WEEK 1

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 1

[You now know why you're here, Titled. The question now is, is there a way to get out of here without invoking the rules? What will those who brought you here do to get you to kill?

Time will tell.

There are fifteen strangers in this place.]

Comments

Post-Motive Meeting!

[foolishjustice]

[A couple hours after the meeting, everyone gets an identical text sent to them:]

Would everyone please meet in the food court? I would like to discuss this new development, as well as make sure everyone is still doing well in light of the implications. Myself, Kurusu-kun, Callistis-san and Meridies-san have prepared a late lunch as well, for anyone who's still hungry.

[Anyone who decides to show up will find that there is, indeed, food waiting! There's a platter set out with small sandwiches, as well as a bucket of ice filled with canned sodas. The soda brands are a bit...off, with Dr. Pepper labeled as Dr. Salt, Pepsi as Bepis, Arfs rather than Barqs, and similar odd names for ordinary drinks, but they all taste right.

Akechi himself is sitting at one of the tables, working on a cup of coffee. As people arrive, he nods at them with a small smile.]

Good afternoon. I hope you're managing as well as could be expected?

[totalbullshit]

[ There's a pretty prompt text reply from The Nasty: ]

Will there be a written protocol?

[foolishjustice]

Nothing so formal. This is merely to check on others' states, as well as to discuss how we should handle our captors' apparent impatience.

[eyesofdespair]

So by new development you mean the pandering to greed?

[foolishjustice]

More the evidence that they are willing to make attempts to incentivize us toward murder, beyond hoping for our desperation to escape. They didn't wait very long, either, so they're clearly quite impatient.

[theirmagic]

That's exactly what it is.

[ HUFFHUFF. ]

And what a rude text, to boot! You'd think our supposed "offer" would be nicer-sounding.

[incrediblystressedout]

[Bepis...? Isn't that a dirty word?]

[Joey shows up without feeling the need to reply via text. She's not really sure about this whole typing on a cell phone thing when there's a perfectly good speaker right there, so she just cuts through asking about that and arrives promptly, looking over the drinks with a slightly concerned expression.]

Good afternoon, I guess. We're discussing the whole "would you kill for a hundred million dollars" hypothetical, right?

[foolishjustice]

[Apparently here it's Pepsi, given the circular logo. Even if the colors are slightly off to be lawyer friendly.]

That, as well as the fact that we're already being given further motivation to kill, beyond the offer of escape.

[theirmagic]

Is there even any reason to discuss such a heinous, stupid, and dumb motive? Anything else I could see, but money?

[ It seems Miss I Shouted At My Phone During Lunch is still mad, huh. ]

[steelmagnolias]

Hey now, there's no need to be so formal.

[Just saying.]

I'm doing about as well as anyone could in this shitstorm.

[foolishjustice]

Please don't take it personally. I do a large amount of public speaking, so it's simply become habit to speak formally in general.

[theirmagic]

[ Pushing some food at Ren. c: Look she made cookies too!! Have a cookie, please. ]

Ah, Mister... Sanzashi, was it? I've been meaning to ask... I'm not sure now's the place, but... your profile mentioned something strange. "Pokemon"... and you seemed unfamiliar with the cats in the cafe... are you familiar with familiars or magical animals more than normal, every day ones?

[theirmagic]

[ Speaking of Ursula, after her outburst earlier, she's busying herself bringing food to tables, but she's here. Eventually she DOES finally sit down, though. ]

... I'd like to take the moment to bring up something I think pertinent--we should really have some kind of patrol. With at least people who can defend themselves, or people we trust. At night, at least. During the day enough of us are out and about I doubt anything would happen, but...

[totalbullshit]

The mall is very spacious, that's a hindrance both for the daytime and for night patrols. We're 15 people, there's always going to be more blind spots than places covered.

[ Helena chimes in from the back of the room, sitting on a table instead of a chair because ??? ]

[eyesofdespair]

Come up with some sort of plan and I'll volunteer for a patrol. I'm capable of defending myself.

[steelmagnolias]

[ Welp, he's very pointedly Not Volunteering for this, but he'll keep track of who's volunteering. ]

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama doesn't see any reason not to eat, so when he arrives, he'll sort himself out with a plate and something to drink. Not without giving the drinks a curious look. Akechi receives his best 'Shuuichi' smile, all mild-mannered honor student.]

Under the circumstances, yes. And I appreciate the concern you and the others are showing for the well-being of the group. [That is to say, food.]

If I may jump straight to the point... Considering our previous discussion of how well our captors may now know us, I find it hard to convince myself that there is no one here that will take the bait on this motive, as uninteresting as the rest of us may find it.

[theirmagic]

... You don't really think someone would truly be so shallow?

[ She frowns. Heavily. And crosses her arms to boot. The glare she is giving the air right now could shatter glass. ]

[foolishjustice]

I was concerned by the same thing. Kurusu-kun and I already discussed the possibility of someone here having reasons to be tempted. If they do know such thorough details about us, they would be aware if anyone is in a desperate financial situation...or, if they believe they are, at any rate. Our fractured memories mean that they could get away with offering an incentive that might not actually matter at present, so long as we don't remember it being rendered irrelevant.

[comesaround]

[ Well. He's here. That's got to count for something. He's taken one of the sandwiches and one of the Bepis cans, lounging rather lazily in the spot he'd taken up. ]

Well... don't know if it matters or not but you don't have to worry about me taking up their little offer.

[ Taking a bite of the sandwich, he continues after a moment once he's finished. ]

One.... not too fond of their need to insult us while offering it, and two? Already promised something close to that for something that me and my classmates are going to do at home anyway.

[ Could it be murder? Welp. Have fun trying to ask him about that. ]

[theirmagic]

I've been meaning to ask... about your profile, Karma...

[ She has to. Get this out of the way. ]

It's not right, is it? It concerns me.

[notgentle]

[Dio comes in and makes a beeline for the drinks. He has made the extremely pragmatic decision to purchase a black trench coat over a red button down and dark gray jeans. The black top hat remains, and he adjusts its rim as he tries to read the side of his can in the natural sunlight.] It's just soda...

[He sounds disappointed by that, but he sits down right at the edge of the populated tables, sipping his Dr. Salt and trying not to look like he would rather not be here.]

[theirmagic]

That's because inebriation isn't encouraged in this meeting, it would be unhelpful. If you would like alcohol, you'll have to bring your own, Mister Dio.

[katsufemmefatale]

[Yuuri shows up around the start of the meeting, but he stays on the fringes of the group and silently watches. He has a bottle of water he brought with him, but he does take one of the sandwiches to nibble at. With every point brought up, especially the gaps in their memories, he looks more and more uncomfortable. Still, for the longest time, he says nothing.

It's when Ren brings up his ring that Yuuri openly fidgets and looks down at his own ring.]

Sanzashi-san and I both have rings we don't remember getting. That definitely supports the missing memories theory, unless it's just a way for our captors to mess with us.

[He hopes that's all it is, because the idea that someone has screwed with their minds is terrifying]

[foolishjustice]

As much as I would like to believe it's the latter, several people have noticed distinct gaps in their memory that can't be explained by a simple lack of attention.