WEEK ONE: MINGLE

[cluedin]

WEEK ONE

OCCUPANCY: 34

Rise and shine, little monsters. A new week is waiting just for you. The events of yesterday may have been hard to stomach, but time heals all wounds, after all. The damages the house has incurred over the last week have been reverted and the staff is hard at work fulfilling their roles in this mansion. A piping hot breakfast is served in the dining room promptly at 7am, every square inch of floor and furniture has been cleaned spotless, and...the sound of birds chirping fills the hallway. The sun's shining brightly through the glass windows, and the curtain has been drawn back from the doors in the ballroom. The barriers blocking off the stairs down to the basement and to the balconies have been removed, and all guests may now explore these areas.

For anyone who ventures into the ballroom, a new change may become apparent. Should you choose to look at the plaques long enough, two images will flicker and change sporadically. While Haruka's portrait remains the same, on occasion it will change to an image of a pale, scratched up woman with yellow foam dripping from the corner of her lips. Likewise, Nikki's portrait looks just like herself, though if you blink you may miss it changing into the image of a large, rabid rat. There is no rhyme and reason for the change...though perhaps it serves as a reminder to those who remain.

Additionally, the house rules have been moved from the ballroom and back into the hallway, mounted in the entryway as they were.

But with this new bit of freedom comes another strange set of circumstances, you see. Starting today you'll find that the urge to give in to some nasty little traits has grown stronger. Greed, Pride, Jealousy....any of those seven deadly feelings will begin to bubble up inside you. Can you remain calm under the weight of your sins?

Perhaps so. Perhaps you're the type who's capable of ignoring these feelings even in your worst moments. You may be a beacon of hope for those who struggle with their emotions, but something else seems amiss. Even if you've managed to avoid those prickly feelings, some of you may experience a brain fog, making your thoughts hazy and hard to focus. Others may find themselves with a constant craving for sustenance, an insatiable hunger...though it may not be for food alone. And others still...it is a bit alarming for your arm to detach itself from your body, isn't it? Why would your feet run away without you? Best take stock of all of your limbs now because for the next week they may be just a bit too easy to remove. Don't lose your head over it though. They'll reattach easily enough.

You may experience only some of these events. Then again, maybe you're unlucky and you're experiencing all of these events at different points in time. Time is of the essence, however, and come Monday at noon a rustling crackle of static can be heard from overhead. Try as you might, you won't be able to find the speakers but a message will play loud and clear for all.

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Comments

[voidbreaker]

[ RIP jingle. ]

Never heard of it. The only way someone becomes Immortal is if they're messing with things they shouldn't be.

[goldpeony]

That isn't true! [He sounds offended. When doesn't he?] Every cultivator aspires to be an Immortal. Your spiritual power will be so strong you can heal, and you won't age or die.

You'll be amazing!

[voidbreaker]

Like I said-- I've never heard of a Cultivator in the way you seem to see it. You can't just become Immortal by wishing it really hard.

Isn't there a saying about this kind of thing? Like who wants to live forever?

[goldpeony]

Wishing?! [He puffs up.] How dare you! It's not wishing. You work hard to become an Immortal! You have to cultivate your spiritual energy until it's strong, and your core has to be strong, too! You don't just have it handed to you!

Only great cultivators have what it takes to become Immortal.

The longer you live, the stronger you are! And wiser! The more of the world you get to see. You can protect it, and you can train others. You'd be able to go on so many Night Hunts!

[voidbreaker]

So when are you gonna ask the obvious question and consider maybe our worlds are pretty different?

[ He raises a hand and checks off on his fingers: ]

No cultivation in the way you're talking about; no cores; no Night Hunts....

[goldpeony]

...What? There's only one world, don't be stupid.

[:')]

[voidbreaker]

[ side note: i hate that ash's canon is genuinely looking into alternate world theories and confirming them this is terrible. ]

You don't seriously think we're all from the same place. None of you know what Orbal tech is and that's like a mainstay of life. You're not from Zemuria.

[goldpeony]

No, I just think you're all lunatics who don't know what you're talking about.

[There is only China. There is barely anything else but China!]

