So, time to infodump about my Alice in Borderland S/I thus far!!!!
⚠️WARNING FOR DEPICTIONS OF HEAVY GORE/VIOLENCE AND BODILY HARM⚠️
(First pic is pre-beach, second pic is once they join the beach! Made in this Picrew :3 )
Their name is Erina (or Rin/Rina for short), and they’re a college student from the United States that came to Japan to study Illustration and Animation! They befriended Arisu, Karube, and Chota about a year and a half before the events of the show took place- and it’s about a month before the events of the show took place that they’d realized that they had feelings for Karube. Once they entered the Borderlands, it was…. Rough, to say the very least. Having been separated from their friends in the incident at the crossing, they were alone in a place that they still didn’t know all too well- and it was absolutely terrifying.
Their first game on their first day in the Borderlands was a Clubs game- however, it also easily could have been considered a Hearts or Spades game, if one looked at it from another angle.
Rules: Everyone on the team votes for one of two options presented; whichever one gets the majority vote is the action you have to take or obstacle you have to endure in the next room. Failure to go through with a voted-upon action or obstacle will result in an instant game loss for the one who is unable to carry through with their action.
The game is considered cleared when you make it to the final room and complete the last task there.
They wound up suffering some pretty nasty injuries during this first game- mainly in the form of brands that were pressed into the skin on their left forearm (as in room 7, the options were to either brand someone else or brand yourself- and they were the only one that voted to brand themselves, so the remaining 6 players aside from themself branded them. They’re little diamond-shaped wounds, forming an almost snake scale-like pattern) and Lichtenburg Figures on their back from being electrocuted. Thankfully, though, Erina survived the whole mess- and they had 5 days before they had to participate in another game to rest up and recuperate. Having found a little convenience store/pharmacy hybrid, Erina was able to wrap up their wounds and get plenty of food- and they’d bide their time until their next game. When the time came, they were nervous- but a little more prepared than when they had first come into the world.
This game took place in some kind of old factory; machines of all kinds littered the floor
Rules: The room around you will begin to fill with ice cold water as the temperature drops; dive into the icy depths and find pieces to build a ladder to the catwalk above. Hesitate for too long, and you’ll meet your end.
The game is considered cleared when you make it to the catwalk
What the game neglected to mention, however, is that the pieces they needed to build their ladders were hidden amongst the machines in the depths of the water- and not all of the pieces fit together perfectly, so fights broke out amongst players who were searching for pieces to build their own ladders. Some even drowned or beat other players to death in the search for their pieces, tinging the water with red. Thankfully, Erina was a strong swimmer, and were able to make it out quite alright; a bit cold and sore, but alright nonetheless.
Once again given more time before their next game, they’d explore the city more- and while they did so, they came across a party of folks from the Beach who were out searching for supplies. Staying hidden, they’d watch them from afar- and when they began to head back to the resort, Erina would follow behind. Granted, they didn’t go fully onto the territory that the Beach had claimed- but the sound of pulsing music that floated on the air and eventually hit their ears would pique their curiosity.
The last game that Erina encountered before they ended up joining the Beach was….. brutal, to say the very least. It took place in an old meat market- and it was like the smell of rotten flesh hung in the air the whole time, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
Rules: Collect the pieces assigned to you and place them on your scale before the time limit is up. Time limit: 2 hours
The game is considered cleared when a player collects all the pieces that are assigned to them or there is only one player left standing. If the time limit is reached and a player has not collected all of their assigned pieces, then it is an immediate game failure.
Erina’s stomach would sink when they realized that the pieces that they were assigned were pieces of the other players’ bodies- and they’d be one of the first to book it from the starting square, heart pounding. It wasn’t long before they’d heard screams of anguish and the sickening sound of metal thudding through flesh echoing through the abandoned stalls- and they’d frantically search for a weapon to defend themselves with. They’d feel a tiny bit safer the moment they got their hands on a heavy meat cleaver- but that panic would rise in their chest again when they heard footsteps sprinting towards them. Quite quickly, they’d end up in combat against a woman that was smaller than they were- and as sick to their stomach as it made them, they’d kill her quite quickly, head thudding against the pavement with an echoing crack. They’d flinch with each cut as they hacked her left arm off, knocking one item off of their list.
