WEEK FOUR: MINGLE

[cluedin]

WEEK FOUR

OCCUPANCY: 25

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 Pumpkin is...probably around tending to the animals outside. As you exit your rooms on this lovely morning, guests will find that the barrier leading upstairs has diminished, and a new floor has been opened to explore.

For anyone who ventures into the ballroom, a new change may become apparent. Should you choose to look at the plaques long enough, three images will flicker and change sporadically. While Subete's portrait remains the same, on occasion it will change to an image of a disembodied head, expression frozen in shock. Likewise, Dazai's portrait looks just like himself, though if you blink you may miss it changing into a hulking, dark nine-tailed fox with blood glistening in its teeth. Finally, Anya's portrait reveals a picture of the young girl, but every now and then a blossom of red appears on her pristine outfit as the light fades from her eyes. 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.

After weeks of getting to know each other, you may believe you have learned the most important things about them. You've seen their memories, you've felt their emotions, and you've shared their pain. But even so, some of you continue to hide your true intentions. Starting today, from the moment you wake, a mask will appear and cover half of your face. Each mask is different and though you may not understand what it means yet, each design implies something about you. Those who have experience within the supernatural world might have a white feather pattern across their mask while those who have powers associated with a certain element may find their mask changing color and temperature. Some masks may reflect bloody handprints to reflect the sins of a killer while others will appear black and cracking for someone who has died before. Those holding back a big secret will find their mask slowly covering their whole face and others still will find their masks reflecting anything from acts of betrayal to hidden romantic feelings. Though all are unique to each guest, all will find they are unable to remove these masks.

Some of you may wear your mask proudly as you have nothing left to hide, while others of you may become desperate in your attempt to remove it. Feelings of anger and aggression may bubble up to the surface this week over the smallest problems even for the most calm of people. As the sun sets, you may find that you don't feel quite like yourself, opposite personality trades coming to light. Luckily for you, you may not have to worry. Every now and then you may find a gap in your memory, temporary amnesia removing an embarrassing incident or two.

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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MONDAY, 12PM

[cluedin]

[As the static begins to clear, a young man's voice begins to speak.]

"I met my boyfriend at a masquerade ball. I know, right? He came to me all overconfident swagger, his mask more Phantom of the Opera than a proper masquerade one, and asked for my company. Despite the cheesiness of it all, we hit it off right away... if you know what I mean. We started dating not long after. Yet somehow, the more time we spent together, the less I felt like I knew him. Sometimes he was beautiful and charming, full of banter and wit as we spent time together. Others, he was awkward and rude, his eyes full of want but never making a move towards me. I didn't think much of it at first. Everyone has off days, don't they? His were more like ... off hours, as easy as the flip of a switch. It was dizzying.

The day it happened had seemed normal. He'd asked me to meet him at the place we met. Romantic, right? But when I got there, he looked like he'd thrown himself down a flight of stairs. There was no one else around him, so I rushed to check up on him-- and he held a knife to my throat. "Your choice, loverboy." I thought he was talking to me at first, but then he kept talking, staring at nothing at all. He threatened himself with my life, then begged himself to spare me. He was acting crazy. I wrestled the knife away from him and held it out to protect myself... I still don't know if he launched himself at me to get it away or to take himself out. The end result was the same. I certainly wasn't holding the knife anymore.

I was the hostage and the murderer both. You guys aren't so lucky. We've taken the people closest to you for a little trade. The life of someone here for their own. If you don't believe us... we've left you a little gift, as proof. You've got until the end of the week."

A GIFT

[cluedin]

[Not long after the announcement, all guests will find a DVD that may be played in the movie theater at any time. This disc will depict video footage of their closest person (whether positive or negative relationship) under duress.]

[kazokun]

i.
[ Ayabe is going to fucking lose his shit over this DVD. If you're in the movie theater when he's playing it, you'll recognize the little girl crying in the video. It's little Kosue! Ayabe is going to murder five people this week!! This is my warning to everybody!!! ]

ii.
[ "No matter how hard you try to scrub, the blood will not come off."

