Murder Series Award Show III [Non-Canon]

[Verite]

Ilona would let out a laugh when Ryan would yet again apologize. Really, hadn't it been Shiki who interrupted anyhow? She had been talking to Ryan first when he showed up, after all.

"Dear friend, as I said before, there is no need to apologize!" Ilona exclaimed happily, giving her friend a pat on the back. "I am rather poor with social cues myself," she added. "It wasn't long ago, in fact, that I was easily tricked into believing I had turned someone into a cat when, in truth, she could shape shift into the form on her own." The blonde couldn't help it that she was a bit gullible. But, speaking of Len, Ilona wondered if the girl was around...

Continuing on with their conversation, Ilona smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid I don't really remember what being "Claimed" means. However, I'd be more than glad to call you either Ryan or Aurelia. I don't care to be referred as a princess anymore, so I can understand how things change over the years."

Sighing, Ilona added, "It's difficult to explain. Few understand that I have... a dark malevolence I bring with me wherever I go. Whether you would've enjoyed me interfering or not, I likely would've brought trouble to your world. Your family's curse... my presence would've probably made it worse. I'm not trying to be morbid, it's just the truth I live with every day."

And what a lonely truth it was. God was it lonely. It was hard staying away from her good friends and even watching them stay away from her on occasion too. Like at the end of the Civil War Incident, not a single one of her friends chose to go with her to the ODMA. Why would they want to after seeing who she was and what she had done?

Ilona quieted when Ryan helped Mason again, smiling hopefully at them.

If my friends can become friends with each other, that's good. That way, they'll have people to look out for them when I have to go away again.

Anyhow, when Ilona would see Mason speaking to Cheza she would become excited again, waving at her from where she stood while speaking in a loud voice. So much for using an indoor voice...

"GREETINGS COMRADE CHEZA! IT'S MOST WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

@Midnight Maiden @Mason Moretti @Takumi @Verite @DBZ7​

"It's alright to be excited, but perhaps some restraint is in order?" The maid spoke with a calm but assertive voice, lightly placing a hand on Ilona's shoulder. "Though it is good to see you all again. ...Even those of you I've never seen before."

It seemed there was quite a crowd here, which wasn't particularly surprising with how loud this girl was.​

While Ryan helped Mason, she turned to Shiki and smiled sheepishly. "Indeed, a simple thanks would've been best during an ordinary encounter, although, our encounters never are the most normal ones, are they?" she questioned, gently teasing him. Despite the tease, there was truth in her statement. They had met during a Civil War, after all.

Nevertheless, Ilona didn't want him to think she wasn't grateful. She stepped forward and gave the boy a hug (careful to avoid the leech still attached to him). "Thank you for the flowers, Sir Shiki. You look... handsome... and it's nice to see you again. I've missed you." She pulled back, the smile still on her lips "Was that better?"

Replying to his next question, Ilona nodded. "I'm doing well enough. How about yourself? I've learned to better control my abilities since we've last seen one another, so I suppose you could say I've been productive." Gesturing to Anna she would add, "It appears things haven't changed much with you. Still as popular as ever with the ladies, I see. It almost makes me jealous. How long will she cling to you like this, I wonder?"

@Midnight Maiden @Mason Moretti @Verite @DBZ7​

"I suppose some things never change," Shiki let out a small laugh, pocketing his hands once Ilona had taken the flowers, "Yes, that'l do. It really is nice to see you too, Miss Ilona. I've missed you as well. And yeah, you don't look half-bad yourself," he said in a friendly manner, before his relaxed exterior became lightly flustered as Ilona continued speaking, making a comment of Anna wrapping around herself around him.

"Y-Yeah... Things haven't changed all that much for me, but it's nice to hear things have stayed eventful for you, at least," he chuckled, whilst trying to push Anna off and simultaneously trying to play it cool, "W-Who knows? I think she's more attracted to my wealth than my character, but... She seems to really like my wealth considering she's still here. I think more than other girls like me for myself. Unless you have something to say about that? Why might you be jealous?"

Still dense as always.

Of course, before long, Sakuya had suddenly appeared, prompting Shiki to greet her with a brief wave.

"Ah, Sakuya. Good to see you again as well," he spoke, continuing to attempt to tug Anna's arms off him, "The gang's all here then, eh? I trust you've been doing well?"

@DBZ7 @Kaykay @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

The telly-head was, shockingly, rather invested in the story. Dimensional scissors--That made him laugh a bit. Demonic ex-boyfriends? Rather outlandish, but maybe he wasn't one to talk. It was a story of...Dedication. Young love. He found it sweet, in that all-too-sentimental way of his. His color-bar mouth was a smile, and green was dripping out--Though he did pause and sort of wipe the color away when Marco referred back to him.

"Lovely story," He said. Well, now, he felt positively inferior. How on Earth was he supposed to tell a story of even remotely similar quality? ...Well, since now he was in a bit of a sentimental mood...RGB shifted in the chair, tapping on the bottom-left of his head in thought. "I suppose...I have one, in a similar vein..."

...

There was a time when they weren't so positive the world was ending. And she was there.

The House of Paint was still taking visitors at the time. Things were still being sold. He hadn't lost so many--Only one or two, maybe. It was just as a defense measure. In case the world really was close to ending. Which they knew, now, it was. It was after the final spat with Magnus, but how long after...Well, RGB couldn't quite put a pin in it. It was a time as nebulous and vague as the rising water. A time that made his throat thick with that damning nostalgia, even despite attempts to always look towards the future and make a better ending.

Really, RGB, you're so unromantic. You never bring me any presents these days.

He used to.

The House of Paint had finished their sales that night. She was restocking the shelves, moving fresh dreams and nightmares to the front so they'd look more appealing. Everything was well-organized, in it's place. Nothing was out of her sight. Nothing ever was out of her sight.

He'd come back from the market again, just as the first strokes of twilight began to overtake the skies. He'd knocked on the door with his cane. She opened it. "Careful, now," She'd chided, "People will begin to suppose you're fond of me."

"Now, now, Madras. I can't help it if we have a little..." He'd gestured to the vials on the back wall, "Chemistry."

She'd shaken her head, her eye gently rolling. But she'd caught notice of a small wrapped parcel under his arm. Her arms crossed loosely--Everything she ever did was so loose. "Have something there?"

"Never can hide from you, can I?"

"You're doing a poor job of trying. For me?"

"Can't fathom who else it'd be for. Oh, unless I missed Dial's birthday..." He laughed to himself, smiling ever so wide. "Come now, love, impolite to keep a gentleman waiting." With flourish the telly-head held out the parcel, offering it to the cyclops.

A small smile graced her face. "I'm very lucky you aren't a gentleman, then," She'd said, but she took the gift. She pulled off the ribbon around the parcel first, setting it on her counter, perhaps for gauging the resale value of it. Or, more likely, to see if she could harvest the Baker-Miller pink from the ribbon. She opened the parcel in the same meticulous way; peeling off every inch of the tea rose orange wrapping paper to avoid any possible rips and tears, and then setting it aside for color harvesting or resale value. She opened up the cardboard box, though tilted her head slightly as she saw the contents.

Nails.

Four long nails, made of a metal that seemed to change color depending on exactly how you looked at them. The metal tools rested on a small red cloth. Madras reached in and picked up one of the nails, holding it between two of her fingers. "Care to explain?"

"Well..." He'd rubbed the back of his knuckle on his shirt in some attempt to appear nonchalant, "I happened to find them in the market. Peddler said they're wonderfully versatile. I thought of you looking at them." He'd begun to tick off on his fingers, "You could put a final one in someone's coffin when you're through with them, and if you happen to find a wry concept you wish to keep you can use them to nail it down. Combined with teeth, they become very intense. If you're angry enough, you could use them to nail one's ears back. Might I add that now that you have them, you can never lose for want of them--And I suppose you could consider my giving this to you, well, paying on them." RGB's screen had practically brightened with his string of jokes, and Madras herself had cracked a small smile. RGB straightened a bit. "Most important of them all, I think...You can use them to nail colors to the wall. Which I think you'll find would make your job a touch easier, and...Would be...Rather nice."

She'd let out a small exhale at that. She took a while observing the nails before placing the one she was holding back in the box. She put the box on the counter. Behind all the quips, Madras could tell RGB was still scared, apprehensive, at the thought that the world could be ending. She walked up to his side. She looked up at him. "Thank you," She said, which seemed to surprise RGB enough to stop the small trickle of yellow from his mouth. "You're more thoughtful than you look. I hope business with you doesn't come to a point where I must nail colors to the wall--But it's very nice to have." But she'd paused. She'd inhaled. She'd taken his hand. "You still think there's a way to stop it."

"There is. There has to be."

"But is it so bad if it ends?"

She'd all but melted up against him, wrapping her arms around one of his arms. Her eye closed. For a while, they were just together, breathing, waiting. The air was thick with questions and yet lacking the answers they both, at least to some degree, desired. Her heartbeat mixed with the constant white noise his screen produced, and they were together--Two distinct things, and yet still one.

And then RGB said, "Have you still the phonograph?"

"Hm?" Her eye opened again, and she looked up at him. "Of course. Just for you. Do you want to...?"

"If you do. If you suppose everything will end, why--This could be our last time! What a shame that would be."

That time, she had laughed, softly and quietly. She pulled away from him and went to the corner of the House of Paint, into one of the storage closets. Among the idle daydreams that didn't sell all too well, there was a phonograph and some records. RGB came up alongside her as she thumbed through the vinyl, and the two of them landed on one particular record. They put it down on the phonograph, then set the needle at the song they wanted.

Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money
Maybe we're ragged and funny
But we'll travel along, singin' a song,
Side by side

They danced.

...

"...I haven't seen her since...Well, since Hero got in a bit of trouble. But the world hasn't ended yet. There's still hope. Heh, she'd probably call me all too sentimental..."

RGB paused, realizing his tone was growing a little distant. He let out another slightly staticy cough, then looked back towards Marco, his voice quickly going back into his more usual cadence as though in an attempt to cover it up. Needn't get too open with strangers. "...That's my story, then."

[ @thatguyinthestore ]

​

Marco quite enjoyed RBG's story. It was a sweet little one, definitely shorter than his own, and had a bittersweet ending.

"I'm sorry about your um... your loss." Marco said with a sigh. He didn't know what it was like to lose someone, so Marco couldn't exactly sympathize with the talking television set. That didn't mean that Marco didn't have empathy however. "Who knows? She might still be out there." Marco said in an attempt to brighten the mood.

@Lissamel​

 

[Crimson Spartan]

Michiko felt as if she were openly being mocked, snapping her lighter shut she put it away and was ready to snap and almost did until Hatchin elbowed her in her side.

"Oh, he's here too." Hatchin spoke up, referring to Roman and catching Michiko's attention.

It took the woman a moment to recognize him. Her memory was straight shit at times.

She huffed and took a drag from her cigarette before grabbing one of the churros in the girl's hands and grudgingly snacked away.

Hacthin watched as Qrow approached Roman suddenly, coming to the conclusion that the tophat wearing man had done something illegal to earn such a response. Also, lien? The heck did that mean?

