#dragonthea

Emiko had suddenly become very aware of her place in the trial room. 

Not her podium; not the one she'd left empty since the start of their second debate. No, while Emiko had held a heightened awareness for Junpei's presence at her side for a good while, now she was even more aware of the boy on her right. 

Actually, perhaps not even Junpei himself for once. More the fact that she was standing so close to their discovered mastermind, had been ever since minute one of their second debate really, and so surely anyone who looked over to Junpei - and who wouldn't at this point, honestly? - would almost certainly take note of her too, she felt. She would certainly remember someone who had been playing such a passionate defender only to be made a fool out of come results; someone still stubbornly standing by him even after everything they had shouted and screamed for him. What a fool, right?

('A-are they laughin' at us?')

But still she didn't return to her own podium. 

Junpei was starting to let the remaining class know exactly what he thought about all of them, but it seemed Emiko had spent all of her possible reactions even as she found herself dragged into the slander. Her head still hung slightly, pigtails doing what little they could to cover her face, eyes giving away nothing due to the fact she'd closed them the moment Junpei hit his podium. In a vast comparison to earlier the only semblances of reaction, emotion that Emiko showed was her hands clenching into shaking fists by her side now, and her mouth twisting into the kind of gritted teeth grimace that makes it obvious someone is only just managing to hold back whatever they want to say. There was nothing actually casting a large dark shadow over her face, but it wasn't too hard to imagine.

(Ha! They'd switched! What another piece of hilarity to add to this!)

It was in line with her blank look that all she had to offer in reaction to Junpei's words was a curt nod when he stated he was happy, and then another one a little while later in his speech that seemed more like an dazed instinct or a reflex than anything else. Nothing more, nothing less. If Junpei intended his words to be barbs they did nothing much more to visibly dig into Emiko, bouncing right off her no matter how much venom dripped from them or how much they sounded like they should sting.

(Or maybe she was just deflecting them deliberately, to try delay the sense of loneliness creeping in.)

(Huh. Delay? She hadn't even noticed it. Until it was a threat.)

"...Y'kinda just did respond to him, though..."

Her somewhat sarcastic comment upon Lowell's outburst finishing was really wasted: it came out as a mutter that would only grace the ears of those immediately nearby her. 

Still, that slip of a comment seemed to spur her back into action: Emiko half turned to Junpei, finally lifting her gaze to meet where she knew his eyes were. There were some extra seconds put into her watching of him, as though Emiko was trying to will Junpei to mentally pick up on all that she wanted to say rather than force her to spit out something, anything... but, ultimately:

"...Sorry it all wound up like. This." 

A single blunt statement. How very Emiko.

(Didn't communicate much, if anything that she wanted. How very not Emiko.)

It seemed like the perfect moment to leave Junpei behind; to turn her back on him a final time and go back to her own side with an air of finality. But still Emiko stayed at the podium next to him. Only keeping her gaze on him for a second or two more before looking back out to the trial room with a frustrated sounding huff, but still just... staying right where she was.

There were a lot of things he wanted to say.

(Things like "I'm sorry" and "Please forget about me" threatened to fall off of his tongue, but the words always somehow got lost-- and so, he was silent.)

When Setsuna hugs him, he felt like he was punched in the gut. All the air was knocked out of him, and his body tenses up. In honestly, he couldn't tell if it was because he was never used to people hugging him, or if it was that if he truly accepted this act of kindness, that it would make him a mess.

Either way, he starts tearing up.

"I..."

To be this close to her made his heart race, but everytime it beat, it stung. He's hurt so many-- he's hurt her. 

(It was painful.)

With a quiet tone, he mumbled something out. It could be heard or not-- he couldn't really care, but it was more of a comment than anything else. 

"You know, that expression really doesn't suit you."

I'd rather see you happy.

(Don't say that. That's just selfish.)

When she let go, he used a sleeve to wipe his own tears away. His eyes were red, almost as red as his eyes-- actually, that's a joke, but they were red regardless. And here he was, trying to not cry or tear up again. He sure wasn't as strong as he thought he was, huh?

Though, he laughed at Setsuna's words. The laugh itself was very hoarse and wispy-- and quieter than usual. It was brief, and shook on every letter. 