Ayabe takes on the Bloody Room Challenge to scrub this place clean and he's going to fail but it's either him pouring himself into a futile effort like this, or go on a murder spree. ]

wc.
[ Ayabe's mask is solid black with white lines that resemble spider webs or cracked glass. This week is really bad! Wow! ]

ii

[disreguarded]

[ she is... gonna very carefully come in here and sit in the doorway and watch him clean. it'll be a while before she speaks because she thinks he could probably use something to wear himself out with, but.

her mask is cobalt blue, with cracks through it - it looks like maybe someone haphazardly slapping a layer of blue over the jade color underneath. every once in a while, there's a flash of red that glows angrily from the cracks. ]

Hey. You owe me a laundry date. [ she says after a while. ]

[survivaltricks]

monday - movie theater

[HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE, there's a loud cracking and crashing noise coming from the movie theater??]

[investigation reveals Akira, standing up on his one good leg (and one crutch) with his hand clenched into a fist and his expression furious. there are shattered DVD pieces on the ground in front of him and he's upended the popcorn machine. I am sorry]

[anyway he looks extremely livid so maybe approach with caution?? are u okay, Akira buddy. . .]

monday - garden

[OKAY LET'S CALM DOWN FROM THAT EXCITING AFTERNOON. later on in the day Akira can be found outside, sitting on one of the garden benches! he has. . . two legs now?? ???? although one of them seems to be shiny and made of chrome plating. . . a very cyberpunk-like prosthetic. he pushes himself to his feet and wobbles a bit as he stands, still bracing himself with one hand clutching the back of the bench]

It really takes some getting used to. . .

[he tries to take a step forward with the prosthesis. . .]

[and stumbles]

wildcard

[HIT ME UP ON DISCORD FOR PCS AND OTHER PROMPTS!! akira's mask is literally his canon one. that's it. nothing special about it]

movie theater

[disreguarded]

[ oh hey, she was just coming in here to try and see what horrors await her when she sees akira upending a popcorn machine, and like. normally she might walk away and let him rage, but.

her mask is cobalt blue, with drips of jade green that drip down the mask like bloodstains. ]

Hey - hey. Akira, what -- ?

[soba]

[ toi's mask this week is decorated by bullet holes. very simple. very aesthetic. ]

a. room of copyright infringement

[ toi did not really explore the new rooms, other than to quickly grab a change of clothes from the closet and then quickly leave. but it's a new week, so he's finally catching up.

he's actually tilting his head after reading the plaque of this one though. ]

... oh. Is this it?

b. movie theater

[ like many others, toi is also watching the dvd. his features an older man.

all things considered, he seems to be watching it quite calmly? granted, if you take a very close look at toi, it seems like his eyes are slightly puffy, but you'd really have to look. ]

b.

[burningrescue]

[Oh. That fuckin' guy. Galo can't keep off his face his dislike, but he doesn't express it.]

We're getting them all out of there.

[goldpeony]

[Jin Ling's mask looks like this, but it's cracked and pieces are missing. The gems pulse gently on and off with a glow.]

i.

[In the movie theater, Jin Ling is standing with his back to whoever enters and his hands balled into tight, white-knuckled fists despite the ache. On the screen is a man dressed in dark colors and purple.

This week, Jin Ling's hair is pulled into a ponytail not unlike the man's own, with two braids on either side.]

ii.

[He's outside of the Master Blue's master bedroom, peering around the length of the door. It looks absolutely like he's trying to devise a plan of some kind.]

I've already tried the bell. It doesn't work.

[He doesn't even bother to glance over.]

wildcard

[Wildcard me, or hit me up on disco if you want a PC or a specific prompt!]

ii.

[survivaltricks]

[AND HERE IS AKIRA, sometime on Monday, with his fancy cybernetic-like leg visible underneath his pants!! he is still utilizing a crutch because it takes a while to get used to the weight and gait of a new prosthetic]

It doesn't?

[huh]

Have you tried ringing the blue bell in the box?