@Midnight Maiden @Ringmaster @Otto @thatguyinthestore @LuckycoolHawk9 @C.T. @bar peeps

--------



Cheza could be found sitting in the audience next to an auburn haired male who was currently speaking with her about one thing or another.

@Mason Moretti @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @others

-------------




"Hello Keaton, it's good to see you as well." she chuckled lightly as she watched him struggle to get his tail to stop wagging.

@Sen @Hana @Crow @Yun Lee @Crimson Spartan
----------

Azura smiled. She honestly couldn't believe he was alive after what had happened, but was glad nonetheless.

"It is good to see you as well." she replied. That was one familiar redhead, but she couldn't help but wonder if Joshua was around as well?

An awkward silence would probably follow as Jaffar thought over his next words carefully. After about a minute or so Jaffar looked at Azura again to speak.

"I can't explain but.... I was given a second chance at life.... A second chance....to protect her..." Jaffar spoke up in his usual emotionless voice

@Takumi
​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

​

"It's alright to be excited, but perhaps some restraint is in order?" The maid spoke with a calm but assertive voice, lightly placing a hand on Ilona's shoulder. "Though it is good to see you all again. ...Even those of you I've never seen before."

It seemed there was quite a crowd here, which wasn't particularly surprising with how loud this girl was.

@Midnight Maiden @Mason Moretti @Takumi @Verite @DBZ7 @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Cheza smiled and waved to Ilona from where she was. She was happy to see the princess again. Giggling to herself at rhe other's enthusiasm.

Toboe waved to the maid that had joined them in his usual friendly matter.

@Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Mason Moretti @Kaykay @others

The pat on the back and reassurance from Ilona seemed to make Ryan regain her bearings and thus, her smile, green eyes shining as she regarded her friend of so many lost years. "Right, sorry, haha.. Bad habit, I guess," she replied, unintentionally apologizing yet again. But Ilona's comment about her own gullibility only further reassured the blonde woman, who let out a small giggle. "Wow, sounds like I've missed a lot," she mused, smiling despite feeling a small bit of pain from that fact. She really had missed... everything. And that? That was extremely painful, though she was endlessly happy to be together again.

View attachment 133666

"So what you're saying is that you're both naive, gullible children. Hmph," Weiss finally interjected again with a sigh. What a pain... Not to mention, it seemed a crowd was gathering, something she wasn't too fond of. "I'd rather not be caught up in such trivial exchanges. Should you need me, just call," she stated, before promptly walking off with pride and grace, leaving a slightly bewildered and dismayed Ryan to rub her neck, before awkwardly speaking up. "...I didn't mean to upset her..."

Ah, well.

Doing her best to shake it off and bounce back, Ryan nodded when Ilona said she didn't remember the details on Claiming. "Oh, it's alright. It has been a long time, and I still had years to go before it happened, last I saw you," she assured, sniffing briefly. "But... I'd be happy to go by either name. Rid still calls me Ryan, so did Gil, last I saw him. I... Wouldn't mind if you did, too." That was true. Heck, more than she wouldn't mind. She'd be happy to be called that again. Her mother, Lena, Reece, pops-- They all called her Aurelia now, her new name. And she was okay with that, don't get her wrong. But still, Ryan just had a sense of familiarity and comfort, coming from Ilona's lips. Something she missed.

But as Ilona continued to go on, Ryan's seemingly ever-present smile faded, forehead creasing with concern and seriousness. "...Lona," she murmured, hands still gently on her shoulders, applying a gentle reassuring squeeze. "That doesn't matter to me. If having trouble come to my world meant seeing you again? I'd happily endure it. Even if only a few moments together meant disaster for me... I'd be happy to go through it for you. And that's my choice," she assured, finally letting her hands fall away, wiping one last tear away as her smile returned. "So don't worry. Please.. And never think you have to go this alone. Ever."

Of course, again, she'd gone to help Mason after all that.

"I'm glad," she spoke, gently, to his claim he felt better. His summoning of his aura earned a mildly surprised look from her, briefly, before she smiled once again. "Wow," she awed at the faint, beautiful glow, eyes shining as she observed. But his words snapped her out of it, leaving her mildly embarrassed she'd been caught up in the beauty. "Ahh, really? I've never had anyone say they could feel it before... Aside from a bit of warmth, anyways," she mused, thoughtfully. His words about rambling, however, only earned a small laugh. "Oh, don't worry. I'm certainly just as bad, I admit... It doesn't bother me."

As for his offer to meet Cheza, she was slightly surprised by the sudden offer, but she did want to make sure he was really fully alright... And it was only polite to meet her, after all. Besides, she always was a social butterfly. Meeting new people was a blast. "I'd love to!" was thus her eager reply, as she followed Mason quietly, offering a polite wave to Cheza and Toboe as they arrived. "Oh... Pleased to meet you, as well," she offered, giving a small bow of her head, almost awkwardly. "I'm Aurelia. But you can call me Ryan, if you'd like, anyways."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Kaykay @Verite @Mason Moretti @Takumi​

"I suppose some things never change," Shiki let out a small laugh, pocketing his hands once Ilona had taken the flowers, "Yes, that'l do. It really is nice to see you too, Miss Ilona. I've missed you as well. And yeah, you don't look half-bad yourself," he said in a friendly manner, before his relaxed exterior became lightly flustered as Ilona continued speaking, making a comment of Anna wrapping around herself around him.
"Y-Yeah... Things haven't changed all that much for me, but it's nice to hear things have stayed eventful for you, at least," he chuckled, whilst trying to push Anna off and simultaneously trying to play it cool, "W-Who knows? I think she's more attracted to my wealth than my character, but... She seems to really like my wealth considering she's still here. I think more than other girls like me for myself. Unless you have something to say about that? Why might you be jealous?"
Still dense as always.
Of course, before long, Sakuya had suddenly appeared, prompting Shiki to greet her with a brief wave.

"Ah, Sakuya. Good to see you again as well," he spoke, continuing to attempt to tug Anna's arms off him, "The gang's all here then, eh? I trust you've been doing well?"
@DBZ7 @Kaykay @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Feeling a hand placed on her shoulder, Ilona would let out a small gasp and turn to see yet another one of her friends. "Miss Sakuya!" she exclaimed, giving the maid a quick hug. "It's wonderful to see you again too. Forgive me for being so loud, I'm just very excited. I'm seeing so many people I care about and have missed that it's rather difficult for me to contain my joy." Smiling, Ilona took a breath to try and calm herself. "Are you well?" she questioned Sakuya before adding, "I intended to send you letters, however, I didn't want to be a bother."

Glancing to Ryan, Ilona would shrug her shoulders and sigh. "Worry not, Miss Ryan, it isn't difficult to upset Lady Weiss. As much as I do admire her, I suppose that is a flaw."

"Anyhow, I suppose I shall stick to calling you Miss Ryan then. After all, you've always been Miss Ryan to me." Ilona paused again, thinking over Ryan's words with a small, sad smile. "You'll never know what your words just know truly mean to me. Thank you. Still, my choice would be took keep you, one of the most precious people to me, safe. Not that it matters at the moment. We're here together now. I hope we may make the most of that."

While Ryan would walk over to meet Cheza, Ilona chose to stay behind with Sakuya and Shiki for the time being. She glanced down at the flowers for a moment, gently clutching them with both hands. The blonde figured she should try and find some water to put them in soon, but at the moment was still excited and more interested in speaking with all of her friends.

"I'm glad you think I look well, Sir Shiki. However, after having seen you, I feel a bit underdressed," she explained, glancing down at her own outfit. "While I've changed my wardrobe recently, I'm not dressed for a party. I hadn't a clue I would find myself here."

Glancing back up, Ilona became flustered after hearing Shiki's questions. She fiddled with the bouquet of flowers, partly hiding her face behind them. Although her mind hadn't gone entirely blank, she still wasn't sure how to answer him. Her comment about being jealous had been a joke for the most part, but maybe she was? Ilona wasn't sure. It was annoying that girls like Anna hung on him, that was for certain.

Ilona would relax, however, when Shiki would take a moment to greet Sakuya. If she wanted, she could've probably changed the subject at this point and escaped answering his questions, but after calming, well, she went ahead and answered. This was a non-canon award show after all, so why the hell not?

Wiggling her shoulders shyly she said, "I suppose I said I was jealous because Miss Anna seems to garner a lot of your attention by doing what she does and I do enjoy your attention too, admittedly. However, I shouldn't be jealous of her for that. I strive to be lady-like and would rather not stoop to her level in order to be noticed." And she had been somewhat noticed, right? He had given her flowers, after all.

"And... I don't really know about other girls, nor do I care what they think, but if it makes you feel any better your wealth matters not to me and your character does...

...I like you for who you are!"

While Shiki was dense as always, Ilona was awkward and loud as always. It didn't seem to matter how much the others told her to quiet her voice, the blonde simply couldn't seem to contain herself at the moment.

Embarrassment burning in her chest like wildfire and threatening to set her whole body ablaze, Ilona would continue to hide her face behind the flowers after her outburst. She wanted to die. Poor girl.

@Kaykay @Midnight Maiden @Verite @Takumi @Mason Moretti @DBZ7​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Harper snorted whenever Senna dabbed on her whilst they were freestyling.

"Don't worry dude, I'll teach you how to dance. It's actually really easy." Harper said with an actual genuine grin this time. And just as she said this, another song played over the speakers:

As the song started playing, Harper took Senna by the hand again and pulled her close to her.

"Just trust me and follow my lead." Harper said as she gently took hold of Senna's midsection. "Now just wrap your arms around my back like I'm doing." The punk would then move her arms up slightly and wrap them around Senna's back. Assuming that Senna took her advice and followed her lead, Harper would then start to rock back and fourth, still looking into Senna's eyes and smiling brightly.

Harper was a grade A player.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies


​

Well, despite the fact that Senna and Harper were dancing together, Lapis figured that at some point her brother would be noticed. Pausing from her movement to push him here, the Half-Alive let go of his shoulders.

"Alright, go ahead and open your eyes."

Just like she said so, Blake did that, opening his eyes. Realizing where he was and who was around, Blake quickly turned around to look at Lapis.

"And why did you bring along here again, sis? You're definitely aware that she's not so happy with me right now."

Blake was aware on how awkward it would be for him to talk to Senna again, and figured it would be best to give the Soul Reaper her space. However, Lapis thought otherwise, especially on what her "magic touch" had done to him without his knowledge. Seeing that Blake wasn't too keen on going on with this, Lapis had to come up with a way for him to get some incentive for this.

"W-Well, she can't really stay mad forever, especially when I know you can figure out a way to apologize. How about... I don't know, practicing your words at me?"

Picking up on her brother's uncertainty, Lapis proposed that he would apologize in some way for Senna, and knowing that she'll continue pushing this way, Blake silently agreed to this. Scratching the back of his head, Blake would clear his throat and practice his apology verbally.

"Er... sorry about that earlier... I didn't know what came over me, but... I would save the best for you... because _________..."

Out of nowhere, part of Blake's words would be silenced, as if his voice refused to give sound to some particular phrases. Something about this was horribly off. Nervously laughing in front of Lapis, he would clear his throat and try again.

