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theafflicted2022-06-11 05:38 am
afflictionmods) wrote in theafflicted2022-06-11 05:38 am
03.50 - week three, saturday
W3 SATURDAY
Another Saturday rolls around. Some of you had an… interesting night, perhaps, but that’s still no excuse to sit out on your lessons. There’s another announcement, another time to meet before your lessons start today. This time is just a bit different, though. This time you’re not meeting up at campus. You’re told to meet up at the park in the Museum District - and, as always, you’re expected to show up. How you get there is irrelevant, but you better try to be on time.
Florence is waiting at the park, and behind them is another dark, ominous orb. Even as far away as you are, you can hear its whispers. It’s calling to you with promises it can show you a new life, a better life, it can make you someone better… But then Florence is speaking, as if they cannot feel the hear the whispers.
“I will be accompanying you on this lesson, as I said in the brochure I handed out on Thursday. I will do my best to assist you.” There is a pause, though their face voice remains emotionless. “It is hard to say what it will be like inside - however, your goal for this lesson is to close this place for good. I may be unable to assist with that personally, so we are relying on you.”
They take a step back, turning towards the orb.
“I would advise you to do what is asked of you while you are in there - and a word of warning. Through our observations, we have noticed something strange. This seems capable of creating replications of those who enter it.” They let that information hang for a moment, before continuing. “We are unsure what these replications are truly capable of, but please be careful.”
Then Florence gestures for you to follow, and they’re stepping into the orb.
Florence is waiting at the park, and behind them is another dark, ominous orb. Even as far away as you are, you can hear its whispers. It’s calling to you with promises it can show you a new life, a better life, it can make you someone better… But then Florence is speaking, as if they cannot feel the hear the whispers.
“I will be accompanying you on this lesson, as I said in the brochure I handed out on Thursday. I will do my best to assist you.” There is a pause, though their face voice remains emotionless. “It is hard to say what it will be like inside - however, your goal for this lesson is to close this place for good. I may be unable to assist with that personally, so we are relying on you.”
They take a step back, turning towards the orb.
“I would advise you to do what is asked of you while you are in there - and a word of warning. Through our observations, we have noticed something strange. This seems capable of creating replications of those who enter it.” They let that information hang for a moment, before continuing. “We are unsure what these replications are truly capable of, but please be careful.”
Then Florence gestures for you to follow, and they’re stepping into the orb.
THE RINGMASTER
The inside is still the same park, but it has been transformed into a carnival. There are booths with games and food set up everywhere, a large ferris wheel, a tent. It will be a familiar carnival, to some of you, but all the lights are off and there are no people there. There’s a tug, a pull, that draws you towards the main tent - to center stage. Stepping inside you will be greeted by someone dressed as a ringmaster, whose voice is lively and energetic despite how hollow they seem on the outside:
“Hello and welcome! It’s time for your performance! And every good performer wants to do what the people want, don’t they? There’s a list on those little tablets of yours, and you need to do whatever’s asked of you!”
The ringmaster laughs brightly, and it echoes throughout the tent. “The more you do, the more we’ll all enjoy it, and the better chance you will get to stay you! But if you refuse… Well, that won’t be any good, right?”
The ringmaster makes a wide, sweeping gesture with their cane.
“We’re very generous here, though, and realize some things are easier to do with others! That’s why one refusal won’t be an instant loss. We’re assigning task cards, you see. Kinda like bingo cards! Each time you do a task for someone or someone does one for you, you get 50 points! The more you do, the higher the score, and once you reach 200 points, you're capped! But every time you refuse to do something people ask you to do, even if you're at 200 points… you lose 100 points ! And if you don’t do anything, well, you get no points and you lose automatically! You also can’t just sit around doing the same thing with the same person over and over again! Gotta spice it up! The same thing over and over again is just boring.”
There’s a click, and noise starts up outside of the tent. It sounds like the carnival’s come alive.
“Your little tablets will track your points. I really do recommend playing along, because if you fail… You’ll lose something. Something that makes you you! A memory, a precious item, something that makes you who you are and can’t be replaced so easily… Who knows what’s at risk, here! Though who am I kidding, it might be more fun to see what you'll lose. Don't ya think? Maybe you should just give up now and we can all laugh about it!
