02.50 - week two, saturday

[afflictionmods]

W2 SATURDAY

Like last Saturday, everyone will get an announcement on their tablets; this time, the announcement is preceded with a bell of some sort before Lorelei appears on the screen again.

"Good morning, everyone. This is an announcement to let you know that today's lesson will take place starting at 8:15 tonight. Again, today's lesson will be starting at 8:15. Please meet at the lower campus exit near the lecture by 8:00pm; Florence will be waiting for you there.

If you have a bag for some snacks and, perhaps, an item you can use for self-defense in the case of an emergency, please arrive with those things on you. We will provide you with an overview of what to expect when you arrive at 8pm.

Thank you."

The alert ends.

You have the day to prepare, ask each other what the hell is happening -- Florence and Lorelei do not seem to be available, strangely enough. There's a lot to take in with the information you have now. But before you know it... night falls.

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[iubar]

[ okay, that's even more sus than feeling negative emotion. ]

So, what's it you're planning to do to immortalize things?

[vivens]

[ why are you so sus?? ]

I haven't decided yet... [ he'll look at the pen in his hand for a moment. ] But I want it to be something permanent. Something that no one can ignore.

[iubar]

[ because this entire place is sus!!! ]

Why would that matter here? [ he steps a bit closer. ] Aren't you already doing that at home?

[vivens]

[ well, if ace wants to step closer that's fine. sabo will gladly welcome it and grab a hold of ace's wrist with his free hand. ]

Home?

[ he'll look at the marks he made on the wall and the ink smears. ]

What I'm doing at home isn't meant to make me be remembered. That's not why we're starting the war.

[iubar]

[ he's not pulling away from that wrist grab.

he does, however, reach out to flick sabo in the forehead. ]

Then why would it matter here?

[vivens]

[ sabo will just take the flick to the head with a smile. ]

Why not here? It's just myself here. Not the Chief of Staff for the army or anything else.

[ ... ]

I'm just me. I can leave something of myself here.

[iubar]

I don't get why this is so important all of a sudden, but... Isn't it enough that you already have people that'll never forget you?

[ he motions around this place. ]

This place doesn't matter.

[vivens]

[ his grip on ace's wrist will tighten. he's completely ignoring the first thing that ace asks of him. ]

Of course it matters. Why wouldn't it matter?

[iubar]

Because you have Luffy.

[ he hesitates. luffy's at home. luffy's not here. he's here.

this really isn't like sabo, but if he needs to hear something, he'll tell him what he needs. he ignores any pain if that's how tight sabo is gripping. ]

Because you have me. Isn't that bond unbreakable? It goes both ways. I never forgot you. Even if I died, you've always been there with me.

[ there's a dull ache that ace feels while he's talking about this. ]

[vivens]

[ ... ]

But I did. [ he'll snap back instantly and his grip will become vice-like. ] I couldn't remember anything about you until it was too late. I forgot all about us. Never again though. I won't ever forget.

[ more distantly and he looks back to the wall. ]

It's why I don't want to be forgotten. I can't just be something lost. A fuzzy picture—a feeling that was just out of reach...

[iubar]

[ ace moves his free hand to grip the front of sabo's shirt getting a bit angry now. ]

What happened doesn't matter anymore! You remembered. We have our second chance here. We get to make up for the ten-- twelve years that we missed. Even if you forget, I won't let you forget. [ Even if that doesn't fully make sense. ]

And even if I forget, I know you'll make me remember, too. It won't be like last time. We were kids. Things change. You won't be forgotten, idiot.

[ he can't imagine how awful it was for sabo. to lose that. to come back from that just a little too late. but he's not about to let him wallow in that and sink into it.

he drags him over to some of the pictures on the wall featuring them reuniting. talking. and slams his hand on them. ]

I'm not letting go of this.

[vivens]

[ sabo doesn't really react when his shirt is grabbed; the only thing he does is shoot ace a glare as he shouts in his face. except it's not a look of distain but one of...jealousy? sabo keeps his comments to himself as he just lets ace say words at him. it sure doesn't make a lick of sense when ace throws back and forth the matter of making the other remember and sabo was going to have a few things to say but then he is dragged off.

not that he puts up any kind of resistance and only stumbles over his feet a few times as he follows to the place where ace leads them. eyes looking at the photos that he has dramatically slammed his hand onto. when sabo finally speaks, it doesn't quite sound like him. there's a slight bitterness to his words. ]

...you're a bit like me. [ a slight pause as a he looks at the photos. ] A ghost.

[ "a reunion of brothers thought to be lost." ]

Except that you're a ghost that no one would ever forget—not forever. You've left your mark on more people than you could ever imagine.

[iubar]

[ he frowns deeply at that comment and lets go of the front of sabo's shirt. ]

Like I care about any of that. I only cared about those that were important to me. I was only looking for an answer.

[ his eyes fix on a picture of sabo and him lying in bed that first day. ]

Maybe I am a ghost. Does that mean that my remembering you means nothing?

[vivens]

[ except sabo cared about it deeply. he knows of the legacy that ace has left behind and doesn't think of the lengths he went to inherit what little left there was of ace. there was only one other person who was entitled to it and they gave him their blessing.

sabo also joins ace's gaze towards the photo. the two of them just catching up on time stolen from them in the most impossible way, then he looks back over at ace, his eyes looking over towards the tattoo on his arm. one that could be seen as a spelling error (how could anyone misspell a three letter word??) but sabo knows otherwise. ]

No.