"H-Heheh... that's weird. Maybe I didn't exactly put enough volume in that last part. I'll repeat that so you can give me feedback, Rin. Ahem... Do remember Senna that I would save the best for you, because ________ ."

Noticing that it happened again, Blake was getting anxious by this, and tried to repeat a different variant of that phrase.

"I... I mean that together, we'll _______."

Awkward silence settled between him and Lapis, before he would grab his sister by the shoulders almost frantically.

"Oh god, Rin, help me out! I don't know why, but I can't say phrases relating to ____! This is terrible! You know more about this magic stuff than I do, right?! There's definitely a fix to this, RIGHT?!"

Now Blake was in total panic mode, shaking his sister back and forth in great distress. Well, this was making a scene more than Lapis had anticipated.

Holy shit he isn't taking this well... and all I did was use my Witch's magic to remove his ability to speak about love...

In her head, Lapis was probably regretting her decisions here.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @thatguyinthestore​

Senna gave a small nod when Harper would offer to teach her how to dance. "I guess I'm game. Let's go for it!" She still wasn't in the mood for a lot of dancing, but anything to take her mind of Blake right now as probably best. Listening to Harper's advice, Senna would wrap her arms around the punk and place them on her back.

The soul reaper would try to rock back and forth to match Harper's pace, averting her gaze sheepishly when their eyes would lock. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think... you're trying to make a move on me?" Senna whispered to the other girl.

Distracted in the moment, it would still take Senna quite some time before she would notice Blake. When she finally did notice him, she tensed her shoulders slightly and tried to pretend that she hadn't seen him. She locked eyes with Harper again, struggling not to look at Blake. Was he still flirting with other girls, Senna wondered? The thought put a knot in her stomach.

@thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies​

 

[Verite]

"H-Huh?"

Dense as Shiki Tohno could have been, he was capable of at least taking a hint. Well, most of the time anyway. Initially more surprised by the sudden rise in volume from Ilona rather than what she actually said, the young man couldn't help but blink and step back for a moment, before taking in what she really had to say about his comments.

"U-Uhm, M-Miss Ilona, I..." The bespectacled boy stammered, clearly taken aback, "That's not--"

"Ahem."

And before anything could be made of it, Kyoko Kirigiri appeared, hextress in tow, and evidently unaware of the situation at hand. "Ultimate Detective" indeed.

"Hey. It's time," Kyoko said to Shiki briefly upon appearing before the group, ignoring Tharja continuing to latch on to her, just as she also ignored Anna, still latched to the boy.

"H-Huh? Oh, right... Guess that's my cue then. E-Excuse me really quick, would you all?" Shiki said to the others, eyeing Ilona apologetically in a flash, before giving Kyoko a nod and following the young woman up to the stage in front once she'd turned around and walked up there, the two of them taking to the microphone, which Shiki tapped on it briefly.

And yes, Tharja and Anna were both also on the stage as well, continuing to cling to Kyoko and Shiki respectively, though they seemed too predisposed with other matters to even say anything, let alone realize where they were or care.

"H-Hello, is this thing on? Ah, splendid! Now, with the RPers Awards all done, now we're moving onto... General Games / Events! Will you do the honors of starting us off, Ms. Kirigiri?"

"Please don't yell into the microphone when talking to me."

"Well, I mean, it was also for the audience to hear."

"Why do they need to hear it?"

"Uhh--"

"Anyway, yes, I shall," Kyoko said brusquely, producing some envelopes from inside her jacket and handing some of them to Shiki.

"This first one is for Best Setting. The nominees are as follows."

Bright Falls - Monokuma's Awakening
Coalition Headquarters / Silent Earth Illusion - Civil War
Columbia / Rapture - Restless in Rapture
Gravity Falls - Welcome to the Falls

And with that, Kyoko opened the envelope and read off the certificate for a moment, before finally announcing the winner.

"And the award goes to... Coalition Headquarters / Silent Earth Illusion, as depicted in Civil War," she spoke.

"Hey, that's the big one that we were in!" Shiki exclaimed cheerfully.

"For better or for worse."

Before long, Shiki proceeded to peek over Kyoko's shoulder on a whim to take a look at the certificate, difficult as that task seemed to be with Tharja and Anna in the way, before he raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, but... It just says Silent Earth Illusion."

"I know. We were just in Coalition Headquarters longer so I added that in."

"Did the audience vote for that too or was it only specifically the Silent Earth Illusion?"

"Why are you asking me? Also, everyone can hear you, y'know."

"..."

"Yay, our event," Shiki sighed flatly.

OOC Comments

Wa-hoo.

Anyway uh, yes, I'm glad that people seemed to like the setting for Civil War a good amount, especially all things considered, huh. @Atomyk and I thought it would have been a unique change of pace relatively if we had most of it be set within the Coalition Headquarters, though then again, perhaps that setting was simply reached organically because of how tied we made the event as a whole to the series lore anyway, but it is what it is.

Fun fact, the Silent Earth Illusion idea was implemented fairly late, initially not even supposed to be an illusion at all but rather the real Silent Earth (and yes, Shiki would have still single-handedly destroyed Silent Earth by himself if that were the case), but we decided against it. In any case, yeah, thanks all again. Woo woo.

Clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses, Shiki opened up his envelope, being the one to present the next award. "Anyway, let's see what's next... Aha, here we go. Best Twist. What a twist. The nominees are..."

Diablo was the Arch Demon - Genesis
Lalonde revealed to be possessed by Bill Cipher / Bill is the mastermind - Welcome to the Falls
Monomi revealed as the true killer of Wanda - Monokuma's Awakening
Ocelot's revelation as a triple agent / The Revanchist's infiltration of the Coalition - Civil War

"And the winner is... Hold your applause, it's Diablo's transformation into the Arch Demon, as seen in Genesis!"

"That in itself is a twist. I didn't expect that to win."

"No more surprising than how the Civil War turned out and what transpired in it."

"Let's not talk about that."

"S-Sorry."

OOC Comments

Oh hey, another award. I guess that's the perks of bein' a GM pretty often.

I'm actually personally surprised this was even nominated, let alone the winner, considering how we kept Diablo's very existence a secret (aside from some side mentions every now and then that we thought flew over people's heads) until the end for the most part, but hey, I guess it wouldn't be a real retro MG without something to do with the Arch Demon. Of course, @Atomyk and I can't take all the credit for it, because in another plot twist in of itself, the one who originally conceived the rough idea was @Jeremi.

We mostly came up with it just as a final way of sealing the coffin and the lore by retroactively retconning it so that the Arch Demon was always just, in fact, Diablo. Or rather, in other words, just another fandom villain, because of reasons. Reasons that I'm sure people can at least guess, eh? But hey, nice. People actually read my addendum.

"So what's next on the list then, Kirigiri-san?"

"Best Afterlife, evidently," Kyoko said, deciding not to beat around the bush, already on her way to opening the next envelope and reading off it, "The nominees are as follows."

The War of the Universe - Welcome to the Falls - Restless in Rapture - Genesis

"And the winner is... Welcome to the Falls."

"What? Space Jam didn't even get nominated?" Shiki laughed jokingly, though Kyoko only gave a glare.

"I'll kill you."

"S-Sorry. Again."

OOC Comments

While I don't have a personal account of how the afterlife went since ol' Koyomi and Shinobu weren't murdered, I suppose it's only natural with an all-star GM like @Atomyk handling the reigns, and those helping him. Congrats.

Without missing a beat, as though having already gotten a hang of it, Shiki pulled out the next envelope following Kyoko. "Alright, this next one goes out to... Best Game! Oh, boy, the big one now. The nominees are...!"

Welcome to the Falls - Monokuma's Awakening - Civil War - Genesis

"And the winner is... Genesis!"

OOC Comments

>mfw @Atomyk was involved with every one of the nominated games

>mfw I was involved with half alongside him and one of which was the winner

---

No but seriously, uh, phew. Genesis was something else. Probably more in a good way than a bad way.

See, not that I probably made much of an effort to hide it, but Civil War proved to be quite draining, and both of us wondered if we were up to GMing another MG right after it, but hey, we figured what the hell. Maybe the community would like it if we returned to the most basic formula that the Murder Games started with, especially after every event since Rapture doing something to shake up the formula and experiment. After all, experiments are fun and all, but the fundamentals are the fundamentals. Or something like that.

In any case, we were right. Simple turned out to be better. And yet for some reason, I personally found myself a little surprised, but hey, I'll take it. Of course, in the end, Atom and I were left deader than ever once Genesis was over, but at least some good came out of it.

... I think.

At least I'm done GMing. For now. For not very long probably. Duty calls, after all.

"Shame there isn't a category for Best Tale this time around."

"Yes. What a shame indeed," Kyoko said sarcastically, before taking a sigh and opening the next envelope, "This next award is for... Best Ending. The nominations go to..."

Welcome to the Falls - Restless in Rapture - Civil War - Genesis

"And the winner of this award is... Genesis, once again."

"Huh. Guess people really liked that one."

"Well, I mean, you are just about the only person that Civil War ended well for, if that's what you were implying."

"... That's true."

OOC Comments

I can't hold all these awards.

Ah, yeah. I got nothing new to add. Just glad Genesis ended up well-received as it was. I suppose we did put rather a lot of work into the ending of Genesis, what with the sizable final chapter - epilogue and all the addendums that we had to write up, all of which I'm surprised people even read at all, but hey, niiice.

Also I guess it's not like anything can beat an ending where Alice Twilight becomes a farmer.

Still waiting for that epilogue, @Yun Lee.

"I still think we really ought to get a new mascot for the Murder Series to put on the certificates."

"What, you don't like the bear?"

"I really don't like the bear."

...

"A-Anyway, next up! Best Chapter! Let's see what this one is!" Shiki exclaimed awkwardly with a cough, before reading out the letter, "Nominees in question are...!"

School Daze - Monokuma's Awakening, First Chapter
Fire Walk With Me - Monokuma's Awakening, Third Chapter
Self-Realization - Civil War, Fourth Chapter
Divided We Stand - Civil War, Final Chapter

"And the winner for Best Chapter is... Self-Realization, as seen in Civil War!"

OOC Comments

I'M DROWNING IN AWARDS.

I always personally thought this chapter, at least the beginning, was a little bit of a mess, especially since the idea was mostly mine that I wanted to shove in, but I still really wanted to do it, while Atomyk was a little more ambivalent to the idea lol. I know it's become practically a cliche in the Murder Series now with the "find yourself and be all existential and shit" tropes also being done in Fusion and The Ultimate Game, but I always love a good excuse to make introspection moments and really take a look inside the characters' heads.

Of course, I suppose the second half of the chapter isn't anything to scoff at either, with the group having to take back the Coalition Headquarters from Umbrella. Obligatory cameo from Spider-Gwen was fun to do too, and finally wrapping up the Umbrella Arc that had been sorta unresolved ever since The Ties That Bind was sorta refreshing too. Wonder if that's the last of Resident Evil that we'll see in the MGs though.

"Next up, on the other hand, Weirdest Chapter. Nominees are..."

A Whole New World - Welcome to the Falls, Chapter 3
Beautiful Nightmares - Welcome to the Falls, Chapter 4
Self-Realization - Civil War, Chapter 4
United We Fall - Civil War, Chapter 5

"And the winner is... Beautiful Nightmares, as seen in Welcome to the Falls."

