BLUFF [AIB]

Stage One: X

[Started: 12/27/2022]
[Ended: 12/30/2022]
[Song: One by Three Dog Night.]

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Alice In Borderlands
BLUFF
STAGE ONE: Rubatosis
"The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat."

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Chapter Ten
"The beach."
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     Water. Something Y/n often took for granted. Water, though she didn't realize it, was an important thing to her. Mostly because it cleaned her. Washed her of all her mistakes and surface imperfections. Since she could remember, water has always been there.
     "Dad!"
     The sky was raining and gloomy. But the young girl didn't care. She had spent the last hour outside making mud castles. In a movie she had seen someone make a sand castle and wanted to do the the same. When she had finished making the grand structure she ran to the back door of the house.
    She opened it but didn't walk inside knowing she'd get in trouble for tracking mud in the house. "Dad!" She called. "Come look, I made a castle."
     A lethargic gruff man stood in-front of her looking down with a tired scowl.
     "I made a castle." The girl pointed to a lump in the backyard.
    "Your fucking disgusting." He told her. "Don't come inside until you've got that shit off of you." He slammed the door shut.
    A look of hurt and confusion spread over the girls face as she looked down at her hands. "I'm....sorry."
     Her fists clenched and she marched over to the castle. She kicked it down angrily screaming. "Stupid castle!" When the castle was gone her lip quivered but she wouldn't allow herself to cry.
    She moved to the side of the house standing under the gutter. Water poured out washing away all of the mud. It wasn't sanitary in the slightest but it got rid of the mud.
    When she was clean she went back to the door and tried to open it. Now it was locked. She knocked on the glass. "Dad! I'm clean!"
    Nothing.
    "Dad...?"
    She sat in the rain for hours that day waiting for her father to unlock the door.

    Looking up at the sky Y/n slipped off her surfboard into the quiet depths of the ocean letting it cleanse her of any leftover chlorine. She stayed there holding her breath. A calm smile coming to her face.
     Slowly she realized how important water is to her. How calm and content it made her. It was beginning to feel like a passion. When she was away from Old man's boat or the beach she wished to be back. To live like she has been, has turned into her dream.

At night when all the games finished, the lights of a hotel always stayed on. If she had to guess Y/n would say it was "The Beach". The hotel itself was farther inland but within walking distance to the water. On the boat Y/n was able to see a few things going on there with a pair of binoculars. But it wasn't enough. So she started searching the city for something that would really get a look inside the beach. Specifically she was looking for a telescope.
She continued to deliver fish to Usagi and Arisu everyday. Most days she woke up, caught some fish, visited the two, searched for a telescope, then when night came she'd spy on "The Beach". After a few days of this consistent routine she found a telescope. That night she sailed around the shore to get a good look at "The Beach".
     'How does this things even work?'
     On deck Y/n set up the telescope. She struggled a bit to set it up as she only had a lamp to light the area. Looking into the glass she had a clear view of the building. Outside there was a pool with loads of people partying. There was nothing interesting until Y/n looked at the roof.
     The blond, Chishiya, was on the roof looking out over the horizon. He was talking to a girl standing behind him. Then he pointed, directly at Y/n.
    "Shit!"
    Y/n jumped away from the telescope and turned off the lamp. "Has he known this entire time?!"
     'Damn you Chishiya.'

     Kuina squinted as the light on the water vanished.
     Chishiya hummed in amusement. "Maybe they saw me point?"
    "Do you really think there's someone out there every night?" She asked him skeptically.
    "Without a doubt." He nodded. "As soon as the suns down. A small light crosses the water in front of the beach for a few hours. This is the first time it's gone out."
     "So you want to tell the executives about it?" Kuina crossed her arms.
     He smirked. "I have a suspicion about who it might be. I'd like to have them here."
     Sighing Kuina began walking back to the exit. "The Arisu guy? Or the Y/n girl?"
     "Either would be nice."
     The two exit the roof and were found by Niragi. He begrudgingly told Chishiya to go to the meeting room. The executives gathered together in the room. Two people sat unconscious tied to chairs. One was Arisu, the other was Usagi.
     An amused smile came to. Chishiya's face.
     "So it is you out there...."

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     "Arisu? Usagi?" Y/n called as she looked down at the rotting fish she had delivered the day prior.
     'Where are they?'
     The two had disappeared without a word. It was like they just up an left. Y/n would rather think they had abandoned her rather than they had died. Though she was worried Y/n carried on with her routine. Soon she would have to join another game but for now she was free.
     That night was the same routine. She went to "The Beach" and snuck looks through the telescope. But she saw something she really didn't want to see. Usagi and Arisu.
     "No." She muttered looking into the glass.
     Several splashes came from the shore making Y/n look up. It was to dark to know for sure but someone was in the water. Swiftly she snuffed out the lamp light and stayed very quiet.
    But that wasn't enough three men leaped from the water. One pulling her in and the other wrapping a soaked cloth to her mouth and nose. She flailed around trying to get away from them but her eyes began to close. A wave of fatigue hit her and she was out.

     Chishiya stood on the roof again, a smug smirk on him. He had watched as the light on the water went out and he knew he had got her. "Welcome to The Beach, Y/n."

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