afflictionmods: (Default)
affliction mods ([personal profile] afflictionmods) wrote in [community profile] 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.




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:
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.









sicklysweet: (Default)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-12 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
The one in the weird store on those tablets. I forget what it's called.

[This is a very chill conversation when they're waiting on a murder.]

The cut to my leg was more annoying, though.
festiverogue: (you betcha)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-12 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
[He nods. This is a totally normal convo.]

Yeah, leg injuries are kinda the worst. You're used to getting hurt, then!
sicklysweet: (Default)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-12 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
[Absolutely normal!]

You don't die as often as I have without getting used to getting hurt. What did you even do last week?
festiverogue: (biggest smile)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-12 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
[He laughs. Shouldn't be surprised Owen's used to dying, considering he's annoying as hell. Madara imagines he'd kill him, too.]

Let's see... What did I do? Last weekend, I called people a bunch of horrible things and regretted it immediately. So I spent the week hiding! That's about it. I got my bike back, though.
sicklysweet: (pic#14878127)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-13 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
Your bike.

[He does not know what a motorcycle is.]

That hardly seems like something to be happy about.
festiverogue: (you fked up)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-13 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
No? She's gorgeous, and I missed her!

[He nudges Owen.]

You've never been on a motorcycle, right? I'll take you for a ride. We'll put the past behind us after you kill "me" in a minute, and I'll give you a lift on Baby-chan.

[Speaking of which. There comes the doppelganger.]

So, what'd you have in mind, again?
sicklysweet: (pic#14878125)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-13 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know what you're talking about.

[Motorcycles, Baby-chans...

That's not a no, though.]


I'm going to slit your throat. I found a knife at one of the stalls serving food.

[He's pushing himself up, dusting off his pants.]
festiverogue: (don't try me)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-13 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Madara rolls up his sleeves and gets up, walking over toward a VERY confused doppelganger.]

I'll hold "me" for you, then. Just make sure you cut the right one, okaaay?

[And then he charges the thing, dead set on getting its arms behind its back.]

What the hell?

[Madara grins as he wrestles with the doppelganger.]

Sorry about this. I need to do my buddy Owen a favor. If you hold still, it'll be over quick.
sicklysweet: (Default)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-14 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I’ll try.

[He saunters up to Madara and Madouble, twirling the blade for a moment. The look on his face is intense - and tinged with manic glee.

He doesn’t prefer to use direct violence with most of the people he kills. He enjoys showing off his strength as much as the next Northern wizard, but he finds it more enjoyable to trap people into their doom.

He waits patiently for Madouble to be mostly immobilized, drawing closer before he can press the knife to his throat. His gaze is on the doppelgänger, but he could be addressing either.]


Quick or slow? I’ll let you decide, because I’m such a kind wizard.
festiverogue: (i like it!)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-14 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Madara laughs, and it's a sort of unsettling one.]

Owen, what am I gonna do with you? At least you know your audience.

[He grins.]

Fast, though. We're on a schedule, here.
sicklysweet: (Default)

cw doppelgänger murder ✨✨✨

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-15 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fair enough.

He likes this side of Madara more, he thinks. This vicious side most people would consider awful - this must have been what he was talking about when he shoved Owen against the wall.]


You’ll have to figure that out later.

[They’re busy, after all. He doesn’t waste much time, though - the cut is deep and precise, slicing right through Madouble’s arteries. It doesn’t bleed like a real person - black and stick and awful. Owen half wonders if it’ll corrode the knife - or his hands, but he stays close to watch how its life fades.]
festiverogue: (dark alley meeting)

cw: more doppelganger murder and just really morbid mama

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-15 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's a little surreal to Madara to have somebody's throat slit right in front of him when he's helping out, but he has no attachment to the double, and he's definitely not bothered in the least by any of this. He's still not convinced this is real, after all.

So when Owen does the deed, he simply holds the thing still, an arm around its midsection and a hand holding the head in place, until it stops moving. It doesn't take long. Owen watching is a side of him Madara absolutely suspected was there, and he takes note of it, his eyes fixed on Owen's face.

Then he drops the doppelganger to the dirt and rolls it over with a nudge of his foot.

For a moment, he studies its features--his features--and commits the sight of his own corpse to memory. Then he turns on a smile, almost like that didn't just happen, or like they just had a pleasant walk in the park.]


There. Easy as can be. You'll get more flies with honey, though, so don't make a habit of it. Next time you want to kill me, we can have a heart to heart.
sicklysweet: (pic#14878120)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-17 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Owen's brow arches, and he scoffs as he wipes the blade clean on his shirt. He probably should do that, but. Eh. His clothing has suffered so much already, what's some more blood?]

Do you really think that if I want you dead you're going to be able to stop me?

[Even if he's lost a bit of his edge since getting here, and it... bothers Owen. He can't let that show, though.]
festiverogue: (black ships black flag)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-17 07:28 pm (UTC)(link)
You already said you want it, so something's stopping you.

[Try him, Owen. He dares you.]

Maybe you're really a niiiice guy, deep down.
sicklysweet: (Default)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-17 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Hah? Do you even hear what you're saying right now?

[He's offended. That's disgusting. You can't just say shit like that.]
festiverogue: (green-eyed executioner)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-17 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Don't fuck with him, Owen.]

Can you blame me? You're saying I'm living on your good graces, but you just did me a biiiig favor! Doesn't add up!
sicklysweet: (Default)

[personal profile] sicklysweet 2022-06-17 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[He'll fuck with him all he wants!]

I get to do what I want, when I want, so don't count on your survival for much longer.

[time for him to start power walking away because he can't be a bitch and teleport right now]
festiverogue: (i like it!)

[personal profile] festiverogue 2022-06-17 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Actually, running away isn't fucking with him at all. Your loss, Owen.

Madara just waves.]


Thanks agaaaaain!!