We Find Comfort In The Apricity

Measure 77: One Will Win

Ava picked out the thinnest needle she could find and handed it to Neptune. He walked over to Ryusui and he laid out his palm over the table. "Wait." Ava stopped Neptune right before he was going to stab the needle. Neptune looked at her confused and with slight shock as everyone else did too.

She pulled out her handkerchief and from a cabinet, she grabbed a small vial with isopropyl alcohol and crouched down next to Ryusui's seat. She gently grabbed his palm and dabbed her handkerchief with alcohol. She cleaned his hands first, the alcohol was cold and her hands were too.

"You've come a long way sailor, how's your darling ship?" She whispered so only Ryusui would be able to hear.

"My- crashed. That's how we got here. We saw your little light show and followed it." -Ryusui

"Ohh really? It was an accident then, well lucky you I'll have to check on that. Don't want you to crash into any reefs either. Is it bad?"

"Not really, but we haven't talked to the others waiting at the ship so I have no idea how it is." -Ryusui

"Ah okay, I'll see what I can do about that. You shouldn't waste your materials on fixing it, you won't be staying long at all either way."

"What do you mean—" Ryusui was interrupted, Ava stood up and smiled at him, this time it was a genuine smile. The first one she had smiled in some time. She walked back to the front of the table. Before he had realized it, the needle head was already inside his palm. He didn't even feel the pain of it. He raised his palm up to his face and looked at it.

"You are not allowed to remove it so I recommend simply laying out your hand on the table. Palm up of course. It's your turn now Number 2, would you rather be tased for three seconds or raise the temperature by 4 degrees?"

"Raise the temperature." Ryusui answered with a faint smile which Ava returned.

Neptune stepped out again and rose the temperature to 28 degrees Celsius.

"Number 18, would you rather prick three needles in your palm or flay the right palm of the person to your left?"

"Anzu! Seriously?! Don't you feel any guilt for this? You'd go to such an extreme?!" -Yuzuriha

"W-What why? What does it mean? What does flaying mean?" -Kohaku

"Flaying was performed in the 16th century as a method of torture. It is basically skinning a person alive."

"No. No! Haven don't do it! That will do more damage than the needles!" -Kohaku

Haven stayed silent for a second and then one tear rolled silently down her cheek. "I'm sorry Kohaku, but I have to win."

"Five seconds left, pick or I will."

"H-Haven! No, no please don't." Kohaku stared intensely at Haven. "W-We worked together!"

"But it's like Kai said! This is individual! I don't need you people anymore! Why do you all have to keep staying together through it?! I-I've never seen any of you before! I have no idea who you are!! I don't want to lose!! I...Ipick flaying!" -Haven screamed hysterically.

"HAVEN!" -Kohaku

"Haven! Take it back! Consider this, please think about it!" -Yuzuriha

"You can't take back your words once they've been said, Haven." Ava walked over to Haven and handed her a knife. Haven's eyes widened.

"W-Wait, I have to do it?!" -Haven