sailedfirst | IV. [Event: Halloween]

[ACTION -- Oct 31]
[It's generally agreed by the residents of CH3, Room 40 that this month? is a very, very bad month. The sooner it ends, the better everyone will feel. Probably. But on the last day of said month, it's Sabo's turn to experience its ugliness firsthand.

All day long, right from the moment he wakes up, he's going to be surrounded by a ghostly entourage of a classic noble household, comprising of a butler, a housemaid, a valet, a cook and a chauffeur, all intent on calling him their "Young Master" and attending to his each and every need or whim.

Whether Sabo wants them or not. And Sabo sure as hell doesn't want them.

From dressing up (which involves a lot of fancy aristocratic clothes, "GAH! What the hell, these aren't mine!") ...To snacks ("No, I don't want your stupid Earl Gray tea and lemon chiffon cakes! Leave me alone!") From staying indoors ("Dammit, what have you done with my room?! Quit cleaning and go away! ...AND STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm not your master!") ...To escaping outside ("...Really? You guys even brought a damn carriage with you? ...That's it, I'm done with you stupid ghosts. ... STOP FOLLOWING ME!")

So yes, Sabo can be seen around the village plagued by his ghostly servants, growing more and more irritable with each call of "Young Master!". To strangers, this might seem all well and good, as the ghosts really do make a good job of their services. But to a noble-born kid who doesn't want to be treated or known as such? This is one highly successful prank.

All this because he'd shut the door to the faces of some trick or treating ghosts last night.

Finally, he gives up and turns to the journal for help.]

[Voice]

Do you guys have any idea how to drive the damn ghosts away? I... I could use some help here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[FFF why are you finding his terrified faces cute?! ;;

Mulling this over, and still very much confused. Sorry bro, his mental smarts are down today.] So, you're saying... these guys could've done worse things to me?

[Gosh, Marco, just give it to him straight already!]

[Worst big brother ever? It just pings all of Marco's protective instincts hard.]

Not exactly.

[Hm. If Sabo can't crack his verbal code... but if he whispers it the ghosts still might hear and catch on.] Here, I'm gonna write something out you should be able to get. Because you're more clever than them, eh?

It's a basic code, but you should be able to crack it.

[Writes out:]

Let's play reverse day!

Evah uoy reve dreah fo esrever ygolohcysp?
["Have you ever heard of reverse psychology?" But backwards.]

Write back.

[Staring hard at the paper. He's not very familiar with a lot of puzzles and codes, not having much chance to look at them while sneaking around in the Town Center's bookstores and libraries. And here in Luceti, his restlessness keeps him from staying still long enough to study them.

But Marco's right. This is pretty basic; common sense's enough to crack it.

So Sabo writes reverse psychology (?) before frowning at it. The term doesn't ring a bell, but taken one word at a time... wouldn't it mean "opposite thinking"?

But... opposite to which thought, exactly?

At this point, Sabo's just going to look at Marco, more confused than ever.]

[Marco holds up a finger and goes to grab a storybook from his room. Brer Rabbit Meets a Tar Baby.]

S'ti a epyt fo part. Ecnivnoc meht taht eht tsrow gniht d'uoy etah eht tsom si yllautca gnihtemos taht spleh uoy. Yeht teg yawa gnikniht yeth now, dna uoy teg yawa htiw ruoy modeerf.
[It's a type of trap. Convince them that the worst thing you'd hate the most is actually something that helps you. They get away thinking they won, and you get away with your freedom.]

[Ooh, a book. Brb, latching on it happily! *u* He's quiet, once he's done, trying to apply the story in his situation. Marco's new information helped a lot, but Sabo's not exactly liking the conclusion he's arriving to.

Also, there must be a reason Marco's using codes, so Sabo decides to follow the example.]

Ndluow't taht naem I evah ot yalp gnola htiw meht? Llet meht I ekil gnivah meht dnuora os hcum yeht'er ton dewolla ot evael reverof ro gnihtemos?
[Wouldn't that mean I have to play along with them? Tell them I like having them around so much they're not allowed to leave forever or something?]

[Cutest little brother forever. Look out Ace, there's a new baby in the family and Marco is going to smother him in love and sparkles. No wait, he'll contain himself. Mostly.]

Ebyam. I kniht fi uoy yllaer lles ti, taht dluoc krow. Yrt gnissob meht dnuora dna gnitca ekil uoy dessim gnieb deliops litnu yeht teg def pu htiw ti.
[Maybe. I think if you really sell it, that could work. Try bossing them around and acting like you missed being spoiled until they get fed up with it.

[He reads that carefully, and his heart sinks. It takes him a lot longer to write out his next answer than his first try and it only has a short and single sentence.]

I ndluow't wonk woh.
[I wouldn't know how.]

[And even if he does, he won't do it. Because he's never spoiled; tolerated, maybe. Then he's shaking his head.] Never mind, Marco. I'll deal with them in my own way. If they're bothering you, I could just leave 'til they're gone.

[Shakes his head and gives Sabo a hug.]

They amuse me. But I don't want my little brother to suffer. And I definitely won't make you go through this alone.

[Adds another note.]

Ym laitini thguoht saw htat uoy dluohs ecnivnoc meht gnihtemos uoy ekil si gnihtemos uoy etah. Uoy ekil gnitirw dna skoob, thgir? Ebyam uoy dluoc ecnivnoc meht taht eht gniht uoy tsom t'nod tnaw ot od si etirw.
[My initial thought was that you should convince them something you like is something you hate. You like writing and books, right? Maybe you could convince them that the thing you most don't want to do is write.]

[Leans into the hug, but wow ok, that makes him snort.] Somehow that's not comforting! You were totally laughing at me a while ago. I can tell.

[Reads. Then glances at Marco with an "oh" expression, thinks for a moment, before scribbling.]

I ees. Taht's a yllaer doog aedi. Tub I kniht taht'll eb drah ot llup ffo. Yeht wonk oot ynam ffuts tuoba em.
[I see. That's a really good idea. But I think that'll be hard to pull off. They know too many stuff about me.]

What can I say? I'm enjoying trying to steal their prank ideas. [Lazy smirk and nods.]

Doog gniht uoy tsuj neppah ot evah hcus a revelc rehtorb ot pleh uoy tuo. Tahw od uoy leef ekil gniod yadot? Ll'ew egats a thgif dna kcirt meht otni "gnicrof" uoy ot od ti dna neht ll'I pleh uoy kaerb eerf.
[Good thing you just happen to have such a clever brother to help you out. What do you feel like doing today? We'll stage a fight and trick them into "forcing" you to do it and then I'll help you break free.]

IV. [Event: Halloween]

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