week 7

[vicedirector]

seven vices week 7 24 players remaining ♫ monday - thursday Monday morning begins just like the rest, slow and uneasy. At 12pm, every television will go off with its usual bout of static, followed by Katerina's calm, albeit disinterested, voice. "Please gather in the hotel lobby within the next hour." That's all that it says before the televisions turn off. Anyone not in their rooms will hear the voice echoing around them as if through a speaker system, although there are (still) no speakers present. After hearing the motive, characters who choose to explore will find that the void around the town has retracted a bit, and there is now a park and playground next to the clinic. >Mingle? This is Week 7's mingle log, covering Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. Investigations will go up on Friday. When posting toplevels, specify the time and location. If you plan on having any private conversations between characters, remember to let us know in the post linked below. More plot elements will be introduced this week. Mod comments will be occasionally distributed to open toplevels, accordingly. cast setting rulebook profiles private conversations

Comments

[hopefragment]

[Hinata's envelope is helpfully the proper size to fit a file folder. There's apprehension on his face as he opens it, because really, who wouldn't be apprehensive thinking about all the embarrassing things that have happened in your life? Trying to figure out what the worst one could possibly be...

The folder he pulls out is a plain black with a white emblem on the front. Whatever that symbol is, it definitely seems to mean something from how Hinata goes absolutely still, sucking in a sudden breath. There's a long moment where he just stares at that folder without opening it, swaying slightly in place before closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and forcing himself to open it.

It takes a few seconds as his eyes skim over what's likely a page from the way he seems to be reading, then all at once, the color drains from his face. If anyone tries to catch a peek over his shoulder while he's seemingly not paying attention, he'll quickly snap the folder shut before anything can be seen.]

It's bullshit. They're... they're just making stuff up now.

[He sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than anything, though.]

[symbologic]

[Faize hasn't actually opened his envelope yet, he's considering just burning it without looking, honestly. He...can't think of anything he's embarrassed about enough to kill over? But Hinata's voice is enough to snap him out of his musings.]

Hajime? [Friend? What is wrong, you seem distressed?]

[hopefragment]

[Smart move. Is it too late for Hinata to not have opened his?? He'd dearly like to forget he opened it.

He flinches at the sound of Faize's voice, snapping the folder closed and just shaking his head. Or rather -- he's shaking, just a little.]

It's nothing. They obviously couldn't find anything on me, so they're just... they're just telling lies.

[symbologic]

[Faize frowns, folding up his own envelope and sticking it in his pocket for now. Whatever it is, it can wait. Hinata comes first.]

Mmm...well it wouldn't be the first time they've been desperate enough to grasp at nothing. Though... [He trails off, locking eyes with Hinata and giving him a Very Serious Look. Do you feel like you're being analyzed yet, Hinata? Because you are. He's not buying it's nothing, dude. You're shaking.]

[........]

...would you care for some orange juice, perhaps?

[Well, okay then.]

[hopefragment]

[He definitely feels like he's being analyzed? Stop that! Stop that right now!!

If anything, that feeling of being analyzes makes him stiffen up more, clutching the folder more tightly in one hand. It's strange how defiant he's trying to look, when he's clearly just Distressed.]

...?!

[Dude? Bro?? Does it look like oj is going to fix this?? Orange juice may be happy joos but not for something like this. Instead, he just laughs, a short, humorless sound as he rakes the fingers of his free hand through his hair.]

I... no, Faize. I don't want any orange juice right now.

1/3

[symbologic]

[...]

[Did he not get it?]

2/3

[symbologic]

[......]

[He totally didn't get it, did he?]

[symbologic]

[Hinata, are you fucking kidding him right now.]

[That response is enough to get Faize's gaze to go from analytical to deadpan, once he realizes that Hinata was neither joking nor attempting to speak back in code and that he really just didn't understand his attempt at discretion at all.]

I didn't-- [Faize clicks his tongue in irritation, uttering some completely unintelligible, yet oddly elegant-sounding words under his breath. So strong is his disbelief, even the magic translators can't handle his comments. He grabs Hinata's wrist, attempting to pull him towards the stairs.] Come with me.

[Dude...bro...the safe word was oj. Way to fuck that up.]

[hopefragment]

[Did... did he miss something?? He just gives Faize an annoyed, incredulous look in return, trying to figure out if the other had truly said something he couldn't understand, or if he just hadn't been paying close enough attention.]

Wha-- woah, hey!

[Where are we going?? He's frowning, but he is following along, even as he tries to take his hand back. He's coming?? He's coming.]

[symbologic]

[The former, Hinata. The former. You basically just got something along the lines of "for fuck's sake" in Eldarian. Because come on. How did you not get that?]

[As for where we are going? We are going upstairs. Because you clearly need to talk and as your friend, it is his duty to listen. Even if you're a dipshit who doesn't understand breakfast code.]

[muties]

[ Before Faize can haul him off for orange juice (?? boys what r u doing), Roxy will be that someone trying to peek over his shoulders. By literally floating a few inches off the ground to wrap her arms around him and look. ]

What dirty secrets are you hiding, my fair Hajime?