"Ahaha! I'd hope not! But if... that were to happen, I wouldn't really mind."

Thanks, Katsunosuke.

"You too! I also wouldn't have asked for a better... 'partner -in-crime' as well."

Whatever that meant. He hoped that it was a good thing... maybe it wasn't. Or maybe it was slang that he's unfamiliar with. Yeahh...

The ninetails departs from Setsuna, and makes his way back to his podium-- although he stops in front of Ajaya's podium when Junpei slams his fist onto the podium, and started speaking.

As the kinshi knight spoke, Katsunosuke's expression quickly started twisting up in unfiltered anger. His eyes were furrowed, and his teeth were gritted together. It seemed that he was 5 seconds from yelling something at the Hoshidan mastermind--

"..." 

Though, his anger melts away as fast as it had appeared.

(Whatever.)

"...Alright."

With that, he retreats over to his own podium, and slumps down against it, so that he's sitting on the floor. He crosses his legs and folds his hands together, having them just be there in his lap. Letting out a sigh, he simply stares down at the floor with tired red eyes, allowing his expression to be completely blank.

Don't think about what's going to happen, he thought to himself.

Think of nothing.

The good news? They’ve caught a mastermind.

The bad news? It was only a mastermind, not the masterminds.

(Lowell had hoped to put an end to this madness right here and now, but alas... The cycle would continue for at least one more round.)

Nothing really changed, did it?

Still, the blacksmith couldn’t help but feel satisfied to have exposed at least one of the masterminds for whom they were. He didn’t care if he was being petty, but damn, did it feel good to have his suspicions confirmed like this.

(His instincts had been right all along, even though they were born out of-)

(No, this isn’t important anymore.)

Lowell growled when Catherine seemed it fit to play her usual antics - didn’t she already realize that literally nobody cared about her opinions? Was throwing insults all she could do? Pathetic.

“Shut up. For the love of every god out there, just do us a favour and shut your ugly trap, you bastard. Nobody cares.”

There was venom in his words as he stared at the nohrian caretaker with detestation. God, what wouldn’t he give to beat her to a bloody pulp at this point. The blacksmith couldn’t care less if everyone was against violence - people like them needed to get a fist in their face to finally realize that they’re not above any goddamn rules.

(However, those bastards were still on the higher position and he loathed it.)

Then, it was revealed who would die along Katsunosuke - the unfortunate person sharing his friend’s fate was no one less than Miyu. That was almost... surreal. Of course, he would be the first to admit that he didn’t like the pegasus rider all that much, but... they didn’t commit a crime. It was just wrong for someone innocent to die for something that they weren’t responsible for.

(One part of his mind was glad that it wasn’t someone he actually cared for-)

(Yeah no, this was wrong on so many levels, but-)

(Oh hell.)

The next person that caught his attention was Katsunosuke. The kitsune walked up to him and with a heavy heart, Lowell took the papers that were offered to him.

“... I...”

(Lonely, huh?)

“... O-Of course. I’ll keep them safe.”

A few more words were exchanged between royal and retainer and when the kitsune left to make his next goodbye, Lowell touched the top of his head gently and swallowed thickly, squeezing his eyes shut.

(He wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction of ever seeing him crying again.)

After letting out a shaky breath, he looked up in surprise - hearing someone laugh in this situation wasn’t something that he’d expected, even less so from Emiko, of all people. Then again, how would he have reacted if he’d have been in her shoes? Trying your damn hardest do defend your friends from apparently false accusiations - only to be proven wrong and thus, find out that you were betrayed all along.

(”You believe me, don’t you?” - “I-I--” - “I’m counting on you, █████-chan~”)

At last, the wolf among the sheep decided to speak up.

And all it could do was bark pathetically.

“... Che, what a fucking, sore loser you are, you bastard.”

Pure hostility was thrown towards the utaite as Lowell glared daggers at him, his whole posture appearing like a lion ready to lash out and bring its prey down.

“This is so beyond pathetic, there isn’t even a fucking need to respond to you. Absolutely none. Go rot in that jail for all eternity, ‘cuz someone as sick and twisted as you deserves it.”