Anyways, all you gotta do is live until the timer runs out. The timer, by the way, is gonna be at the top of your tablet thingamajigs.”
There’s a tip of the ringmaster’s hat. The timer reads 90 minutes.
“That’s all for now! Go find that pesky little robot who’s been snooping around if you want more answers, because I am very busy.”
“Hello and welcome! It’s time for your performance! And every good performer wants to do what the people want, don’t they? There’s a list on those little tablets of yours, and you need to do whatever’s asked of you!”
The ringmaster laughs brightly, and it echoes throughout the tent. “The more you do, the more we’ll all enjoy it, and the better chance you will get to stay you! But if you refuse… Well, that won’t be any good, right?”
The ringmaster makes a wide, sweeping gesture with their cane.
“We’re very generous here, though, and realize some things are easier to do with others! That’s why one refusal won’t be an instant loss. We’re assigning task cards, you see. Kinda like bingo cards! Each time you do a task for someone or someone does one for you, you get 50 points! The more you do, the higher the score, and once you reach 200 points, you're capped! But every time you refuse to do something people ask you to do, even if you're at 200 points… you lose 100 points ! And if you don’t do anything, well, you get no points and you lose automatically! You also can’t just sit around doing the same thing with the same person over and over again! Gotta spice it up! The same thing over and over again is just boring.”
There’s a click, and noise starts up outside of the tent. It sounds like the carnival’s come alive.
“Your little tablets will track your points. I really do recommend playing along, because if you fail… You’ll lose something. Something that makes you you! A memory, a precious item, something that makes you who you are and can’t be replaced so easily… Who knows what’s at risk, here! Though who am I kidding, it might be more fun to see what you'll lose. Don't ya think? Maybe you should just give up now and we can all laugh about it!
Anyways, all you gotta do is live until the timer runs out. The timer, by the way, is gonna be at the top of your tablet thingamajigs.”
There’s a tip of the ringmaster’s hat. The timer reads 90 minutes.
“That’s all for now! Go find that pesky little robot who’s been snooping around if you want more answers, because I am very busy.”
THE AUDIENCE
Once the ringmaster’s done with their speech, you’re free to travel around the carnival and explore it. It’s an eerie, quiet place, but… you’re not alone, and it won’t take you long to realize that. Those of you who had seen this carnival before - Miach, Shinei, Herlock, and Xingqiu - probably won’t be surprised when the doubles show up. They’re near perfect recreations of you - but near perfect doesn’t mean perfect. Their mannerisms might be odd, or their movements might be jerky and uncanny… but at a glance, it’s impossible to tell who is the real one and who isn’t.
And this is something that makes these doubles very, very angry.
They want you to fail, and they’ll do anything they can to ensure that happens. They’ll sabotage you - or your partner - all in an effort to make you lose points. They'll taunt you if it seems like you're ready to open up, they'll tell you about all the reasons why being honest is a bad idea. For physical prompts, they'll taunt you, call you a monster... They also seem to believe that if you fail, they’ll get to replace you. They will get a chance to get out of here and be the real one. They’re not always convincing, but they are dangerous, and there’s just as many of them as there are of you.
And this is something that makes these doubles very, very angry.
They want you to fail, and they’ll do anything they can to ensure that happens. They’ll sabotage you - or your partner - all in an effort to make you lose points. They'll taunt you if it seems like you're ready to open up, they'll tell you about all the reasons why being honest is a bad idea. For physical prompts, they'll taunt you, call you a monster... They also seem to believe that if you fail, they’ll get to replace you. They will get a chance to get out of here and be the real one. They’re not always convincing, but they are dangerous, and there’s just as many of them as there are of you.
OOC NOTES
OOC: Here are some important things to note for today’s event:
- A simple breakdown of the rules is as follows:
- The cards know, meaning that they'll know if something is not answered earnestly. Prompts that are answered falsely will not go away on your tablets. They will only go away if they are answered truthfully.
- Failure is NOT a bad end! In fact, we have some plans in the instance where not enough people pass the exercise. If 5 or more people fail the exercise, that is considered a group failure. Those who failed individually will face the consequences of losing the important memory/item/etc.
- We are asking people to make their own task cards. Here is a list of prompts:
You may also add one custom prompt tailored to your character, if you wish.
