MINGLE | WEEK THREE

[lockedmods]

MINGLE LOG | WEEK 3
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Another week gone, and with it, two of your number. Nine of you--or ten, depending on whom you count as yours--are dead. And still, there is no escape.


Pratibha won't turn up on her own this week, but you may be able to reach her if you try. For some reason, she seems particularly scarce every day but Thursday.


Sunday arrives this time with no mysteriously provided gifts, but if you gather together anyway, perhaps you'll find your spirits lifted by a sense of presence?

[cw: hallucinations]
On Monday morning, the house's next attempt to force you all to murder is not necessarily immediately apparent. As the day creeps on, you might catch a flicker of something from the corner of your eye, or hear a murmur when you're sure you're alone. Maybe Anemone was right to worry about losing your minds.

((Mod note: If you don't want to play with this particular motive, let us know! Like Week 1's blot motive, we've provided temporary IC outs in the motive announcement under Monday's header, and you should ALWAYS choose OOCly not to engage with something that isn't right for you, for whatever reason.))

Whatever your mental state, the house's dread ritual continues on. Those solving Tuesday's puzzle will actually find they have a couple days to complete it; once they find all the clues, they're welcome to ask their fellow living housemates for help actually making use of them. Solving the puzzle completely earns you the key to an indoor pool, though the stiff cover over the jacuzzi remains locked tight.

Pool party on Wednesday, anyone? No? It's fine; the day is yours to do with what you will.

Starting Thursday's puzzle requires that all parts of Tuesday's be completed, and once you're done, you can have yourselves a cozy, lovely dinner party. If you're up to it, anyway. If not, you'll also have the key to that jacuzzi, so soak those troubles away with hot water and jets.

Friday is investigation time once again. The investigation post will go live at 3 PM EST, 5/23.

Saturday is the day of your third real ritual. You may find the ritual post here at 12 PM EST, 5/24.

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[windmilled]

Ah, then I won't keep you much longer. I was just curious, since you mentioned then that during Pratibha's game you had the role that she does now.

[Without his pen to fidget with, he leans back in his seat and starts twiddling with his lighter.]

Did you survive your own ritual, before hers?

[lockedmods]

[A pause.

'Yes.

The ritual took a different form then. I'

The wall creaks, and that sentence disappears as though consumed. Another pause ensues.

'It seems I'm not to tell you about that.']

[windmilled]

Naturally.

[Casita pls.

If Luis thinks back to the way the names were listed in the crypt, was Eui's (scratched-out) name before Pratibha's?]

Did it still revolve around murder?

[Maybe a yes or no question can be answered quickly enough he can read it before the house eats it. Or, if she doesn't feel safe answering, she may just underline the sentence she just wrote. Obviously she wants to give them more information, she's just not allowed. Which has its own interesting implications.]

[lockedmods]

[Yes. What Luis can assume to have been Eui's name was directly before Pratibha's.

The pen moves up to point to that 'Yes.' After a moment, apparently deeming the risk acceptable, it adds, 'Death is the oldest mystery and oldest magic.'

The house rumbles again, but doesn't erase the line.]

[windmilled]

[The confirmation of, specifically, "Murder" and not "death" is interesting. Pin in that.]

Ah, I can tell casita is getting nervous, so I will make it quick.

Have you been the one leaving the puzzles for us?

[lockedmods]

['No. But I've been holding onto the missing keys.'

House doesn't like that one! Delete. Grumblerumble.

'Oh, hush.']

[windmilled]

[The way she scolds the house makes him laugh.]

Okay, okay, casita, I'll stop.

Señorita Eui, my last question for now is about you, anyway. I'd like to ask, what year are you from?

I'm sure that Dr. Octavius would help you learn your way around the laptop, but he could probably help you more if he had an idea what you were familiar with.

[lockedmods]

[...

'I'm not sure how to answer that. Time does not exist here the same way it does in true worlds.

All my lif'

Mid-letterstroke, the house roars, the lights flicker, and Luis's pen drops to the paper and rolls away.]

[windmilled]

[Luis jolts upright, and then stands.]

Eui? Eui?

[Nothing. The house settles back to normal. Luis scowls.]

Casita, don't you dare hurt her. If you're going to hurt someone, hurt me for asking! Just...

Let me know she's still alright. They're still alright. [All ten of them.] Please.

[lockedmods]

[After a moment, there's that knock again on the wall, soft and resigned.

Whatever might have happened, someone, something, or some cruel trick of the house is still there to hear him.]

[windmilled]

[Luis sags with a heavy sigh. In relief, or defeat, even he's not sure. But he reaches out and puts his palm to the wall where he heard the knock.]

Cuidaos, amigos. And thank you, Eui. It was a pleasure.

[And he picks up his pen and Eui's journal. Before he puts it away - Aside from the lines that he saw the house erase, how much of Eui's side of the conversation remains if he flips through the journal again?]

[lockedmods]

[All of it.

The key clue page was updated yesterday, too, with the solving of the kitchen puzzle. There might even be a couple more recipes among the pages.

And--again, somewhere in the middle of the journal--some sketches of random scenery viewed through the house's windows.

Nowhere in particular. Just anywhere but here.]

[windmilled]

[Mood, Eui.

Thank you, mods!]