03.50 - week three, saturday

[afflictionmods]

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.

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.”

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.

OOC NOTES

OOC: Here are some important things to note for today’s event:

- 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:
break someone's bone, make someone bleed, get someone to cry, cause someone an injury that leaves a long-lasting mark, tell your partner what you hate about your relationship, tell your partner/someone in general your deepest secret, get someone to reveal a time in which they were emotionally very vulnerable, tell someone what you like about them, make someone angry, fight someone and win, kill someone's doppelganger, have someone kill your doppelganger, tell someone what you think is their worst attribute, tell someone what you think is your worst attribute 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.

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[exofractured]

Strange. I thought you would take the gamble on me losing something that would make me less... myself.

[Phantom doesn't have the capacity to stop being barbed with Marcus. Not entirely. But there's a flatness to the words, something brittle in his approach. Whatever internally cracked under the strain of the last week mended slightly crooked, if at all.]

I have one for my partner, specifically. Or pick yours first.

[mirrite]

Oh, I don't think I even need to pick one. I'm betting it's gonna happen anyway whether I do it on purpose or not.

[Slightly oblique, but there it is. Phantom is a Phil, after all, and he's been around Phil for long enough to know precisely how they tend to react to things. Frankly, in a sense he would be almost disappointed with himself if he couldn't manage to make Phantom cry somehow...]

Which means you should go ahead and tell me what you want from me.

[exofractured]

[Phantom shoots Marcus a sharp and slightly wary look. He's seen some of the cards, and he can make a few guesses about the spectrum of Marcus's. But he knew that before he came over.

He doesn't strictly need these points. He's not even certain he anticipates any satisfaction from it. But he set this in motion for his own reasons, so... so be it.]

Fine. I'm meant to tell you what I hate about our relationship. I assume this won't be difficult for either of us, though it may take a while.

[mirrite]

"May"? Please. You've been waiting for this since you saw your card, haven't you?

[He shouldn't laugh. He really shouldn't laugh. It's not funny, and yet at the same time it kind of is, if only because he knows Phantom really doesn't need any sort of excuse to tell him exactly what he hates about him. It is mutual, after all, as they both well know.]

[exofractured]

[Marcus's amusement... grates. It's salt in a raw wound, and Phantom could just turn and walk away. But when has he ever made that choice? He lifts his chin a little, genuine anger sparking in his eyes.

Good. That should make this even easier. It's not as if he doesn't have plenty he wants to say.]

I really don't invest that much energy in thinking about you, Marcus. But since the clock is ticking...

[He draws in a deep breath. Maybe some part of him has been wanting to say this for a long time.]

I despise your hypocrisy. There's nothing you could say of me that isn't also true of Phil. But you rush to make excuses for him, to explain why he's justified or pitiable or sweet or good, no matter what he does. There's no length you won't go to to consider him noble. It's pathetic. He and I are the same, and always have been.

[mirrite]

[... ah. It's not a surprise to hear - Phantom's jealousy has always been patently obvious - yet Marcus' eyes still narrow to flinty slits at the words. It's impressive, really, how Phantom is both so very right and also so very wrong all in the same assessment, and for a moment the urge to laugh again rises until he bites it back down with a scowl and a shake of his head.]

You would think that, wouldn't you? Guess you haven't paid attention to all of the times I've torn into him for overspending our budget on books or falling asleep at his desk and spilling his cup of tea all over important papers. He may be a genius, but he wouldn't even remember to eat half the time if someone didn't put food right in front of him. He's completely unable to take care of himself-- the guy can't even change a lightbulb on his own.

So explain to me how I'm making excuses for him, because I'm happy to keep on listing his faults. Which are also your faults, like you just said yourself.

[exofractured]

[Phantom listens to all of it with his hands curled lightly into almost-fists, tense with anticipation as if he's waiting for something. When Marcus reaches the end of that lengthy list, he can feel the laughter bubbling up in him. And once the first disbelieving huff escapes him, he can't hold the rest back in.]

Hah... hahaha... the budget? Being careless? Do you even hear yourself?

[Is this really the sort of stakes they're playing with? He can't believe he even bothered to answer in the first place.]

I don't know, Marcus. Why don't I let you continue, and see how long it takes you to reach something with a little more weight. Surely you can remember something if you try. Admit to me even one thing he's done that you believe is wrong and prove I've misjudged you.