[voidbreaker]

[ ash's mask looks like someone burnt it before slapping it on his face -- it's dark and parts of the mask look like they have embers trapped under them, glowing red under the dark charred colours. ]

i. movie theatre

[ anyone walking in will see ash picking up the dvd from the machine and making it snap it in two. he doesn't look super pleased about whatever he's just seen, but he's not as shaken as the some of the other people here today. ]

Low blow. [ he'll be dumping the pieces of the dvd as soon as they're snapped. ]

ii. furnace room

[ now that the infinity closet is open, if you wander into the furnace room you might catch ash flinging a sharp looking red shirt - one he's been in most of the week - into one of the furnaces and leaning back to watch it burn.

of note, he's wearing something as far from sharp and smart as he can. ]

iii. wildcard

[ you know the drill ]

ii.

[gitalong]

... Ash...

[counterclocked]

[Hunter's mask is covered in rust; there are spots of bright metal underneath, but for the most part, it looks like it's spent a great deal of time growing faded and tarnished. Every so often, a flake of rust will come off and float to the ground.]

movie theater

[A while after finding his DVD, he can be found in the movie theater. There's a blonde young woman being projected, and Hunter's moved past all the rows of seats to stand right near the screen. His hand is pressed to it, as if he could reach through right to her. He's not crying, but - his expression is incredibly tight and worried. Whispered:]

...It's going to be okay.

fifth floor

[He's also spending more of his time exploring the newly opened areas, though before he can enter into any of them... He's tugging at the mask on his face with a frown, turning towards anyone who might be nearby.]

Hey, I don't suppose you've figured out any trick to get these off? I'm 95% sure that would be too easy for this place, but you know - just in case.

wildcard

[as always, hit me up if there's anything else you'd like to play out! i'm also open for pcs.]

movie theater

[madburnout]

[Oh. Straights. But, Hunter is alright, and he recognizes this face.]

. . . You are right. It will be.

[burningrescue]

i. all week

[Galo's mask looks like half a robot mask; his is the blue half, although it seems to flicker between shades depending on his mood. If he gets particularly excited, a horn pops out the top.]

Awesome, right! I have no idea what this is, but it's definitely my jam!

ii. movie theater

[He's watching this with his chin in his hands. The person in the video is probably familiar to anyone who saw Galo's memories last week, a very tall, very broad blonde man.

It seems like Galo is struggling to decide what emotion to feel about this.]

iii. also movie theater

[Or maybe you catch Galo later, watching the same video, when he happens to be suffering from a bout of temporary amnesia? This time, when the image appears on screen, he stands up, fist clenched, like he's going to punch through the screen.]

Gov! Let him go, you bastards! You won't get away with this!

ii

[oathic]

[...]

You okay, Galo?

[gitalong]

1) support your local theaters

[ on Monday, Missile can be found in the screening room. is he salivating over the popcorn? playing hide and seek between the rows of seats? no! he's gleefully barking at an unlabeled dvd on the floor before scooping it up and sending it flying over his shoulder through the air. like Spanky wishes he could.

unrelated but i would die for Spanky ]

2) he's gonna need a cone by the end of the week

[ Missile's mask, on the other hand, has almost full snout coverage and boooooy is he not happy about that. he tries to deal with it, but every few steps he can't help but... whining and trying to pull it off. ]

I don't like this... When is it going to go away?

[ huh, his mask seems to have a white feather pattern on it, with fresh bloody paw prints that appear and gradually fade away. and every now and then it seems to glow with flickering blue flames! neat ]

3) wildcard

[ fingerguns at you, you know where to find me ]

1

[voidbreaker]

[ ash ducks just in time to avoid getting a dvd to the face. yikes. ]

[madburnout]

[Lio’s mask is. Well. When he’s not paying attention to you, the eye remains closed, but the instant you’ve approached it’s open and focused, seething with? Rage? Sadness? Hatred? A little unsettling, probably. Occasionally, seemingly out of Lio’s control, there’s also a streak of blue down the side, almost as if he’s . . . ]

i. UNBOXING

[hey uuuuuh welcome back to my channel, this is Lio Fotia, and I’ve got an incredible unboxing for you today. Lio can be found struggling with what appears to be an enormous motorcyle. Or, rather, it definitely is just a whole ass motorcycle. You can find him either struggling to remove it from the door frame of Room 4 where it’s kind of gotten stuck]

Bastards! Why would they send it in a box?!

[ Or straight up sitting on it at the top of the stairs. Is he going to ride it down them. Is this a good idea?

