WEEK FIVE: MINGLE

[cluedin]

WEEK FIVE

OCCUPANCY: 23

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, two images will flicker and change sporadically. While Phoenix's portrait remains the same, on occasion it will change to an unrecognizable figure, flames surrounding the charred flesh. Likewise, Four's portrait looks just like herself, though if you blink you may miss the sharp knives protruding through her chest, rivers of blood dripping down her front. 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.

You know what to expect by now. Once a week, one of your own transforms into someone unrecognizable. But it's hard to empathize with someone without experiencing the hardship for yourself, isn't it? Worry not. Starting today, from the moment you wake, you will find that you yourself have changed into something unrecognizable. Claws, fangs, fur, scales, extra limbs, extra mouths...the changes are numerous as your monster form takes a hold of you. Oh but it's alright! It's just the physical appearance, after all. You're still yourself inside...but it may be hard to believe that as the week goes on.

Some of you may be able to brush these strange changes aside. Others of you may find yourself struggling to understand who you really are. And others of you will find even more problems on hand. Is it your imagination, or did the mansion grow several degrees colder? You just can't quite to seem to warm up. While you may normally be comfortable sharing blankets with your fellow guests, you now find yourself feeling a bit greedy and unwilling to share...well, anything, really. The insatiable greed requires you to take and take and take, no matter if you require the necessities you're taking. And yet even as you take, and especially as you consume, you find that you're never quite satisfied, belly never quite full regardless of how much you eat. That's troubling, isn't it?

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

[swordflash]

[But for whom is this guy being mistaken? Does he have a lookalike somewhere?

He opens his mouth to most likely voice his assent when he catches sight of the supply bag sinking into Nie Huaisang.]

Hey, the bag! Mr. Nie! You're swallowing the bag!

[wakizashis]

[ well they're definitely seeing him and not whoever is mistaken for him ]

I wonder if that would be of any help.

[ but time to put that on hold because oh no, the bag!! he doesn't want to just shove his hand into nhs's goo to retrieve it but- if he has to.............. ]

[unanswering]

What-- no, not again!!

[he does his best to fish it out

but his arms are the same goo so he is not having a lot of success. they're going to have to help, probably.]

[swordflash]

[Even now, it's kind of gross to watch. Zenitsu's first instinct is to back away from the yucky goo, leaving Horikawa to do the dirty(?) job of retrieving the bag.]

If your body keeps sucking everything in, what's gonna happen if you go near the doll?

[Well, that'd solve the problem of identical genetics, wouldn't it?]

Does that mean it's down to just the two of us?

[wakizashis]

[ at least he's got claws to like. tug at a strap and hopefully? retrieve the bag? nhs, your goo :( ]

If it's just cheering him up I think we'll be okay. But if it requires anything else than that.....

[ who wants to just give kaoru a makeover ]

[unanswering]

It's too large for that to happen-! Ah, young master Kunihiro, please be careful...

[grabbing the strap is a good plan, but having something pulled out of him still feels SO weird. there's a gross schlrp as hori retrieves the bag; nhs takes a moment to check himself over, making sure his core's still in place in there.]

Eugh. [disgusting.] I should still be able to help, though, depending on what we may have to do?

[swordflash]

[Ew.

Zenitsu peers at the clipboard. What is a genetic clone?]

If it's a case of mistaken identity, shouldn't we do something to make him look different from his original?

[wakizashis]

[ hm. bad. hori just holds the bag, trying desperately not to make horribly disgusted faces ]

I'm sure we'll find something.

[ though it's not like he knows what a genetic clone is either. all the replicas in the citadel look different from their originals. .............. maybe that's it? ]

Like... perhaps something with his appearance? [ that should be easy enough right? what if they just doodle terrible tattoos onto him ]

[unanswering]

That's actually not a bad idea... maybe reassure him that looking like his own person suits him?

[a haircut maybe? makeup? different clothes...?]

[swordflash]

[Right, appearance. They won't have to cut into the doll!]

What if we just change his hair? What kind of style would a guy like this like?

[wakizashis]

[ TIME TO DIG INTO THE BAG I GUESS. instead of medical supplies, it's just a wholeass beauty kit now ]

It looks like we have tools to work with. Hair supplies...? [ all of them are Too Ancient for this lmsdgh ]

[unanswering]

...a different color, maybe? That's a large change, isn't it?

[he knows how to use dye, thanks for that beau.]

[swordflash]

[What luck! This is going to be easy and painless, unlike the factory exploration.]

I guess that would work. Is there a bottle of dye in that bag?

[wakizashis]

[ pulls out.... a colored hairspray bottle?! ]

I found this?

[ fuckin rip, kaoru ]

But there are other bottles as well........

[unanswering]

That might work well enough.

[he holds out a hand for the hairspray!]

What else is in there?

[swordflash]

[Zenitsu eyes the bottle, then Nie Huaisang's hand, then the bottle again.]

Mr. Nie, are you gonna be okay with the bottle? It's not gonna get caught in you?

[wakizashis]

[ there's hair chalk and overtone-esque jars and straight up bleach packets and those little butterfly clips from the 90's? hm! ]

I think we certainly have plenty of options to try if that doesn't work.

[unanswering]

Oh... you have a point.

[he stares at his goopy hands...]

Are there gloves?

[swordflash]

[He curls black claws around the chalk and inspects it. Whoa. Feels weird.

And if there are gloves, Nie Huaisang will have to put them on himself unless he wants them shredded.]

[wakizashis]

[ there are black nitrile gloves! it's probably the best to control the drip ]

Is there anything particular we should go for? [ should they just go full kindergardener coloring outside the lines? pick a set color to stick to? RAINBOW GLITTER? speak now as hori peers curiously in the bag for other useful things ]

[unanswering]

I think dark blue is nice. Let's try that.

[he says that a little absently, busy trying to squish his hands into the gloves.

it takes effort, but he manages, finally able to hold that spray!]

[swordflash]

[Won't that stand out too much? Is blue hair normal from where Nie Huaisang and this patient come?

Whatever, the point is to make the guy look different. Zenitsu plays with the chalk in his grasp.]

How does this work? Do I just rub it on his hair?

[wakizashis]

[ inosuke tho?? anyways, blue hair is legit the norm for Hori so he's just nodding in agreement. ]

Mm! I believe so.

[ seems easy enough! hori snaps on his own gloves despite the fact he's put the jar down to watch the other two start. he's gotchu if you need help....! ]

[unanswering]

[it's absolutely not normal, nie huaisang has just been introduced to modern beauty supplies since he got here and he thinks blue is nice. it's different! it's also not his own head, so it's fine to do whatever.]

Try using that on one side, and I'll start over here-?

[swordflash]

[Who is Inosuke.

Fortunately, this chalk is blue! A lighter shade of blue, but blue nonetheless. Nodding, he walks over to the other side of the bed and looks at their patient's head.]

Hey . . . What's gonna happen if I accidentally scratch him? My claws aren't exactly short.