MINGLE | WEEK ONE

[lockedmods]

MINGLE LOG | WEEK 1
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Greetings, house guests. You must be a little more familiar with how things work around here now. There is no escape.

One thing does seem to have changed: characters can now freely investigate the now unlocked Crypt.

On Sunday, nothing much at all happens. Better take the time to rest, recuperate, and decide your next steps. Maybe you have people you want to talk to after that … shit show? Now’s the time: unload those feelings.

Alternatively, with the pantry open with plenty of food available, why not wander into the kitchen for a snack and a chat with whoever is there?

(Don't forget to check out the post-trial afterparty!)

Come Monday, everyone will make up to a most unpleasant surprise: their motive for the week.

Unfortunately for those characters with questions about the motive, Pratibha is nowhere to be found afterwards. Additionally, all the profile entries for Leona, Phoenix, and Yoojin have changed. It’s a fairly clear indicator that they are dead. Enjoy this useful information!

On Tuesday, there are two noticeable changes. The first is that there is a new puzzle. The second thing? Pratibha’s presence. She's finally back. Why was she missing on Sunday and Monday? Why does she seem so … out of it? She’s all curled up in the laundry room this time, intermittently snoozing in the little nook off to one side.

On Wednesday, Pratibha is gone again. And so, unfortunately, is one of your own. What happened? Who is it? All subsequent headers, including Wednesday's, will be frozen until a Wednesday event can take place. We will announce to the playerbase once Wednesday's thread is live for you to investigate!

Thursday brings a very specific change: after 9 PM, no one get into, or out of, your rooms. Plan wisely. You may get stuck in the halls, which might be fine … except we know what happened last Thursday night.

Thursday also brings with it another new puzzle.

Friday is investigation time The investigation post will go live at 3 PM EST, 5/9.

Saturday is the day of your “first” real ritual. You may find the ritual post here at 12 PM EST, 5/10.

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Aqua has very effectively honed in on one of Leon’s bigger weaknesses. Nice job!! Even through the general sense of malaise and irritability he’s been dealing with all day, he forces himself to put his own problems aside and focus on what’s in front of him. ]

Sorry about that. I tend to get up pretty early, and I had big plans for today. [ The keyword there being had, past tense. The way he says it makes it pretty clear whatever they were didn’t pan out like he’d hoped. ] What d’you need?

[selfreliar]

Did you hurt your side just now?

[He just comes out and asks.]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon, not expecting that, looks Aqua directly in the eye and thinks very hard about his answer.

He's absolutely not going to be able to get away with lying here, is he? ]

... A little. Just pulled something a bit. It's fine.

[selfreliar]

[Nope. :)]

...I got medical supplies from Pratibha earlier. If you want something like proper follow-up treatment, anyway.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

It's fine. [ Leon repeats, insistently. ] That's good, but - you should save it for if someone else needs it later. I was already almost healed up when we showed up here anyway. I'll be fine.

[selfreliar]

...You know... you told me I had to be honest with you if I needed help. That it wasn't fair if I tried to keep it in myself.

[Setting a bad example for the kids, here, Leon.]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon blinks, owlishly, before managing a smile. ]

Wasn't expecting to get that thrown back at me so fast, but I guess turnabout is fair play. [ He sighs. ] You've got some medical experience, right? I should probably shower first, but I've got some stitches that should probably be coming out by now, or at least getting looked at, and I can't reach all of them myself. If you really want, I'd appreciate a hand with that.

[selfreliar]

[Faintly relieved that worked, Aqua nods.]

I do. Given... well, everything, I need to start pulling my own weight.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

I’d say you’re already doing pretty well, but I still appreciate the help. [ Even if Aqua had to twist his arm into accepting it. ] Come on, let’s head back to the room. I’ll get washed up and we can take a look at things.

[ He starts for the door, waiting for Aqua to follow. ]

[selfreliar]

[He follows after without too much trouble. Aqua's definitely doing better physically, if nothing else.]

How were you injured, anyway?

[Might be useful to know. Might be he's just being a little nosy, now that he's not actively dying this week.]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

On the job, [ he says, pausing to consider just how much to share before continuing. ] Was sent in to investigate a kidnapping and a potential outbreak of those viruses I was telling you about earlier. Found something... different, but not better.

[ His lips press into a hard line, not quite a grimace but definitely not pleased. ]

Got the person I was sent to rescue out safely, and didn't get that roughed up in the process, but I still took some fire. [ As evidenced by the bandages on his forearms and, as Aqua's likely seen by now, around his shins and torso. ]

[selfreliar]

...Wow.

[Just like in one of his animes. JK, Aqua's a different kind of otaku.]

You'd think you'd earn some time for R&R after that, instead of... this.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Yeah. This is kind of the worst vacation I've ever been on. One out of five stars, would not recommend.

[selfreliar]

Yeah, seconded.

[Even the wrap vacation where his sister discovered a murder victim's body was better than this. She only found one body, and no one was executed for putting it there.

...Ruby... probably hates him again. For disappearing on her.