Revving the engine.]

ii. I REALLY HATE THIS

[Probably much, much later considering the ineptitude of everyone involved in getting a fuckin’ motorcycle down the stairs and out the door, you can find everyone’s favorite horny criminals somewhere outside. Currently engaged in a constant back and forth struggle of a) both trying to sit on the motorcycle at once, b) trying to shove each other OFF the motorcycle, c) wrestling on the ground next to it and yelling at each other, or d) all of these things at once, somehow.

Galo and Lio]

Lio, come on, let me on there!

Bastard, you’ll break it like you’ve broken all of your other things!

I haven’t gotten to ride yet! Don’t be selfish!

It’s a piece of my body, you have to handle it carefully, idiot!

I know how to handle it! I use my own all the time!

Don’t touch it, you have no idea what you’re doing!

[Is . . . is this flirting. Order will be Lio > Galo > You!]


iii. Movie Theater

[Lio is . . . in here. Holding the DVD. But he doesn’t seem to be playing it, simply sitting with it, staring at it. He looks pretty upset though.]

Illusions.

iv. wildcard

[hmu on plurk or disco or just throw anything you’d like at me here!]

2

[voidbreaker]

...

I mean I can leave if I'm interrupting something.

[ in the very public, very open outdoors. ]

[wakizashis]

A. We’re going to the movies

[ for all that Horikawa has talked about him, it should come to no surprise who shows up on his dvd. Despite the fact that he was rather quiet while watching, the sheer anger in his eyes is certainly startling to see as he stalks out of the theater. ]

A.2 [ If not stopped, Hori will be heading straight for the gym, hiding away to take his anger out on a training dummy (er. make that multiple training dummies) of some sort. It’s probably best not to startle him while he has live steel in hand, but you can certainly try ]


B. HE’s HERE THE PHANTOM OF THE-

[ you may also catch him wandering around this week, pretending the heavily damaged wolf mask attached to his head isn’t there. When he moves a certain way, blood rolls from the eye, the cracks in the snout looking like a permanent grimace. It’s certainly a look with the new earrings he’s sporting. You might recognize them they’re rather familiar after all. ]


C. [ wildcard me for shenanigans ]

[hamaoned]

monday; museum

[ hey so, things are just getting worse and worse around here, huh? the last thing anyone would need to start the week is another disruption, right? well, too bad for that as there'll be a loud explosion coming from the museum sometime in the morning before the announcement.

did someone set off a bomb? (maybe) regardless, there'll be one angry (and still injured) child standing near an unexploded display of an arm that was (apparently) stolen by a raccoon. ]

Damnit. That didn't work either?!

[ cue a frustrated growl which is then followed up by ken throwing a gun at this display before outright kicking the display one more time. ]

Just what is this stuff made of?

[ yep. ]

monday; movie theater

[ explosions over, ken can be found in the movie theater much later in the day with a broken dvd in his hands. if anyone manages to sneak in before ken forcibly ejects the dvd from the player and immediately snaps it into two, they'll see a very stylish young man who is looking worse for wear. he'll barely have any time to speak before ken slams on the eject button but there was a desperate but defiant look in the man's face. ]

Right. [ he'll take a half and break that again. the expression on his face unreadable. ] So, this is the game that they want to play now.

wildcard;

[ hit me with whatever you want! feel free to dm me for pcs & the mask that ken is wearing sports a similar design of this but is a white but flickers gold every so often with deep cracks in it and a feather decorating one of the sides. ]

museum

[disreguarded]

[ why does ken have a bomb WHY IS KEN BLOWING UP THE MUSEUM ]

What the fuck -- [ beau says, peeking into the museum, almost like, terrified to look. ] Are you --

[ oh he's mostly fine. she has explosion ptsd though ] What are you doing? Why are you doing.

[inaudibly]

[MONDAY: BALLROOM]
[Starting around Lunchtime, people might see a piece of paper tacked to the wall near the door, written in what is surely familiar to most now as Nic's terrible handwriting;]

Starting tomorrow
I'll be in the library every day from 7-9PM
Anyone who wants to learn how to sign can come practice.
-Nic

[TUESDAY-THURSDAY: LIBRARY, EVENING]
[True to his word, Nic will be found in the library at the written time. He'll offer some instruction, but it's also an opportunity for people to practice with the others that are learning. Nic and Luna have even found all the books on sign language in the library and collected them for people to look over on their own!! Use this time however you like.]