[mirrite]

[At that laughter, Marcus' own anger flares up, a brief flash of fury... but then almost immediately simmers back down into something cold, filled with disgust. It's amazing how Phantom can be made from Phil - possess Phil's memories, even - and yet understand so very little about him when it comes to the things that truly matter. Flawed as Phil may be, he at least recognizes those flaws, and that alone is enough to put him several steps ahead of Phantom.

Perhaps it's time for Phantom to receive a wake-up call of his own...

So Marcus looks Phantom dead in the eye and in a completely flat, emotionless tone underlaid with clear disdain, he responds:]

Creating you.

[Because to Marcus, nothing could be more true. Of all the mistakes Phil has made, he considers that to be possibly his greatest one.]

[exofractured]

[Phantom had been half-smirking as he waited for an answer, expecting... nothing? No, there was never a chance Marcus would let that pass with parrying it. But the retort still connects like a punch straight to the stomach. All the moreso because he knows Marcus means it deeply.

He wanted to hear it. He needs to hear every bit of it so he can finally crush the last utterly foolish hope that refuses to die. But the hurt still makes his throat tighten painfully and for a moment he can't speak. He swallows and wills his voice not to wobble when he reaches for Marcus and grabs him by the front of the jacket to continue.]

So I was the mistake. Not him choosing to build a world of lies and toy dolls to assuage Gefion's guilt. Not the act of creating me as a twisted copy so he could prove his theory. Me.

[It's meant to be accusatory, but there's no rising note to his sentences. The declaration is flat and factual. Finally, he lifts his face to meet Marcus's eyes again.]

[mirrite]

[Something in Marcus' chest tightens painfully as those hands close on his jacket with a grip that's tighter than he wants to acknowledge. It's an action unquestionably born from Phil, and for a moment he has to fight the instinctive urge to lift his arms up to embrace Phantom the way he would have had this been Phil instead.

But as the echoes of Phantom's pain flood through him, he tells himself that this isn't Phil, and it's only through that that he's able to hold himself steady to meet Phantom's eyes when that mismatched gaze finally rises to meet his own.]

I thought you knew that much already.

[He has to twist the knife, has to keep going, because if he allows himself to start feeling any sort of guilt over his words...]

[exofractured]

[Phantom can feel the echo of a strange emotion back along their link. He has no illusions about just who that pain is for, even before Marcus says exactly what he knew he would.

It's a strange thing, this one-sided certainty. He knows Marcus the way he thinks only a mirrist could know their mirrite. But he wonders if Marcus has ever actually seen him in return. Phantom gives a small, shaky laugh at the absurdity of it.]

Hah. Of course. Of course I did. I just wondered if y-you would be... too much of a c-coward to finish things this time--

[The tightness in his throat is getting worse with each word, and when he tries to force another laugh again to cover it, it comes out as a harsh gasp instead. Hot tears flood his eyes and he ducks his head quickly to hide them, close enough that he's almost pressing his face to Marcus's chest as he does so. But for a moment he's too frozen to flee. It hurts. It hurts to hear it even if he'd already known it. It hurts more deeply still that there's nowhere else to turn to with that pain. Not even to himself, when he has no ability to deny a single thing Marcus has said.]

[mirrite]

[... and there, with those tears, he's accomplished the objective on his card. He should feel glad that he managed that. He's in the clear now, and presumably Phantom is too. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? To give Phantom a little taste of the feelings he'd been struggling with, not even knowing whether Phil was alive or dead... to give back a little bit of that hurt, even if it really isn't the same at all. It's only fair. It's more than fair.]

... sorry. I'm not gonna be dirtying my hands on you even if I wanted to.

[Not just because doing so would hurt Phil. Not just because he's almost certain that a part of Phantom wants it to be Marcus to be the one who kills him, should it come to that. Not just because of his steadfast determination not to give Phantom a single thing that he desires.

Maybe he really is nothing more than a coward in the end... a coward who can't bring himself to end the life of a being cut from the very same cloth as his master, a sad, pathetic imitation who despite wearing his master's face and sharing his master's memories doesn't seem to understand Phil at all.]

[exofractured]

...Indeed. Why would you?