Silence was all that could be found from Junpei's podium (that, and an occasional hidden glare at those who were voting, but of course no one could tell) even as their caretakers arrive. There wasn't much to do now, he thought dully, bitterly. His only hope was that--

You've got that wrong!

And he still doesn't react.

It's almost eerie, his whole demeanor. Although he's not doing anything especially interesting or speaking at all, a foreboding feeling surrounds him. Junpei himself is frozen. Is it out of shock? Out of anger? It's impossible to tell, the archer-- no, utaite's face blank as their caretakers and then his classmates begin to speak. And yet... nothing rouses him. His hands remain folded politely on his podium, his gaze presumably fixed straight ahead, and his mouth doesn't open.

This whole time indeed. He could have laughed, but he didn't really want to. 

I hope you're happy. Was he? It was impossible to tell. Maybe that's what he was thinking about.

Oh, Miyu-san is going to die. Hm. He wonders if he should feel bad.

And then, abruptly-- 

Junpei's hand raises in a fist, and slams! down on his podium, probably the loudest noise that's ever come from his vicinity.

"Blessed with the talent to sing? Don't talk about it like it's some sort of fucking gift."

Although still neutral, his voice holds an obvious edge-- hostility, distress, it's hard to tell. His face twists darkly, his gaze seeming to hit everyone at once despite being hidden.

"You know... I hate all of you... so much."

(All of them? Is that really accurate?)

He shuts up his own internal monologue as soon as the thought crosses it, continuing to veritably snarl at those present.

"Half of you didn't even try... just bandwagoned on. You're so damn lazy... you'd better not feel any sort of satisfaction from catching me. In the end, you've still lost. But..."

Junpei's fist unclenches, fingers running through his bangs enough to reveal a glimpse of the strangely-colored eyes-- and the look in them, although frustrated, is more smug than anything.

"You fucked it up, because you didn't think things through, huh...? Ha! I wonder how you're feeling... that someone else'll have to die to get you another chance. Is it... disappointed? I sure hope so."

(Junpei, why would you act like this?

The thought, in a painfully familiar voice, is enough to get Junpei to stop talking for a moment, face still twisted in the semblance of a smile and one hand held to his hair jauntily. 

Sorry, aniki, he thinks finally, and continues.)

"Don't you see? Everything you do here is pointless... even if you caught me, it doesn't matter. How does it feel... to be so close and yet so far? Kehahaha... ha!"

It's strange, that the most genuine laugh he'd given thus far was for something like this-- but perhaps appropriate, given the nasty-and-yet-genuine words he was spouting.

(If he glances at Emiko a couple of times throughout his tirade, that's nothing. It's just... instinctual.

After all, he hated all of them, right?)

"Yeah... I am happy. I achieved what I wanted-- you all... are going to fail. Even if you don't see it now somehow, you will eventually. No matter if I'm in jail or whatever... you haven't won."

Another cackling laugh, and then Junpei's hands drop, smacking into his podium again. His nails dig in, although he doesn't seem to notice. Whatever smug excitement he'd been showing fades, replaced with a strained, angry expression.

"God--"

As if to punctuate his spat-out words, he leans further over his podium, shoulders hunched.

"You're all so annoying. I hope... even if we're not on the same side... whoever the other person in charge is... I hope they make you all pay for this."

And then, finally, he falls silent. 

'You've got that wrong!'

For a moment Emiko had the most fleeting of hopes-- 

But then, finally, everything stopped.

It was an equal split between correct and incorrect, right and wrong to whatever degree, and yet Emiko was focused heavily on one side in particular. No, even that description wasn't really correct. Emiko was splitting the divide further, cutting through the correct side to focus on just one of them: not Miyu, who Emiko harbored nothing but grim feelings towards, not Yuna, who they'd thrown all suspicion onto without hesitation in the end, not Katsunosuke, the only other correct one here now making the farewell rounds--

Who else would it be but the boy at her side? 

"Jun...pei..?"

It was impossible to tell if her voice was shaking in upset or in anger, and even less obvious in her eyes. Her gaze hadn't quite made it round to Junpei from watching their caretakers, but he would have seen nothing really in her eyes anyway. Just blankness; the hollowness that's really just a placeholder for the sheer realisation that's to come.