When they found their scale, they’d deposit the arm into it- and just as quickly as the first had come at them, they’d feel something hard and heavy smack into the back of their head. Nearly blacking out, they’d barely have time to swing around and slash blindly in the air- and they caught something, but they couldn’t quite tell what it was with the spots dancing in their vision. Once their eyesight finally cleared up, they’d see the player that had attacked them, clutching their arm with a bloodied hand. Before they’d even really be able to react, the other player would dart forward- and with one slash, they’d nearly end up taking their eye out. Thankfully, though, Erina would strike at just the right time- and before they’d have had their eye cut right out of their head, their cleaver would sink into the flesh of the side of their attacker’s neck, pulling out and sinking back in repeatedly.
They’d only stop when the corpse slumped to the ground at their feet, blood soaking into their shoes.
From there, Erina would run on autopilot- and they’d only really come out of their thoughts when their phone would chime, signaling that they had won the brutal and bloody game. Making their way to the starting square, they’d flinch lightly when they realized that there was only one card resting on the tabletop- and with trembling hands, they’d take it, shoving the wretched thing into their pocket. At least they didn’t know any of them…… though that almost made them feel worse about it.
Afterwards they’d aimlessly wander the streets of Tokyo for 2 days, watching as the screens lit up at night from whatever hiding spot they’d settle down in. Both times, they’d hear cars pass with shouts of joy spilling from their windows- and after the third day, they’d decide to see what it was all about. That night when the screens lit up again, they’d lurk in the shadows outside of a game arena- and watching the cars pull up again, they’d wait for the game to finish. Before the cars could zip off into the night again, they’d catch the attention of one of the drivers- and after a quick chat, Erina was on their way to the beach, covered in crusted-over blood and injured.
Their meeting with the Hatter and the executives at the Beach was quite eventful; given they had obtained a high-level card on their own that had not been brought in before (the 9 of hearts), they were considered for quite a high ranking right off the bat. Mira even went to bat for them to be considered for an executive position, given their evident strength with Hearts games- and it was agreed that their evaluation would take place at the next night of games that took place. Getting their injuries checked out- and getting a good night of rest- they’d prepare for the next evening with bated breath.
When it came time to break off into groups for the games the next evening, Erina was sorted into a group with Aguni, his militant buddy, and Chishiya- and they’d pull up to the apartment complex arena that the tag game would take place in. Trying to mentally prepare themselves for the game that was awaiting them, a whole bunch of emotions would smack them right in the face all at once when they saw Arisu and Karube walk in past the registration lasers. They’d nearly give the two a heart attack on their own when they nearly tackled Karube in a hug, on the verge of becoming a blubbering mess right then and there. The time for reuniting did not last very long, however- as game registration closed, and their time was ticking down. For the duration of the game, they stuck with Aguni, Karube, and the other militant to fend off the tagger- and though they got tossed around quite a bit during the altercation, the only ‘major’ injury of note that they suffered from was a bloody nose and a twisted ankle.
Since it was an important night- their evaluation had been done, and discussions needed to be had back at the beach- Erina didn’t have much time at all to chat with their friends after they gathered their cards for the night. All they had time to get out was to come to the bridge at the edge of the city the next day- and then they were off again.
Since Aguni was the primary observer of their work, he was the one who spoke on their behalf at the meeting that night with the executives- and with as glowing a review as the man could give, Erina was accepted onto the board of executives at the beach. They informed the other executives about their group of friends before the meeting was adjourned- and the next morning, they were allowed to take a vehicle to the edge of the bridge and pick up Arisu, Chota, and Karube. After another conversation with the board of executives, Arisu’s test to be confirmed as an executive was also set up- and they’d finally have a chance to talk and rest before things devolved into chaos again.
That night, Chota would accompany Arisu to his game (as his visa days were running low), leaving Erina and Karube to their own devices. Opting to get a drink and party a little, the liquor would give Erina the courage to finally confess their feelings to Karube. In a way, it was almost more nerve-wracking than the games- and they prepared for the worst in his response. It turns out, though, that the feelings were mutual- and so that night, they became more than just friends.
I have yet to figure out how my S/I got into a relationship with Chishiya yet- but that’s something I’m working on ;D will be updating more relationship lore when I figure it out!
titsay
stormborns
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