[It's possible Marcus doesn't know the outcome yet; he hadn't joined the others at the Kaleidoscope, after all. But he must surely expect it by now. It was everything Marcus had helped set in motion, even if he hadn't come to see the last act for himself. Phantom laughs softly, unforced this time, and his hands finally release their convulsive grip on Marcus's jacket.

Probably, letting Marcus see his tears would be the only thing Phantom could do that would hurt him. When has Marcus ever been able to stand by and watch Phil cry? But this isn't Phil's pain, this is his. Phantom scrubs the sleeve of his uninjured arm hard over his eyes to hide his face as he turns quickly away.]

I'm sure that was sufficient for your card. Go get whatever other points you need.

[He can't steady his voice when he can't seem to stop crying, but he doubts it matters. All Marcus needs is an excuse to leave.]

[mirrite]

[Marcus doesn't even realize that his hand has begun to lift itself of its own accord as if readying to rest on Phantom's shoulder, to do something... but then Phantom removes the temptation by letting go of the front of Marcus' jacket and he takes the opportunity to take a step back, recoiling from that contact. Phantom would be exactly right: he doesn't want to see this after all.

And it's ironic, because he'd been so sure that he'd wanted nothing more than he wanted this.

So he just stands there, not even aware that his hand is half-raised, fingers tensing and then flexing restlessly as though somehow by doing so he can work out some of the uncomfortable leaden feeling settling in the pit of his stomach like a rock.]

I'm gonna assume that means it was enough for yours too.

[He can go now, he knows this, and yet somehow his feet don't want to move.]

[exofractured]

It was.

[Phantom makes no move to check. He didn't lose points from a refusal, after all, so it would have to be. But somehow, trying to force his mind onto a practical track isn't helping at all. His shoulders are still shaking with his ragged breaths as he tries to get his tears under control, but the more he tries to tell himself to stop, the harder they seem to fall.

He sniffs and rubs the sleeve angrily over his face again, dashing the tears away. If Phil had ever learned a method of dealing with this that wasn't running to Marcus, perhaps he wouldn't be in this position. But the attempt to kindle anger isn't helping either. He wraps his arms tightly around himself and finally glances back over his shoulder to make sure Marcus is gone.

He isn't gone. He's standing there, his hand raised as if he'd actually planned to reach out to Phantom. Pure, instinctive reflex from Phil? For a moment it almost doesn't matter. Phantom wants it desperately enough to hurt, and he takes a half step closer. As if he can actually look to Marcus for refuge.]

Why are you still here?

[mirrite]

I...

[Deep down, he knows the answer to that-- he just doesn't want to admit it, least of all to himself. There's none of the self-serving pleasure he'd expected to feel at causing Phantom to shed tears, even though there's no question that Phantom deserves that much at the very least. He knows the answer, but admitting it to Phantom - to himself - is a step he's not sure he's ready to take just yet, even as he shifts his weight like he too is about to step forward.

Phantom isn't Phil. No matter how much this may look like Phil in tears in front of his eyes, he knows it isn't... and at long last that knowledge galvanizes him into lowering his hand with a shrug, jamming it into his pocket before it can attempt to betray him again. He can't let his feelings on this waver. Not now, not at any point in the future.]

... you got me there. Guess that's my cue to leave, since you're so graciously letting me go and all.

[He realizes the moment those words leave his mouth how they could be construed in light of the situation back at home... and yet he makes no attempt to amend them. It really doesn't matter, after all.]

[exofractured]

[It's absolutely stupid. But Phantom feels a deep pang of regret when Marcus lowers his hand, cutting off that thread of possibility. How he was even still considering it, after hearing from Marcus outright that he shouldn't even exist...

He doesn't know what to do with the look on Marcus' face. It's not really for him, and he's not delusional enough anymore to let himself believe it is. But he wishes he could.]

I am. I...

["I did?" Maybe on the very first day of their arrival his mind had still been half-broken enough to think "I never killed you, even though it would have been easier" was worthy of some kind of praise. But the more he began to mend, the less interest he has in offering any defense for what he did. And he knows Marcus has no true interest in understanding him.]

I'm not looking for forgiveness. From either of you.

[But the words are soft and hollow, an admission rather than an attack. He turns his back again and draws a deeper breath, still shaky, before he forces himself to take the first step away.]