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

Blood + Favorite Thing

[notgentle]

"Longcat" is two words, that's a weird typo when this is the snobby boss... no, of course! The nametags!

[Dio is for once in an outright gregarious mood, making eye contact with anyone as if inviting them to follow his motivated strides - perhaps because he's spent the last of his original money on a straight razor held in his right hand.]

[classmated]

So you're thinking "Longcat" is the name of one of the cats in the cafe? That's an interesting theory.

[ Also, uh, what are you doing with that straight razor. Wake eyes it questioningly. ]

[notgentle]

What else do you think it is? A cat statue? Is it an anagram?

[Dio raises the razor a little closer so Wake can actually see it if he is so curious.]

[classmated]

A statue isn't a bad idea either. An anagram...

[ Thanks, Dio. He tries to think on what kind of anagram "longcat" could form while changing the subject! ] Do you need to shave or something?

nag coat. we gotta get akira's coat

[notgentle]

Uh, yeah, in general. Not anymore because I finally got something to fucking do it with.

[He tilts his chin, showing off the difference.

Casual as all hell:] Of course, this is also useful for getting blood.

on it!!!

[classmated]

Nice!

[ That sure is a comment about your clean chin. Why is he happy for you? It's a mystery, you don't need this confidence boost over something so ordinary, Dio. And yet you're getting it. ]

Haha, so that's your game. Don't you think a syringe would be better?

I put in 2 A's and 0 L's. it's a nag colt I guess. where's a horse

[notgentle]

I guess a syringe would be a little more comfortable, but I was going to buy a razor anyway, so that means buying two things. Anyway, if you don't want to get yourself cut with a razor, that's fine. I'm not going to come at you with it head on or anything.

shhh nobody needs to know that, besides nag coat is almost as cute as a colt!!

[classmated]

[ Wake actually laughs at that. ]

I didn't think you would. Don't worry, I trust you. [ And then he settles into his usual smile. With a bonus hand on his hip. ] I don't mind a little cut though. It should be enough to get some from my finger, right? They never specified how much you need.

[notgentle]

[Dio sizes Wake up for a second. When he looks down to more closely examine Wake's hand, the brim of his hat hides his eyes.] Okay, great.

[He grabs Wake's other hand, guiding the fingertip to the tip of the razor. Sure enough, it is just a little drop. Apparently Dio is good with a sharp tool. Then he shifts the razor so they can both hold it and Dio has one hand free. Since Wake seemed a little unfamiliar with this type of razor, so he could use some guidance from a helpful Dio!]

Here, you can get it from me too.

[classmated]

Ouch. [ He winces for a second and looks down at his finger. Okay, so now they need somewhere to put it? Something like that, the instructions weren't very clear on that. He takes his notepad from his pocket again, smears his finger on a random page, and tears it out for Dio to take.

Once that's done, he looks at Dio uncertainly. ] You want me to do it?

[notgentle]

[He's folded the sheet of paper and put it in his pocket with a cool nod.]

Hey, if you don't want to do it, no skin off my back. Literally. [GET IT???] I just thought I'd offer. I got tissues on me and everything. Anyway, once you make up your mind about that, we should get going to look for those cats soon.

[classmated]

[ HE GETS IT and he laughs. Why anyone would laugh at that is a mystery. ]

I guess I might as well. Sorry, I'll be gentle. [ As promised, he very gingerly takes Dio's hand. So gingerly, it's almost like he's used to holding someone's hand like it's fragile and dainty. Then he takes the razor and makes a small, quick cut with the tip. ]

[notgentle]

[That is a weird feeling. Dio's hands are perhaps the more calloused of the pair. He takes out the tissue and drops it for Wake to catch without looking directly at him.]

See? It was fine.

[They have walked and are in front of the cat cafe now. A green-eyed Abyssinian is looking through the doorway at Dio. There is a nametag saying "Ranya" around her neck.]

Longcat's gotta be here somewhere. There aren't that many.

How about some grass, too?

[byanyother_name]

I suppose it's true that it could be a proper name. Not a very good one if you ask me.