OOC Comments

I personally don't remember much about this chapter since I was busy being dead for the event evidently, according to my post count in the event which was apparently not as big as my post count in other events, but I'm sure it was a grand ol' time. Congrats, @Midnight Maiden.

"And for the last category before we have a small little intermission, and in turn before presenting the rest of the General Games Awards, we have... Best Game Prologue!" Shiki announced, before clearing his throat, "The nominees are..."

Welcome to the Falls - Monokuma's Awakening - Civil War - Genesis

"I'm starting to sense a pattern here."

"Well, you are the detective. And the winner is... Civil War!"

"Now that, I'm admittedly surprised by."

"I guess people prefer their lore in smaller / initial doses."

OOC Comments

Phew.

Yeah, nothing new to add here. Thankies for the award and all as always.

Taking a bow, Shiki cleared his throat. "Thank you very much! Please stand by, and we'll get around to presenting the final set of Games General Awards after this intermission! In the meantime, winners, please pick up your awards!"

...

Crickets.

"Oh yeah. I guess most of the awards go to us by proxy."

"I'll get the Best Afterlife one to Ms. Lalonde."

With Kyoko also taking a bow, the two of them momentarily stepped off the stage, Shiki notably letting out a drawn out sigh as he pursed his lips upon laying his eyes on Ilona again.​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

Senna gave a small nod when Harper would offer to teach her how to dance. "I guess I'm game. Let's go for it!" She still wasn't in the mood for a lot of dancing, but anything to take her mind of Blake right now as probably best. Listening to Harper's advice, Senna would wrap her arms around the punk and place them on her back.

The soul reaper would try to rock back and forth to match Harper's pace, averting her gaze sheepishly when their eyes would lock. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think... you're trying to make a move on me?" Senna whispered to the other girl.

Distracted in the moment, it would still take Senna quite some time before she would notice Blake. When she finally did notice him, she tensed her shoulders slightly and tried to pretend that she hadn't seen him. She locked eyes with Harper again, struggling not to look at Blake. Was he still flirting with other girls, Senna wondered? The thought put a knot in her stomach.

@thatguyinthestore @Gummi Bunnies​

Harper smirked whenever Senna asked if she was trying to make a move on her. She thought that she was making it obvious, but perhaps this was Senna's way of flirting? Probably not though.

"What would ever give you that idea?" Harper whispered in a sly tone as she continued to rock back and fourth to the song with Senna. "And I think that it's working, seeing as we've gotten this far." Harper stated as she still maintained her smirk. When the song began to reach it's final notes, after a good four or five minutes of slow dancing I might add, Harper would lock eyes with the soul reaper yet again. "You ever kissed a girl?" She asked with confidence, hoping that all this effort and flirting would amount to something.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies​

 

[Kaykay]

"I suppose some things never change," Shiki let out a small laugh, pocketing his hands once Ilona had taken the flowers, "Yes, that'l do. It really is nice to see you too, Miss Ilona. I've missed you as well. And yeah, you don't look half-bad yourself," he said in a friendly manner, before his relaxed exterior became lightly flustered as Ilona continued speaking, making a comment of Anna wrapping around herself around him.

"Y-Yeah... Things haven't changed all that much for me, but it's nice to hear things have stayed eventful for you, at least," he chuckled, whilst trying to push Anna off and simultaneously trying to play it cool, "W-Who knows? I think she's more attracted to my wealth than my character, but... She seems to really like my wealth considering she's still here. I think more than other girls like me for myself. Unless you have something to say about that? Why might you be jealous?"

Still dense as always.

Of course, before long, Sakuya had suddenly appeared, prompting Shiki to greet her with a brief wave.

"Ah, Sakuya. Good to see you again as well," he spoke, continuing to attempt to tug Anna's arms off him, "The gang's all here then, eh? I trust you've been doing well?"

@DBZ7 @Kaykay @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Feeling a hand placed on her shoulder, Ilona would let out a small gasp and turn to see yet another one of her friends. "Miss Sakuya!" she exclaimed, giving the maid a quick hug. "It's wonderful to see you again too. Forgive me for being so loud, I'm just very excited. I'm seeing so many people I care about and have missed that it's rather difficult for me to contain my joy." Smiling, Ilona took a breath to try and calm herself. "Are you well?" she questioned Sakuya before adding, "I intended to send you letters, however, I didn't want to be a bother."

Glancing to Ryan, Ilona would shrug her shoulders and sigh. "Worry not, Miss Ryan, it isn't difficult to upset Lady Weiss. As much as I do admire her, I suppose that is a flaw."

"Anyhow, I suppose I shall stick to calling you Miss Ryan then. After all, you've always been Miss Ryan to me." Ilona paused again, thinking over Ryan's words with a small, sad smile. "You'll never know what your words just know truly mean to me. Thank you. Still, my choice would be took keep you, one of the most precious people to me, safe. Not that it matters at the moment. We're here together now. I hope we may make the most of that."

While Ryan would walk over to meet Cheza, Ilona chose to stay behind with Sakuya and Shiki for the time being. She glanced down at the flowers for a moment, gently clutching them with both hands. The blonde figured she should try and find some water to put them in soon, but at the moment was still excited and more interested in speaking with all of her friends.

"I'm glad you think I look well, Sir Shiki. However, after having seen you, I feel a bit underdressed," she explained, glancing down at her own outfit. "While I've changed my wardrobe recently, I'm not dressed for a party. I hadn't a clue I would find myself here."

Glancing back up, Ilona became flustered after hearing Shiki's questions. She fiddled with the bouquet of flowers, partly hiding her face behind them. Although her mind hadn't gone entirely blank, she still wasn't sure how to answer him. Her comment about being jealous had been a joke for the most part, but maybe she was? Ilona wasn't sure. It was annoying that girls like Anna hung on him, that was for certain.

Ilona would relax, however, when Shiki would take a moment to greet Sakuya. If she wanted, she could've probably changed the subject at this point and escaped answering his questions, but after calming, well, she went ahead and answered. This was a non-canon award show after all, so why the hell not?

Wiggling her shoulders shyly she said, "I suppose I said I was jealous because Miss Anna seems to garner a lot of your attention by doing what she does and I do enjoy your attention too, admittedly. However, I shouldn't be jealous of her for that. I strive to be lady-like and would rather not stoop to her level in order to be noticed." And she had been somewhat noticed, right? He had given her flowers, after all.

"And... I don't really know about other girls, nor do I care what they think, but if it makes you feel any better your wealth matters not to me and your character does...

...I like you for who you are!"

While Shiki was dense as always, Ilona was awkward and loud as always. It didn't seem to matter how much the others told her to quiet her voice, the blonde simply couldn't seem to contain herself at the moment.

Embarrassment burning in her chest like wildfire and threatening to set her whole body ablaze, Ilona would continue to hide her face behind the flowers after her outburst. She wanted to die. Poor girl.

@Kaykay @Midnight Maiden @Verite @Takumi @Mason Moretti @DBZ7​

"As well as ever. I hope you've been the same."

Sakuya replied with a slight bow, though halfway through she was suddenly wrapped up in a quick hug. Adapting quickly, she managed to return the gesture and offered a smile.

"I understand. Little gatherings like this can be a lot of fun, right?" When Ilona started talking about sending letters, Sakuya merely nodded. "It would be no bother. Miss Remilia doesn't mind mail to the mansion anyway. Though I guess I'm the one who always picks it up anyway...?"

"Achoo!"

Somewhere near snacks and cookies, Remilia sneezed.

She only listened for a little while before Ilona suddenly came out with what could only really be interpreted as a confession. Shiki was immediately dragged away to do the Awards that they were all here for, but from where she stood it almost looked like running away.

Maybe it was. Who knew?

"Looks like you've left him speechless, Ilona."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @Verite @Takumi @Mason Moretti @DBZ7​

 

[Husk]

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore​

Well, Kofuku didn't exactly seem fazed by the yelling, but she did look down at the tiny alien with a pout. "Awwww, lie? What would I lie for?" she asked, evidently upset by the implication. But Twisted Fate came in, seeming to have quite a bit more manners. "Hiiiii~" she greeted, cheerfully.​

Despite being a bit harsh to the small alien a few seconds ago, Twisted Fate smiled again when the goddess had greeted him. He quickly nodded his head before saying,

"Howdy."​

Also, unfortunately, Zim and Twisted Fate happened to be in the bad luck charm's terrain... Bad things and misfortune followed Kofuku like the plague, as a goddess of misfortune. Unluckily, one of Zim's false contacts suddenly seemed like it might fall out.​

Twisted Fate was known for his supernatural luck, so it was unknown as to what would happen if Kofuku's aura of misfortune collided with T.F's aura of fortune.

This can't be good.​

"SILENCE FOOL!!! You will not command me!!! I AM ZIM!!! AND I WILL NOT BE COMMANDED BY YOU!!!" The alien shrieked even louder than before.​

Zim's shouting was now becoming very irritating. T.F wanted to shove a red card down his throat but didn't want to lose his cool when there was a lady around. He decided to ignore Zim. Instead, he talked to the goddess because he wanted to know more about the situation.

"So... what did you lie about? I'm not sure whether you lied about somethin' crucial or he's just bein' an immature brat."​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"H-Huh?"

Dense as Shiki Tohno could have been, he was capable of at least taking a hint. Well, most of the time anyway. Initially more surprised by the sudden rise in volume from Ilona rather than what she actually said, the young man couldn't help but blink and step back for a moment, before taking in what she really had to say about his comments.

"U-Uhm, M-Miss Ilona, I..." The bespectacled boy stammered, clearly taken aback, "That's not--"

"Ahem."

And before anything could be made of it, Kyoko Kirigiri appeared, hextress in tow, and evidently unaware of the situation at hand. "Ultimate Detective" indeed.

"Hey. It's time," Kyoko said to Shiki briefly upon appearing before the group, ignoring Tharja continuing to latch on to her, just as she also ignored Anna, still latched to the boy.

"H-Huh? Oh, right... Guess that's my cue then. E-Excuse me really quick, would you all?" Shiki said to the others, eyeing Ilona apologetically in a flash, before giving Kyoko a nod and following the young woman up to the stage in front once she'd turned around and walked up there, the two of them taking to the microphone, which Shiki tapped on it briefly.

And yes, Tharja and Anna were both also on the stage as well, continuing to cling to Kyoko and Shiki respectively, though they seemed too predisposed with other matters to even say anything, let alone realize where they were or care.

"H-Hello, is this thing on? Ah, splendid! Now, with the RPers Awards all done, now we're moving onto... General Games / Events! Will you do the honors of starting us off, Ms. Kirigiri?"

"Please don't yell into the microphone when talking to me."

"Well, I mean, it was also for the audience to hear."

"Why do they need to hear it?"

"Uhh--"

"Anyway, yes, I shall," Kyoko said brusquely, producing some envelopes from inside her jacket and handing some of them to Shiki.

"This first one is for Best Setting. The nominees are as follows."

