[ ugh, okay - lux is reeling a bit from that memory for several reasons. some of them are sympathy. others are confusion. she is familiar with guns, why does that baby have one--ok this isn't the time.
lux yanks the pendant off from around her neck where she'd been wearing it and hands it over to yamato right away. ]
Use this, and then we need to get out of here. I can carry him on my broom.
[ and yamato can carry lalli some more. that seems good to her? sure. ]
Ichinose has been pretty quiet ever since they escaped from the gas chamber. Contemplative, even. Sure would he nice if she had enough time to think things through! But, uh, guess heterosexuality came back for their lives? Lalli is dying? Yamato's fake brother is also dying? And his real brother has a gun, which is just— baffling. She has so many fucking questions, but this is so not the time.
So she shakes her head, kind of rebooting herself, moving to shake the unconscious employees (also looting the dead ones for anything useful. Her talismans...!)]
We need to get Lali-san and SL-kun outside. The smoke inhalation will kill them if the poison and injuries don't get to them first.
[Actually, the smoke inhalation isn't great for them either? This is fine.]
[Assuming Yamato places the pendant on SL, it glows, basking SL in light. Once it fades, his wounds begin to close. Soon enough, it looks just as though he's sleeping; thanks to the pendant, he's going to be fine.
Stop trying to loot people, Ichinose. These dead employees aren't going to have your talismans!!
The three of them aren't going to have the chance to do much of anything else, though, as footsteps approach. Amidst the smoke, a figure emerges—and it's someone they probably did not want to see again. Aka, it's Rae. Heterosexuality is back yet again!]
Kuon, I've come to pick you up!
[Is this very bad timing? Maybe.
The group can try to attack him, but with everything that's happened to them—their powers essentially disabled and their bodies injured and exhausted—they'll find their efforts won't do much. Rae is in peak condition and can move with far more ease than them. That is, beating him in a fight right now is very unlikely.
He looks to Lalli, who's quickly nearing death.]
He looks like he's not doing too well, huh? But you know, my power is rather useful for things like this. Contamination, infections, illnesses, poisons... I can purify anything that I choose.
[He holds out a hand.]
So, I have an offer. If you come with me, Kuon, I promise I'll cure him! How about it?
[Looks like the group (or Ichinose, in particular) has to make a deal. Which is it going to be: Ichinose or Lalli?]
[ yamato really... truly hates this man. to be honest, if he didn't have a baby in front of him and a lalli nearly corpsed on his back, he probably would try to rush him uselessly, he has no chill. instead they're stuck here in a burning building between a rock (heterosexuality) and a hard place (bury your gays). ]
Like we're supposed to believe you'd hold up your end of the deal?! [ they are literally surrounded by corpses right now so it is kind of hard to believe in anything. ] Screw you!
[ he is aware rae probably won't even pay attention to him, but it definitely feels good to use what little strength he has on yelling at him. no it does not matter that it's useless. ]
Though, uh. This sure is an offer! Ichinose does not look happy to see him at all. In fact, the corpses kind of have it good right now? They don't have to deal with this shit. Yamato and Lux are definitely not down with this clown, either. But...
She looks at Lalli.
And looks away, frowning.]
... How can I be sure you won't leave them for dead? You've killed so many people already, Rae-san. Your word isn't enough. What guarantee will you give me?
[Though she says this, it's... Well. Yamato's hands are full. Lux is nerfed. And Lalli sure is not looking good! They are still stuck in a burning building, in no condition to fight if it comes to that. They're fucked no matter what they do.
But if some of them can still make it out, isn't that an acceptable result?
So, depending on Rae's response— she might just take his hand. Sorry, gang. Fall dorm doesn't let fall dorm die? Yeah.]
What reason would I have to lie? I don't wish any ill will on him, so I don't mind saving him. I only kill people if they get in my way!
