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guestservices) wrote2022-07-11 08:16 am
guestservices) wrote2022-07-11 08:16 am
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GRAVEYARD.
GRAVEYARD
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...
...to be super dead. No, did you think you were getting a funeral? Sorry.
When you wake up, no matter how you died, you'll find yourself all in one piece, inside of a fairly large box that upon further inspection may in fact be a coffin. However, throwing the lid off isn't too difficult, and as you step out of your own grave, you'll find yourself standing in a cemetery behind a large mansion, where an iron gate stands between you and the entrance. Thankfully, the moment you approach, dirty and tired as you are, the gate swings open, and you're allowed immediate entrance into the mansion.
The mansion itself is a little dusty, and the furnishings are vintage at best, but... hey, it's home. Why don't you explore a little?
★FIRST FLOOR.
★ On the first floor is a parlor and sitting area. On one of the tables is a phone, which as of Week 3, Saturday has a dial tone and can be used to contact hotel staff. In addition to that is a kitchen stocked with food - not to mention a large wine cellar full to the bursting with every kind of wine you could imagine. Vintage!
★ Walking down a long hallway, you'll find a laundry room with a washbin and a washboard, a few closets full of dusty old clothes, a large library, and an ornate dining room with a crystal chandelier.
Of note, the dining room in particular has a very tall wall of what look like portraits to one side. If you walk closer, however, you may notice that the portraits are moving - and appear to actually be holding black and white images of your friends (and enemies?) back in the hotel, so you can monitor their activities. That's nice! There are record players set up beneath the portraits, which come with blank records set in there already; if you turn them on while the blank records are set there, you will be able to hear what is being said by the people in the portraits.
★ At the very end of the first floor hallway is another door - it is locked up tight with a padlock, and has a message painted on it.... Don't dead? Inside here is the basement that the dead locked Qi Rong into on Friday of Week 5. In theory you might be able to take the key from someone and go in, since it hasn't been returned to Virgo; inside here is a dark, dank basement illuminated by a lantern giving off a dim green glow. There are barrels of stale water and sour wine, boxes containing stale crackers, extremely questionable jerky, and other rotted foodstuffs, and... uh... there are some unpleasant-looking rats skittering around. Icky. In practice, why would you want to? Just keep it locked.
1, 2, 3
★ Walking down a long hallway, you'll find a laundry room with a washbin and a washboard, a few closets full of dusty old clothes, a large library, and an ornate dining room with a crystal chandelier.
Of note, the dining room in particular has a very tall wall of what look like portraits to one side. If you walk closer, however, you may notice that the portraits are moving - and appear to actually be holding black and white images of your friends (and enemies?) back in the hotel, so you can monitor their activities. That's nice! There are record players set up beneath the portraits, which come with blank records set in there already; if you turn them on while the blank records are set there, you will be able to hear what is being said by the people in the portraits.
★ At the very end of the first floor hallway is another door - it is locked up tight with a padlock, and has a message painted on it.... Don't dead? Inside here is the basement that the dead locked Qi Rong into on Friday of Week 5. In theory you might be able to take the key from someone and go in, since it hasn't been returned to Virgo; inside here is a dark, dank basement illuminated by a lantern giving off a dim green glow. There are barrels of stale water and sour wine, boxes containing stale crackers, extremely questionable jerky, and other rotted foodstuffs, and... uh... there are some unpleasant-looking rats skittering around. Icky. In practice, why would you want to? Just keep it locked.
1, 2, 3
★SECOND FLOOR.
★ On the second floor of the mansion is a series of bedrooms. Just like the hotel, you'll find a room already booked with your name on a nameplate on the door - and a portrait of yourself, as well as your hostage, hanging just above the nameplate. The inside of the rooms are simple - a bed with red covers, a desk with a typewriter, and a small bathroom with a toilet and a clawfoot tub. Provided that you didn't give your belongings away, you'll find all of them on your bed, waiting for you upon your arrival. This includes tickets (so long as they weren't looted from your body and used to pay for hints) and other things that may have been evidence in your case but belonged to you beforehand.