Bright Falls - Monokuma's Awakening
Coalition Headquarters / Silent Earth Illusion - Civil War
Columbia / Rapture - Restless in Rapture
Gravity Falls - Welcome to the Falls

And with that, Kyoko opened the envelope and read off the certificate for a moment, before finally announcing the winner.

"And the award goes to... Coalition Headquarters / Silent Earth Illusion, as depicted in Civil War," she spoke.

"Hey, that's the big one that we were in!" Shiki exclaimed cheerfully.

"For better or for worse."

Before long, Shiki proceeded to peek over Kyoko's shoulder on a whim to take a look at the certificate, difficult as that task seemed to be with Tharja and Anna in the way, before he raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, but... It just says Silent Earth Illusion."

"I know. We were just in Coalition Headquarters longer so I added that in."

"Did the audience vote for that too or was it only specifically the Silent Earth Illusion?"

"Why are you asking me? Also, everyone can hear you, y'know."

"..."

"Yay, our event," Shiki sighed flatly.

OOC Comments

Wa-hoo.

Anyway uh, yes, I'm glad that people seemed to like the setting for Civil War a good amount, especially all things considered, huh. @Atomyk and I thought it would have been a unique change of pace relatively if we had most of it be set within the Coalition Headquarters, though then again, perhaps that setting was simply reached organically because of how tied we made the event as a whole to the series lore anyway, but it is what it is.

Fun fact, the Silent Earth Illusion idea was implemented fairly late, initially not even supposed to be an illusion at all but rather the real Silent Earth (and yes, Shiki would have still single-handedly destroyed Silent Earth by himself if that were the case), but we decided against it. In any case, yeah, thanks all again. Woo woo.

Clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses, Shiki opened up his envelope, being the one to present the next award. "Anyway, let's see what's next... Aha, here we go. Best Twist. What a twist. The nominees are..."

Diablo was the Arch Demon - Genesis
Lalonde revealed to be possessed by Bill Cipher / Bill is the mastermind - Welcome to the Falls
Monomi revealed as the true killer of Wanda - Monokuma's Awakening
Ocelot's revelation as a triple agent / The Revanchist's infiltration of the Coalition - Civil War

"And the winner is... Hold your applause, it's Diablo's transformation into the Arch Demon, as seen in Genesis!"

"That in itself is a twist. I didn't expect that to win."

"No more surprising than how the Civil War turned out and what transpired in it."

"Let's not talk about that."

"S-Sorry."

OOC Comments

Oh hey, another award. I guess that's the perks of bein' a GM pretty often.

I'm actually personally surprised this was even nominated, let alone the winner, considering how we kept Diablo's very existence a secret (aside from some side mentions every now and then that we thought flew over people's heads) until the end for the most part, but hey, I guess it wouldn't be a real retro MG without something to do with the Arch Demon. Of course, @Atomyk and I can't take all the credit for it, because in another plot twist in of itself, the one who originally conceived the rough idea was @Jeremi.

We mostly came up with it just as a final way of sealing the coffin and the lore by retroactively retconning it so that the Arch Demon was always just, in fact, Diablo. Or rather, in other words, just another fandom villain, because of reasons. Reasons that I'm sure people can at least guess, eh? But hey, nice. People actually read my addendum.

"So what's next on the list then, Kirigiri-san?"

"Best Afterlife, evidently," Kyoko said, deciding not to beat around the bush, already on her way to opening the next envelope and reading off it, "The nominees are as follows."

The War of the Universe - Welcome to the Falls - Restless in Rapture - Genesis

"And the winner is... Welcome to the Falls."

"What? Space Jam didn't even get nominated?" Shiki laughed jokingly, though Kyoko only gave a glare.

"I'll kill you."

"S-Sorry. Again."

OOC Comments

While I don't have a personal account of how the afterlife went since ol' Koyomi and Shinobu weren't murdered, I suppose it's only natural with an all-star GM like @Atomyk handling the reigns, and those helping him. Congrats.

Without missing a beat, as though having already gotten a hang of it, Shiki pulled out the next envelope following Kyoko. "Alright, this next one goes out to... Best Game! Oh, boy, the big one now. The nominees are...!"

Welcome to the Falls - Monokuma's Awakening - Civil War - Genesis

"And the winner is... Genesis!"

OOC Comments

>mfw @Atomyk was involved with every one of the nominated games

>mfw I was involved with half alongside him and one of which was the winner

---

No but seriously, uh, phew. Genesis was something else. Probably more in a good way than a bad way.

See, not that I probably made much of an effort to hide it, but Civil War proved to be quite draining, and both of us wondered if we were up to GMing another MG right after it, but hey, we figured what the hell. Maybe the community would like it if we returned to the most basic formula that the Murder Games started with, especially after every event since Rapture doing something to shake up the formula and experiment. After all, experiments are fun and all, but the fundamentals are the fundamentals. Or something like that.

In any case, we were right. Simple turned out to be better. And yet for some reason, I personally found myself a little surprised, but hey, I'll take it. Of course, in the end, Atom and I were left deader than ever once Genesis was over, but at least some good came out of it.

... I think.

At least I'm done GMing. For now. For not very long probably. Duty calls, after all.

"Shame there isn't a category for Best Tale this time around."

"Yes. What a shame indeed," Kyoko said sarcastically, before taking a sigh and opening the next envelope, "This next award is for... Best Ending. The nominations go to..."

Welcome to the Falls - Restless in Rapture - Civil War - Genesis

"And the winner of this award is... Genesis, once again."

"Huh. Guess people really liked that one."

"Well, I mean, you are just about the only person that Civil War ended well for, if that's what you were implying."

"... That's true."

OOC Comments

I can't hold all these awards.

Ah, yeah. I got nothing new to add. Just glad Genesis ended up well-received as it was. I suppose we did put rather a lot of work into the ending of Genesis, what with the sizable final chapter - epilogue and all the addendums that we had to write up, all of which I'm surprised people even read at all, but hey, niiice.

Also I guess it's not like anything can beat an ending where Alice Twilight becomes a farmer.

Still waiting for that epilogue, @Yun Lee.

"I still think we really ought to get a new mascot for the Murder Series to put on the certificates."

"What, you don't like the bear?"

"I really don't like the bear."

...

"A-Anyway, next up! Best Chapter! Let's see what this one is!" Shiki exclaimed awkwardly with a cough, before reading out the letter, "Nominees in question are...!"


School Daze - Monokuma's Awakening, First Chapter
Fire Walk With Me - Monokuma's Awakening, Third Chapter
Self-Realization - Civil War, Fourth Chapter
Divided We Stand - Civil War, Final Chapter

"And the winner for Best Chapter is... Self-Realization, as seen in Civil War!"

OOC Comments

I'M DROWNING IN AWARDS.

I always personally thought this chapter, at least the beginning, was a little bit of a mess, especially since the idea was mostly mine that I wanted to shove in, but I still really wanted to do it, while Atomyk was a little more ambivalent to the idea lol. I know it's become practically a cliche in the Murder Series now with the "find yourself and be all existential and shit" tropes also being done in Fusion and The Ultimate Game, but I always love a good excuse to make introspection moments and really take a look inside the characters' heads.

Of course, I suppose the second half of the chapter isn't anything to scoff at either, with the group having to take back the Coalition Headquarters from Umbrella. Obligatory cameo from Spider-Gwen was fun to do too, and finally wrapping up the Umbrella Arc that had been sorta unresolved ever since The Ties That Bind was sorta refreshing too. Wonder if that's the last of Resident Evil that we'll see in the MGs though.

"Next up, on the other hand, Weirdest Chapter. Nominees are..."

A Whole New World - Welcome to the Falls, Chapter 3
Beautiful Nightmares - Welcome to the Falls, Chapter 4
Self-Realization - Civil War, Chapter 4
United We Fall - Civil War, Chapter 5

"And the winner is... Beautiful Nightmares, as seen in Welcome to the Falls."

OOC Comments

I personally don't remember much about this chapter since I was busy being dead for the event evidently, according to my post count in the event which was apparently not as big as my post count in other events, but I'm sure it was a grand ol' time. Congrats, @Midnight Maiden.

"And for the last category before we have a small little intermission, and in turn before presenting the rest of the General Games Awards, we have... Best Game Prologue!" Shiki announced, before clearing his throat, "The nominees are..."

Welcome to the Falls - Monokuma's Awakening - Civil War - Genesis

"I'm starting to sense a pattern here."

"Well, you are the detective. And the winner is... Civil War!"

"Now that, I'm admittedly surprised by."

"I guess people prefer their lore in smaller / initial doses."

OOC Comments

Phew.

Yeah, nothing new to add here. Thankies for the award and all as always.

Taking a bow, Shiki cleared his throat. "Thank you very much! Please stand by, and we'll get around to presenting the final set of Games General Awards after this intermission! In the meantime, winners, please pick up your awards!"

...

Crickets.

"Oh yeah. I guess most of the awards go to us by proxy."

"I'll get the Best Afterlife one to Ms. Lalonde."

With Kyoko also taking a bow, the two of them momentarily stepped off the stage, Shiki notably letting out a drawn out sigh as he pursed his lips upon laying his eyes on Ilona again.​

Back at the bar, a certain seductress smiled pleasantly where she remained sat atop the bar top, happily swinging her legs over the edge of it before hopping down, smirking at Michiko and Hatchin, as well as Lucifer and Jason as she did. "Please do wait a moment. I'll be back shortly," she assured, beginning to sashay out with a wink over her shoulder at Qrow and Roman as she passed by, before making her way to the stage, happily grabbing her Weirdest Chapter Award from company with a wink. "Thank you, thank you."

And then back to the bar she went, hopping right up on the counter.

"...Now then. Where were we, hm?"

@Ringmaster @C.T. @Takumi @LuckycoolHawk9 @thatguyinthestore @Bar​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

Amidst the chaos going on with Kofuku, Zim, and Twisted Fate... a certain esper finally returned through his quick trek through time to deliver the award for that one yandere roleplayer.

"KOFUKU-CHANNNN!!!"

Esper yelled out at his "Kofuku-chan," leaping out of time rift to glomp her as a surprise.

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Otto​

 

[C.T.]

Elsewhere in the building...

"..."

"..."

"You must be joking."

"Nope, noooooooooooot at all, me. Other me. Every word I said is 100% true. And I gotta say, I don't miss my old guns at all. Shiro and Kuro are way better. More fun explosions, more cool lights and there's not a single thing Vi can do about it."

"You look like you got your sorry butt thrown out of some costume contest with what little scraps they had left."

"I'm better than you."

"Better at being embarrassing, maybe." She snorted.

"That all you got? Words?"

Itchy trigger fingers all around. Not good.

​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"SILENCE FOOL!!! You will not command me!!! I AM ZIM!!! AND I WILL NOT BE COMMANDED BY YOU!!!" The alien shrieked even louder than before.

Zim then felt his contact begin to fall out, to which he grabbed it and tried to keep it in. "Gah!!" He uttered before making one assumption about this god...