... Ah, I guess that is a lot of people? But once you're with me, I plan on just leaving, so they won't be in my way any more, right? [He grins.] If anything, it really only helps me to save him, since I get to demonstrate what I can do. You see, while the heroes at Ladle want me dead, some of the people higher up are contemplating the usefulness of my powers—which requires me to be alive.
So, I'm killing two birds with one stone! Should I stop saying killing? I'll prove my worth, have you, and you can consider his survival a bonus gift as well!
[Wow, so generous. But ignoring all the fluff in his words, it seems that he's being honest about saving Lalli and sparing the others, should Ichinose agree.
They will have to make their choice very quickly, aka in the next round.]
[Lalli is out, but he's not really asleep-asleep. He can catch most of the conversation going on around him, and it's enough to get him to stir. He needs to speak up here, it's important. (And appropriately Dramatic too.)
If Ichinose is within grabbing range, he's going to weakly reach for her. He wants to catch her attention before she makes a huge mistake.]
Don't.
[It takes a monumental effort to say each word, but he needs to. They need to understand.]
It's fine. I'm ready to see my family again.
[Like I said, appropriately Dramatic.
I would say he would spit on Rae but he's so weak it might just dribble onto Yamato's shoulder instead.]
[ CAN PEOPLE NOT MAKE DRAMATIC DYING STATEMENTS ON HIS SHOULDER? DAMN? ]
We'll figure it out, so don't... both of you, don't do anything stupid! [ he says that, but he doesn't know how the hell they're going to get out of this. he can feel lalli's breathing growing weaker, and ichinose... all of them are cut from the same cloth, aren't they? it's why lux shoved the pill back in lalli's mouth back then. if there's a chance for the others...
but he can't accept that kind of sacrifice. he can't. not again. and he can't do much more, so now that the pendant is empty of healing power he'll uselessly throw that at rae to bonk him. ]
[ honestly probably snapping at the same time yamato does: ]
Lalli.
[ no. bad. no dying speeches. you're not fucking dying. lux is using her pen to try and draw a fucking summoning circle on her own hand because what else does she even have, but
her powers are still nerfed so it was a pretty useless last-ditch effort. ]
She takes Lalli's arm and returns it so it's over Yamato's shoulder. She eyes Lux's pen for a moment, before she plucks it from her hands with a shake of her head, shoving it in her pocket. Noooo summoning satan in this Christian, heterosexual server.]
Whoa, whoa, guys... Calm down. Didn't you hear him? Everything is going to be just fine.
[Haha! No. But, sure. She turns to address this binch.]
Rae-san... Heal Lali-san and rescue them from the fire, and I'll go with you. You'll do that for me, won't you?
[Placidly, smiling. If he does as she says, she'll even hold his hand! Wow! But real talk, though. If he heals Lalli and saves them from the fire, she will immediately try to stab him with the pen the moment he lets her get too close to him or turns his back on her.
[Bonk. The pendant hits Rae smack dab in the forehead. Unfortunately, this doesn't accomplish much besides him going ??? for uno second.
But Rae will keep his end of the bargain! He'll heal Lalli, who will immediately feel better once Rae purifies the poison, and ensure they're all rescued from the fire.
Aaaaaaaand then Ichinose stabs him. He's shocked because wha??? He didn't see this coming at all, for some reason. Love is blind, unfortunately. Also unfortunately, he reacts quickly enough to avoid it being in a fatal area, and he seems resistant enough to pain that he doesn't let go of her hand, so she's still stuck with him—
But then, everything disappears.
When the group blinks, they'll find that they've returned to the void, though this time, they're each alone. However, all four will know how this story ends... or how it goes just short of the ending.
With Rae distracted by Ichinose's stab, the heroes' boss came onto the scene and was able to defeat and arrest Rae, while the rest of his subordinates were killed or captured. Next then, comes a dilemma.
