WEEK ZERO: MINGLE

[cluedin]

WEEK ZERO

OCCUPANCY: 36

For those of you counting along, you'll find that it's been three days since you've arrived at Master Blue's mansion. On this lovely Monday morning, the weak winter sun shines in through the spotless windows. The curtains in the ballroom have been drawn closed and cannot be moved away from the back wall during the daylight hours. The scent of a hot and delicious breakfast wafts from the direction of the dining hall at 7am, and small creaks and groans in the house urge you to awaken.

Perhaps you're a late riser though. No matter! There's still plenty of food you can make for yourself and ways for you to amuse yourself. Though the decor's been taken down, leftover Valentine's candy remains abundant, and a chilly breeze drifts through the halls. Best of all, all damage inflicted on the house has been repaired. In addition, a new placard has been mounted in the entryway.

As you carry on with your day in the mansion and explore the rooms provided, you may come to find that starting today it will appear as though you've all lost the use of one of your senses. Your vision may have grown dim, or maybe you really can't smell the enticing treats in the dining hall after all. How unfortunate.

Then again, something doesn't seem quite right. Walking through the halls, nothing seems terribly out of place. However, turning the corner or entering a room you will find someone who looks a little too much like yourself behaving in a fairly inappropriate manner. You would never read something so lewd. Who would ever think that you would wear something so pink? These mannerisms may seem innocent to others, but you can't help but disapprove.

Too bad no one else can see them.

Come Monday at noon, you will also find a new surprise. The wooden box with your name on it can now be opened, and a rustling crackle of static can be heard from overhead. Try as you might, you won't be able to find the speakers but this message will play loud and clear for all.

---

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Comments

[hamaoned]

[ honestly?? ]

What do you think?

[ may...maybe..... for science???? ]

What if they mixed up our taste buds?

[ is ink food if it tastes like food? ]

[survivaltricks]

[. . . KEN. . .]

If they mixed up our taste buds, then wouldn't food taste like something else instead of being completely bland?

[no ken ink is not food]

[hamaoned]

Oh, yeah.

[ hmmm.... ]

Paper's pretty bland.

[ does this mean he's going to put paper into his mouth??? i. he might be considering it. ]

[survivaltricks]

[. . .]

. . . when did you last eat paper?

[he may have a mild concern, here]

[hamaoned]

I haven't eaten any.

[ it was not ken who trashed the library!! ]

...but if they mixed it up maybe everything tastes like paper.

[survivaltricks]

[okay good]

I--

[. . .]

[WELL, OKAY]

If you bring me some paper, I could try it to see if your taste buds mixup theory is right.

[TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM]

[hamaoned]

Okay.

[ akira continuing the trend of persona protags putting questionable things into their mouths, but we both know who is the champion of that. he'll leave for a moment and come back with a piece of paper he totally nicked from a bag of flour. ]

Do you think this would work?

[ the bag of flour is still okay. ]

[survivaltricks]

[yeah akira has nothing on souji. SOUJI ABSOLUTELY BEATS HIM IN THIS RESPECT]

I guess so.

[he plucks the paper from Ken's fingers and just. shoves it into his fucking mouth]

[. . .]

[and he chews]

[. . .]

Tastes like nothing.

[just like the coffee did]

[hamaoned]

[ ...

ken's face goes through a few emotions before he replies: surprise, confusion, frustration, and a mixture of confusion and frustration which is basically him pouting. ]

Is that a good thing? [ ... ] That's not a good thing, isn't it...

[survivaltricks]

[poor ken. . . poor justice friend. . .]

I'd venture to say that it isn't.

Hypothesis mixed up tastebuds: officially debunked.

[hamaoned]

[ at least they didn't eat dirt.

bless their stomachs for that. ]

Then that means we're just back to where we started.

[ sighhh ]

I guess it could be worse. Everything could taste like something different.

[ different being, well, different. ]

[survivaltricks]

[THANK GOD THEY DIDN'T EAT DIRT OR INK PENS]

Like coffee tasting like mud?

[yeah. that would be worse. he would refuse to let anything ruin the taste of coffee for him]

[hamaoned]

[ IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT…but ken gives a solemn nod. ]

Or if milk tasted like glue…

[ not that ken knows what glue tastes like. he was not one of those kids who ate glue!! okay, maybe just the one time. ]

Since you stole the coffee machine, you must really like coffee, huh?

[survivaltricks]

[look Akira can't judge even if the Great Glue Incident was some ten years ago or so]

[also Akira pauses, but then looks a bit sheepish]

I lived in a cafe for about a year. The smell is-- comforting.

[hamaoned]

[ all children have eaten glue at one point in their lives and anyone who says otherwise is lying. ]

A cafe?

[ a slight frown. ]

Did you sleep in one of the chairs? That doesn't sound comfortable.

[ he might want to elaborate that it was in a room above the cafe because ken may or may not be imagining akira as a bum sleeping in the booth chairs... ]

[survivaltricks]

[omg. an amused snort]

I lived in the attic above the cafe. I had an entire bedroom to myself; don't worry.

[the attic sucked at first but he got used to-- no, extremely fond of-- same within a short period of time]

[hamaoned]

[ thank you for this clarity. ]

Oh. [ he's also visibly relieved to learn that akira is NOT living in a cafe like a bum. enthralled. ] That sounds pretty cool! I've seen that stuff on TV and I've wondered what it would be like.

[ but the real question: ]

Why were you staying at a cafe, though?

[survivaltricks]

[. . . A PAUSE. . .]

Thaaaat's a long story.

[does he even have time to tell it all? . . . does he even want to? he isn't exactly thrilled about "professional thief" being on his profile. . . does he want to tell people he is a formerly convicted, recently exonerated criminal?]

[hamaoned]

[ i came back to this thread just for this...

if akira wants to blab then he's free to or he can continue to play the mysterious card. either way, ken will still think he's cool. smh... ]

I have time if you have time. [ a beat because, well, he's curious. ] And I like long stories.

[survivaltricks]

[well. . .]

[Ken seems like a good kid!! but now might be a bit too early for Akira to feel comfortable spilling his secrets. so Akira flashes his fellow Persona user an apologetic smile]

Then ask me again when we have time for one, okay? I promise I'll tell you then.

[WITHOUT BEING A MYSTERIOUS JERK]