@Midnight Maiden @Otto​

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore​

Despite being a bit harsh to the small alien a few seconds ago, Twisted Fate smiled again when the goddess had greeted him. He quickly nodded his head before saying,
"Howdy."​

Twisted Fate was known for his supernatural luck, so it was unknown as to what would happen if Kofuku's aura of misfortune collided with T.F's aura of fortune.
This can't be good.​

Zim's shouting was now becoming very irritating. T.F wanted to shove a red card down his throat but didn't want to lose his cool when there was a lady around. He decided to ignore Zim. Instead, he talked to the goddess because he wanted to know more about the situation.

"So... what did you lie about? I'm not sure whether you lied about somethin' crucial or he's just bein' an immature brat."​

Amidst the chaos going on with Kofuku, Zim, and Twisted Fate... a certain esper finally returned through his quick trek through time to deliver the award for that one yandere roleplayer.

"KOFUKU-CHANNNN!!!"

Esper yelled out at his "Kofuku-chan," leaping out of time rift to glomp her as a surprise.

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Otto​

"Robot bee...?" Kofuku repeated, confusedly, before blinking owlishly and pouting at Twisted Fate's words. "Aww, but I didn't lie about anything," she whined, almost childishly, looking slightly upset. "I'm a god. Kofuku Ebisu," she spoke, truthfully. "...But it makes sense you wouldn't believe me. Humans can be so close minded sometimes... Not to mention, my world was destroyed, and without wishes to grant people forget about me. The others, too," she admitted, shoulders seeming to sag briefly at that fact. But, as upset as she seemed, just as she was about to say more....

"...Eh?" was all she could mutter as a rift suddenly opened up nearby, blinking with surprise as suddenly, something came flying at her at high speeds with even higher force, tackling her rather petite figure to the ground. But as the form impacted with her, just as she began to fall from the hit, she laughed cheerfully and exclaimed as she fell.

"Addy-channnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn~!"

THUNK

"..."

"Owieeee...."

@Gummi Bunnies @thatguyinthestore @Otto​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"H-Huh?"

Dense as Shiki Tohno could have been, he was capable of at least taking a hint. Well, most of the time anyway. Initially more surprised by the sudden rise in volume from Ilona rather than what she actually said, the young man couldn't help but blink and step back for a moment, before taking in what she really had to say about his comments.

"U-Uhm, M-Miss Ilona, I..." The bespectacled boy stammered, clearly taken aback, "That's not--"

"Ahem."

And before anything could be made of it, Kyoko Kirigiri appeared, hextress in tow, and evidently unaware of the situation at hand. "Ultimate Detective" indeed.

"Hey. It's time," Kyoko said to Shiki briefly upon appearing before the group, ignoring Tharja continuing to latch on to her, just as she also ignored Anna, still latched to the boy.

"H-Huh? Oh, right... Guess that's my cue then. E-Excuse me really quick, would you all?" Shiki said to the others, eyeing Ilona apologetically in a flash, before giving Kyoko a nod and following the young woman up to the stage in front once she'd turned around and walked up there, the two of them taking to the microphone, which Shiki tapped on it briefly.

And yes, Tharja and Anna were both also on the stage as well, continuing to cling to Kyoko and Shiki respectively, though they seemed too predisposed with other matters to even say anything, let alone realize where they were or care.

"H-Hello, is this thing on? Ah, splendid! Now, with the RPers Awards all done, now we're moving onto... General Games / Events! Will you do the honors of starting us off, Ms. Kirigiri?"

"Please don't yell into the microphone when talking to me."

"Well, I mean, it was also for the audience to hear."

"Why do they need to hear it?"

"Uhh--"

"Anyway, yes, I shall," Kyoko said brusquely, producing some envelopes from inside her jacket and handing some of them to Shiki.

"This first one is for Best Setting. The nominees are as follows."

Bright Falls - Monokuma's Awakening
Coalition Headquarters / Silent Earth Illusion - Civil War
Columbia / Rapture - Restless in Rapture
Gravity Falls - Welcome to the Falls

And with that, Kyoko opened the envelope and read off the certificate for a moment, before finally announcing the winner.

"And the award goes to... Coalition Headquarters / Silent Earth Illusion, as depicted in Civil War," she spoke.

"Hey, that's the big one that we were in!" Shiki exclaimed cheerfully.

"For better or for worse."

Before long, Shiki proceeded to peek over Kyoko's shoulder on a whim to take a look at the certificate, difficult as that task seemed to be with Tharja and Anna in the way, before he raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, but... It just says Silent Earth Illusion."

"I know. We were just in Coalition Headquarters longer so I added that in."

"Did the audience vote for that too or was it only specifically the Silent Earth Illusion?"

"Why are you asking me? Also, everyone can hear you, y'know."

"..."

"Yay, our event," Shiki sighed flatly.

OOC Comments

Wa-hoo.

Anyway uh, yes, I'm glad that people seemed to like the setting for Civil War a good amount, especially all things considered, huh. @Atomyk and I thought it would have been a unique change of pace relatively if we had most of it be set within the Coalition Headquarters, though then again, perhaps that setting was simply reached organically because of how tied we made the event as a whole to the series lore anyway, but it is what it is.

Fun fact, the Silent Earth Illusion idea was implemented fairly late, initially not even supposed to be an illusion at all but rather the real Silent Earth (and yes, Shiki would have still single-handedly destroyed Silent Earth by himself if that were the case), but we decided against it. In any case, yeah, thanks all again. Woo woo.

Clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses, Shiki opened up his envelope, being the one to present the next award. "Anyway, let's see what's next... Aha, here we go. Best Twist. What a twist. The nominees are..."

Diablo was the Arch Demon - Genesis
Lalonde revealed to be possessed by Bill Cipher / Bill is the mastermind - Welcome to the Falls
Monomi revealed as the true killer of Wanda - Monokuma's Awakening
Ocelot's revelation as a triple agent / The Revanchist's infiltration of the Coalition - Civil War

"And the winner is... Hold your applause, it's Diablo's transformation into the Arch Demon, as seen in Genesis!"

"That in itself is a twist. I didn't expect that to win."

"No more surprising than how the Civil War turned out and what transpired in it."

"Let's not talk about that."

"S-Sorry."

OOC Comments

Oh hey, another award. I guess that's the perks of bein' a GM pretty often.

I'm actually personally surprised this was even nominated, let alone the winner, considering how we kept Diablo's very existence a secret (aside from some side mentions every now and then that we thought flew over people's heads) until the end for the most part, but hey, I guess it wouldn't be a real retro MG without something to do with the Arch Demon. Of course, @Atomyk and I can't take all the credit for it, because in another plot twist in of itself, the one who originally conceived the rough idea was @Jeremi.

We mostly came up with it just as a final way of sealing the coffin and the lore by retroactively retconning it so that the Arch Demon was always just, in fact, Diablo. Or rather, in other words, just another fandom villain, because of reasons. Reasons that I'm sure people can at least guess, eh? But hey, nice. People actually read my addendum.

"So what's next on the list then, Kirigiri-san?"

"Best Afterlife, evidently," Kyoko said, deciding not to beat around the bush, already on her way to opening the next envelope and reading off it, "The nominees are as follows."

The War of the Universe - Welcome to the Falls - Restless in Rapture - Genesis

"And the winner is... Welcome to the Falls."

"What? Space Jam didn't even get nominated?" Shiki laughed jokingly, though Kyoko only gave a glare.

"I'll kill you."

"S-Sorry. Again."

OOC Comments

While I don't have a personal account of how the afterlife went since ol' Koyomi and Shinobu weren't murdered, I suppose it's only natural with an all-star GM like @Atomyk handling the reigns, and those helping him. Congrats.

Without missing a beat, as though having already gotten a hang of it, Shiki pulled out the next envelope following Kyoko. "Alright, this next one goes out to... Best Game! Oh, boy, the big one now. The nominees are...!"

Welcome to the Falls - Monokuma's Awakening - Civil War - Genesis

"And the winner is... Genesis!"

OOC Comments

>mfw @Atomyk was involved with every one of the nominated games

>mfw I was involved with half alongside him and one of which was the winner

---

No but seriously, uh, phew. Genesis was something else. Probably more in a good way than a bad way.

See, not that I probably made much of an effort to hide it, but Civil War proved to be quite draining, and both of us wondered if we were up to GMing another MG right after it, but hey, we figured what the hell. Maybe the community would like it if we returned to the most basic formula that the Murder Games started with, especially after every event since Rapture doing something to shake up the formula and experiment. After all, experiments are fun and all, but the fundamentals are the fundamentals. Or something like that.

In any case, we were right. Simple turned out to be better. And yet for some reason, I personally found myself a little surprised, but hey, I'll take it. Of course, in the end, Atom and I were left deader than ever once Genesis was over, but at least some good came out of it.

... I think.

At least I'm done GMing. For now. For not very long probably. Duty calls, after all.

"Shame there isn't a category for Best Tale this time around."

"Yes. What a shame indeed," Kyoko said sarcastically, before taking a sigh and opening the next envelope, "This next award is for... Best Ending. The nominations go to..."

Welcome to the Falls - Restless in Rapture - Civil War - Genesis

"And the winner of this award is... Genesis, once again."

"Huh. Guess people really liked that one."

"Well, I mean, you are just about the only person that Civil War ended well for, if that's what you were implying."

"... That's true."

OOC Comments

I can't hold all these awards.

Ah, yeah. I got nothing new to add. Just glad Genesis ended up well-received as it was. I suppose we did put rather a lot of work into the ending of Genesis, what with the sizable final chapter - epilogue and all the addendums that we had to write up, all of which I'm surprised people even read at all, but hey, niiice.

Also I guess it's not like anything can beat an ending where Alice Twilight becomes a farmer.

Still waiting for that epilogue, @Yun Lee.

"I still think we really ought to get a new mascot for the Murder Series to put on the certificates."

"What, you don't like the bear?"

"I really don't like the bear."

...

"A-Anyway, next up! Best Chapter! Let's see what this one is!" Shiki exclaimed awkwardly with a cough, before reading out the letter, "Nominees in question are...!"


School Daze - Monokuma's Awakening, First Chapter
Fire Walk With Me - Monokuma's Awakening, Third Chapter
Self-Realization - Civil War, Fourth Chapter
Divided We Stand - Civil War, Final Chapter

"And the winner for Best Chapter is... Self-Realization, as seen in Civil War!"

OOC Comments

I'M DROWNING IN AWARDS.

I always personally thought this chapter, at least the beginning, was a little bit of a mess, especially since the idea was mostly mine that I wanted to shove in, but I still really wanted to do it, while Atomyk was a little more ambivalent to the idea lol. I know it's become practically a cliche in the Murder Series now with the "find yourself and be all existential and shit" tropes also being done in Fusion and The Ultimate Game, but I always love a good excuse to make introspection moments and really take a look inside the characters' heads.

Of course, I suppose the second half of the chapter isn't anything to scoff at either, with the group having to take back the Coalition Headquarters from Umbrella. Obligatory cameo from Spider-Gwen was fun to do too, and finally wrapping up the Umbrella Arc that had been sorta unresolved ever since The Ties That Bind was sorta refreshing too. Wonder if that's the last of Resident Evil that we'll see in the MGs though.

"Next up, on the other hand, Weirdest Chapter. Nominees are..."