Please toss the prompts into the textbox at the top of this site. Under "Configuration Options", the card size should be 3x3 and the center space should have Normal selected. All characters will get a total of 9 prompts on their cards. It is okay to have prompts that your character would not do; it would just increase their chances of failure.
- A simple breakdown of the rules is as follows:
You cap at 200 points, but you must maintain those 200 points until the timer runs out.
Mutual agreement on completing a task nets each person 50 points.
Getting turned down or refusing to do one makes you lose 100 points.
You cannot use the same person to complete all your tasks. You must have only one prompt per character that you cooperate with.
- The cards know, meaning that they'll know if something is not answered earnestly. Prompts that are answered falsely will not go away on your tablets. They will only go away if they are answered truthfully.
- Failure is NOT a bad end! In fact, we have some plans in the instance where not enough people pass the exercise. If 5 or more people fail the exercise, that is considered a group failure. Those who failed individually will face the consequences of losing the important memory/item/etc.
- We are asking people to make their own task cards. Here is a list of prompts:
You may also add one custom prompt tailored to your character, if you wish.
Please toss the prompts into the textbox at the top of this site. Under "Configuration Options", the card size should be 3x3 and the center space should have Normal selected. All characters will get a total of 9 prompts on their cards. It is okay to have prompts that your character would not do; it would just increase their chances of failure.
cw: self loathing, cults, family problems, this is an enstars speech
Look, you don't have to tell me all of it, but I'm pretty sure what you do tell me is going to make me want to fight someone. That's gotta count.
[He smiles, though, and wonders if what he has to say is big enough. Deep enough.]
It's kind of complicated, my whole secret. Normally you'd think something like me being the equivalent of a hitman in idol form would be a preeeetty big secret, but it's not after the profiles. And it's definitely no big secret that I hate a whole lot about myself. So I guess... maybe the why?
[The smile gets a little distant, and he leans against the carnival truck they're hiding behind.]
I was born and raised by a corrupt couple of parents who wouldn't know the good side of the law if it slapped them in the face. My little sister's sick, so sick that she can barely get out of bed. My whole family is kinda... The best way to put it might be that we're historically "enforcers" for a local religion. A cult, in other words. I was supposed to be the one from my generation doing all of that. But, as luck would have it, I met the cult's "God" when I was a kid, and when I figured out he wasn't a god, I kinda... made it my personal mission to take the cult down. So I've been working on that for most of my life. We succeeded, me and that "God", not before a whoooole lot of other stuff happened to me and him, but the cult's pretty much done for. And what do I have to show for it? My family disowned me, my friend--that "God"--thinks I'm nothing but trouble, and I'm basically half out of idol work because I don't have my family's connections anymore. In other words, at 18, my career was pretty much over, and I had nothing. Nobody. Just a bunch of fans wondering where I ran off to and when I was going to be active again.
[He looks up at the sky, weird as it is.]
I've got too much of a temper and too much blood on my hands to be a hero. Instead of that, I'm waaay closer to a villain, by birthright and by trade. But all I ever wanted to do was help people. I couldn't help my sister, my friend, or my fans. What do you think that makes me? [He looks back to Cater, then smiles.] Anyway, not even Shizuku knows about my family, or about the cult. So there you go. Deep dark secret.
no subject
The story is... weird, sure, but he can't help but feel like a lot falls into place when he hears it. It's painful to know someone he might just be starting to consider a friend went through - is going through - all that, but...
People never just open up to him, so if anything it encourages him to share what Madara asked, a little more readily. Even if it has the objective of making him mad.]
I... don't know what to say. Not because all this makes me think poorly of you or anything, so don't start pulling that into your self-loathing- [The gentlest elbow to Madara's side!] -but I can't even imagine going through all that. So... maybe you're kind of villain-like, but aren't you also totally a hero to the people who would have been taken in by that cult? Even if they don't know about you? You're... allowed to be complicated, Madara. Totes get the want to be like... ~I'm super a hero~ on the ouside, though.
no subject
I'm not a hero. I don't even want to be one anymore. I'm gonna leave that to the good people who'd think at least twice before hurting somebody.
[And he shakes his head.]
