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

[allfornone]

[The worst part is that Subete will probably legitimately have a moment of Did I actually curse this dinner because that's the sort of day/week/month/life he's having. RIP just wreck him already.]

Eh? Oh, um, nothing that bad, really.

I can see perfectly clearly, it just... doesn't stick? Landmarks, and places, and where the staircases are and all of the signs and -- that's what it feels like, anyway? It's hard to describe.

[Which is probably why he's being so haphazard about everything. He is not actually a superhuman who can get around and also kung fu fight with his eyes closed??]

[kazokun]

[ He would have believed it. But... being directionally challenged isn't quite as terrible as being full on blind, so maybe they can work with this. ]

Would having a map help any? Or somebody to guide you?

[ Honestly, people should just partner up and cover their bases. It's week zero and already the buddy system sounds like a viable idea. ]

[allfornone]

I could try a map, but I don't know what would happen if it turns out I just can't read maps anymore, either.

[Semi-serious, semi-not, because what kind of absurd life is just suddenly not being able to read a very specific subset of things. Would he be able to read a map? No, because this entire sensory loss situation is a shitpost. It's a minor unease but ah, well.]

But I think having somebody to guide around the people who suddenly can't see or other more serious things would probably be more important. I think I can make do, it'll just take longer to get anything done. I've started carrying snacks, too... just in case.

[So at least he will not somehow starve if he can't find the kitchen or the dining room for a week. He is definitely joking, though. Probably.]

[kazokun]

[ There's Hunter unable to tell time, so not being able to read maps is plausible... At least Subete is being proactive in finding his own ways to make do. ]

Ideally, people will just stay in their rooms until this passes. It must be shock or something.

[ It'll wear off and people will come back to their senses and things will make sense again. It's always easier to believe that, than the doomsday scenario. ]

I hope you're not too stubborn to ask for help you needed, though. There are others here who would rather cling to the walls than ask for help.

[allfornone]

[Wow, how is it possible that they're all somehow even more of a mess than last week. Somebody tempted fate and it definitely wasn't just Subete. But at least he's the adaptable sort, it seems. There's just a sheepish nod.]

It's safer to stay in your room in general, that's practical, but given the personalities here I'm guessing that's going to be easier said than done. And, um. I don't think I've seen my room in a while... [RIP] I was going to check on my roommate earlier, because I'm pretty sure I heard him screaming, but then I ended up somewhere else...

[Double RIP. Is he ever going to see his own room again, the jury is out. He's with Ayabe on this one, though -- this absurd state of affairs has to be an episodic wacky manga chapter or something.]

Aha, I've seen people fall over things and run into things and we're all going to need all the help we can get. I'm not too proud to ask for directions, I promise.

[The real problem is actually just finding people who give directions. And then following directions........ may be a crapshoot. But he's trying.]

[kazokun]

[ Ayabe is also screaming inside wondering who the hell Subete's roommate is and what happened. His notebook is going to be filled with people's profiles and room assignments and no actual investigation, because this is about as much as he can keep up with. ]

I'll find you and bring you to the dining area during mealtimes. I'll return you to your room at 8PM, and come get you at 6AM for breakfast. You should be fine overnight as long as you stay in your room and your roommate is there to look after you, right?

[ We're going to bypass directions entirely and go straight for leading Subete around by the wrist. ]

[allfornone]

[Don't worry, Subete certainly isn't getting much done with his investigating, either -- for all that his pen and notebook seem to be some of the only things he isn't misplacing or otherwise accidentally moving all around the mansion like a particular terrible scavenger hunt. That might have something to do with the fact that he's basically clutching them for dear life all the time.....

The state of Nie Huaisang remains a mystery, though.]

Huh? Hey... there's no way I could ask you to do all of that just for getting a little turned around in the same house. It's not like I could get lost forever-- [probably] --so you really don't need to go to that much effort, Ayabe-san. Besides, I'm sure you have your own roommates to be looking after.

[...]

But since you're here, I... wouldn't mind a little help getting to the dining room? I gave up after a few tries.

[kazokun]

My roommates don't have the same trouble getting around like you do.

[ Ken, at least, has broken taste buds now so Ayabe looking after him would be making sure he's still eating despite not being able to taste anything. That can be accomplished by bringing him food instead of dragging him to meals- Ken would resent that anyways. Dazai needs to toplevel so I know what's going on with him but presumably!!! he's still okay feeding himself too. ]

I'll be eating too, so it's just a minute or two out of the day to find you and walk together. I wouldn't mind it.

[ He tilts his head towards the dining room and starts off that way, looking over at Subete to see how bad it really is, if he can follow Ayabe alright and follow-the-leader is still intact as long as he doesn't have to decide which way to go himself, or if he's a lost cause and immediately walks into a wall or something. ]

[allfornone]

When you put it like that, it's kind of embarrassing to have something so silly sound like such a big deal...

[But it's not really a protest, per se; it's not like he's not used to being escorted places, just not for such ridiculous reasons. Sometimes you really have to balk at this being the state of your life; it does make him kind of think that he might want to check in more seriously on his own roommate, though. Who knows what that guy's gotten up to by now...

He's quiet for a moment of self-reflection.]

But you're... really pretty good at looking out for people, huh? That's the student council and dorm management for you... [he says it lightly and halfway to himself; he's following right after his companion and seems to be focusing very hard on staying on his tail, so this might just work] It's funny, you know, I haven't taken a meal with anybody in a while. This really isn't where I thought I'd start.

[kazokun]

[ Please save Nie Huaisang, Ayabe doesn't really know how to help him but he's trying his best. The remark about the student council and being dorm manager has him smile somewhat wryly, though, because he hadn't joined either on his own volition. ]

I was brought onto the student council against my will, and I'm only the dorm manager because it's the student council member's responsibility. It has nothing to do with looking out for people.

[ HE SAYS AND THINKS SO ANYWAYS but in reality he was made dorm manager because of his predilection to looking out for people, yeah. ]

Meals aren't provided in the dorms, so I'm used to eating alone as well. More recently I ate with- [ ... ??? what does he even call her. not a friend, but. something. ] Someone. It's not a bad experience.

[ Eating meals together can be new and exciting to both of them. ]

[allfornone]

[Ayabe is trying his best all around and therefore no one can criticize him!!! Subete can totally let some amusement show up in his smile back, though, because it's just kind of funny, all the same.]

Haha. Then perhaps I should say the student council has a good eye?

[He pauses and ruffles a hand through his hair. It's hard to read his expression, but it's still some shade of amused for all that.]

... My ex-partner and I used to eat at the cafeteria where I lived. [yeah, there was a whole-ass cafeteria just to supply the place] I guess she wasn't the type that liked eating with people, though. But I'm okay with meeting up for mealtimes if you are.

[Truly the strange new life of having someone to sit with in the cafeteria!!!]

[kazokun]

[ Subete gets a dead stare for a moment, because the student council has been the bane of Ayabe's existence for the past year and he almost got out of it but fell short, but the idea of eating together with somebody... Subete isn't the most annoying person in the world, and is leaps and bounds preferable to a lot of other people in this place, so Ayabe finds himself smiling at that. ]

Yeah. Let's eat together.

[allfornone]

[His grin just gets lighter and more guileless the deader Ayabe's stare gets, so too bad.

And it looks like they're going to make it safely to the dining room, so rejoice, the place is probably getting some of its cutlery back for once! Amazing. Not that it won't lose even more things later on because this week is Subete disaster week but anyway.]