A Whole New World - Welcome to the Falls, Chapter 3
Beautiful Nightmares - Welcome to the Falls, Chapter 4
Self-Realization - Civil War, Chapter 4
United We Fall - Civil War, Chapter 5

"And the winner is... Beautiful Nightmares, as seen in Welcome to the Falls."

OOC Comments

I personally don't remember much about this chapter since I was busy being dead for the event evidently, according to my post count in the event which was apparently not as big as my post count in other events, but I'm sure it was a grand ol' time. Congrats, @Midnight Maiden.

"And for the last category before we have a small little intermission, and in turn before presenting the rest of the General Games Awards, we have... Best Game Prologue!" Shiki announced, before clearing his throat, "The nominees are..."

Welcome to the Falls - Monokuma's Awakening - Civil War - Genesis

"I'm starting to sense a pattern here."

"Well, you are the detective. And the winner is... Civil War!"

"Now that, I'm admittedly surprised by."

"I guess people prefer their lore in smaller / initial doses."

OOC Comments

Phew.

Yeah, nothing new to add here. Thankies for the award and all as always.

Taking a bow, Shiki cleared his throat. "Thank you very much! Please stand by, and we'll get around to presenting the final set of Games General Awards after this intermission! In the meantime, winners, please pick up your awards!"

...

Crickets.

"Oh yeah. I guess most of the awards go to us by proxy."

"I'll get the Best Afterlife one to Ms. Lalonde."

With Kyoko also taking a bow, the two of them momentarily stepped off the stage, Shiki notably letting out a drawn out sigh as he pursed his lips upon laying his eyes on Ilona again.​

"As well as ever. I hope you've been the same."

Sakuya replied with a slight bow, though halfway through she was suddenly wrapped up in a quick hug. Adapting quickly, she managed to return the gesture and offered a smile.

"I understand. Little gatherings like this can be a lot of fun, right?" When Ilona started talking about sending letters, Sakuya merely nodded. "It would be no bother. Miss Remilia doesn't mind mail to the mansion anyway. Though I guess I'm the one who always picks it up anyway...?"

"Achoo!"

Somewhere near snacks and cookies, Remilia sneezed.

She only listened for a little while before Ilona suddenly came out with what could only really be interpreted as a confession. Shiki was immediately dragged away to do the Awards that they were all here for, but from where she stood it almost looked like running away.

Maybe it was. Who knew?

"Looks like you've left him speechless, Ilona."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Midnight Maiden @Verite @Takumi @Mason Moretti @DBZ7​

Well, this was bad.

Ilona wasn't sure how the situation could've gone worse, but then it happened: Shiki got dragged away to help present the next set of awards. Oh, how she wanted to vanish from existence! Suddenly, she longed for her teleportation abilities to take her anywhere else, but they didn't seem to be functioning. Yes, you can certainly trust that she tried with all her might to teleport.

Why do I have such a big mouth!?

Shamefaced and undoubtedly miserable, Ilona finally dropped her gaze to the ground. She refused to look up, missing any initial looks Shiki would give her while the presentation took place. Although she wanted to converse more with Sakuya, at this point every last drop of social motivation left the girl.

"He probably hates me, huh?" Ilona half-heartedly questioned Sakuya.

"....."

"I-It's okay, you don't need to answer that. Please excuse me for a moment. I'm going to put these flowers in water so I don't ruin them just as I ruined that encounter..."

Turning, Ilona walked toward a table nearby and stuck her sunflowers in a vase along with some other flowers. She then took a seat at the table, putting her head in her hands.

I thought I was done creating accidental explosions, but I most assuredly just blew it!

@Kaykay @Verite @Midnight Maiden @Takumi @Mason Moretti @DBZ7​

 

[Takumi]

An awkward silence would probably follow as Jaffar thought over his next words carefully. After about a minute or so Jaffar looked at Azura again to speak.

"I can't explain but.... I was given a second chance at life.... A second chance....to protect her..." Jaffar spoke up in his usual emotionless voice

@Takumi
​

"The fact you've been given a second chance is a wonderful thing, and whoever you plan to protect, she is a lucky woman." she replied to her friend.

@Crimson Spartan
-----------

Well, this was bad.

Ilona wasn't sure how the situation could've gone worse, but then it happened: Shiki got dragged away to help present the next set of awards. Oh, how she wanted to vanish from existence! Suddenly, she longed for her teleportation abilities to take her anywhere else, but they didn't seem to be functioning. Yes, you can certainly trust that she tried with all her might to teleport.

Why do I have such a big mouth!?

Shamefaced and undoubtedly miserable, Ilona finally dropped her gaze to the ground. She refused to look up, missing any initial looks Shiki would give her while the presentation took place. Although she wanted to converse more with Sakuya, at this point every last drop of social motivation left the girl.

"He probably hates me, huh?" Ilona half-heartedly questioned Sakuya.

"....."

"I-It's okay, you don't need to answer that. Please excuse me for a moment. I'm going to put these flowers in water so I don't ruin them just as I ruined that encounter..."

Turning, Ilona walked toward a table nearby and stuck her sunflowers in a vase along with some other flowers. She then took a seat at the table, putting her head in her hands.

I thought I was done creating accidental explosions, but I most assuredly just blew it!

@Kaykay @Verite @Midnight Maiden @Takumi @Mason Moretti @DBZ7​

As Cheza smiled towards Ryan and told her that it was a nice name Toboe's keen hearing picked up Ilona's seemingly sad tone, but not her words. Turning to find the princess he spotted her and approached, taking on his wolf form to better comfort her.

"...?"

He gave a small huff and nugded her gently with his nose, but would leave her be if she wanted time to herself. Otherwise she was stuck with him.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Verite @Midnight Maiiden @Kaykay @Mason Moretti @DBZ7
-----------

Back at the bar, a certain seductress smiled pleasantly where she remained sat atop the bar top, happily swinging her legs over the edge of it before hopping down, smirking at Michiko and Hatchin, as well as Lucifer and Jason as she did. "Please do wait a moment. I'll be back shortly," she assured, beginning to sashay out with a wink over her shoulder at Qrow and Roman as she passed by, before making her way to the stage, happily grabbing her Weirdest Chapter Award from company with a wink. "Thank you, thank you."

And then back to the bar she went, hopping right up on the counter.

"...Now then. Where were we, hm?"

@Ringmaster @C.T. @Takumi @LuckycoolHawk9 @thatguyinthestore @Bar​

Michiko just glared at Reverse Mable and Hatchin focused on her churro so she wouldn't have to look at her.

"You were getting me another drink out of the kindness out of that place where your heart is supposed to be." Michiko yawned.

@Midnight Maiden @Ringmaster @Otto @C.T. @thatguyinthestore @LuckycoolHawk9 @bar peeps

 

[thatguyinthestore]

"Robot bee...?" Kofuku repeated, confusedly, before blinking owlishly and pouting at Twisted Fate's words. "Aww, but I didn't lie about anything," she whined, almost childishly, looking slightly upset. "I'm a god. Kofuku Ebisu," she spoke, truthfully. "...But it makes sense you wouldn't believe me. Humans can be so close minded sometimes... Not to mention, my world was destroyed, and without wishes to grant people forget about me. The others, too," she admitted, shoulders seeming to sag briefly at that fact. But, as upset as she seemed, just as she was about to say more....

"...Eh?" was all she could mutter as a rift suddenly opened up nearby, blinking with surprise as suddenly, something came flying at her at high speeds with even higher force, tackling her rather petite figure to the ground. But as the form impacted with her, just as she began to fall from the hit, she laughed cheerfully and exclaimed as she fell.

"Addy-channnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn~!"

THUNK

"..."

"Owieeee...."

@Gummi Bunnies @thatguyinthestore @Otto​

Amidst the chaos going on with Kofuku, Zim, and Twisted Fate... a certain esper finally returned through his quick trek through time to deliver the award for that one yandere roleplayer.

"KOFUKU-CHANNNN!!!"

Esper yelled out at his "Kofuku-chan," leaping out of time rift to glomp her as a surprise.

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore @Otto​

@Midnight Maiden @thatguyinthestore​

Despite being a bit harsh to the small alien a few seconds ago, Twisted Fate smiled again when the goddess had greeted him. He quickly nodded his head before saying,

"Howdy."​

Twisted Fate was known for his supernatural luck, so it was unknown as to what would happen if Kofuku's aura of misfortune collided with T.F's aura of fortune.

This can't be good.​

Zim's shouting was now becoming very irritating. T.F wanted to shove a red card down his throat but didn't want to lose his cool when there was a lady around. He decided to ignore Zim. Instead, he talked to the goddess because he wanted to know more about the situation.

"So... what did you lie about? I'm not sure whether you lied about somethin' crucial or he's just bein' an immature brat."​

Zim first turned to Twisted Fate and balled up his tiny Irken fist.

"Watch your mouth, filthy card boy! Zim is no immature brat!" The alien scoffed at his remark. Then, Zim turned to Kofuku and sighed. "If you are a god then prove it. Do something that only a god would be able to do!" He said, still doubting her abilities.

He wasn't even going to respond to the sudden new boy. Zim had enough shit to worry about.

@Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Midnight Maiden​

 

[Verite]

Well, this was bad.

Ilona wasn't sure how the situation could've gone worse, but then it happened: Shiki got dragged away to help present the next set of awards. Oh, how she wanted to vanish from existence! Suddenly, she longed for her teleportation abilities to take her anywhere else, but they didn't seem to be functioning. Yes, you can certainly trust that she tried with all her might to teleport.

Why do I have such a big mouth!?

Shamefaced and undoubtedly miserable, Ilona finally dropped her gaze to the ground. She refused to look up, missing any initial looks Shiki would give her while the presentation took place. Although she wanted to converse more with Sakuya, at this point every last drop of social motivation left the girl.

"He probably hates me, huh?" Ilona half-heartedly questioned Sakuya.

"....."

"I-It's okay, you don't need to answer that. Please excuse me for a moment. I'm going to put these flowers in water so I don't ruin them just as I ruined that encounter..."

Turning, Ilona walked toward a table nearby and stuck her sunflowers in a vase along with some other flowers. She then took a seat at the table, putting her head in her hands.

I thought I was done creating accidental explosions, but I most assuredly just blew it! ​

"Believe it or not, behind my friend Arcueid's idea of greeting me seeming to be jumping on my back and pressing her chest against it every day, you might only be the second least subtle about how you feel."

A half-joking tone came Ilona's way as an all-too familiar presence walked over next to her, now that the intermission was in session for the awards. Adjusting his glasses briefly, Shiki let out a soft laugh. Fortunately for the two of them, Anna seemed to be gone now, evidently pushed off for now.

"Y'know, the world can be a scary place. People will hate you for what you are or what you aren't, regardless of what you do or don't do. And in this lonely universe, sometimes, all we have are the connections we make, and we need to make them as deep and meaningful as possible," Shiki spoke gently, like he would a little sister, "Even if it's scary."

"Way back when... Moreso than Arcueid or my sister or the maids ever could, I think Mikasa liked me for who I was a lot as well. There was nothing about us but who we were. And it just... clicked. Of course, things didn't turn out so well, and... After that, without even realizing it, I had become too scared to let people like me for who I am. You really did surprise me, y'know? Even after all that I've grown, I suppose there are still some things I'm not immediately ready to hear, but I mean... It's not like I'll shy away from it. Running's become tiring after all, so why don't we walk down this road together?" He inquired with a small, reassuring laugh.