The boss, as do the rest of the superheroes at Ladle, believe that Rae should be killed, whereas many of the executives instead want Rae to be kept alive. The cases are as follows:
Spare him: His power is one of a kind and far too useful to lose. The people he can save vastly outnumber the people he's hurt or killed. He can cure any illness, immediately render water—that would otherwise take decades to purify—drinkable, etc. That's only the tip of the iceberg, going from the research obtained when the Director experimented on him, back in the lab. If further experiments were to be done to examine his powers (albeit of a more ethical nature than the horrific things the Director put him through), they might be able to advance medical science and the like further.
Kill him: Much of the above will depend on Rae's own goodwill and cooperation; even if he cooperates, how likely would it be for him to sincerely reform? (The suspected answer: not likely.) Keeping him alive is just giving him the opportunity to escape and wreak havoc again (and chances are, he will find a way to escape), so why should more lives be paid as the price for others? And no matter how useful he is, he has to answer for his crimes. Life or death shouldn't depend on your perceived worth to society.
All four of them will see two cards in front of them, one with Spare written; the other, Kill. They will each have to make a decision. It does not have to be unanimous, especially given that they're separated with no means of communicating. This isn't about reaching a group decision on what Rae's fate should be, but what they personally believe is the correct choice.
Once that's done, there's one more question to be answered.
Screens appear around them, replaying scenes and allowing each person to see everyone's journey up until now. Ichinose and Yamato saving Rae's life, Lalli leaving a child to save Emil instead, Lux saving a young girl at Sylas's expense, etc.
Another screen pops up before them, this one with text displayed.
Helping people is a thankless job.
You don't know if doing the right thing now will lead to worse consequences in the future. The person you save could become the evil you will have to defeat. Would you go back in time and stop yourself from helping them? If so, then perhaps the answer is that you should never have helped them in the first place, even when they had yet to fall to corruption.
You will have to make difficult choices on who to save, at times. And no matter how much you try, you will never be able to protect everyone. Others will condemn you for not doing enough. In the end, you may be crushed underneath the weight of your perceived failures.
In return for helping others, your life may end up in shambles. You will receive scorn and mockery. So few will be grateful for the sacrifices you have made for them. And it will never end — the cycle will only continue like this, until you have finally had enough.
In spite of that, there is a simple question to ask:
[ alone in the void again after all of that, yamato stares at the two cards in front of him.
kill him or spare him.
yamato... has the memories of everything and everyone rae has hurt in mind. this wasn't a simple hurting others, either. the remorseless killing of those mercenaries, the hybrids they rescued, the people at ladle, nearly lalli, SL and the rest of them-- some people have the capacity to redeem themselves, but it needs to be worked on and wanted. you can't force someone to be good. they have to want it for themselves.
ken, blackwargreymon, even oikawa-- they were people who had hurt others, and they didn't expect forgiveness, but they were willing to make up for it with their actions or their lives. they felt guilt. he doesn't think rae has that capacity anymore. redemption has to be earned, and forgiveness can't be expected, either.
so even though he rescued rae that first time, yamato picks the kill card this time. he'd made his choices.
and yet, that second choice is a lot easier.
of course it's worth it to help people. no matter how much it hurts, or how the world has turned against them-- yamato's not going to regret that. he's always going to choose to help if there's something he can do. no matter if helping means killing a friend to put them out of their misery.
if no one helps, how can things ever get better? they were chosen because there was something they could do to help, but they all went for it because it was what they wanted to do. he'll always believe that.
but demacia is a kingdom of retributive justice. criminality tends to be seen as something black and white. you're either good or bad - and if you're bad, you don't belong in society. which lux is sometimes critical of and sometimes not.
it's easier to not be critical of it when it's someone she doesn't know. so she reaches for the kill card at first but - hesitates. the thing is, memory week also means she's been reliving all of her sylas trauma already and that was before watching him die - what, a couple days ago? minutes? who knows! and she let him die here when it was him or someone else, but if she had more choice in it... she would rather spare him. even after everything.