[voidbreaker]

Don't devalue my life and my home because you can't get past your attitude problem.

[goldpeony]

[Of course he makes a face at getting scolded. This is something he would agree with about himself, but the shoe is on the other foot!]

I don't have an attitude problem!

[voidbreaker]

[ Hilarious. ]

Yeah you do. Or you're too stubborn for your own good. Potato, po-tahto.

[goldpeony]

You don't even know me.

[So there. Don't make him point the gun back at your head.]

[voidbreaker]

And you don't know me, so where do you get off telling me what's real and what isn't?

[ DO NOT POINT A GUN AT THE BACK OF HIS HEAD JINGLE SINGLE MINGLE WHAT THE HELL ]

[goldpeony]

[HE'S GOING TO POINT IT BETWEEN HIS EYES.]

There's no such thing as other worlds. Unless you're talking about... ascending to Heaven like a god or something. Or going to the Yellow Spring, the Underworld.

[voidbreaker]

[ IF HE'S POINTING IT BETWEEN HIS EYES, ASH IS JUST GONNA GRAB HIS WRIST AND YANK IT UP AGAIN?? ]

See, now we're just going in circles. You can be ignorant if you want, it's no big deal to me.

[goldpeony]

[No, it's fine. He's being a good boy. It was just hypothetically. If Ash keeps bullying.]

I've never seen it, so why should it be real? I don't know you, so why should I believe you? Besides, how am I supposed to know when you don't tell me anything about it except weird words because you're too lazy to explain.

[voidbreaker]

[ (anna voice) no bully ]

Says the guy kicking off when I dare suggest your world might be the bullshit one because I've never heard of it.

I've never seen it, so why should it be real? I don't know you, so why should I believe you?

[goldpeony]

[WOW. He really does point the gun at Ash this time, but he doesn't, like, do anything except that.]

Shut up! It is real! [And then he shoves the gun into Ash's chest; it'll drop if he doesn't catch it because Jin Ling is letting go.] I'll--find some way to show you it's real, and then you'll be sorry you ever thought to doubt me!

[voidbreaker]

[ Well it gets snatched up and pointed away from both of them. Christ. ]

Do you point weapons at people without giving a damn whenever you're having a temper tantrum? [ JIN LING FOR CRISSAKES ]

[goldpeony]

[At least he isn't holding the gun anymore.]

If you're so smart around a gun, it doesn't matter anyway! Besides, isn't one of the rules of this stupid house that we have to kill someone else!

[voidbreaker]

And you’re okay with that?

[ wild. ]

You don’t even know how to use that thing. Chances are you’d injure yourself to take out someone you didn’t mean to — and then what? You’re injured, so that’s easy pickings for whoever you chose to attack. Or you deal with your mistake.

[goldpeony]

No! I never said I was okay with that, only that was the rule given to us!

[He glares.]

I told you to show me then, but you’re a lazy coward, and you won’t! I’ve been on plenty of Night Hunts! I can fight, and use a sword, and use a bow! I can easily learn to use one of those, too!

[voidbreaker]

[ he just snorts. ]

I’m neither, but I don’t need to stamp my feet and throw out accomplishments like candies to make a point.

[ but then, seriously: ]

If you killed someone with it, in self defence or not, that’d be on both of us. If you see someone with one, run and hide. But duck and weave, or you’re an easy target. The closest thing I can think of it being like is a bow and arrow. Only insanely more deadly.

[goldpeony]

You don't have anything to show without your accomplishments. That's the whole point of having them, to prove you can do what you talk.

[Which means he isn't allowed in Lotus Pier unless he brings back the Big Ones for Uncle Jiang.]

Why do I have to run and hide?! I want to fight! I'm not going to roll over and let someone kill me!

[voidbreaker]

My accomplishments are no one’s business. If they find out, then good for them. If they want to know, they’ll figure it out. I’ll talk with what I can do in the moment, not living off of crap I did years ago like it matters now.

[ rip ]

Because a bullet can rip through your spine like it’s made of butter and cause you to bleed out before someone can help you. And in case you forgot, we have no healing Arts or spells or whatever here.