[ all of a sudden, while you're all drinking or trying to understand whats going on or coping with your trauma or whatever, the screen flicks on! standing on the screen is a woman in military uniform with a severe expression on her face. she clears his throat, and then begins to speak in a low, even voice. ]
Hello, Ratman Slim and Rupp Dogg.
It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Prime Minister Otome Tohoten. I would like you to please identify the following people for me.
[ the screen will flash to yet another jail cell, wow.
in this jail cell sits a mountain of a man. he too looks up to the camera - his hands are bound and he looks as if he's been beaten, his eyes dark and his expression serious, though he is very much alive. ]
[ the screen will then flash to what looks like a fantasy castle, and one that rupert specifically might recognize. this is the eastern castle, and sitting on a bed is a familiar young man. he looks up, as if he notices that he's being addressed - his eyes are wide, and though he doesn't look scared, he certainly looks uncomfortable. there's a blossoming bruise on his right cheek. ]
otome's voice echoes over the top of the two images, that flick back and forth. ]
They are currently unharmed, but in the possession of the Party of Words. If all goes according to plan, they will remain unharmed. The fates of these two people lie in your hands. You will participate in a battle to determine their welfare. If you deny this battle, they will be executed.
Do you agree to participate?
[ and as if in response, both of the people in the screens shudder, as if something hit them. ]
[ doesn't look like there's time for those bandages. dimitri is very keenly aware of the fact that they're both injured even if rupert is currently pretending it's Not A Big Deal. it earns him a brief, troubled look, brows knit together—
but he is just as keenly aware of who the man on one of these screens is. and maybe if they'd had a second to breathe, he'd react to this more rationally, but it hits him like a slap in the face. he just snarls and sits up, bristling, a wild look in his eyes when he sees the imprisoned man being struck. ]
[one second he's giving dimitri a light frown, and the next he's glancing towards that screen once he hears a new voice, frowning as this unfamiliar woman addresses them. he just furrows his brows at the sight of the first man, but when the screen changes again—]
Amir...?
[he's standing up from the chair he was in without really realizing he's done that, because it's like the entire world is only comprised of the contents of this video. it's hard to breathe, it's hard to even focus on the words she's saying, everything seems like it's stopped midmoment.
until she says the word executed, and everything comes back into clear focus, and his voice isn't far from a scream, these next words coming out without having to think about it for a single second.]
Yes! Yes, anything, just don't hurt him, he didn't do anything wrong!
[he doesn't know who they're supposed to be fighting, he doesn't know what kind of battle they're referring to, all he knows is—
you matter more to me than any kingdom. you matter more to me than my own life. it's not a hard decision.]
[ otome clicks her tongue.] Behold, another barbaric man...
[ she's clearly not interested in dimitri's yelling, so! she continues to speak, in a dry voice. ]
Now then. The two of them will remain unharmed beyond what has been done that was necessary, so long as the plan goes accordingly. Both Dedue and Amir will be healed of any injuries they have obtained, as well.
As you have agreed to the battle, your opponents will be revealed to you in time. You must adhere to a few rules.
[ the screen flashes up a list of rules, which remain as otome reads them out loud in a dry voice: ]
1. You must attempt to defeat your opponent behind the opposite door via a hypnosis microphone. Any other weapons will not be authorized. 2. The victor will press the switch located behind their opponent. Pressing the switch guarantees that Dedue and Amir will be returned to safety. Only one switch may be pressed on the battlefield. Do whatever it takes to ensure that you press the switch behind your opponents. 3. You may not speak freely of what has happened here to anyone, including your opponents. Doing so will result in automatic execution of Dedue and Amir. 4. If you do not win, your hostages will be executed. 5. If you refuse to participate your hostages will be executed.
[ she shuffles some papers on the screen, as if she's talking about the weather. ]
[ He won't allow Dedue to be executed. And Rupert—he doesn't seem like a fighter, but he does seem to care deeply for this man they've captured. And just like before, he can sense this isn't real. Just another trap of the mind. One that once he's accepted its terms, will only cage them in tighter.
But he still feels his heart batter in fear, instinctively, instantly. ]
This is madness!
[ It's not like he's got anywhere else to go, though. He's taken the terms in. ]
[he doesn't want to fight, he's always hated it, even this extremely strange form of combat. and he knows, somewhere deep inside him, that this is an illusion, that it's not real, that amir hasn't been and won't be with him until he finds a way home, but he still... no, he refuses to risk him, to bet on even the slightest chance that what he's seeing is, impossible as it might seem, real. if it's an illusion, it's a convincing one.
