WEEK 5

[whimsicalism]

Five deaths in one week. With the end of the last trial, you've lost eleven people in total. There's only ten people in the twisted wonderland of the Castle. Even if the new area is cheerful something seems just a little bit off. The arcade has gained a new arcade machine and the ghosts in the graveyard seem to have returned to their mechanical routines. Your powers, too, seem to be gone once more. It seems Halloween has ended for good now as your fifth week in this strange building continues.

Just when will this game end...?

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

[Welcome to Week 5! Don't forget to submit your memory losses and your weekly AC here. The Alices can be found in their audience hall. However, the Queen can be found roaming the castle this week! Just put 'Alice' in the headline and she might pay your character a visit. As always, don't forget to turn in threads for fabulous prizes.]

Comments

Puppies' first Yard Sard

[octopups]

[Amdi has been scarce since the motive, but this morning he trots into the dining hall, has breakfast, and parks himself in front of the Regain Machine to finally make use of all the coins he's saved up. He ends up with a decent sized pile of junk arrayed all around him.]

[He seems to be very deliberately doing this in public, and besides the improvised pouch of ripped-up bedsheet to carry his coins he is unequipped and unclothed. Trying to reassure everyone that he's not going to sneak off with a knife?]

[There is one item he's always keeping at least one pair of eyes on: the brass knuckles, which he recognises as a human weapon and probably won't give to anyone besides a team leader. But everything else, including the blue jacket outfit and weird swimsuit magazine are up for grabs!]

[battlestations]

[a team leader, you say. Nigel has been wondering where Amdi's been (and feeling... bad about it, to say the least.) But it looks like he's pretty nervous about the brass knuckles.]

Oh, hey. D-do you want someone to get rid of those?

[though it'd be pretty much just for his peace of mind at this point. Seven already wears his own pair of brass knucks at least when they're training.]

[octopups]

[Amdi tries to play it cool and act cheerful when one of him sees Nigel approaching, but it's not hard to tell that he's self-conscious.]

H-hi, Nigel! Yeah, um, that would probably be good. They're for "punching", right?

[battlestations]

[Nigel nods.]

Yeah, they are. To be honest, you're not the only one who's got a pair, but I understand not wanting to be responsible for a weapon.

[There's a pause, as he frowns a bit, guilty. Is it their fault he's been avoiding everyone?]

We... obviously got a bit carried away last week. I've been meaning to apologize for it.

[octopups]

Y-yeah, um, I got a couple of axes a little while back and Allen burned them for me.

[Amdi pauses too, fidgeting. But when Nigel talks, he seems surprised.]

N-no! It's okay! I was weird last week, so you should have been suspicious! And this week I...

[Amdi bunches up and hangs several heads in shame.]

[battlestations]

You...?

[Presumably this isn't "I already committed a murder, I'm sorry!" shame. Nigel glances around to make sure no one is sneaking up with a hammer, but then he gets on his knees to be more level with the pups. This way they can whisper if needed! Or well, Nigel can. He's trying.]

It's alright. You can tell me anything.

[octopups]

[Amdi makes a single faint whistle from one of his actual mouths, and at the same time emits a simulated *sniff* noise that sounds just like a little kid who's holding back tears. He does lower his "voice", though.]

Uh-um... y'know Jefri, my human best friend from home? He... he actually came down with his parents, but, th-they... they were killed before I ever met them.

... Then, when Alice gave us all those envelopes... I wasn't really worried, because I've never lost anything really important like that, y'know? B-but... but the picture was...!

[Several of him are shaking now.]

[battlestations]

[Oh, that- that is pretty sad. And relatable - since Nigel can't remember anything about his father, it's hard to know even if he was dead or alive. How about he just puts a few of those shivering pups on his lap.]

If it was them... Well... You're a good friend thinking so strongly about helping Jefri. It probably feels... bad...passing that up. But that's not something a friend would hold against you. I bet you're like his family too, aren't you?

