MINGLE | WEEK 0

[lockedmods]

MINGLE LOG | WEEK 0
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Welcome, guests, to your new home. It has no true name, but you may call it The Locked Place. All doors that lead outside are locked; all windows are the same. Thinking you may try force? Try, try as hard as you can, but you cannot shatter a window; you cannot break the handle of a door. You are well and truly trapped here.

On this lovely Wednesday, why not get to know your fellow guests?

1. You wake up in whatever state you arrived in, be that hale and hearty or ... less so. You will not find medical supplies immediately available, so you will have to make do, for now. You will wake up in one of two places: in bed in your room, or sitting at the dining table. Why not speak to your roomies, or fellow ... dining guests? and get to know them? Or question them, as it were. What if they're the reason you're here, after all?


2. Shortly after waking, you will happen across two items: your room key, and your journal. The former is in your pocket; don’t worry how it got there. Just don’t lose it. The journal’s cover is blank, but you can somehow sense that it is yours. Keep it close. It comes with one pen; do not lose it, as you may not find another. Opening it will greet you to two important pieces of information: the very first page contains the rules, and the subsequent few pages contain the profiles, pictures and all. Past that, the journal is filled with entirely blank pages; it seems as if you may do as you wish with the blank space that remains to you. Use it wisely. (For Snake only, this item will be a laptop, with a basic Word processor acting as the journal itself. It will open to already contain all the above information, as well as room to write. A screen reader is available, and will describe both text and images.)


3. Should you get up to explore, you won't ... find much. The grand foyer is spacious, and lined with oddly crooked paintings. The bedrooms are dim affairs, located on the second floor of the manor; each has a plaque fixed to the door with the names of its occupants. How convenient! Within, you’ll find there is a bunk bed and a pull-out couch in each room, so you’ll have to decide amongst yourselves who sleeps where—especially if your room has four people. The bedrooms also have wardrobes, with just enough clothing for about a week's worth of wear for each character, including underthings and, strangely, a swimsuit. The kitchen is spacious, possessed of every cooking implement and appliance you could want. However, the pantry is locked. There is no food immediately accessible to the characters on Wednesday. Also available are the dining room, which seats ten; the laundry room, with two washers and dryers each; and the greenhouse, which affords the clearest and most spectacular views of the countryside--no, forest--no, plain--no... well, of whatever is outside.


4. In the greenhouse is a girl. Perhaps you should talk with her.

On Thursday, some things will change:

1. The pantry is now open. You may make food. Rejoice!


2. With the opening of the pantry came a key, and a clue. Someone ought to hold onto both of those, come to think of it...


3. Have you noticed it yet? That hallway is too long. This hallway is full of too many doors. That hallway has no doors at all. These stairs just lead to the ceiling. How on earth did you circle back to the foyer after going upstairs? What is that distant creaking, crackling sound? Did a door just slam behind you? Is this house ... haunted?


4. Today, the mysterious girl--who you may know by now as Pratibha--is sitting in the laundry room, reading a book. It is not a journal; it is an actual book. Where on earth did she get it?


5. At 8:50 PM on the dot, the lights all throughout the house will flicker steadily, the way the lights might dim before the beginning of a theater performance. At 8:55, they will flicker again. At 9:00 PM, all the bedroom doors will shut and lock, unable to be opened except by those with the correct key. Where you are at that time is your own prerogative, of course...

Come Friday, something feels different in the house. Changed. Empty. One of your own is dead, and today is your day to investigate. On the investigation post, you and up to two other characters may select a room to investigate. Don't worry if you don't get a room; there will be more chances (and more rooms) in the future. You may also choose to question Pratibha, who will be sitting in someone's bedroom staring out the window. The investigation post will go live at 3 PM EST, 5/2.

Saturday is the day of your first ritual. You may find the ritual post here at 12 PM EST, 5/3.

Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

code bases by tricklet

Comments

FRIDAY

[lockedmods]

[effortaverse]

[Looks like someone slept through Pratibha's investigation call and woke up at the exact same time he has all week: way after everyone else. Leona lumbers through the halls, and if he catches you along the way he'll stop you by putting a palm to your shoulder to ask either:]

A.

Hey. Tell me what happened here.

or B. (after getting context that an investigation happened at all, woops)

Have you seen Pratibha?

B

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Nah. Was just looking for her myself, actually, [ says Leon. He seems... concerned. He hasn't had the chance to talk to Pratibha yet, but what little he could make out of her profile and the one or two times he'd seen her around were pretty big reasons to be worried - for her and in general. ]

You're Leona, right? Don't think we've run into each other yet.

[effortaverse]

[Leona clearly didn't expect a follow-up question; his eyes narrow and he sighs a bit, but this is at least an opportunity to identify this guy's scent.]

Not sure this is the time for making introductions, herbivore.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ That takes a split second to register, but when it does Leon snorts, somewhere between amused and derisive. ]

That'd be the first time anyone accused me of vegetarianism. Anyway, personally I think it's a great time to get to know each other. You heard about what happened this morning, right?

[effortaverse]

[If Leona's amused himself, he doesn't let it show. He does relax his shoulders a bit, though, since it seems Leon wants to have a whole ass conversation. Fine. Whatever.]

Yeah. First blood, huh?

[He leans forward into Leon's space, drawing in a deep breath and looking up from where he's leaned into Leon's face;]

Guess you checked out the body.

Might wanna wash up.