... except spare sucks too! "further experiments" what the fuck is that? he does bad things but you think you can get something from him, so you try to force it? maybe it's better to do just die than torture someone like that. god. lux genuinely considers it a greater act of compassion for rae-who-she-is-definitely-projecting-on to settle on kill. so that he doesn't just become a living test subject.
and the second question just gets zero hesitation no matter the consequences. yes, it's better to help people. obviously. chooses the girl who just voted to kill someone. it's fine. ]
This is not a simple choice at all, however. On one hand, the scientific advancements would be tremendous. As terrible as his deeds were, there's no denying that Rae could save countless lives if his abilities were put to good use. Incurable illnesses could become a thing of the past. Water shortages could be eradicated. Those who have been plunged into world of endless pain and suffering could find salvation.
From a researcher's point of view, she would be a fool to deny the world this opportunity.
... But having gone through the Rae ExperienceTM, she knows it won't be that easy. That singleminded determination, the willingness to take down anyone who stands in the way of achieving your goal — it's not one she's unfamiliar with. Especially when said goal is one that gives your previously empty existence meaning. When he escapes, there's no telling how many countless lives will be ruined. All for the sake of that one, unreachable dream.
Sometimes, death is the only way to force someone to give up on their beliefs.
She would know.
Ichinose reaches for the cards, and takes the kill card in her hand.
The second choice is... well. It all depends on what one considers as help. The human heart may not be able to handle the ridicule and scorn. Human solutions are ridden with human errors. If they take away those variables, if they remove those feelings from the equation, then—
She picks yes. If she has the choice to do good over evil, why wouldn't she? It's not a question of whether or not it's worth it. It's a question of... well, would any other choice truly be superior?
[It should be an easy choice for Lalli. His whole life has been spent killing before something could hurt another. But when it comes down to it, he has always killed monsters, not people. Killing monsters is just releasing them from the hell they exist in, but killing a living, thinking person, well...
It's tough. And Lalli does hesitate. "No mistakes" echoes in his mind. He has to choose correctly, but what is the right choice?
Ultimately Lalli chooses kill, but it is with an unsure hand. Rae's powers might help, but power in the hands of someone who misuses it is useless.
The second question is a much easier one to answer. Lalli's life belongs to his family, his friends, and the people who need his help. In that order. It's painful, it's caused him so much heartache, but it's his very existence. The day he stops jumping to action when someone says 'Lalli, help!' is the day he might as well lay down and die, because he will have outlived his usefulness.
Yes, undeniably.
Plz no bulli about any autocorrect I miss too, this is a phone tag as I wheeze in my car.]
Each of you has concluded that helping others is worth it.
No matter what hardships you go through, hold onto that conviction.
As they have each selected YES for the final question: for the next 24 hours, they will be filled with a constant, lowkey determination to endure. Life sucks, but you just gotta hold on.
The screen disappears. Afterwards, they will find themselves together again, in the same space. The emptiness of the void gives way, displaying the city that they just left.
With this, they receive the epilogue to the story they played out:
Against the executives' orders, the heroes of Ladle kill Rae. Without a constant supervillain to fight against and their purpose seemingly coming to an end, they are almost forced to disband; however, a few wealthy relatives of the hybrids rescued, grateful to the heroes of Ladle, choose to sponsor the organization. And so, Ladle lives to fight crime for days to come. As SL grows older, he follows in the footsteps of his brother and joins Ladle officially as a superhero.
It would be a lie to say that the world finds peace. Prejudice still exists, as do petty criminals. More supervillains like Rae will rise and fall.
In the end, life goes on—but maybe that doesn't even need to be said.
The scenery fades, reverting back to the emptiness. A few papers appears before them to take, as does a portal that will lead them back to the campus, on the edge of the looping map.