[I mean kid plus dog usually equals a family dynamic in some way]

[octopups]

[PUPS ACQUIRED. The lap-Amdis snuggle against him while the rest press close to his legs.]

... Y-yeah, you're right. I know he wouldn't. We've been best friends for a whole year, we do everything together.

[The shaking subsides, but he's still tense, hesitant.]

yard sard;

[golden_king]

[ Oh hey that must be his outfit. ]

Finally, something else I can wear in this place that's decent.

[ Though he'd prefer more of a wide selection tailored to his tastes, he's not as picky as he sounded. ]

Thanks for holding onto my clothes for me, by the way.

[octopups]

[Gil probably catches Amdi at a more cheerful stage in his Sard, and he trots a member over and gestures a friendly head at the coat.]

Oh, these are yours? Go ahead! I just got 'em!

[golden_king]

[ That's always good.

He'll go to grab his clothing nonetheless. ]

Hey, how about all of you come close for some pets? For being a good dog. Or dogs.

[octopups]

Um... ok!

[Amdi doesn't feel like he's been an especially good person/dogs lately, and Gil seems nice but he doesn't know him super well. But he knows Gil is on the same team as Allen and Nagisa, and Amdi likes Allen, so he trots all of himself over.]

[golden_king]

[ He's a good boy for not being a rotten thief. So pettings he's going to be getting. Every single one of him! ]

Have you always been like this? Like with so many physical forms at once?

[octopups]

[Heeee, pets are nice.]

Yep! All Tines have several members, but I'm pretty big.

[golden_king]

Wow, really?

...Hey, since there's so many of you does that mean when you get hungry, you have to feel all of yourself or something?

[ More good boy pettings go here. He's more of a cat person but dogs were really not so bad when they were good boys. Exhibit A: Amdi. ]

[octopups]

[This question is actually so weird and sideway-logic to a Tines's brains that several of Amdi forgo petting to stare up at him in confusion.]

Huh? I mean, yeah, if one of me is hungry I'll know, obviously, but why would that make the rest of me... hungry...?

[He might as well have asked some guy "Hey when you stub your toe does your other toe hurt?" No??]

[strictura]

[ Nagisa is just planning to glance over here quick in case there's anything familiar among the items Amdi received, and--

oh god

can he just leave without getting called out for this horrified blushing ]

[octopups]

[WHOOPS SORRY NAGS. Amdi looks over at the sounds of another kid walking up.]

Oh, hi Nagisa. Is something of yours—

[blink blink, cocks heads innocently]

What's wrong?

[strictura]

[ gfjksfd ]

W-what's wrong is having something like that [ POINTS AT MAGAZINE ] out here where kids can see it!! That's adult stuff we shouldn't be looking at!!

[octopups]

"Adult stuff"?

[Amdi trots a couple of himself over to the object Nagisa is pointing at, which is of course just sitting out on the floor in front of God and everybody.]

Oh, the weird swimsuit book? Why's that a grown up thing?

[strictura]

Because-- the models in it are hardly wearing any clothes, and poses like that are--

[ christ he can't explain porn to eight dogs!!! ]

I-it just is!!!

[octopups]

Oh yeah, I wondered about that. Aren't they cold? Humans must get really cold with no clothes on, it looks dangerous. Is that why it's grown-up stuff?

[strictura]

What?? No, it's just--

[ He thinks for a second that maybe he can attempt to explain it clinically in terms of mating, but do Tines even reproduce sexually? How would that work? Does one member do it while the other seven watch? These are not questions he wants to think about. ]

...You know what, that's close enough. Yes.

[octopups]

Uh... okay.

[Even Amdi can tell Nagisa's just trying to slam the brakes on this conversation, and at this point Amdi's courtesy has finally overridden his curiosity. Maybe he'll ask Nigel later, he seems to know a lot about adult humans.]

Do you wanna take it then?