WEEK 2

[umbralant]

WEEK 2

monday

tuesday

wednesday

thursday

The first week is over, and two of your number are gone. Everything related to the case has been cleaned up, with nary a knife left at the Main Square nor a trace of the mud shapes that once painted the clock tower walls, although some stray graffiti still dots some storefronts.

However you may feel about the entire debacle on Friday, there’s no doubt that something has changed about the atmosphere, although whether it’s something tangible or just a trick of the mind is hard to say. Maybe it’s nothing. Either way, there are more palpable changes to the city, with some of the fog retreating away from a few of the surrounding areas, uncovering new buildings and streets along the way. The night, however, remains unchanged as always save for the slow waxing of the moon, leaving it bright and full as early as Thursday night. Regardless of if you take it as an omen or not, at least that means the streets will be lit up fairly well for the week, provided some inconvenient cloud cover doesn’t slide right in.

[[Welcome to Week 2! Note that new areas have been added, and can be found under the Week 2 tab on our Locations page. Once again, feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. You can also privately contact The Lady or Rembrandt.]]

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TUESDAY

[umbralant]

WEATHER

[umbralant]

[Today's forecast is overcast skies with the occasional gap in the clouds, making the moon periodically visible. Low temperatures continue to dominate.
High: 44°F (6°C)
Low: 28°F (-3°C)]

MOTIVE

[umbralant]

[The motive for this week will go up on Tuesday at 12:00 PM EST.]

MOTIVE

[umbralant]

[Last time the Lady's threat had been done on Tuesday. It was Tuesday again. Would she threaten everyone again? Judging by how Rembrandt once again gathered everybody at the main square, it seems rather likely she will.

The Lady observed everyone, looking for any signs of defiance. Oh, there certainly are some here that are still glaring at her really hard. As she figured, threatening so many people's safety last time had steeled some of the Survivors' resolve. It was time for a change of pace]

I believe you all understand the capacity we have to reach into your worlds and do anything we want in them. Last time we threatened to kill your loved-slash-person of interest. This time we're offering to kill the exact opposite:

We'll target that person who gets in your way the most, the one who keeps obstructing your plans or threatening the safety of your loved ones. [The Lady smiled sweetly] But it would be quite a letdown if we limited ourselves to killing that person! Which is why...

...why instead of merely killing, we're offering to altogether erase that person from existence!

[She spreads her arms open]

Imagine a world where that person never existed! A world that's better for you because that person is gone! This is the kind of big change that comes only once in a lifetime, and thanks to my brilliance, I'm able to perform such a feat! Time is my plaything, and I'm willing to use it for your advantage!

Oh, but don't worry about paradoxes or anything like that. We'll ensure you, the you here, will be the one to reap the rewards. If there's another you in the world that will result from the elimination of the target we can handle it, don't worry. Doing such a thing is easier than you'd think. [The Lady winks and turns to Rembrandt, signaling him it was time to leave.

The offer had been set. Now...who would take advantage of it, she wondered. Which one would get one step closer to achieving their goals?]

pre-motive + more science investigation

[pr159]

[ In the morning, Rideaux is in the opera house with a sketchbook and a red colored pencil he grabbed from the art studio yesterday. Not for drawing, because he can't do that worth shit -- Instead, he's standing in front of his own portrait and writing down his name in the alphabet it appears in there.

Above it on the page, this is written, and he's looking from one to the other and frowning.


A little later in the morning, he'll be investigating the museum, specifically the parts reserved for employees... and more specifically, he'll start by digging through those purses in the lockers again. It looks like SOMEONE has already taken all the money like an asshole, but there might still be some things in here worth pillaging investigating. So!

Just to get this shit out of the way now, if he holds his breath and looks at some of those moldy containers, exactly how moldy are we talking? Does it look like this stuff has been in here for weeks or months, or longer? (Aside from the molds used for making some kinds of antibiotics, there was also a period of his life where he was mostly living off of old food people threw out, so. HE IS ACQUAINTED WITH MOLD.) ]

[deadlygoals]

[umbralant]

[ This may be a murdercity, but sometimes you need to take initiative for the possibility of ever escaping and thereafter becoming a rich Polish noble. The early bird gets the worm and the cash, but there's still the moldy sandwiches left. And they're... not even that bad, honestly?

About a week old give or take, there might even be some salvageable bits if rations run low. ]

opera house

[notbymyside]

[Well this is a curious sight. Ango will walk right on over to see what Rideaux is doing, and if he can get a glance at that page he will look a touch confused.]

Kanji?

[It looks kind of close to kanji? But the strokes aren't completely right. So maybe it's a different kind of writing all together?]

Post Motive stress painting.

[twoasone]

[Well, that was a really stupid motive in his eyes. Erasing a person who got in the way from existence? That only creates new problems... At least that's what he's beginning to realize. Probably.

