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.

[holyironmade]

It is to show our respect for the two thousand years that have passed since that era, that these stories have lasted that long. Perhaps a modern audience would understand batteries for flashlights better than oil for lamps, but it is not my place to decide.

[She says even though she changed virgins to maidens after the great chastity incident of trial three...]

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...

[holyironmade]

[Jeanne is grateful for the help not because she is about to faint but because she has some Schooling to give Adorabat (after the service is over instead of interrupting it, thank goodness), so the agreement is acknowledged with a nod. Afterwards, she glances at the tambourine that has to be taken back to the music room.]

Perhaps it is for the best that there are no cameras to come by in this place.

[Kuro seriously might have been cringing over there...]

[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?

[holyironmade]

[Glances down in kid's bible which is very silent on this issue in terms of commentary to keep this volume svelte but did say "virgins". Glances back up.]

It is not clear to me whether they comprised a harem or were guests. I must admit it sounds rather rude for the host of any important event in the modern day. Nevertheless, it matters that there is more than one maiden, to contrast the wise and the foolish. It is like the man who built his house on rock and the second man who built it on sand.

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?]

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat will be quietly snatching that to show off to everyone else. The next thing she checks is the half-open drawers.]

Laundry Room

[temmapathy]

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

[violence_ensues]

[Hello, Emma! Adorabat isn't having bubbles spew out into the floor this time!]

We gotta be super careful about this. The bubble monster is super strong and angry! I was thinking a quick sneak attack!

[Adorabat shakes Simon Norwell.]

The monster won't go down in one hit, Adorabat!

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. ]

[lets_dewey_it]

Oh, sure! _{[He looked over to Hunter, getting on his feet and leaning in.]} What's up?

[canreallymove]

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

Not half past bad, Turbo!

[lets_dewey_it]

Really? Thanks! C'mon, join me, I wanna see your moves too!

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.]

[holyironmade]

There are so many that I have never seen before...

[The room is a bit narrow. It creates the impression of inevitably walking towards the more swiftly arrived Yasu.]

I should have worried that this big dress of mine will get in the way.

[keyringwitness]

I wouldn't worry about that. It just gives the butterflies more places to land.

[A projection flits across Jeanne's dress before darting off to another part of the garden.]

See? I think they like you~

[whimsicalism]

[Eventually, there is a spot that seems like it could be a projector. A spot on the ceiling is lower than the rest.]

[keyringwitness]

[After getting some miscellaneous supplies from the rest of the floor, Yasu stacks them up so she can climb and get a closer look at this lower portion of the ceiling. Is there anything curious up there?]

[copycut]

You seem like you're in a good mood, Yasu-chan. Is something going on?

[ The butterfly room seems to have Kuro feeling contemplative in her own way. Absently, as she enters, she brushes an illusory butterfly off her shoulder. ]

[keyringwitness]

This place just makes me feel at home, I think. I've always liked butterflies.

[Well, not "always," but no matter how recent that development was here, it was old news back home from a certain point of view.]