GRAVEYARD.

[guestservices]

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!

★ At the very end of the first floor hallway is another door - this one is locked with a padlock. It has a message painted on the door.... Don't dead? Anyway, it seems you can't check just stroll in there! From the looks of it it would be ill-advised to attempt to break in. Occasionally there are muffled shrieks coming from beyond the door. Hmm!


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.

★ A dumbwaiter sits at the end of the hallway of bedrooms. Inside of it is a typewriter, and a golden bell labeled as Virgo's. 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.

★ 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.̷

█ LOCATIONS █ STATUSES █ PROFILES █ AUDIENCES
█ REPORTING █ PRIVATE CONVOS █ MURDER

Comments

w4 weds breakfast partyartyarty

[illomened]

[GOOD MORNING SINNERS. Souji normally cooks group-sized dinners, but today he's taken it upon himself to make a group-sized breakfast, too! There's a generous spread out on the dining room table, most things set up family-style; soup, rice, grilled fish, fruit-filled crepes, just plain freshly cut fruit, pitchers of water, a pot of tea, toast, eggs and more. There are also two extra table settings in place today outside of the usual Single Extra Table Setting that's usually there for Flayn-shaped reasons. The new extra setting is placed away from sweet stinky Bucky and his sweaty pits.

In the meanwhile, the record players are set up under the portraits, blasting the daily shenanigans of the living for the popcorning delight of the dearly departed. There are also... several sheets of paper on the table? And colorful inks which smell floral. Ye olde tricks, grinding dried flower petals into oil to make inks! Organic Artistry™. Some of the papers are blank, while others have writing already on them.]

I've heard from a reliable source that we should contribute our own charts to the chart pile that appears to be forming. Perhaps we can even send them to the living once we're done, considering they'll likely find their mailroom soon... [HE HOPES.]

Or! If you'd like to soundly defeat any or all of our darling staff in a battle of words, you could write a poem! A haiku, if you can - quite simple things, just three lines; five syllables and then seven and then five again. It'd be better still if you could deliver them yourself! The prizes for winning are grand, you know.

[JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE SOME STUFF TO GNAW ON u can add any charts you want etc!! Be free, shitpost, popcorn and harass Virgo to yalls heart's content.]

[guestservices]

[virgo is here, shoving food under their veil to eat. they are, unfortunately, also a rude shit, and have their feet up on the table.

harass them as you please while they eat i'm in the throes of capitalism today as per usual but i'll tag when i can]

[highestheim]

[ cute breakfast... in between bites of toast: ]

A "reliable source"? Do you mean Tsurumaru, or someone else?

[dms]

What reliable source? And you've got to show me how to make the inks! I don't usually make my own back home, but it'd be nice to paint traditionally again. It's been forever!

[ nihonga using natural pigments and shit of course he's interested in that

anyway he points at the shame/embarrassment chart and says: ] Aqui should be in the bottom left corner.

[stillnot]

[ you know what, she is not touching this chart business. so instead she's watching the living. ]

Should we be answering these questions too?

[ that sounds like a fun getting-to-know-you game. ]

[highestheim]

[ now that the second part of mini-event has rolled around...

here's hope quietly watching the various bonding activities through the portraits, a sad sort of smile on his face as he ignores the fake dead body of himself off to the side, because our mini-event is still going on, too. this isn't about him. he looks especially wistful when anyone lights a firework as he murmurs, ]

...At times like this, it's so easy to forget what will happen tomorrow night.

[decaptych]

What prizes?

[ercnerd]

[Charting is tedious. Sieghart instead helps himself to every item on the menu as he watches the living go about their assigned businesses. Mail? Poems? Someone else can do them!

In other words, he's just eating.]

VOTING

[guestservices]

[The crew has finished up their mock trial - and as of early in the morning on week 4, Saturday, a voting box has been set up on the table near the portraits and record players. There are slips of paper, identical to the ones they used to vote while they were still alive, as well as writing implements. The dead can now cast vote during trials.

