The Locked Place (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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thelockedplace2025-05-26 07:29 am
lockedmods) wrote in thelockedplace2025-05-26 07:29 am
Entry tags:
MINGLE | WEEK FOUR
MINGLE LOG | WEEK 4
Locations | Rooming | Full Nav
Another week gone, and with it, two of your number. Only eleven of you remain alive. And still, there is no escape. Or is there?
This week, something has changed. Something is different. Beginning Sunday, Pratibha is gone, and cannot be found or located at all. After Sunday's puzzle is solved, and the attic opened to you, you will see why. But what has happened? How has this happened? And why is the only other object there a strange mirror? Perhaps you should investigate.
On Monday morning, your motive quickly becomes apparent. Will you isolate yourself? Will you risk being around others? The choice, as ever, is yours.
On Tuesday, the week's second puzzle becomes available, and with its solving, the game room. If you wanted another way to unwind from all the stress, pressure, and uncertainty, at least there's this?
Come Wednesday, you may realize that at last you have full run of the house. Every room is available to you now. Nevertheless, you cannot run from the messages, which come thicker and faster than ever.
On Thursday, you may wish to visit the greenhouse. There is nothing there for you--including no mysterious messages, from the dead or otherwise. Should you wish for a reprieve, the greenhouse will grant it to you. That is, at least until curfew. Should you remain out of your room past that time, the messages will return, and they will be utterly inescapable no matter where you go--or if you are alone.
Friday is investigation time once again. The investigation post will go live at 3 PM EST, 5/30.
Saturday is the day of your fourth real ritual. The ritual post will go live at 12 PM EST, 6/1.
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[He doesn't know what Aqua's message said. There's some dark implications there. But really, who's Otto to make much of that? If anything...that concerns him quite a bit. Aqua's still just a kid, what could have happened...?]
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[If Otto isn't willing to play along with the premise that this could be Aqua's, then Aqua can't deny him that much. He looks at the message again.]
I don't actually know how to fix this. Kennedy just cut mine out of the wallpaper. You could scratch it out, I guess?
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...you really aren't going to ask?
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You aren't asking me, either.
[In fact, Otto's been far more forthcoming with his backstory than Aqua's been about. You know. Anything, really.]
I understand it could be true, Dr. Octavius. I know a few things about lying and murder. But I also know how easy it is to mislead people even with the truth, given the right staging.
[Aqua scans the struck-through message one more time, then walks towards one end. He turns a couple words before the period, then raises his arm to cover most of the words.
It now reads, on either side of Aqua and his arm, '
They like you.']For weeks, the house has been trying to kill us. You've been trying to keep people alive. I'm a lot more comfortable believing in you than some writing on the wall.
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That...well, that is kind of you.
[If foolish, maybe. But Otto's not going to kill anyone here. That's not going to happen again. Doesn't that make it fine?
Maybe.]
.....well, no. Of course I won't ask. We're all due our privacy, even if this thing doesn't think so.
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[If the issue's that Otto's a liar and a killer, Aqua's claiming to be the same.]
You can tell me why it says this, if you think it's important for me to know. You can also ask me what I've done and I'll tell you the truth. You've trusted me and Lortel with your safety as much as we've trusted you with ours; I owe you that much honesty, at least.
[Finally, he lets his arm fall.]
I just refuse to engage with what I know is a trap on any terms but my own. [He glances at the words behind him with faint (for normal people) but visible (particularly for Aqua) disgust.] ...And this kind of thing really makes me sick.
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[It's an obvious progression of escalation: rumors and secrets for when they didn't really trust one another yet, hallucinations and mood alteration to force their hands once they did. But...he's deflecting. Focusing on petty practical matters to distract from...]
...I won't ask you. But...let me think about it.
[He should tell him, he thinks. He owes people here more than he's given. Just...well, he doesn't want to dance to the house's tune quite that blatantly. It can probably wait until they aren't standing here in front of the damning message.]
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Of course. ...You know where to find me.
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I guess I'll just try to ignore it. It'd be hypocritical, otherwise.
[Not that he's not a hypocrite in a lot of ways, but nevermind that.]
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Mm. That's probably for the best.
[The kettle whistles, and Aqua sighs and finally wanders back to take it off the heat.]
Didn't mean to let this boil... want any?
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[He sighs and reaches to fetch some cups with one claw, and some of the teabags with another.]
...my wife was really the tea drinker. [it only took him THIS LONG to explain why he's been so squirrelly around tea!]
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The remaining dregs of Aqua's ire dissolve. He pours the hot water when the cups and bags are assembled, once more quiet and still on the surface. And sad. Always, some part of him is sad.]
...How long has it been?
[Since she passed. Since she died. Since the world ended, probably, for Otto. If he says six months, that'll... well. It'll fill in another gap in the story.]
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[Going by his tone, Otto knows perfectly well that it's filling some gaps.]
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[For a moment, Aqua almost lets that stand as is, without raising his eyes to meet Otto's, leaving him that privacy for his guilt and grief. Then he looks up.]
I know nobody ever has anything better than that to say. But it's so soon that people stop saying even that. I... really mean it, Dr. Octavius. I'm sorry for all you've lost.
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...thank you. That still does mean a lot.
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[He'd never been able to talk to anyone but Ruby about Ai. A handful of people knew or found out as time went on, but only Ruby understood. Ruby understood without Aqua having to say a word. He wouldn't know where to begin, himself.
As far as Aqua knows, though, Otto doesn't have a twin sister through which he could conveniently, vicariously process his grief. At the very least, Aqua can offer this much.]