[ Fiance. This is going to be a disaster—there's absolutely no way they won't get wrapped up into this once it all starts, illusion or not. But as much as he hates this woman and her terms, he understands that the small, unreasonable chance of it being real is enough to try.
Plus, he doesn't hate Rupert enough to yell at him right now. He lets out an aggrieved huff, anger seething out between his teeth in a stream of air. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Hello, Ratman Slim and Rupp Dogg.
It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Prime Minister Otome Tohoten. I would like you to please identify the following people for me.
[ the screen will flash to yet another jail cell, wow.
in this jail cell sits a mountain of a man. he too looks up to the camera - his hands are bound and he looks as if he's been beaten, his eyes dark and his expression serious, though he is very much alive. ]
[ the screen will then flash to what looks like a fantasy castle, and one that rupert specifically might recognize. this is the eastern castle, and sitting on a bed is a familiar young man. he looks up, as if he notices that he's being addressed - his eyes are wide, and though he doesn't look scared, he certainly looks uncomfortable. there's a blossoming bruise on his right cheek. ]
otome's voice echoes over the top of the two images, that flick back and forth. ]
They are currently unharmed, but in the possession of the Party of Words. If all goes according to plan, they will remain unharmed. The fates of these two people lie in your hands. You will participate in a battle to determine their welfare. If you deny this battle, they will be executed.
Do you agree to participate?
[ and as if in response, both of the people in the screens shudder, as if something hit them. ]
no subject
but he is just as keenly aware of who the man on one of these screens is. and maybe if they'd had a second to breathe, he'd react to this more rationally, but it hits him like a slap in the face. he just snarls and sits up, bristling, a wild look in his eyes when he sees the imprisoned man being struck. ]
Bastards! I'll kill all of you—
[ for the record, that's a yes. ]
no subject
Amir...?
[he's standing up from the chair he was in without really realizing he's done that, because it's like the entire world is only comprised of the contents of this video. it's hard to breathe, it's hard to even focus on the words she's saying, everything seems like it's stopped midmoment.
until she says the word executed, and everything comes back into clear focus, and his voice isn't far from a scream, these next words coming out without having to think about it for a single second.]
Yes! Yes, anything, just don't hurt him, he didn't do anything wrong!
[he doesn't know who they're supposed to be fighting, he doesn't know what kind of battle they're referring to, all he knows is—
you matter more to me than any kingdom. you matter more to me than my own life. it's not a hard decision.]
no subject
[ she's clearly not interested in dimitri's yelling, so! she continues to speak, in a dry voice. ]
Now then. The two of them will remain unharmed beyond what has been done that was necessary, so long as the plan goes accordingly. Both Dedue and Amir will be healed of any injuries they have obtained, as well.
As you have agreed to the battle, your opponents will be revealed to you in time. You must adhere to a few rules.
[ the screen flashes up a list of rules, which remain as otome reads them out loud in a dry voice: ]
1. You must attempt to defeat your opponent behind the opposite door via a hypnosis microphone. Any other weapons will not be authorized.
2. The victor will press the switch located behind their opponent. Pressing the switch guarantees that Dedue and Amir will be returned to safety. Only one switch may be pressed on the battlefield. Do whatever it takes to ensure that you press the switch behind your opponents.
3. You may not speak freely of what has happened here to anyone, including your opponents. Doing so will result in automatic execution of Dedue and Amir.
4. If you do not win, your hostages will be executed.
5. If you refuse to participate your hostages will be executed.
[ she shuffles some papers on the screen, as if she's talking about the weather. ]
Any questions?
no subject
But he still feels his heart batter in fear, instinctively, instantly. ]
This is madness!
[ It's not like he's got anywhere else to go, though. He's taken the terms in. ]
no subject
[he doesn't want to fight, he's always hated it, even this extremely strange form of combat. and he knows, somewhere deep inside him, that this is an illusion, that it's not real, that amir hasn't been and won't be with him until he finds a way home, but he still... no, he refuses to risk him, to bet on even the slightest chance that what he's seeing is, impossible as it might seem, real. if it's an illusion, it's a convincing one.
as dimitri says that, though:]
But we - please, we have to win. He's my fiance.
no subject
[ Fiance. This is going to be a disaster—there's absolutely no way they won't get wrapped up into this once it all starts, illusion or not. But as much as he hates this woman and her terms, he understands that the small, unreasonable chance of it being real is enough to try.
Plus, he doesn't hate Rupert enough to yell at him right now. He lets out an aggrieved huff, anger seething out between his teeth in a stream of air. ]
—Fine.
no subject
otome nods, standing up from her desk. ]
Then, the doors will open shortly. Please be prepared.
[ and with that the doors will open... ]