A few things to note:

- Voting closes for the dead at the same time that voting closes for the living. If your timestamp is after the votes close, it will not be counted.
- ICly, you only get one vote. OOCly you can edit it up until voting closes, but it's not an IC edit - so none of the "I voted for x but forgot to change it to y in time" IC.
- This isn't a straight 1 vote from the dead, 1 vote for a culprit. Rather, whoever gets the majority vote in the graveyard will have one vote added to their count for the trial itself. You are free to discuss it ICly and coordinate if you like, but it's not a requirement as each individual is free to cast their own vote and we'll handle tallying it all up.]

(frozen comment) WEEK 4

[guestservices]

w4, saturday trial watch

[dms]

[ it's trial time and kazunari has brought you all some cute mochi to snack on for the day. he's also eyeing the voting box with curiosity. ]

So we can vote, too...?

[ but also - ]

They put him in the trash?! That's so rude!

vote discussion

[dms]

[ who are we voting for lads ]

[frostythehitman]

[ because i can't let this go unremarked upon ]

Why the hell does he have his crest on his underwear?

...at least Sylvain's back to normal. Finally.

body reports react

[cuedoves]

[ zuko kind of scoffs when diluc talks, but his expression darkens at dimitri's report of rupert's body. ]

I don't care if a shadow was involved or not, there's no need for such horrible cruelty.

[dms]

[ well when kazunari hears this, he flinches and turns away from the portraits. ]

[frostythehitman]

[ trial is over, but Bucky just watches this and feeling like he's aging 20 years with every passing second. thanks! he hates it! ]

[sageguidance]

[ Welp. And then this happens and Sheila vote happens and.

Alphinaud doesn't look so good, but at least Bradley punched him in the face. ]

WEEK 4, SATURDAY

[highestheim]

[ ding! a little after hope and sieg have finished talking to virgo, everyone will find a new message at their typewriters. ]

FROM: h.estheim
TO:   ALL

Please meet me in the cemetery in fifteen minutes. I'll explain once everyone is present and accounted for.

[ and, once that time has passed, hope will be at the cemetery, standing in front of his own grave. morbid! but anyway... ]

I apologize for the choice of location... it was the furthest place I could think of in order to safely discuss these matters. [ ahem ] In any case—Sieghart and I took a trip to ask Virgo about some things. While our interrogation proved fruitless in our original attempt, I think we've stumbled upon other important information, and thus, I propose an idea.

First, to get that out of the way... Virgo doesn't know anything about what happened to the bodies missing from the graveyard on the living's side. According to them, they are not aware of anything that happens on the other side unless their bell is rung, or they are presiding over trials on Saturdays. So... in that sense, our investigation was a dead end.

This knowledge, however, has given me another idea. That being—when Virgo is gone, there is no one to watch the door on the mansion's first floor that they usually guard. Therefore, I suggest we take advantage of their absence to try and break into the locked room.

My current proposal is to split into several groups tomorrow: one or two individuals will go up to the second floor to ring Virgo's bell, thus summoning them into a private audience as a distraction, ensuring their presence away from the door. Another two or three people will be posted in the first floor hallway, keeping an eye out and then attempting to breach the door once they confirm Virgo is gone. The rest of our group will stay behind in order to welcome the newly arrived, and... perhaps most importantly, take inventory of any tickets among them in preparation for anything that might happen to the second group.

Of course, this is a rather hastily thrown-together plan, but I, for one, am not a fan of sitting around just to see what may or may not happen... regardless of the lackadaisical nature I've shown the past few days. [ a h e m ] If given the opportunity, I would like to take matters into my own hands and decide my own fate. Are there any concerns or objections to anything I've said thus far?

[frostythehitman]

Sounds like a pretty solid plan. [ Bucky nods approvingly ]

But are we prepared to pull it off? There could be an infinite army of shadows in there waiting to tear us apart, for all we know.