[ he'll place a hand onto ace's tattoo, the ink on his glove smearing the symbol representing him. ]

...but what does it mean when a ghost remembers another ghost? Is a memory like that forever? [ after another moment. ] And you're more real than I am.

[ "sabo" says?? ]

[iubar]

[ his eyes linger for a few moments longer on the photo before shifting his gaze back to sabo when he feels that touch. he doesn't care about the ink getting on him. that's the last of his concerns right now. ]

Why wouldn't it be?

[ if ghosts are a thing, wouldn't them remembering last forever? wouldn't that be more meaningful than some letters etched into a wall that'll eventually collapse. ]

What do you mean about being more real?

[ he doesn't get that part. ]

[vivens]

[ if ace is looking for a proper answer, he's not going to get one as "sabo" is speaking now, thank you. sabo is somewhere there but for this moment it's "sabo" who is asking the questions. his voice calm but with an edge of desperation. ]

How do I become like you? [ he keeps his hand over the tattoo, however his index finger will trace over the design idly as he speaks. ] How do I become so memorable and loved by someone that they would put themselves in danger to keep that memory alive?

[ he'll fixate on ace's tattoo and step closer. ]

I don't want to be left behind and fade away. It's worse than dying.

[iubar]

[ he's quiet for a long moment. he doesn't know how to answer that because that's the last thing he knows. there's a weak smile at those words. ]

I really don't know. I never thought I was a man worth that kind of risk. Never thought I was worth existing. I lived my life to try to find that answer... to figure out if I really deserved to exist or not.

[ but he lets out a sigh to that. ]

You won't be forgotten. There's no chance. Believe me.

/2

[vivens]

[ ...

"sabo" also takes his time to answer after listening to that. inside there is still the uneasiness of being forgotten and just another leaf fallen from a tree to wither away. however, in the back of his mind there is a louder voice—one that is getting tired of being silenced. ]

...certainly not by you. [ there's a level of fragility in the words but also something akin to being relieved. ] You've kept him right here the entire time.

[vivens]

[ another pause as the hold on ace's arm and fingers placed on the tattoo change. it's less about being fixated on it and sort of more of reveling in it. a silent questioning of how long it had been there. ace probably won't exactly understand the shift unless he's already picked up on it because sabo will take one further step into ace's personal space as he meets him eye-to-eye. ]

Yet, you are also somehow still able to say stupid things like wondering if you deserved to exist or not. [ his hand sliding down ace's arm to deliver a slight pinch to his side. yes, he's aware of the mutually felt sharp pain in his side but it's worth it. ] If you were going to carry this as a reminder of me, then you should have also been reminded of how much you've meant to me.

[ cue the gesturing at the tattoo...or, well, the inky mess on ace's arm now, i guess. ]

[iubar]

[ there's some relief as it seems that there is something getting through here. that this isn't just some conversation where he's going to be dismissed.

and with the words sabo speaks about his existing and how important he is to him, there's just a soft look on his face. the frustration melting away. despite the sharp pinch on the side. ]

It took a long time. But I realized it, in the end. So... Thanks.

[ he didn't mean to turn this in about himself. he was more making the point that he had no idea to immortalize one's self. it just... happens.

he glances down at the arm, a bit of fondness on his face. even with the ink from sabo's hand, he knows the tattoo is still there. ]

Sorry I never properly believed it until the end.

[vivens]

Better late than never.

[ sabo had every intention of continuing to be "upset" with ace over hearing of just how he could weave in the jolly roger that he made as a child into his name, but never could hold onto the core of their friendship. it brings him back momentarily back to the thoughts he had upon their reunion, but then ace had to look as fondly as he did at his ink covered arm.

so he let's it go. it's better that way for the two of them. sabo can't do anything that has already been done and instead turns his attention to the photo of them lying on the bed together, smiling. intimate. ]

A bit embarrassing that they decided to show this off, isn't it?

[iubar]

[ he nods in agreement. at least he was able to find that eventually. to realize what he should have long ago. some things are just hard to let sink in.

his attention is brought to the picture and he smiles a bit wryly at that. ]

It is. I wonder who it is that decided to show this off.

[vivens]

Probably whoever is responsible for those strange orbs that sucked us into this place to begin with.

[ but what is the point? is it linked to whatever is happening here?? ]

...not that I fully understand why they picked this moment. [ he'll look to another moment&mdasdh;the two of them by the claw machine. ] Or that one. It feels a bit voyeuristic, doesn't it? Even if it is just ourselves.

[iubar]

Probably the same.

[ that's a good question. what is any of this place??? ]

Your guess is as good as mine. [ he also nods over to the side at the items. ] They've got a strange selection of things there, too.

[ he pauses a moment, a bit quieter. ]

All that... wanting to be remembered stuff. Is that how you really feel? [ that he needs to be remembered forever? or was it this place?? ]

[vivens]

[ ah.

well. hmm....he...this is kind of awkward. ]

It wouldn't be bad to be remembered. [ ] I'm not doing it because of the fame! The World Government—something needs to be done regardless if I'm part of it or not.

[ but the part how he doesn't want to forget anything ever again... that much is very true. sometimes you forget half of your life for half of your life and it's not actually very comforting. ]