★ A dumbwaiter sits at the end of the hallway of bedrooms. Inside of it is a typewriter, and a space where there once sat a golden bell labeled as Virgo's; however, the bell is currently missing. An unlabeled bell sits to the side of it. A small sign above the dumbwaiter says: PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT STAFF BY LEAVING A MESSAGE. VIRGO MAY ALSO BE SENT A TIP AND RUNG. PULL THE LEVER TO PRESS SEND. - STAFF
It seems you can reach out to the hotel staff by leaving a message or ringing the bell, though your options are limited for the latter. Sure enough, a lever in the wall next to the dumbwaiter is currently set to the "down" position. Push it to "up" and watch your message disappear.
★ Beside the dumbwaiter is one last bedroom. This room is marked with a plaque that says "Dream Suite", and has several familiar constellations decorating the door. Occasionally, when you ring the bell by the dumbwaiter while thinking of a member of Hotel Staff on the living side, the corresponding constellation on the door will light up, and you'll feel as though you should walk in. Inside, there is a line of comfortable beds. Lie down in one, and you'll have a dreamlike "in person" audience with the NPC you had attempted to contact.
★ A dumbwaiter sits at the end of the hallway of bedrooms. Inside of it is a typewriter, and a space where there once sat a golden bell labeled as Virgo's; however, the bell is currently missing. An unlabeled bell sits to the side of it. A small sign above the dumbwaiter says: PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT STAFF BY LEAVING A MESSAGE. VIRGO MAY ALSO BE SENT A TIP AND RUNG. PULL THE LEVER TO PRESS SEND. - STAFF
It seems you can reach out to the hotel staff by leaving a message or ringing the bell, though your options are limited for the latter. Sure enough, a lever in the wall next to the dumbwaiter is currently set to the "down" position. Push it to "up" and watch your message disappear.
★ Beside the dumbwaiter is one last bedroom. This room is marked with a plaque that says "Dream Suite", and has several familiar constellations decorating the door. Occasionally, when you ring the bell by the dumbwaiter while thinking of a member of Hotel Staff on the living side, the corresponding constellation on the door will light up, and you'll feel as though you should walk in. Inside, there is a line of comfortable beds. Lie down in one, and you'll have a dreamlike "in person" audience with the NPC you had attempted to contact.
★OUTDOORS.
★ Outside of the mansion is a small garage. The ground here is worn down and thin, and you can almost make out what look like railroad tracks embedded in the dirt. Inside of the garage is a rattly old car that moves along those little railroad tracks, from the garage to the mansion front, and then back all the way around to the cemetery.
★ On the grounds, there is a garden full of flowers. There are also the remnants of gardening supplies and supplies to package and send bouquets, but none of these supplies are in useable condition now. ★ A "bumper cars" rink has been made by clearing out all of the rocks, weeds and grass in a sizeable area. There are some small slopes and dips, and a bumper barrier along the outside of the rink which was made by piling up compacted dead leaves from the graveyard. There are two "cars": laundry baskets that have rudimentary jar lid wheels with ladle axles and nails stolen from a dining room chair. They have been padded with some old clothing, like that will save anyone. Since we don't have electricity in hell, each "car" has one paddle made from tree branches broken down into the appropriate size, presumably used to push the cars around.
★ The cemetery where you first awaken is a direct copy of the cemetery outside of the hotel - right down to the placement of statues, mausoleums, and the creepy atmosphere. Your grave remains after you wake up in it, in case you want to take a dirt nap.
1, 2
★ On the grounds, there is a garden full of flowers. There are also the remnants of gardening supplies and supplies to package and send bouquets, but none of these supplies are in useable condition now. ★ A "bumper cars" rink has been made by clearing out all of the rocks, weeds and grass in a sizeable area. There are some small slopes and dips, and a bumper barrier along the outside of the rink which was made by piling up compacted dead leaves from the graveyard. There are two "cars": laundry baskets that have rudimentary jar lid wheels with ladle axles and nails stolen from a dining room chair. They have been padded with some old clothing, like that will save anyone. Since we don't have electricity in hell, each "car" has one paddle made from tree branches broken down into the appropriate size, presumably used to push the cars around.