Lalli and Lux can walk out in their uniforms. Yamato and Ichinose will be in some generic modern outfit, but I'm making the executive decision that Ichinose has to go back out in her Pokemon hat and glasses. Yamato can keep his... fake thumb (and eye bandages). Otherwise, all items besides the papers are gone.
All of their CYOA powers and physical traits are undone. Their intuitive knowledge of their roles will recede; they will remember their backstories, but it will feel more like a story that they witnessed than their own selves.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
lux yanks the pendant off from around her neck where she'd been wearing it and hands it over to yamato right away. ]
Use this, and then we need to get out of here. I can carry him on my broom.
[ and yamato can carry lalli some more. that seems good to her? sure. ]
no subject
Ichinose has been pretty quiet ever since they escaped from the gas chamber. Contemplative, even. Sure would he nice if she had enough time to think things through! But, uh, guess heterosexuality came back for their lives? Lalli is dying? Yamato's fake brother is also dying? And his real brother has a gun, which is just— baffling. She has so many fucking questions, but this is so not the time.
So she shakes her head, kind of rebooting herself, moving to shake the unconscious employees (also looting the dead ones for anything useful. Her talismans...!)]
We need to get Lali-san and SL-kun outside. The smoke inhalation will kill them if the poison and injuries don't get to them first.
[Actually, the smoke inhalation isn't great for them either? This is fine.]
no subject
Stop trying to loot people, Ichinose. These dead employees aren't going to have your talismans!!
The three of them aren't going to have the chance to do much of anything else, though, as footsteps approach. Amidst the smoke, a figure emerges—and it's someone they probably did not want to see again. Aka, it's Rae. Heterosexuality is back yet again!]
Kuon, I've come to pick you up!
[Is this very bad timing? Maybe.
The group can try to attack him, but with everything that's happened to them—their powers essentially disabled and their bodies injured and exhausted—they'll find their efforts won't do much. Rae is in peak condition and can move with far more ease than them. That is, beating him in a fight right now is very unlikely.
He looks to Lalli, who's quickly nearing death.]
He looks like he's not doing too well, huh? But you know, my power is rather useful for things like this. Contamination, infections, illnesses, poisons... I can purify anything that I choose.
[He holds out a hand.]
So, I have an offer. If you come with me, Kuon, I promise I'll cure him! How about it?
[Looks like the group (or Ichinose, in particular) has to make a deal. Which is it going to be: Ichinose or Lalli?]
no subject
Like we're supposed to believe you'd hold up your end of the deal?! [ they are literally surrounded by corpses right now so it is kind of hard to believe in anything. ] Screw you!
[ he is aware rae probably won't even pay attention to him, but it definitely feels good to use what little strength he has on yelling at him. no it does not matter that it's useless. ]
no subject
she's trying to put herself between rae and the others even though she's an injured idiot who can't even use her magic right now. ]
We're not trading people away like that!
no subject
Though, uh. This sure is an offer! Ichinose does not look happy to see him at all. In fact, the corpses kind of have it good right now? They don't have to deal with this shit. Yamato and Lux are definitely not down with this clown, either. But...
She looks at Lalli.
And looks away, frowning.]
... How can I be sure you won't leave them for dead? You've killed so many people already, Rae-san. Your word isn't enough. What guarantee will you give me?
[Though she says this, it's... Well. Yamato's hands are full. Lux is nerfed. And Lalli sure is not looking good! They are still stuck in a burning building, in no condition to fight if it comes to that. They're fucked no matter what they do.
But if some of them can still make it out, isn't that an acceptable result?
So, depending on Rae's response— she might just take his hand. Sorry, gang. Fall dorm doesn't let fall dorm die? Yeah.]
no subject
... Ah, I guess that is a lot of people? But once you're with me, I plan on just leaving, so they won't be in my way any more, right? [He grins.] If anything, it really only helps me to save him, since I get to demonstrate what I can do. You see, while the heroes at Ladle want me dead, some of the people higher up are contemplating the usefulness of my powers—which requires me to be alive.
