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

[getdrekt]

[There's a long pause, his frowning lips pursing.





Finally, finally, he mutters, almost under his breath:] What is it.

[kazokun]

[ Ayabe has to struggle not to pull a face Asch can't even see, because he threw food he didn't even know what it is— what if it had been more liquid? What if it were a bag of cockroaches Mammon's stashed inside?? ]

It's tofu. Can you not see? I can find what you need.

[getdrekt]

[Asch pulls a face Ayabe can see, a bad-tempered frown of irritation. He regrets throwing and squishing the tofu, too, but desperate times.............]

I'm fine. [He's not!] I know where everything else is. [He doesn't!!!]

[kazokun]

...Can you pass me the ground beef and green onion?

[ Since you know where everything is and are right there by the fridge. ]

[getdrekt]

Sure. [FUCK

He reaches into the fridge, moving his body to block Ayabe's view slightly (or, at least, wherever Ayabe's voice came from.......), and sets to work.

After a moment, he pops back up.

Green onion: O
Ground beef: X

That's definitely ground pork. There's a slight finger poke indentation on the far corner of it.]

Here.

[kazokun]

[ Pork is... well, it's not beef. It's ground meat and he'll give Asch a B+ for the effort and use it anyways. He has to, because somebody poked a hole in the meat and now he can't put it back. ]

Thanks.

[ Good news: that's all Ayabe asks for and he's leaving Asch alone now
Bad news: Asch can hear the stove click and light, and Ayabe rummaging through the cabinets. He is not leaving. He is going to stay right here and see every other stupid thing Asch plans to do in front of the fridge. ]

[getdrekt]

[Asch nods once, curtly.] Hmm.

[YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! TAKE THAT BLINDNESS!!!

But

Ayabe's not leaving???



UGHHHHHHHHHHH

Tofu. Okay. Tofu. The tofu was still around. He could make miso soup. Okay. Okay.

Miso.

And he's back in the fridge, as casually as you please, trying to sniff out miso without looking like a complete fool.]

[kazokun]

[ He's going to have to make miso soup, because in all of his rummaging through the fridge, Ayabe had taken his tofu haha... It's going to be the simplest mapo tofu recipe and he keeps looking over his shoulder at Asch to be nosy about what he's doing, and at the same time, the smell from Ayabe's cooking is going to make it much more difficult for Asch to sniff out anything. ]

[getdrekt]

[Yeah that's

not helping!

He's trying to sniff a jar of mayonnaise when the frying pork really hits, and gives up. GOD!!! Fine. Fine. He can wait!!! Nothing but time over here!!!!!!!! And even he's not such a complete jackass as to tell someone to stop cooking.

So here's Asch, leaning against the wall. You know, like a cool guy. Looking off into space. Not a care in the world!!!




doo doo doo]

[kazokun]

[ At least this is a quick and easy meal that isn't like a several hour roast, so eventually the stove gets turned off and every few minutes Ayabe's been looking over at Asch and he's still here and it's been weird.

There's the sound of something being plated, and then the smell of mapo tofu on rice close enough that he can feel the steam on his face. ]

Here, eat this.

[getdrekt]

[Oh!!!!!! his fucking tofu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

he's so mad about it. really mad.



also, really hungry.

he's still leaning against the wall, despite all these raging emotions. after a brief internal battle, he finally manages:]

What is it.

[kazokun]

[ By now he can probably assume that names aren't going to get him anywhere, but hopefully- fingers crossed- he can get by with listing off the ingredients and some or most of them will be familiar to Asch. ]

Ground pork and tofu cooked in chicken stock and soy sauce, seasoned with ginger, garlic, peppercorn, sesame oil, and green onion, with steamed rice on the side. I didn't make it too spicy, but if you can't handle spices well, have it with a glass of milk.

[getdrekt]

[Alas, the mabo curry recipe doesn't show up until Tales of Vesperia, so this scrub doesn't know mabo tofu when he hears it.