★ The cemetery where you first awaken is a direct copy of the cemetery outside of the hotel - right down to the placement of statues, mausoleums, and the creepy atmosphere. Your grave remains after you wake up in it, in case you want to take a dirt nap.
1, 2
N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷
WEEK 5, ALL WEEK
However, the mansion is not silent. Qi Rong still stalks the halls, kicking doors open and ransacking various rooms in his search for your wayward member of hotel staff. Crashes, thuds, yelled expletives, threats, and frankly insane laughter can be heard in the distance pretty much no matter where you are if you're indoors; you're not going to have a moment's peace with this guy around.
For the most part, during the week, attempts at fighting him will go nowhere. It's as if he can sense your intent when you come at him individually; he will dodge, disappear out of your sight, and inflict minor injuries upon you before going somewhere else to continue his search if you try. It seems you will need to come up with a more coordinated plan; his guard is up as he searches for Virgo.
Not only that, it appears he's noticed that this graveyard is much too nice for a place where the dead go after they've been ejected from the hotel. The overall atmosphere has changed somewhat - rooms that had once seemed cozy now seem too small and almost confining; comfortable furniture has been damaged in a way that makes it still useable but much less comfortable to sit on; the kitchens have been ransacked, and most of the good food has been devoured, leaving you with the occasional half-eaten scrap of something tasty and unappetizing, difficult-to-work-with ingredients for everything else; and so on and so forth.
While he's occupied with trying to find Virgo, you'll all have your hands full dealing with some fun other things around the mansion...
Welcome to your fifth graveyard mini-event/weekly objectives!
This week it's a little different - rather than being something to thread out and turn in for a prize which would ICly happen over the course of a day, the events described above will be taking place over the course of the entire week as you figure out how to deal with the stinky asshole that has been let loose. Will there be a prize? Well, maybe the prize will be not having to deal with him anymore.
Since I'll be stuck in capitalism during the week, I won't be able to thread it out with you; however, you can use the write-up above to inspire your own threads with each other/use as prompts/handwave some of Qi Rong's reactions to what you're doing during the week if you'd like.
Anything that doesn't involve Qi Rong specifically, you can resolve however you want the way you did in previous mini-events. For anything big involving Qi Rong's reactions which isn't covered by the writeup, please use the corresponding subtl and let me know what your character is doing, and I'll pop back in ASAP to let you know how he'd react so you can move your threads forward.
The write-up for your final plan to deal with him should be turned in no later than Friday, 8pm EST; you will receive an update with the outcome of your plan later that evening.
PLAN SUBMISSION
PLAN TO OUST THE STINKY MAN FROM OUR GY
-
-On Friday, Bucky is donating his metal arm to the cause of capturing Qi Rong. He will detach it and the group will cover the arm in meat that is ground up and marinated in the poison concoction they’ve made from all of the flowers in the garden.
- Blood donors Souji, Hope, Rupert and Kaeya will mix it with their blood so it’s more of a realistic nasty limb experience and to also cover the scent of the poison by drowning it out with something Qi Rong is hungry for (also they bleed less altogether if they split it up). They will quickly bandage up afterwards with some scraps of cloth.
- We will put the meat arm in a loosely dug grave in the Cemetery for Qi Rong to find. Zuko will stand by in hiding with part of Sieghart’s sword, the blade covered in poison, to get a surprise stab in on Qi Rong while he’s eating.
- Sieghart will create a pincer-approach to stab Qi Rong with the other half of his blade whether Qi Rong tries to dodge the attack or not. Souji will also be back up to make sure Zuko and Sieghart doesn’t get mcmurdered immediately and they will flee if Qi Rong is showing signs that he is unaffected by the poison or the stabs.