[dms]

[ ...hesitantly speaks up. ]

I... don't want to say it's a bad idea. But whoever goes into the room should be someone who can defend themselves from something, since we don't know what's there. You know... just in case.

Do we even have the tickets to pay for healing if we need it? I only had the one for last week, so the only way I'll be able to help is with the first aid kit.

[guestservices]

[i really hate to say this

but



this is addressed to "ALL" and virgo has a typewriter.

so, like, hi. they're here.]

week 4 sunday - VIRGO CHOP HEIST & DOOR JOCKS

[illomened]

[Ding! At some point after the arrivals of sweet Kaeya and Rupert, a message is going out to all typewriters...]

FROM: CAPTAIN
TO: ALL

Well. Certainly quite the way to arrive. I imagine there are some grievances that need to be addressed, but there are a few other things I'd like to talk about with regards to the hotel. It's incredibly important information that's pertinent to our current circumstances.

If you're available, please meet me in the garage for further discussion.

P.S. Do we have snacks? I'm starving.

[And so, like clockwork, everyone will mosey their way garage-side. Or maybe they're already in there? Hm. Well, it's probably good to be punctual to Important Meetings.]

[guestservices]

[i regret to inform you that after yesterday virgo is not stepping away from their door vigil.]

WEEK 4, SUNDAY

[stinky]

[the group descending down the stairs into the basement only gets a few steps in before they'll hear a wild, raucous cackling - and then something rushes past them, dragging them up and out of the basement. the doors fling wide open with a loud clang, and anyone who was standing on either side of them had best dodge if they don't want to be hit; however, the force of it sends the doors slamming shut again a moment later.]

WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT LITTLE BITCH?!

[in the light, you can easily tell that the person is not flayn. everyone who was suspicious of the voice on the other side of the door is so, so valid.

two things happen in quick succession -

first, they snatch the key to the padlock away from whoever is holding onto it.

second, they snatch virgo away from their babysitter, holding them up by the neck. virgo, meanwhile, is still too passed out from getting karate-chopped to even fight back.]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THERE YOU ARE! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU! I'LL EAT YOU ALIVE! YOU—

[the ding! of a bell - familiar to the graveyard crew, since they've been ringing bells for audiences for so long - sounds at that exact moment.

virgo vanishes from the newcomer's grasp.

they stare, for a moment, and then turn to the rest of the group, laughing wildly.]

Thank you for your service, letting me out so I could take my rightful place! I'll make sure you're all amply rewarded - hahahahAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[will they. will they really.

anyway.

they, too, vanish from sight - though anyone outside (or looking out the window) will see them near the gardens. they look puzzled at the supplies for packaging and sending bouquets, muttering a "the fuck is THIS supposed to be?!" before destroying the things you need to send them off. they rip up some of the flowers, too, but get bored and abandon it before vanishing again.

some things to note, that as of now:

- virgo can no longer be found in the graveyard!
- you can, however, find this stinky asshole wandering around occasionally. you can talk to him, but you won't be able to do anything to him - if you make any attempt to use force, he'll vanish.
- bouquets can no longer be sent to the living.]

[decaptych]

[ :pika: I ABANDONED MY BOY YOU YEETED MY HOTEL STAFF ]

w4 sunday before shenanigans

[agleam]

[wowee

there are a few banging noises from one of the coffins in the cemetery on this fine morning, before the lid pops off and the person inside sits up! because i'm feeling nice, all his cyoa injuries along with everything else he sustained in the last few days have been healed. good for him and his two eyes. he's immediately using those eyes to just kind of squint into the distance for a few seconds.]

What...? Where's...

[sometimes you were very drugged at the time of your death and you need a second to successfully piece everything together, please hold. after those seconds pass and he remembers enough to realize where this probably is, he just kind of drags his hands down his face and then groans.]

Ohhhh, everyone's going to be so mad...

[priorities]

[decaptych]

Ruuuuupert.

[ He's here to pick up his twink. ]

Hey there.