So, I'm killing two birds with one stone! Should I stop saying killing? I'll prove my worth, have you, and you can consider his survival a bonus gift as well!
[Wow, so generous. But ignoring all the fluff in his words, it seems that he's being honest about saving Lalli and sparing the others, should Ichinose agree.
They will have to make their choice very quickly, aka in the next round.]
no subject
If Ichinose is within grabbing range, he's going to weakly reach for her. He wants to catch her attention before she makes a huge mistake.]
Don't.
[It takes a monumental effort to say each word, but he needs to. They need to understand.]
It's fine. I'm ready to see my family again.
[Like I said, appropriately Dramatic.
I would say he would spit on Rae but he's so weak it might just dribble onto Yamato's shoulder instead.]
no subject
[ CAN PEOPLE NOT MAKE DRAMATIC DYING STATEMENTS ON HIS SHOULDER? DAMN? ]
We'll figure it out, so don't... both of you, don't do anything stupid! [ he says that, but he doesn't know how the hell they're going to get out of this. he can feel lalli's breathing growing weaker, and ichinose... all of them are cut from the same cloth, aren't they? it's why lux shoved the pill back in lalli's mouth back then. if there's a chance for the others...
but he can't accept that kind of sacrifice. he can't. not again. and he can't do much more, so now that the pendant is empty of healing power he'll uselessly throw that at rae to bonk him. ]
no subject
Lalli.
[ no. bad. no dying speeches. you're not fucking dying. lux is using her pen to try and draw a fucking summoning circle on her own hand because what else does she even have, but
her powers are still nerfed so it was a pretty useless last-ditch effort. ]
Dammit.
no subject
She takes Lalli's arm and returns it so it's over Yamato's shoulder. She eyes Lux's pen for a moment, before she plucks it from her hands with a shake of her head, shoving it in her pocket. Noooo summoning satan in this Christian, heterosexual server.]
Whoa, whoa, guys... Calm down. Didn't you hear him? Everything is going to be just fine.
[Haha! No. But, sure. She turns to address this binch.]
Rae-san... Heal Lali-san and rescue them from the fire, and I'll go with you. You'll do that for me, won't you?
[Placidly, smiling. If he does as she says, she'll even hold his hand! Wow! But real talk, though. If he heals Lalli and saves them from the fire, she will immediately try to stab him with the pen the moment he lets her get too close to him or turns his back on her.
(Can't wait for this not to work. Whew.)]
no subject
But Rae will keep his end of the bargain! He'll heal Lalli, who will immediately feel better once Rae purifies the poison, and ensure they're all rescued from the fire.
Aaaaaaaand then Ichinose stabs him. He's shocked because wha??? He didn't see this coming at all, for some reason. Love is blind, unfortunately. Also unfortunately, he reacts quickly enough to avoid it being in a fatal area, and he seems resistant enough to pain that he doesn't let go of her hand, so she's still stuck with him—
But then, everything disappears.
When the group blinks, they'll find that they've returned to the void, though this time, they're each alone. However, all four will know how this story ends... or how it goes just short of the ending.
With Rae distracted by Ichinose's stab, the heroes' boss came onto the scene and was able to defeat and arrest Rae, while the rest of his subordinates were killed or captured. Next then, comes a dilemma.
The boss, as do the rest of the superheroes at Ladle, believe that Rae should be killed, whereas many of the executives instead want Rae to be kept alive. The cases are as follows:
Spare him: His power is one of a kind and far too useful to lose. The people he can save vastly outnumber the people he's hurt or killed. He can cure any illness, immediately render water—that would otherwise take decades to purify—drinkable, etc. That's only the tip of the iceberg, going from the research obtained when the Director experimented on him, back in the lab. If further experiments were to be done to examine his powers (albeit of a more ethical nature than the horrific things the Director put him through), they might be able to advance medical science and the like further.
