BETA ROUND END

[worldkeys]

Who: The Alices of the Beta Round remaining (Sasuke, Harley, Hinata, Ken, Lalli, and Liao)
What: Everyone has a choice to make. Specifically, it begins as Sasuke's choice.
Where: The World's Hub, the room the Rabbit normally stands.
Warnings: Definite violence. Somebody got... something.

A smile reaches the White Rabbit's face as he hands the sharp key to Sasuke.

"... I'm certain you recall the choice you made," he says slowly. "But it's up to you to decide if you really want to uphold that. Who is 'most evil' in this World? You've seen so very many Hearts, after all--I'm sure you could reach a decision. ... The Cat and I, of course... well, we hardly count. We've never been human, after all."

And he'll remain in that same spot he's always been in, of course.

"While you all decide, your rooms will wait for you. Or you could all stay here and fight about it. Either way, sweet dreams, Alices."

Comments

[not_that_sasuke]

[...

This is where he turns away, though his eyes are still on the others - their feet rather than their faces.]

...I nearly disappeared, once.

[Very recently, at that.]

...It will be better this way.

[miseris_socios]

... Will it? Or are you just trying to convince yourself that it is?

[not_that_sasuke]

Do you think someone else here would be a better choice?

[miseris_socios]

... I don't know. I just feel like... there should be another way.

[not_that_sasuke]

...

This is what I wanted. [To disappear, completely and fully.

He might not be able to lock away peoples' memories of him this time, but... This much is close enough.] You and the others should just... focus on returning to your worlds.

[miseris_socios]

... I don't...

[He can understand not wanting to see people, to die, but not... like this. This just seems so...]

I... I don't know if I can just...

[He can't just let it happen.]

... Don't... there's always a way to... to get out of things like this...

[He can't lose more people.]

[not_that_sasuke]

I don't want out.

[That's the whole point, Ken.]

...I just want to disappear already.

[miseris_socios]

Why? Isn't that just the same as giving up?

[not_that_sasuke]

Ken...

[Stop. Please.]

...Do you remember that woman who appeared in my World?

[Beyond the torii gate.]

[miseris_socios]

... Yes.

[It had been weird, but... then again, given everything here...]

[not_that_sasuke]

She was a powerful spirit with the power to lock away anything. Memories... feelings...

But she was so old, she was fading away. Whatever she took would have disappeared with her for good. Knowing that...

I asked her to lock me away, too.

[This isn't the first time he's tried. But maybe...

It can finally be the last.]

[miseris_socios]

Why? I still don't...

[Even as much as he hurts... he'd wanted to die before. He doesn't want to die again, not if it's not needed.]

[not_that_sasuke]

["Why," huh...]

Because running away wasn't enough. I still caused problems just by existing.

[If he hadn't let his thoughts wander so idly... If he hadn't been there and attracted Yuusuke's attention...]

I don't... want to live like this anymore.

[Always hurting... Always hurting others...

He's sick of it.]

[miseris_socios]

... But if you keep existing... you can fix the problems. You can do things that don't cause problems.

['...After killing him, you were planning to join him, were you not?']

[He'd wanted to disappear, too... rather than cause further problems. But... he can't live like that anymore.]

[not_that_sasuke]

I tried to fix them. [Oh, how he tried.]

...All I did was get even more people hurt.

[Fukuta... Takuma...

If he hadn't stuck around so stubbornly, maybe they wouldn't have had to hurt the way they did. Yuusuke targeted them to get to Sasuke, after all.]

[miseris_socios]

... For... for what it's worth... I'm sorry.

[He wants to fix it.. but he can't. He doesn't know how. He can't fix Sasuke's world. He's not going to be able to convince him, is he?]