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

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.]

1/2

[canreallymove]

Oh, come on, dude, really? My life's an open book! Besides, if this is about my Unc--

2/2

[canreallymove]

[And then he actually reads the crane as he unfolds it.]

. . .

[And the color drains right from his face.]

No.

[His hands shake violently.]

Th-that's not true...that's impossible!

1/?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[This is the first time Dylan's just. Rolled his eyes at a motive.]

Seriously? Is this the best you've got at this point? Like, yeah, I'm going to kill someone just because I don't want to be grounded for a month. Very good idea there.

[The sarcasm is dripping from his tone at this point. He hasn't actually unfolded the paper fully yet, but really, what's the worst thing that could be there? The flooding incident? The house freezing? He'll take Mum and Dad knowing than...]

2/?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[...wait...this is...]

3/4

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[...pfft...]

4/4

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[And Dylan busts out into a fit of laughter.]

AH HA-are you actually being serious?! This-this is what you're-AH HA HA-you're really going with this?! Thi-HA HA-this is-HA!

[BREATHE, DOG, BREATHE

He's just going to be having a giggle fit unless someone interrupts him.]

[spychic]

[Anya's reaction to the motive is to drop the paper onto the ground. She looks down at it, her eyes watering, her legs shaking, and she falls to her knees.

If someone passes by her door, they can probably hear faint sobbing.

She's going to lose her entire family. Forever. Because Papa can't afford the mission being ruined. Because Mama can't let anyone know her secret. Because Anya knows everything.

Because Anya can't be normal.]

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat definitely hears the sobbing. She stops and looks at the door.]

...Um, are you okay in there?

[holyironmade]

[Jeanne kneels right next to the doorframe. What a time to have a water bottle and handkerchief, huh.]

This is water. Please, Anya, if you are crying so much then you will need water.

[canreallymove]

[Knock knock]

Hey, Anya? You ok there, kid?

[lets_dewey_it]

Anya...?

<sub>[She'd been quiet most of last week, and... he needed to keep his promise to Edward to keep protecting her in his place.

Slowly, he cracked Anya's door open, looking in to see her sobbing.]</sub>

...Anya...

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Well, Dylan was still having his giggle fit, but...dog ears can't exactly ignore sobbing. And neither can a good big brother.

So, there's a knock on Anya's door. Once, twice, thrice.]

Anya? Are you...do you need to talk?

[temmapathy]

[Oh, the instant she saw that motive, Emma knew that Anya, at least, would need someone there for her. She quickly goes to knock on Anya's door, sliding a note under it.]

It's me, Emma. Do you want to talk in private?

[holyironmade]

[It seems that Jeanne read the motive to herself in her room, as she comes into the hall without it, wearing her red backpack over her uniform. She is pale. But she habitually skips breakfast, so this is normal.]

Let us go to class.

[lets_dewey_it]

...are you sure? _{[He's never really gone out of his way to talk to her, but the pale look on her face today particularly concerned him.]} You sure you don't want to sit in for today?

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat looks at hers.]

[...]

[CRAP THIS IS ALREADY ON HER PROFILE.]

Re: MOTIVE

[lets_dewey_it]

<sub>[Well, his talk show was already public knowledge in this school thanks to his profile. This secret might as well be the next step. He wouldn't call it "life-ruining", nor did he think it'd ruin his relationships, but... he wishes this secret wasn't a lie he's been telling.

And it's the silliest lie ever.]</sub>

cw: implied violence to animals (attempted)

[hashtagwoof]

[ Hunter stares at his note in shock.

At this point, he's come to terms with the whole "dog napping for fur is bad" thing, but this is the final nail in the coffin. ]

She... She was seriously going to... Oh my god, she really did mean to kill them all...

cw: vaguely suicidal thoughts

[keyringwitness]

[Yasu was sure that she had learned all the secrets of Rokkenjima after the trial. The endless magic, the passing of Beatrice's title, the ritual of the gold... it had all been hers, the script for the witch's play falling neatly into her lap after she uncovered that key truth.

But she had simply unlocked the door, not peeked inside. Had been satisfied with the story that she'd acted in. The real truth could remain an unrealized future for her. She could run away forever with A if they made it out; whatever fate laid beyond the illusion was the burden of "another" her.

Then she opens the crane, confident that whatever the Principal had uncovered that it couldn't shake her.

...

That day, Yasu does not emerge from her room. Not to get food, not to go to classes, not to meet face to face with any of her classmates. Whatever is going on inside is a mystery thanks to the room's soundproofing, so the only indication of something wrong is the sudden, precipitous lack of Yasu.

(She wished that could last forever. That she could vanish into the witch's darkness in peace, leaving for oblivion without a trace. Ironic how that was a privilege afforded to the actor, but not the character.)

If one looks closely, however, they will find something... off, at the threshold to Yasu's door.

A few strands of lackluster golden hair, long, but completely dull, entirely unlike her normal vivid blond.

Someone should probably investigate.]

[temmapathy]

[Emma's grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of juice, and knocks on Yasu's door a while after in lunch, before sliding a note underneath.]

Yasu, this is Emma. I brought you something to eat, since I didn't see you at lunch or outside.

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[Yasu's absence is definitely...noticeable, for Dylan. He's already stopped attending classes after last week, and not seeing her anywhere around the school, or even getting a scent on her...it's worrying.

And going to her dorm room door, seeing the hair...the worry only grows and grows.

There's a light knocking on the door-more of a tapping, really. Once, twice, thrice.]

Yasu? Do you...you wanna talk? Or...get something to eat?

[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. ]

Butterfly room 1/2

[canreallymove]

[...well then. To top everything off, Hunter has become doggo. His reality has collapsed. Nothing makes sense anyore.]