theafflicted | 03.50 - week three, saturday

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.

FULL NAV

(CODE)

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I wouldn't want either option. I'd want to live.

[ which is so strange after everything he's felt through the years. but it's true. and he doesn't want to put sabo through something this painful and awful. it isn't fair to him.

but it's what he wants. which also means he isn't being fair to himself. what a surprise.

but ace moves along with the double, keeping a close eye on him so he can't stop things.

as for ace's other half, he lets out a strained laugh. he lifts his hand slowly, and brings it to sabo's cheek to touch the scar with his fingertips. he doesn't physically fight back, but sometimes there are means to fight back that are much worse. ]

[ at what point has ace really been fair to himself? for that, at what point will sabo fully forgive himself inside and out about what he was never even responsible for? (he flinches at the touch to his scar but says nothing.) it was something that he has been so, so good about keeping under wraps up until ace speaks.

then. well... ]

Then you should have lived! If onl—

[ he finds himself shouting before the rest of his brain catches up with him. well, so much for not giving the doubles any room to worm their way into his cracks because as soon as the says the words, sabo's double is quick to act and slips in between sabo and ace's double.

"If only I remembered. Would have I been able to save you? How many times have I asked that question? How many times have I thought about it? How many nights have I wasted wondering?"

it will wrap place its hands over sabo's which instinctively has him jerking back in retaliation which only has the double force sabo to squeeze the fake ace's throat more. one would think that aiding sabo with his task would be the last thing it should do, but this actually has the adverse effect and sabo's fingers loosen. ]

[ ace comes over to try to pull the fake sabo back and away from what's happening. it's no surprise that they're trying to stop this with their own means, but he's not going to just sit idly by. sabo and him are doing this together. as awful as this is. ]

To hell with those regrets! What happened, happened. We're here now. Together. That's more important, right? You've felt my pain. You know it's real.

[ the double ace just smiles while he's being choked. his other hand moving to rest on sabo's arm. ]

At least if I'm a regret, I'd never leave your mind, right? I'll know you loved me, that I should have existed. That weight you carry.

[ ace feels furious at his double's words. ]

Shut up! That's not what I want.

[ the fake doesn't get pulled off so easily as it clings stubbornly to sabo's side and instead tries to lace its fingers with sabo's to make him get back to finishing his task. which is becoming increasingly harder to do even though ace's words dig into him because. well. his fake says it best regardless if sabo wanted it said or not.

"But you'll leave me again, won't you? Our time here—the two months that we have. It's all that we'll get.

After wanting to see you again for so many years—"

of course sabo hasn't forgotten what lorelei had told them on the first day that they made themselves known. it would be possible that ace could leave with him after this was over but what would that even mean? could he even do that..? the words of his fake getting under his skin as sabo lets ace's double to keep having their hands on him. in a way, he feels like he's being smothered.

"All I'll have is this." ]

Who cares about that? It's time we didn't have before.

[ ace bites sharply at the double. he knows that ache of losing sabo and he doesn't want their time to end, either. but he's just so grateful for more time than he realized he'd have. ]

But I want more. I want to be selfish. I want to keep living with you.

[ the double might have troubles with how he's being held, but he stares firmly at sabo. ]

[ ace's reply, not his fake's, nearly has sabo nearly snapping at him for saying that. who cares? sabo cares. obviously he had made peace that ace died living the life he chose for himself; after all, what else could he have done? either he could have tortured himself or accepted what happened then moved on. the choice was obvious given what he needs to do. however, before he's able to say anything, his double speaks up in a saccharine voice as it leans against sabo and presses his fingers tighter ace's double's throat.

"But we can't live together." a squeeze. "We're not allowed to live together."

sabo can feel his thumbs press deep against the fake's windpipe and he knows that the skin is lightly already bruising. his hands were claws of a dragon—honed to tear down those who stood in his way. he hates this; he wants to pull away but can't. he wants to relax his fingers but his double isn't letting him. it was supposed to sabotage him and yet in the way that it helps sabo, it is the best deterrent especially when ace's double just keeps looking at him.

"He has the blood of a demon and I have the blood of a noble. Nobles and demons can't be be together."

the last bit has him wanting to scream. how dare it say those things about ace; it would be one thing it to insult him but when it came to ace? no—absolutely not. if ace was a demon for being the son of the king of pirates then sabo must be even worse than that. a monster from hell. sabo doesn't and instead turns his head and glares hatefully at his double, biting down on his bottom lip till it nearly bleeds. ]

[ it'd be a lie to say ace didn't care about the fact that their days are numbered. that he was reunited with his long lost friend and he was brought back from the grave. things like this don't just happen on a regular basis.

the old him would have thought he didn't deserve this kind of a chance and the ability to grasp this happiness close. his doppelganger is right, he doesn't want this to ever end. he wants to grab onto sabo and never let him go, never leave his side.

and since the fake sabo is at his side, he goes to sabo from behind and rests his forehead on his neck. this whole thing hurts like hell and he closes his eyes. ]

My bloodline made me doubt my existence, but it never made me doubt being your sworn brother. I would have given anything to have more time and I won't throw away the love I was given just because of my bloodline.