Mako and Noelle were suddenly killed yesterday, so their portraits have to be painted... And as stupid as the motive was, he's sure someone's going to take the bait. Which is why he decided to just paint portraits of everyone now and display the appropriate ones if or when they die.

This will take a while. He realizes this. That's probably why he's practically living in the art studio for most of the week. Today you'll catch him painting Mako and Noelle together, with the former standing behind the latter holding her protectively. Ango's painting is next.]

art studio;

[reanbeans]

[ Those were quite some well done portraits.

He never knew them too well, but he figured it deserved some commentary. ]

...Those are really good. What made you decide to paint them now?

art studio

[deadlygoals]

[ One moment, there's no one there. The next moment, Dazai is suddenly there peeking over Shin's shoulder. ]

Whoa~ I didn't know they were in that kind of relationship.

Art Studio

[wishuponazoi]

You've captured her likeness well. [Sirius sounds very melancholy about this. He didn't get to know Noelle that well, but still...]

[drydrown]

[...He doesn't like it, but it's a different sort of "he doesn't like it" than last week; it's the sort that leaves him feeling very restless, in the end, and there is exactly one way to deal with restlessness in his opinion and that is truly pointless amounts of productivity.

So. Time to channel a bunch of directionless energy into something he actually fucking knows how to do. Which is not much, but it's still something.

And that is why there's a sign tacked up near the door of clergy housing, in very gaudy handwriting and also in Polish, because we might as well use our newfound fluency to make sure we're all understanding what's happening here because it is of dire importance:

Since it seems that most of you have no idea how to fend for yourselves in terms of personal care and either don't know how or simply refuse to make conditioner, I suppose it's only right to not let you run around being ugly. If you're tired of the damage this place is doing to your hair, come see me in Room XXIV and I'll see what I can make for you.

This isn't a totally free service, but I'm offering a far better price than sacrificing your pride and groveling at Rembrandt. ♡ I'm a reasonable man, after all.

~ Alexander von Cumore

...So that's happening.

He'll be in Room XXIV for the better part of the day; the door is somewhat ajar, though it might be in your best interest to knock if you don't want him to be aggressively himself at you. He doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot - mostly going through the absolute stash of clothing he's got from the opera house. So many gaudy suits, so many frills, so many...dresses? He does not have a lot of that latter one admittedly but he's got a couple.

When he's not doing that, though, he's writing things down - not in Polish this time, but in that weird alphabet he was using last time. Whatever it is he's writing down, he seems pretty focused on it…]

[twoasone]

[Knock, knock.

Shin's at the door. He isn't emoting today.]

Hello? I'm here to pick up some hair conditioner.

[Something's a little off...]

[wishuponazoi]

[...yeah, Sirius doesn't even know what hair care is. He's been rinsing himself off at least, but he hasn't been doing anything special with his hair, so it's definitely looking wrecked.]

Are you saying that hair shouldn't be doing this naturally?

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami can't quite believe he's showing up here. He never wanted his life to come to this. He's never even been a vain man at all. But he does have medium length hair that is not feeling at all like it should and the difference is making him antsy. Any difference makes him antsy. At least his body should feel like his.

So, knocking on Cumore's door it is. Cumore, of all people. Mikami does not want to think about this for too long or he'll lose respect for himself and that's already an iffy affair lately. ]

Mr. Cumore. What are your price rates, out of interest.

[psychophant]

[...Oh, this has the potential to be hilarious. Iago drops by later in the evening, knocking on the door and waiting for Cumore to greet him instead of just barging in. He's polite!! Or at least he pretends to be.]

Room XXIV

[ordealia]

[She'll knock, just because being polite is a good thing. With hair as long as hers, she's been bemoaning the lack of conditioner. Using a little olive oil as a treatment has worked so far, but she's not going to sit there and keep using it if she doesn't have to.]

Investigation for Gym!

[inordertobelieve]

[ ((Note: Mikami is a character of extreme habit. Starting this week, people will be able to determine a completely regular pattern in his actions. He does not deviate from it without excellent reason. Maybe if he stays here for longer, even more pattern will crystallize for observers to pick up on....))

Early in the day, Mikami can be find in the Opera House, enjoying the good lighting to write notes into his notebook. If you're sneaking up on him to look over his shoulder, you'll find that there are sketches of the city layout in the notebook. Or maybe, on another page, a trans-script of a profile of a fellow captive. There appear to be personal notes tacked on, but Mikami will close the book once he notices someone approach.

After lunch, Mikami can be found in the museum. In the laboratory, he can be found examining the chemicals and specimen, but mostly he's... taking a lab coat and replacing his frilly theater coat with it. He's also stuffing a face mask in his pocket for the taking.

In the aquarium, Mikami seems to come to rest. He spends around an hour sitting down there, simply staring into the tanks. He looks more relaxed than he has since coming here.