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon doesn't lean back or flinch when Leona gets in his space like that, but he doesn't look thrilled about it either. ]

Yeah, probably. [ He doesn't think he got that much blood on him, but it's still a good idea. ] Anyway. You looking for Pratibha for any particular reason?

A

[bouchere]

[ Shauna is jumpy as all fuck and nearly comes out of her skin at that hand on her shoulder. What the hell, man? She shrugs it off rather violently and glares. ]

Someone fucking died? Where have you been?

[effortaverse]

[Leona, to his credit, withdraws his hand quickly, as if he didn't see who he was touching before he reached.]

Sorry.

[He casts his hand through his hair, gruff and tired;]

I was asleep.

[bouchere]

[ She narrows her eyes; how does anyone sleep through all the noise they must've been making tearing rooms apart? ]

Why? Were you up late killing Yoojin?

[effortaverse]

[Leona's expression grows— not cold, really, just completely blank.]

So that's unlucky bastard, huh?

Are you alright, yourself?

[bouchere]

[ Shauna shrugs; she's not particularly okay with living in a murder house, but she didn't know the guy. ]

I'm fine.

Did you know him?

A

[selfreliar]

[Aqua pauses and tenses at the hand on his shoulder, but he doesn't jump. He just looks up at Leona with his depthless, blue eyes.]

I was hoping someone could tell me.

[effortaverse]

[Leona creases a brow.]

You just wake up, too?

[selfreliar]

[A slight bob of his head to the side, not quite a nod, not quite a shake.]

A little while ago, but I'm not moving too fast right now.

[If Aqua were a savannah animal, he'd be a limping gazelle in a hungry month.]

[effortaverse]

[Leona pauses, looking at Aqua with his lips drawn into a line.]

Where're you tryinna be?

[madderbloom]

[ Anyone visiting the greenhouse today might overhear Anemone's anguished screaming upon discovering Yoojin's body, followed by angry finger pointing at people in her vicinity ('Who did this?! Was it you?!').

For someone who's known Yoojin for all of two days, Anemone is taking his death very badly. She feels lost. Betrayed. He should have always been by her side! So why?! Oblivious to the supernatural influence she's under, a connection that still lingers after his death, all she knows is she's furious.

Later, after her she's exhausted her emotions, she can be found curled up on one of the couches around the house. The pantry's open now but she looks disinterested in eating. ]

[iflickerback]

[Well, after all of that, Yuri hesitated doing... anything, really, by just wallflowering and waiting for someone to order her what to do. That moment never came and so she just... sort of wandered off to make some tea. Before she enters the kitchen, she finds Anemone kind of... sprawled out on the couch.

Yuri pauses and fidgets with her hair for a moment, avoiding eye contact.]

...Do you want some tea...? I was just on my way to make some...

[madderbloom]

[ Anemone doesn't stir. It's like she hasn't even heard her. Only after a long pause does she mumble back. ]

What?

[iflickerback]

[Well then, that silence is not an answer. Yuri briefly wonders if-

Oh. Ah.]

I- I wanted to see if you wanted some tea... I can make some... O- or am I being too much of a nuisance...?

[madderbloom]

[ Not knowing who killed Yoojin, Anemone now regards everyone in the mansion with heightened suspicion, but she suspects the shy girl least of all. She can't imagine Yuri committing murder. ]

Do what you want. I don't care.

[ She says tiredly, unmoving. Food is the last thing she's thinking about. ]

Our Adoptive Father Just Got Murdered Club! :'D

[catsgothistongue]

[Anemone wasn't the only one taking Yoojin's death hard. He wasn't as vocal about it as she was, because expressing your emotions? Ew. But anyone who's encountered Ranma at least once will be able to notice his typical fervor was a lot more downcast and sullen.

It's stupid, he shouldn't be this upset over someone who he didn't know well. Yeah, he doesn't want anyone to die period, and endeavors to protect people in need when it calls for it. Oddly enough though, losing Yoojin felt like losing something close to him. Something that pisses him off to wits end with his shortsighted and inane actions, but someone he...

Bah! It isn't like him to be so mopey! Who is he, Ryoga? This place can't be getting to him already. Ignorant to the true cause of these kerfuffle of emotions, Ranma waltz around the halls...

... 'till he comes across the morose pink-haired girl from days ago. The same one who chucked a knife at him, was now a wreck.]

Today really friggin' sucks, huh.

[How do you do, fellow adoptee of the victim? It's your favorite person, sitting on the arm of the couch.]

:')

[madderbloom]

[ Today Anemone doesn't give chase. She doesn't even look up at him when he comes to sit by the couch. It's only when Ranma speaks does she give any reaction at all, which is just to hug a cushion to her chest and curl up. She mutters under her breath. ]

I won't forgive them. I'll make them pay.

[ Today stinks. ]

[catsgothistongue]

We won't let 'em get away with this. I'll drag the truth outta them if I have to at the trial tomorrow!

[Odds are stacked in their favors looking at things with a tactical lens. Twenty-something people against one mysterious killer. All in one stuffy house without too many options to cover their tracks. And among them are at least two lawyers. You know, the profession where their whole job is to be in trials (assuming neither of them did it).

Ranma's confident they'll pull through this. They have to, for Yoojin's sake.]

ahh this is late idk if you want to backtag or handwave!

[madderbloom]

[ Anemone's not thinking about the odds or whether they can solve the case or not. Her thoughts are filled with Yoojin and the way his body looked when she stumbled on him in the greenhouse. After a long moment, she finally turns over to look at Ranma. Why's he here? ]

You're loud.