" less this week...kind of? It hurts in a different way.

Rebecca watches bitterly until she can't. Until she feels like she's going to be sick.

...It really doesn't get easier. Ash was wrong. ]

[ As always, Shirou watches it from the beginning to the end. There's no emotion in his eyes and he doesn't seem to be bothered in the slightest bit about the whole thing throughout.

When it's all over, however, he closes his eyes, sighs, and just waits for everyone else to leave first before he does. ]

[Mitarai hasn't watched either of the previous executions in this round particularly closely, but this is a performance. Mitarai didn't even lose an entire sense, just his color vision, but he preemptively related to the struggle of holding on to a life-defining talent. And he never watched 2-D perform before. Now is as good a time as any to start. Tears stream down his face the whole time. He just stands still there, never learning how to appreciate music outside a couple of subcultures where there were rituals of swinging glowsticks.

He runs away in a rush as soon as the impending strangulation gets obvious enough, though.]

[Orga doesn't care much for the irony of the execution, but as always he'll watch it through. He blinks when it's over, although his eyes linger on the broken robot before he turns to move to the door.]

[... He's not watching this.

He's walking out the door as soon as possible.]

[ Osomatsu forces himself to watch 2-D's execution. ]

[ ...This still isn't cathartic for him. ]

[ As soon as they're all allowed to leave the room, he books it without a word. ]

[When you finally turn away from the execution, there is a face that has been missing the whole trial. Han is standing in the doorway, watching intently. His face is neutral as it has been all too often lately. But there is just the barest twinge to his lips, a slight smile. It’s not a happy look, because his fists are shaking. Maybe it’s... determined? But before anyone can ask, he turns around and leaves again.]