And finally in the evening, Mikami is in the gym. He spends some time investigating every corner of the room. Is he looking for something of interest or is he just a fitness junkie...?

Evidence almost points to the latter because later, you'll find Mikami in the thinnest clothes he could get from the Opera wardrobe, working out. He's particularly fond of weightlifting and he's... surprisingly fit? Like, he's really routinized at this and more muscular than you'd expect. ]

lab;

[reanbeans]

[ He was in here himself for reasons, and he caught Mikami doing his thing. ]

What made you decide to do take those?

Investigation

[umbralant]

[Welcome to the gym, Mikami. Who'd have thought you're a fitness junkie, we'd have never guessed--okay no, you're investigating.

All gyms have an area where customers can leave their belongings. Here all the lockers are open, and judging by the lack of ways to put padlocks on the doors, the cameras -- now inactive and useless -- in this room are the only thing stopping potential thieves. Perhaps you'll find something in these lockers?]

gym

[deadlygoals]

[ Clapping his hands after Mikami finishes weight lifting. ]

Whoa~ Can you do push-ups with someone on your back?

self... investigation...?

[baitless]

[... well, Seteth has no idea if the Lady will stick to the same schedule as last week, but even so, the events of yesterday have left him a bit restless. Then again, he’s been restless since he got here, so maybe the gym will calm him down a bit? He’s got to keep in fighting shape, after all. You expected a mage type physique? Nah, he’s got beef!! Though... admittedly... the machines are unfamiliar, even if it’s not too difficult to figure out how to use them. So he’ll be feeling them out to start with, because it’s best not to go all in on something he doesn’t quite get yet, and do just enough to work up a sweat before heading back to the clergy housing for a shower and to change from some light utilitarian-seeming stuff he picked up in the opera house to... well... the priest robes, actually...

...while he is in the shower, he is going to investigate himself. Outside of randomly having new powers, he doesn’t feel any different, but maybe there’s some physical evidence of experimentation he missed? He wasn’t exactly looking for anything off before...

Anyway, of course, the motive hits. This week’s motive doesn’t seem as though it’s stressed Seteth out as much as last week’s, but it’s still affected him in some way; more than anything, it seems as though it has left him in something of a more contemplative mood. Instead of going to the church immediately as he has been somewhat prone to doing, he instead heads to the museum. He should probably be checking out things that have to do with technology, but it’s much easier to find him kind of lingering around the bones and the animatronic T-Rex, his expression... difficult to read.

Eventually he tears himself away from those to hang out in the aquarium, where he’s looking at all the different fish with kind of a wistful look in his eyes and kind of muttering to himself.]

...it would be nice to find a way to visit a place like this under better circumstances...

[ah, wait, he’s not looking at the fish anymore, he’s looking at his motive photo from last week.]

[ordealia]

[Lysithea didn't do much after the reveal about the experiments after all, besides going to bed.

She's up early Tuesday morning, and can be found spending some time in the church before anything else. She doesn't seem to be praying, exactly, but she's certainly contemplating something.

A little later on, she can be found looking at the aquarium. She's seen fish before, but never like this, and it's fascinating. If she could take a picture, she would.

Eventually, she'll be found at the McDonald's, trying to figure out what exactly a ball pit is and why you would want one of these. She does not seem to be making much headway.]

[reanbeans]

[ Again, Rean will rise up early in the morning to post notes all over town so that no one could miss them. After dealing with everything that happened this week, he figured that this would be necessary. ]

Everyone, I think it's good if—once again—we took the chance to come together and bring forth what additional information we've managed to gather about this place—or otherwise—forward. I believe in our ability to push forward relentlessly in our situation, no matter how hard our captors will—and have—tried to dissuade us from working together.

The meeting will be at 12:30PM tomorrow in the Dining Hall. Once again, I'll bring refreshments and food, but anyone else is free to do the same. I hope to see you there.

- Rean Schwarzer

[ Right after the motive, Rean went down to the candle shop and he seemed to be grabbing quite a few candles for himself. Though, he's not going too crazy here, especially since he's not the type to leave a lack for anyone wanting to take some themselves.

But he definitely had his reasons.

In the afternoon, Rean could be seen in the kitchen. Though, if he caught sight of someone approaching, he'll give a slight smile. ]

Good afternoon—do you mind if I ask how you're holding up?

[ As usual, Rean couldn't keep himself from being who he was.

Though, it appeared that he'd begun to cook something with tomatoes in it to start on preparing a late lunch (sorry Rideaux) ]

Oh, and if you want something to eat, please let me know. I don't mind sharing.

[ He can also be caught going to the gym later, and trying out the bicycles, before heading over to try to lift a few weights. He didn't have any concerns about not staying in shape, but lifting a little was bound to help. ]