Kill him: Much of the above will depend on Rae's own goodwill and cooperation; even if he cooperates, how likely would it be for him to sincerely reform? (The suspected answer: not likely.) Keeping him alive is just giving him the opportunity to escape and wreak havoc again (and chances are, he will find a way to escape), so why should more lives be paid as the price for others? And no matter how useful he is, he has to answer for his crimes. Life or death shouldn't depend on your perceived worth to society.
All four of them will see two cards in front of them, one with Spare written; the other, Kill. They will each have to make a decision. It does not have to be unanimous, especially given that they're separated with no means of communicating. This isn't about reaching a group decision on what Rae's fate should be, but what they personally believe is the correct choice.
Once that's done, there's one more question to be answered.
Screens appear around them, replaying scenes and allowing each person to see everyone's journey up until now. Ichinose and Yamato saving Rae's life, Lalli leaving a child to save Emil instead, Lux saving a young girl at Sylas's expense, etc.
Another screen pops up before them, this one with text displayed.
Helping people is a thankless job.
You don't know if doing the right thing now will lead to worse consequences in the future. The person you save could become the evil you will have to defeat. Would you go back in time and stop yourself from helping them? If so, then perhaps the answer is that you should never have helped them in the first place, even when they had yet to fall to corruption.
You will have to make difficult choices on who to save, at times. And no matter how much you try, you will never be able to protect everyone. Others will condemn you for not doing enough. In the end, you may be crushed underneath the weight of your perceived failures.
In return for helping others, your life may end up in shambles. You will receive scorn and mockery. So few will be grateful for the sacrifices you have made for them. And it will never end — the cycle will only continue like this, until you have finally had enough.
In spite of that, there is a simple question to ask:
Is helping others worth it?
» Yes
» No
Make your choice.]
no subject
kill him or spare him.
yamato... has the memories of everything and everyone rae has hurt in mind. this wasn't a simple hurting others, either. the remorseless killing of those mercenaries, the hybrids they rescued, the people at ladle, nearly lalli, SL and the rest of them-- some people have the capacity to redeem themselves, but it needs to be worked on and wanted. you can't force someone to be good. they have to want it for themselves.
ken, blackwargreymon, even oikawa-- they were people who had hurt others, and they didn't expect forgiveness, but they were willing to make up for it with their actions or their lives. they felt guilt. he doesn't think rae has that capacity anymore. redemption has to be earned, and forgiveness can't be expected, either.
so even though he rescued rae that first time, yamato picks the kill card this time. he'd made his choices.
and yet, that second choice is a lot easier.
of course it's worth it to help people. no matter how much it hurts, or how the world has turned against them-- yamato's not going to regret that. he's always going to choose to help if there's something he can do. no matter if helping means killing a friend to put them out of their misery.
if no one helps, how can things ever get better? they were chosen because there was something they could do to help, but they all went for it because it was what they wanted to do. he'll always believe that.
so.
he picks yes, of course. ]
no subject
but demacia is a kingdom of retributive justice. criminality tends to be seen as something black and white. you're either good or bad - and if you're bad, you don't belong in society. which lux is sometimes critical of and sometimes not.
it's easier to not be critical of it when it's someone she doesn't know. so she reaches for the kill card at first but - hesitates. the thing is, memory week also means she's been reliving all of her sylas trauma already and that was before watching him die - what, a couple days ago? minutes? who knows! and she let him die here when it was him or someone else, but if she had more choice in it... she would rather spare him. even after everything.
... except spare sucks too! "further experiments" what the fuck is that? he does bad things but you think you can get something from him, so you try to force it? maybe it's better to do just die than torture someone like that. god. lux genuinely considers it a greater act of compassion for rae-who-she-is-definitely-projecting-on to settle on kill. so that he doesn't just become a living test subject.
and the second question just gets zero hesitation no matter the consequences. yes, it's better to help people. obviously. chooses the girl who just voted to kill someone. it's fine. ]
no subject
But hello darkness, her old friend.