[Kurama is just outside the gardening area where they first met, and he gestures inside.] There's grass in here, and probably not very many other places. We might want to get that.

[His eyes are curious when they find the straight razor in Dio's hand, but not disapproving.]

[notgentle]

[He folds the straight razor closed when he gets a glance.] Not every name is gonna be a winner. There might be, like, a downcat that's close to the ground. I haven't read every nametag...

[Dio casually hops a short fence to get inside the gardening area, kneeling down to touch the grass. His eyes widen.]

Wow, this isn't some kind of prop...? Huh...

[byanyother_name]

Nor have I. There are quite a few of them.

[Kurama looks a little amused as he leans down to touch it himself. His fingers linger as they brush across the grass, almost wistful for a moment.]

No, all the plants, potted and otherwise, that I've found in here are real and alive. I'm good at telling the difference.

[notgentle]

[He works a little harder to force an amicable smile. Apparently, Dio is not good at that for whatever reason.]

Oh, "likes, plants", huh.

[He's the first to stand.] Welp! You think there's Tapioca in here?

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama will kindly refrain from comment on how bad at it he is.]

No, they weren't at all incorrect there. I do like them. They have quite a few uses as long as you know the right ones.

[And he straightens when Dio asks about Tapioca, holding up a finger before poking around in a small bag and pulling out a mostly empty cup. It used to be full of bubble tea, but now there is just a carefully saved layer of tapioca bubbles in the bottom.]

I'd appreciate it if you traded your birthday or star sign for it. It seems fair as they're worth the same amount.

[notgentle]

It's a type of cup? Huh.

[Dio looks quite nervous about this for some reason.]

Uhhhhhhh... I was born in the year of the... goat.

[byanyother_name]

No, the substance in the cup. It's a type of food.

[Kurama looks curious about that nervousness but he doesn't press, just shrugs lightly. The Chinese zodiac has no goat, but if Dio isn't lying, it might be a universe thing. If it counts, it counts. If it doesn't, it doesn't. The scavenger hunt is only money, after all, and he's gotten more than enough so far to keep himself fed and clothed.]

I hope that doesn't mean you'll eat anything. [It's teasing without being mocking, though the quirk to Kurama's lips hints that he's mostly just assuring Dio that he really doesn't care.]

[notgentle]

[He leans down and peers into the cup closer.] Oh! Looks like someone already ate that... [He leans back up to face Shuuichi.] Hahaha. Hell no, this body is a temple. [Is he intensely relieved that Kurama isn't pressing the issue, or is he just that amused at his own joke? Who knows.]

[byanyother_name]

I really just left enough to count for the scavenger hunt. I happen to like it.

[Kurama's lips quirk a little. He shouldn't. He really shouldn't and he knows he shouldn't. But he says it anyway.] Should I ask what form of worship happens?

[notgentle]

[Without missing a beat, smiling wolfishly:]

Absolutely not.

[Dio puts a hand on the back of his neck and cricks it.]

Man, I know there's probably plenty more servings of that tapioca to go around, but I don't know how more than one person is supposed to get the high score on an arcade game. It's called the high score.

[byanyother_name]

Somehow I thought as much. [But there's mischief to the brief glint in Kurama's eyes, his smile almost vulpine.

It fades into a more innocent amusement as Dio goes on.] Really? I can think of several. We're receiving our money as soon as we achieve the goal, for one thing. So if you make a high score and receive the prize, you won't lose the money if someone else comes afterward and beats it.

For another, I think the Barcade has enough machines that we could all play a different one.

[notgentle]

I'll grant you that it would work to take turns, but shit isn't quite that simple.

[He heaves a pretty big sigh, because this doesn't make him look very cool, but. Dio waves his arm at a nearby rifle game, nudging a button without putting any type of token inside. The autoplay footage stops and returns to the starting screen, saying "please insert coin".

The first five ranks are already filled in with three letter taglines that don't evoke any of the fifteen strangers. The sixth, seventh, and eighth scores are "DIO".]