WEEK 1

[whimsicalism]

Well! That was some tea party, huh? You've finally seen the faces (or perhaps the singular is more proper here?) of your captors. A pair of creepy twins seem to fit the overall theme of the Castle at least. Why not have Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum, after all?

Regardless, it doesn't seem that they're changing their minds any time soon. The first floor of the Castle is still open up to you. The Audience Hall is still locked most of the time so perhaps you can meet the Alices there if you need to. There are plenty of things to occupy your time before the inevitable slow erosion of your memories. If this is a game, who will make the first move? You or the twins?

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

((OOC: Welcome to peace week! There will be no case this week so just have fun and explore. If you want to investigate please put Investigation in your top level. Don't forget to put threads in for regains or go to the Audience Hall to meet the Alices.

Also, if you want to keep up to date on things we now have a discord server!))

Comments

[battlestations]

"I couldn't really tell, but I think it was... Dad!" Got you, Catarina Claes!

[Nigel is clearly speaking in a catching-the-bad-guy-voice as he swiftly identifies this handwriting. Little wonder since it's one of the ones he had a bigger sample of!]

I should ask Mizuki if there's any writing in Kirika's room... once I'm done here.

[Also Dark Dream but he was in here reading romance novels when she showed up. Is it time to move on to farming implements?]

[whimsicalism]

[Aw man, you've caught her! Or maybe you have. It's hard to tell.

As for the farming implement it looks used and vaguely dirty. At least, it was cleaned at least a little before being leaned against the wall.

Also, he hasn't seen Kirika's portrait but someone's portrait in the gallery did mention a 'Kirika', maybe they might know something?]

[battlestations]

[That is clearly a last resort nah, he'll probably try it

Well then, unless something is amiss with the farmland scenery, he'll have investigated everything in this room?

Other than being unnecessarily thorough in checking under the bed/inside the mattress/in drawers/you can ignore this completely if there's nothing else to be found and assume he's moved on to finish checking out her bathroom]

[whimsicalism]

[Everything is clear in here. While you can find the dirty boots in the tub that Mizuki found, everything seems clear. You have successfully looted a dead teenager's room!]

[battlestations]

[Yes, well. While we're looting, he'll just take the next one of the novels then. As handwriting evidence for his meeting, of course. No other reason!!]

[xxxx_me]

[Stepping out of his room and- uhhh did he just walk out of one of the locked rooms?]

You're Nigel... right?

[battlestations]

[He sure did. Still wearing farmer getup too, but he looks solemn despite the goofy outfit. What's up with any of this, seriously?]

Allen? [he answers in return.] Yes, though you can also call me Numbuh One.

[they're both on his profile!]

In any case, I think I'm about done here.

[scratchitti]

Done with wha- wait, you got into the rooms?

[guess who is following behind Allen?]

[xxxx_me]

[Numbuh One... Uh, maybe he'll just stick with Nigel.]

How did you do it?

[Did the doors open up because of Neku's puzzle solving after all?]

[battlestations]

Oh. I didn't realize he was with you.

[The cranky teen... that called him old for being bald... lame. But hey, that's fine, he can show him up or something.]

But yes, I did some digging and found out how to open the doors. It's just a matter of finding the right disguise.

[He was probably not going to tell anyone else about wearing the clothes since his turned out to belong to a dead girl, but... they do need to open the doors still, might as well convince a teenager to do it. Too bad he doesn't have any more outfits though.]

[scratchitti]

Yeah I'm with him, Gramps. So what. And what, it opened because you're a farmer now?

[xxxx_me]

[...Looking between the two of them like??? Why the fighting, did he miss a memo here?]

We did find some clothes in a bag.

[battlestations]

Please, if I'm a gramps then that makes you a withered old skeleton! Obviously, I wore the clothes of this room's occupant.

[He looks back to Allen.]

Oh? Then do you know whose they are? The names are on the doors... [up thread, I'm lazy.]

[scratchitti]

[he rolls his eyes at the skeleton comment, and keeps talking even though he aimed it at Allen]

The threads and bag are probably some girl named Lillie and this I think is Catarina.

[he holds out the bent earring]

I was messing with the tree clock and... I think we heard something that happened in the past. That sound about right to you, Allen?

[xxxx_me]

[He nods.]

I think moving the clock hands moved the actual time somehow. [Dream logic! It happens.] I was outside in the garden, and suddenly the sky changed and it was night. We heard voices and followed them, and I even saw footprints and grass moving like it was all happening right in front of me. Except... no one was actually there.

[Which is... also dream logic, honestly.]

[battlestations]

[Nigel has a bit of a nervous look when he's talking about Lillie but the rest of this is so strange it only gets worse and therefore you can't blame him really.]

So you... heard the fall, did you...

[That changes things a bit. He doesn't really want to lie to Allen's face about something he already kind of knows about.]

Ugh. Catarina's room is the one I was just in. According to her portrait, Lillie was blamed for her fall. What you discover in her room may not be pretty. We need all of the information we can get, though. You should find someone willing to wear her clothes.

[nobody told him about the BRV stat]

[scratchitti]

[Ironically, Neku has a similar look of 'let's not say it out loud' anxiousness.]

Wait... so they used an accident as her going for that 'rule'? That's bullshh... uh, that's stupid! It was clearly an accident!

[He's pissed on behalf for this girl he's never met.]

[xxxx_me]

[Wait.

She was blamed... for that?]

But... it sounded like Catarina just fell. One of the branches broke.

[That's not...]

Lillie was the one who found her... she was panicking and-

[He's Distressed.]

[battlestations]

What were you going to say? You got something to hide?!

[Well, he hates to agree with a teenager, but he's right. They both are.]

It really is horrible. We ought to talk to the Queen about her definition of 'killing' before she massacres us all over the skeleton tripping down the stairwell without his cane.

[scratchitti]

Nothing you need to hear!

[He's blushing now, embarrassed- he's trying so hard not to curse in front of the younger kids here!]

And yeah, you get a bunch of kids running wild in a place like this someone is gonna get hurt...

[He drops the bag down to dig through, pulling out a cute white dress and a sunhat]

... I mean it might be kinda short, but I could probably manage this if I keep my shorts on.

[xxxx_me]

[Allen's just a sad bean again, head tilting downwards.]

...

I can hold onto the bag...

[battlestations]

You? Well. It would be quicker.

[He's clearly surprised though, but like, even Numbuh Four has dressed up like a girl to get into places, so he knows he shouldn't be.

He's also not curious about it at all, though. Plus, he's got places to be. So, looking over at Allen now.]

I actually need to track down Cassandra.... Will you be alright going with him?

[He would NOT blame him if he wasn't.]

[scratchitti]

Wouldn't be the first time I've dressed up for a mission. It's only weird if you make it weird.

[xxxx_me]

[Looking up again.]

I'll be okay.

[It's... probably better to be with someone while checking the room anyway.]

[battlestations]

What kind of missions are you doing?

[He knew Neku was a spy!!]

Good. Be very careful.

[he'll leave soon. He's definitely not interested!!]