[WEDNESDAY: MOVIE THEATER, MORNING]
[Nic waited to watch his DVD. Partly because he wanted to let everyone else go first, but also because he figured whatever was on it would make him angry. Whoever chances to wander to the theater at this time will see a blond man, probably about Nic's age.

Nic himself is staring at the screen looking... oddly nonplussed? Unimpressed? Maybe just tired? It's a strange expression in the given circumstances, at the very least.]

[WILDCARD]
[Nic's mask is rather simple in design though it is a dark red in color. If you look up close the color is mottled, as if from gradual buildup of splotchy paint.]

Tuesday!!

[madburnout]

[Sure. If only because Lio is so so tired of reading. It is so hard. Showing up promptly at 7!!]

It will be more efficient than writing.

[swordflash]

[Zenitsu's mask is neatly divided into black and white halves with a couple of sparrow feathers sprouting from the latter. For the most part, its appearance is passive.

He's also changed into another set of clothes now that his uniform and haori are damaged.]

A. Astronomy tower
[The splint for his arm lies next to him on a blanket. Next to that is a handful of paper cranes.

Resting the shamisen on his lap, he plays a slow cover of Anya's song from two weeks prior. There are intermittent pauses where he stops to check that he hasn't pulled a stitch in his arm, but he otherwise has no trouble playing the song from memory. In fact, he's exceptionally good.]

B. Laundry room
[He's here with a yellow and black bundle, because his original clothes have been soiled with blood. Glancing this and that way, he seems kind of lost.]

C. Movie theater
[After some struggling, Zenitsu gets the DVD to play a footage of an older boy who wears the same uniform with the character for destroy written on his back. It's difficult to gauge Zenitsu's expression behind the mask as he watches with wide, attentive eyes. What's certain is that he's very quiet.]

B

[inaudibly]

[He's mostly only ever bullied Zenitsu before, but the kid clearly went through a Lot this week, so when he spies him looking lost in the laundry room, he wanders over.]

If you just throw those in there like that, it's not gonna get the bloodstain out.
[Trust him, a man who absolutely looks like the sort of person who's had to remove bloodstains before.]

[infire]

[ brilith’s mask is black as coal, and riddled with cracks. the cracks themselves glow an angry red, like the last burning embers of a fire. now and then, a flake of ash falls from the mask to drift toward the floor. ]

garden.
[ there is a patch of flowers that brilith tends to daily, but often she wanders through the garden with staff in hand in search of some peace of mind.

she doesn’t seem to find it, however, as eventually she sits at a bench, watching a patch of red flowers sway in the breeze. there doesn’t seem to be anything special about them, but her expression is somewhere between sad, nostalgic, and angry. what’s that about. ]

research lab.
[ a research lab is where this brilith, the one with so many lives behind her, thrives. the scientist within her (scientists, really, there were more than one) devours the technical manuals hungrily, as if there was nothing more interesting in this entire mansion.

but of course, it ends up being as useless as the rest of this place. with a roll of her eyes, brilith drops a manual back on the desk. ]

As useless as everything else.

[ why is she bothering again…? ]

movie theater.
[ eventually, curiosity overwhelms her. honestly, she shouldn’t bother. no one has had a good reaction to whatever it is they’ve seen here, and chances are, it’s probably an illusion, anyway. still, she wants to know: who does this dreadful mansion think is the one closest to her?

there’s one person in particular she expects to see - after all, they’ve been bound through countless lives, and will be for countless more unless something changes (and it never does. even here, she has little faith that it ever will). the screen loads, and with it, the face of the one person that brilith hates almost as much as agni himself.

not a single sound passes her lips when she turns to leave, but there is a loud crash behind her as the dvd player hits the wall. ]

wildcard.
[ throw something else at me or just hmu on plurk or disco and we can hash something out!! ]

not really here

[oathic]

[well.

agni enters the lab, and then when he sees who's already in there, he does what any good ex-boyfriend does and immediately whirls around and leaves. bye!