(All her mind could show her now was a blow by blow account of every instance that Junpei or the mastermind had been around or come up; a film reel that insisted on rolling through to let her look with hindsight, pick out all the shots at the asshole with a point to prove or the fucker behind all this that had felt free and easy at the time, replay moments to try and spot something, anything over and over and over--)

(This whole time- this whole time--!)

She was distinctly aware of her heart beating. On and off, really, the motion occasionally fluttering as her stomach flipped with nerves, but there was certainly no joy to suggest it was just lighthearted skipping of beats. It was the worst kind of adrenaline, all the tenseness that had drained away from her shoulders and fists now fueling every painful thud instead. Trying to hammer in the point. 

(Junpei is the mastermind. Junpei is a mastermind. What was he trying to pull?)

( ... )

(...She didn't, couldn't have an answer, and somehow that felt worse than the alternative.)

But somehow, through all of this, Emiko then did something unexpected. 

She laughed. 

Ironically the noise was akin to Junpei's earlier laugh: a noise that sounded eerily strange in any current context, fueled with many things but humour certainly not being one of them. It started as a small splutter, then a cough around her still-sore throat, then a choking noise that sounded more painful than anything else. Especially when finally, Emiko started to speak again. 

"God... dammit, Junpei..." 

Her arms, sporting hands so red and grooved now from gripping her stolen podium for so long and so tightly as she'd yelled on his behalf, folded over her stomach as though clutching it in a huge bout of laughter.

Or defending herself after being punched in the gut, maybe. 

"This whole time? This... this whole time, you... you knew... everythin', I've... I've been..."

There was no real rhyme nor reason to her words, Emiko's head hanging over the podium now as she coughed out words inbetween breaths that were maybe still supposed to be laughs. 

(And it was frustrating- there was so much she thought, knew she should say come this reveal, but she couldn't find or organise the right words to or it wouldn't be right or she just couldn't get over-!)

Eventually, her breathless noises stopped. And Emiko was the quietest she'd been in a very long time. 

But then, in a voice so flat and body language devoid of any other hints, she said something that would perhaps go forever without context or known recipient:

Being caught relieved him. Knowing that one of the masterminds was caught also relieved him.

But that relief didn't linger for long.

“…On the subject of the Hoshidan filth!"

It wasn't something that overwhelmingly weighed him down anymore.

Oh no no no! These types of things didn't bother him too much anymore as he had been getting help and assistance-- but he still found it to be mildly discomforting. Combining this with the stress of knowing who is the Hoshidan mastermind, knowing that he's going to die soon, and knowing that those words meant to taint-- to feel dirty--

He was far away from being a happy camper.

(don't don't don't DON'T)

His expression twisted into a snarl at Catherine's words, and he slammed the palms of his hands on the podium with a loud BANG! that could be heard throughout the courtroom. He could care less what happened to his hands-- after all, he wouldn't be around long enough to regret it.

"...How disrespectful-- calling people filth, even if they're the mastermind of one faction. Be ashamed of yourself..."

It was an empty demand, as Katsunosuke's voice shook with anger at every vowel and syllable he uttered out of his mouth. There was some bark to it, but of course there was no bite. 

(No one deserves to be called filthy. No one-- no one does.)

At this point, he didn't even notice that his fingers were digging into the podium, regardless of what material it was made out of. There was nothing but anger that filled his system, and the blood rushing in his ears made him deaf to the sounds of his body sending pain signals that he shouldn't be hurting his fingers that that.

The anger in his voice faded away with his next set of words, leaving nothing behind. He spoke with a very soft, but heavily guarded tone. 

"...So... you've caught me. I did... kill Sachihiro-shi. I didn't mean to-- I... well, I guess... it doesn't really matter for me to explain. I've committed an unforgivable sin, h...huh? I hope... that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. If not, then that's fine-- I don't forgive myself either."

There's a brief pause, before there's a rustling of paper. Katsunosuke slaps himself in the face and essentially gets his shit together all at once. Don't cry! Smile for others-- he's already cried once in this trial. Better not make it a second time.

He also needs to make this fast.

(Before he's taken away to his demise.)

