WEEK 4

[whimsicalism]

WEEK FOUR

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, it would seem.

The students of Ira Academy will find themselves entering the new week with their hunger sated, but it's likely the grisly scene of Friday's murder and the demonstration of the execution make the food hit much heavier. The risk of death is still very real, and astute watchers might also find it haunting to think about what sort of twisted game could have forced Yuta to lose control of his own actions. Or perhaps, for the fifth week in a row, people are just finding themselves angrier at their circumstances and their captor than ever.

After her release from the washing machine last week, Nanami Kiryuu can be found more often shadowing the other students around, hanging out in the periphery and putting in appearances even if she doesn't have information to share or announcements to pass on to the rest of the group - as long as no one makes an attempt to shoo her away.

The stairs open up to another newly remodeled floor, offering new locations that may prompt more answers to your dilemma--or more questions. There's no way to know which it will be. Thankfully, there's always a new mind-numbing relaxation activity to take in.

How long can this keep going on?

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday
Regains | AC | IC Profiles | Locations | Mystery Information | A Contact | Sheep Contact | Nanami Contact

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Week 4! New locations are now open, a couple of old ones have been tweaked, and characters have started the next week of their education. Please hit the mods with a ping in Discord and put INVESTIGATE in your subject line if you're interested in exploring a new location. Nanami may be putting in some public appearances in threads this week; otherwise, please ping + Discord tag her or the (SHEEP) if you want to speak with then. All NPCs are still available for their private contacts as well!

As a reminder, AC runs Sunday to Sunday concurrent with these posts and is collected based on the prior week; this means you have a whole week to get in AC for the week prior. AC for week 3 should be submitted no later than this coming Sunday. Remember to submit your regains, and sign up for a spot exploring this week's mystery if you want to!

Comments

SUNDAY

[whimsicalism]

CHURCH

[holyironmade]

A reading from the gospel according to Matthew.

[Jeanne stands in front of the shed with the cross on the ground and the bible in her hands.]

“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

[Jeanne shuts the bible.]

You may think it strange that Jesus tells the story of maidens and a bridegroom when St. Paul's letters soon after praised the sacrament of marriage. Or that Jesus condemns "the one who has not", when you will recall the beatitudes from our first mass blessing the meek who shall inherit the earth. That is because it is a parable. About embodying the virtues as much as you are able, always aspiring to the divine example even before you are rewarded. Jesus did not control when he would be born onto this earth, whether it was under Caesar or Dido's laws that he would decide to give what was Caesar's to Caesar. We know there was a great shaman from Nazareth who was integrated with the Holy Spirit, performed miracles, and won the shaman fight. Even if the matter of His Father remains a mystery to us, we can learn from the words and take solace in the body, which is both the bread and the gathering of people. On that note...

[It is time for the presentation of the Eucharist aka Kuro fucking it up on the tambourine. The song One Bread One Body that has been prepared is pretty repetitive so they can build up to the verses and chorus gradually in a way that is a little bit not totally a disaster by the time all the Ritz crackers are distributed.]

[violence_ensues]

nnnnn... I mean, I get the point to always be better, but... what's up with the super-weird wording? It was hard to follow when you were telling the stories.

open-ish

[copycut]

[ What is Kuro doing here...? Even she doesn't know. Jeanne just seemed like she needed the support, and now, somehow, Kuro standing here with a tambourine. She keeps her eyes shut like she's really focused on keeping the percussive beat steady—or maybe like she just doesn't want to see anyone looking at her right now.

She gets through it, though. Once church has finished, she stretches, standing up on her toes as she arches her back, and then she calls out: ]

I'll take care of cleaning up, okay—?

[ She's in the midst of hanging Jeanne's makeshift hula hoop seating over her wrist when she begins muttering under her breath, ] A shaman from Nazareth... Won the shaman fight...

[temmapathy]

Oh, I don't remember hearing that first one before. Does it matter that there were ten of them total? Were they ALL going to marry that one guy?

Investigation & Open To All

[violence_ensues]

Abandoned Dorm Investigation

[Well, hey, what's this, now? This room definitely sticks out like a sore thumb brutalized by Big Thumb Pete. This place is so disorganized! Welp, the first place she decides to look is at the wastebin! She dumps everything out on the floor in front of her and inspects the contents.]

Outside the Laundry Room

[Adorabat has both Simon Norwell, her doll bunny, and Cynthiphelle out. She shakes the bunny a little.]

I don't see why you want to go into that dumb laundry room, Cynthiphelle!

[She shakes Cynthiphelle.]

To defeat the monster from the angry washing machine! Duh!

Oooh, I dunno, Simon. I kind of agree with Cynthiphelle. That washing machine bubble monster needs to be defeated! The other students aren't safe!

Library

[Adorabat seems to be randomly flitting about in the room. She reads the title of one book, then goes to a shelf, reading the title of a book, then goes to a different shelf... Perhaps she's looking for something. But what?]

[whimsicalism]

[The first thing that you notice is a photograph! It appears to be a class photo of the current class of Ira Academy, including Nanami and... this girl?]

