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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Comments

[kazokun]

[ I'm not the one murdering? It's Ayabe.

Also, yeah. He won't be voted for and he'll be able to walk away unless somebody decides to kill him the next week along with the monster, he knows this.

He looks over at Beau, because who doesn't she care about? [redacted] or [redacted] are on his mind for victims, but Beau probably cares about... maybe one of them. It's hard to tell. He wishes Stefano were still around. ]

...how else can I make sure she's safe?

[disreguarded]

[ trick question she cares about everybody in this mansion so he can't kill anybody that's the rules. but she does drop her hand down, resting it on the floor. still reaching. ]

The same way as before. You just had to trust she was okay somewhere.

I know that's a shitty answer. [ sigh. a beat. ] You could kill me, if you wanted. I won't fight you.

[kazokun]

[ Ayabe pulls a face because stop!! Beau is the fifth person to offer!!! Why do people think he would rather kill somebody he likes than gut somebody he doesn't????? ]

You're the last person I want to kill, Beau, don't be stupid. I don't- I don't want to kill anybody, but I can't... trust that easily either. What is there to trust in? I can't believe in anything anymore.

[disreguarded]

[ because this house is full of garbage hypocrites that's why WE HAVE TOO MANY SHOUNENS ]

You could trust me. I've never lied to you about anything that matters. [ she sighs. ] I'd just rather you kill me than someone innocent. That's all.

[kazokun]

[ This house is full of idiots. ]

...I want to trust you, [ he mumbles, even though she just said "anything that matters" ]

It's not as if you're the only person where who isn't innocent... Who's going to protect the innocent if you're gone, Beau?

[disreguarded]

Plenty of people. You. Phoenix. Luna, Nic, Akira, Hunter.

[kazokun]

Wouldn't I have lost my right to be on that list?

[disreguarded]

Not if you kill me. Maybe if you killed someone else.

[kazokun]

Nobody else is going to think that, if it's you.

[ hello?? who would want a Beau-murderer to protect them? ]

[disreguarded]

[ shrug. ] You don't really care, do you? What other people think.

[kazokun]

[ He breathes out, and goes back to lowering his head onto his knees, but with his temple resting on top so he can sort of stare at Beau's feet. ]

...I don't know. People's opinions of me, I don't think about that sort of thing.

[ In a way, there's certain things he's not altogether considerate about. He's just him, doing his best for the people he cares about most. Awareness is 0 for this guy here. ]

[disreguarded]

That's the impression I got, yeah. [ she's barefoot! her ankle's still bandaged. and her arm is still stretched out on the floor. ]

Do you care what I think about you? [ she's mostly just curious. ]

[kazokun]

[ Beau, please take your arm back, that sounds uncomfortable... ]

Mm... I care if you'd still think of me as a friend. But things like whether I'm rude, or boring, no.

[ He knows he's these things, so it doesn't really matter that people think it. ]

[disreguarded]

You're always gonna be my friend. [ she glances at him. ] And you are rude, but that's fine. I am too. It's why I like you so much.

[kazokun]

[ He said it himself, but he still looks somewhat shocked that Beau agrees that he's rude lmao ]

You shouldn't like people because they're rude... Find better reasons.

[disreguarded]

[ look this is what happens when you insult her cooking ayabe idk what you expected ]

I did find better reasons. You also care about people, you're funny. You listen. You're fucking stubborn. There's more to you than just being rude.

[kazokun]

[ Is he funny?? He doesn't think so, just like he thinks caring about people is normal, listening is something everybody does, and his stubbornness is slightly neurotic and ties into his rudeness. So really, he's just rude.

But he sighs and finally unravels himself from his seat on the floor, because fishing for compliments wasn't what he wanted to do. His knees are screaming but he walks over to Beau and finally holds out that hand he denied her for so long. ]

Let's eat somewhere else.

[disreguarded]

[ oh!! she wasn't expecting him to get up at all, which is why she looks surprised at first, and then - she smiles, a wobbly thing. she reaches up to take his hand, and holds it tightly. ]

Okay. Yeah. Let's go.

[kazokun]

[ I am incapable of writing mopey tags for over a day, this is killing me inside, and so we're moving on. Get this out of this awkward situation where even though the food isn't touching the ground Ayabe is still ehhh about it being so close to the blood.

But he takes her hand and hates the fact that there's so many stairs to go back down to the dining room, actually. ]

I can't believe you walked back all the way up here...

[ Four flights of stairs. ]

[disreguarded]

[ that is an absolute mood. beau follows him along, and she's not going to let go of him so he'd better be prepared for that. ]

I had to bring you food. [ she says, stubbornly. ] If you find any teleportation circles, let me know, and I'll use those instead.

[ she is DEDICATED ]

[kazokun]

[ How's he supposed to stab anybody if Beau has his hand trapped like this? ]

You mean elevators? I hope one of those locked doors is one.

[disreguarded]

[ what a good question, guess he'll just have to pass ]

No, I mean teleportation circles. What's an elevator?

[kazokun]

[ How to prevent murders this week: hold people's hands ]

Something like... a teleportation box? But slower.

[disreguarded]

[ friendship is magic, we've solved the murder mansion, everybody go home ]

Oh. Sounds - not fun. A box? Like - you get in the box, and it moves you somewhere?

[kazokun]

Yeah. Sometimes it plays music, too. That doesn't sound fun?

[ It's just like the circle, but slower. Sometimes it fails and you're stuck for four hours. Or the cables break and you plummet and die. He's sure those magic circles aren't 100% safe either. ]