MINGLE | WEEK TWO

[lockedmods]

MINGLE LOG | WEEK 2
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Greetings, house guests. Surely you're getting into the swing of things, by now? Though, a friendly reminder: there is no escape.


Sunday is, once again, a quiet and likely somber day. At least, until there's one hopefully welcome surprise: belongings from back home that you may have missed will be delivered to your rooms today, if you did not come in with them. (Note: these should be the personal items from your applications, if your characters don't already have them on hand. The dead's personal items WILL NOT be appearing.)

Iris, Shauna, and anyone else in the house who might be considered a mother will also find a red carnation in a small vase by their bedsides. Enjoy these small creature comforts. You have earned them.

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

Come Monday, everyone will once again wake up to a most unpleasant surprise: their motive for the week. This one is more immediately apparent than the last; the house's hunger has not been sated.

Pratibha is, once again, nowhere to be found, but this time, she's absent every day this week. What's up with that? (Should you feel strongly about this, you may attempt to find her.)

Bucking tradition, this week's first puzzle also arrives on Monday; it unlocks, of all things, a huge wardrobe full of fancy clothes. What could all this be for?

On Tuesday, the second puzzle appears; and it unlocks, this time, a grand ballroom.

On Wednesday, it will become clear what this week's locations are for. Because the ballroom doors open by themselves at 6 PM sharp, and reveal:

A ball. Splendid and scintillating, this gracefully lit space is warmed by the sound of distant music that has no apparent source. There are tables for food and drink, and more tables besides at which to sit. The star, however, is the dance floor; are you feeling brave enough to step out there? More importantly: with whom as your partner?

The windows display only endless green forest before night falls. Twilight and rising darkness paint the ballroom in shadows and shades of gold. All of it is enchanting and lovely to behold. The ballroom even sports numerous little nooks for ... privacy.

Remember, above all, rule 5: Get to know each other. Become friends. Become more. Who cares. Just do it.

Thursday brings calm after the busy storm of the ball. Rest, recuperate, and reflect; you all know what tomorrow brings.

Friday is investigation time once again. The investigation post will go live at 3 PM EST, 5/16.

Saturday is the day of your second real ritual. You may find the ritual post here at 12 PM EST, 5/17.

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[bouchere]

[ Shauna manages a tiny smile that doesn't reach her eyes. ]

Awesome, we can be assholes together.

[doctopoda]

Right.

[Geez, this guy's really multi-disciplined or something, hm? Otto will get the snapdragon properly potted, then! Delicate work like this is easier with hands anyway, even if he has to squint to tease some of the smaller roots loose.]

[windmilled]

[Or something!]

You were right about the marigold - that one goes in the pot for 'Grief.'

[richesse]

… I didn’t grow up wealthy. I was adopted into it. I also don’t live at home~ I spend my time at my school. Most of it, anyway, when I’m not needed at the Elte Company.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ It's not unlike learning to do basic combat drills, Leon finds. Watch and anticipate your partner's movements and match them as you go. Only difference is the point here is to stay in sync and avoid hitting each other rather than try to fake each other out and do the opposite. After a few fumbles, he starts to get it. ]

Yeah. I could see that. [ Leon smiles too, recognizing Lortel's sincerity in the moment and mirroring it. ] Glad you're having a good time. It's nice to see everyone relax a little.

[doctopoda]

[Well, that. Seems totally fine and normal and not worth comment!]

Care for a partner?

companion

[doctopoda]

[Otto's not exactly a roommate, but the sound of shrieking had him coming down the hall pretty quickly to find - ]

What on earth is that?

ballroom

[doctopoda]

I'd be surprised if any of us were in the mood.

[Though it is a pretty enough room. Otto's keeping his claws carefully raised, wary of scratching the parquet floor in spite of his general animosity towards the house. It's just instinctual, you know.]

It's a little better without whatever was happening last week, but even so...

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

It's a deal. [ says Leon, resolutely. He hasn't talked to Shauna much if at all yet, but given how she acts at the rituals he did not get the impression she was gonna respond to the sensitive, touchy-feely approach well anyway. At least not from him. ]

So. Guess I'll just be honest - you've seemed like you're taking all of this pretty well from the word go, and given how most people I've known responded to their first time witnessing horrific bullshit, I'm going to assume this wasn't your first.