(... but of course she'd be there.)]

[shortforever]

1

[Chuuya hasn't looked at the contents of his motive DVD yet. He's just sitting there, looking over the disc in his hands, torn between viewing it and not. Is it better to know just who is being threatened and worry about them, or to not look and push it out of his mind entirely?

Maybe an outside opinion will help him decide.]



2

[New floor means exploration! And most of the doors on the floor are locked, so there's only so many places he can actually explore. Eventually he ends up at the doorway to the operating laboratory, but he doesn't cross the threshold into the room. He can see what he needs to see from that doorway anyway.]

Why would they have something stupid like this here?

[He might sound annoyed, but the white-knuckle grip he has on the door frame may betray the emotions he's really feeling.]



Wildcard

[Hit me up on plurk or discord for something else!]

1

[hamaoned]

[ henlo chuuya, here is ken going to stand next to him and looking at the dvd. he has already looked at his, and well. given how much has happened since trial, he's worried. ]

I'm not sure if it would help to watch it.

A THING?

[cluedin]

TUESDAY

[ On Tuesday, not long after Akira finds his leg, it sounds like there's an announcement... ? All guests (except for Nic, who is deaf) will be able to hear a cackling laugh echo through the mansion, followed by this in a similar voice: ]

The look on his face... I can't believe he did it, the maniac! Guy woke up without a leg!

[ and the laugh goes on once more until it fades into nothing... ]

[survivaltricks]

[oh my god]

[oh my god???]

HEY FUCK YOU!!!!

[slobjection]

movie theater;

[ hey, guess who is here too! it's phoenix!! he's got a mask that looks a lot like this... and he's not visibly angry or distressed. he seems interested in... other people's dvds. yours, for example. ]

Morning.

[ it's not morning! ]

Did you watch it yet?

[ look at the hostage! ]

[hamaoned]

[ ....

sorry ken will answer his question, but first he's going to look at his mask. why is everything he wears a little...much. after staring at it strangely for a moment, he'll respond though. ]

No, not yet.

[recrypt]

[ 45's mask is a deep black that looks something like a crystallized shadow, with delicate gold and crimson embossing. It's a comedy mask, the golden smile cracking wide and bright, as the craftsmanship marks out the pattern of computer circuitry in a deep, faintly glowing red. All of it seems to be somewhat worn. ]

gym
[ well clearly in preparation for murder you gotta go to the gym to practice some gun kata right. no. of course not, that's stupid.

but it is a good idea to keep sharp! which is what your local nyoomba can be found doing in a gym, running through close combat hand to hand exercises both practical and not so practical both in the air and against a few training dummies.

things to note: she is fast. nyoom. also between hori and 45 this week i guess i should feel bad for the dummies. ]

movie theater
[ hmmmmmmmmmmm.

in all honesty she seems somewhat unimpressed with the dvd, though it doesn't seem to be clear whether or not she has or hasn't already watched it. ]

wild...card?
[ every now and then, throughout the week, she might come into a room and see someone else there? ]

Oh, greetings, um...

I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?

[ ...hm. isn't that a little out of character? ]

the actual wildcard
[ as always, hit me up if there's another thing you wanna play out! or pc, pcs are also good. ]

questionable wildcard

[miscakes]

[Giving her a very ??? look.]

Not at all. [nani the fuck] Is... everything alright, 45-san?

[unanswering]

[nie huaisang's mask is-- hm. what mask? from a distance or at a quick glance his face looks pretty normal, actually. except for how he seems to have a perpetually worried expression, much like he did when he first arrived here... closer up, it's more obvious that is the mask. it just blends in with his face well.

sometimes it's more obvious, though, because every so often it looks like red liquid leaks from the eyes, which might be kind of alarming! there are cracks in the edges of it, usually faint, but sometimes they take on color and stand out more.]

i- by the plaques

[huaisang is camped out by the profile plaques with a sketchpad, and seems to be... drawing the portraits? it's up to you who he's working on at the time, but it looks like he's started with the dead first. after he's finished sketching them, he'll move on to the living.

he'll be chilling here intermittently if you want to watch, or join, or just bother him.]

ii- theater

[someone's going to have to show him how a dvd actually works. maybe it was you! either way, it's been handled, and he's... not entirely expecting who shows up in the footage on his disc. it's a man in white robes, and while his brow furrowing isn't visible under the mask, nie huaisang sounds a little confused at first, like he's not sure entirely why this is who's been picked.]