- If Qi Rong does not fall to the poison meat arm or the poison stab, they are going to introduce Plan #2, AKA a decoy plus a trap (perhaps this will also help the poison hustle through his system by getting him running around). Alphinaud will dart in dressed as Virgo and incite Qi Rong to follow him (he won’t speak, just be like /!\ and run). The costume is made from pinned sheets and with plant dye that Kazunari has been working on throughout the week to make it look as realistic as possible.
- Alphi!Virgo will lead Qi Rong on a merry-slash-terrifying chase towards Hope! Hope meanwhile, is going to rig up a spring-loaded trap with teeth (like a bear trap), capable of being reset if need be. Unfortunately, Andie is mean and as Hope is setting up his trap, he loses an eye (which he will grab as he runs away with Alphinaud) while also leaving blood behind.
- The trap releasing and scent of blood will ideally help coax Qi Rong towards it while Alphinaud is being chased towards Hope. Hope’s trap is set up by the garage where the car is prepped and ready to NYOOM. Bucky is hiding inside of said car, prepared to run him over. Inside the car to help send Qi Rong off, are Kaeya, Souji (who is dragging Sieghart and Zuko along assuming they don’t die in the stab heist), and Clementine! VRM VRM!!!!! They will drive the car right into him and run him over.
- Once Qi Rong is thoroughly down and out (whether it’s dead or knocked out, according to this team, preferably the former) we are going to loot him for everything he has including the key we have been looking for. Then we’ll tie him the fuck up and stuff his stupid body in the basement and lock him up again. We’ll also gag him so he can’t bite or anything if he somehow is still alive after all this. ]
QI RONG REACTIONS
this will not be an actual thread - fckin capitalism - but i'll give you the reaction so you can move your own threads forward. this is also for actions you are committed to having your character take, regardless of what the outcome may be. antagonize qi rong at your own risk!]
no subject
if qi rong attacks him, he will attempt to fight back with his knife, or straight up just run away and barricade himself somewhere. ]
no subject
as long as hope doesn't use violence against him first, he won't attack him, but he gets increasingly agitated the longer the interrogation goes on and finally snaps "FUCK YOU, STOP DISTRACTING ME AND TRYING TO HELP THEM HIDE FROM ME" and vanishes to continue virgoquest elsewhere.]
no subject
Meaning everyone has decided they're going to try to gather some intel first before making any big plans! Their braincell activated.
Throughout Monday, everyone will be keeping an eye on Qi-Rong in general but in like a casual way, they're trying to be DISCREET. They'll be making notes about his general patterns, including the areas he seems to frequent the most, along with the times that he seems to be there.
On Tuesday, they'll be dividing into a Night Shift and a Day Shift, with each team keeping an eye out for specific things throughout both the day and night respectively. They'll have teams covering the grounds, the mansion, the graveyard and the garage with emphasis on places he seemed to spend more time in on Monday. They'll be trying to match up his actions with Monday to see about any patterns and specifically be keeping an eye out for:
• Does he spend more time at specific locations? Is there anywhere he tends to avoid?
• What times he seems to be in what places
• The key... if it's on his person along with any other items he might have (weapons, etc.), OR if he ever seems to take anything from any other location
• Where does he go at night? Does he stop to eat or sleep at all? What times does he rest and does he seem to have any preferred locations for resting? About how long do his rest breaks last?
• Where he's setting his traps and how he sets them/how he gets materials to set them
yeehaw]
no subject
on tuesday, there still isn't much of a discernible pattern. he checks whichever places he's at, makes a huge mess while he searches, and moves on from place to place.
- there is no particular place he spends more time at than others, and nowhere in particular he tends to avoid, either
- he started off in the mansion in the morning, then went out to the garage in the afternoon and the cemetery in the evening before looping back
- he doesn't actually stop to rest on tuesday. he does start complaining about being hungry, but he doesn't go to the kitchen; rather, he goes to the cemetery and starts digging up graves, but after he digs up three and comes up empty he lets out a string of expletives and goes to search the garage for virgo again (and finds nothing).