Katsunosuke goes over to Lowell, holding out several pieces of papers in his hand to the blacksmith.

(He's ashamed, isn't he? 

Not surprised.)

"Lowell-dono-- or well, I suppose I can finally say Lowell-san with confidence! I know it slipped a few times in my speech, but at least... I got to call you by that honorific before I disappear. I'm sorry. I hope you don't feel lonely in this trial room. Here are my personal identity facts-- just to keep, I suppose. Unfortunately, I don't have much other than this.

Ahaha-- I hope that I was at least of some use before I have to go... make the next one the last trial that everyone has to experience!"

After a bit of talking with Lowell, he travels only a podium over to Ajaya's, where he takes out a yellow rock, and places it down on it. It appeared to be topaz-- which should be a wordless confession in it of itself.

Then he travels over to Rowan's podium, placing a simple paper crane down on it.

(He's ashamed too, isn't he?

Regrettable.)

"Hello Rowan-san! Ah, hope you don't mind-- I... wanted to say goodbye, you know! But not a final goodbye of course. 

And so, he talks with Rowan as well, before he leaves to the next person.

Setsuna. 

(Admittingly, he hesitated.)

Katsunosuke arrives at Setsuna's podium just after Rowan's with a heavy heart, with every step of the way feeling like he had been adding layers to lead boots that were on his feet. He shakily holds out a hairpin out to her, with a smile that threatened to falter, and his eyes closed.

(He can't look at her in the face.

She's ashamed, isn't she?

That's fine. As long as he doesn't see, he'll be okay.)

"I forgot to... return this. Awkward time, I know, but hey-- better late than never, right? I wasn't sure how to approach you again, so I kept holding on it until now. I'm glad I could return it."

A pause, before he chuckles nervously.

"Ah, by the way-- I must thank you, Setsuna-san! Honestly I... I would hope we meet again. I'd probably miss talking to you. I'm glad to have met you, even if it was under these conditions!"

He meant it. Katsunosuke was truly glad he met her and everyone else. 

While the conditions were not so great, admittingly... he wouldn't give it up if he had the choice to.

Because it got him here.

To meet everyone.

Then just like that, Emiko was standing completely by herself again. 

One could, of course, argue that she'd never really been standing with people, more just... finding herself placed by them. But whatever the actual depth of the situation, being transported to an area all by herself for the first time still felt... noticeably empty. 

(Even she wasn't used to no-one by her side, or even just nearby.) 

To say any strong emotions were stirred up by Tooru's execution would be a lie. The usual grimace and gritting of her teeth when blood started to be spilled, but nothing more. All Emiko could find to do was stand there, arms folded, trying to focus on Tooru's execution out of... respect she never actually showed the girl as her 'royal'? A desire to see some just deserts after that earlier speech to Tooru? Simple indifference; nowhere else to look?

Perhaps it would never be known. Emiko certainly had no intent to explain either. 

The 'excuse me' she muttered was habitual now, rather than any actual beg for pardon to a nearby peer. Briefly she wondered about hanging back a little rather than storming out as usual, see if she could be by certain somebody's side just in case or just because, before recalling every other time that she'd left these things and failed to run into anyone.

So she just pressed on. Same as ever.

If it weren’t for the teleportation, Lowell would’ve definitely snapped back at Shoichi. There was absolutely no way in hell he’d let someone tell him what to do. What, so he didn’t like it when Lowell called Mirai an idiot? Well, too bad! He didn’t give a damn; the master ninja had never really given him a reason to think otherwise - even less so after the truth behind this case came out. It’s only because they were reckless once again that this whole dilemma happened to begin with...!

Good thing that he didn’t get to say any of that to the former villager and ruin Tooru’s last moments even more. Anyway, now that they were back in their seats, Lowell kept on watching the execution, despite half of his mind urging him not to. It wouldn’t change a damn thing whether he kept watching or not - the result would be the same.

Still, he felt obliged to witness her last moment’s. Kind of.

The blacksmith winced and bit his lips when Tooru began to scream, his hands already midways up to cover his ears. However, he refrained from doing so and blinked his eyes repeatedly.

Then, Tooru was pierced through with an ice lance and vanished into the water. Just like that, as if she never existed...

(When will this end?)