WEEK FIVE: REMOVAL

[retellers]

WEEK FIVE: REMOVAL (25 remain) Time to wake up, participants of the Realm. At 8am, everyone will receive a message on their PHS. Go to where the freaky puppet hell theater used to be across the bridge. Even if the participants ignore the message (or are sleeping in, shame on them), as 9am approaches they will fall victim to a compulsion to head to the specified location. Three Leaders, Tiger, Goat, and Swan, are already present, Jeanne with them. Goat speaks. "... We are the choices we make. May yours bring you closer to the future you wished to see." Once they finish speaking, an alert goes off from a PHS in the crowd—specifically, Zuko's. No explicit message this time, though! Presumably, everyone gets the idea by now and now no one has to deal with glitched text. Regardless of their will, they will feel compelled to walk towards the scene. No other participant will be able to interfere; should they try, a barrier blocks their way.

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Comments

[recrowns]

[it's the combination of things.

it feels like this week it's just - been the combination of things. shigeo. fiora. elsa. yona. jeanne and now - zuko? and the pyre. his eyes widen and he presses his hand against the barrier and the word escapes him before he can say anything else, soft yet so nearly desperate.]

No.

[evocationary]

[ okay, like - she's koala clinging to people but immediately she reaches to take his hand with her not-fucked up one. ]

[recrowns]

[for once, soo-won's hand is a little slow to hold back onto lup's. it's gradual, tense, but one by one, his fingers will slowly curl inward to wrap around her hand.

like it is taking distinct effort to keep from shaking, or holding on too tight]

[evocationary]

[ she doesn't mind if it shakes. she doesn't mind if he cuts off circulation - she holds on tightly, and strokes his hand with her thumb. ]

Breathe. [ she murmurs to him. ] You don't have to watch if you don't want to.

[recrowns]

[he's breathing - if barely so. his eyes remain glued in front of him, and he hears lup, he does. it's when jeanne speaks that he has to take a moment.]

... no, I... must.

[it's hard to say whether his stubbornness is selfish or selfless. only that he feels certain that he has a duty to not look away.

but he knows lup is worried, and that she is trying, so he just manages a soft - ]

... thank you.

[evocationary]

I'm right here.

[ she says, in the silence between zuko and jeanne. he can do whatever he has to, as long as he knows she's right here with him. a pillar for a pillar. ]

[recrowns]

[ . . . he knows. he knows that she's there with him, and it's something that he relies on, even if he can't bring himself to crumble or falter.

as they discuss whether or not jeanne will remain conscious.... he gives her hand just the briefest squeeze, as if reminding himself that she is still there.]

[evocationary]

[ she strokes his hand with her thumb, to let him know that she isn't going anywhere. she's quiet, eyes on the two of them, the rest of her basically wrapped around taako, but her attention is split. ]

[recrowns]

[ . . . his heart aches for them both.

the way that zuko is clearly tortured by this decision, even as he completes what must be done - for the choices that all of them made.

when jeanne speaks her final words, he looks forward, seeks her gaze and - ah, she probably won't be able to hear him, and he doesn't want to make this any harder on the both of them. so he remains silent and resolute.

in the end, he can't do anything but wait.

instead he'll just hold on a little tighter to lup's hand, even as he exhales a slow, heavy sigh.]

[evocationary]

[ the fire lights, and she shifts her hand to link their fingers together. she's here. ]

[recrowns]

[the fire starts and soo-won's hand continues to rest in lup's until - it seems as though it doesn't hurt. it doesn't harm her. and his eyes go wide.]

Jeanne—

[he gives lup's hand one more squeeze, in gratitude, but -

it feels like just all those weeks ago, when she took on the burden of executioner for all of them, he's running for her the moment he can]

[lecarre]

[He's always been there for her.

She seems strangely timid, but even so... she steps closer, and reaches up a hand to gently touch his sleeve with her fingers.

What else can any of them do?]

[recrowns]

[ . . . ange is sweet.

he thinks this again when he adjusts the angle of his hand, so that he can offer it out to her, palm up.

it is harder today, to feel like he can allow his shoulders to droop (even the slightest give may make the weight collapse) but a hand in his... he can accept that much]

[lecarre]

[She doesn't ask anything more than that. Instead, gently, she takes his hand and squeezes it in her own, and then turns her one good eye towards the execution silently.]

[recrowns]

[I... still want to be alive, if only for one moment longer.

it's only because ange's hand is holding onto his that she will feel the way that just in the briefest moment, soo-won's hand involuntarily flinches.]