townsville's going downsville tonight

[snapsnapsnap]

THE MASTERMIND AU
NICK V. CN EDITION

It's time for Nick vs. CN's mastermind meme!

To those who aren't familiar, this is essentially an AU where your character is the one responsible for Nick v CN's Mutual Killing Game, and all of the carnage that came with it, from the kidnapping to the motives to the trials to the executions! And now, they have chosen to reveal themselves before the remaining members of their class at the final trial!

As such, you are free to play around with this as much as you would like; was your character just another pawn in the grand scheme of things, or did your character put everyone in the Killing Game for a different reason? What is your character's motivation for bringing despair? What do they intend to get out of this seemingly senseless killing? And what does the rest of the class have to do to stop the madness and go home?

There's probably going to be quite a bit of AUing from your character's original canon happening here to make them into the best harbingers of despair they can be, so feel free to go as nuts with it as you want to! And, of course, feel free to tag others with your character's reaction to their classmate's big reveal; it doesn't matter whether or not your character made it to endgame, have fun and mix up the survivor pool as much as you'd like!

Oh, and feel free to describe your character's sweet new Monobear-themed duds, too!!

Original meme text borrowed and modified from loveisanopendoor!

Comments

[trustyboomerang]

[This is going to be a very different trial. The courtroom is made up of four very different sections. Above each area are plaques that only a few might be able to read.

Above the arid, rocky section it reads Earth Kingdom, with the area being dry and lifeless. The survivors standing there will feel the occasional tremble, as if there was an earthquake building up under their feet. The fire section has a plaque with the words Fire Nation, hot plumes of water and steam shooting up, magma heating up the grate underneath it. At least the survivors in that section stand on cool plates. That way they won't catch on fire just yet. The most terrifying section was one labeled Air Nation. The survivors in this section simply stand on almost flimsy-looking wooden beams, where one wrong move would send them careening down into darkness. They'll feel air moving around them, at times moving quicker than others, chilling them before the wind turns gentle and warm again.

Each section is closed off by glass. Seems the mastermind is trying to keep the survivors from physically interacting till they found it to be time to do so. The last section, with a throne covered in different furs, is covered in ice and snow. Monobear stood beside it in a thick coat and hat. The other side was graced with someone who is obviously female, her face covered by her hood. Above them all is a plaque that simply reads "Water Tribe."

On the throne sits a young man who looked way too comfortable in this harsh terrain. He looks at the survivors with an almost predatory look. The mastermind stands and throws his arms out, as if welcoming his victims to their last trial.]

Welcome to my home. Yes, yes, you're all probably way too terrified to be impressed with this all. As some of you notice that the sections you're in are what I feel are appropriate for you. After all, I've been watching you all this time.

[Sokka moves his hands to his hips.]

If you haven't guess my name yet, you're idiots. I spelled it out for you several times. It's not Hakoda like you think it is. Then again, you guys were willing to kill each other for some of the stupidest motives I could come up with. I mean, come on! You really think I'd waste resources gathering your loved ones up for an execution like that? Please. Give me some credit.

[The mastermind waves his hands in the air again as the lights become momentarily blindingly bright. Podiums rise and the sound of a gavel striking wood can be heard.]

Let's get this over with. I've got a war to start.

[MASTERMIND TRIAL]
[START]

[misseinstein]

[Magma - so much magma. It's so hot and threatening and well, at least it's not standing in an abyss with nothing to hold onto? That's all Aelita can think of as a plus, but there are still friends over there and a friend standing in the ice and snow like he's been pulling the strings all along -

No. No, she wouldn't believe it, no! Aelita had trusted him, worked with him, confided in him...it couldn't turn out like this!]

No...no, stop it! Stop it, Hakoda! This isn't right - this isn't the you I knew!

[trustyboomerang]

[Now Sokka looks irritated.]

You're supposed to be the smart one! My name's not Hakoda. I only picked that name because it's the name of a Southern Water Tribe war hero. He's was a really nice guy.

[Sounds ominous, no? He sits back down in his throne, the Monobear beside Sokka covering its mouth.]