...er-ge?

[some people probably recognize him from huaisang's memories! the confusion lasts a moment-- but then he stiffens, seeming to realize something, his fan held in a tight, tight grip.]

They can't-

[it's fine. he's probably fine.]

iii- drawing room

[this is the 'whatever else' prompt, basically! if you want nie huaisang, you can probably find him here, painting, practicing calligraphy, or... lying on a couch, frowning at his notebook as he stares at it and occasionally scribbles something in or crosses something else out.]

i

[recrypt]

... trying to remember them as they were, rather than what the mansion made them?

[ bother, maybe, if it were the least intrusive form of bothering. she's still at the edge of his vision, mask glowing dimly in the light. ]

[brokethefirst]

Wednesday Morning

[Anyone looking for the local doctor on Tuesday might be hard pressed to find her. Weird. Huh. But it's Wednesday now, and she's right out in the garden, sitting in the grass nearby in something a little more casual, thank you infinite closet. If you walk closely enough, you might here a quiet melody of a music box just winding down, a necklace resting comfortably at her collarbone. The mask on her face is baby blue, fainly cracked in white, with colors flickering around the edges, coming and going.

...

And then she turns, perhaps to say hello, or perhaps out of chance.

Her left arm sits limp against her lap, bandaged tightly from the elbow to the palm. Getting close enough will reveal that, on the side of her face not covered with a mask, a long, raised scar of a mark is there from chin to forehead, just barely missing her eye, appearing as though someone has literally sewn her face back together. At least they used thread that's close to her skin color...!

She'll be out in the garden, slowly taking notes on something or other. It's fine!]

[infire]

[ ...well then. ]

Luna. Whatever happened, I'm glad to see you're alright.

SOME THINGS...

[cluedin]

WEDNESDAY EVENING

[ on wednesday evening, guests may notice some strange happenings around the house.

most of this week's paranormal activity seems to be centered around the second floor... let's go in order, shall we?

room 3 is covered in glitter and paper confetti. there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to how it's been scattered.

above the bed in room 4 is a message that's been carved into the wall with something extremely hot, like a brand. it reads "THIS HOUSE LOVES PEOPLE". once the words have been witnessed by at least one person, they will start to bleed... and won't stop. the bed will eventually be stained a deep crimson.

room 5 has several notebooks on the bed. they are arranged in a circle and opened to a specific page. at first, they might be hard to read, because it looks like they were written by someone in very distinct, very stylized handwriting that not everyone will be able to understand... but, should guests recognize the language, they'll find the word 捕食 is written over and over and over again until the pages the books are opened to are filled in harsh red ink. all other pages of the notebooks are empty.

while room 12 itself is untouched, there's something waiting in the hallway in front of it... a message composed entirely of the forks from last week: "WE ARE WATCHING. WE ARE HERE. BULLY PUMPKIN." after the final word is an unused pile of forks.

moving away from the bedrooms, anyone walking by the music room will hear a haunting tune. checking inside reveals a gramophone, playing swan lake, act ii, no. 11 scene allegro vivo. in case no one is cultured enough to recognize it, a tag with the song's name sits on top of the horn.

last but not least... in the kitchen is a loaf of pumpkin bread, with the appropriate aroma to match. lest any guests think this too normal to be considered spooky, the longer they stay in the kitchen, the more apparent it will become that someone is humming happily... though no one else seems to be in the room.

just kidding we had one more thing. there's a candle and plastic knife from the gift bags everyone received upon arrival on top of the ouija board in the museum.

please stop messing with the house. plum is going to kill you all. ]

[survivaltricks]

[thanks for the pumpkin bread he's gonna eat some]

another wednesday thing

[unanswering]

[So on top of the other weird happenings today, there's something new in the main hall of the house! A poster has been placed on the wall, featuring... this image. It looks like some sort of notice? Everything is written in a very neat script.]

