MINGLE | WEEK TWO

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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

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon shrugs. ] What can I say, all my performance reviews say I’m ‘task oriented’ and — shit!

[ He darts in to help pull her away from the snapping floorboard. ]

You okay?

[richesse]

I’m fine, I’m fine! [ she’s rather pale. ] It just startled me, that’s all. … thank you for your help.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

No problem. [ he says, watching the floor carefully for any other boards that might want to try anything. He’d think the house wouldn’t be so impatient with them after everything that happened at the last ritual. ] Anyway. What were we talking about again?

[ He’s genuinely forgotten. Killer drawers and floorboards are a little distracting. ]

[richesse]

Exploring for clues. I’d just told you I looked through the ballroom and didn’t notice anything.

[ if he’s still close enough, she’ll take hold of his arm, at which point he may realize she’s trembling slightly. ]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon looks over at her, frowning in concern as she holds onto him for stability. Taking a moment to consider the odds of them getting bitten by an ottoman on top of the drawers and the floor in quick succession, he decides to risk it and moves to sit both of them down on the low seat in the middle of the room. ]

Hm. I'll have to look around later, myself. I don't think I found anything too useful in here, either - a few pieces of jewelry that looked like they might be part of a puzzle, but so far this place hasn't been as big on the kind that involve a lot of running gems and crests back and forth.

[richesse]

[ she thinks, for a moment, about how much she appreciates him. Gallant, competent, caring. What a lucky choice for roommates, he and Luis. ]

Thank you, [ she murmurs, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ]

… do you really encounter that many … object puzzles? You make it sound like it’s normal for you.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Not a lot of them, but you know how old mansions and museums and stuff are. If you can afford a skilled enough architect you can afford a hidden passage or five.

[ He shrugs. ]

Aren't you from a wealthy family? I'm surprised the fancy locks aren't everyday to you.

[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]

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. ]

[richesse]

[ … ]

I hope they were kind to you, [ she murmurs. ]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon doesn't snap to attention at the implication behind that, but it takes a lot of his energy not to. He hesitates, unsure of whether it's his place to comment, before deciding. Fuck it. ]

...Mine were, yeah. [ Still is, in his mom's case, and his dad only isn't anymore because he passed away a few years ago. ] I'm, uh. Guessing things are a little more complicated, for you?

[richesse]

Hm~ A little. Not that much more than your average person, I think.

[ this is an enormous lie. ]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon raises his eyebrows at that, looking a little skeptical. ]

I think ‘average’ can vary a lot, when it comes to parents. [ Or the perception of it, at least. Depends a lot on who around you is willing to talk about what. ] But if you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to.

[richesse]

It’s like you said. Things with my adopted father were a little complicated. [ smile, smile. ] It’s not really important.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Fair enough. [ Leon does know how to drop a subject when prompted, at least. He can't help but be a little curious and concerned, especially since he can vaguely see the shape of how complicated adoption could get when you're the head of a major company and searching for an heir, but it's not his business. He won't pry. ]

Anyway. The ball, huh? I guess I should start thinking more seriously about what to wear. You got something picked out already?

[richesse]

We’ll make sure you look perfect, Leon. [ with all the casual menace of a self-sure teenage girl. ]

I have something in mind, but I want to run it past — the others, first. [ he’s gonna pick up on that hiccup in her sentence and she can’t decide if she’ll mind him picking at it or not. ]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Hmmmmmm terrifying thanks ]

The others? [ he asks, slowly. ] You getting a council together to decide my fate, here?

[richesse]

[ yw.

anyway. looks. rather put out. mumbles: ]

I … I want to show Aqua first.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ ...Ohhhhhh, he gets it. The look of dawning realization is a subtle one, but it's there. ]

I'm sure he'll like whatever you pick out. [ A small smile, warm and genuine and without that hint of sadness that normally haunts Leon's expressions. ]

[richesse]

[ not the look of dawning realization!! anything but that!!!!

Clears her throat. ]

He’d better. I’m putting a lot of effort into this.

[ she is, despite herself, a little pink in the face. ]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

He's a smart guy, he'll pick up on it. I'd ask if you needed any help getting things together, but I figure this is all a little bit out of my wheelhouse.

[ Not a stylist or makeup artist, this one. ]

[richesse]

[ a laugh ]

You, who stands at attention in the corner during every get together?

[ tease, tease~ ]

… thank you, Leon. For being so sweet.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ That gets another small smile out of Leon, again. It's probably some kind of new record, really. ]

I do my best, [ he says. ] I'm gonna go take this back to the room so I can look around a bit more and still get changed in time for the ball. Shout if you need anything, okay? Like I said, I'll come running.