If good things came from us offing that cult, why is it that all I've had since then is trouble? [A smile.] Rhetorical question. Don't worry about it. Thanks for trying to make me feel better, though. I do want to be a better person, though. Or at least a happier one. I really don't mind getting my hands dirty, that part's just part of who I am now, me and my partner. But it'd be nice to be able to hang on to a little happiness now and again.
[He claps his hands.]
Phew. Okay. Not asking you to be my therapist or something, so I'll cut it out now. I'm honestly just glad I've met people here like you and Shizuku who don't care if I'm messed up.
no subject
[But, well, it's his turn now, isn't it? So he huffs out a sigh, and looks up to the sky like it'll make opening up any easier.]
And, well, as for me... As long as I can remember, my dad moved around a lot for work. Obviously, he took the family with him, so... I never got to stay in one place for more than a couple years, if that. I learned really quickly that making friends and saying goodbye hurt way too much, so... I stopped trying to make real, actual friends! I figure that if I'm a cute, cheery presence, and kind of an airhead, I can just be a pleasant memory for people, if they even bother to remember me at all... I definitely don't bother remembering most of them. They never really cared, anyway. Sure, sometimes someone will reach out on magicam, but, like... I have tooooons of followers, I don't even know if they're doing that because I'm a popular guy with a name they remember or if they actually want to be close, yanno?
And... to make it worse, it's not like my family cares all that much about me, either. Dad's pretty absent, and with how my mom is... I might as well have three sisters. If something isn't cute it's not worth paying attention to, so I have to be 'on' all the time, especially at home... It's super exhausting. I... kind of don't even know who I really am anymore.
no subject
There's an instinct that flares up in him then that's as protective as it is sympathetic, and he keeps his eyes on Cater. He has to be serious about this, and really let it sink in. Because what he wants to say to that is just... kind of selfish and devastating.
Because he wants to be Cater's friend, a true friend, someone who doesn't give a damn about popularity or numbers. Someone who wants to be on his level, and get to know what makes Cater himself, what makes him smile and what keeps him up at night.
But the nature of this place means they can't develop anything lasting. They're going back home in a few weeks, and everyone will probably just be a memory, if that.
Why does this hurt Madara, too?]
That makes some things make sense.
no subject
[Yeah, he could see that. He'd made some assertions relating to these things, so hearing it all laid out probably made it fall into place. But...-]
Ah, did it make you mad, though, or should I continue?
[Implying there's... more...]
no subject
[Now that makes him mad, actually. Mad on Cater's behalf. Because as much as he knows there's injustice in the world, Cater doesn't deserve more than that.]
I'm following you home at this rate.
no subject
[It ticks off on his tablet, and he reaches out to take Madara's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.]
I... alluded to it, but we should talk more later, when we're not busy, right? I promise I'll tell you whatever else you want to know. We need to help the others... they're not as used to these fakes as us.
no subject
[Madara actually spares a little laugh for that moment.]
You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but... [He sighs.] Yeah. We'll figure it out later. Maybe Idia and Shizuku can go shopping or something and we can get it all out!
[There's a clang not too far away, and Madara looks up.]
As for those doubles... Do you think you can manage yours?
[He's implying something here. Can Cater fend it off? Can Cater kill it if he has to?]
no subject
[Another little squeeze to his hand. Sure, they're decompressing a little bit, but he means it.]
You deserve to know whatever you want to, after all that. I don't mind.
[And then Madara asks about the doubles, and, well.]
Eh, well, he wasn't a very good double. I'd know. It wasn't a problem~
[The black splatters on his jeans? Definitely not #aesthetic paint, Madara.]
no subject
[And Madara definitely can respect the doppelganger-murdering hustle.
He flashes probably the darkest smile anyone in this place will muster up in the next few minutes.]
I helped with mine, but... you know, turns out some people really want me dead! Funny, right? Made it easy on him, though, and I think maybe he got it out of his system. Here's hoping!
no subject
[Gentle elbow to his side!]
Eh, it'll probably be fine... If he hasn't killed you yet, then he's probably talking a bigger game than he means, yanno?
no subject
I'm too busy being a busybody about everybody else, soooorry~! And as long as I don't end up dead, I guess I'll have to call it a win!
no subject
Eeeh, something like that...!!