Upupupu~ Seems the genius is stumped! Maybe we should turn up the heat!

No. I think she's toasty enough right now. Don't want to boil her to death just yet. She's probably wondering, just like all these other fools, about why I did it. How many tries should they get?

Seven! It's a lucky number after all!

[misseinstein]

[There's tears in her eyes, and she grimaces at the prospect of things heating up.]

I don't care - I don't care because whatever this is, I can't...I won't believe it's who you are. You are my friend. We were going to get out of this place together!

[trustyboomerang]

All that whining is really boring. If you're not even gonna guess, maybe I should just kill you right now.

[The Monobear shakes its head.]

That's too easy! They gotta play! They gotta!

..... You're getting really annoying. That's what I get for having that hulking mass of wishes animate you. Shut up or I'll do the same thing to you as I did to those Coaches.

[The Monobear goes quiet and stares at the ground. Seems that threat is enough to even make the terrifying Headmaster scared.]

I'll let you guess my real name, first. Seven tries.

[misseinstein]

[Aelita's hands ball at her sides. She didn't need seven tries - from the clues they'd gathered, she only needed one. Part of her wanted to keep screaming "Hakoda" until he'd had enough and roasted her alive, but...there were others here, on this side of the room. They'd be killed, too. She couldn't do that to them.]

...Sokka.

[It's said sullenly, bitingly. Reluctantly.]

[babyhater]

[Panda stood stunned for a good minute as Sokka announced himself as the Mastermind. It was terrifying and it made the seemingly constant threat of being eaten by an earthquake feel minuscule to the horror that was in front of him right now.]

You... you've got to be joking! You were my friend!

[He of all people should realize the irony of that statement, but he didn't care. Sokka was the first person he felt like he could truly trust here and looking at him now made Panda sick to his stomach.]

[trustyboomerang]

Friend? Really? I'd like to think I'm a pretty good actor! You were the easiest out of anyone to manipulate. It's really pathetic that the moment someone pays attention to you in a positive way, you cave and call them friend.

[Like taking candy from a baby.]

You're the one I'm most surprised lived this long. [He pats the furs on his throne.] If someone had killed you, I would have just added you to this pile. Your fur is pretty soft.

[babyhater]

[Panda tenses up and starts to feel like he's going to cry.]

But... but why lie? Heck, why do any of this?! I've done nothing to hurt you!

[trustyboomerang]

[There's a big smile on Sokka's face.]

Because I needed you. Duh! Just like everyone else here. Now you gotta guess in what way I needed you.

[He's giving you seven guesses, just like Aelita.]

You gotta say my real name first, though. Hakoda is so five minutes ago.

[babyhater]

[Panda can't even look at his friend. He wanted to believe that this was a dream. There is no way that someone he cared so deeply about would really be such a monster.

But this is what he gets for trusting people, huh?]

S... Sokka?

[beautifulmistakeofnature]

[Being as thin and lanky as Wirt was had its advantages when you were trying to balance and not get knocked off a thin platform. Still, he's far from perfect at it, and he moves his arms here and there a bit to try and keep his balance.]

You know, we could just. I dunno. Talk this over for a moment, don't you think?

[It is hard as fuck to sound composed and in control of yourself when you're trying to keep from throwing yourself into the abyss, but Wirt is doing his best. Which isn't too hot, but it's still his A game.]

[trustyboomerang]

[Ah, Wirt. Tiny, skinny, music nerd Wirt. Just as annoying as Beatrice. Pulling the from the same world was a good idea. Sokka has to admit to himself that Wirt coming this far was pretty fun to watch.]

We're talking now, aren't we? If you got a complaint, you can tell me now! Think of me as the Human Resources department and that I actually care what you're talking about!

[All these future things, like HR departments, are great. Everything is so nice and organized.]

[beautifulmistakeofnature]

Well. You say it like that, but the thing is you do care about us talking. If you didn't, you would have just killed us.

So there's still something you want to hear out of us. And it'd be. You know. A lot easier to talk without the balancing.

