WEEK ZERO: WELCOME INTRO

[cluedin]

WELCOME

Even from behind your eyelids, the soft glowing light can be seen as you find yourself awakening. The slow swell of strings begins, and as you struggle to open your eyes, the sound of footsteps pass you by. You soon hear three feminine voices speak in unison.

"Master Blue wishes to welcome you all. We hope you enjoy your stay!"

Light temporarily blinds you as you look around, but the source of the voices has vanished. Whomever has greeted you seems to have disappeared without warning, leaving you all alone.

The music starts up and though no orchestra is present, the song can be heard all throughout the room. Crystal chandeliers hang above your head, and the waxed wooden floor gleams brightly. Floor to ceiling windows cover the back wall and a night sky full of stars twinkle back at you. The wall next to it, however, is covered by a thick crimson curtain. Those who attempt to move it will find they have little luck in their endeavor, but there are more pressing matters at hand.

Looking down you'll come to notice that you're wearing clothes that certainly aren't what you were previously wearing. You, and the guests around you, have been dressed appropriately in formal attire properly fitted for each individual.

Oh. That's right. Didn't we mention the other guests? Seated to your left, right, and across from you at the long banquet table are other people just like you. Perhaps it's a friend you know, though don't be surprised if it's a complete stranger. Each individual holds a blue and silver invitation with their name scrawled upon it, and a message to follow.

"Please respond to Master Blue's invitation at least one week prior to the event to secure your seat and accommodations.

This dinner is guaranteed to be an event to die for."

Strange, isn't it?

But rest assured! Nothing is stopping you from leaving the ballroom and exploring the other rooms of Master Blue's home. After all, you're an honored guest! It's with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that you're welcomed here tonight. Really, what's your hurry? It's not as though the front door will open for you. Don't bother with the windows either. They've all been locked tight to ensure you're all nice and cozy for your stay.

If you look under your seat, you'll find a special gift bag with your name on it. Opening these bags will reveal the following:

-A small spiral notebook
-A crayon in a specific shade of blue
-Three different candles
-A brass key (Design May Vary.)
-This cute toy

A welcome gift from the Master, of course.

Take some time to admire the decor, if you will. The house has been decorated for this special holiday with chains of paper hearts, miniature golden cupid statues, and confetti that rains down from the ceiling on occasion. Perhaps you'll get lucky tonight with love in the air, especially since Cupid's arrow seems to aim for you no matter where you go. For those of you who don't wish to partake in the lavish feast spread out in the ballroom, you're in luck. Boxes of chocolate and bowls of candy hearts can be found for all your snacking needs.

As the unseen orchestra plays on, it seems as though you've no choice but to get to know your fellow guests and make yourselves comfortable. Perhaps if you wait long enough, someone will come to greet you.

---

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Comments

iii

[disreguarded]

Whoa. You good, dude?

[ Don't mind Beau, she just crouches down next to him and slap a hand on his shoulder. It's awkward because she's perched on like two levels of steps, but whatever. She's got impeccable balance. ]

[kazokun]

[ Ayabe has terrible balance and nearly tips forward, catching himself before he goes tumbling. Don't slap his shoulder???? at least hit his back. ]

Don't do that again, and I'll be fine.

[disreguarded]

Wow, excuse me for trying to help. [ She huffs. ] Seriously though, don't die. What are you even coughing for?

[kazokun]

It's nothing. I don't plan on dying.

[ There's no dust in the air, and he hasn't eaten any food, and he's near the bottom of the steps so it's not like he got winded trying to run up them.

Maybe he just has bad lungs. He gets up and heads-- well, he wanted to head upstairs, but if she's in the way, he turns around and heads down instead, clutching the rail and coughing into his shoulder. ]

...It'll pass, so don't mind it. Thanks for the help.

[disreguarded]

[ Oh, like hell is she just gonna let him walk away while he's still coughing. ]

You don't need medicine for it or anything, do you? [ She's just gonna follow him down the stairs. ]

[kazokun]

No, and I doubt there'd be any medicine in a place like this.

[ It doesn't seem like the sort of place where you'd swing open the bathroom mirror for a stash of allergy meds or anything like that. ]

It'll be better if I could go outside. I haven't had much luck finding an unlocked door, though.

[disreguarded]

You never know. This place is pretty big, maybe people have drugs stashed away under couches or between the mattress and frame.

You got a hairpin or something? I could probably try to pick the locked doors.

[kazokun]

I'm not sure this is that sort of place...

[ He's not sure people do that??? Just stuff narcotics under couch cushions. ]

You're the second person who's asked me for a hairpin, but unfortunately I don't have one.

[ If he finds one, maybe he'll start carrying it around with him, it seems like a popular request ]

Is there anything else you can use? A knife?