[ he doesn't even care if he's called a demon. it's probably true. but luffy and sabo gave his life worth. even if he didn't realize this until the very end. a lifelong mistake. but he won't let that drag him down now. he can't.

it'd be too cruel to dismiss sabo's feelings once again like that.

the doppelganger merely raises his hand to touch the fingers around his neck that are bruising him. keeping him captive. not begging for death, but unable to beg for life with that lingering darkness from ace. doubts don't just disappear in one day. ]

Don't.

[ a single word that sabo manages to say before his double speaks up. it comes out like a threat and between gritted teeth; it also surprises sabo's double given how sabo has been so reserved with communicating with the doppelgangers. but it's the feeling of ace's forehead against his neck is both a slight reprieve from the feeling that he is being suffocated and also another presence that further divides his attention. he hates this. he hates this so much and even though he is the one who decided to do this himself there is a fleeting moment where he questions why he did.

but the feeling of ace's double fingers over reminds him of the twisted reason he has for doing this. if anyone was going to kill ace, then he would do it by his own hands. he would be able to say goodbye; no one could take this from him. it's that twisted thought that sabo's double smirks at as it keeps encouraging sabo to keep going. it knows the best way to get the results that it wants.

"Don't? Don't what, silly? Isn't this what you wanted? Or is it because you're hearing these words now?

I always knew deep down that Ace didn't like himself, but I liked Ace even if Ace didn't. It's why I was always with him."

until he wasn't, of course. sabo's double forces his fingers to press harder against the other fake's windpipe bending the cartilage and closing off the airflow. sabo himself doesn't entertain his fake and simply just closes his eyes and takes a moment to center himself. he doesn't want to focus on what he's doing but he needs to focus on something. ]

[ the doppelganger makes a strained sound against that feeling, but he doesn't struggle, his hands tightening just a bit more on sabo.

ace brings his hands up to rest them on sabo's arms, to give him support through this. he doesn't want him feeling like he's alone in this. that even if his double is being killed, he's still right there with him. ]

And I'm still here now. I won't leave you while you do this.

[ sabo knows that ace is trying to be supportive but the one he keeps talking to is sabo's fake and not sabo himself. it's not that he doesn't appreciate it. it's just that... whenever ace responds his double grins that much wider and revels in how much more sabo needs to refocus on the task at hand. but it does come to a breaking point (almost literally) after ace, the real one, places his hands on him.

at this point he just aims to do everything that he has been trained to do in order to finally just snap the throat of ace's fake. he doesn't even need his doppelganger to get involved. he'll just keep going and going and going and squeezing up until he can feel the crack and pops of supports of the fake's throat.

and even though sabo's doppelganger failed to stop sabo from completing the task, it doesn't seem to be too bothered by it as it laughs at sabo holding onto ace's fake's throat and thoroughly crushing it within his hands. sabo wants more than nothing to start strangling his own double but he has a feeling that is what it wants him to do so he just keeps his hands occupied doing the worst thing ever.

but he ignores what he feels and what face is looking at him. the only thing he's focusing on are his hands and making sure that what he had set his mind out to do is completed. if there is any thought that goes through his head it's just the soft mantra of "die already". ]

[ the fake struggles, but only a bit. only in the sense that he naturally tries to survive against this. and before too long, everything stops. he's motionless as he dies.

as for ace, he's not trying to speak toward sabo's fake, it's just that he's trying to help support sabo and get him to not listen to what his other half is saying. he isn't thinking about what else it could mean for sabo.

ace remains still there, not moving and inch, nor is he saying anything. there's still some anger over the entire situation simmering below the surface. ]

[ funny thing about how things work here, even if ace doesn't mention his anger or acts out on it, it doesn't change how sabo can feel it. not that he doesn't understand why ace feels that way; given how everything played out sabo would be hard-pressed to say he wouldn't be furious either. then again, if ace wanted to kill his double at this point, he'd gleefully help.

though, he does just release his choke hold on the fake's throat and watches it drop to the ground numbly. yeah, he's sure that ace would enjoy the feedback that he's getting from sabo being one of emptiness. well, a cold, apathetic feeling that masks a pain that settles deep inside of one's chest. yet, this is what he did.

...unlike ace who doesn't dare to move, sabo stands up a bit straighter and debates what he could say in response to all of this. nothing comes to mind and instead sabo tries to not think about how there's a slight tremble in his hands that he tries to hide. ]

[the fake falls dead on the ground. he's certainly dead here.

finally, ace pulls away and looks at the rest of the group, rather tense from all of this. there really isn't much to be said about this right now. at least, he doesn't want to. he needs to cool his head off a little. ]

We should finish our tasks.

[ his voice is tense, only muttering out that bit. ]

[ ...

it takes sabo a moment before he says anything or does anything else, just to shake off the rest of any of his nerves. he doesn't fully register ace's anger as he's spending time trying to compose himself to what he needed to do next. his voice distant when he does respond. ]

Yeah. [ cue him just...walking off a bit lost in thought. ] I'll see later then.

[ and they will end up talking about this whenever sabo has the capacity to. ]

Later.

[ he mumbles before going on his own way. ]

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03.50 - week three, saturday

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