Laundry Room

[temmapathy]

[Emma quickly steps in front so Adorabat can see her signing.] And just how do you plan to defeat the monster?

Re: SUNDAY

[lets_dewey_it]

<sub>[A dance studio?

Well, that's something to distract him from everything that's happened.

You can catch him breakdancing in the middle of the room while his keytaur is automatically playing a MIDI he installed into it before getting captured.]</sub>

[hashtagwoof]

Hey! Dewey! You got a moment?

[ Hunter's walking in with an old photo in his hand. ]

[canreallymove]

[Ok, when he comes to do his own breakdancing practice, he can't help but smile.]

Not half past bad, Turbo!

Investigation: Butterfly Garden

[keyringwitness]

[After the events of Friday night, Yasu was obligated to check out the butterfly garden. The coincidence was so perfect that she almost had to laugh.

And when she arrives to see that all the butterflies are projections, she does laugh, practically cackling.]

Illusions, huh? [she says after recovering from her laughing fit.] That's even more fitting, really... [Yasu extends a finger at the exact angle for one of the projected butterflies to "alight" on for a few moments, then moves it away before it begins flying again.]

Now, let's see if we can find what's behind this particular curtain. [She starts poking around the garden, looking for any signs of a projector or something out of place.]

MONDAY

[whimsicalism]

MYSTERY SIGN UP

[whimsicalism]

[Please respond to this comment if you wish to sign up. Sign ups will close at 9AM PST / 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST on Monday or when we have four players signed up. This mystery will run later in the day, around 3pm PST / 6pm EST, so please note when you're most available after or around that time in your sign-up comment so we can try and work out scheduling!

If you've already participated in a mystery, please wait until 3pm PST / 6pm EST on Sunday the 11th to put your sign-up in to allow new folks a chance before we start taking reruns!]

MYSTERY 5: Shriek of the Damned

[whimsicalism]

[By now, perhaps no one is settling down to sleep with the expectations of sleeping through the night on Monday. Jellyfish monsters, blood, the very Academy tearing itself apart… Many things have happened every Monday, after all. As usual, the clocks of the Academy slowly tick to midnight before something happens. Whether you’re asleep or you’re waiting, a loud noise erupts in the rooms of some of the students.

It’s sudden, loud, and shrill. It’s a panicked scream. It tears through your ears, boring deep into your brain. Even if you press something against your ears you can still hear it as if it’s clawing into your very mind. The fact that the dorm rooms are supposed to be soundproof doesn’t seem to stop this particular noise. No, in fact, when you open your doors there’s more noise.

As if responding to the sudden scream, the whooping call of a flock of birds joins in. Yelling, echoing, making the very air vibrate with the din. Never mind the slight movement of wires above your head if you look up. They're not even electric wires, just bare baling wire crawling along the ceiling.

The screaming ceases for a quick moment to let you regain your senses. Maybe you glance around to see who else woke up this time, maybe you look for the source of the noise. If that noise starts up again, who knows what it will do? Perhaps following the wires to their source could work...]

((As with the previous mysteries this is a locked event. You may talk about the events after they happen, of course, but trying to wake up the other students isn’t allowed. If they try they’ll get a sensation that they just don’t have the time to spare. While you may respond to the event individually to put in your reactions since this an investigation, we prefer that you stick together for the duration. After everyone has put in a reaction to the mystery we will set up a comment order to go on.))

[panglici]

[Careful in the butterfly room this morning. Someone's playing hooky... and standing still as a statue, almost as if she's trying to be one. Maybe she's trying get the unreal butterflies to land on her? At the sound of someone approaching, Carrie will jump.]

H-how long have you been there?!

[Much later, in the afternoon, she'll be on the playground. Six months in this place, even if she can't remember most of it... her hands are soft, now. She's not as strong as she was. Ignoring that is no longer an option.

Formulaic, repetitive physical training hasn't ever been something she really does, and climbing the outside of the school building isn't an option without getting the attention of the sheep, but doing some kind of endurance run on the monkey bars, keeping her elbows bent as much as she can manage, switching direction at either end by swapping hand positions and turning while dangling... well, she's going to keep that up until either her hands and arms and shoulders hurt too much to keep going or someone, sheep or not, notices she's out there.

If you happen upon her after she's finally unable to keep going, she's just going to be lying on the ground, staring up at that horrible excuse for a sky.]

Don't worry, I'm not dead. I might need a hand up, though.

INVESTIGATION!~

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Another week, another floor, another set of classes to not attend. It's starting to feel routine, and that's kind of scary to think about.

So, Dylan is trying to distract himself. Keeping stock of the first-aid station as well as doing some reading in the library, it seems like he's more or less in his element in these places.

He also checks out the nurse's room, because a new room to help take care of injuries? And it's even better than the last? Sounds great to him! May as well give it a thorough look through, taking stock and looking around the entire room. Just in case.

And of course, there's always lunch. Same usual for the most part, he gets a hot dog, eats it as he reads a book-'The Martian Chronicles'-and generally still seems conte-]

OH MY DOG, THE OWL!

[And with that outburst, the dalmatian goes running out of the cafeteria.