[disreguarded]

[ they TOTALLY do just drugs all up in those chairs ]

Yeah, I could probably make a knife work. We're gonna have to see if there's any even left. Rumor has it someone stole all the cutlery.

[kazokun]

What for? The kitchen staff is going to need those.

[ He shakes his head, and turns towards where they all first arrived. ]

There were knives inside those bags under people's chairs. I didn't bother picking mine up, so perhaps it's still there.

[disreguarded]

I wouldn't count on it. People are going around stealing everything that isn't nailed down. [ beau you're one of those people ]

But we can look. I'm sure I can shake down someone for a fuckin' knife somewhere.

[kazokun]

[ Everybody here is either paranoid, or a hell of a lot more prepared than Ayabe is. He's a student! He wants to go home and study.

But he nods and heads back towards the starting area, trying to remember where his seat was-- somewhere towards the end, and it doesn't matter which seat it is, there are still some bags left and he grabs one and dumps out the contents. ]

[disreguarded]

[ There is indeed a knife in the bag, but it's like, fisher price plastic and she's pretty sure it'll break... into the lock. She huffs, sorting through the rest of the contents, and then picks up the toy knife. ]

Not very sharp, but I can make it work probably. If anything I'll just - [ She gestures to her earrings, which are jade and kind of sharp? ] - make something out of these.

[kazokun]

You shouldn't have to use something important to you.

[ Assuming that's her own jewelry, and jewelry is expensive and he wouldn't want her to have to break them just to get them out. ]

Let's try the knife first.

[ Even though it's plastic. There's the key too, that he pulls out and shows her. ]

Or maybe this? If there's a whetstone in the kitchen, we might be able to file it down.

[disreguarded]

[ It is hers, but she doesn't have any particular attachment to it, honestly. Either way, she gathers the knife and twirls it absently. ]

This is so weird. I've never seen a knife made out of whatever this is before. [ She muses. ] But - yeah. Good idea. Alright, kitchen it is. C'mon.

Oh - fuck, what's your name? I didn't even ask. My bad.

[kazokun]

Reito Ayabe. Just Ayabe is fine. What's yours?

[ Reito? Don't know him. I'm too used to Ayabe and so everybody must call him that.

By the packaging alone, though, he wouldn't have expected a real knife— it would have been a sicker joke if it were real, though also convenient. If anything, the kitchen would be their best bet in finding something that might work to pick a lock, if not knives then other utensils or parts of some. ]

[disreguarded]

Beau. Beauregard, but Beau's fine.

[ She'll lead the way to the kitchen, though! She just assumes he's going to follow her, chatting as she goes. ] So what's up with you, then? Why do you think you're here?

[kazokun]

[ Bless nicknames. He does follow along, shrugging at her question. ]

The most likely situation is that this was all orchestrated by the student council president. I don't know a weirder guy than him who would do something like this, and it's hard to tell what he's thinking.

[disreguarded]

... You have one crazy fuckin' student council if you think some kid could scoop up a bunch of like - multiple dimensions lunatics and throw 'em into a big blue glitter mansion.

[kazokun]

[ Ayabe nods, because... yeah. Yeah. He's from a totally normal every day school manga, and he nods. The student council president would do this. ]

[disreguarded]

[ well okay sure why not everything else in this place is weird as balls ]

Rrrright, okay - did you have a door in mind to unlock? [ as she digs through a kitchen drawer ]

[kazokun]

Across the hall is a room with large windows. If one of those could be pried open, we would be able to get out. Before that, though, there's the front door.

[ That's the one he would unstick first. Obviously it's just jammed or something, because who would purposely lock people in a place like this?

He also looks around the kitchen, but there isn't much he would think to take. No knifes. idk if there are any forks and spoons left of if they've been taken too for currency purposes ]

[disreguarded]

Okay, okay-okay-okay. [ The forks and spoons regenerate infinitely apparently so she can at least find... one fork. One that she's gonna try to bend the tines of. ]

Front door works. This works? Probably? [ A beat. ] I can probably just kick the front door in. Out.

[kazokun]

Somebody's tried that already, but if you think you can do it without hurting yourself.

[ She can try and he won't stop her, but it doesn't look like the sort of door that would just fly off the hinges like normal doors.

He's hopeful but doesn't want to get his hopes up, so he nods his head towards the exit, they can try it out, be disappointed for two seconds, and then go for the windows. Windows can't be more than a couple millimeters thick. ]

[disreguarded]

[ nope, she gets her ass handed to her by the door. also, confetti? confetti everywhere. she's still picking it out of her hair by the time they're heading to the windows, looking THOROUGHLY disgruntled. ]

This place is a fuckin' nightmare. [ grump grump grump ]