Aqua falls quiet again as he and Leon somehow find their way back to Room 1.]

cw: discussion of stitches/injury, past zombie attacks, past gun violence

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon looks over with some concern as Aqua goes quiet, but doesn't press, for now. They're at the room again anyway. ]

All right, I'll get washed up and we can do this. I'll be quick.

[ Not that he gets the impression anyone here is in a hurry to go anywhere, but it's not polite to keep a guy waiting. He'll take a quick shower and scrub himself down before stepping back out in his underwear, bandages removed.

There's a couple of things to note - first, he didn't actually pop any of his stitches, though the ones in his side look a little reddened and irritated due to being pulled at. Second, he has a lot of scars. Most notably an array of very old gnarled, human-looking bite marks on his shoulders and calves, but also an equally old bullet wound in his left shoulder, and a fresh line of pink scar tissue across his sternum.

He looks a little self conscious being so exposed, but if he tells himself it's not that much different than a doctor visit then he feels a little better. A little. Not much, actually. ]

I'm back. You ready?

[selfreliar]

[He nods, pulled out of his brooding.]

Yeah.

[For his own part, Aqua makes the effort not to be too intrusive. Leon barely agreed to be treated, and he doesn't want to make the man regret that choice. So he stays fairly quiet, except for the drilled-in practice all doctors have of explaining what they're doing and what might hurt. It really is like the kid went to medical school.]

The sutures can come out, but I still recommend taking it easy on your side. Besides slowing recovery, overdoing exercise before you're fully healed can make you weaker, not stronger. I'll start removing them now. Say something if it hurts more than it seems it should, okay?

[He hasn't exactly practiced removing stitches much in the last eighteen years of his life, but he works efficiently; he knows what he's doing, at least.]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon grumbles wordlessly at the admonishment, but he sits down on the edge of the bed and lets Aqua get to work without any further complaints. He's stoic throughout the whole process, even when most people would wince or shudder at the sensation, he just watches or stares off in the other direction. Seems like he has plenty of practice being on this end of things.

When it's over with, he looks himself over, flexing his right hand carefully and watching the newly healed tissue crinkle and stretch before nodding approvingly. ]

Nice work. Better than some doctors and nurses I've had. Where'd you learn all this, anyway?

[ And when? He's only 18, after all, and an actor on top of his studies. That can't be an easy schedule to fit things into. ]

[selfreliar]

[Aqua freezes mid-motion.

By now, he should have prepared a story for this. He's had days to think it through. Somehow, though, between his own recovery, the gruesome deaths over the weekend, and the deep, pervasive malaise he's been feeling, he's forgotten to come up with something believable.

Shit. What is he supposed to say?

Without a plausible lie at the ready, a partial truth comes out.]

...Tokyo University.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Don’t think Leon doesn’t notice that hesitation. He watches, carefully, as the moment passes and Aqua answers, choosing not to comment directly. ]

Huh. You get moved up a few grades, or were you one of those kids taking university courses in high school?

[ Or maybe they do things differently in Japan, he has no idea. Still, there’s definitely something suspect to the way Aqua answered, if not the answer itself. ]

[selfreliar]

[He feels guilty (guiltier than usual, thanks to the house) about lying, even by implication, but--]

My mentor used to call me "Precocious Baby." I've always outperformed my age group academically.

[Both these things are true. They also don't exactly answer the question.]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

I could see that. [ Leon says, though he doesn't seem as amused as he might otherwise, instead watching Aqua carefully. There's definitely something up here, and it feels like something to be concerned about. ]

That's something to be proud of, though. And something that comes with a lot of pressure, from what I understand. I wasn't exactly an A-student myself, but...

[ He's known the types. ]

[selfreliar]

...Mm. Well, the general education program wasn't hard for me. And Miyako--the woman who raised us--has always been supportive, not demanding.

[He finishes cleaning up the medical supplies.]

If someone put pressure on me, it was myself, I guess. I wanted to be a doctor long before anyone had the idea I could act.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ That, Leon can understand. Not just the desire to push one's self, but to do it for the good of others. He's not so vain as to try to talk himself up that way, but he definitely feels like he gets Aqua a little better, in that moment. ]

Glad to hear you were coming from a supportive place, then, [ he says, his smile more genuine and less sad this time. ] And for what it's worth, I think you'll make a great doctor someday. Being smart aside, a lot of the rest of it's about being able to keep calm and be good with people. Speaking as an experienced patient, I mean.

[selfreliar]

[His expression does something funny and unsure, but then resolves into a slight, grateful smile. Again, maybe he's just not used to statements like that.]

Thanks. Though, speaking as someone who could one day be an experienced doctor, I hope your patient visits get fewer and farther between. Hospitals don't offer frequent flyer benefits, you know.

[His smile stops looking so uncertain.]

You're a good man, Kennedy. The world could use more of those.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I'll be getting out of the line of fire any time soon. You know what they say about hard work getting rewarded with harder work.

[ His smile as he says this is also complicated. He wouldn't have it any other way - he's good at what he does, and people rely on him - but damned if he doesn't resent the people throwing him at problems sometimes. ]

Still. Could say the same to you. [ He nods, approvingly, then remembers something suddenly. ] You good if I put my clothes back on now? Or do you need to check over anything one last time?