WEEK FIVE

[whimsicalism]

WEEK FIVE

There's one thing that belongs in Closetland: Monsters.

It was a monster that brought the students here to begin with, and it's a monster who controls their lives now. By now, some have even accused their classmates of turning into--or always being--monsters themselves.

The academy is just as cold as it was last week, autumn air seeping in through the unfriendly architecture and the artificial light seeming darker than before. The occasionally cloud of purple fog snakes through the hallways at ground level, a constant reminder of the new presence haunting the school and her role in the past five weeks of torment. Now that Kakuya is back in a body of her own making, the music room is silent, though the rooms and halls of the Academy themselves occasionally fill with a low, haunting flute melody. With the school's new overlord already wishing her ill, Nanami's already deflating power and free roam capabilities are more or less completely limited as well: She's just one more toy in the box.

The stairwell has opened into another new floor. Upon closer inspection, it seems to be the uppermost one. This is the top of Ira Academy, and while it likely bears some new answers and some new locations to try and find a solution to your plight, is there anything that can heal some of the rifts that formed from the accusations thrown at the last trial? Still, if you don't find answers, then you'll be here playing this eternal deadly game.

Is the devil you know better than the devil you don't?

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

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Week 4! Nanami has joined the party! She no longer has office hours but still be contacted privately, as can Kakuya, who is no longer stuck in the music room. New locations are now open, and some minor adjustments have been made to the IC profiles and rules. 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. The SHEEP are still taggable, though you may find them in a...different mood.

You now have a week to make sure your AC in for last week and to start collecting AC for this week. Remember to submit your regains, and sign up for a spot exploring this week's mystery if you want to!

Comments

[copycut]

[ Kuro feels the draw of the hands beneath the water, and the hand still grasping one of her blades casts it aside. It skids across the poolside tile as she wraps both her hands around Dewey's leg, as tight as she can. Maybe at least she can keep the two of them from being drawn even deeper down.

But—she knows they can't win like this. If they try to just hold on, all of them will be pulled down and drown. She digs her heels in to the tile she's crouched above; as much as she can, she heaves her weight back, putting with all the strength she can muster into her body as she tries to yank Dewey back above the surface of the water. If she can feel herself making headway against the undertow, she might even begin to rise up from her squatted posture. ]

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat tries holding in as best as she can. ...At least, until she thinks she feels Kuro try and pull back, then she shifts from just holding to pulling. Fucking, this is heavy!]

rrrrrr... come... on... COME... ON...!

[whimsicalism]

[Slowly, slowly... it takes a few moments but it seems that the hands lose their grip as they yell out in chorus as both Koishi and Dewey are slowly dragged back to safety.

The voices seem really sad.]

[romancing]

[ Koishi mostly remains dead weight until her head pops above the water, and she sort of-maybe-snaps to her senses.

Oh. Oh, she should not be down here. Even if she still wants to find out what the voices want...

She grabs onto the edge of the pool and assists in hoisting herself out, sprawling on her knees and staring into the depths of the water. Her knuckles turn white gripping the concrete, and boy does she really want to go back in. But hearing everyone sputtering up water, coughing, the dripping of everyone's clothes on the ground, it's enough to make the tiny voice in her head go don't. ]

They want us to come back...they're sad, now...

[lets_dewey_it]

Well, whoever they are, they're not family nor friends and that is not home!

[copycut]

[ As the hands start to lose their grip, Kuro starts to rise up to her feet to put more distance between herself and the water. He legs tremble as she holds on, but eventually, she's able to take labored steps away from the edge of the pool.

It's only when Koishi emerges from the edge of the water that she lets her knees buckle. She collapses gracelessly onto the tile, hands aching from how tight she had been gripping onto poor Dewey's leg, and she takes several deep breaths. ]

Nngh... I know I said I wanted to find a way to Kakuriyo, but...

[ She pushes herself up again. She begins to circle around the edge of the pool—first to reclaim her discarded weapons, and then to again peer inside its waters. Is there anything unusual still visible inside? ]

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat continues to PULL with all her might, She's never done anything this strenuous for this long and her wing is quickly getting tired. Finally, with a final push of effort, both Koishi and Dewey have been saved. Adorabat flops to the ground, wings splayed out, and begins heavily panting.]

1/2

[whimsicalism]

[The swimming pool calms. The light at the bottom fades away and the voices become silent only for another noise starts.

Just for a moment, across the pool you hear familiar flute music. Kakuya herself appears on the other edge of the pool, one hand holding her umbrella and the other is... a black tie? It looks like either a uniform or formal tie. Her ever smiling face looks a bit... sad as she throws it on the edge of the pool.]

Kakuya... promised you, Kuro-chan. Here... have your clue. Kakuya hopes that... this... wasn't... boring this time, hm?

[As she finishes speaking, your game master vanishes and only a wind that comes from nowhere brushes against the water.]

2/2

[whimsicalism]

[As your hands touch the wet tie your hands are stained with blood. Kakuya promised a clue to how to get to the the 'world unseen' with this vision. Maybe you wonder if she's telling the truth as the vision takes you.

There's the familiar containment room with the array of monsters in all sorts of shapes. The view point is within a container with emotions of hate and hunger in the air. All of a sudden the elevator comes into view, landing in front of the container. Inside is Father and a girl. Someone who you recognize as Ao Hoshizaki. Father is holding her by the scruff of her collar, yellow eyes narrowed in pure fury. A sheep is operating the elevator and forces it to stop in front of the container.

"This is the last straw, Miss Hoshizaki! No amount of detention can fix you--open that one, Brother Unit."

"I didn't--look, I'm sorry, okay? I just think--" Ao sputters out a response.

"That's the problem! You think! Bring out the doll in the mirror--"

The feelings of hunger turn to confusion then joy. Father steps into the container, pushing Ao further and further into it then shoving her so that the last thing shown is Ao's confused face as she's pushed in.

Then the scene changes...to a bathroom? Ao sits in a bathtub, rubbing her head and looking confused. She glances up and the very familiar voice of Kakuya echoes. "It's... been... so long... since a Daddy gave me a doll..."

The vision fades.]