MINGLE | WEEK FOUR

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MINGLE LOG | WEEK 4
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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.

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

code bases by tricklet

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SUNDAY

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MONDAY

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TUESDAY

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WEDNESDAY

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THURSDAY

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FRIDAY

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MOTIVE ANNOUNCEMENT

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[As you all well know, the walls in this house don't just have ears. They have eyes, too. They've seen and heard some of you attempt to contact your lost friends. This week, with an equal number of you dead as alive (if you count this "Eui" figure), they seem more able to reach you.

Only, it's clearly not just your dead speaking to you, if you even believe it's them to start with. The house has things to say, too.

On Monday, at a point when you're around at least one other person, a message will appear to you. It might show up on the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the furniture, your breakfast toast--whatever, as long as it will be witnessed.

The message will be personalized to you. It will either tempt you to be the next murderer with whatever you'd find most alluring: a promise that with the house's power, you could achieve a lifelong goal, undo a regret, or save a loved one, for example. Or it might sow mistrust of the living and dead around you, reminding you that anything can be a trick in this house of lies. The message could be written in a hand that belongs to one of the departed, or it could be completely obvious that it's from no one but the house itself.

Please reply to this comment with the message your character will receive on Monday and react to at least one other person's message! It'll be fun.

The rest of the week, your toplevels will also receive tag-ins from the mod journal with additional messages. Some might actually even be from those on the other side. Some are definitely preying on you. Please fill out a reply to this OOC post so we know how to torment you until dieday. :) You are also free to handwave and/or write your own messages from the house in your TLs.

All messages can be crossed out/covered up/destroyed, even if the damage would otherwise piss off the house. Only the Monday one NEEDS to be witnessed.

Please address any further questions to the OOC post!]

WEEK FOUR - FIRST PUZZLE THREAD: AQUA & ANEMONE

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[ The two will feel themselves drawn to the pool room. Against the far wall is now a rack; it contains a few fun things, like pool noodles and kick boards.

Notably, there is a series of pool rings. Notable, because they look a little strange: they’re octagonal, and they all look exactly the same in size and color. More notable still, because of one specific detail:

There are octagonal patterns on the tiles by the pool that are just about the same size…

What will you do first? ]

WEEK FOUR - SECOND PUZZLE THREAD: LEON & EDGEWORTH

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Whether Edgeworth remembers leaving it here or not, the two men will find his custom chessboard in the sitting room. Six pieces have already been set up; notably, they are not the red and blue ones both men have played with before. Five white pieces and one black knight stand on the board like so:



Though they're likely already sick of unsigned messages, one more has been written on the table to one side of the board. It reads, 'The black knight wishes to avenge her queen. Work together to bring all white pieces beneath her blade in five turns. White moves first.'

Each of them must take one side, and can only move that side's piece(s). If they don't get it in five turns, the board will reset and they can try again.

[selfreliar]

[Two sharp knocks distract Aqua from breakfast in the dining room. When he looks up, a message is scrawling itself in pen on the opposite wall.

'Good news, Aqua! They found your father's body down the coast.
The police have no idea you staged the scene to kill him.'

His mug drops out of his numb hand and splashes coffee across the table, rolling while he stares at the words.]

1/3

[madderbloom]

[ Anemone is feeling like a genius after cracking that puzzle! She bounds up the stairs and into the attic, heels clacking on the wood. ]

2/3

[madderbloom]

[ A chill runs down her spine when she steps into the dusty old room. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the pedestal where a familiar figure lies, still as death. Oh no. No no no—

She rushes forward, grabbing Pratibha's cold hands with her own. ]

Pratibha? Wake up, come on. Wake up!

3/3

[madderbloom]

[ Can you hear it? The sound of an anguished scream echoes off the walls of the house. ]

[richesse]

[ When Lortel dips into the kitchen for lunch, everything seems normal. She goes about making her food, none the wiser, until frantic knocks come from the walls as soon as you join her. It sounds like many different fists, banging on the old wood.

When she turns, she sees beautiful cursive script on the wall.

“You’re lying to everyone around you all the time with every single smile. Even your sympathy is fake.”

Lortel’s expression does something funny. It blanks out with surprise, then her eyes lid above a sliver of a smile.

She returns to making her lunch. She will not erase the message herself; she leaves it there, utterly ignoring it.

For you, she still smiles. ]

It’s going to be an interesting week, don’t you think?

[inlocked]

[ She does not move.

She cannot hear you.

She has been here for a long time. ]

[selfreliar]

[First, can Aqua point out how rude it is to assign the guy who drowned to the pool puzzle?]

These are new.

[He picks two of the rings up. The octagons stand out as something important. Are they different weights or anything?]

deepest apologies for my bad Spanish

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

[ Leon's in the greenhouse staring vacantly out the windows when the sound of scratching against the wall of the house snaps him out of his fugue. He turns, just in time to see a message scrawl itself across the whitewashed brick in looping, feminine handwriting. ]

'Me prometiste que volverías. No me dejes con ellos.'

[ 'You promised me you'd come back. Don't leave me with them.'

Leon's breath hitches, eyes going wide. Thinking it must be another trick, he turns away, shaking his head and taking deep, steadying breaths before looking back, only to find the message is still there. ]

[madderbloom]

Are they?

[ Anemone has only been to the pool once or twice, and only to dip her feet in the water. She can't swim! Hopefully there's nothing they need to look for in the water.

She wanders over to check out the tiles. How many patterns are there? Do they all look the same? ]

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[ All the pool rings look and feel exactly the same.

The patterns, however, are numbered should Anemone look close enough. In total, there are eight of these patterns. ]

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

Anemone!

[ Leon comes running the instant he hears the scream, leaping up the stairs two steps at a time to find -

Oh. Oh no. Not again. Not already. He crosses the room before he can think about it, placing a hand on Anemone's shoulder and trying to split his attention between her and Pratibha. ]

Oh, god, I'm so sorry.

[windmilled]

[Luis is having his morning coffee, waiting for the toaster to pop up, when there's two knocks on the wall beside him. He looks over just in time to see words, scrawling themselves out in what almost looks like his own handwriting:

THEY DON'T SEE THE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS.

He sets his coffee down and braces his shaking hands on the counter, as the scrawl continues:

WHAT WOULD THEY DO TO YOU IF THEY DID?]

[madderbloom]

How can this be?! [ Anemone chokes out between sobs, not letting go of Pratibha's hand. Why does the house keep taking and taking? ] Leon, we all saw her! She was here! Just yesterday, she was with us!

[selfreliar]

I think so.

[Granted, he's also only come to dip his feet in the jacuzzi once.]

They're all the same. [He gathers them all with both hands and brings them over to Anemone.] It can't be as easy as just putting them on these tiles, can they?

[selfreliar]

What's--?!

[Aqua's not nearly as fast as Leon, but he wasn't too far, having helped with the pool puzzle. He clambers up--and registers what's happening in a flash.

He stills, then moves over to the other side of the pedestal.]

Anemone, let me see one of her hands. I'm going to check for a pulse.

[windmilled]

[Luis also comes running at the sound of the scream.]

What is it? What's going on, is someone--

[As he climbs up into the attic, he finally sees what everyone is looking at. He stumbles over the last step, staggers forward, a short, wordless cry cut off in the back of his throat.

Usually, when he feels this hopeless, he's staring down an inferno. But right now, he's never felt more cold.

Someone better catch him or hold him back.]