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GHOST(?)
ANSWERS TO: POOKIE
ALSO ANSWERS TO BLOOD CIRCLES
(BLOOD CIRCLES NOT RECOMMENDED)
OCCUPATION: THE STAFF'S PET
(HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO MURDER)
LAST SEEN: TUESDAY, THE BLOOD ROOM
IF SPOTTED PLEASE ALERT PEACH/PLUM/PUMPKIN

[so that's fun! wonder who left that there.

he's doing his best to be sneaky in putting it up but the hall's a big area, so!]

[survivaltricks]

[DEAD EYES THE POSTER]







What.

a thursday afternoon thing!! 1/3

[slobjection]

[ phoenix emerges from the newest floor..... grimy, a little scuffled. he's all wright!! except he's got a bloody arrow sticking out of his left arm, he's got a giant bruise... from a hand? across his chin, his right hand is mildly burned, his pointer finger is bent the wrong way... and he seems to be having trouble breathing. ]

[ oh, there are marks around his throat like he was strangled, fun!! most importantly, however; there are two tiny marble-sized spiky creatures just chilling on his beanie. they're having fun. he also has a glowstick in hand. ]

... We're out. Get to Luna, both of you.

[ he's fine. ]

[swordflash]

[Zenitsu jumps into the scene with a heaving gasp. All of him looks damp as though he dove into a pool sometime earlier that day. His clothes have uneven holes interspersed around the chest and shoulders, as well as near the hem of his pants. His right hand also sports a mild burn while one side of his face is similarly red but intact, albeit swollen. That sure is dried blood trailing from his nose! To the back of his head clings another spiky creature, which he's yet to realize has hitched a ride, hiding in his disheveled hair.

He clutches a glow stick of his own so tightly that his hand trembles. At his hip is no longer a single sheath, but two—one white and one black, which is curiously empty. Tears well anew in his eyes as he collapses onto his knee behind Phoenix and crawls forward.]

Are we back? We're back, right? If I have to climb another flight of stairs, I'm seriously gonna die!

A THING...

[cluedin]

FRIDAY MORNING

[On Friday morning at 7am, all will awaken from their sudden sleep. The doors will unlock, and as everyone begins to file out into the hall a crackle of a radio appears overhead as three girls' voices speak in unison.]

"This is a true story. It happened to friends of a friend of mine.

One night, the first awoke from a peaceful sleep as their stomach rumbled for a sweet treat. All of the shops in the village were closed for the evening, yet the craving did not pass. "A midnight snack is all it takes," they hummed to themselves as they slipped out of bed. Slipping on their shoes and their coat, they left to go for a walk.

Passing the shops in the village with the cool night air surrounding them, the delectable scent of sugar and chocolate carried its way through the wind. The scent came from the forest at the edge of the village, and before they gave it a second thought they began to follow it.

As they entered the forest and pass through the trees, the sugary-sweet smell mingled with the scent of something burning in the distance. In the distance they spotted another figure, someone they were familiar with who seemed to be following a trail. "Evidence," they said in greeting before they continued to follow the path. Falling into step side by side, they left their village behind as the scents became stronger than ever.
Exiting the forest and stumbling into a clearing, they came upon a small cottage. Smoke billowed out from the oven inside, and a tray of warm, scrumptious treats lay out on the windowsill to cool. Suspicious though they were, they approached the cottage and pushed their way inside. Both failed to notice the long shadows cast against the back wall, too curious to explore on their own.

Not a moment later, the door closed with a soft click behind them and a haggard figure approached from the shadows. They turned to apologize for the intrusion, searching their expression for any hint of forgiveness. But as they looked, they soon realized something was amiss. The oven door was open...and looked just big enough for two.

Before any words could leave their mouths, two hands reached forward to strike, the glint of a blade sharp in the fire's light.

...and that's the last we ever heard of them. Who were they? Ah. I think their names were...Phoenix Wright and Four.

[The radio falls silent. Should you attempt to contact them on Friday, the girls will not reply...take some time to yourselves today. Perhaps you'll receive answers tomorrow.]

2/2

[cluedin]

[In addition, on Friday evening...

all of the DVDs gifted on Monday will snap in half.]