- he is setting his traps pretty much everywhere - pitfalls in the grounds and in the cemetery, sharp objects hidden in the flowers, nets and so on where he can rig them up near trees/things to hang from in the mansion, etc. some of the objects for his traps are improvised from the materials in the mansion; others, he snaps his fingers and little ghostly henchmen with green fires above their heads appear, dragging the supplies he needs along behind them as if from nowhere.
- OH WOW I MISSED A WHOLEASS LINE ABOUT THE KEY. it does not appear to be visibly on his person, but then, you weren't able to see it on virgo's person either just by looking. he does occasionally take things from other locations for his traps.
yeehaw.]
no subject
As they do this, they will be looking out for:
2. How long does each trap take to be set back up again?
They'll also be observing him to study:
2. How engrossed is he in the task, as in how focused will he seem? Say, if he's setting up a trap, and they throw a rock some distance away, would he catch that immediately or will he stay focused on his trap, etc.
:amen:
no subject
For brand new traps rather than reset ones, it takes anywhere between 2 to 5 minutes to set them up depending on complexity. Part of the work is done by his ghost minions, so when the rocks get thrown he goes to investigate while they continue the work.]
no subject
Also they're going to do a check amongst their numbers to see who, if any, is a close match for Virgo's size and height!]
no subject
The closest matches to Virgo's size and height are Alphinaud and Clementine, based on memory, but it's difficult to get an exact match since Virgo isn't there for a direct comparison.]
no subject
- Early Thursday, Souji is clearing out all the remaining food! He's taking the nasty shit from the basement and destroying it, and he's taking every single remaining piece of anything that seems even remotely edible from the kitchen to destroy (if it's rotten or inedible for NORMAL PEOPLE because he doesn't trust qi rong wouldn't still eat it) or hide. Hide in the garage probably because he doesn't trust Qi Rong's nose to not track down food anywhere that there isn't another stronger scent,,,
- He's also specifically looking for anything meat-like that's left. PORK ESPECIALLY but he'll take any scraps he can find. He'd squirreled away a lot of the remaining decent ingredients to make meager meals for everyone throughout the week, but stuff he has is probably slightly Rancid by now because of the whole no fridge thing.
- The squad is observing Qi Rong for hangriness in particular. How stressed or angry he seems, if there's any notable increase in his hunt for food, whether or not he goes to dig-dig in the graveyard more, etc.
- Later in the day, Aikawa is going to join the Blood Donor club. He'll set off one of QR's traps by throwing a rock to trigger it! The rock is covered in a cloth that has a little bit of blood on it. This is another way of monitoring qr code's hungriness levels. They'll be watching to see if he approaches/how quickly he does/if he goes hunting down the blood smell in the event that the rock rolls away somewhat, whether or not he's hangry enough to try eating this tiny amount of blood or if he just sniffs it hungrily like a starving dog or something, any other notable things he does about it.
- They're also going to try seeing if anything changes re: whether or not he's stopping to take rest breaks or if he seems able to go literally anywhere outside of the graveyard at any point.]
no subject
- souji is able to find an assortment of pretty rancid meats. there's pork among them! they're raw and rotting, but look as though they've been partially eaten. hmm.
- qi rong is incredibly hangry at this point. he's stressed, he's pissed off, if he's approached he will be much more volatile, he probably WILL try to take a bite out of people while shaking them down for information about virgo's whereabouts (but never seems to pay much attention to the portraits at all, which is a good thing considering virgo appeared at the cyoa returns). he digs up every single grave in the graveyard but never pulls up anything to eat, then reburies it all in a rage. but also, he's dumb, so he sometimes re-digs graves he's buried again. idiot.
- he zooms to the set-off trap and the rock with the same speed as the last time they checked how fast he responds to that, and does in fact pick up the rock. he sniffs it, and then just pops the rock into his mouth and crunches it up.
- he doesn't seem to stop or take rest breaks, although he does vanish around the time their letters appeared earlier in the day and reappered in the graveyard after that.]