[ He folds his arms over is chest, looking concerned. ]

Am I right about that?

wardrobe

[doctopoda]

It all seems a bit too nice to punch holes through, doesn't it?

[He's looking through the clothing as well, a bit listlessly. Being a large man already, Otto's accustomed to needing to go to a bit of trouble for clothing that fits him. But the Big and Tall store doesn't exactly account for robot tentacles, you know?]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Oh, right. [ That's her 'fun fact' isn't it? Now he remembers. ] We got that in common, then. Not the wealth, my parents were pretty solidly middle-class, but they took me in when I was five.

[ Technically his biological parents were pretty rich, if he remembers right, but that was a whole goddamn situation that went extremely poorly for everyone involved. The less said about it, the better. ]

[doctopoda]

[Dryly:]

Oh, good.

[let him just put the grief flower in the grief pot and try to dissociate away from this entire concept!]

mods!

[windmilled]

[Don't worry, amigo! He's off to the next flower - Lily, Orange]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ By now Leon has gathered that Otto can't exactly take the extra arms off, and gives him a sympathetic look. He is, personally, in that standard deviation of dude-sizes and number of limbs where off the rack suits usually fit him at least decently, but even then sometimes the shoulders and arms are just tight enough on him to be uncomfortable. He can figure Otto's probably got it pretty rough in that department. ]

Maybe we'll find something with the holes already cut out. Some of this stuff seems tailor made for us - which, to be clear? Sort of creeped out by that. It's like the house is trying to give us gifts or something this week. I don't like it.

[lockedmods]

[ ”Lilies are a peculiar flower, associated with many meanings based on color. White lilies mean purity or innocence of soul, making them a popular flower for funerals. The orange lily, on the other hand, is said to have dual, conflicting meanings: passionate desire and hatred.” ]

[windmilled]

Hm, not necessarily so conflicting.

The lily goes in the one marked...

[He squints to check and see what D words they have.]

"Hatred."

[plangona]

He's so cute— hi Gulliver! [she isn't sure what type of animal he is but look there are very few animals or all in the aftermath of praimfaya ]

Looks like the house decided to give all of us something back today.

[doctopoda]

Bit of a shame. They're pretty.

[But yes, it's good to get away from the Contemplation of Grief Planter]

[bouchere]

[ Shauna looks distinctly uncomfortable at that hint of concern. No one here needs her life story; not when they're all in the middle of some horrific bullshit, too. But she shrugs in as much of an affirmative manner as is possible. ]

My soccer team's plane crashed. Most of us survived the initial crash, but no one came to rescue us. It went about the way you'd imagine.

[doctopoda]

At the same time as trying to eat us.

[His tone isn't one of disagreement. Otto can fully see the house doing both of those at the same time. Still, that's...well, both a disturbing and interesting thought. He starts picking through the clothing with more focus, plucking down anything that looks like it might fit him for closer observation.]

It feels like it...wants us to use that ballroom, doesn't it?

[windmilled]

At least it says here the tiger lily - equally orange, from the picture, means wealth and good fortune.

[Moving on to the Lavender, maybe this one will be one of the nice words :)]

[doctopoda]

[After some searching, Otto did in fact manage to find a suit that had openings for the actuators built into it! That is...a fact with deeply concerning implications, in all honesty, but perhaps we don't need to talk about that in the middle of this party!

The appropriateness of having a party is another matter entirely. Otto spends much of the time wallflowering and looking vaguely depressed.]

[doctopoda]

[Hm! Otto's eyebrows lift, though it's hard to see him looking Luis up and down behind his sunglasses.]

You certainly went all out.

[doctopoda]

Is that so.

[Otto won't be drawn into dancing and merriment that easily! Though he is, at least, perfectly willing to engage in the conversation.]

[doctopoda]

[Otto's been wallflowering himself, but after some consideration, he sidles over to Leon.]

I'm keeping several eyes out, if you feel like enjoying yourself.

[Leon is dressed to the nines, after all. It reads like maybe he's a little more into this whole party thing.]