[ She is joking AS IF THE BAGEL COULD HAVE ANY REAL DIRTY SECRETS she would bet her last boondollar his biggest shame was not helping an old woman cross a road or some dumb shit. ]

[hopefragment]

[Floating is cheating!! Because she's a dirty, dirty cheater, she might be quick enough to get a glimpse of his own picture atop several lines of white text on a black background before he snaps the folder shut with a discomforted noise. Roxy don't look...]

It's... nothing. Really, I think they just... couldn't find anything, so they made something up. I mean... for their "motive," if it's something you wouldn't want people to know, it makes sense that it could be made up, right? If people believe it anyway...

[Who are you trying to convince, dude??]

[muties]

[ What a nice picture! Is Hinata a secret agent is that his shameful dirty secret. ]

I wouldn't put it past 'em, they are grade A assholes. How bad is it?

[ She wouldn't put it past them b u t she has a feeling Hinata is trying more to convince himself of that than he is actually convinced of it. ]

[hopefragment]

...

[SHSL Secret Agent, no one must know!!

With her floating behind him like that, he can lean back into her arms, just enough to try to rest his head back against her shoulder. It's comforting like this, even if he still feels uneasy just holding that folder.]

...Bad, [he murmurs, fingers squeezing the folder as if that somehow might make it change its contents.] I don't... it's fine, Roxy. It's just made up, anyway.

[muties]

[ Solution: burn the folder. Let it Die. ]

Mhm. [ It sure doesn't sound fine. But she doesn't want to force him to tell her. But she doesn't want him to be so. vague hand gestures. about the whole thing?? She just bumps the side of her head against his affectionately. ] If you say so. Buuuut if on the rare off chance it isn't made up, it's ok and no one can judge you.

[ rhys' is bodypillows, it can't be worse than that hinata ]

[hopefragment]

...No one can judge me, huh...?

[He just tries to rest his head against hers for a second when she bumps him, unsuccessfully trying to bite back a humorless laugh.]

Yeah. You're right.

[He doesn't sound like he thinks she's right, though. Instead he just reaches with his free hand to take hers for a gentle squeeze.]

You're okay?

[muties]

[ Is she going to have to spend this whole week worrying about him. Because damn it, she will. ]

Yeah, I'm a'right. Really, I was expecting a flipbook of most of my life or maybe just a picture of when I was a baby, so.

[ Shrugs. ]

Woooould it make you feel better if I showed you?

[hopefragment]

[He hums and glances back to her with a bit of a concerned frown. He'd very much like to focus on his own problems, but he doesn't like the implication that a flipbook of her entire life would be a valid motive.]

You... don't have to show me, no. It's something... you don't want anyone to know, right? So don't worry.

[He means it. As curious as he is, it's... probably something really personal, right? So he doesn't want to pry.]

I really wouldn't have expected it to be anything like you said, though.

[Come on, Roxy, you're great? The greatest girl in the whole town, to be sure. Will Smith Pose.png]

[muties]

[ Despite offering, Roxy is relieved he says no. With a quick kiss to his cheek, she swings around to land in front of him. Because her minute of flight has probably run out, who knows. ]

Nah? Well, you might be a lil biased.

[ No, you're thinking of yourself Hinata. You're the greatest girl in town. Er, boy. ]

[hopefragment]

[He still manages to flush when she kisses his cheek... ugh listen, it's different when she does it. A small smile flickers across his face for a moment at the accusation, and, well, he can't exactly deny being biased, but...]

It's still not what they gave you, so I think that says something.

[He doesn't hold the smile for long, though, just exhaling a sigh through his nose and raking his free hand through his hair.]

Don't worry about me, it's... fine. It's fake, I know it is. So... don't worry about it, okay?

[muties]

A'right, I won't.

[ 100% a lie, she will worry about it 5ever. Or rather, worry about Hajime in the context of it. But if he thinks it's fake, it must be, right? After all, you don't just forget your most shameful moment, probably. ]

Wanna throw it in the bonfire to show them aholes they can't get your goat with their shitty fake motive?

[hopefragment]

[Things that people shouldn't forget but are somehow capable of forgetting, a lesson by the dangan cast.

He stiffens, fingers clutching the edge of the folder more tightly as he just shakes his head.]

I... no. I want to hang onto it. I mean, it's just...

[It's fake? But he has to prove it. Or if he looks at it it'll... help. Or something.]

Maybe later.

[sobowtor]

Wanna talk about it?

[Poland's here for you friend.]

[hopefragment]

...Not really.

[It's not personal, Poland. Or well, it is personal, but the kind of personal where he doesn't want to talk about it with anyone, not even his friends.

Whatever it is, he just clutches that folder more tightly and shakes his head.]

...What about you? Are you okay?

[sobowtor]

Okay but. I don't care what's in the folder. I still like you.

Also I'm fine! [She didn't look in her envelope.]