This is not a simple choice at all, however. On one hand, the scientific advancements would be tremendous. As terrible as his deeds were, there's no denying that Rae could save countless lives if his abilities were put to good use. Incurable illnesses could become a thing of the past. Water shortages could be eradicated. Those who have been plunged into world of endless pain and suffering could find salvation.
From a researcher's point of view, she would be a fool to deny the world this opportunity.
... But having gone through the Rae ExperienceTM, she knows it won't be that easy. That singleminded determination, the willingness to take down anyone who stands in the way of achieving your goal — it's not one she's unfamiliar with. Especially when said goal is one that gives your previously empty existence meaning. When he escapes, there's no telling how many countless lives will be ruined. All for the sake of that one, unreachable dream.
Sometimes, death is the only way to force someone to give up on their beliefs.
She would know.
Ichinose reaches for the cards, and takes the kill card in her hand.
The second choice is... well. It all depends on what one considers as help. The human heart may not be able to handle the ridicule and scorn. Human solutions are ridden with human errors. If they take away those variables, if they remove those feelings from the equation, then—
She picks yes. If she has the choice to do good over evil, why wouldn't she? It's not a question of whether or not it's worth it. It's a question of... well, would any other choice truly be superior?
(Killing Rae absolutely counts as helping.)]
no subject
It's tough. And Lalli does hesitate. "No mistakes" echoes in his mind. He has to choose correctly, but what is the right choice?
Ultimately Lalli chooses kill, but it is with an unsure hand. Rae's powers might help, but power in the hands of someone who misuses it is useless.
The second question is a much easier one to answer. Lalli's life belongs to his family, his friends, and the people who need his help. In that order. It's painful, it's caused him so much heartache, but it's his very existence. The day he stops jumping to action when someone says 'Lalli, help!' is the day he might as well lay down and die, because he will have outlived his usefulness.
Yes, undeniably.
Plz no bulli about any autocorrect I miss too, this is a phone tag as I wheeze in my car.]
no subject
A screen will display what each of them decided:
YAMATO - KILL
LUXANNA - KILL
ICHINOSE - KILL
LALLI - KILL
Each of you has concluded that helping others is worth it.
No matter what hardships you go through, hold onto that conviction.
As they have each selected YES for the final question: for the next 24 hours, they will be filled with a constant, lowkey determination to endure. Life sucks, but you just gotta hold on.
The screen disappears. Afterwards, they will find themselves together again, in the same space. The emptiness of the void gives way, displaying the city that they just left.
With this, they receive the epilogue to the story they played out:
Against the executives' orders, the heroes of Ladle kill Rae. Without a constant supervillain to fight against and their purpose seemingly coming to an end, they are almost forced to disband; however, a few wealthy relatives of the hybrids rescued, grateful to the heroes of Ladle, choose to sponsor the organization. And so, Ladle lives to fight crime for days to come. As SL grows older, he follows in the footsteps of his brother and joins Ladle officially as a superhero.
It would be a lie to say that the world finds peace. Prejudice still exists, as do petty criminals. More supervillains like Rae will rise and fall.
In the end, life goes on—but maybe that doesn't even need to be said.
The scenery fades, reverting back to the emptiness. A few papers appears before them to take, as does a portal that will lead them back to the campus, on the edge of the looping map.
Lalli and Lux can walk out in their uniforms. Yamato and Ichinose will be in some generic modern outfit, but I'm making the executive decision that Ichinose has to go back out in her Pokemon hat and glasses. Yamato can keep his... fake thumb (and eye bandages). Otherwise, all items besides the papers are gone.
All of their CYOA powers and physical traits are undone. Their intuitive knowledge of their roles will recede; they will remember their backstories, but it will feel more like a story that they witnessed than their own selves.]