Instead, he just nods. Hunger is slowly winning over stubbornness, and Ayabe isn't even being a jagoff about it, so



have you ever watched a wild or feral animal very cautiously approach a dish of food left out for it]

[kazokun]

[ Somebody invent mabo curry in Asch's world, chop chop

Ayabe's family operates on a "if you're too slow, you don't get to eat" basis with so many hungry kids, but he's already portioned out part of the meal to Asch so he can take his sweet time poking and prodding and sniffing it until he's sure it's edible. Ayabe serves up a smaller portion for himself and leans against the counter watching Asch while he eats.

Cooking is one of the things he has full confidence of. It smells not poisoned. Even Ayabe is eating it. ]

[getdrekt]

[Asch takes his sweet time coming over, while simultaneously trying to make it look super casual. He's pretty well aware the jig is up (that was pork........) but:

1) Ayabe hasn't said anything about it.

2) Ayabe is giving him food.

Without a word, he sidles up to the dish, takes a moment of gentle touching the counter to find the spoon, and with one hand on the dish itself (to make sure he's aware of where it is), scoops a spoonful up to sniff—and eat.]

Hmm.

[wow high praise]

[kazokun]

[ HMM. Is that a good hmm or a bad hmm, it's hard to tell with hmms. Ayabe's just going to have to tell by how much Asch actually eats, finishing up his serving and digging around the cupboards for another container to put the leftovers in. ]

I'm leaving a container of the leftovers on the counter. It's too hot to put into the fridge yet, so if you're going to stick around, do me a favor and put that in the fridge once it cools a bit.

[ Or take it and sneak it off to your room to eat, he doesn't care as long as Asch isn't standing in front of an open fridge for half an hour at a time, that's how food spoils. ]

[getdrekt]

[It is a well-practised and flat HMM that gives nothing away, positive or negative. Conceal don't feel!!!

Asch IS eating, though. And at a steady pace—measured, polite mouthfuls. Even though it's pretty clear at this point he's as blind as a bat, he's doing an admirable job of clearing his plate, leaving nothing behind. To get it any cleaner than that, he'd have to lick it.

He looks up when Ayabe moves, however, and clearly tracks his movement with sound alone. At the request, he nods, once.]

Understood.

[Yeah he's gonna eat it.]

[kazokun]

[ HMM

Well, good. Ayabe's satisfied knowing that much, so-

god, I hate that Ayabe wouldn't just walk away and leave the dishes to Asch, ANY OTHER CHARACTER I PLAY WOULD GO "LOL THANKS BYE" AND MAKE HIM DO THE DISHES but no... the fact that I have to sit here and actively consider what the polite thing to do is is terrible.

Ayabe's going to do the dishes and he'll do Asch's too if he hands him the plate and only then will he leave. ]

[getdrekt]

[Wow Ayabe is actually a really cool dude.

In recognition of that, at the sound of the tap running, he actually does get up, and walk over to where Ayabe's starting to wash the pots, pans, and dishes.]

I'll do it.

[BOLD OF YOU TO OFFER, BLIND DUDE??????]

[kazokun]

[ It's nice of Asch to offer but yeah, Ayabe can't hand over the dishes with a clean conscious knowing— and he knows it'll happen— that he'll come back five minutes later to a broken plate on the ground and Asch's fingers sliced open. ]

I got it. My hands are already wet, so I might as well finish this. Can you check on the leftovers?

[ It hasn't been that long at all and is still hot, but it's something to do without kicking Asch out altogether. ]

[getdrekt]

[IT'S BEEN LIKE FIVE MINUTES!!!]

They're fine.

Let me dry.

[kazokun]

...Alright. Towel's hanging on your right on the oven door.

[ Can a blind man dry dishes? He can do his best, and at least Ayabe will be there to catch any falling plates and maybe slice open his own fingers in the process, but the chances are much less if he's there. ]

[getdrekt]

[Off he goes!!

Hands are just slightly extended in front of him and he knows where the oven is, so, no shenanigans here!!!

All things considered, he's there and back again with the towel with little to no trouble—and already picking up (after some touchy-feely on the rack) a washed plate deftly. There. See. He can work for his foods.]

[kazokun]

[ That's great, Asch. Color Ayabe surprised. The next hurdle is: does he know where to put the plate after it's been dried? ]

[getdrekt]

[He's just.

Placing it on the counter beside the dishrack.

We'll do the put-back thing maybe. after.]