bluesclues | WEEK FOUR: MINGLE

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fine. How would you like to die?

[ This makes it easy for everybody involved. ]

Doesn't matter to me, because I know I won't be dying.

[Pointing at him.]

Because I know you're a good person, Ayabe! I trust you!

[ Ayabe laughs- or scoffs- a combination of the two that holds no mirth whatsoever even when he puts a smile on his face. It's not a nice smile. ]

You trust me? You're a fool, Galo. Good person or not, if I'm forced to choose between people I've known for a month, and my family who is precious to me, there should be no question which I would pick.

I know you'd never choose me over your family. But I know you won't choose becoming a murderer!

[He's continuing to stare him down! Ayabe's evil expressions aren't intimidating him!]

Who chooses to become a murderer? Is it choice when your hand is forced? Either way, somebody has to die...

[ That's what it feels like. Walking a tightrope where on one hand he murders somebody to save his sister, and on other hand, he does nothing and loses his sister. The rope is endless. As long as he stands still, he's going to topple over to one side or the other eventually. ]

You have a choice. So figure it out. And if you choose to kill somebody, kill me.

[He does actually seem to be. Serious.]

But in the meantime, I'm going to be trying to find another way to save them!

[ RIP Galo unless somebody manages to get Ayabe to simmer down before murder proposals are due tomorrow ]

You're all talk. What will you do differently than all these other weeks? How will you be able to find a way to save anybody when nothing makes sense and we don't know what's going on?

[I'll finally be free. But he frowns at what Ayabe says - he does get it.]

I know. I know we haven't figured it out yet. But that doesn't mean we can give up and play by their rules!

This isn't me giving up.

[ But it is him following the rules. So what? All he has to do is take one more life, and he can walk away from all of this forever. Never look back. He won't ever be persecuted, when this place and its crimes are in a world hidden away from everybody else. ]

I know you think you're fighting for your sister, but - [His expression falters a little.]

If you do this, you're gonna get killed, too. You made me promise not to be reckless and throw my life away, but that's exactly what you're going to do if you go through with something like this.

I won't die.

[ But he does look away. ]

Between a monster and a person who wants to escape, who would you vote for? When the week is over, I'll be gone, Galo.

[ There will be no next week. If they vote for him, they'll have two monsters next week to cause even more deaths; if they don't, he's walking away. If they choose to kill him regardless, he will fight for his life and his freedom. ]

. . . I'd vote for the monster.

[But in this scenario, he'd be dead, so who knows what everyone else will do in his absence.]

So that's really your plan, to walk away like that?

[ Yea, the dead don't get to vote. ]

...I can't stay here any longer.

[ He can't... Not after a week like last week. The weekend. This morning. He can't be here anymore. He has nightmares. He cries himself hoarse. People tell him that this would be giving up and maybe he wants to. ]

. . .

[There's a long pause, and then, a lot more seriously.]

I'm sorry, Ayabe. You shouldn't have been left to do that on your own.

[ He shakes his head, because. Well, to be entirely honest, he isn't sure what "that" is that Galo's referring to. But he shakes his head because he can feel his shoulders shake, and he sets them back to make them stop. ]

It's better if I were alone. All of this... it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm tired... Even if it's for myself, I'm going to put an end to it.

[Ayabe is just a traumatized kid right now; Galo can't feel that angry at him for this, only regretful.]

I miss the Ayabe who cared about everybody here a whole lot. I think you're making a mistake, thinking this way. It's not going to feel better. It's only going to hurt worse.

[ He opens his mouth to say something about that Ayabe, the one who cared, who wanted to gather people close to him while pretending he didn't, who fussed and yelled and tried to make sure everything was alright, that everybody will be alright, that nobody would be hurt or alone to the best of his ability.

He wanted to be a good onii-chan to the people here. But he can't be that anymore. It does no good.

He shakes his head again, and takes a step back. ]

I'm going to lose people no matter what. At the very least... I want to hang onto what I have. My siblings... they're all I have to live for.

Okay.

[He nods at that. He doesn't think he can argue Ayabe out of that mindset. He's learned a little something about that since he's been here.]

Then I'll just have to find you a different way to protect them.

I hope you can.

[ Or you're dead, Galo Thymos. Or [redacted] or [redacted] or [redacted] are, depending on how things go (': ]

WEEK FOUR: MINGLE

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