Follow?]

TUESDAY

[whimsicalism]

MOTIVE

[whimsicalism]

[This week, students will be lucky enough to not have their lunches disturbed by the arrival of another threatening motivation scheme! Unfortunately, that’s because all members of the class will wake up to a faint knock on their door, shortly after which a business envelope will slide under the bottom crack. The sealed envelope reads “for your eyes only:” followed by their name. Opening the envelope reveals what looks like a newspaper clipping at first glance alongside another strip of paper artfully folded up into a paper crane.

The PA system will then play the Principal’s voice reading out the contents of the “newspaper clipping.”

”Riddle of the day: If you have me, you want to share me, but if you share me, you don’t have me. What am I?

Did you know that no one is entitled to love? Not even love from your own parents, or your “best friends,” or your pet rock! There’s at least one thing about everyone that should never see the light of day.

Well, it just so happens I know a little something about each of you. Don’t worry: Nobody has to find out any of your worst personal secrets. …As long as one of you kills one of the others this week. Otherwise, say buh-bye to any chance of ever going back to life as you know it, because I’ll be telling what I’ve got to the people or person you’d least want to hear it..

Also, I must admit I’m getting a little antsy about your performance. Do something to spice things up, won’t you?”

The paper crane, when unfolded, contains a written version of a life-shattering personal secret about the person who opens it. Every character therefore receives a secret about themselves or their life.

While this secret may or may not be something the characters already know about themselves, the information contained on the slip has to be the worst possible secret that could get out about them if told to the right/wrong person. Whatever information is contained on this envelope, the loss of its secrecy should be something that the character believes will irreparably damage their relationships or ruin their life in a significant way.]

[hashtagwoof]

[ First was waking up to unseen bird girl torture. Then there was the vision with all the hungry monsters. And now this?!

Hunter needs a distraction. Now.

Hopefully the magazines in the lounge aren't all filled in by now. He's brought a pencil up there and is trying to work out some crosswords. Occasionally, he sees a jellyfish floating in the fish tank out of the corner of his eye, but whenever he goes to really check the jellies fade away. Weird. Where did they come from.

Then he wanders over to the butterfly room, and... Well, everything was fine until a projected butterfly landed on his nose. ]

.... WOOF! [ Whoops. That triggered dog mode. Now dog boy is chasing fake butterflies and barking his head off.

Eventually he snaps out of it and moves down to the dance studio. Or outside of it. Whatever that was last night is gone, like nothing happened... Except from that newspaper clipping they found he's starting to get more crazy ideas. ]

... Okay, I'm pretty sure this place has more ghosts than you-know-who.

[ You-know-who being A, of course. ]

WEDNESDAY

[whimsicalism]

Meeting Time: Dog Set-Up Edition

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[So, yesterday...sure had some things happening. The motive seems to be an easy one for Dylan, but if he learned one thing quickly, it's not the same for everyone. This won't be the free week he was hoping it would be.

But there's no use in fussing over spilled milk. They've dealt with a bad week before, they can get through another one. And when the motive this week doesn't even assure death no matter what? Maybe it's okay to have some hope.

Not too much, of course. Enough that he feels like most will be smart, but not enough that he doesn't feel the need for another meeting.

So it's probably not surprising when everyone gets a paper slid under the dorm room door today.]


Literature Club meeting in the Library, half an hour after classes end.

As it is the first meeting of the Club, the only things needed are yourself and subjects of interest. Literary works are encouraged, though unnecessary.

[Instead of a signature, there's a paw print at the bottom, making it clear who wrote this.

Arriving at the Library around the designated time, students will find a circle of pillows set up close to the front entrance, all taken from the library's designated napping corners. Dylan sits at one, that little owl that was formerly Luz's, then formerly Yuta's perched atop his head. Two sheets of paper sit in front of him, one hidden under the other, the visible one displaying the English alphabet.]

Welcome everyone. We all know why we're here, so let's get to the point; let's talk about recent events.

THURSDAY

[whimsicalism]

Re: THURSDAY

[lets_dewey_it]

<sub>[Well, he totally embarrassed himself trying to keep things under control yesterday. Which is why he isn't even trying to hide he was playing hooky this time, staying in the Dance Studio and having his keytaur handy as he played improvised techno screamo to get everything out of his system...

And then you can see him in the Nurse's Office, laying on one of the nurse's bed with several cough drops on the small table next to him. He screamed his throat out until it was sore.]</sub>

[holyironmade]

In the iron maiden I heard all the suffering... Here I hear nothing... nothing... here, nothing...

[Jeanne is in the sensory deprivation room after class. She might be the only one still attending at this rate, but it's a good opportunity to write elaborate, almost esoteric notes in a variety of languages. There's this sense that she's totally turned herself off now that class is over and no one can see. How did she even fit all of her hair into that full-body bathing suit, anyway?]

gym

[Now it's time to spread out the regains here in a different indoor open space for a change. Jeanne is passing the time playing basketball! She's had to coax a sheep into coaching her on the very earliest basics of even dribbling, and her eyes are so wide as she has to look down to do it.]