die die die

[depletes]

COMPROMISE OR DIE

CIRCLE is a 2015 film about 50 people waking up in a room with no memory of how they got there. Slowly they realize they have to choose who lives and who dies if anyone is to escape. Only one can walk away.

Fifty people is too many for a thread, so how about two?

SUDDENLY, you wake up in a strange dark room with another person. Maybe you know them; maybe they're a total stranger. There's no way to escape and only one way to survive. You find nothing of use, no doors and no windows, just a note etched into the wall: DECIDE WHO LIVES. IF NO DECISION CAN BE MADE, BOTH DIE. YOU HAVE ONE HOUR.

Ready, set, go.

Comments

james buchanan barnes | mcu

[counterstep]

( let's gooooo )

[unrequite]

[ Midnight reads the sign, then looks over to the stranger. ]

I have a little less than ten years left to live. You?

[counterstep]

So we gonna decide this by who can live longer anyway?

( awfully pragmatic. most people would fight adamantly to survive. )

I've got another fifty years easily.

[unrequite]

[ Midnight shrugs. He's afraid of death, of course, but that isn't an excuse to make selfish decisions. ]

Seems as good a way as any. I'm terminally ill, sir. I've already made my peace with those around me, I've had my affairs in order for quite some time. If you've another fifty years ahead of you, that's plenty of time to do some good in the world, if you're so inclined.

[counterstep]

What if I'm lying? There's no guarantee either that I won't use the time for ill.

Is that not worth weighing also? Unless it doesn't really matter to you what I do with my time.

[unrequite]

[ Midnight thinks about that for a moment. ]

The thought does bother me quite a bit. However, that puts me in the rather uncomfortable position of judging you for sins you haven't committed yet. Never mind your intentions, I don't think I'm entitled to that sort of power.

[counterstep]

My future actions don't speak to my past actions either. Maybe I delight in the suffering of others. Maybe death has been waiting to call my number, and all you've done is deny what I've long deserved.

( of course, the fact he poses this question at all would generally indicate the opposite. if this were really something to take advantage of, there's no reason to question the man's quick decision to sacrifice himself. )

[unrequite]

[ Midnight's clocked that reluctance by now. Either this man is very determined to save his life or he's a sociopath, and Midnight isn't the sort to assume the worst of others. ]

That's my line, sir. At the end of the day, we could make up any number of stories about ourselves, and all that would do is kill both of us. At that point, we'd be better off trying to escape, and between the two of us, I don't have the skillset. Do you?

[counterstep]

Well. They didn't take my arm away, so I think it's possible our captors don't really know what it's capable of. ( he tugs the glove of his left hand, flexes it as if to make sure it's still operating correctly. the gold detailing catches in the light. )

Unless the walls are shielded by some kinda bullshit magic. Don't suppose you know anything about magic, do you?

[unrequite]

No, not really. [ He holds up a hand, lets a tongue of monochrome white flame curl around his fingers, then lets it blow out. ] I could burn a hole through a door, maybe melt a bit of metal, but that's about the extent of it. Can't do much more without killing one of us.

[ He turns, considers the nearest wall, then looks back, studying the stranger's arm. Honestly, he doesn't have any brighter ideas. ] What's the plan, then?

[counterstep]

My arm's made outta the strongest metal from my universe. So. See if the wall or door yields?

( and if not, then they can regroup and get back to the philosophical debate. or keep trying. whichever feels more prudent. )

[unrequite]

[ ... An arm like that has to have some sort of story behind it. Midnight nods, conjures up another couple of flames, and tosses it at a wall, then the door. Both seem fireproof. ]

Huh. [ He gives it a knock. It doesn't ring like metal... Stone, maybe? He looks at the stranger, then refocuses his attention back to the wall, puts a hand on it, and summons several more flames in a row. When his hand lifts away, the surface is charred black, but there doesn't seem to be any damage otherwise. ]

It'll take more than this for it to melt, then.

[hottestofmesses]

[I am................. tempted lmao. Is it okay for me to be tempted? Can we stick the boys in the bad room? But at the end of the hour maybe it's just confetti and a message from a psycho about how fun that was to watch or a threat they actually can handle but obvi they don't know that for an hour.]

[counterstep]

( omfg please HAHAHA i'm willing to take bad end too where they just die in each other's arms and it's sad, but it'd also be really fun for them both to get extremely pissed off at a single person for playing such a fucked up trick on them. :') and then the revenge part. power couple team up time uwu✿ )

[hottestofmesses]

[we love an amazing pissed off power couple anyway why do we do this to them it's angst o'clock lmao]

[He doesn't remember the moments preceding. Not even when he comes to. He remembers being out- which is always the best way to grab him. Unaware, which he tries very hard never to be. You think a guy would learn a lesson or two in such a long and storied life of having bad hands dealt to him but. Here he is. And it'd be one thing. If it was just him.

Just him in a room with a pounding headache squinting at a wall while vision starts to unblur after a few presses at his eyes. Sure. It'd be one thing if it were just him and some psychopath telling him hey you're gonna die because I don't like you- reason TBD. Probably something stupid and overblown like always. If it were just him he'd manage. Because he's gotten out of tougher scrapes than being locked in a room. Which doesn't feel great on his anxiety but he can deal with it.

But it's not. He's not alone and the message isn't just Tony Stark prepare to die. No it's something far worse. Maybe that is what it says, though, just not as plainly. Not that he's ready to go down that easy.

When has he ever been?

First he needs to think though so he sits himself right back down, back against the wall where it feels safest, and when the other half of this terrible joke that he's sure there's an actual punchline to and not just haha kill each other starts to rouse he swallows hard, bites down the mounting tightness in his chest, the way it feels like his heart is hammering. Tamps it deep down in favor of a far simpler and much more tried and true go-to.

I'm Tony Stark. I've survived everything before this. I'll survive everything after this. I'm unflappable and I can think my way out of everything.

...it doesn't matter that Bucky has seen way too far behind that mask, knows it for what it is. Right now it's the best play they've got. So, with a grin he hopes isn't being betrayed by how pale he feels he must look,]

This is new. Very personal take on revenge. Assuming that's what this is. Which it probably is. Considering it's. Us.

[Someone wants them to hurt each other. Very cute. But he's doing the thing where he talks too quickly to fill up space and also like he knows exactly what his next ten steps are going to be, even when he definitely doesn't. Not yet though, but he will. Eventually. ...surely.]

[avatarfortruth]

[ I know they have tags already but her instant reaction to this is "it's fine, I'll sacrifice myself, go live a good life" and that might be fun to play out??? ]

Maedhros | the silmarillion | ota

[holdshisown]

Caleb Widowgast | Critical Role | OTA

[born_in_flame]

Claire Bennet ∞ Heroes ∞ OTA

[infinite1ups]

( she'll 100% sacrifice herself bc she's sure she won't stay dead... )

akagi shigeru | akagi

[tenpo]

( this is an oddly satisfying situation to be trapped into. akagi chuckles to himself, pleased.

now to see if the universe has provided a worthy opponent. )

Shall we fight then? Or would you rather play a little game to decide?

y'shtola rhul — ffxiv.

[shtola]

( well. )

aedan trevelyan | dragon age inquisition | ota

[firstimpression]

[ here for the angst. this can be an au setting, character info/prefs in journal! ]

Prompto Argentum | Final Fantasy XV

[real_life_rpg]

Daniel Dickens | Angels of Death | OTA

[doctorize]

[circle is a guilty pleasure fave of mine, let's goooooo]