[You take that back, he is nowhere near as annoying as Beatrice he's slightly worse.]

[trustyboomerang]

What's the fun in killing all of you before you fall into despair? You'd be perfect for my army! Despair is all you need! I learned that from a really great lady!

[Ugh. Sokka snaps his finger and the boards under Wirt grow wider.]

Now stop complaining. You're somewhat smart. I'm pretty sure you were the first to notice what my real name is! After all, the way you nailed Daffy was brilliant. He was pretty easy to convince into killing someone.

[Evidence list here!]

[beautifulmistakeofnature]

[Somehow, despite Sokka making the board wider, his dumb ass still nearly falls off it as he readjusts to it. He frowns at Sokka; he had appreciated, if quietly, the other teen's enthusiasm during the game itself. Now? It's too easy to see it as the psychotic joy of a madman.

He flinches at the mention of Daffy. He still doesn't have much sympathy for Daffy, but to have it phrased like that...]

You're not Hakoda; you're Sokka. You were friends with Aang and Zuko and the others in the picture you had but...something happened. Something to make you hate them.

...Are you really that convinced they're responsible for her death?

[pectoralmutt]

[Ren's sweating like a pig standing over this fire oh and he's a bit terrified of what's going on here.

But nonetheless he's raising his hand because honestly what.

Him? This guy? He's a weenie.]

One question. What war and who are we fighting?

[trustyboomerang]

[Oho? A volunteer?]

Are you saying you want to join my army of despair? Are you willing to spread despair everywhere, claim any city you want to, and have statues erected in your name? It's gonna be pretty great. We've already got a few cities under our thumb.

[pectoralmutt]

[CHINHANDS.]

That does sound nice...

But first tell me...did you turn me into meat?

[trustyboomerang]

The meat thing? Yeah, that was an accident. I was gonna turn you into something else, but the wand slipped out of my hands.

[It was really funny, though.]

I did not think Vegeta would try to eat you.

[pectoralmutt]

...what kind of stupid excuse is that?

How can I trust a blundering boss?

[luckyspots]

[For a moment, an expression of emotional anguish that tells all and holds nothing back takes form on Marinette's face. But as he implied, this was the end of things- now more than ever she couldn't let herself appear weak. Her expression hardens and she plants her feet firmly for this confrontation. The wind swirling around her may move a few strands of hair... but she's not budging.]

Why?

[It's more angry perhaps than she should be letting herself get. Get too emotional and this will just get worse. But... she needs answers. She-- no all of them-- deserve that much.]

[trustyboomerang]

Because why not!

[The Monobear beside Sokka is the one to talk as Sokka takes a seat. A fleeting emotion crosses the boys face that could be seen as sadness and grief before it's replaced with a smirk. The bear bounces up and down before going on.]

Time to play a game~! How many cats did we skin to get you all this far?

[Sokka closes his eyes as Monobear puts it paws over its mouth with a giggle.]

You better answer fast. This guy here likes the screams people let out as they fall to their deaths.

[luckyspots]

[Why you little--

Her fists clench but she doesn't lash out, though her teeth are grinding in protest. There were some things she could tolerate but that was just over the line.]

None. He's not a cat.

[He knew full well he was pushing the one and only button that could potentially upset her more than the current nightmare she was facing. Well she wasn't biting. Not now...]

Try again. Or was that the best you can do?

[trustyboomerang]

Was, is, not. Does it make a difference? The guy was a furry! May as well have been a real cat!

[The bear looks at Sokka before continuing.]

Cats are better than bugs anyways. Wanna know something fun? My master staged that entire last trial! He knew the coaches would turn against him. Just had to give them the right push. You were a perfect catalyst. So thank you! As for the coaches... Those cowards... oh well, they're just scrap heaps now.

[Sokka chuckles softly before opening his eyes to look straight at Marinette.]

I gotta thank you for getting rid of Lapis, too. Made my job a lot easier. It's better to have other people do dirty work like that. Oh, and thanks for the "care" you gave me. I lied about not being able to read you. You were one of the easier ones to manipulate.