"You do mean a lot to me, Ilona. Even if I might not have known you for nearly as long as I would have liked, you're... ah, important to me, I suppose is the phrase," he coughed, "I could go on about how maybe you're the one good thing out of millions of bad things that the Murder Games created, or how your existence is a piece of proof that such a ray of hope can be created from such a situation, or that the two of us are essentially the two remaining links to the beginning of the Murder Games, well, besides those people from Genesis anyway, but... The unadulterated truth is that I care for you, and you're important to me not just because of all that, not just because you've been through a lot, but... Because you're you. And there's no one quite like you, who's you like you," Shiki said, gently yet playfully poking Ilona's forehead briefly.

"I'm... sorry that I can't entirely give you what you want, but I really do appreciate your feelings. From the bottom of my heart," he continued, sheepishly adjusting his glasses once again, "So ah, you're not gonna hate me for this, right?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Lissamel]

Marco quite enjoyed RBG's story. It was a sweet little one, definitely shorter than his own, and had a bittersweet ending.

"I'm sorry about your um... your loss." Marco said with a sigh. He didn't know what it was like to lose someone, so Marco couldn't exactly sympathize with the talking television set. That didn't mean that Marco didn't have empathy however. "Who knows? She might still be out there." Marco said in an attempt to brighten the mood.

@Lissamel​

There was a beat as RGB listened to more awards being handed out. Welcome to the Falls--His antennae twitched as he heard that. Falls...Gravity Falls? He muttered something under his breath. That's where he'd been. What an interesting awards show, indeed.

He snapped back to reality, shaking his head. "...Madras is still around. Haven't the time to be with her. My concerns are with Hero." But then his voice dropped, and he muttered, "Well, she was around the last time I saw her, though then again..."

"...Let's perhaps not consider the alternative. Still, while we're talking, I do wish you and your girlfriend well. Many happy returns, and the like."

RGB really needed to stop bringing down the mood. Wasn't good for anybody, really.

[ @thatguyinthestore ]​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

There was a beat as RGB listened to more awards being handed out. Welcome to the Falls--His antennae twitched as he heard that. Falls...Gravity Falls? He muttered something under his breath. That's where he'd been. What an interesting awards show, indeed.

He snapped back to reality, shaking his head. "...Madras is still around. Haven't the time to be with her. My concerns are with Hero." But then his voice dropped, and he muttered, "Well, she was around the last time I saw her, though then again..."

"...Let's perhaps not consider the alternative. Still, while we're talking, I do wish you and your girlfriend well. Many happy returns, and the like."

RGB really needed to stop bringing down the mood. Wasn't good for anybody, really.

[ @thatguyinthestore ]​

"Thanks." Marco said with a smile towards RGB. He felt sorry for him and his girlfriend. I mean how could he not? He didn't know what he would do if he had lost Star. She was almost everything to him; and it was probably vice versa with Star as well. She was pretty much his main priority at this point. " It's nice to know that someone else cares." He stated. He did have people that cared about them, of course. Janna and Jackie both cared about them, and of course his parents did too. It was just refreshing to hear someone say it out loud.

@Lissamel​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Believe it or not, behind my friend Arcueid's idea of greeting me seeming to be jumping on my back and pressing her chest against it every day, you might only be the second least subtle about how you feel."

A half-joking tone came Ilona's way as an all-too familiar presence walked over next to her, now that the intermission was in session for the awards. Adjusting his glasses briefly, Shiki let out a soft laugh. Fortunately for the two of them, Anna seemed to be gone now, evidently pushed off for now.

"Y'know, the world can be a scary place. People will hate you for what you are or what you aren't, regardless of what you do or don't do. And in this lonely universe, sometimes, all we have are the connections we make, and we need to make them as deep and meaningful as possible," Shiki spoke gently, like he would a little sister, "Even if it's scary."

"Way back when... Moreso than Arcueid or my sister or the maids ever could, I think Mikasa liked me for who I was a lot as well. There was nothing about us but who we were. And it just... clicked. Of course, things didn't turn out so well, and... After that, without even realizing it, I had become too scared to let people like me for who I am. You really did surprise me, y'know? Even after all that I've grown, I suppose there are still some things I'm not immediately ready to hear, but I mean... It's not like I'll shy away from it. Running's become tiring after all, so why don't we walk down this road together?" He inquired with a small, reassuring laugh.

"You do mean a lot to me, Ilona. Even if I might not have known you for nearly as long as I would have liked, you're... ah, important to me, I suppose is the phrase," he coughed, "I could go on about how maybe you're the one good thing out of millions of bad things that the Murder Games created, or how your existence is a piece of proof that such a ray of hope can be created from such a situation, or that the two of us are essentially the two remaining links to the beginning of the Murder Games, well, besides those people from Genesis anyway, but... The unadulterated truth is that I care for you, and you're important to me not just because of all that, not just because you've been through a lot, but... Because you're you. And there's no one quite like you, who's you like you," Shiki said, gently yet playfully poking Ilona's forehead briefly.

"I'm... sorry that I can't entirely give you what you want, but I really do appreciate your feelings. From the bottom of my heart," he continued, sheepishly adjusting his glasses once again, "So ah, you're not gonna hate me for this, right?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

"The fact you've been given a second chance is a wonderful thing, and whoever you plan to protect, she is a lucky woman." she replied to her friend.

@Crimson Spartan
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As Cheza smiled towards Ryan and told her that it was a nice name Toboe's keen hearing picked up Ilona's seemingly sad tone, but not her words. Turning to find the princess he spotted her and approached, taking on his wolf form to better comfort her.

"...?"

He gave a small huff and nugded her gently with his nose, but would leave her be if she wanted time to herself. Otherwise she was stuck with him.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Verite @Midnight Maiiden @Kaykay @Mason Moretti @DBZ7
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Michiko just glared at Reverse Mable and Hatchin focused on her churro so she wouldn't have to look at her.

"You were getting me another drink out of the kindness out of that place where your heart is supposed to be." Michiko yawned.

@Midnight Maiden @Ringmaster @Otto @C.T. @thatguyinthestore @LuckycoolHawk9 @bar peeps

Trying to compose herself, Ilona dropped her chin against the table and massaged her temples. If she was lucky, maybe Shiki would give her a few minutes to process everything that had happened. She kept her guard up, however, worried he would approach. And, at first, he didn't. She would feel a nudge against her back, flinching in response, only to see that this encounter was just a false alarm.

"O-Oh, Sir Toboe, it's only you. Hello, friend," she said softly, reaching out to stroke his head. "Do you sense I'm distressed? Well, fear not, any distress is due to a blunder that is mine alone to bear... as are most of my life's circumstances," she added with a disheartened laugh.

Shortly after speaking with Toboe, another individual would approach. But this time, it wouldn't be a false alarm.

Despite his joking, semi-light tone, Ilona would flinch much harder at the sound of Shiki's voice than she had after Toboe nudged her. Not saying a word while he would talk, she continued to pet Toboe's head as a way to, well, calm her anxiety over the situation. He wasn't being harsh, and she certainly wasn't upset, but Ilona still couldn't help but be embarrassed. She hardly even reacted when she would feel him poke her forehead.

After a little while of letting his words settle, however, the time traveler would relaxed her shoulders and fold her hands in her lap before picking her chin off the table. She wouldn't be able to look at him right away, but she did manage a smile and a small chuckle.

"Hate you?" Ilona asked, as if it were the most absurd statement she had ever heard in her life. "I was worried you would hate me; I'm glad you don't. I should've figured you wouldn't. You even told me that you care about me just now. As a person and not just because I'm the product of two people you respect from a Murder Game. Although, I feel I should say there is no need to apologize for not giving me what I want. I've... never wanted anything from you." The girl shrugged her shoulders. "How could I ask something of a person who has given me so much already?"

Ilona closed her mouth and fiddled with her hands shyly. Part of her wanted to clam up from this point forward, but considering the fact this was all out in the open already and Shiki was open-minded to the idea of them speaking, she didn't allow herself to quiet down entirely.

"You've stuck up for me when others looked down on me. You tried to cheer me up and inspire me when I felt lower than a human being. You've always been on my side, and fought with every ounce of your spirit during the Civil War just for my sake. And even before all of that I considered you a hero. So, as I said, I feel as if you've given me a lot." Pausing to anxiously play with her hands for a moment Ilona would add, "I think you know, after what I said, that I don't hate you. It's pretty obvious now that hate is far from what I feel when it comes to you."

"And... you've always been the one to say that you understand how I feel, so I'd like to return the favor now. I do understand how you feel, and I accept your feelings. Just as you have, I've lost a lot and I had closed off my heart for fear of losing more. I'm different. Growing up, I never fit in anywhere or related to anyone, but once I met you that feeling changed. It scared me, in fact," she said, chuckling nervously. "My whole way of life before meeting you revolved around detaching from every single acquaintance, friend, and family member I knew because they didn't relate to me and I didn't want to hurt them. But... you're not like the others."

"I looked at you and for the first time saw someone I could relate to, someone I didn't feel I could hurt, and someone I couldn't so easily see my self detaching from. It intrigued me, but frightened me at the same time. That's why I never wanted to tell you. You finding out tonight was more of an accident due to my big mouth," she said, smiling sheepishly. "Accident or not, however, I will use this as an opportunity to present you with proof of what I'm saying."

Reaching into her coat, Ilona would pull out her journal. She sat in on the table in front of her, laying her hand atop it. She brushed her fingers over its leathery surface a couple times before speaking again. "Remember when I said I would write letters to you and all of my other friends after Civil War's end? I did, but I never sent them. I wrote them to help myself feel less alone, but I tore them up afterwards because I still felt certain I should detach from everyone. However, there were letters I couldn't rid myself of: the ones I wrote to you. I kept them. They're all right here in my journal. Day after day I would attempt to talk myself into getting rid of them, but I couldn't. Silly, yes? But I digress; this was the proof I wanted to tell you about. You've been a unique presence in my life, one like no other, and difficult to push away."

Sighing, Ilona added, "Yet, despite all of this, I'm still embarrassed. Shouting at you was never how I intended to express what you mean to me. If I could do it over I would've said..."

Finally looking up from where she had been staring down at the table, Ilona would meet Shiki's gaze. Moving her hand off her journal, she rested it gently over the top of his own, tracing her thumb delicately along his knuckles. "I like you, Shiki, and I care about you because of who you are as a person. It matters not to me that you have money or that you're popular with other women. I don't care if you have a shortened lifespan, an alternate, more sinister personality, or powers of a god. Strip all of those things away, the good and the bad alike, and I would still care for you as much as I already do. That... is the undeniable, complete and absolute truth. And what you choose to do with that truth is fine with me either way. I know you're not ready to hear this now, because of all you've been through, so I respect that and appreciate you listening. But, always remember, I'm on your side no matter what and how I feel is a door I will always keep open should you ever choose to revisit it."

Keeping her hand over his, Ilona would quiet after speaking. Although she had been embarrassed, inwardly, she was now just relieved that they had a chance to talk... and without Anna around.

@Verite​